AOT - Shattered Hearts [Eren Yeager x OC]

Chapter 71: Sole Salvation

                                                                      **The Past**

Many years ago Zeke was a young boy who grew up in Liberio back in Marley, he grew up under the care of his parents Grisha and Dina. All three were looking over the town on the highest building. A man who worked to clean such places arrived and at first was kind towards them but when he realized they were Eldians he switched up real quick also splashing them with water in the end.

It was even worse as they walked by those who were born and raised within the walls of Marley, Grisha however wanted Zeke to remember this, remember how it felt and realize what the outside world was like...that he had to work hard to save them all.

The next day Zeke was sent to training with the Marleyen Warriors, but honestly, he was falling behind. Meanwhile a few feet away two people were overlooking today's kids though it was more like to scout who would be the one to inherit the Beast Titan from the current holder.

By sunset, Zeke's parents picked him up from training to take him to be with his grandparents while they went to work. That work was actually something secret, but in the meantime, Zeke was learning of what happened in the distant past. They later asked if becoming a Warrior was something he truly wanted and he replied back that it was.

The next day more training this time it was to quickly reassemble a gun something Zeke wasn't quite getting correct and was even glared at by Magath, by the time it was the end of everything Zeke was seen walking with his head down on his own. Suddenly a ball hit the wall a few feet ahead of him and he noticed a father and son playing ball together rushing home he hoped that his father would like to play that as well since he finished training early.

But in the end, all Grisha did was tell him that they could study more since he was finished, things just kept getting tough for Zeke the more the days rolled by until he met up with the Beast Titan himself. Zeke seemed impressed with the guy and when he got home he overheard his father yelling but when he got caught listening in Grisha convinced him to keep trying.

Magath back then seemed to not like this one bit but either way, he allowed it, Zeke wanted to show his parents he could do it but when his mother and father turned up to one of his training sessions the look of utter disappointment struck a cord through this little form as he watched his father walk away as his mother seemed to have tried to stop him.

Back at home, Zeke cowered under his blankets as his father yelled up a storm in the room behind him, the next day Zeke was throwing a baseball with the guy he met before talking away like usual. They spoke about a lot of stuff together over their time together, though Zeke overheard something about a secret Eldian group.

That alone had Zeke beg his parents to stop doing their work, he just wanted them not to get caught and to be safe but once again Grisha went off the rails on him scolding him for ever uttering those words to them since they were doing hard work to free Edlians not only that but to free Lady Okumura from her death as well. Even his mother went off on him!

When Grisha's little sister was brought up it was then Zeke realized he made the mistake of bringing her up, Grisha began yelling at him even more with a harsh glare in his eyes. The next morning Zeke revealed what his parents were to his new friend, it was he though who convinced Zeke to turn his own parents in...and he did just that sparing himself and his grandparents' lives.

As the years went by and Zeke was getting older it was clear that under the Beast Titan's current user he was getting better in his training, it was then only a matter of time before he became the next Beast Titan user after obtaining the titan from his dear friend he made a promise to the man while wearing the guys very own glasses calling the man his father.

More years passed and when Reiner and Bertholt had returned it was told to him about a kid named Eren Yeager and a girl named Ayane Ackerman, the two explained that both of them were joined to each other at the hip. They revealed that it was possible that Ayane could be of Okumura blood since Annie at one point told them that she felt a static shock which could possibly be one of the signs.

Zeke was shocked at the fact that his father was still alive, but he promised to not just himself but Eren as well that someday he'd save him and would help him save whatever is left of Ayane's life if he could or well needed to...but honestly he didn't hold out too much hope, and as more years passed and it was the time that Eren and Ayane infiltrate Marley he confronted him.

Eren meanwhile was sitting on the bench with his daughter in his lap as Ayane was in the hospital getting a check-up to further her life a bit more. It wasn't until she returned that the Yeager brothers went behind the building to talk brother to brother. He spoke about the Eldian Youthenisation Plan of theirs, that's when he revealed to Zeke about seeing their father kill the Royal family only to leave the father behind alive.

The two continued with their conversation as time went on and Eren actually informed Zeke that he would go along with his plan, that at the right moment he'd make sure that their plan went through which brought Zeke to tears.

                                                            **Current Time**

It was dark and raining out, the wagon that both Zeke and Ayane were on was on the move still heading toward somewhere else. Ayane woke up as she felt something cold and wet hit her face from time to time, her ears were what picked up the sound first that informed her that she was in the rain, inside a wagon as she slowly opened her eyes.

Her head did hurt from the impact her father placed on her, it forced her back to reality as she realized that what she saw in her dream was just that...a dream of something she wished was true but...it wouldn't be...maybe in another life but not this one.

"The only way...to save Eldia...is to put us...out of our misery..." Zeke whispered.
"That was your plan? Mercy killings? Well, you are about to die inside a Titan's rotten stinking mouth to the sound of your own body being chewed into tiny pieces. I'd say that's a pretty merciful way to kill you. Right? Considering you stole my comrade's lives and wrapped my daughter's mind into believing complete bullshit." Levi explained.
"I stole nothing...actually, I saved them...both them and (Y/N)...baring children they would've born...their deaths saved them from this cruel world...it's a shame...that Carla will suffer. though..." Zeke whispered.
"Keep my granddaughters name out of your mouth you disgusting shit," Levi growled.
"Leave my kid out of this ape freak..." Ayane whispered.
"Awake are you?" Levi asked.

Ayane didn't say a word she just looked at her father blankly when she raised her head up then moments later lowered it back down on the wood under her, she ignored her father and Zeke when the two spoke even more but she flinched a bit when Zeke began to yell out for some guy and suddenly the sound of the Thunder Spear went off.

Both pair of steel and blue eyes widen as they looked at Zeke when the Thunder Spear was about to go off Levi despite being annoyed by his daughter brought her into his arms and just as the Thunder Spear went off the father-daughter duo flew off the wagon and landed elsewhere injuring both rather badly.

Levi's horse wailed in pain as it was sent on fire and suddenly everything there got silent, the only sound there was, for the time being, was clear-cut rain as it continued to fall from the sky hitting the ground.