𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐌 (𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑)

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟏.

Y/N's POV

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!! NOOO!" Falco yelled, crying with his hands in his hair. "THEY'RE ALL DEAD?! COMMANDER MAGATH... AND LIBERIO?! MY FAMILY?!"

I held Falco close as he continued crying hysterically. I understood that this was a lot to handle, and this reality was hard to face for just a kid like him.

"The rumbling has already engulfed majority of Marley," Pieck said.

"Then... what are we gonna do..." Falco sobbed. "WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?!"

"I'm sorry... I don't know..." I muttered. I stood up and headed for the door. I really couldn't stand seeing Falco cry. "I'm gonna go help the others."

As I walked around the place, I took the time to think.

We had arrived in Odiha and the place was deserted. Everyone had already fled.

Part of me still feels like it's impossible to stop the rumbling, since Eren's the Founding Titan for crying out loud. It's capable of absolutely anything.

I brushed this thought off as fear or nervousness, but in the pit of my stomach, my gut told me that I'd have to prepare for bad things.

I spotted Mikasa and Annie talking, and headed over to them.

"I really feel bad. They're all betting on the faint hope that their homeland can be saved," Annie said. "But... I don't think I can fight anymore. At least let my final moments... be in peace."

I noticed her looking at a specific someone when she said all of that. Armin?

Mikasa and I looked at her, to find her blushing, and at the same time, we both said, "When'd this start?"

"What?"

"No. OK. I see..." I smiled.

"When'd this start?!" Annie turned even more red.

"It's fine. You don't deserve to keep suffering," Mikasa said. "But Armin's coming onto the flying boat. To head to where Eren is."

"I know..." Annie looked down. "So are you going to kill Eren to save humanity?"

"I'm not killing him," Mikasa answered, and started walking away. "I'm just bringing him back."

"By the way... Where's that scarf you always wear?" Annie asked. I only now noticed Mikasa didn't have her red scarf on.

"I have it with me. But I'm not wearing it right now."

I watched Mikasa leave and sat down next to Annie. I looked at the water below us, the sound relaxing me.

"You're really done?" I asked.

"Yes..."

"You don't sound too confident."

"I feel sure," Annie said. "But this saving humanity stuff... confuses me. As Marleyan Eldians, we've been persecuted by this 'humanity.' Even if the rumbling stopped, Marley has already fallen... which means there's no one backing Eldians now. So why are you doing this?"