A/N: Yes, I'm still continuing even after Julian's death, since Lyon is still around. Enjoy!

unedited

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝙸𝚇𝚃𝚈-𝙾𝙽𝙴,
𝓢𝙸𝙽𝙽𝙴𝚁𝚂.

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THE FLYING PLANE CONTINUED TO fly in the air as everyone was silent. No one spoke a word. Lyon was near Levi as he was standing up, one hand on the wall of the plane as his red hair covered his eyes.

He was officially the only surviving member of Squad Julian now.

"The fuel is..." Armin trailed off, looking at the fuel.

"Yeah. They only managed to fill the tank halfway." Onyankopon said.

"Will it get us to Fort Salta?" Armin asked.

"I'll make sure we reach the fortress." Onyankopon promised. "This flight is our last hope, and Julian died giving it to us. I'll deliver you to that base. I swear it. So make sure you stop the rumbling, no matter what it takes."

"We will." Armin said. "We're in your hands, Onyankopon."

Armin soon left the cockpit, facing everyone. He was about to say something when Lyon spoke up.

"Commander, sorry. I know we got more important things to worry about, but I need to say something. I'll be as quick as I can." He said, making Armin flinch.

"J-Just Armin will do." Armin said, making Lyon nod.

"Listen up. I know we're all saddened by Julian's sacrifice. Some of us more so than the others." Lyon eyed Levi and Jean specifically. "But in all honesty, he would probably kick all of your asses if he saw you all mourning for him."

"Armin." He addressed Armin next, causing the blonde to look at him. "I know you're most likely having doubts about Julian's choice. But he was dead set on you being the next Commander when he was talking with me about possible candidates."

"The next Commander?" Lyon questioned, looking at Julian.

"Yeah. You know, just in case." Julian replied. "I'm not gonna live forever, Ly."

Lyon thinks for a moment as he sits down. "Aren't you going to give it to Hange? Considering they're your second-in-command." He said.

"I was thinking someone from the 104th."

Lyon hummed. "Jean?" He suggested.

Julian flinched. "Don't get me wrong. My brother has great leadership skills. But being a Commander isn't just about having great leadership, Erwin was the one who taught me that." He said. 

Lyon sighed. "So who then if not Jean? I know you're not thinking about Connie or Mikasa. Mikasa has the whole Ackerman genes going on with her and Connie is... Connie. You cross them out and that just leaves—"

"... Armin. Of course! He's perfect!" Julian exclaimed, sitting up from his seat.

"Huh?"

"Think about it. Armin has the mind of a tactician. He may have not been in the top 10 of his class, but he's super smart academically. I think I would feel relieved if the Scouts were in his hands."

"That's... what he said." Lyon finished, shocking Armin. "I entrust my life to you, Armin. Don't make me regret it."

Armin nodded before looking at everyone else. "Now, then... let's hammer out our plan." He informed.

Armin began to draw on the ground using a piece of chalk. "Pieck, Hange, Captain Levi, Section Commander Lyon, is this roughly the shape of the Founding Titan?" He questioned.

"Yes, though I didn't get a great look at it." Pieck responded.

"Basically, it's a humongous bundle of bones that moves like an insect." Levi added.

"If it's like a normal Titan, Eren would be in the neck near the head." Hange pointed out.

"Given the War Hammer's abilities, that's not guaranteed." Lyon reminded.

"In other words, we don't know which part Eren is in." Armin said.

"Even if we don't know where he is, we can blast the whole thing away. The same way you annihilated Liberio's port with the Colossal Titan." Pieck reminded. Armin narrowed his eyes, remembering.

"That certainly would be the most effective method." Armin claimed as Mikasa gasped, her eyes widening. "But we'll leave that for after we've exhausted our chance to talk. If there's still no other way to stop Eren, that's our last resort."

Armin looked at Mikasa, making her nod in agreement.

"It's great to have a last resort and all, but isn't Eren controlling the Founder through Zeke? Won't the rumbling stop if we kill Zeke first?" Levi asked.

"Either that, or it would slow the rumbling down." Lyon added.

"True. That might work!" Armin agreed.

"There's no definite proof, but Jude thought it would." Levi said, with Hange nodding in agreement.

"But if we don't know Zeke's location either..." Pieck pointed out.

"We'll just have to find that shithead, the Beast, in those bones." Levi finished as it went silent again. "I'll take Zeke out. Help me do it."

"I'll lend you a hand, Levi." Lyon agreed without hesitation. "I can't speak for everyone else, but you can count on me to clear a path for you. I know you've been wanting to take out that monkey-looking son of a bitch since Erwin."

"Lyon..." Jean mumbled. "Of course. We killed many friends and comrades to get this thing in the sky. We can't allow that slaughter to have been for nothing. Everything is to stop the rumbling. I'll do whatever it takes."

"Jean..." Reiner muttered.

"I shot Samuel and Daz and sliced up other people I knew. I got called a traitor as I did so, all the while telling myself it was to save the world." Connie spoke up before he looked at Reiner. "Tell me, Reiner. It was agonizing for you, Bertholdt, and Annie too, wasn't it?"

Reiner looked down at his hand. "I can't even make up for the sins I committed anymore. Even if we save what remains of humanity, I doubt I'll ever forgive myself." He claimed, making Jean and Mikasa look down while Connie tears up a bit.

Reiner then touched Connie's shoulder. "So... Well, let's at least save what remains of humanity." He said.

"You're right, Reiner." Connie agreed, touching Reiner's arm. "Even if we can't make up for it, we still gotta do what we can."

"That's right. We're the same, Reiner." Jean chimed in, getting Reiner's attention. "I never had any right to judge you. I became a murderer to save others."

"You know... On the night of the raid on Liberio, Eren said the same thing to me. I feel like I understand some of what's going on in Eren's head. Could it be Eren wants us to stop him?" Reiner questioned.

"What do you mean?" Mikasa asked.

"I mean, it's just a thought that occurred to me." Reiner answered.

"Something's been bothering me this whole time. Eren has the power to affect all Titans and Eldians. And yet our ability to use our Titan powers remains unchanged." Armin pointed out.

Pieck widened her eyes, realizing what Armin was saying. "You mean Eren is purposely giving us free rein?" She asked.

"Exactly. He's letting us act freely. As if to test how we respond to what he's doing." Armin answered.

"Why? We might succeed in stopping the rumbling." Mikasa said.

"It has to be agonizing for him, too. Committing mass murder... that's not a burden you can just bear. If it was me, I'd be desperate to leave the Founder's power with someone else. And if that wasn't possible, I'd want it to end... for someone to end it." Reiner stated.

"What?" Mikasa muttered before she finally found herself in the Paths, along with everyone else.

"Again?!" Jean exclaimed.

"This is..." Connie started to say.

"What, was he listening in?" Levi wondered.

Armin stood up. "Eren! Please hear me out! This is already enough! I'm sure that no one will be able to attack the island for hundreds of years! The terror and destruction have been just that extreme! If you stop now, we can end all this by agreeing to a non-aggression treaty! You don't have to kill any more people! The island will be okay now!" He shouted. "I'm sorry, Eren! We were the ones who drove you this far!"

"Eren... Eren!" Jean yelled. "We'll figure out the rest! You don't have to keep committing genocide for our sake!"

"That's right." Connie agreed. "Eren! I hated you after what happened to Sasha, but in truth, you were hurting too, weren't you?! And yet, I didn't even try to see things from your perspective at all!"

"Eren, you fucking suck!" Lyon exclaimed, causing everyone to turn to look in his direction. "You think Eld, Oluo, Petra, Gunther, and Ida are smiling right now? Huh?! Because I'm telling you, that's not what they're doing! If anything, they're disappointed! They died protecting your sorry ass and this is how you thank them?!"

"Eren..." Mikasa spoke up next, causing Armin and Jean to turn to her. "I... I want to shoulder your sins with you. The sins you've committed... We're guilty of them, too. So please, don't push us away anymore. Please, Eren, come back to us!"

"You heard 'em, Eren. Do it now, and I'll let you off with just a swift kick in the ass." Levi said. "Well? Ain't it about time you said something?"

Everything went silent for a moment as Armin suddenly gasped. "Eren?!" He shouted, turning around as Eren's voice was soon heard.

"The rumbling will not stop. Nor will I leave Paradis Island's future to chance. I will keep moving forward."

His claim shocks everyone as Levi soon pointed at something. "There." He said.

Everyone turned to see where he was pointing, seeing a younger Eren in the distance. Mikasa was the one who broke into a run first, followed by Armin, Jean, and Connie.

"Eren!" Mikasa called out.

"Huh? Ain't that... a kid?!" Jean asked.

"Yeah, but that's Eren!" Armin replied.

Mikasa's heart was thumping loudly against her chest. "Eren!" She called out once again.

"Why refuse, Eren?" Jean questioned. "You think you can't rely on us?"

"Why did you leave us able to use our Titan powers? We can talk for as long as we want here, right?" Armin asked. "Talk to us! We've always been together! Please don't go any farther away! Eren!"

"In order to obtain freedom, I will take freedom from the world. But I will not take anything from any of you. You all have freedom." Eren continued as Mikasa, Armin, Jean, and Connie found themselves back where Reiner, Pieck, Levi, Hange, and Lyon were.

"You are free to protect the world's freedom. And I am free to keep moving forward. As long as we each hold unbending convictions, a clash is inevitable. There is but one thing for us to do."

A younger Eren now stood with Ymir.

"Fight."

"But... Then why... Why did you call us here?" Armin asked.

"To discuss the fact that there's no need to have a discussion." Eren responded.

"If you wish to stop me, make me draw my last breath. You have freedom."

A sudden crash in the plane was heard, getting Onyankopon's attention as he turned around in alarm.

"What was that?" He asked. "Is everyone okay?"

Everyone was now out of the Paths. "It looks like I was right." Reiner commented.

Jean placed his hand over his eyes. "So there's really no way to work this out?" He questioned. Connie clenched his fist tightly while Pieck sat down.

"Looks like we aren't gonna solve this by talking. What now... Commander?" Levi asked Armin, who gritted his teeth.

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"Dammit! We're running on fumes!" Onyankopon shouted as lightning struck.

Everyone was all geared up. "I see him! Get ready to jump!" Onyankopon exclaimed.

"Onyankopon, you get over here, too!" Jean told him.

"Not yet! I'll keep going til we're over the Founder! Afterwards, I'll make an emergency landing! So make sure you land on the Founding Titan! Got that?" Onyankopon replied.

Levi and Lyon suddenly widened their eyes in alarm. "Onyankopon!" Mikasa shouted out in warning.

Onyankopon swerved the flying plane to the side, causing everyone to swerve to the side as well.

"The bastard's down there. That damned Beast!" Levi exclaimed.

"That saves us the trouble of finding him! Target the Beast Titan!" Armin instructed. "Put all your power into taking him out! Let's stop the rumbling!"

Onyankopon continued avoiding the Beast Titan's attacks, who got ready to attack again. "Now!" He ordered.

Armin opened the door of the flying plane as he jumped out, with everyone else following his lead.

"Eren!" Armin exclaimed.

"Lydia... Ida... Melody... Zach... Will... Julian." Lyon thinks to himself. "Lend me your strength so that I can see this through until the end!" 

The Beast sent an attack at them once more as both Levi and Lyon avoided the rocks as they used the bones of the Founder to propel themselves forward.

"Damn it! I can't land!" Connie shouted.

Reiner propelled himself forward before biting into his hand as a yellow sphere of lightning followed. The Armored Titan soon appeared, heading straight for the Beast, knocking him down.

"Reiner!" Jean yelled as another transformation lightning soon followed and Pieck transformed into the Cart Titan, sliding down on the bones.

Onyankopon managed to get the flying plane to stay in the sky as it soon stopped, getting the attention of those at Fort Salta.

"The Armored Titan... and even the Cart Titan?! That's ODM gear... Could it be?! Paradis Island came to stop the rumbling?!"

Everyone soon rushed towards the edge of the cliff. "Reiner!" Karina exclaimed as a hand was over her mouth.

Armin soon stood up. "Eren. I have another question to ask you, once we drag you out of there." He stated as Levi, Lyon, and Mikasa were with him.

"'In what way are you free?'"

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A/N: Another chapter is completed! I have no idea how I'm going to add Hange in the scenes. Since you know, they're dead. So sorry if they go MIA during the fight. Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2371 words.