A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Enjoy!

edited on march 30th, 2022 @ 2:52am

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚁𝚃𝚈-𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙴,
𝓑𝚈𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁.

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JOSIAH WAS WALKING AROUND THE remains of the Reiss chapel with his green Scouts cloak around him and a rifle in his hand next to Levi. He could see the bodies of Kenny's squad all crushed from the impact of Rod Reiss' Titan transformation.

"Captain Levi!"

Josiah turned around to see a soldier panting as he rushed up towards Levi.

"What? Your face looks like it's leaking shit." Levi replied.

"We've found Kenny Ackerman along with Treyton Verlice!"

Levi and Josiah's eyes widened in shock. "Will you be okay?" Levi asked, looking over to his squad member.

"I'll be fine, Captain. This is something I have to do."

"Good luck."

So that's how Josiah found himself coming face-to-face with his father.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know." Treyton promised.

Josiah kneeled down in front of his father. "Tell me... Why did you leave Mom? She told me you left when she announced she was pregnant. Why didn't you stay with her, damn it?!"

"I was afraid I wouldn't be a good enough father to you, and it seems I was right." Treyton admitted. "I left and joined Kenny's side as soon as I found out we were distant relatives."

"Are you Treyton Verlice?"

A younger looking Treyton glanced up to see a man with a hat looking at him. He narrowed his eyes in suspension. "Who's asking?" He countered.

The man chuckled. "No need to be so hostile. I'm Kenny. Kenny Ackerman." He responded.

"Ackerman, huh? Heard that clan is in persecution." Treyton commented. "What does an Ackerman want with me?"

"I assume you're related to Eloise?"

"That's my grandmother." Treyton replied. "How do you know her? She passed away some years ago."

"It seems she married my grandfather. In other words, the two of us are distant relatives." Kenny explained. "What do you say you and I team up, hm?"

"Your great-grandmother married into the Ackerman clan. If the Ackermans were described as the swords, the Verlice clan were the shields." Treyton finished, before looking up at Josiah.

"That boy... You care about him, don't you?"

"I'm guessing you're talking about Eren." Josiah hummed. "In more ways than one. We're dating, or something like that."

Treyton chuckled painfully. "So it seems my hunches were correct." He stated. "I had the opportunity to talk to him while he was chained up."

"Oi, kid." Treyton spoke up, making a chained up Eren glance at him. "You know my son, Josiah, don't ya?"

Eren blinked in shock at the new information. "You don't have to talk. Just listen." Treyton continued.

"At the end of this fight, I might not be around much longer. So I want you to take care of my son for me. Hurt him in any way and I won't forgive you, you hear?"

Josiah widened his eyes. "You've grown into a fine young man, Josiah. I'm glad I got to meet you." Treyton finished. "Take care of yourself, yeah?"

Josiah suddenly saw his father's breathing finally slow down until it stopped.

That was it.

His only living relative was dead.

Josiah closed his eyes before letting out a long sigh and standing up.

"I hear ya, Pops. Rest easy."

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After the ceremony was over, Josiah was walking with the rest of Squad Levi as he was dressed in a long green coat with the Wings of Freedom insignia on the front pocket and on his back.

"Hold on... You're seriously doing it, Historia?" Eren asked with concern.

"Yeah, I am." Historia responded with determination in her voice.

"Mikasa was just joking about it! Right, Mikasa?" Eren questioned.

"After you smack him, tell him this... 'I dare you to hit me back.'" Mikasa replied in a serious tone.

"Damn you...!" Eren exclaimed before turning to Historia. "If it's not a real grudge, just forget it."

"If I can't do this, how can I call myself Queen?" Historia asked him.

"Hell yeah, Historia. That's the spirit!" Jean encouraged.

They stopped in their tracks when they saw Levi standing next to a window with his hands in his pockets.

Levi stepped forward to face his squad. Historia shook with nerves before she finally screamed and ran towards Levi, punching him in the arm and leaving the rest of Squad Levi in shock except for Mikasa who gave a proud smile.

Historia laughed. "How do you like that?! I'm the Queen! If you got a problem—" Historia's sentence was interrupted by Levi chuckling and then giving them a smile.

"Thank you... all of you." Levi spoke up.

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It had been two months since Historia was crowned Queen. Josiah was standing next to Eren as they were with Armin and Jean.

"Isn't this...?" Jean started to say as the four watched Historia chase after a few kids.

"Yeah... Not quite the Queen I was expecting." Armin finished.

"And it's only been two months since she was crowned. Seems like she's better suited to run an orphanage." Jean stated.

"Do you know what the people are calling her?" Armin asked. "The Cattle-Farming Goddess. In a good way, of course."

"So we've finally got a goddess among us." Jean's face then morphed into horse-like. "At this rate, no one will remember the chump who plugged up Trost, yeah?"

"One of the reasons Historia decided to become queen was... to do all this." Eren informed, disregarding Jean's snide comment.

"This, meaning?" Armin questioned.

"Taking care of the orphans and needy from the underground to the edge of the walls. Since he was raised underground, the captain supported her, too. When people need help, she said she'll come to the rescue, no matter who or where. That's... what Historia wants to do." Eren replied.

"Oh? You're slacking again!" Historia exclaimed, walking up to them.

"Uh..."

"It's getting dark, you know!" Historia scolded.

They began moving the crates. "She's becoming more and more like my mother..." Jean commented.

"Some goddess..." Armin said.

Due to the military purge, considerable talent was lost from humanity's forces, but... the discovery of glowing ore in the underground cavern was one of the many things gained. Also, with Eren's hardening ability, a certain anti-Titan weapon was born.

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It was dark out as everyone had gathered in the mess hall for dinner. Josiah was sitting next to Eren when Marlo, a new recruit who had left the Military Police, sets down his cup. "We can win! We can beat 'em!" He declared. "With the new weapons, the Titans will crumble like paper!"

"You're so damn worked up. Only you would be happy about becoming a Scout." Jean said.

"That's right! Didn't Hitch try to stop you from joining?" Sasha asked.

"Hitch? Why would she?" Marlo questioned in confusion.

"Why? 'Cuz you two are... you know?" Sasha countered as her and Connie had teasing grins plastered on their faces.

"I don't follow, but... Hitch told me off, saying I wasn't cut out for it and not to act cool. That if I stayed in the Military Police, I could coast along in life. I thought she was better than that... Told her I was wrong about her." Marlo explained.

"You shit..." Jean cursed.

"Huh?"

"Marlo, are you stupid?"

"He's a bowl cut imbecile."

"How dense can a person be?" Josiah insulted.

"Why? Marlo said nothing wrong." Eren commented.

"Anyways, the only ones as worked up as you are the recruits with zero battle experience." Jean pointed out.

"Whoa, whoa... Think you're some veteran hero now?" Floch Forster, one of the recruits who came from the Garrison Regiment, asked from a nearby table.

"Compared to you, I am." Jean replied as Floch stood up.

"How rude. Weren't we in the 104th together?" Floch asked before continuing on. "Besides, we're not the only ones. Everyone in the walls is pumped up about the idea of retaking Wall Maria."

"Is that so?" Jean questioned.

"Still, you all do seem different now. It's your faces, I guess... What... exactly happened?" Floch asked.

"Wanna know?" Jean countered.

"No... I think... I'll ask later." Floch responded, noticing how the atmosphere changed as he walked away.

Connie then stood up. "I'm outta here. See you later." He spoke.

Sasha looked over at him. "Eh? So soon?" She asked.

"Tomorrows's a prep day, so I'm heading to my village in the morning." Connie explained. "Might find out something new there. Good night."

It was silent for a moment. "Turning Connie's mom back to normal... isn't possible, right?" Sasha questioned.

"Yeah..." Armin agreed. "If our understanding of Titans keeps improving, someday..."

"You're telling me Titans are people?"

"It's just speculation for now." Levi replied.

"A nightmare, huh?" Eren spoke up as Armin let out a noise in confusion. "With all that's happened, it's been so vague... But who exactly are we fighting against? That is, are Titans just... people being tormented by some nightmare? For a time, I was... one of those Titans."

"Eren!" Mikasa shouted, making Eren come back to reality. "You still have bread and soup left. Save talking for after you've eaten."

"Right." Eren agreed. "Sorry, Mikasa."

"For crying out loud, Eren." Jean spoke with his hand resting on his chin as Eren turned to him. "I swear that's all you do lately... mumbling shit to yourself. When you should be trying to remember that one guy. You saw, right? In the cavern when those memories came back... That guy in the Scouts who you think met your dad."

"Yeah... That day, I'm pretty sure he was with my dad." Eren informed as he took a sip of his drink. "He's gotta know something. The thing is, though, I feel like I've met the guy somewhere."

"You mean not Dr. Yeager, but you, yourself?" Armin asked.

"I think so..." Eren replied.

"Smack your head and see if you remember." Sasha suggested.

"That's right, twerp. You might remember if you stopped holding hands with Historia for once. Get a head-butt from the commandant." Jean added on.

"If that helped me remember, I'd—" Eren paused as he remembered something before slamming his hands on the table, grabbing everyone's attention.

"The Cadet Corps commandant..." Eren started to say. "Keith Shadis!"

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Levi's squad, minus Connie, and Hange rode out to the training grounds were Shadis was located. They were wearing the same green coat that they had worn during the ceremony.

"Before Erwin, he was the 12th commander of the Scout Regiment. It's been a long while since I've seen him." Hange spoke.

The group finally arrived as they walked up to Shadis, who had his back turned to them.

"Commandant Shadis." Eren said firmly, making Shadis turn to look at him. Sasha was hiding behind Jean. Eren then saluted to Shadis.

They now sat in one of the cabins around the table, except for Sasha who stood awkwardly.

"What's wrong, Braus? Not sitting?" Shadis asked.

"No! I am quite fine standing here!" Sasha exclaimed quickly, avoiding eye contact. Josiah guessed that she must've been remembering the time when Shadis made her run for eating a potato during the entrance ceremony.

"If I recall... Back in the day, I always used to call you in here to chew you out. And it's only been a handful of months. I hardly recognize you all anymore." Shadis stated, scanning the room.

"Commander Shadis... Rather, Commandant..." Hange began. "With preparations to retake Wall Maria underway, perhaps you can guess what brings us here today." There was a pause as Shadis looked towards Eren.

"Eren. You resemble your mother so much." Shadis said, causing Eren and Mikasa's eyes to widen. "However, the fangs lurking deep in your eyes are surely your father's." Eren gritted his teeth before standing up.

"Tell me about him! Everything you know!" Eren declared as Shadis looked down.

"I know nothing... in the grand scheme of things. However, I can tell you a story utterly useless to humanity. The story of my past... as a mere bystander. Twenty years ago. Wall Maria. In front of the gates of Shiganshina, he was there."

(A/N: I'm not going to be adding Shadis backstory, y'all are freaking insane for doing that).

"And then I carried your unconscious body back to the shelter. That is everything I know." Shadis concluded after telling his backstory.

"So that's... it?" Eren questioned.

Hange turned to face Shadis. "Now we know the real reason you resigned. Not to atone for the soldiers you killed, but because you realized you were never special. That's the childish reason you're here." They spoke.

"Quit it, Hange." Levi warned them. Hange's face turned into anger, ignoring Levi.

"Screw your inferiority complex. Don't run from reality. Isn't that what vowing to give our hearts was all about?!" Hange stood up from their seat.

"Please stop, Hange-san." Eren muttered, making Hange look over to him. "The commandant was right. I was never special or anything. But... I'm the son of a special man. That's all it is."

"Your mother..." Shadis started to say after a moment of silence. "Carla said this..."

"Is it wrong not to be special?" Carla asked, making Shadis eyes widen. "I don't think that way. When it comes to my child... it's fine if he's never great. He doesn't have to be better than anyone. After all, just look at him... He's so cute!" She rubbed her cheek against Eren's.

"He's already special. Because he was... born into this world."

"And you, just like your father wanted... chose to set ablaze your life... which will burn to ashes outside the walls. In the end, I couldn't... I couldn't change a single thing at all. I'm a mere bystander."

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A/N: Another chapter is completed! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2307 words.