The Fourth Notebook

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Optimus, Eren, Armin, and Mikasa arrived in Shinganshina, earning some attention for the residents. Optimus activated the holoform, spooking a few of them, before helping the trio out of the car. They then bolted towards Eren's old home.

"I don't get it!" Armin exclaimed, "If Dr. Jaeger had a fourth notebook, why bother hiding it in the first place?!"

"This was by Kruger, and for some reason he wanted to keep it a secret!" Eren answered, "Maybe he wanted to wait until someone could be trusted!"

"Maybe," Optimus agreed, "I doubt Kruger expected your father to write information about the outside in notebooks."

"But what needed to be hidden?" Mikasa asked, "Why keep it secret for so long?"

They arrived at the house, noting that it was still in the process of reconstruction. Eren quickly rushed inside, followed by the others. Eren opened the door and rushed to the basement door before lifting it.

"Eren, slow down!" Mikasa exclaimed.

Eren opened the door and gasped in horror. All of his father's medical equipment was gone. The shelves, his desk, the medicine, everything was cleared out. Eren fell to his knees in defeat as the others were able to catch up with him.

"It's gone...all of it," Eren spoke, "It has to be here."

Optimus kneeled down next to Eren. "Is there any indication in your memories of where the notebook could have gone?"

"I don't know," Eren answered, "I just know that another notebook exists. I don't know where dad hid it. I thought it would be here."

"Was there anyone that Grisha might have trusted?" Optimus asked him, "Grisha could not have integrated into the walls on his own. Not without a good Samaritan of some kind."

"Grisha was a doctor," Armin reminded, "He could've made many friends or associates. None that we know, or could even be useful."

"I can't see anything in my memories," Eren spoke, "Damn it, the one time I need it to work and it does nothing!"

Armin and Mikasa tried to recall as well, but they couldn't. Armin only saw Grisha as a man who was always interacting with everyone due to medical reasons. Mikasa saw Grisha as someone who was busy and didn't have time to make friends. Eren tried to remember, but the only thing that came up was someone in the Survey Corps that was mostly dead by now! This trail was a dead end!

Optimus didn't know Grisha personally. He actually didn't like him, if he was being honest. So there wasn't much he could even do to help him. So what could he do?

Wait...the day of Historia and Ymir's wedding. Someone came and gave him a letter to give to Eren.

"There are many questions Eren will have that I can't answer," the man admitted, "There were also things I tried to do to prevent him from joining the military. I knew his mother never wanted that life for him, but he had the drive of his father, and there was just no way for me to stop him without getting caught. I can't do it. The only thing that I am asking is for that letter to be delivered to Eren."

Optimus grabbed Eren's shoulder and made the teen look at him. "On Historia's wedding, you said you knew the man who gave me the letter. What was his name?"

"Keith Shadis," Eren answered in confusion, "He was our instructor. I don't understand-,"

Eren stopped as the broken memories fell into place, and he was finally able to see the resemblance between the Commander he saw, and the Commander of the Trainee Program.

"It's him!" Eren exclaimed.

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Megatron dragged himself into the empty room in the neutral ship where the berth was. He didn't bother to lay on the berth and ended up slumping against it instead. He lazily opened and closed his optics, ready to give in to the turmoil of his nightmares. It would most likely be worse around this time, considering the day. His eyes snapped opened when he saw the image of his younger self staring down at him in disapproval.

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