AoT: The red thread of fate: A new world

Chapter 16: A promise

Mikasa, Ed and Armin were all waiting for Cody as he decided to go for a bathroom break real quick. "This is ridiculous." Armin said as he folded his arms leaning against a lamp post. "Tell me about it, this is what I had to deal with for years." Ed said as he went off to by a pack of cigarettes as he lit it and took a puff out of it.

"Ed seriously? You're smoking, you know that's bad for you." Mikasa told him as Ed blew the white smoke out his mouth, and gave a melancholy face, holding the cigarette between his finger seeing the fire burning softly.

"I'm stressed okay, It's normal to smoke when you're stressed." "Yes I know that, but Ed, it's bad for your lungs, that sort of thing kills you." Mikasa said as she didn't approve of smoking, and she hated seeing her friends smoke too since she deeply cared about their health.

"I know... just please, let me have this one smoke." Mikasa, seeing how Ed was seeming a bit down and needed something to take his mind off things, allowed him to finish it. Cody then came out with a face of satisfaction, feeling refreshed. "So... what'd I miss?" Cody asked seeing them all frowned at him. "Come on, I needed to go!" "Yeah whatever Cody let's just go so we don't have to listen to any more of you—" Armin then got cut off as a massive lightning bolt shattered the air, causing the ground to shake, as it was followed by abnormal roars in the distance.

"Oh no! That's Krios!!" Ed panicked, as he tossed his cigarette and belted it towards the sound. But as he got to the main road, he saw people running in fear, like a colony of ants running back to their cave in flocks. The rest caught up with him as they pushed past all the civilians who were blindly running as far away as they could.

"Where the hell are they?!" Mikasa questioned as she saw buildings being destroyed and smoke coming from the debris that landed onto the busy roads. But as they were about to move Krios's body came flying out from a building across from them, landing on his back on a small building behind him.

"Krios!!" Ed shouted as he ran ahead as Cody was about to follow but Armin held him back. "Cody no!! There's not much you and Apollo can do against Icarus!!" Armin stated loudly as their hearing was muffled by the people's screaming and stamping around them. Ed then but into his hand causing another thunderbolt to come crashing down upon him, as he transformed into balder, as he ran on all fours over towards Krios.

"Krios! You alright?!" "Watch out!" Krios saw a ball of debri coming as he created a round shield, and covered Balder's body and blocked the massive rock of debri flying at them. "Well, what do we do?!" Armin questioned, his voice cracking due to him breathing out of control, as Mikasa frowned and took Armin's bag off him.

"We fight!!" She said as they she ran off with it forcing Armin and Cody to follow. Icarus then came out from the hole in the building as he glared over at his two former comrades. Icarus was just as tall as Krios, as he had silver-grey armour plates all over his body, his bright orbs showing a colour of hazel. His white hair being bushy, and having a short buzz cut look.

"Should've known you'd try and spoil the fun... Krios. Eren and Atreus will soon belong to Hades, and then, he'll restore our species to their rightful glory."

"Icarus, why don't you understand?! Our race had its chance... but we weren't good enough!" Krios yelled getting back up slowly, some debri falling off of his shoulder. Balder then climbed onto Krios shoulder as he glared over at Icarus. He and Krios both briefly stared at each other and nodded, as Krios grabbed Balder's arms and thrusted him forward, making Balder do some rolls and then slashed Icarus right in the face.

Meanwhile, in the facility, Annie came out of the elevator with Eren's body to see amounts of dead soldiers on the floor mangled and disjointed with blood dripping out their mouths and noses. "Oh god... it's a massacre. Alright, come on you, we need to get you away from here." Annie said as she was struggling to carry Eren through the smashed facility, seeing barely anyone alive, or even someone breathing until they die.