Ch. 94 - The Rumbling

"Only her. It's the only way she'll be safe."

"But ma'am... that's absurd."

"It's the only way. They were my mistakes. My shortcomings. It's not her fault. I don't want her living in fear because of me. Please... please. Take her, please, I... I'm begging you. If I'm alone, they'll target me. They only want her because they know it'll hurt me."

"Grandma..."

"I'll... Is there no one else?"

"Please, sir. She's all I have left and I cannot be the reason she..."

"I'll do it."

"Are you... would you really?"

"I will,"

"This is, I think, the best option. I just want her safe."

"I understand," El said. "I'll do whatever I can for her."

I couldn't help but remember that long, nearly-too-distant-to-remember memory of my final day with my grandmother, and my very first time meeting Elwin.

It was bittersweet, really. It was all too easy to draw parallels between the situations I'd once been victim of, and victim to - of leaving those we care about with others for we cannot care for them, not the way they need to be.

"I'm willing to fight for her when her grandmother cannot. She deserves to live a good, long life."

For you, El, I will. And my dear Emiko... you will live a life better than my own. I swear it.

"Amaya, dear, you'll be staying with this soldier for a while, ok? He's kind and strong and he'll take good care of you."

"But why? Why can't I stay with you?"

My confusion then was likely very similar to Emi's own confusion now. And thinking about it, well... were we not the same age, or nearly, during those strange parts of our lives? It was close, at any rate.

"I love you more than you will ever understand. Hopefully one day you'll get why I need to do this."

Strange, that. I felt the same way my grandmother did for me as I do for my own daughter.

"But I don't want to leave you!"

"I know. But we must."

Eventually, at that time, I stopped crying as the only family by blood I had ever known left, comforted for the first time by Elwin Ikeda, the soldier with a golden heart.

And eventually, hopefully, Emi will stop crying as her faulted, flawed mother leaves, comforted by her Uncle Reyes, the soldier who vowed to repay his debts.

Very much like my grandmother, I must leave. I must face my fate alone. I would not endanger her needlessly - but that did not mean that it did not break my heart as I leapt from the window, and as Reyes sprang into action, with Emi securely in his arms as he ran them to the door.

Emiko called out for me, and the sound of her sounding so scared and calling for me broke my heart into pieces. But I steeled my nerves and headed towards the fighting. I was doing this for her. I couldn't lose sight of that. I had to press on.

The building where the fighting was happening was where my comrades were locked up - the large military base, complete with cells lining the bottom floor. And that's what worried me. In the fighting, they'd be forgotten about. By itself, this was fine. What I didn't want was for the  fighting to come to them, and for them to be left defenseless.

If they were trapped in a dungeon while a war was raging on above, they could all get crushed under the rubble if the building collapsed. I was not about to let that happen. This wouldn't be my first jailbreak, though I hoped to all higher beings that it would be my last.

The wind rushed by and whistled through my ears as I dove, then latched to a building across the street. I landed against the slanted rooftop, released the grapple, and ceased my movement only to gather my bearings and try to see what was going on.

The fortress stood in the center of the city, tall and foreboding against the surrounding neighborhood. The zeppelins were steadily approaching the city, and I cursed under my breath. This month had already been bad enough, was all of this necessary?

The gray stone towers of the fortress stuck out against the civilian homes, and as soon as I thought of them, I could hear them. Far below, those that hadn't already evacuated the district were hurrying to do so now. Garrison soldiers were accompanying them, guiding them towards Wall Maria and what they hoped was relative safety.

Amidst the hordes of people escaping, I could pick out Reyes and Emi on my buckskin horse. Seeing them lifted a weight from my shoulders. They weren't even completely safe yet, but seeing that they were getting there was enough for me. So long as the fighting stayed centered where it was, maybe I could convince myself that they'd be ok. It was all I could do, for now.

Inspired to move again, I began to run. I ran along the roof, hopping over the peak and sliding down the other side. With renewed vigor in my bones, bravery in my heart, and adrenaline pumping through my veins, I leapt from the roof, sending out a grapple as I headed towards the heart of the district.

In my periphery I could see the way the people evacuating far below me glanced up, perhaps fearfully at first. Their eyes lingered on me until I left their vision, though I kept my gaze resolutely forward and on to my destination. Well, that was, until sudden movement far above me pulled my attention towards it.

Far above, soldiers were getting paradropped, armed to the teeth. Well, shit.

As I approached the building, I could see Eren in his Titan. Well, fuck.

But Eren, stood in his Titan, wasn't doing anything, standing in the middle of one of the roads. His gaze was fixed on something else; following it, I could see a soldier dropping by way of a parachute. Eren seemed to be keeping a close eye on him, until – an explosion. A transformation. Reiner was here. Well, this just keeps getting worse, doesn't it?

The Armored Titan landed on the street Eren was walking down, resulting in a standoff. I redirected my course, swinging in a wide arc around them to give them plenty of clearance as I continued towards the largest building in Shiganshina. I could do nothing other than watch as the Jaw Titan joined the fray. They could fight all they wanted, they weren't who I was here for.

I felt a brief moment of worry for Eren, before realizing that he wasn't the same helpless little boy I'd met all those years ago. Nor was he the same innocent kid I'd grown to love. Well... Maybe he never had been an innocent kid, nor a helpless little boy.

Perhaps I'd always known this Eren. I could only hope there was a way to bring him back, if that was at all possible. Then again, if this was the true Eren, then maybe there was nothing to go back to. I didn't want to think about that though, not when it meant that the Eren I'd grown to love had never really been him. I still had so much love in my heart for him. I wanted to see him one more time.

But I didn't think I had to worry about him right now; he was a master of military misconduct, a mutinous fool who thought he knew what was best for this world. Like I could accept that bullshit.

At the end of the day, he was a child. It was best to leave the big decisions to the adults. Wasn't that the way of the world?

No, but it wasn't entirely Eren, was it? His older brother had planted those ideas in his head. That's all he was now: a lost, scared little boy, terrified that he would lose everything that he loved, and so he was acting on impulse. That's what I hoped, anyway, because that meant he had a chance to come back to us.

Not like that mattered now, or that it made up for what he'd done.

All that mattered to me now was protecting my homeland and my family. In the middle of a military invasion was not the time to be locked up underground in a cell.

I focused not on Eren, but instead on getting to my destination as quickly as I could. The Marleyan soldiers were nearing the ground and rooftops, meaning that I had to move fast and find cover or risk getting gunned down. Instead of flying above the rooftops, I let myself fall, only to start going around the buildings so as not to stand out that much in my haste.

By now, the Yeagerists were mobilizing too, but I wasn't too worried about them for now. I was very clearly of Paradisian training, using gear as I was. So, I figured they wouldn't worry about me, and instead fight the Marleyan military. They were the ones invading, so even if I was still wanted, they'd hopefully let me be on my merry way.

I was nearly to my destination, but suddenly, bullets started raining down from the zeppelins, making me curse as I ducked in between two buildings, dropping a few feet to the stone road below. None were aiming at me, fortunately, but I had to be careful from here on out as the zeppelins traveled further over the district.

There were, almost literally, a million different threats out here right now. At the very least, I could find solace in knowing that the main battlefield here in the center of the city was where most of the fighting was happening. The outskirts, the quieter streets, and the other districts within the Walls would hopefully remain safe, and I hoped that the citizens could at least escape while the attention was focused here.

The bullets weren't aimed my way, and I couldn't stall here any longer. I chanced a glance out of the alley, then ducked back in. As I figured, their attention was drawn to the Titans.

Deciding to risk it, I began to run through the streets, leaping over fences and ducking under stalls in my dash to get to the fortress. Peeking out from another alley I'd run through, I saw a group of Marleyan soldiers running by to join the fray. I ducked back into the alley, let them pass, then crossed the street only once they passed.

"God damn it, it's all gone to shit," I hissed to myself as I continued to run.

I was just reaching the large building when there was another titan transformation. As the lightning struck down on the Wall, I kept my eyes from it so I could focus on reaching the building. I'd made it to the side of the fortress, pressing my back to the wall to catch my breath.

Then, and only then, once the smoke cleared atop the wall, did I allow myself to look at who had just joined the party.

We already had Eren, Reiner, the Jaw, and the Cart. And now... Looking up towards the top of the Wall, I could see our newest nuisance. And this one sent my heart plummeting into my stomach and made my brain go haywire, all rational thoughts fleeing from my mind as the smoke cleared and the hulking, hairy body came into view.

The Beast Titan was here. Zeke Yeager was here. Which meant... Levi had failed? Zeke had escaped his grasp. I didn't want to believe that Levi had failed in guarding, or even killing, Zeke, but the proof was right here.

Zeke was here, Levi was not, meaning that Zeke had defeated, outsmarted, or killed Levi. At the very least, he'd been incapacitated enough so that he couldn't follow after him. Because if he had, Levi would be here, gear on, ready to fight - actually, Zeke would be dead.

Maybe he was just late? Or... Some rogue part of my mind thought that he might even be dead. I crushed that thought nearly as soon as it had popped up in my brain. I couldn't think about that. I wouldn't think about that. Now wasn't the time.

It couldn't be true, anyway. My husband, dying by Zeke's hand? Impossible. The bearded bastard could never, not without help or foul play. When it came to power, whether in Titan form or not, Zeke couldn't hold a damn candle to Levi.

...Right?

Maybe there'd been a freak accident. Maybe Zeke had somehow managed to outsmart and outfight Levi. Maybe foul play had been involved and a battalion of Marleyans had slipped onto the island to take him out.

No. There's no way that it's true. Any of it. Levi wouldn't allow himself to fall by Zeke's hand. Of all people, that damn ape? No way. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Not when he told me that he'd come home safely to me.

Levi was strong. He was stronger than Zeke; a lot stronger. No one can beat Levi. No one - not even Zeke. Especially not Zeke. In no way could that bastard take on Levi and win.

Just thinking about it now, Zeke couldn't stand up to me, either, not with how mad I was just thinking about the possibility of him trying to cause my Levi harm. I could beat his ass right now, no problem. With all of my limbs tied, I could still beat him into submission. Even if blind and deaf, I could beat him to a pulp.

Right now, the adrenaline was like fire racing through my veins, just daring me to go after Zeke. I could take him on and a million Marleyan soldiers, with absolutely no complaints from me. That bitch could rot in hell for all I cared; and if I happened to be the one to deliver him to those infernal gates, then so be it. I'd be glad to do it.

Even from this distance, several dozens of meters away, I could easily make out his form. If I only had the artillery to do so, I could shoot his beady little eyes out and make it to him to slice him out of that furry monstrosity before he could even realize that I was there.

I could tear him limb from limb, plucking off his extremities as easily as picking blades of grass. I could scoop his eyes out, carve his heart from his chest, and hold the still-beating treasure for his little followers to see.

If my fiery anger - stemming from the audacity of Zeke to even show up here after whatever he did to Levi or whatever he planned to do to him - wasn't overshadowed by the icy fear that gripped my heart at the thought that Levi might be horribly injured or dead somewhere by that bastard's hand, I'd go right up to him and he'd be dead within minutes.

But he wasn't the priority right now.

The Beast wound up, and I knew what that was. I'd heard the stories and I'd read the reports and I'd seen it firsthand. I knew the Beast's preferred method of fighting because the damn thing had long, dangly arms that were absolutely useless for anything other than throwing.

I ducked behind the building, watching in horror as a flurry of rocks – some pebbles as tiny as gnats and some boulders as large as horses – tore through the zeppelins above.

Fortunately, the Cart Titan, armed with guns on her back, distracted him.

Unfortunately, the Zeppelins were literally raining fire from above.

Flaming debris fell from them, and the balloons themselves were going to be an issue once they landed and draped themselves over the homes if they didn't blow up first. I needed to find cover somewhere, and fast - and better cover than just leaning up against a building.

I glanced towards the far wall of the district, mapping their falling trajectories in my mind, hoping that the majority of people still left trapped here could escape before they came crashing down.

There were still Yeagerists pouring out from the main entrance, armed and ready. And who the fuck had the time to worry about doors right now? I couldn't care less. I needed a way in, so I was going to make one.

I pushed off the wall of the fortress, backed away from the building, found the nearest window, and leapt through, having to use one of the grapples because it was out of my normal jumping height.

What I couldn't see or plan for was the person passing by on the other side of the window just as I did. I landed on top of someone, who cried out with surprise as we tumbled to the floor and down a small flight of stairs.

There was the jingling of keys, the sound of glass shattering on the floor, a pained grunt, and a yelp from me, but faster than a blink I was on my feet, drawing a blade and pointing it at who I'd landed on, my feet bracing myself on the very next step so I wouldn't tumble down further as my unfortunate victim continued to roll.

A gasp left my lips as I sheathed my blade, recognizing immediately who I'd pointed it at. "Onyankopon!" I reached a hand towards him and he took it, looking relieved that it was me.

"Captain," he said, accepting my help in hoisting him to his feet. "I'm so glad it's you."

"Nice to see you, too," I said, smiling genuinely at him.

"One kind face in all this fucking insanity," he said, clearly relieved.

"You've got that right," I agreed. "Damn, it's good to see you."

"Likewise, old friend." His gaze grew serious, then, and rather concerned. "How are you holding up? It's been days since I've seen you last. I was worried."

"I couldn't risk getting arrested," I told him. "Not with Emi so close by. I was hiding away, only close enough in case of... calamity, like this, I suppose."

"You were smart to stay away," he noted. "It hasn't been good anywhere, for anyone."

"And you? How have you been? Has anyone given you any trouble?"

"No," he answered. "No more than I can handle, anyway."

"Guess I had nothing to worry about, though," I said, mischief somehow finding its way into my smile. "Not with you here to save the day."

"Speaking of," he said, lifting a set of keys up slightly to bring it to my attention. "Looking for your subordinates?"

"Yes, actually," I said, relief lacing my voice. Goddesses bless this man and his incredible timing and courage. "Know where Hange and the kids are?"

"Hange's not here," he said, beginning to run in the direction he originally had been before I dropped in, continuing down the steps we'd just fallen down, "but the kids are."

"What?" My heart skipped a beat, and not in a good way. I faltered in my step slightly, and only briefly before hurrying to keep up with him. "Where is she?"

"Floch took her to lead them to Zeke," he explained, eyes trained on the steps leading down. We reached a landing, went down a hall, then began downwards again, into the dungeons.

"But Zeke is here," I said. "He just made it to the wall."

"That'd explain the artillery raining down all of a sudden," he said, glancing at me briefly. He looked surprised,  maybe even scared. Hell, who wouldn't be right about now? We reached an old wooden door, but it was wide open, as if the guards had left in a hurry. I supposed they had. "I don't know what Floch's plan was. If Zeke's here, maybe Hange and Floch are, too. But the kids are all down here."

We made it to the dungeons, not slowing in our pace until we reached the door to the first cell. There was shouting coming from the private cells and larger communal ones alike, an awful cacophony of voices both familiar and strange to me.

There weren't many distinct words I could make out amidst the chaos, but I could hear the panic and I could hear the confusion lining each voice. I didn't blame them. Even down here, we could hear the sounds of the fighting, dull and thunderous from up above..

There were many cells we passed by, the people inside all shouting at us to come back and let them out, but I trusted Onyankopon to lead us to who I was looking for. When we reached the cell holding my scouts, I couldn't help but feel a great weight lift from my shoulders. "Oh, my god," I breathed out. "Thank goodness they're okay."

I came to a stop next to Onyankopon as he began searching for the right key. "Onyankopon!" Jean said, sounding as relieved as I felt. I grasped the bars, leaning this way and that to try to get a headcount of who was here and who wasn't, and to see if any of them were hurt. From what I could see, none of them had been. "A-And Captain, too," Jean said, noticing me. "Why are you here? What's going on outside?"

"The Marleyan Army is attacking from the sky using airships," Onyankopon told them. "Approximately 500 soldiers, along with the Armor, the Jaw, and the Cart! Eren is taking all of them on by himself!"

"Zeke's here too," I said. "I think their plan is to have the brothers meet and start the Rumbling. Zeke already blasted rocks through the zeppelins, at least proving that he wasn't a triple agent actually working for them while acting like a double agent for us."

"Wha-"

"Eren is struggling as hard as he can to survive," Onyankopon continued rapidly, offering no time for questions. "But he will eventually be defeated! Marley will steal the power of the Founder from us! Please, you must lend us your strength! We will defend Eren together!"

The lock was undone, the door opened. And then Connie had him by the collar, slamming him against the wall. "Connie!"

A pained grunt escaped Onyankopon as Connie began barking at him. "You can't be serious! 'Together?' After all you've done? This is your battle! Did you really think we'd take orders from a traitor like you?"

"I really am sorry," Onyankopon managed to say. "But disobeying Yelena would only mean my head getting blown off."

"Huh? You were the one acting all nice to us while you were really just plotting to take over Paradis with that wine!" Connie's eyes were watery, his grip on Onyankopon's shirt shaky. "You know what? I'm tired of being betrayed! By Reiner, by Bertholdt! By Annie! By Eren! I'm sick and tired of it, dammit!"

"Calm down, Connie," I ordered, grabbing his upper arm. "Who's risking himself right now to free you?"

He ignored me completely, his eyes blazing as he glared at Onyankopon. "Why? Why should we have to help Eren and work toward making it impossible for any of us to ever have children? Hey!"

"Let go of him! That's an order, Connie," I shouted.

Connie's grip on Onyankopon tightened and intensified. "Wai-"

Armin grasped Connie's other arm. "Let's hear him out, Connie." Finally, Connie snapped out of it, letting go of the man who promptly slumped to the floor, wheezing to recover his breath.

I crouched down at his side, rubbing his back before looking up at the boys. "What's this about not having kids?"

"Their plan," Armin explained to me, "is to make it so those of us with Ymir's blood can't have children. They think it's a peaceful way of eventually euthanizing us. No bloodshed, no pain, just letting us live out our lives until we all die out, without successors."

"That's their plan?" I spat incredulously. "That's insane."

Just thinking that Emi might grow up, fall in love, but never have kids saddened me. Thinking that I might not get grandkids... that was sad. Levi and I would be the best grandparents ever. We'd spoil the hell out of our grandkids, telling our wartime stories by the fire, warm cups of tea in our hands with the grandkids sitting before us on the rug, hanging off our every word. Of course, it'd be up to Emi to even have children or not. But to get to that point...

"I honestly did not know about it," Onyankopon said once he regained his breath. "The wine... or this euthanization plan... Just like all the other volunteers."

"Huh?"

"I think he's telling the truth," Nicolo piped up. "Yelena told us to keep it a secret. She said never to tell the volunteers about the wine."

"Most of all," Onyankopon said, "we would never want to participate in the euthanization of the Eldian people! We wished to help Paradis develop so that we could destroy Marley together! That is why we abandoned everything to come here. Everything we did, we did for the sake of this island."

The conversation from there went quickly, but eventually, we all collectively decided to open all the cells, releasing all the soldiers inside. I was so relieved to see Nile, which was something I'd never felt before.

Those of us higher-ups in the chain of command were dwindling ever so steadily. Knowing that he was here worked to lift some of the tension from my soldiers, knowing that there was someone else responsible for what happened to these soldiers.

As we worked, I found myself walking alongside Jean, though it was more like he followed after me uselessly while I had taken one of the keyrings to gradually open cell after cell. "Captain," he said. I looked up at him briefly as we headed to the next cell, just able to muster a smile.

"You're looking alright for becoming a jail rat," I teased lightheartedly, not sure what else to say and to deflect him from asking right away if I was ok, because I wasn't sure if I was or not. I wouldn't know how to answer him, if he did ask.

"Er, thanks," he muttered sheepishly. Then he grew serious again, bending over slightly to get closer. "But you said... Zeke is fighting out there, right?"

"That's right," I said, ignoring his gaze. "Throwing shit all over the place, last I saw."

"So, where's Captain Levi...?"

I slowed in my step. Jean stopped only a few paces after me, turning to look back at me with worried eyes. "He's fine," I bit out, before brushing past him to reach the next cell. I stood resolutely in front of the door, searching for the correct key, refusing to even look at him.

Jean was quiet for a moment as he came to a stop at my side. "You don't know where he is, do you?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, my fingers slowing slightly in their search. I couldn't answer him. I had an answer, but I didn't want to give it to him. Doing so would only admit that it was true: that I didn't know where he was or how he was doing. My silence was telling enough for him, and Jean didn't seem to know how to reply.

"Captain," he said, noticing the way that, as I opened another cell, I insisted on not answering him.

As I smiled, greeting the soldiers that I knew and telling them to head upstairs for a quick debriefing from Pixis, I continued to pointedly ignore the way that he was standing at my side, trying to get my attention.

Once everyone in that cell was out after having offered us their thanks, some even throwing me a kind salute once they realized who I was, Jean grabbed my arm firmly. It didn't hurt of course, he didn't use that much force, but he did use enough so that I couldn't walk away and had to direct my attention to him.

"It's not important right now, Jean," I said, looking directly into his eyes. "I don't know where he is. But if I focus on that right now, I'll lose focus and I'll get sloppy. So just drop it, please."

"Amaya," he said, making me scoff. Of all the times for him to finally listen to me and not call me by my title, it's now. Well, it was a good move, because it worked.

I looked up at him, at this kid who'd become most like my own son than any of the others. Of all of them, he was my most frequent assistant and the one who sent me letters the most. And when he did, he didn't just tell me about how things were going with him, no; he'd ask about me and Emi, and Levi too. When we worked near each other, we often worked together, usually to my husband's chagrin.

What started as him being a flustered mess around me once his puppy-love crush was revealed, soon became a close teacher-student (or in this case, captain-subordinate) relationship, and now, I loved him as if he were my own flesh and blood.

So, when the call of my name rendered me silent, he must've seen the way that I really was trying to hold myself together and what it meant. How could I put it delicately...? Everything was awful.

Emi and Reyes were running away from an active battlefield alongside countless other citizens. I could only hope that they were safe, and that the fighting remained centered where it was, and that Marley didn't start firing on the innocent, the guilt heavy in my heart because I knew that if something did happen to them, I was the one who chose this. I asked Reyes to watch her. I elected to not bow out of the fighting. If something happened to them, it'd be my fault.

Not only that, there were multiple Titans fighting just outside, and rival armies going at it, too. Regardless of how I got here, I was here. It was unpredictable. It was dangerous. It could very well take my life.

My husband was goddesses only knew where because I sure as hell didn't. Hange was missing in action too. The love of my life and one of my greatest, dearest friends, both missing. And missing at a time like this.

This was shaping up to be a monumental battle. The Yeagerists, Marleyan army, Eldian Warriors, and then the scouts, all diving into the fray. Nothing was okay right now.

Everyone that I loved who still walked this world were in danger. Emi, Reyes, fleeing. Levi, Hange, Goddesses who knew where they were. Mikasa, Armin, Connie, Jean, Onyankopon were here with me. And Eren...

Things had spiraled so quickly out of control; my head was still spinning. I could hardly keep track of everything that had happened as of late. Things just kept coming, getting worse and worse by the minute.

It was selfish to think, but I almost wanted to go back ten years and return to the simpler times, where it was just me and Levi, and Hange and Moblit, and Erwin too, fighting titans and traveling on a linear path.

Not that things were better then, necessarily: we faced loss with every expedition; suffering heavy losses with each battle, death looming over our shoulder constantly; pushing through the pain of injuries for the sake of doing what we could for our comrades; dealing with decreasing funding; leading to less resources and smaller rations, among other things.

But at least things were simple. We had one job to do. We weren't the world's enemies. Our largest problems were quite literally our largest problems that were around: the titans. Now, we had global warfare. I couldn't cry right now, I wouldn't, but god damn it, if I said that I didn't want to, I'd be a liar.

Ignorance truly was bliss. Gaining knowledge was a sin. We'd wanted to know the truth of our world. Look where it got us. Jean pulled me in for a hug and I nearly broke down completely. "It's okay to run from this, you know," he said quietly.

"I can't," I mumbled against his chest. "I can't just run away with Emi knowing that all of this is happening. I can't pretend that it isn't. And I'm not leaving without Levi."

"You're too damn stubborn," he murmured.

"Don't act so surprised," I replied weakly.

"Trust me, I'm not," he said. "It's exactly what I expect from you by now."

"Come on," Connie said, passing by us at a jog, flanked by soldiers he'd just released. "Pixis is about to give us our orders." Pulling away, I offered Jean a grateful smile before starting to run after Connie. When everyone gathered in the main hall, I hopped up, looking for Pixis.

"Over there," Jean said, his height very appreciated at the moment. We headed over, squeezing through the crowd as politely as possible. "Commander Pixis," Jean greeted once we were close enough.

"Are you okay?" Armin, who had tagged along behind us, asked the old man.

"Well," Pixis replied easily, "I'm not senile yet."

"Really?" I piped up, calling his attention to me. "When I describe you to other people, that's exclusively how I describe you."

"Truly an honor, to be talked about by you in such a way," Pixis teased, prompting me to roll my eyes and scoff.

"Good to see you still have your wits about you, old man," I said with a smile. "One of the few things about you that I like."

"Yes, well," he muttered, raising his left arm slightly. To my surprise, there was a black armband tied around his jacket sleeve. "I did have a little too much to drink."

I knew what that meant. Reyes had told me after one of his trips outside, while I'd been holed up inside the inn. The black band... it meant Pixis had the wine containing Zeke's spinal fluid.

If Zeke decided to, at any moment he could end Pixis' life as a human (considering I had no fucking clue where the serum was to give to him, to prevent that from happening) and render him into a pure, mindless titan. At any minute, I could lose yet another friend.

I could see that realization in his eyes, but he was determined, confident, and there was his usual fire in his eyes. I could only hope that I looked as confident as he did, because I surely didn't feel it.

"Captain," he said, gesturing towards the nearby stairway with a jerk of his head. "With me?"

"Of course," I said, falling into step alongside him. He offered me his arm and I took it, allowing him to "help" me towards the stairs even if I didn't need it. We proceeded towards the stairway leading up to the second floor of the room, a small landing that wrapped around the room leaving the center open, allowing us to peer down as so many hopeful sets of eyes looked up at us.

As we ascended the steps, his eyes were resolutely directed ahead of him; never wavering, never faltering. "We've too few officers here," he explained. "You being up there next to me might ensure everyone pays attention."

Despite the grim nature of the current reality, I found myself smiling. His humor and natural charisma had always fascinated me. He was so strong, really, to be able to remain witty in a time like this.

Death and destruction and bad news were abounding today, right outside this building. And yet, something about his demeanor – his easy confidence, quick wit, and magnetic personality – made it easy to almost forget about that for a moment and just focus on his words, completely and unabashedly.

If Zeke decided to end his life today, I would certainly miss him.

There were so many things going on, it was almost a sure bet that Zeke would use his trump card. Everyone was fighting seemingly everyone, making it hard to keep track of what was actually going on. As such, it would make sense for Zeke to call upon this terrible power. He had nearly all our high-ranking officers in his clutches. I was just lucky I hadn't had any.

"So," I mused, "you're using me, are you?"

"Perhaps," he replied easily. "But we all know too well that I love having a beautiful woman on my arm. If this just so happens to make these lazy saps pay attention, then who's to complain?"

I stood at his side as he stood proudly in front of a large window, the light from outside pouring in and casting his silhouette in a gorgeous light. Our shadows danced on the faces of the soldiers below us. Without needing to utter a word, their attention was already on us. He released my arm to step forward, his hands clasping professionally behind his back. His stance was trained, his gaze calculated, his smile tactful.

I set my own hands behind my back, shadowing his stance. Off to his other side I could see Nile; perhaps, in solidarity with his fellow commander, he'd chosen to stand here alongside him. Maybe that's another reason why Pixis had called me to stand alongside them: to act as a stand-in for Hange.

If Hange fell, if she didn't choose a successor, the command would go to me. Levi had always resolutely refused anything beyond his current position. Even if he had accepted... if he wasn't here, the chain of command continued. In any case, it fell now to me.

Not that I was ready to assume the position, not until I knew for sure that Hange could no longer lead. For now, I was merely a stand-in. A placeholder. Someone for them to look up to, at least for the time being. Someone to give them direction, an order, whatever they needed. I was determined to do that for them today, and any day hereafter, if they so desired it.

I could see the glances dancing between the officers standing up there with us, and at our arms. Specifically, the bands adorning two of them, and the lack thereof on my own arm. I could feel the weight of several sets of eyes on me, looking to my arm, free of a band or label, then back to my face. I tried to meet as many sets of eyes that I could.

Even though all the soldiers were already paying attention, Pixis cleared his throat and called out, "Listen up, all of you!" He allowed them a moment to quiet down and look up at him if they weren't already, then continued. "We only have a limited number of vertical maneuvering equipment units here! Give first priority to those without black armbands! All of you drunkards who walked straight into the enemy's scheme, follow after me! We'll fight off the invaders on the front lines!"

"Yes, sir!"

Now given their orders, the soldiers began to disperse. The officers accompanying Pixis had scurried off too, getting ready for a fight. "Miss Amaya," Pixis said, turning to me, "how is your gear?"

"I'll top off on gas in a moment," I said. "But first, would the kind gentleman honor me with a hug?"

He looked at me with a sly smirk that was so characteristically Pixis, it'd be strange to see it on any other face. "Oh? What's this, then?" He chuckled. "Do you think I'll keel over?"

"Maybe," I said, a smile sliding onto my face. "You are getting old, after all." He let out a laugh, enticing one out of me as well. Even so, I brought him in for a hug. "You know Zeke's going to do it, don't you?" He didn't reply, which was answer enough. "If not now, then..."

"Are you going to get sentimental on me, Miss Amaya?"

"I just might," I laughed. Goodness, he made it hard to stay sad for long. "You've done a lot for me over the years. Thank you for it – all of it."

"With the commander you had," he said, referring to Erwin, "I only figured you could use a break from time to time. It would have been a disservice for the scouts to hog you all to themselves, hiding you away from the rest of us."

I shook my head with disbelief as we drew away. Before I went too far, I pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. His smile grew solemn then, as if his mind caught up with the harsh reality of the war raging just outside.

"Good luck out there, Miss Amaya."

"You too, Commander."

One last look at Pixis, one last smile shared, and then I was jogging off, rushing to reach the armory to fill my gas canisters, not like I'd used too much to get here. It was lucky that Reyes had given me his.

After the brief time I'd used it, I'd gotten the feel for it. It wasn't my gear, of course, finely tuned to my body and adjusted to how I wanted it, but it would certainly do. I didn't want to take a set of gear away from any of these younger soldiers.

Along the way to the armory, I ran into Nile, quite literally. I kept doing that, today; bumping into people. "Captain," Nile greeted politely. My eyes went to the armband on his arm immediately. It was black, just like Pixis'. He saw where my eyes went but didn't comment on it. His eyes went instead to my gear. "That's an old set."

"It is," I said. "An old friend of mine lent it to me."

"I'm sure it doesn't mess with your performance much," he said kindly, meeting my eyes now. There was a melancholy look in his eyes; he was taking his fated demise worse than Pixis, evidently.

"I don't think it does," I replied. "But I guess I'll know soon enough."

We were quiet, then. While cordial, I never really spoke to Nile much. We didn't really have a need to, and besides, the scouts were never too friendly with the Military Police, anyway. But still, he was a high ranked officer, technically my superior, and I had to treat him with respect, and... this man had been to my wedding.

His gaze, solemn, drifted away from mine. It seemed that he was taking things a bit worse than Pixis, like it was physically weighing down on him. It was then that I remembered that Nile I knew had daughters and a wife to go home to. But now... it was likely that he never would.

His eyes were dark, his cheeks sunken, his skin pale as reality sunk in. "Do me a favor, will you?"

"Yes, sir," I said. "Anything."

"I have a feeling you'll make it out alright," he said. "I won't." His dark eyes met mine. They were hauntingly intense, and I briefly wondered what it would've been like to see him happier and not filled with despair. "It's not about how hard I fight, today. If that bastard decides to kill us, he'll do it. My wife and my daughters, they... they always thought I would be safe in the regiment that I am. But clearly, that's not true. So... When this is all over, whenever that is, would you mind going to them?"

"Do you want me to deliver a message?" I asked gently. "To Marie and the girls?"

"If you could," he replied. "They already know, but could you remind them that I love them? Tell them I went out like a hero, by the way."

I smiled and nodded. "I can do that. They'll get your message. You've done a great job all these years, commander. You are a hero. Not just to your comrades, but your family too. And all of humanity."

"Thank you, captain," he said, bowing his head slightly to me.

"I know we're not the closest," I murmured, "but I'm going to give you a hug, if you'll permit it."

"Oh?" He said, surprised. He considered it for a moment, then stepped into my outstretched arms. "Alright."

I hugged him, knowing how hard it must be for him. We were going through similar situations right now; being away from our families, trying to keep them safe while at the same time staying true to our pledges to humanity. It was tough. And I knew how he felt.

Though what he was going through was marginally harder, knowing that today would be his last. It didn't matter how hard he fought, because Zeke could end his life at any moment. It was sick.

When I pulled away, I finally noticed that sticking close to his side was the young boy from the Raid of Liberio. Blond, with blue eyes, he was a cute kid, but he looked terribly scared. Immediately, my heart latched onto him. Even if he was technically a Marleyan soldier, right now, he was a little boy, scared and defenseless, and in danger. He was someone I wanted and needed to protect.

Right now, I wanted nothing more than to just escort him to the evacuation route and send him on his way to safety, but I couldn't do that. Not when I saw the black armband on him. I didn't allow my eyes to linger on it. I smiled warmly at him.

"What's your name?"

"F-Falco," he replied. "Falco Grice."

My smile grew as I extended a hand towards him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Falco," I said. He nodded hurriedly. "I'm Captain Amaya Ackerman." He shook my hand uncertainly, his wide eyes gazing up into mine intently, as if trying to figure out what I was playing at. "Watch over Commander Dawk for me, will you?"

The boy nodded again, somewhat hesitantly. "I can do that."

"You're very brave, you know," I said to him, drawing him in for a hug. He was reluctant to reciprocate it but did so anyway. My heart hurt for him. The poor thing must have been so scared. I drew away and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

I saluted to them both, then finally made my way to the armory. I refilled my gas canisters, assisted some of the younger soldiers, then headed upstairs and outside to the parapets with Mikasa, Connie, Armin, and Jean.

By the time we did, making it to the parapet - really, a small rooftop courtyard overlooking Shiganshina - decked out in gear, one of the fallen Zeppelins had just crashed into the gate of the district, effectively cutting off an escape route. Because that's what we needed right now.

Waiting up there for goddesses only knew what was Yelena. She did not look ready for a fight, however. She was sitting quite casually atop one of the battlements lining the space. Cross-legged and looking up at the battle as if she were simply watching the clouds go by or a nice sunset, she didn't have an initial reaction to us getting up there, that was until she spoke.

"The gate to Shiganshina District has been blocked," she said easily, as if discussing the weather. Just hearing how complacent and relaxed she was, immediately irritated me to no end. "Zeke has taken down their ships. The moment that will change history is near."

The battle between Reiner and Eren, and interference from Zeke, was still going strong. "Do they really need our help?" Connie asked.

"There's no way Captain Levi would ever let him free," Jean said, referring to Zeke. "Hey. What happened to the Captain and Hange?"

The look Yelena sent us when she turned her head to regard us was sickening. She seemed happy, almost. Though, for how horny she always was for Zeke, it didn't surprise me. "I think we can assume this means they were defeated by Zeke," she said. "He has made his appearance here and now, just as he promised Eren."

I narrowed my eyes at her, nearly instinctually. How fucking dare she-

Jean put his hand on my shoulder, sending me a look telling me to do literally anything other than lash out at her right now.

"That's impossible," Connie gasped out.

"You look like you have something to say, captain," Yelena said cockily. Jean cursed, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop me now, not if I was directly spoken to.

"I have lots to say to you," I said, as evenly as I possibly could, "but most of it I would not like to say in front of my squad members. It's not too professional, I'm afraid."

She had the audacity to smile at me. But before I could say anything more, I bit my tongue and Armin spoke up. "I wish we didn't have to do this, but we have no choice! It's the only way for Zeke and Eren to save the world! We need to join the Yeagerists and help them come into contact!"

The way he said it was forced and exaggerated. It was a farce, then. I knew exactly what he was hinting at, and I smiled. Let's get going, then.

The fighting was nearing the edge of the district, meaning that we had a lot of ground to cover. Unfortunately, that meant we had a lot of fighting to do. Marleyan soldiers had infiltrated the homes and were now firing at soldiers from the windows.

Aside from that, others were running further into the city. I wasn't sure what their plan was, but they were unknowingly, or perhaps knowingly and willingly, headed towards the people hurrying to evacuate.

I took it upon myself to take care of them, letting the kids continue onwards on their own towards the main battle. They'd be alright. They had each other. Taking a brief moment to take in the situation, I looked around. There were soldiers running everywhere. Soldiers lined the streets, the windows, the roofs. There was so much happening, but I knew what I needed to do right now.

No one would be attacking the evacuating citizens today. Not if I had anything to say about it.

There was a building nearby full of armed soldiers, preparing their weapons to shoot down those with gear and the unlucky souls taking to the streets. I wasn't about to let them to take any of our soldiers out. As the battle raged on closer to the Wall, I took to the buildings and streets, taking out soldier after soldier.

"Hello boys," I said, crashing through a window to take out the Marleyan soldiers inside that had been lining up shots to some of our foot-soldiers.

Because I'd taken them by surprise, and they had long rifles, I was able to make quick work of them with my blades. I leapt back out once those soldiers were taken care of, swinging around the building to land behind a group of them on one of the rooftops.

"Welcome to Paradis," I greeted as I drew my blades with a flourish, "I hope you've enjoyed your stay."

I continued in that pattern, finding myself returning into the cold rhythm I'd had in my youth, working as a criminal. I cut down soldier after soldier, my mind repeating the mantra that these were trained soldiers that would kill me should they get the chance. Worse yet, they'd kill my comrades, and that I could not allow to happen.

I kept an initial count but I quickly lost track as I followed the sounds of the fighting through the district. It brought me down street after street, from battalion to battalion. The Marleyan soldiers that had paradropped were numerous and armed well. And so far, luck had been on my side.

To my knowledge, I hadn't been hit by anything. Well, nothing was hurting, anyway. I'd narrowly dodged a stray bullet, with it just grazing my ear. Aside from that, well, I'm sure I wouldn't feel anything but the strain on my muscles until the adrenaline wore off.

My clothes were bloodstained as I knelt on a rooftop now cleared of Marleyan soldiers, attempting to catch my breath. My gas was nearly gone now, most of my blades dull. My chest was heaving, my lungs burning. Sweat slicked my forehead and my clothes stuck uncomfortably to my skin. Strands of my hair, fallen loose from when I'd tied it back, clung to my cheeks.

Far below on the road was a dead Scout, one that I hadn't been able to save before the lone gunman that had escaped me had taken his shot. It wasn't one that had drank the wine, meaning he'd been out here fighting the soldiers alongside me, offering cover for the foot-soldiers who had the wine.

It was a life I could have saved, a death I could have prevented. But I'd been too late, and there he now laid. And it was him whose body I might have to loot, because there were so many more soldiers out there, and I was running dangerously low on everything.

I lifted my arm to wipe my brow of sweat. When I lowered my arm I noticed blood. Was it mine or that of someone I'd killed? The thought scared me, for a moment; I couldn't let myself fall here. No damn way. I-

A scream immediately followed by dozens of thunderous explosions nearly scared me out of my skin. All throughout the city I could see the telltale lightning strikes of titan transformations. There were only nine main titan shifters, meaning that Zeke had done it. He'd fucking done it.

All the poor soldiers that had drank at least some of the wine that contained Zeke's spinal fluid had just been sacrificed, turned into mindless Titans. Perched on the rooftop as I was, I had a perfect view of the carnage. Buildings collapsed under the sudden weight, debris flew in every direction, and the sudden intense heat started several fires in the streets of Shiganshina.

Suddenly, my problems got a whole lot worse. There were several titans getting up on their feet, dazed and confused only until they noticed me. My breath caught in my throat and tears welled in my eyes as I briefly entertained the idea that I might die here.

I chanced a glance around me. I'd cleared out the Marleyan soldiers. There were no living Scouts nearby. I was alone. Completely, hopelessly alone.

I could hear the groans of the Titans as they started towards me. There were two on the street I was on, and several more surrounding me on adjacent streets. There were so many, even if I had the blades and gas to spare right now, I wasn't sure which one I'd go for first, or if I even had the energy to do so.

My muscles were already screaming out. I was overworked, my entire body hoping for some kind of reprieve. I looked down at my hands. They were shaking. When was the last time I was so scared? Or... was this just exhaustion?

Emi, my darling, I'm sorry. And Levi, my love, forgive me.

The heavy footsteps of the titans pounded in my ears.

Is this where my life ends?

There was a heavy haze coating the city now, a disgusting mix of dust and smoke and gunpowder.

I won't get to see Levi again, see if he's alive.

The scent of blood was thick in the air, burning my eyes and stinging my throat.

I won't get to see Emi grow up, see what kind of person she'll become.

A line of warm, sticky blood trickled down my face, but I still wasn't sure if it were my own or that of one of the soldiers that I'd killed.

All the promises I'd made people were pointless.

Screams – some of terror, some of pain – pierced through the air, interrupting the usual sounds of destruction and gunfire.

Couldn't you at least do something meaningful with your life?

My whole body was aching from overuse, my muscles sore and shaky.

I did. I made Emi. And I made Levi happy, if only for a few moments.

Despite there being nothing to smile about, I allowed myself to. A tear slid down my cheek, mingling with the blood before dripping off my chin and to the rooftop I was still crouched on.

Emi is my legacy. I'd proud of that – I'm proud of her.

One of the nearby titans was only a few yards away, now. Its arm lifted, the hand reaching towards me. I turned my head to look back at it. I recognized that face. I'd once known that soldier. Now it'd be the one to take my life.

My mind's eye flashed with the image of Levi holding Emi in one arm. He was looking down at her with so much fondness. Out of the corner of the image was my hand, held in his, my wedding band visible on my finger, glinting in the light. There was a small smile on his lips, his happiness reaching his eyes and causing him to squint slightly. She was so little, then, still swaddled in the blanket she'd been given when she was born. Was this when we'd first brought her home, then?

An involuntary whimper left my mouth. The Titan's fingers grazed my back and I whipped around, slicing through its fingers and making it reel back in pain. I looked at my hands, shaky from exhaustion but strong. A million moments shared with my family and friends, my comrades and my superiors, and with those I've lost flashed through my mind.

Today would not be the day that I died.

—

Somewhere far away, medicine was more advanced than it was here on Paradis. Somewhere far away, as part of newfound research findings published in scientific journals, there was a certain string of knowledge spreading. Somewhere far away, they knew that parts of a baby's genetic material stayed within a mother and fuse with her body tissue.

As a mother was part of her child, part of the child then became the mother - supporting each other, with each other, always and forever.

Somewhere far away, I could have gone to a doctor and learned that part of my daughter's genetic material had fused with my own before she was born.

And somewhere far away, someone might have guessed that I might have inherited something from her just as she had inherited much from me.

—

All at once, I knew exactly what I had to do and how I needed to do it.

I needed only to do it.

I extracted strength from somewhere unseen, and I was awake - wide awake. This would not be when and where I fell, I would make sure of that.

I ran, then dove from the rooftop, only twisting my body when I shot my grapple, sending me down the road. I scooped the corpse up, leaning my body back to launch upwards towards another roof with the last of my gas.

I landed with a skid on the tiles, lowering the body down to rest. My hands got to work immediately switching the gas canisters. It took a bit of finagling, because the new gas canisters weren't exactly designed to fit the old ones, but it worked and with a quick test, I was ready. I swiped the blades, sliding them into my sheath, and then I was back on my feet.

I drew two of the blades, turning to face the nearest titan – the one I'd sliced the fingers off of – and with no more wasted time, I was in the air, swinging around its body with a well-placed wire in its shoulder only to reattach to its other one to send me right along its upper back and in perfect position to slice the nape.

And I did, with a great deal of effort; a strained shout escaped me as I cut through the skin. It took all I had in me to send out my hooks again to keep me from falling to the road below. I let out only enough gas to escort me to the edge of the roof. Then I pulled myself up, my entire body protesting against the effort. As soon as I was on the tiles, I looked down at the fallen Titan corpse that was now slowly evaporating away.

Another Titan dead, to add to my seemingly endless list. The difference here was that it had a face that I recognized. And that was terrifying. I got to my feet, swaying slightly. There were more titans to take care of. I could think about how scared I was later.

In those next few minutes I fought as hard as I ever had, slicing through the napes of Titan after Titan, drawing the attention of enemy soldiers as I twisted in the air like a dancer. But without titan weaponry of their own, they didn't shoot me down.

Not that I would have given them the chance to. It was my life or theirs. I was a lone soldier here since the main forces were gathered closer to the gate. I wasn't going to allow them to kill me here. No way.

If it was them or me, I was going to make sure that I lived. I'd made too many promises to people. If I died, so too did my links to them. I'd die without fulfilling what I said I would.

I promised I'd go back to Emi, Levi in tow. I promised Levi that someday, we'd be able to live a carefree life and that one day finally we could take off our gear for good and hang up our cloaks. I promised Erwin that I would fight as hard as I could and live a good life.

I promised Nile that I would speak to his family for him. I promised Mason that I'd keep singing, but since his death, I'd sung less and less, and I hadn't even taught myself the songs in his journal that he hadn't gotten to. I promised Elwin that I'd live a life I could be proud of.

But I couldn't be proud of it yet, and so I continued to fight.

When all the Titans in my immediate vicinity were dead, I found a quiet rooftop to perch on, discarding the set of dull blades. They fell to the tile with a clatter and I set the controller grips in their holders against my chest to give my trembling fingers a rest.

My chest was heaving, my vision blurry, my head heavy. Sweat now dripped from my chin. Every limb of mine felt heavy, but flying as I just was, I had never felt quite as light. For right now, I could ignore the fatigue, the exhaustion, and the fear.

I didn't have a lot of time to rest, however, so I took this time while I could. I'd only been knelt there for a few precious seconds when there was another explosion. The sound was deafening, and the strike blinding. They were the usual strike of lightning and clap of thunder that spoke of a Titan transformation, but it was... amplified, somehow. Louder than normal, and more powerful.

As soon as the flash was over, I forced my eyes open. Not like it mattered much, having my eyes open, because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My mind could barely register what was happening, I could've easily been making it up. Hell, I might've been dead already.

There was a great cloud of smoke making way for a skeleton, disturbingly large and still being built from the bottom up. The height of it alone was impressive, in a terrifying way. Even hunched over, it was taller than the wall, with what looked like hundreds of sets of ribs curling towards the ground.

Compared to how large the ribs and spine were, the pelvis and legs were almost comically small. The vertebrae were spined, all culminating in a small set of shoulders and a head, but I could barely see it from where I sat.

All I knew was that it was terrifying. I wasn't even sure what titan it was. Was it the Founding? No, no, that would have to mean that we had failed, that Eren and Zeke had managed to meet. But that was the only way that it was possible, just as it was the only explanation for the awful cracking noises coming from all around now.

Far in the distance, I could see the walls lining the district as they fell. They crumbled into pieces, the stone falling away to reveal the Titans hiding inside. As soon as they faced the light of day, the dozens, no hundreds, of Titans began following that huge titan.

But it wasn't just the hundreds hidden within Shiganshina District. The cracking sounds were echoing even far behind me. Eren had gone far beyond what was agreed upon as a threat to the world. If he were to do it, it was to only be from the one district. But the thundering footsteps were far too great to only be from the one.

All our walls had crumbled.

We were now defenseless, and Eren was leading the charge to flatten the world.

This was the Rumbling.