Content Warnings:

•Season 4 Part 2 Spoilers
•Mentions of Death
•Strong Language
•Violence
•Fighting
•Death
•Injury
•Blood
•Panic
•Guns
•Gore

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Flashback

It was like any other day when it happened. Nothing could have prepared you or anyone for what came. There were only hours left in the day, so close to reaching another peaceful end. However, that was not the case one evening in Wall Maria.

"Hey, (nickname)." Quincy called as he left the back room of the shop, glancing over his shoulder. "Hey." Your eyes flickered up at your older brother as he approached you at the counter. "We should play free fall tonight." The (texture)-haired male placed his palms on the wood surface, staying close so your father wouldn't hear. Your gaze returned to the notepad beneath your hand, covered in scribbled numbers for orders you had to request for the shop's supplies. Not wanting to give an answer straight away, you sighed and found a compromise. "If you can help me finish this list, then we can." You held up the notepad to show him the current status of your list. With a hum, the older brother grasped the item to look it over. "You got a deal." He eventually nodded, then set it back down.

Later that evening, you had finished your chores for the day so you were able to get your ODM Gear out and ready. Luckily, your father had gone out on a last minute delivery. Knowing your brother would most likely get the address wrong, he decided to err on the side of caution.

With the shop to yourself, you closed early in order to prep your gear with your brother. You still had to wait until sundown to play but with the extra time, you could scout out new routes in the meantime. "Ready?" Your brother asked as he strapped his ODM Gear on. "Almost." You responded as you neared the end of your inspection. Then suddenly, something had caught your attention from the corner of your eye. You glanced to your right but saw nothing unusual at first. That was until the odd feeling wouldn't shake.

Before you had the chance to fasten your ODM Gear, you quickly stood up when you noticed whatever caused the shift in atmosphere. Quincy had approached from the side, ready to leap off but your left arm swung out in front of him. "Wait!" You shouted, eyes wide as they stared towards the Wall. "What is it, (nickname)?" The male furrowed his brows down at you in confusion. Your eyes did not dare to avert as they eventually glazed up towards the darkening sky. Quincy had caught on at that point but still waited for an explanation. In your eyes, what you could see of the horizon, was engulfed in baby blue fog, leisurely trailing up like smoke. You knew exactly what it was but why so much?

Then, the sound of multiple horses' hooves clicked on the path near the gate to the rest of Rose, which captured your attention. You threw your head to the side and gasped when you saw many wagons full of distraught citizens you had never seen before. That was all you needed before a flood of memories overtook your vision. All from their point of view. They were refugees from Shiganshina and Maria. All there because of a Titan invasion.

"We've gotta go help..." Was the last thing you whispered to your brother before ditching your ODM Gear on the roof to climb down and assist the fearful. "Y/n, hold on!" The older male called as he followed suit after he tore his gear off. "You're just a kid, how do you anticipate helping?" He questioned as soon as he caught up with you on your jog towards the gate. You did not think of a way besides showing up to find work but he had a point. You were young and would probably be shooed off. The most you could probably do was pass out food.

"I'll figure it out." You decided to answer in a calm tone, eventually reaching the gate with your brother. You both slid to a stop once you realized how many more people showed up in a matter of two minutes. It was definitely overwhelming for both sides of the situation. You shook the feeling away and ran over to one of the wagons that had stopped to unload citizens, losing Quincy in the process. However, the moment you reached up to help a woman out, memories sparked in your mind which overtook your own vision. Once her touch left yours and the next person took your offered hand, you were drowning in the flood of fear as you relived everything they had just gone through within the past few hours.

A skinless beast that towered over the Wall as the city below it fell into a deafening silence. Shock had bitten everyone which left them paralyzed in fear, unable to process their own terrified thoughts. A gust of wind blew through the city so strongly that no storm could reach its potential. As it had settled for a mere moment, the ruckus broke out again along with the peoples' cries. "They're coming in!" "The Titans are coming in!"

Most ran away while the others stayed behind for the sake of their injured loved ones, desperate and gullible enough to think they could make it out alive. Chased into corners, crushed under ceilings, and clawed at by their massive hands. Hope for humanity was slipping away with each passing second. Families were torn apart in the bloodshed caused by those intruders you managed to block out for so long. When would it stop? When would their screams merge with the wind?

"Y/n?" "Y/n!" A voice had been calling out for you but all you could hear were screams of those people before you. Frozen in shock, you did not notice the panic it began to cause you. It had come to the point where Quincy found you again and had to pull you away from the refugees, around a building's corner. "Hey, Y/n! Snap out of it!" The boy shook your shoulders but you were that of a doll, completely spaced-out, yet your body anxiously shook as you held yourself out of comfort. "Can you hear me? Are you in there? Y/n!" One last shout in your face was enough to disgruntle him, which caused him to desperately search for a new method. That's when he decided to smack you upside the head. "Hey! Wake up!" He yelled, which ultimately brought you back to the real world.

Your wide (color) eyes shot up to his, unaware of your fingers clawing at your arms. "W-What happened?" You muttered as your vision slowly faded back to normal. "I don't know but you were freaking me out, dumbass. Don't do that again!" Quincy grumbled with a frown and turned away to head off. You watched as your brother strolled away while rolling his sleeves up. He was ready to help in any way possible. You envied him for the sake of not having to deal with your problems himself. You still wished you were normal.

As your mind and body eventually calmed down enough, your eyes lingered down to notice the harsh grip you had on your arms. When you released the grasp, you stared at the red marks caused by the digging of your nails. You'd be lying if you said that response was new, however, it was not. You tended to self-soothe, even if it hurt.

No one had imagined a day like that one. Not even people in the interior were prepared nor thought of preparing for something like that. After all those years ago, it was still a work in progress to return to their normal lives before.

Flashback End

Gearing up with your former enemies was something you never thought you would be doing during your time in the Survey Corps. Yet, you're doing just that as you stand below a short rocky cliff near the port with them. You keep your bitter gaze low as you silently fasten the remaining belts on your chest straps, consistent with avoiding Lux- Zeina since you found out the truth to her identity. It still hurts, no matter how unbothered you act. Whether she can see through you or not, she's been keeping distance as well. You prefer the silence and space between you two for now until you can collect your feelings or pretend everything is all right. Truthfully, she lied to you. You're already fed up with liars at this point that the last person you expected to do such would turn out to be your own mother. You thought you got away from it all.

Once the last belt is clicked into place, you tighten the straps one last time for extra security, already aware of how bothersome an ODM Gear accident is. You'd rather not chance another blackout. Smoothing your hands over your old gear, you release a sigh of relief, glad to be back in the comfort of the gear you've grown up with. You highly favor it over the modern version you used in Marley.

Finally turning your chin up, you notice your squad line up in front of the Marleyan Warriors and Onyankopon. With a quick glance over your shoulder, you spot your unconscious Captain in one of the wagons, thankfully resting. However, his strength would come in handy now. All you can do is continue to hope for a quick recovery before another major event happens without him.

"We've gotta kill 'em all at once. That's the only way to secure the flying boat. For this to work, we'll need all our Titans and all your weapons. Got it?" Annie speaks to your squad. Standing beside Conny, your right hand twitches a bit as you already sense a response from him. "Not so fast." He confirms your feeling. Then, it moves onto Mikasa who stands to the right of Armin. "If we go in recklessly, the Azumabito will get caught up in it." The ravenette suggests. "Right." Conny agrees. "Why should we care about your distant relatives? They attacked our homeland." Annie counters.

"Wait. The Azumabito dying will pose problems, Annie. Isn't that right?" The Cart Titan, Pieck, steps in as she turns her head towards Onyankopon. "Its true. I should be able to pilot the flying boat on my own, but without the Azumabito mechanics, its just a boat without wings. Currently, the wings are folded up to make it easier to tow. And its not just a matter of unfolding the wings. The original plan was to service it in a hangar and pilot it after some training." The man answers her question.

"How long will that take?" Reiner furrows his brows. "I don't know. It depends on the Azumabito." Onyankopon replies again. "I see. Sounds like you wanna protect the Azumabito while they service the boat. But not just that—without killing any of the Yeagerists who come to stop us, huh?" Annie brings up in a suggesting manner to poke Mikasa. "If possible. We've known 'em since we were cadets. So, what's your plan? Tell me. How do you plan on buying enough time for the Azumabito to service the flying boat without killing anyone? Let's hear it, Armin. Don't you have a grand plan like when you cornered me?" The blonde female taunts.

"There's no such plan. We either wipe 'em out, or don't and lose the boat." Pieck interferes after a brief silence. "Hold up! We're here to save people! And yet, we've gotta murder some of our friends first?! What the hell?!" Conny raises his voice, baffled and disgusted by the suggestion. Glancing up/down/over at him, you refrain the urge to calm him down, deciding its better to leave it be.

"True... You guys shouldn't be expected to help out in this operation. Nor expected to make that choice in the first place. Unlike us, you probably wouldn't have destroyed the Wall that day." Annie stares at the ground. Your eyes suddenly flicker towards Reiner who stands directly parallel to you. That statement causes him to gasp, reliving a memory from Marley which you are able to see, too.

"Like I thought, I'm the same as you."

You both hear Eren's voice.

"Is that... what he meant...?"

Reiner questions himself, audible in your mind. "You guys don't have to fight." The buff blonde suddenly takes a step towards you and your squad, causing a bit of confusion. "Watch from a safe place with Gabi and Falco. If the Yeagerists spot you, you'll have no choice but to fight. So, stay out of it." Reiner stares down at the ground.

"And just watch you guys slaughter each other?" Conny questions with furrowed brows. "Is this even a situation that Titans alone can solve?" Jean mumbles just as Commander Hange and General Magath slide down a slope to the right. "I have no intention of spectating." Your Commander speaks up. "After all, the Yeagerists have killed four already. Besides, humanity doesn't have much time left. I saw Titans crossing the sea, giving off tons of steam. Judging by their speed, they've probably set foot on Marley. I'm sure the closest cities in the northeast are already destroyed. Who knew they'd cross the sea so quickly? Just how many have died thus far?" They glaze their eyes across your comrades.

General Magath strides forward, pushing past Onyankopon to glare down at Yelena who sits behind him. The General's shadow casts over the blonde's as she slowly trails her eyes up to meet his intense ones. Before she can say a word, General Magath's tan hand slaps over her mouth as his boot raises to pin her left arm on the rocky slope behind her. Struggling beneath his restraint, she's silenced into a muffle as he lowers his face near her's. "Tell us where Eren Yeager is headed!" He spits at her, pressing harder as she shakes her head. "Talk or I'll give you another elbow to bend!" He gives her one last chance but she holds her ground.

Watching the scene unfold, your breath catches in your throat, eyes immediately pinching shut when you anticipate what you sense is moments away. Just as she grasps his wrist which covers her mouth, a deep crunch is heard from her trapped arm, causing you to tense up even more. When you slowly peel your eyes back open, you're met with tears pooling in her own as her heels scrape at the surface in pain.

"Magath!" Commander Hange shouts as he finally releases the tall blonde which makes her gasp for air. "Don't be scared. I won't kill you." His deadly gaze never leaves her pale one. "That's a relief. I changed my mind. I don't wanna die till I see how this ends. If you take me with you, I might just say where Eren is headed." Yelena pants with a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Securing the boat comes first." Commander Hange reminds General Magath, placing a hand on his left shoulder. "We don't have time to torture her." Onyankopon adds, eyes glancing up at a few rocks falling down the slope, spotting Gabi. General Magath looks up as well, his hard expression finally relaxing into a softer one.

Shifting his focus away from the young female, General Magath turns around to face you and your comrades. Unable to relax in this situation, you bite the inside of your cheek as his gaze lingers over you before facing the others beside you. "Conny, Armin, Mikasa, Jean, Y/n... I want to apologize for my behavior last night. We... were wrong. I was foolish to bring up justice. Disgusting as it is, I was desperately trying to justify my actions. I feared to look at myself and see I've become as vile as Marley. None of you are to blame. Its wrong to make you bear the sins of the past due to your race." The older male leaves your squad speechless as he turns towards his own soldiers now.

"Pieck, Annie, Reiner, Zeina... You shouldn't have to endure the world's hatred your whole lives, either. However, its our duty to remember this stupid, bloodstained history and teach it to future generations." General Magath addresses the Warriors, his eyes focusing on Zeina for a bit longer. "Eren Yeager wants to eradicate everything, and that's unforgivable. This hell won't end until we turn away from all this senseless killing." He suddenly bows his upper body towards you and your comrades. "But... please... Just this once, look the other way until this senseless bloodshed is over." The General almost chokes out as he holds his stance.

A few moments of utter silence fill the area, anyone almost afraid to speak until finally, Armin parts his lips. "I refuse. I won't stand by with clean hands." He states simply. Rising back up, General Magath reveals a shocked expression, unsure of what to do with that kind of response. Even you feel torn about being put on the spot like this. Your head just hurts thinking about what will happen next, or maybe that is part of the incoming vision you're receiving.

The familiar sensation of cool metal kissing your temple presses harder and harder into your skin like a nail. You await the draw of blood as the end pierces each layer of your skin but it never comes. Instead, it is abruptly pulled away, met with air once again.

Almost completely dazed out as you focus on your own thoughts, you hear Mikasa's idea just in time. "We need to make the Yeagerists believe we're on their side. Otherwise, we'll never make it past the port." The ravenette chimes in. "How will we do that, Mikasa?" Conny's brows stitch together as he questions her. "Jean already tried to infiltrate before. We can start by saying that he's been killed by the Cart Titan. Then, convince them to lend us the flying boat somehow." Mikasa answers firmly.

"She might be onto something. Let's hope it works." Jean speaks up, approving of the plan. "What do you think, Commander?" Armin glances towards the brunette for their own approval. Pondering for a moment, the Commander eventually nods. "Its worth a shot. Its all we can do now. We'll split you all up into teams to execute this plan, then." They agree.

"What about us?" Gabi asks, approaching the General's side. The much taller man looks down at her anxious complexion, not even hesitating to answer. "You'll stay here with Falco, Yelena, Pieck, Captain Levi, and Zeina." The General responds, holding a firm stance. Nodding, Gabi turns away to join the aforementioned, however, one of them doesn't like the sound of that idea. "You're making me stay here?" The familiar voice pipes up from behind him. Brows twitching together, General Magath turns on his heel to face the opposer. "You're questioning my decision?" He replies with an irritated tone.

Standing behind him with crossed arms, Zeina gives a curt nod, her expression showing determination to get her way. "Yes, I am questioning it. You need me out there. Enough holding me back." The woman snaps. Approaching her with a dangerous façade, Zeina keeps her ground, not even flinching by his intimidating demeanor. Just as he's inches from her face, Commander Hange intervenes. "Let's not get into an argument now, guys! We have a mission to worry about." They chime awkwardly, not in the mood to hold back two fighting children. Glaring up/down/straight into Zeina's (color) eyes for a few seconds longer, the man eventually smirks, breaking the awkward tension. Knowing she can read his thoughts before turning away, he seems to forget that you can too.

"Careful. I let you keep the future girl."
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"Can you tell what's happening?" Mikasa's eyes meet your side profile as you stare ahead at the jade-roofed building, crouched down low. A sudden shot fires from inside the building, causing Mikasa's eyes to widen a fraction from the distant sound but you remain entirely focused. "Y/n-" The ravenette begins to say but you quickly rise back up, glancing her direction. "It wasn't her. Let's go." You shake your head, then signal towards the building as you deploy your anchors.

Mikasa follows after you, taking the window to the right while you take the left, breaking through the glass. The ravenette kicks a Yeagerist in the face then shoves the other's head into the wall behind him, his gun causing his nose to bleed. On the ground, Kiyomi has Floch restrained by the arm, a foot on his back as well. You're relieved to see that she is all right after the previous snippet visions you had.

"Kiyomi!" Mikasa shouts her direction as you rush towards them but Floch manages to use the controls of his gear to shoot an anchor at the wall. You just miss him as he launches himself out of the building through another window, leaving you in the dust. "Enemy attack! Mikasa, Armin, Conny, and Y/n have betrayed Eldia! Kill them!" The auburn-headed male screams to warn the other Yeagerists outside.

Turning towards Mikasa who crouches before Kiyomi, she's already giving directions. "They'll shoot through the window! Run to the basement!" She stands up, leading the others out. Following behind them, you escape the room in time as Thunder Spears strike the floor, exploding. The powerful force of the explosion sends you and Mikasa flying down the staircase, hitting the wall at the bottom. Coughing from the thick smoke that already penetrates your lungs, your current presence in the real world shifts to past memories of your execution attempt. Not only does the smoke choke you up but the panic that gradually builds up in your system.

A grasp on your shoulder quickly grabs your attention, temporarily pulling you back to reality. "We have to keep moving!" She reminds you, although her voice sounds a bit gargled like she's underwater. "Y/n!" She repeats herself, able to gain a bit more of your attention. "R-Right, sorry..." You mumble with a dazed-like nod, almost as if you were just woken up from a deep sleep. "Lady Mikasa! A different, slightly muffled voice shouts from the other side of the room. The ravenette takes off towards Kiyomi, kicking off the wall as she draws out her swords to defend the older woman. However, bullets shot from Commander Hange, General Magath, and Jean take care of the Yeagerists blocking your escape route.

"This way, Azumabito! Hunker down in the basement! Follow me if you wanna live!" General Magath shouts towards your group. As you descend the carpeted-staircase, you freeze in place when a hot, sharp pain shoots through your mouth. Cupping the right side of your jaw, your other hand braces the wall, catching Jean's attention as he waits for you to join. "What happened?" He furrows his brows, looking up at you. Rubbing your cheek, you stretch your jaw a bit as your (color) irises dart back and forth as you retain new information. Eventually, the sudden pain ceases enough to where you can reach the bottom of the stairs without distraction.

Still concerned and confused, Jean doesn't remove his gaze from you as you slowly approach, until you just pass him. Pursing your lips for a second, the words finally slip past. "Armin's been shot." You whisper over your shoulder, not wanting to be heard by the others, especially Mikasa while she's still in the room. She doesn't need to stress and worry about Armin right now. With wide eyes, Jean quickly follows you the rest of the way to meet the others in the basement, unsure of what to say. He too doesn't want to draw too much attention to it.

By the time you reach the basement, the burning has disappeared so you plant yourself at the bottom of the staircase along with Commander Hange, General Magath, and Jean. The sandy-brunette with a mullet tosses you an extra gun as you kneel behind the General. He's been silent since you told him about Armin, probably worried he would accidentally mention it in front of the others.

Another blast sends smoke to billow down the stairwell, causing you to shield your eyes from the smoke and dust particles as you continue to focus on the present moment. Its difficult to not cater the memories of past events and Armin's condition. Being positioned behind General Magath is enough to make you uncomfortable, considering you were also wanted by him and not just the Wall Worshippers. You're aware of your lack of focus, as the intrusive thoughts always affect you, no matter how hard you try to fight them. Whether they're from the dead or yourself.

"We're sitting ducks here! They'll kill us one by one!" Kiyomi barks from around the corner where she, along with others, hide in a room next to the staircase. "Its fine! If we're in a safe place, the others can let loose!" General Magath replies, keeping his position. Just then, you hear the sound of thunder from Titan shifters, seeing a vision of Annie and Reiner transforming in front of the port.

At least the plan is still going accordingly.

Snapping out of your vision, you notice Commander Hange look over their shoulder with a shocked face. "J-Just now... What did you say?" Commander Hange nervously looks down at the three engineers. "That it usually takes us a whole day to service the boat before it can fly. But with the right equipment, we could shave it down to half a day." The man in front explains. "Half a day? You want us to hold off the enemy for that long? They're gonna be throwing reinforcements at us. We're supposed to defend the port when our Titans only last a few hours?" General Magath questions their strategy.

"We'll be too late." Commander Hange speaks up again. "The rumbling moves faster than a galloping horse. Plus, they plow through all obstacles. In half a day, they'll raze something like 600 kilometers past the coast. For them to flatten the entire continent will take... just four days. Even if all goes right and we do stop Eren... it'll already be too late... for Liberio." The Commander's words frighten the others, just thinking about their homelands being completely gone. "Dammit." Jean mutters underneath his breath, gritting his teeth together.

"Even if we do get it to fly, we don't know Eren's location. That'll add more time. Its not like we can defend the port that long to begin with. Its just not..." General Magath trails off. "I have an idea." Kiyomi interrupts, leading you all to a map in the other room. "South of here, in the Marleyan coastal city of Odiha, we own a hangar. The flying boat could be serviced there. We could depart at once, towing it behind us and complete preparations in Odiha." She points to the map, dragging her finger down to show where the hangar is located.

"A coastal city? That puts it roughly... Isn't it about to be flattened?" The Commander turns their gaze towards Kiyomi. "We can get to Odiha before the rumbling does, but its a gamble if it'll stand for half a day." The older woman responds. "A gamble..." Commander Hange repeats, glancing over at the General. "In any case, we won't be taking off from here. Does the ship have coal?" General Magath asks the engineers. "Y-Yes!" One replies, flinching at his loud voice. "But prep takes 30 minutes!" Another one adds. "Make it 15! If you die, Hizuru and the world are doomed! Stay sharp!" the General informs them. "Right!" They all respond.

"I'll get Captain and the others!" Jean offers, following the Commander out of the room. "I'll let Mikasa know!" They rush up the stairs to find the ravenette amongst the battlefield. Not sure of how to make yourself useful, you swallow a lump in your throat as you turn towards the Marleyan General. "General Magath, how should I assist?" You ask, still on edge to even look at him. With a subtle smirk, the older man pats your shoulder, leading you to the stairs. He's silent for a few seconds as he keeps his dark irises on you, making you feel more anxious. "Your Commander's mentioned your ODM Gear skills, go join them." He nods their direction to which you nod back. "Yes, sir." You reply, obeying his order and following the others out, happy to not be stuck with him.

He's weird.

You arrive just after the Commander, assisting Mikasa as Floch shoots at the both of them. You sense a Yeagerist sneaking up behind you but unfortunately for him, you're already a step ahead. Changing directions, you're able to get him off your trail, swiftly swinging around the building to pull out a sword and attack from behind him instead.

"Where are the Azumabito going? What could be worth the risk? You don't think...?!"

Floch's thoughts enter your mind. Your eyes avert to glance his way, noticing his focus is on the flying boat. "Forget the Female Titan! Get the Azumabito!" Another Yeagerist shouts to his comrades, gaining their attention for the change of plans. You make an extra effort to protect them from a distance, trying to stay hidden and be as quick as you can to avoid their Thunder Spears.

You notice the large group of Yeagerists on a roof, gathering as many weapons as they can in order to stop you from leaving. In the distance, you hear an explosion and realize a locomotive was destroyed, most likely full of reinforcements for the Yeagerists. With wide eyes, you're more determined to get out of here. Quickly springing back into action, you spot Conny assisting in the fight now.

Taking off again, you fly through an alleyway, bullets already following. Swinging up to a roof, you hang onto the edge until you spot the shooter's gun barrel sticking out of a window, searching for you. When their head reveals, you release your grip and run down the side of the building with gravity, swords being drawn out to eliminate the enemy when you come into contact.

Before hitting the ground, you grapple your anchors to the opposing building, kicking off the wall as soon as you near it. Bouncing between the structures, you eventually spot another Yeagerist, making her way towards you. Just as she raises her barrel, you release the gas triggers on your hand controls, falling below her. Before she has time to use her own anchor instead of gun, you swing up behind her, close enough to brush past her body. Shoving your sword back, you grimace at the gasp she makes as you pull it out as you maneuver away, her blood staining your hand.

Running along a nearby roof, a strike of lighting and a ball of energy catches you off guard, realizing someone else has transformed. Turning your head in the direction of the Titan shifter, you're surprised to see a new Titan, recognizing it as Falco.

Shit! He's going to get himself killed!

While the Yeagerists are left speechless, Jean shouts from a different roof. "Now! They broke formation!" He commands. Immediately, a new sense of hope takes over your system, believing you can win this fight once and for all. Shifting your weight, you run across the roofline, flinging your swords in every which way as you charge towards a group of Yeagerists. The final one in front of you puts up a challenge, though, blocking your strikes and shooting a couple bullets your direction. Ducking your head, you narrowly miss one that could have went straight through the middle of your skull. With a clenched jaw, you release it to yell out as you shield your face while you crouch down to sweep a leg under his.

While off balance, you push yourself up, jumping over him to lift your swords into an X. As gravity pulls you back down, you jerk your arms out to the side until your swords open back up, leaving the man without his head. Cringing at the sight, you have to keep moving on, even if his demonic spirit follows you the second it parts with his lifeless body. The smell of metallic blood lingers on your uniform and flesh, becoming grown to the scent over the past few years from being involved with the Scouts.

As your mind wanders off from counting the remaining Yeagerists, you absentmindedly take off on your gear but not for very long. You collide with someone seconds after being airborne, oxygen nearly being knocked out of your lungs. Grunting at the force, you land back on the roof, suddenly being pinned down to it by a much larger male. Wrists being held down to either side of your head, you clench your teeth, wiggling as much as you can to free yourself. However, the man, looking similar in age, shifts his body so he can use his boot to hold down your left arm. As soon as his knee is off the roof, you see an open opportunity to get out from under him. Swiftly, you buck your hips up to hit his, causing him to lean forward over you as you pull your arms out from his grip. Quickly turning your head to the side as he falls over you, you wrap your arms around his waist to flip him over.

As soon as you're straddling him, the distraught male narrows his eyes again, throwing a balled fist to your left cheek before you can pin him down. Gasping in pain since Jean had hit you in the same spot before, you fall to your side, holding your jaw while he climbs back onto you. This time, your back is to him, thrashing in his arms when you forget about the pain in your face. This guy is difficult to beat, even harder to throw off than Quincy when he used to wrestle you as a hobby just to get the last piece of food.

Doing the same as before, you buck your hips back into his, trying to throw him over your shoulder to get out from underneath. Unfortunately, it isn't working as fatigue creeps around the corner. When a gun barrel presses against the back of your head, your energy spikes again, the feeling to fight harder kicking in. Barely able to wiggle under his strong grasp, you eventually manage to snake an arm free, immediately hooking it around his own arm to jerk it down, causing his fingers to pull the trigger and fire a bullet into the sky.

Heart racing against your ribs, you use the opportunity to elbow him in the nose with your other arm while he's distracted. "You little bitch!" He curses, covering it with one hand while he tries to grab you again with the other. Crawling away, you feel a tight grip around your ankle as he drags you back, your fingers desperately clawing at the roof to stop. Panting out of breath from all the fighting, you roll over onto your back, kicking your free leg up to hit his chin, snapping his jaw shut. "Dammit!" He groans, grabbing at his gun again. As soon as he aims it between your eyes, they widen in fear as the shattering release echoes in your ears, everything pitch black followed by a great pressure.

I'm dead. I'm dead. He killed me.

Slowly, your (color) eyes are met with a bright light, the ability to breathe quite limited. The only sound you can hear is a muffled voice along with shouting far off in the distance. In and out of consciousness, your head feels heavy as it rolls to the left, only a hazy view in front of you. Blinking through the splotchy vision, a body is able to be depicted, lying beside you. Narrowing your gaze to sharpen the picture, the last bit of air escapes past your lips when you realize blood streams out of the back of his head, similar dull eyes staring into yours, lifelessly.

Tris...

Unable to scream, your shoulder is abruptly shaken, pulling your body back to life, leaving your mind behind. "Y/n! Y/n, come on! We have to keep fighting!" The muffled voice shouts near your ear but it sounds very far away. "Come on!" It repeats, shoving off whatever weight lies on top of you. Inhaling a sharp, deep breath, you gasp for air, chest rising. "You're alive, promise! C'mon! We're wasting time!" The voice reassures, pulling you to sit up. Regular vision finally back to the real world, you blink a few times in order to believe it, relieved to see Conny at your side. "T-Thank... you..." You whisper through a hoarse breath, collecting yourself. "Jean fired the shot but you still owe me three times now." The younger boy smirks, running off to join the others again. With a weak grin, you look down to the side, noticing the Yeagerist from before is perished, bleeding out from the side of his head beside you. His blood soaked your (color) top before Conny shoved him off but there's nothing you can do about it. You would take that any day over being the one in his position.

Once you've collected yourself, you roll off the side of the roof, pushing to fight, although, your mind is still a bit fuzzy from all of today's recent events. You can't seem to fully comprehend each moment, stuff flying by before you can realize. The only thing that does bring you to the moment is the loud horn of the ship. "We can set sail! Come aboard!" You faintly hear Onyankopon shout from one of the decks.

Just as you're about to head for the ship, Falco's Jaw Titan pins down the Cart, tearing at her nape. "Pieck! Hold Falco still!" General Magath commands, running over to the scene while you watch from the sky. The Cart holds onto the Jaw for as long as she can while General Magath climbs up his back with a sword. Luckily, before he can crush Pieck, the General cuts the young boy out of his Titan form. "You're all right now. Falco, you did well." He holds the barely conscious boy in his arms.

Smoke billows from the port as you eventually return to the ground, assisting your comrades in getting the injured to the ship. You're thankful that Armin is all right and slowly regenerating from the shots to his face. Glancing at the ship, you notice Zeina making her way down to the dock to greet your group. By the time she makes it, you completely pass her, holding your breath. Before you're out of earshot, General Magath passes Falco to Onyankopon. "Leave at once." You hear the General tell the other man. "Huh? What about you?" Onyankopon questions, hesitant about the order. "I'll hold the rear." He responds, being stopped before he can return. "Theo... You're staying?" A feminine voice questions. "I have to." The General responds, immediately heading back to the port. Sensing the tension again, you decide to give a quick glance back. You spot the General jogging away as Zeina watches after him, the whole stunt making you feel uneasy.

As soon as the ship leaves the port, hauling the flying boat behind, you watch as the island slowly grows smaller. The last time you left this place, you were about to unleash a massacre in the leading months. Now, you're about to stop the genocide that is to come. Standing on the deck, in your own head, you manage to hear Gabi question where General Magath is. Snapping out of your thoughts, you glance over your shoulder at the brunette, suddenly realizing something. A vision of another ship enters your mind, next to this ship before you departed the port. Whipping your head back to face the island, you spot the same ship, only this time, you're able to sense multiple lives onboard.

Oh no...

Your body reacts before your mind, speeding off towards the back of the ship, catching the others' attention. Pieck and Gabi along with part of your squad follow curiously but confused. Quickly stopping yourself at the rail, you grip onto it tightly to not flip over, panting as your eyes stay stuck to the other ship. "Y/n, what's wrong?" Jean questions, walking up behind you. "That ship is full of other Yeagerists... they're headed for us." You whisper, lifting your left/right arm to point at the vessel. Commander Hange approaches your side but before they can open their mouth, you continue. "General Magath and Commandant Shadis are onboard as well..." Your voice trails off, a hint of disbelief laced in it.

Zeina had just exited the interior of your ship when she heard the mention of General Magath, seeming to get the vision as well. Shock fills the area, the others trying to put together what their plan was. However, everything was revealed to you without having to be there yourself. "They're... blowing it up." The words roll off your tongue, afraid to even say it. "No!" Zeina's voice cracks as she races towards your side, realization striking her. As soon as she reaches the rail, ready to jump over, you whip your head to the right to grab her by the waist. "Let go! Let go of me, Y/n!" She screams just as the sides of their ship explode, bursting into flames. An invisible force causes you to lose your balance, experiencing the impact as if you were there with them.

Falling back on the floor of the ship with Zeina, the woman is in denial as she pushes herself off of you to face what is remaining of the other ship, still docked at the port. Sharply inhaling, she carefully raises a palm to her mouth to conceal a sob about to escape. Not only do tears fall from her (color) eyes but also Gabi's. A ringing noise mocks your ears, immune to any sound for a few seconds until your hearing creeps back to normal. Their cries echo, getting lost in the wind and waves crashing against your ship as you proceed away from
Paradis Island. As you watch the spirits of the General and Commandant rise from the smoke, all you can wonder about is why Zeina acted so irrational.

"Keep fighting for us."

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

Words: 7,114

09/18/22
Hello, readers! Sorry I haven't updated in months, I got super busy with school over the summer. I'm in my last semester now so hopefully, I'll have some time to write more before I begin life after graduating! I do plan on slower updates as I'm following the anime, not the manga. I'd rather wait for the next chapters instead of catching up to the anime right now then leaving y'all hanging until the final final part is out. Anyway, until next time, readers! Hope to see you again soon!

~AlpineBreadStick