An Ackerman's secret

39

"Listen up." Armin raised his voice, "Let's go over the plan."

I sat and listened the best I could, trying to keep my mind off Hange.

"First, Captain Levi, Pieck. Is this what the founding titan that you saw looked like?"

"Yes.. Though it's not as if I got a good look a it. It's an enormous pile of moving bones.. The world's biggest bug."

Pieck leaned over. "If it's like other titans, the body controlling it would be in the nape of the neck."

"But with what we know about the war hammer titan, we can't be sure." Levi stated.

"In other words.. We don't know where Eren is."

"Even if we don't, we could always just blow the whole thing away." Pieck pointed out. "Like the way you flattened Liberio's Naval port and left nothing behind. Your colossus titan could do it."

Armin nodded, "True. That would be the most effective method. But only once we've exhausted all possibility of talking with Eren." He paused. "Then.. If this is the only way left to stop him.. it'll be our last resort."

The thought of killing Eren killed me too. I couldn't do it.

I'm sure it won't come down to that, but if it did, I don't think I could handle it.

"Nothing wrong with having a last resort. But Eren's controlling the founding titan through Zeke, right?" Levi asked. "Couldn't we stop the rumbling by just killing Zeke?"

Armin lifted his head, eyes wide. "You know.. You might be right."

Pieck turned to him, "There's no proof.. But that was Hange's hypothesis. Of course, we don't know Zeke's location either."

"Then we'll just have to find that furry bastard inside those bones." I felt Levi's hand stiffen up as he spoke. "And I'll.. stop Zeke. I'll just need a little help."

"Captain.." Jean stared in our direction. "Of course.. We had to kill many of our comrades to get this flying boat in the air, we can't let that slaughter have been in vain."

"This is all to stop the rumbling." He continued, "I'll do anything it takes."

Connie bent over, resting his arms on his knees. "I.. I shot and killed Samuel. I sliced up people I knew until their familiar faces were unrecognizable. All while they called me a traitor.. While they told me they were saving the world."

He raised his head to look at Reiner, "You.. Bertholdt... Annie.. It must've been awful for you."

Reiner lifted his hand, his face scrunched up. "My sins.. are beyond redemption. Even if we manage to save what's left of humanity, I doubt I'll ever forgive myself."

"But.." He placed that hand on Connie's shoulder. "Well. Let's at least save the rest of humanity."

Connie gently grabbed his arm with a small smile, "Yeah, Reiner. You're right, even if we can't be redeemed, we've still got to do this, I guess."

"That's right." Jean spoke up, "We're the same.. Reiner. I never had any right to blame you for anything. I became a murderer in order to save others."

"We get it now.." Sasha sadly smiled.

"Yeah. Eren said the same thing to me the night of the attack on Liberio." Reiner breathed, grabbing everyone's attention at the mention of Eren. "I.. I feel like I kind of understand what Eren's thinking. Do you think.. Eren might want us to stop him?"

"What do you mean?" Mikasa whispered.

"Ah.. That's just how it feels to me." Reiner finished.

"I've been wondering about something.." Armin kept his eyes on the floor. "Eren can now control the actions of every titan and Eldian. But we're still able to use the power of the titans the way we always could."