Do you have to go?

Chapter 14

"Is that a bird?" I heard someone ask from in the crowd. I watched the massive bird as it quickly flew through the founder and around in a massive loop over the chaos. My eyes trained on the passengers on its back but I could hardly make out the silhouettes. The soldiers in their ODM gear and what I presumed were our warriors traveled on the back of the giant avian. I couldn't take my eyes off the scene.

Somewhere behind me, Leonhart had led some men toward the Marleyans to get assistance with the wounded. I would assume I was lumped into his definition of wounded but I refused to budge. I was watching, searching for Porco. My Jaw Titan. 

Then I heard gunshots.

Mr. Galliard shielded me from the crowd that jumped at the sound. It appeared as though Leonhart had tried to negotiate with the Marleyans unsuccessfully and they began shooting at us. Even after everything we'd been through. Despite the fact that we were likely all that was left of humanity, they still fought us. I squatted down with the Galliards, hot tears ran down my face and onto my son's swaddle. The popping sound continued and the eldians backed up to the corner but Mr. Galliard kept us planted where we were as the crowd approached closer and closer to the plateau edge. This was it. After beating the rumbling for so long was I about to be killed, firing squad style by my fellow humans. Humans, I fought my whole life trying to impress and appease? The people who sent my husband and all my friends off to fight their battles. Was it all for nothing? My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as I just looked down at the baby bundled in my arms. I whispered to him, "I'm so sorry, little one."

But then suddenly everything stopped. The crowd stopped moving and instead stood in awe at the silence. The wall of colossal titans that was rapidly approaching had ceased. The massive creatures stood still as if frozen in place. Then the loudest boom I had heard, second only to the colossal transformation in Liberio erupted from the neck of the skeleton creature. The black-haired head of Eren's founding titan dropped from 10 meters above the ground. Was it over? Had the rumbling ended? We had just won! The massive bony titan exploded and crumbled into a cloud of titan steam. I picked my head up to see the flying Titan land on the plateau. Reiner's cousin sprinted from the back of the bird and into the arms of the Brauns and then I saw Pieck sprinting to her father. Mr. Finger clutched his daughter and sobbed into her hair. 

"Aunt Karina, Reiner's still fighting," the brunette girl shouted to Karina Braun. Mrs. Braun smiled and acknowledged that her son was still fighting. But the girl never met my eye. I wanted to stand up and ask where Porco was. But as soon as I went to stand and approach the group, I heard what sounded like the world splitting and a crowd erupting into horrified screams. I looked back out to where Eren's head had fallen and there it was, two colossal titans, one with long black hair and the other a solemn expression. 

The squirming creature that shot from the head writhed about at the base of the plateau, steam spraying out from small holes all along its disgusting body. The steam climbed up the creature and consumed the crowd and the bird. But unlike the titan's sulfuric steam, this smelled different, tasted different. I knew Titan Steam but this steal was salty and metallic like blood and sweat. Then it set in. This was spinal fluid steam.

The group of islanders shouted among themselves. "Get on Falco and go!" a short, heavily bandaged man shouted. I watched pieck approach the group.

"You don't mean-" she began but she didn't have a moment before I saw the small man pull her onto the bird. 

She reached her arm back toward us but the bird moved so fast, it was gone too quickly. I didn't even know if she could hear me screaming for her but I saw her horrified expression as they flew off. The Galliards held me close in their arms, huddled around me, sobbing. 

"Isla, I couldn't have asked for a better daughter," Mr. Galliard said between sobs.

"You would have been the most incredible mom," Mrs. Galliard cried into my shoulder, a hand placed on the side of my baby as her other hand rubbed my back. I couldn't speak. This was it. We were about to become the monsters we were always told we were. There was nothing we could do, this is how humanity was to end. I clutched my son to my chest one last time as I saw through the corners of my eyes, all of our bodies started to glow. It felt as if time was moving at snail speed, the green glow before a titan transformation, the warm sensation through my body and set into my bones. My last tear dripped off my chin and I closed my eyes.