What If...Marco Had Lived

A Cruel Word (Ending 2)

So this is the sad ending. Here everything that happened up until the Raid on Libero has happened as it has canonical in the manga/anime this is the sad ending

Sorta Spoilers if you have finished the manga

"Annie!!! Reiner!!!!"

Marco shot up in bed, covered in sweat. He put his head in his hands, Bertholdt's anguished voice ringing in his ears.

Marco had acted just as surprised when Reiner and Bertholdt revealed themselves on top of Wall Rose.

"Do you think anyone actually wants to kill" Bertholdt's voice echoed.

He felt like a failure. He had wanted to help them, but he wasn't planning on Annie's rampage on the expedition, Eren challenging Annie. They continued to meet, but not able to come up with a viable solution.

Neither Bertholdt nor Marco had known that Reiner was going to confess out of the blue. At that moment they both knew whatever alliance they had was over. But Reiner had not outed Marco, and in return Marco didn't join in the pursuit to rescue Eren.

It had been 4 years. Marco had seen the world beyond the walls, had seen the sea, tasted ice cream, meet people from other nations, got drunk. He also watched as a global council demonized the island, squashing any chance for peace. He remembered Eren walking out of the auditorium.

Now they were gearing up for raid on Libero, the internment zone for Eldians living in Marley. As far as he knew, Reiner was still alive, but he knew his time would be up soon. He was hoping that there was still some way they could work together.

Marco began to sob.

"Marco are you ok?" Jean called out into the darkness.

"Sorry I didn't mean to wake you." Marco sniffled.

Jean sat down on his bed. "Talk to me"

Marco put his head on Marco's shoulders. "I just keep thinking about Bertholdt. He never wanted to be a part of any of this, and yet he's the one who dies"

Marco had confessed everything to Jean when they returned from Shiganshina. Jean has kept the secret. Marco was glad he wasn't carrying this alone.

"This is a cruel world, I think in this war we are all victims" Jean said.

"I can hear his voice" Marco sobbed.

Jean wrapped his arms around him, and the two laid in Marco's bed. Marco cried himself to sleep.

***************** 3 days later*******************

It was chaos. Fires were burning, people screaming, dead civilians everywhere. Marco used his gear to maneuver the rooftops of Libero, the rifle on his back.

Along with Sasha, he was the other sharpshooter of the Scouts. Thanks to training from Sasha.

He remembered Levi's words, "don't die survive"

Sasha was busy with Connie setting the lights, and dealing with the Panzer unit.

Marco landed on a rooftop. He took the rifle off his back and looked into the scope. He saw two Marley guards and a young girl. He recognized the yellow arm band.

"Must be an Eldian" he thought. "Those guards might harm her"

He set his aim and fired, hitting one with a head shot, and another in the neck. They collapsed to the ground.

The girl looked in shock and upset possibly. She looked up. For a split second she and Marco locked eyes.

But he has a job to do. He flew on cursing Eren for going rouge, putting the Scouts in a terrible position. Marco's heart hurt at all the death and destruction. Some of the Scouts seemed more blood thirsty, and it was hard blame them for. But these people weren't the enemy. Many of these people were Eldians, being held captive by the government.