What if Zeke Won? (Part 4) [What if the Royal Government targeted Ymir?] Preview

 Fort Rolav

A group of kids came running over the hill when they heard buzzing in the air.  Once at the top, they were excited to see an airship flying.  They've never seen one before, but heard that Marley created and flew them.  The kids were ecstatic as it began to fly over the nearby military fort. 

The soldiers were confused why an airship was here.  They knew Marley used them, especially during the Marley Mid-East War, but they were given no indication that one was coming.  Were they going to attack?  They were aware that there was some sort of festival happening in Marley that brought together almost all nations in the world, so maybe it wasn't an attack.   Was it simply a show of power by a powerful country?  Whatever it was, it was flying pretty close to the fort.  Capitan Pérez issued for them to contact the airship through radio, but when they tried, they got no response.  Even more confused, the captain looked up in the sky as a strange device was ejected from the airship.  Without much time to think, the device went off, creating a very powerful explosion.

Citizens in the town over were freaking out as the powerful mushroom cloud rose from the fort.  Were they under attack? One person pointed out that only an explosion of that power could come from a Titan.  However, someone else said that they didn't see a Titan anywhere.  Continuing to panic, the people tried running as the airship flew from the fort over the city.  More objects seemed to be falling from this blimp, but this time it was just paper.  Once on the ground, some confused civilians picked up the paper, which had writing on it.

The pamphlets had a message on it, saying that the power they just witnessed is the full power of Paradis Island.  They are only targeting military positions, but if the world ever attacks the island again, they will unleash hundreds of these bombs across the world.  This is their only warning.  People were confused, others panicking, and others relieved that they weren't in danger as the airship left the city.

----

Armin sat down with Eren in his cell, telling him that he and many others don't think Eren's a threat, but need to make sure Zeke didn't brainwash him.  Eren, looking down, asked what if he was?  Armin said then they would undo it.  Eren looked up at Armin, asking what if he didn't want it undone?  Armin paused, saying then they will try harder.  Eren looked back down, saying that everything Armin showed him was wrong.  Instead of amazing sights; frozen deserts, flaming water, all of that was wrong.  There's only hatred, especially for Subjects of Ymir.  Eren explained that Zeke showed him the truth, and that he can't forget it.  The atrocities the Eldians have committed for centuries cannot be undone.  Armin sighed, knowing they were gonna be there for a while.  If that was the case, Armin figured they should start from the beginning to catch Eren up, right after he left them. 

What if Zeke Won? (Part 3) [What if the Battle of Liberio went better for the Scouts?]

Previously, Eren was captured by the Warriors and met his half-brother, Zeke Yeager.  The two entered the Titan Realm where Zeke convinced Eren to go along with his Eldian euthanization plan.  The Survey Corps managed to catch up to the group and engaged them, only for Eren to choose to go with the Warriors to Marley.  4 years later, Eren has continuously served Marley, helping in the end of the Marley Mid-East War.  With Marley's focus no longer on the Mid-East Allied Forces, Marley is attempting to get the world to unite and destroy the island devils of Paradis, though secretly they wish to obtain the last person of royal blood so they can fully use the Founding Titan.  However, things go wrong just as Willy Tybur declares war on Paradis....

Right as Willy declared war on Paradis, Ymir transformed and broke through the stage, biting Willy in half.  The entire crowd was in shock as Ymir's Titan looked down at them.  Without a second thought, Ymir lunged towards the stands full of military officials, killing them all.  As she smashed the stands, Lara Tybur walked up, thanking her brother for his sacrifice as she transformed into the Warhammer Titan.  Ymir noticed this, and immediately lunged at Lara, attacking her before she could fully transform.

However, as Ymir continuously slashed Lara, she used the power of the Warhammer to create a spike.  Ymir noticed this, and managed to evade it just in time, grabbing onto it.  Lara got back up and managed to fully transform, preparing to fight.  The two clashed once again, with Ymir using her speed to land several blows on Lara's Titan.  Meanwhile, the nearby Marleyan soldiers used the anti-Titan artillery to try to kill Ymir, but she managed to evade their attacks.  However, while distracted by the artillery, Lara managed to create a spike that impaled Ymir's Titan, causing her to hang in the air.  Lara then created a large hammer, and asked Ymir if she had any last words.  Irritated, Ymir told her to just do it already.

As Lara raised the hammer, Mikasa flew in using her ODM gear and blasted Lara's nape with Thunder Spears.  This incapacitated Lara, and Mikasa made her way to Ymir.  Still irritated, Ymir told Mikasa that she didn't need her help, to which Mikasa scoffed, telling her they needed to hurry and steal the Warhammer.  Ymir agreed and emerged from her Titan.  Lara then created a crossbow and shot at the two, but Mikasa got them away.  Ymir asked Mikasa to distract her while she found a weakness, and Mikasa agreed.

Meanwhile, members of Pieck's Panzer unit found the group of Warriors, and got them out of the pit.  Pieck asked what the situation was, to which they explained that the Jaw Titan was fighting the Warhammer.  Shocked, Pieck demanded that they get the Panzer equipment ready, and told Reiner and Annie to go on first and help the Warhammer.  Bertolt asked what he should do, and Pieck said he needed to stay behind.  This wasn't just any random attack, and whatever their enemies are planning, they needed to be ready.  Bertolt would serve as the last line of defense.  Everyone agreed, and moved out.

As Mikasa distracted the Warhammer, Ymir finally found Lara's weakness; a cord that went under the stage.  Without a second thought, Ymir lunged towards the stage and transformed.  She then plunged her jaws into the debris, pulling out a crystal containing Lara.  Without hesitation, Ymir bit down on Lara's crystal and broke it, drinking her spinal fluid and gaining the Warhammer.  The rest of the Scouts sighed in relief, but it was short lived.  Just then, the Beast and Attack Titans made their way to the battlefield.

Zeke looked at what happened, and told Eren that they were too late to save the Warhammer, but could still win the battle.  He told Eren to deal with the Jaws, while he dealt with the soldiers.  Eren nodded, and made his way towards Ymir.  As the two met once again, Eren put his hands up, hardening them.  Ymir muttered "round two" as she lunged towards him.  Eren then punched Ymir in the face, throwing her back.

While Zeke was throwing debris at the incoming Scouts, everyone stopped when they saw two more lightning bolts, signifying Titan transformations.  Not long after, Reiner and Annie appeared on the battlefield, to everyone's confusion.  Seeing Eren and Zeke fending off the Scouts, Reiner began charging in towards the soldiers.  Levi then ordered his new squad, consisting of Jean, Connie, and Sasha to use the new weapon.  The three then used their new Anti-Personnel ODM gear and fired strange rods at Reiner.  The rods launched and penetrated Reiner's leg, torso, and head, but didn't do anything else.  Reiner laughed, knowing the Scouts could do nothing to break his armor.  However, the strings connected to the rods detached, causing the rods to explode.  

These explosions caused Reiner to fall, shocking him.  Meanwhile, Annie tried making her way to Eren who was still fighting Ymir.  Zeke tried telling her that Eren could handle it, but Annie didn't listen.  Just then, she too was ambushed by the Scouts, launching more Thunder Spears at her.  She covered her nape, but it did little to stop the explosions.  Before the Scouts could finish the two off, they were attacked by machine guns.  It's then revealed that Pieck and her Panzer Unit finally arrived, providing the injured Warriors cover.  The Scout's then fled into nearby buildings dodging the powerful bullets. 

Ymir, being outnumbered, also escaped.  The rest of the Warriors made their way to Pieck, who was saying they needed to stay together.  Eren, Annie, and Reiner partially ejected from their Titans to talk, with Eren asking why they aren't fighting back.  Pieck explains that the enemy is now outnumbered, and will soon run out of ammunition and gas.  Zeke praised Pieck as he threw more rocks at the hiding Scouts.

Meanwhile, at the port, a soldier was brought by a sailor to inspect something suspicious.  The sailor explained that they found an abandoned cart at the harbor as they were coming in.  They weren't sure what it was, but it looked like a weapon, possibly a bomb.  As they walked up to the device, they heard a ticking noise.  Just then, the timer stopped, and a powerful explosion erupted, obliterating everyone in sight.  All the soldiers and Warriors looked in horror as a massive mushroom cloud formed, obliterating the port.  

Annie asked if that could of somehow been Bertolt, but Pieck said unlikely, and somehow, Paradis found a way to produce a weapon that mimicked Bertolt's Colossal explosion.  Reiner panicked, realizing that they needed to stop the Scouts before they could use more of these on the world.  Just then, multiple Scouts and the Jaw Titan appeared.  Gritting his teeth, Eren entered back into his Titan and rushed the Jaw, tackling her.  Zeke then told Annie and Reiner to help Eren, but Pieck said only Annie should go, otherwise they'd compromise their position.  Annie re-entered her Titan and followed after Eren.

Meanwhile, Reiner entered his Titan as well just as Levi thrusted a Thunder Spear into his Titan.  Realizing Levi was the second biggest threat besides the Jaw, Reiner tried attacking him, which left only Pieck and Zeke.  Telling Zeke that they had to come up with a plan, Zeke's nape was sliced by Miche.  As he fell to the ground, Commander Magath, Porco, Falco, and Gabi saw as Miche activated a bomb and blew the rest of the Beast.

Not too long after, the Scouts attacked the Cart, with Sasha using this opportunity to disable one of the machine gunners.  She was successful, and Jean and the other Scouts bombarded her with Thunder Spears.  With her Panzer Unit annihilated, Pieck scurried off the roof, falling to the ground.  Falco rushed to help Pieck, just as Connie came from the roof and tried launching another Thunder Spear.  However, before the Spear could kill Falco and Pieck, she released steam and drove the Spear off course.  Porco used a rifle to fend off the Scouts, and was ordered by Magath to take Pieck to safety along with Falco and Gabi.  He agreed, and covered Falco and Gabi as they escaped.  Connie noticed this, and went after them, with Sasha and Jean telling him to stop, but he didn't listen.   

Bertolt finally made his way to the destroyed port, confused what had happened.  As far as he knew, there was no weapon capable of creating as much destruction as his Titan's transformation.  Upon looking at the carnage, he spotted an airship flying past him.  Inside was Commander Erwin and Armin Arlert.  Erwin praised Armin for his cunning plan, though Armin wasn't sure if it would work.  If the Scouts failed to take out the enemy artillery, they could be shot out of the sky.  Not to mention they won't be able to come back around, so any stragglers will be stranded.  Erwin told him that it would just have to be another gamble, and to trust their comrades.  Suddenly, Onyankopoon spotted the signal lights, meaning they were close to the pickup.

As Porco, Gabi, and Falco got Pieck to safety, they found an abandoned house.  Porco, stayed outside as Gabi and Falco brought an injured Pieck inside to heal.  While this was happening, Connie caught up to them, ready to strike.  Porco then walked outside, ready to go back to fighting.  Falco and Gabi wanted to help, but Porco told them to stay and watch Pieck.  As this was happening, Connie moved in, launching a Thunder Spear at the house.  Porco noticed this, pushing the two out of the way as he was caught in the explosion.  Gabi managed to grab the rifle and shoot Connie, hitting him in the stomach.  Injured and bleeding out, Connie escaped.  Gabi then looked in horror as Falco was also hit and knocked out.  

Gabi looked over at Porco's scorched body, not sure what to do.  In a desperate attempt to do something, she started screaming for help.  Just then, Falco's brother Colt made his way to them, asking what they were doing there.  She explained the situation, and Colt rushed to Falco.  He was still breathing, but wouldn't last long.  Worried, he decided to take Falco to find some help.  Gabi wanted to go too, but Colt needed her to watch over Pieck.  After pausing, she finally agreed as Colt took Falco to find some help.

Back at the battlefield, Reiner tried fighting off Levi, but couldn't dodge his Thunder Spear attacks.  Levi managed to incapacitate his legs, then his arms, then his body.  He wanted to make Reiner suffer for all the lives he took after storming the wall 9 years ago, and he was enjoying every second of it.  He then went for Reiner's eyes, causing the Armored Titan to scream in agony, before falling over.  Levi took this chance and launched eight thunder spears right into Reiner's nape, nearly killing him.  Reiner ejected from his Titan, only having a skull.  Before Levi could fully finish him off, Marleyan reinforcements made their way to protect Reiner.  Irritated, Levi left the Armored, not able to completely fulfill his revenge.  However, he knew there was no way Reiner could survive that much damage, meaning he would die anyways.

As this was happening, Mikasa saw the incoming airship, telling Ymir it was time.  She then launched a Thunder Spear at Eren's leg, causing him to fall over.  Annie saw this, and tried getting to him.  Just then, her nape exploded, revealing that Jean launched a Thunder Spear at her.  Injured from the blast, a semi-conscious Annie fell to the ground.  As this was happening, Annie had no choice but to watch as Eren kept getting hammered with Thunder Spears.  She reached out for him, yelling his name as multiple other Thunder Spears were launched at her.  Eren looked at Annie as her nape was blown away.  

Not too long after, Eren's Titan took so much damage he couldn't stand anymore.  Taking this chance, Ymir bit into his nape and ate him to the Marleyan soldier's horror.  Once this was done, Mikasa told her it was time to leave, and they escaped through the city.  As Scouts continued getting into the airship, Jean and Sasha couldn't find Connie.  Knowing they couldn't leave him behind, they went into the direction he did.  

Meanwhile, Ymir and Mikasa got onto a rooftop, where she opened her mouth, revealing Eren.  As she spit him out, Mikasa ran in and gave him a big hug, with a weak Eren hugging her back.  Ymir cringed as she exited her Titan, telling them that they could do that later.  Mikasa then grabbed Eren and took him to the airship while another Scout took Ymir.

As they got to the airship, Armin was there to greet his friends.  Eren and Armin's eyes interlocked, with both of them getting emotional.  Armin took Eren's hand and got him inside.  As he made his way inside, Levi welcomed him, then kicked him in the face.  While Mikasa and Armin were shocked, they knew he kind of deserved it.  Armin helped Eren back up, as Levi had Eren banded and sent into another room.  Just then, Jean and Sasha got onto the airship with a bleeding Connie, surprising everyone.

A few minutes earlier

Jean and Sasha kept looking for Connie, not sure what could have happened.  As they went into the last direction he went, they stopped when Sasha heard something.  They landed on a building where a bleeding Connie was laying.  Shocked seeing Connie with a gunshot to the stomach, the two knew they had to get him help.  Sasha wrapped a bandage around Connie's stomach, hoping to stop the bleeding.  Connie, barely able to say words, begged them to leave him and escape.  Crying, Sasha said that wasn't an option.  Jean agreed, and carried Connie as the three tried making it back to the airship.  Connie kept muttering to himself, but Jean told him to save his strength, the airship was in reach.

As they got Connie onto the airship, everyone was in shock.  Jean yelled that they needed a medic, as Sasha held Connie up.  Connie kept muttering words, with Jean telling him to hold his strength.  Connie let out a faint message asking them to thank Eren for him, before collapsing.  

Eren was restrained as his brother laid along the wall without his limbs.  Erwin came into the room asking the bearded lady why she didn't keep the Warriors restrained?  As Yelena tore off her fake beard she apologized for letting the Warriors escape, and that the deaths that resulted.  Levi scoffed, saying she was damn right.

Meanwhile, the Marleyans were recovering from the battle.  Commander Magath walked up to the critically injured Reiner, knowing he was too injured to regenerate.  They needed to pass on his Titan before it was lost to them.  Suddenly, Colt came running in saying his brother needed a medic.  Commander Magath was shocked when he realized it was Falco, and knew they had to use this opportunity to pass on the Armored to a trained soldier.  They opened a vial of Titan serum and injected the boy.  As all personnel got out of the area, Falco transformed into a Pure Titan, eating Reiner and inheriting the Armored.  Relieved, Magath was happy they didn't lose another Titan.  However, this was short lived as a soldier ran up to the Commander telling him he needed to see something.   

Upon seeing the airship return, Bertolt was furious and transformed into the Colossal.  Erwin and the others saw the explosion, along with the 50 meter tall Titan blocking their path.  Erwin asked Onyankopoon if he could fly higher, but he responded that they didn't have enough time to do that.  Because they had to fly low enough so the Scouts could reach them, the airship wouldn't be able to get high enough to be out of the Colossal's reach.  Realizing they only had one choice, Erwin asked Levi if he could take it out.  Levi took a moment, then said he'll do it.  Refilling his gas and stocking up on Thunder Spears, Levi jumped out of the airship and used his ODM gear to fly through the empty streets, low enough that Bertolt couldn't see him.  Timing was crucial, and if at any point did Bertolt catch on, he could use his steam to make an attack impossible.  To prevent this, Erwin had Onyankopoon slowly ascend but have the machine gun turrets fire on Bertolt to make him think they're trying to escape and attack him head on.

Bertolt fell for this, marching towards the airship while Levi continued to maneuver through the streets.  Levi thought to moments earlier while preparing where he asked Erwin why they shouldn't just capture Bertolt, but Erwin says they won't need him.  Levi trusted Erwin's judgement, and finally got to Bertolt.  Just as he was about to reach out and try to grab the airship, Levi ascended the Titan until he flew above his head.  Without a second thought, Levi launched the four Thunder Spears from his right side, impaling a surprised Bertolt.  The Spears exploded, but didn't fully kill Bertolt.  Seconds later, Levi launched his four other Thunder Spears to finish him off.  As the Spears surrounded an injured Bertolt, his final thoughts were how he never got to tell Annie he loved---.  The Spears exploded, killing Bertolt mid thought.  

The Colossal then started collapsing, with Levi landing on its head.  The airship passed Levi, who grappled to it.  As they finally escaped Marley, Zeke tried lightening the mood saying despite the setbacks, they now have the Founding Titan and a Titan of royal blood, and could now go through with his plan.  However, Erwin turned to Zeke, telling him that the plan had changed, pointing out the window.  Suddenly, a loud boom erupted, and everyone looked out the window.  To their horror, four other Iceburst nukes detonated, obliterating Liberio.  Ewin continued looking at Zeke, telling him they were just getting started.  Eren was shocked as he saw four other airships coming from the sea.

To be continued...

What if Zeke Won? (Part 2) [What if Eren joined Marley?]

Previously, Eren was captured by the Warriors and met his half-brother, Zeke Yeager.  The two entered the Titan Realm where Zeke convinced Eren to go along with his Eldian euthanization plan.  The Survey Corps managed to catch up to the group and engaged them, only for Eren to choose to go with the Warriors to Marley.  4 years have gone by since Eren pledged himself to Marley....

Finally, the war was nearly over.  For 4 long years, Marley has been at war with the Mid East Alliance after they discovered that Marley finally possessed the Founding Titan.  Normally, they'd have been wiped out with the power of eight of the nine Titans.  However, the Mid East Alliance attacked via the sea, having a far superior navy to that of Marley's.  As a result, the war has edged on for 4 years, until Marley finally pushed them back to their final defense: Fort Slava.  Currently, Eldian forces were attacking the Mid Eastern forces outside the fort with the help of Female Titan Annie Leonhart and Cart Titan Pieck Finger.  

Eren looked out of the airship flying above the fort as they waited for the signal to drop the Eldians.  Zeke walked up to him, reassuring Eren that the war would soon be over.  All they had to do was take the fort and destroy the fleet docked there.  He looked back at Reiner and Bertolt, telling them to not forget their missions.  The two nodded in agreement, as the signal to drop came up.  On the ground, a signal flare was shot off, warning the Eldian soldiers to get away from the fort.  As the airship parachuted Eldians, the Warrior candidates in the trenches below looked up.    

Zeke then walked up, took a deep breath, and let out a loud scream, transforming all the Eldians into Pure Titans.  A second later, dozens of Titans fell onto the fort below, attacking the soldiers inside.  However, the soldiers quickly killed them with anti-Titan artillery.  Above, Reiner counted the number of artillery left, and yelled to Eren that thirty guns remained.  He would take the ones on the west side of the fort while Eren took the ones on the east, to which Eren nodded in agreement.  The two then transformed into their Titans and landed in the fort.

Reiner easily destroyed the guns on his side, but was caught by surprise when a second armored train attacked him.  He ran up and managed to destroy the train, but was in the sights of an artillery crew.  Before he could react, Eren ran in and pushed Reiner away, causing his arm to be blown off.  Without a second thought, Eren hardened his fists and destroyed the gun.  The few remaining gun crews opened fire on the two, with Reiner using the armored train as a shield and then throwing it and destroying the last few guns.  With a sigh of relief, Reiner looked up and gave the signal to the two above.

Upon seeing the signal, Zeke prepared himself.  He told Bertolt, who was in a barrel, that it was now up to them to finish this, to which Bertolt agreed.  Zeke then transformed into the Beast Titan, grabbing the barrel as he fell to the ground below.  Upon walking up and looking over the fleet, Zeke threw Bertolt towards the warships, but not before they could fire back.  Bertolt was able to avoid the barrage, but Zeke prepared for it.  Just then, Eren moved in front of Zeke, hardening what he could, and took the barrage.  As his Titan fell to the ground, Bertolt was finally over the fleet and transformed.

Suddenly there was a blinding light, followed by a massive explosion.  The Warrior candidates watched as warships flew into the air from the explosion.  Porco Galliard, the next in line for the Beast Titan, blew a sigh of relief, knowing that the war was finally over.  All that remained was Bertolt's Colossal Titan now standing in a harbor full of destroyed warships. 

4 Years Earlier

Eren stood before the Marleyan war council, unsure of his fate.  It had been a month since he was contained by the Marleyan government upon coming to Marley.  The general then asked him a question on how he truly felt about Eldians.  Eren answered that upon learning of what the Eldians have done, he was absolutely disgusted.  He hated being born Eldian, and hated himself for being a devil.  Because of this, he would like to rectify his mistake, and ensure that he pays for what he and his people have done.  He'd finish saying he hates that he was born into this world, but doesn't want to die.  This does little to change the councils expressions, but catches the attention of a tall man sitting in the corner.  The war council members looked at one another, and then the asked if he'd be willing to kill the devils on Paradise.  Eren paused, then said he would do whatever they'd ask of him.  The council then steps up, and leaves the room to determine their verdict.

An hour passes by until the council finally comes back.  The general stands up and addresses Eren's outcome.  While he and many others want Warrior Porco Galliard to inherit Eren's Titans, they were convinced to let Eren live.  He would be allowed to use his Titans in service to Marley.  However, he was to be under supervision by a Warrior at all times, and if at any point did he not pull his weight or seem to betray Marley, his Titans would be given to Porco.  Eren understood this, and pledged himself in service to Marley.  

Outside, Porco was infuriated that they'd let a devil from Paradis keep his Titans, and why the other Warriors spoke up for Eren during the testimony.  Annie spoke up that he did help them and could have escaped when he had the chance.  Reiner tried calming Porco, but he shrugged him off.  Porco snapped that he read the report, and if he recalls, Reiner was the one who almost lost his Titan, and that he is just as weak as before.  Now, not only did they lose his brother's Jaw Titan, but now he has been denied yet another Titan.  Reiner turned away, remembering how Marcel sacrificed himself so he could live.  Bertolt spoke up, saying they shouldn't be fighting right now.  The verdict was made, and they shouldn't question it.  Suddenly Zeke stood behind Porco and put his hand on his shoulder.  He understood why Porco was upset, but told him that he would still inherit his Beast Titan in a few years either way.  Porco walked away upset, with Pieck going after him.

Not too long after, upon hearing that Marley now possessed the Founding Titan, multiple nations formed an alliance and declared war on Marley in a final desperate attempt to stop them.  While Marley would completely dominate them on land, the Mid-East Allied Forces overpowered them when it came to their navy.  As a result, the Mid-East forces dominated the seas since Marley's navy was less advanced, which caused the war to rage on for 4 years.  However, there were occasional battles on land, though the Mid-East forces were easily defeated by the combined effort of the Beast, Female, Armored, Colossal, and Attack/Founding Titans.  

During this time, Eren would also prove his loyalty to Marley by continuously putting his life on the line defeating the Mid-East forces.  Since Eren's Attack Titan didn't possess any unique physical abilities, and since the Mid-East forces focused on him since he also had the Founder, Marley allowed him to ingest some of Reiner's spinal fluid to allow him to harden parts of his body.  This allowed Eren to protect himself along with being more useful in combat.  The war would continue for 4 years until the Marleyan Navy was finally able to push the Mid-East forces back to Fort Slava, where a final offensive would begin. 

Present

Reliving the warship's barrage hitting him, Eren woke up screaming.  After a second, he remembered what happened, and noticed he was in a recovery room.  Sitting next to him was Reiner, who was reading something, and Bertolt, who was standing in the corner.  Reiner looked over and asked Eren how he was feeling.  Eren got up and said he felt fine, with Reiner thanking him for saving him back at the fort.  Just then, the rest of the Warriors came in, with Pieck telling Reiner to go and check up on the Warrior candidates and get some fresh air.  He agreed, and walked out with Bertolt, who looked back at Annie before leaving.

Pieck sat down exhausted, as Annie walked up to Eren.  She told him that he was getting sloppy, and asked when he last practiced his hand-to-hand combat.  Eren rubbed his head, saying it had been awhile.  Annie scoffed, telling him that he needed to be more cautious or else he'd die.  Eren responded saying he didn't really have much of a choice, since he could be eaten by Porco at any time for any reason.  Annie laughed, saying he already proved himself loyal to Marley these last 4 years, and that it shouldn't be an excuse to be a suicidal bastard.  Eren smiled, remembering his training days when his comrades called him that.  His smile soon faded as he remembered all the people he left on the island.  Annie noticed this, and told Eren to cheer up.  She hated to admit it, but she kind of missed their comrades too.  She sat next to Eren and thanked him, for allowing her to go back home and see her father again.  If it wasn't for Eren, she might have never been able to fulfill her promise to her father.  Eren gave a faint smile as he tried standing back up and asked how Pieck was doing.  She looked at him saying he was exhausted from being in the Cart Titan for four months.  Looking back at Eren, she told him to get some more rest, since he's extended himself almost as much as she has for the last few months.  Annie agreed, and Eren laid back down.

Meanwhile, back at the headquarters, the Marleyan generals were discussing how the rest of the world's technology has finally started surpassing the power of the Titans.  Zeke stood up and suggested that they need to fully utilize the power of the Founding Titan.  However, General Calvo reminded Zeke that they needed an Eldian with royal blood in order to use the Founder, and there are currently none left.  Zeke reminded the generals that there was still one person left who possessed royal blood back on Paradis Island.  The rest of the generals perked up as General Calvo suggested that Zeke was implying they attack the island again.  Zeke agreed, saying that if they could capture this girl and make her have kids, then Marley could have an endless supply of candidates that could use the Founding Titan in their favor, and prevent the world from ever surpassing Marley.

General Calvo thought for a second, and reminded Zeke that he only had one year left for his term.  Zeke agreed, and said they needed to act fast because he wasn't sure Porco would be able to fully utilize the Beast, which surprised Porco who was standing behind him.  Commander Magath spoke up, saying that Zeke has a point.  They already have the Founder, but can't use it unless they have someone with royal blood.  If they fail to acquire one, it won't be long until the world finally surpasses them and wipes them out.  After a long pause, General Calvo said it was possible, and would be further discussed once they were back in Marley.     

After the meeting, Zeke and Porco walked to the roof of a building as Zeke apologized to Porco for undermining him, to which Porco agreed.  Somehow, Zeke was able to create Pure Titans, which was never heard of for a Beast Titan.  Because of this, they needed to utilize his special ability as soon as possible before his term was up.  Though he wasn't sure how they would be able, if at all, find the one girl with royal blood on the island.  Zeke told Porco to trust him, and that he was a plan for that.

Later that night, a train full of the Marleyan military was on it's way back to Liberio.  While Colt Grice, a soldier within the army, was propping Warrior candidate up for taking out both a pillbox and the armored train at once and saving hundreds of Eldian soldiers during the Battle of Fort Slava, his brother and Warrior candidate Falco Grice walked out of the train car into an abandoned one.  There, he noticed it was empty except for one person: Eren.  Eren asked Falco why he wasn't celebrating with the soldiers, with Falco responding that he couldn't stand thinking of Gabi inheriting a Titan.  Eren looked at Falco, signaling him to sit.  As Falco sat down, Eren asked if he was mad because he liked this girl, to which Falco blushed.  Giving a faint smile, Eren understood where Falco was coming from.  

He told Falco that he understands.  He had comrades back home that he deeply cared about too.  Falco sprung up, asking Eren if he missed them.  Eren's smile vanished, saying that he did, but also knew that there wasn't much else he could do now that he sided with Marley.  Falco asks if he ever regretted it, joining Marley.  Eren looked at his red armband, saying that once he had found out the truth of the Eldians, how they hurt the world so much, that he couldn't accept that.  He knew that he had to atone for it, not just for him, but the whole island of people who didn't even know the atrocities their ancestors committed.  Eren then looked at Falco, asking why he wanted to become a Warrior.  Falco again blushed, knowing he didn't want Gabi to shorten her lifespan and instead be with him.  Again, Eren read him like an open book, continuing that if he wanted to save this girl, then he needed to keep moving forward and do whatever it took to ensure she would be safe.  This again caused Falco to spring up, taking Eren's words to heart.  Eren finished saying he didn't have a future here, and that eventually his Titans will be taken from him, either in 4 years or even tomorrow.  He would spend the rest of his life behind another set of walls fearing for his life, alone.  Falco looked at Eren sad as he looked out the window.

Liberio

  

The next morning, the train finally arrived at Liberio.  As all the soldiers and Warriors left the train, Eren walked out last and took in the view.  Falco looked back at Eren, remembering what he said about Gabi the night before.  He promised Eren that he would keep moving forward like he said.  Zeke then walked up to Eren and had him follow the rest to the Interment Zone.  Once there, all the soldiers met their families, with Eren and Zeke meeting their grandparents.  Originally, when Eren first came to Marley, his grandparents were surprised that Grisha survived Paradis and had a kid.  While blaming himself for Grisha's fate, Mr. Yeager was happy that he at least had a happy life, and was happy to meet Eren.  The four made their way to their home, where they discussed the end of the war and what came next.

The next morning, Eren was sparring with Annie.  Eren was thrown to the ground, with Annie telling him that he really has not been practicing.  As she lifted Eren back up, she told him they had to get to the Warrior debriefing.  As they made their way to Zeke's office, he revealed to them that the Marleyan war council decided to go through with attacking Paradis.  This shocked Eren, with all the Warriors noticing.  Zeke spoke up, asking Eren if he can go through with this.  After a shirt pause, Eren said if it meant Eldians can be atoned, he would do whatever it took.  Reiner asked if they had the power to do this after just finishing a four year war, to which Zeke answered saying they would need the help of the Tybur family.  

Pieck pointed out that the family possessed the Warhammer Titan, though they never used it in combat.  Zeke yelled that she was absolutely right, but Porco interjected asking why the Tyburs should be allowed to play heroes when they never once helped Marley.  Before he could finish, Eren spoke up saying if they will help Marley, then they should do so.  Zeke finished saying the Tyburs will be speaking to the world to bring them together to fight and wipe out Paradis, though secretly Marley would use them to find the girl of royal blood and bring her back to Marley.  Meanwhile, a group of Marleyan generals were listening into the conversation, noting that while they aren't completely certain Eren can go through with this, he has proven himself many times during the war.  Commander Magath still wondered if that would be enough.

Later that day, Commander Magath met with Willy Tybur, who visited the Warriors HQ to meet the general along with viewing the statue of Helos.  During their conversation, Magath asked Willy why he let Eren live all those years back during the war tribunal.  Willy smiled upon being found out, telling the general that when he heard Eren's testimony, how he hated being born but didn't want to die, it highly resonated with the man.  For years, he had felt the same thing, being born an Eldian.  While the whole tribunal wanted to have Eren give up his Titan, Willy, as the true leader of Marley, convinced them to give him a chance.  Willy then asked Magath if Eren has proven himself time again, with Magath agreeing that he definitely has. 

2 Months Later

Over the next few months, Marley was preparing for Willy's special presentation, while secretly Willy was working with Magath to rework the military.  By the time the festival had finally begun, the Warriors spent the day celebrating, while Eren and Zeke were talking.  By the time Willy was giving his speech, strange things began to happen.  A soldier told the Warriors to come with him, with Porco staying behind with the young Warrior Candidates, and had Eren and Zeke go to the gates.  Pieck saw her Panzer unit and hugged them in appreciation to everyone's confusion.  Once they got inside to meet Commander Magath, the soldier cut a rope which caused Bertolt, Reiner, Annie, and Pieck to fall in a hole.

Meanwhile, during the entire celebration, multiple carts were being placed around the city, with one group leaving a cart at the port.  During Willy's speech, he talked about he hated being born Eldian, and hated what his ancestors did.  However, he didn't want to die, and asked the world to join him and come together to defeat the true threats of the world: Paradis Island, where the true devils lived.  The whole audience applauded, and just as Willy declared war on Paradis, the stage collapsed as the Jaw Titan broke through and bit Willy in half.

To be continued...

Author's note: I originally intended for this part to be much longer, though due to time constraints, I decided to shorten it and release it now.  Hopefully I can get part 3 out sooner, and trust me, it's going to be intense.

What if Zeke Won? (Part 1) [What if Eren and Zeke met sooner?]

The events of the story remain the same up to the 57th Expedition outside the Walls, when Commander Erwin Smith and the Survey Corps tried to create a new path from Karanes District to the east of Shiganshina District, along with uncovering a potential spy.  In the main timeline, Annie Leonhart (the Female Titan) sabotaged the expedition by trying to capture Eren Yeager.  Her attempts ended up failing, as Captain Levi and Mikasa Ackerman managed to get Eren back and escape to the walls.  However, in this timeline, upon seeing two Titan transformations, Reiner Braun and Bertolt Hoover decide to move in and help Annie.

During the expedition, most of the Survey Corps members are stationed outside of a giant forest, while the center group moves in.  This causes confusion all around, while Reiner and Bertolt hope that Annie successfully captures Eren.  There was already a Titan transformation, meaning that Annie escaped her captors and continued towards Eren.  However, a second Titan transformation occurred, which surprised Reiner.  He realized Eren must have transformed as well, and the plan could be in trouble.  Reiner decides to make his way towards Bertolt, and tells him they need to go and save Annie.  At first, Bertolt is hesitant, as doing so would expose them as Titan Shifters.  But Reiner reminds Bertolt that if the plan goes successfully, they could finally go home.  Bertolt pauses, then nods, and the two move into the forest in the direction of the lightning.

Meanwhile, Annie was able to take down Eren and tried to escape.  However, an enraged Mikasa attacked Annie, with Levi behind her.  Just as Annie was about to be defeated, Reiner arrived and transformed into the Armored Titan.  Mikasa and Levi were shocked as Reiner attacked them.  While he was keeping them occupied, Bertold flew onto Annie’s shoulder, telling her that they needed to go now.  Annie agreed, and ran out of the forest.  Mikasa, distracted by Eren, was hit by Reiner.   Levi tried to move in but his blades couldn’t penetrate Reiner’s armor.  As soon as Annie and Bertolt were out of sight, Reiner ran away.  As much as Levi wanted to get Eren back, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to get past Reiner, and instead decided to see if Erwin could come up with a plan.  He shot off a smoke flare to alert the other members as he tended to an injured Mikasa.

Later, Eren opens his eyes, unaware of what’s going on.  He sees Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt sitting opposite of him, and for a second, Eren thought he was back at boot camp.  However, he began to come to his senses.  Reiner broke the silence, telling Eren that they were taking him back to their hometown. Eren doesn’t understand, and asks what Annie is doing here.  She was supposed to be back at the capitol as an MP.  Reiner tells Eren that he's the Armored Titan, Bertolt’s the Colossal, and Annie’s the Female.  Eren’s eyes go wide, realizing what Reiner’s saying, but can’t believe it.  Reiner explains that they were sent from their hometown to break the walls and locate the Founding Titan.  Eren never heard the term “Founding Titan” before.  Was it the name of his Titan?  Reiner continues, saying that the Founder was the most powerful Titan out of the nine, and that it possesses god-like power.  When they saw Eren transform during Trost, they figured that he somehow inherited it or at the very least, was the missing Attack Titan.  Eren was still too shocked to fully comprehend what was happening, as Annie told the two that the sun was setting, and they needed to make their way to Wall Maria.  Reiner nodded, and knocked Eren out.

It didn’t take long for Commander Erwin and the others to reach Levi.  He caught Erwin up on the situation, and how Reiner and Bertolt sided with the Female Titan, who they now suspect is Annie. Erwin thought hard on what they should do.  They had many wounded soldiers, and they didn’t have enough resources to push forward and make it back to the walls.  However, they couldn’t just let their last hope for humanity get away.  Erwin realized that the group would most likely stop at Wall Maria to rest, meaning they could still catch up to them.  Deciding what had to be done, Erwin ordered that the Survey Corps continued towards Wall Maria.  Everyone agreed, and set out.

Eren began having dreams, but they didn’t feel like dreams.  They felt as if they were someone else’s memories.  He saw a boy going beyond some walls with a little girl, an airship, a woman with blonde hair, a child, Titans appearing, and a man.  The man was looking at him, telling him he had to take the Founder.  Then he said something about an Attack Titan.  He then saw a family in robes, something about a king?  The last vision Eren saw was of….him?  He was being injected with something, and transformed into….a Titan!?  Eren suddenly woke up, not sure where he was.  As he came back to his senses, he remembered about Reiner and the others, and how he was being taken to their hometown. Eren then remembered what Reiner said about the Founding and Attack Titan.  Were those the Titans he had?  And if so, does that mean his dream was real?  And who’s memories were they?  Eren looked around, realizing that he was on top of the walls of Shiganshina.

Eren then heard an unknown voice.  The person asked them if this was the boy they told him about, and Reiner agreed.  The man sat down and said hello to Eren.  He told Eren that he will save him from his father’s mistakes, and apologized for how his kidnapping was handled.  Eren took a second, recognizing the man’s face.  He suddenly remembered the boy from his dream.  That was Zeke, which meant that the dreams he had were actually memories from his father, Grisha.  Eren asked if they shared the same father, and the man nodded, introducing himself as Zeke Yeager.  Zeke told Eren that he understands he must have questions, and is probably upset at the whole ordeal, and he will explain everything.  Zeke then put his hand on Eren’s shoulder, promising Eren he would be safe, when suddenly the two felt a shock.  One second later, they were in the Titan Realm.

Zeke was shocked, realizing that Eren really did possess the Founder.  Now, he could go through with his plan.  He walked up to a confused Eren.  Zeke told him they were in the Titan Realm, a plain of existence that was only accessible to the Founding Titan.  However, because Zeke possessed royal blood, and Eren possessed the Founder, the two could use its power.  Eren took a second, then asked Zeke if that meant they could kill all the Titans.  Zeke nodded, but told Eren before they could do that, he should tell Eren the whole story.  Using the paths, Zeke walked Eren through various points in time, explaining the backstory of the original Founder, Ymir, and her history.  He explained the Great Titan War, and how Eldians were eventually treated as devils by the rest of the world.  He continued saying instead of staying and fighting, the 145th possessor of the Founding Titan, Karl Fritz, left to Paradis Island with a group of his subjects to live in peace.

Zeke then showed Eren how King Fritz erected three walls, and wiped the memories from his subjects, making them believe they were the last of humanity.  Meanwhile, many Eldians who stayed on the mainland were treated terribly by other humans, and were forced into ghettos.  Zeke showed how anyone who did anything wrong was sent to paradise, and turned into Titans.  This startled Eren, as he suddenly remembered Grisha’s memory of being sent to the island with his wife and others, and how they were all transformed into Titans.  Zeke, who also saw this, was startled when he saw his mother, Dina, turn into a Titan.  Eren was equally startled as he realized his father’s first wife killed his mother.  Zeke placed his hand on Eren’s shoulder, apologizing for him having to go through that.  Eren couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  Titans were humans all along?  And they were turned into them as punishment by the rest of the world.  Zeke pointed out that the Founder could have stopped all of this, but instead allowed the Titans to continue to exist and cause so much destruction.

This enraged Eren, who wanted to use the millions of Colossal Titans within the walls to destroy the rest of the world for putting them through this hell.  However, Zeke stopped him, explaining that he had a more humane plan to fix everything: euthanize the Eldians so they couldn’t reproduce and bring more people into this world.  This shocked Eren, who yelled that being born into this world was his birthright, and his people shouldn’t be punished for the rest of the world.  But Zeke explained that Eldians have been put through hell, and they would be better off never being born.  Eren refused this, and Zeke told him that he could use the Founder at any time, but wanted to help Eren first.  He promised Eren that he would remove the brainwashing his father inflicted on him.

Zeke showed Eren hundreds of memories.  Eren saw Zeke’s childhood, how he was treated by the rest of the world for being an Eldian.  He showed him the many people who were forced to become Titans and the torture the Marleyans did to them.  All of this horrified Eren, who couldn’t believe the torment that was happening.  Finally, Zeke showed Eren a memory of Tom, where he explained how his wife killed herself and their child just because Tom was an Eldian, and how he wished he was never born into this world.  All of this demoralized Eren, who began to see that Zeke was right.  Finally, Zeke showed Eren the people within the walls who were eaten by Titans.  He saw the members of his former squad; Mina, Thomas, Squad Levi, and the others killed by Titans.  Eren realized that all this was worthless, and that Zeke was right; they should never have been born.  Maybe then, they wouldn’t have had to go through the hell the rest of the world put them through.

Zeke asked Eren if he would go through with his euthanization plan, and Eren agreed.  Zeke smiled, and told Eren they were going to save the world.  However, Eren told Zeke he would only go through with their plan if the Eldians on Paradis could live long happy lives, safe from the rest of the world.  Zeke agreed, and said they will have to put a pause on their plan in order to put everything in place.  He told Eren that he would have to come back to Marley with him, but Eren was confused.  Wouldn’t Marley kill him?  But Zeke assured Eren that if he pledged himself to Marley and promised to use his Titans in service to them, they would let him live.  Furthermore, he explained that Eren possessed the Founding Titan, which would play into their favor.  Marley has long sought the Founding Titan to ensure the rest of the world wouldn't attack them.  Also, since Marley didn’t know that Zeke possessed royal blood, they don’t know that the Founder could be used at any time.  Eren agreed, and used the Paths to send a message to the members of the Survey Corps.

As Erwin and the Survey Corps were heading to Wall Maria, they were all teleported to a strange place.  Everyone was confused, until they heard the voice of Eren.  He explained that he knew how to save everyone, and promised he would eradicate the Titans.  But for the moment, he wouldn't be able to.  He asked everyone to go back to the walls and be patient, and he would use his powers to divert the Titans so they wouldn’t engage everyone on their way back.  In an instant, everyone was brought back to reality, questioning if what they just saw was real.  Among the members was Ymir, who realized how dire the situation had become, and made her way to the Commander.

Ymir got past the other officers trying to get to Commander Erwin.  She demanded to speak to him, explaining that everyone was in danger and they needed to get Eren back.  Erwin allowed her to speak, and Ymir explained that they were all just in the Titan Realm, which means that Eren possesses the Founding Titan.  If the enemies got ahold of his power, everyone on the island would be in trouble.  Erwin asks how she knows this, with Ymir cutting herself with her sword.  Everyone is confused, until Ymir’s hand begins to disperse steam, showing that she also possesses a Titan.  Erwin asks why she decided to tell them this now, and Ymir admits that she wants Christa to live a long happy life, which she can’t do if everyone’s dead.  Erwin sighs, and tells everyone to keep going.  They begin to see Wall Maria.

Eren and Zeke come back to reality, with Eren feeling like he’d been gone for hundreds of years.  They are interrupted by Reiner, who asks if something happened.  Zeke immediately says it's nothing, and they had to get ready to move out.  It was almost nightfall and they would be able to make their way to the dock without Titans interfering.  He then tells Bertolt to take Eren’s bindings off, which confuses everyone.  Zeke reassures them that Eren will come quietly, to which Eren agrees.  Again, everyone is confused.  Just a moment ago Eren was screaming and yelling that he will kill them all, and yet now he seems calm.  Something must have happened.  Bertolt then removed Eren’s bindings, to which Eren got up.  Reiner tells Eren if he even thinks of running, they’ll cut his limbs off.  Eren scoffs and tells Reiner he can’t exactly go anywhere with so many Titan Shifters, so it doesn’t matter.  Zeke says that’s enough and tells everyone to get some rest.

A few hours later, the group was woken to the Cart Titan, Pieck Finger, who reported that the Survey Corps was coming.  Zeke told the others to get ready to leave, as they wouldn’t be able to follow them past the Walls.  Meanwhile, Ymir, realizing they have most likely already been seen, gets off her horse and transforms into the Jaw Titan.  Everyone is surprised as Ymir's small Titan outpaces them towards the Walls.  She manages to climb up and spots Eren and the others.  Before they can think, Ymir picks up Eren with her mouth and quickly rushes away, traveling on the side of the Walls.  Knowing he can’t leave now otherwise their plan would be ruined, Eren manages to bite his finger and transforms into his Titan, causing him and Ymir to fall to the ground.

When Ymir gets up, she realizes that Eren has sided with them, and if he won’t come with her, she’ll just have to kill him.  She then lunges at Eren, who punches back.  As this is happening, Reiner and Annie make their way to Eren and transform, while Zeke transforms on the wall to provide ranged cover.  As the Titans engage, the Scouts manage to get on top of the wall.  Everyone is surprised to see Ymir attacking Eren, with Miche wondering if that was her plan all along.  Erwin isn’t sure, but knows that all the Titans must be dealt with.  He orders all squads to go after the Female Titan, while he and Levi wait for an opportunity to attack the Armored.  While everyone is fighting the Titans, Erwin orders Miche and his squad to go after the strange furry Titan across from them, as it begins to throw rocks down below.

Eren continues fighting Ymir, but is unable to keep up with her speed.  She manages to land many quick strikes against Eren, until Reiner makes his way to him.  He tries going in for a hit, but Ymir dodges this and scratches Reiner’s armor, which manages to break it.  This catches Erwin’s attention, as he realizes that somehow, Ymir’s Titan can actually penetrate Reiner’s armor.  He orders Levi to be ready, and strike when the time is right.  Meanwhile, Annie is able to fight off the Scouts, hardening her skin to prevent cuts to her nape.  However, they are preventing her from making her way to Reiner and Eren.  Miche and his squad make their way to Zeke, who notices them.  He grabs more of the wall and throws the chunks at Miche’s squad.

Reiner goes in to punch Ymir again, but she manages to evade it and get behind him.  Without a second thought, Ymir bites down on Reiner’s nape, trying to take him out of the fight.  Her jaws manage to puncture his armor, and just as she’s about to break through, Eren comes in and punches her in the face. Taking this chance, Levi moves in and attacks Reiner.  Noticing this, Reiner tries to engage Levi, but he manages to maneuver past Reiner’s attack and cuts his knee joints, causing Reiner to fall.  Levi then gets on top of Reiner and cuts through his nape continuously until Reiner breaks out, and shoves a sword in his mouth.

Miche manages to evade Zeke’s attack, although two of his squad members, Lynne and Henning, failed to do so and were killed by the debris.  Miche and the others managed to get to Zeke and began attacking, though Zeke managed to deflect their attacks.  Not too long in, Tomas's gas ran out, causing him to fall down the walls.  He tries to use his grappling hook to hook into the walls, but it misses, and he falls to his death.  Distracted, Nanaba is grabbed by Zeke and crushed to death, to the dismay of Miche and Gelgar.  Gelgar is so infuriated, he makes his way behind Zeke and tries to cut his nape, only to have his swords break by Zeke's hardening.  He is then caught by Zeke, who throws Gelgar far away.  Miche, enraged by Zeke, maneuvers past his attacks and flies up, ready to land a strike.  However, just then, his gas gives out, and he too falls down the walls.  He fires his grappling hooks and manages to hook into the walls, but can't do anything.     

Meanwhile, Eren picked up an incapacitated Ymir and continuously threw her into the ground, and then bit her head off.  Eren looks down at the person inside, and sees an unconscious Ymir.  Shocked, he remembers how they were all comrades, and looks around at all the havoc being caused.  Many Scouts are being killed, and Eren isn't helping.  Wanting to stop the bloodshed, Eren's Titan screamed, causing everyone to pause and look at him.  Taking this chance, Pieck, with Bertolt on her back, rush in and grab Reiner from Levi and make their way outside the wall, with an injured Annie following.  Zeke also made his way down the wall, with Miche only being able to watch as he got away.  Angry, Miche shouted that he will kill Zeke if it's the last thing he'll do.  

At the end of the wall, everyone looked back at Eren to see if he would go.  The Scouts, confused, asked Eren to come back with them, including Jean and Armin.  Eren took one look back at everyone, and walked towards the Warriors.  Erwin, Levi, Armin, Jean, and everyone else were in disbelief, but didn’t have the fuel to stop him.  Disappointed, Erwin ordered a full retreat back to the Walls.  Levi asks what will happen now that their last hope is gone.  However, Erwin tells Levi that they have one last hope, looking at Ymir.  She knows something, and perhaps she will help them understand what truly is going on.  The Scouts then make their way back to the Wall, with no Titans in their path.  An injured Mikasa wakes up with Armin next to her, asking where Eren is.  Armin bites his lip, and tells her everything. 

As the Warriors made their way to the port, Reiner thanked Eren for saving him, but didn’t understand why he sided with them.  Eren explains that it was the only way to make sure his friends would be safe, and that's the only reason he's doing this.  Finally, they made it to the port, where Zeke explained that a Marleyan ship would arrive on the full moon to pick them up.  In the meantime, they should all rest.  However, Eren made his way to the coast, and finally saw the sea.  Zeke walked up to him, asking if it was how he imagined it.  Eren said he made a promise to his friend that they would make it to the sea together, and that he wished he was there.  Zeke reassured Eren that he made the right choice, and that their plan would save his friends from the rest of the world.  Eren nodded, staring at the sea.

Finally, a Marleyan ship made its way to the port.  There were multiple soldiers, with one who seemed like a higher up walking to Eren and the rest.  He asked what happened, and if they managed to take the Founder, before noticing Eren.  He asked who he was, and Eren told him his name and that he was the holder of the Founding and Attack Titans, and he would like to lend his powers to Marley.

To be continued...

What if Eren took all Nine Titans?

The events of the story remain the same up to the Battle of Libero, when Eren, knowing the future from kissing Historia’s hand, snuck into Marley in an attempt to gain the Warhammer Titan so Paradis would be safe.  This resulted in the Survey Corps to move in and help him attack Libero.  In the main timeline, Eren succeeded in taking the Warhammer Titan, though at the cost of one of his friends, Sasha Braus, who was shot by Warrior candidate Gabi Braun.  However, in this timeline, all of Eren’s friends die in the Battle of Liberio.

The battle starts off the same, with Eren engaging the Warhammer and Mikasa helping him in taking it. Levi successfully captures Zeke and takes him back to the airship.  Armin also unleashes a powerful explosion to destroy Marley’s port.  However, things begin to differentiate when Jean and crew engage the Cart Titan.  When Sasha shoots one of the Panzer Unit soldiers, she is revealed to the rest of the group, who quickly riddle her with bullets.  Everyone is surprised, but Jean still moves through the weak spot and launches a thunder spear at Pieck, allowing the rest to also launch thunder spears and disable the Panzer Unit.  

As Pieck scurries off the roof, Jean and Connie hold a dead Sasha.  Enraged, Connie moves in to finish off the Cart.  Falco moves in front of Pieck to protect her, but Connie is too upset to care.  However, his fury blinds him, as Gabi, holding a rifle, manages to shoot Connie in the head, killing him.  Because of this, Connie’s thunder spear was diverted off course, now heading towards Gabi. Out of range from Pieck’s steam, she was unable to stop the spear, which exploded near Gabi, killing her.  Marleyan soldiers then fired back at the Scouts, causing Jean to call a retreat.

Events continue the same, with Eren stealing the Warhammer Titan by using the Jaw.  Eren then attacks Porco, until Reiner is woken up by a distraught Falco to save Porco.  Reiner manages to grab him from Eren, and Jean flies towards the two.  He tells Eren and Mikasa that Connie and Sasha are dead, causing them both to be surprised. Even worse, Magath ordered the reinforcements stationed outside the internment zone to move in, and they didn’t have much time.  Eren is devastated by the news, with Jean telling Mikasa to take Eren back to the airship while he and the rest of the Scouts stay behind and hold off the reinforcements.  The two disagree, but Jean gives them no choice. Heartbroken, Mikasa takes Eren back to the airship as Jean looks up with a sad face before engaging the reinforcements.

Mikasa takes Eren back to the airship, with a stern Armin grabbing the two aboard.  The situation isn’t good, however, as Commander Hange reports that the ship is getting hit, and they might not make it. Knowing what she needed to do, Mikasa turns back to help the others.  Eren strongly disagrees, but Mikasa knows it’s the only way to save him.  She kisses Eren, then jumps out of the ship, firing thunder spears at some Marleyan soldiers.  Eren tries to stop her, but is held back by Armin and Levi.  The airship gets away safely, but all the Scouts, Mikasa and Jean included, are killed.  Eren begins to lose his mind as Hange asks Eren if this was all worth it.

Back on Paradis, Eren is put in a prison while Zeke is taken by Levi to the forest.  He has gone into complete shock after losing all his friends.  Meanwhile, the military is strongly upset with what transpired, and wants Eren to give up his Titan immediately.  While this originally took 2 months, this timeline sped things up.  Because of Eren’s reckless plan, 90% of the Scout Regiment was wiped out. The military counsel knew that Eren was too dangerous to keep the Founding Titan, and began finding a replacement.  This caused a Yeagerist to warn Eren, resulting in him escaping much sooner. 

Knowing he didn’t have much time, Eren began his coup d'état on the military.  He was still able to hold leverage on the military since they all drank Zeke’s spinal fluid, and managed to find out where Zeke was.  Eren went with Hange and the other Yeagerists to the forest where Zeke was being kept.  Knowing that Captain Levi was there, Eren knew Zeke would need help, as much as Zeke would disagree.  When they were outside the Forest, Eren fired a signal flare to inform Zeke that he was there.  Levi looked confused as Zeke screamed and turned everyone into Titans.  Events would continue the same, with Zeke escaping and Levi killing all his former comrades, only for him to catch up to Zeke and make him transform.

Seeing Zeke transform, Eren also transformed to help his brother.  As Levi was about to launch thunder spears at Zeke, Eren appeared and used the Warhammer’s ability to create spikes from the ground, distracting Levi.  He then tried to engage both Eren and Zeke, but wasn’t strong enough to do so.  While trying to evade more of Eren’s spikes, Zeke threw some of the spikes at Levi, hitting him.  Injured, Levi asked Eren why he did this, only for Zeke to step in and tell him they were going to save the world, before crushing him.

Not too long after, the two exited their Titans.  Zeke asked why he came early, and Eren told him that the military was going to take his Titan, and he had to move fast.  The two then grabbed hands, sending them into the Titan Realm.  Events would continue the same, with Zeke trying to make Eren think he has all the power, and asks him to order Ymir to euthanize all Eldians.  However, Eren completely ignores him and walks up to Ymir, begging her to bring his friends back.

Zeke is surprised by this, asking Eren why he cares about bringing them back.  Eren ignores him, pleading with the speechless Ymir to bring them all back.  Zeke continues saying that their lives were spared from the cruelness of this world, causing Eren to snap back at him saying that he’d never go through with his terrible plan.  This catches Zeke by surprise, asking him why he cares so much about his friends.  Eren yells back that he was responsible for getting them killed, and that things weren’t supposed to be this way.  He tells Zeke that he was supposed to activate the Rumbling so they could kill him and appear as heroes to the world, and live long happy lives.  But now that can’t happen, and he doesn’t care about going through with it anymore.  

Zeke sighs, telling Eren that Ymir wouldn’t be able to bring them back anyways, and that there was only one way to do so.  Eren was surprised, and demanded Zeke tell him how to bring them back.  Zeke explains that while Eren has only been there for a few minutes, it’s felt like hundreds of years for him. He tells Eren that during that time, he unlocked the secrets about the realm, and that while it is possible to bring someone back from death, since they are part of the Paths, it would require a great sacrifice.  Eren got up close to him, demanding he tell him. Zeke continued, saying that an Eldian must obtain all nine Titans to be strong enough to bring people back to life, as a person who has all nine Titans would be a god just like Ymir.    

Eren looked confused, asking Zeke why having the Founder didn’t make him a god.  Zeke explained that while the Founder was the strongest Titan, it only worked because Ymir would follow the users orders.  However, for some reason, she won’t bring people back to life, so only a person with the same powers as her could do so.  Annoyed, Eren decided that he would have to just take all nine Titans.  He then asked Ymir if she could at least help him send a message.

Back in Marley, the Warriors were recovering from the battle.  Reiner was saddened to find out that his cousin, Gabi, was killed in the attack.  Suddenly, all three Warriors received a message from Eren via Paths.  The three were in the Titan Realm, with Eren standing before them.  He told them that he had access to the Founder, and that he would activate the Rumbling in 2 weeks.  Surprised, Reiner asked Eren why he was waiting to use it, with Eren responding that he wanted Marley to have a chance to prevent him from succeeding.  All three were instantly back in Marley, rushing to General Magath, who was now in charge of the military.  They warned him that they only had 2 weeks to stop the Rumbling, and that they needed to act now.  Worried, Magath decided to launch an invasion force on Paradis as soon as possible. 

Eren and Zeke were brought back to reality, with Eren immediately transforming into his Titan.  Zeke then transformed into his Titan, disappointed that it came to this.  The two fought, with Zeke pleading with Eren to stop this and come back to his senses, but Eren didn’t care.  Using the Warhammer, Eren managed to defeat Zeke.  He then ate Zeke, inheriting the Beast Titan.  Now holding 4 Titans, Eren was one step closer to achieving his plan.

Eren heads back to Shiganshina, waiting for Marley to launch their counterattack.  Meanwhile, he decides to have a talk with Armin, who was held prisoner by the Yeagerists.  Armin asks why Eren is there, and he tells Armin that there’s a way to bring Mikasa and the others back.  Armin is surprised, and asks Eren if he’s alright.  Armin’s been worried for Eren ever since they were forced to leave the others behind on the airship.  Yes, he was mad at Eren for being selfish and reckless, but he was still his friend nonetheless, and he was worried for him.  Eren paused for a moment, then continued.  He told Armin that he was in the Paths, and spoke to Ymir.  Armin was shocked, wondering why Eren didn’t activate the Rumbling like he thought he would.  Eren continued, telling Armin that he found a way to bring all their friends back.  Armin looked in disbelief, he thought Eren had gone mad.  He asked Eren how exactly he could bring everyone back, and Eren looked sad.  He told Armin that he needed to possess all nine Titans to become a god like Ymir was in order to bring everyone back.

Armin couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  In order for their friends to come back, Eren had to possess all nine Titans.  Armin backed away from Eren, thinking he’d gone mad with grief.  Eren reassured Armin that he was safe, for now.  At the moment, he only wanted Reiner and the other Warriors, before deciding to attack Armin.  Armin didn’t let his guard down, asking Eren if he already took the Beast Titan.  Eren nodded, causing Armin to become even more uncomfortable.  With Zeke gone, they had no way to activate the rumbling.  That is, unless Eren is successful.  Armin asked Eren how he planned on getting the other Titans if they were in Marley, to which Eren responded that he told them to come attack him.

Armin stood up, telling Eren his grief will get hundreds of people killed.  With the military under arrest, and many of their friends gone, how would Eren expect to fight against an entire military.  Eren remained calm, telling Armin that he didn’t need anyone else, and that he would defeat their enemies himself.  He then left the room, with Armin yelling at Eren if this is what the others would want, what Mikasa would want.  Eren turned back with an angered face, yelling that all this is for them.  He got them killed, and he will bring them back before leaving the room.

2 weeks later, Eren was looking out the window of Shinganshina’s military HQ, when suddenly he could hear airships. As he walked on the terrace, he saw them approaching.  They called his bluff.  Without a second thought, Eren transformed into his Titan, to show Marley he was there and ready to fight.  Onboard the airship, General Magath ordered all Warriors to engage Eren Yeager.  As Eren walked towards the airships, Reiner, Porco, and Pieck all descended and transformed.  They knew the threat Eren possessed, and wouldn’t let him activate the rumbling.  

All three engaged Eren from all sides, but Eren was ready, and used the Warhammer to summon spikes from the ground and trap them.  As the Yeagerists engaged the Marleyan forces, Eren first went for Pieck.  Moving quickly, Eren punched Pieck’s Titan so hard it’s head burst, but Pieck ejected from it before he could get her.  She then transformed again aiming for his neck, but Eren anticipated this.  He quickly spawned a spike from his neck, piercing Pieck’s Titan.  As he walked up to her, Pieck ejected from her Titan again, but Eren grabbed her, and ate her without a second thought.  This caught Porco and Reiner by surprise, with Porco breaking through the spike he was trapped in and charging Eren. 

Now possessing the Cart Titan, Eren had more endurance, and was able to create dozens of more spikes towards the Jaw.  As this was happening, a hooded figure walked towards the Titan. The figure then showed off a ring, which had a small blade on it, and transformed.  Distracted by Porco, Eren was hit behind by Annie Leonhart, the Female Titan.  It is then revealed that when Eren was in the Titan Realm, he was also speaking to Annie, and then released her from her crystal.  Annie realized that she had to help stop Eren, or else her father would be killed.  She then spent the next week traveling to Shiganshina, waiting for the Marleyan forces to arrive.

Now surrounded by Annie, Reiner, and Porco, Eren forged a hammer which he used to swing at the others, striking Porco, causing him to fall into Reiner.  Eren then turned his attention to Annie, striking her with his hardened fists.  Caught off guard, Annie’s face was crushed by Eren, causing her to fall.  He then turned back to Porco, who tried to sneak up on him.  However, Eren forged an axe and cut Porco’s Titan in two. He then cut off Porco’s legs and arms, like he did in Liberio, and proceeded to punch his face continuously and then picked him up.  Reiner ran in trying to save Porco, but was too late.  Eren ate Porco, gaining the Jaw Titan.  He then turned his attention to Reiner.

Annie and Reiner circled Eren, and charged in at the same time.  Eren used what power he had left to forge two swords that he used to engage both Titans.  He managed to decapitate Annie’s Titan head, causing her to fall.  He then focused on Reiner, who didn’t stand a chance.  After multiple hits, Eren managed to eat Reiner and gain the Armored Titan.  He then turned his attention to the weakened Annie, who tried to stop him by encasing herself in another crystal.

However, now possessing the Jaw, Eren picked up Annie’s crystal, and used his hardened teeth to break through it.  Annie couldn’t believe he could do this, but soon was crushed to death.  Eren, tired, finally collected eight Titans.  He used his intense power to easily destroy all remaining Marleyan forces.  Now, it was time to get the last Titan.

When Eren returned to the HQ, he was informed by guards that Armin escaped in the chaos, and possibly fled the city altogether, but Eren knew where he really was.  Looking up at the tree they used to come to as kids, Armin sat there holding a leaf.  He told a nearby Eren that he still remembers when the three of them raced each other to this tree.  Eren was in the front, Mikasa slowed down and followed behind, and he was in the back.  He remembered how great it felt that day, and how he always cherished that memory.  Eren looked at the tree, remembering the day Mikasa stood over him as he woke up from what seemed like an endless dream.  

Armin saw the battle, and knew that Eren captured all but his Titan.  Eren, with a sad face, told Armin that he was finally able to bring their friends back, and asked if Armin was going to fight him.  Armin looked down, knowing there was nothing he could do.  Four Titans together couldn't beat him, and at this point there was no use.  Armin told Eren that he should let go of his grief, but he knows that he won’t.  He asks Eren what the world will do now that he successfully destroyed Marley’s military.  Eren said that the world would never touch Paradis again, but Armin knew that wouldn’t happen.  For the rest of their lifetime, the world would see Paradis as the bad guys, and won’t stop until they’re all dead.  Armin sighed, and accepted his fate.

Eren proceeded to eat Armin, now possessing all nine Titans.  He then appeared in the Titan Realm, looking at Ymir.  He said that he finally was a god just like her, and that he could finally bring his friends back.  For the first time ever, Ymir looked up at Eren, and spoke.  She said that bringing people back to life took a great sacrifice, but Eren was already aware of what he had to give up.  Suddenly Connie, Sasha, Jean, and Mikasa appeared in front of him, wondering where they were.  Eren burst into tears, apologizing to each of them for what he did.  It was his fault they died, and he fought to bring them back.  Jean asked Eren what he did, and Eren responded that he took all nine Titans to become a god.  

All of them looked surprised, with Mikasa asking if that meant he killed Armin too.  Eren continued crying, saying that Armin’s sacrifice wouldn’t go to waste.  Everyone gasped, with Connie asking why he would take his best friend's life.  Eren said he had no choice.  Jean told Eren that they made their choice and reminded him back to after Annie was defeated, and that they were all willing to die for him because he was the only one who could save the world.  

Eren looked away, saying that it was his plan that got them killed, it was his fault for putting them in that situation.  He remembered how things were supposed to happen, and couldn't understand why it was different.  His friends were supposed to live long happy lives, but instead they were all killed.  Well now they could.  Finally, Eren said goodbye to them, as they all disappeared.  However, Mikasa stayed, asking Eren what will happen now.  Eren tells her that he had to stay in the Titan Realm as part of the sacrifice of bringing someone back to life.  He told her that he was more than happy trading his life for his friends, and told Mikasa to forget about him and live a long happy life.  Mikasa started crying, with Eren reassuring her that everything would be okay, as she disappeared and came back to life.

Eren looked at Ymir, who also faded away.  With a new god in the Titan Realm, she was finally able to leave, being reincarnated as Historia’s child and having another chance at life.  The Yeagerists took control of the government, preparing for when the rest of the world would come after them.  As the new guardian of the Titan Realm, Eren decided to let the Titan Curse continue, as he wanted Paradis to have a chance at fighting back against the world.  

Because of the destruction of Marley's military, along with the Warriors, and the threat Eren posed, the world banned together and launched a massive military attack against Paradis.  While the island was prepared for the fight, they ultimately lost.  Even worse, they couldn't use the power of the Titans because they were all transported to newborns.  All Eren could do was sit and watch as his friends were killed in the conflict.  Infuriated, Eren used the millions of Wall Titans to destroy the rest of the world until no one was left.  With nothing left, Eren stood there alone.  Armin appeared to Eren, asking him if it was all worth it, with Eren breaking down.  He apologized for everything, but Armin faded away, leaving him alone for all eternity.

What if Erwin became the Colossal Titan?

The events of the story would remain the same up to the battle to retake Wall Maria in Shiganshina, when Captain Levi chooses whether to give the Titan syringe to Commander Erwin or Armin Arlert.  In the main story, Levi gives the syringe to Armin, causing him to inherit the Colossal Titan and eventually save the world, and Erwin dies.  However, in this timeline, Erwin is given the syringe, and inherits the Colossal Titan.  

The whole group would be devastated, with Eren the most upset.  They would still go to find the basement, but Erwin was with the group.  Events would continue the same, with everyone finding out that there is a world outside the walls, and Erwin is happy to know his father was right all along, and sheds a tear.  Eren continues to see memories of his past, with Erwin taking the place of Armin and further understanding Grisha's motives and the rules of the Titans.  The ceremony also continues the same, with a depressed Eren seeing his future memories.  However, after losing Armin, Eren is more determined to ensure that none of his friends die.

1 year later, the Marleyan survey fleet arrives.  This time, however, Erwin takes the place of Hange, and is more stern towards Yelena when they are talking in the tent.  Of course, Erwin is highly suspicious of the Volunteers, but understands that if the island is to survive against the rest of the world, they need to carry out Zeke's plan of using a mini Rumbling.

During this time, everyone else was pleading with Erwin to try to make peace before using the mini Rumbling.  After time, Erwin understood that it would be best to try to make peace with the enemy before using it, but knew that if peace became impossible, they would continue the plan.  Also during this time, Eren would to tell Floch about his true plan, knowing that Erwin would never allow the entire world to be destroyed.  Events would continue the same, with the group going to Marley in hopes of brokering peace.

After the 4 year time skip, Eren attacks Marley, and Erwin uses the Colossal Titan to nuke the harbor.  Essentially, Erwin would replace Hange's role in the rest of the series, with Hange just sticking by Erwin.  Events continue to follow the same route, up to the point of the final confrontation between Eren.  Erwin is captured by the Pig Titan, and confronts Zeke in the Titan Realm.  However, instead of telling Zeke the meaning of life like Armin did, Erwin instead tells Zeke of the sacrifices and gambles he's made over the years.  He talks about the fellow comrades he's lost, and how their sacrifices got them this far.  He thinks about his father's dream, and how he finally got to prove him right and see the basement.

Finally, he tells Zeke that those people died because they believed in the cause, and that they entrusted the rest of the work to their comrades.  This causes Zeke to think back to Tom, who died entrusting their euthanization plan to Zeke.  He stands up, with Tom and Grisha appearing to him.  He thanks Tom for trusting in him, and that while he won't be able to carry out their euthanization plan, he can still save the world, and asks for his and Grisha's help.  Erwin looks to Bertolt, and tells him that he's sorry for taking his life, but asks for his help in defeating Eren.  Marcel, Porco, and Ymir were also listening to Erwin's speech, and all decided to help.  Events then continue the same, with Erwin being freed, the others helping the Alliance to stop the past Titans, and Erwin using the Colossal to blow up Eren.

The final battle stays the same, with Erwin fighting a Colossal Eren, Mikasa decapitating Eren, resulting in him dying.  Like the rest of his friends, Erwin also has a moment with Eren.  Erwin understands what Eren has to do, and apologizes for putting Eren in that position, along with being chosen instead of his friend.  Erwin ends by saying that it looks like Eren finally made a gamble of his own, and he hopes it will pay off.  Later, after 3 years, the Alliance are heading back to Paradis in hope of making peace with them and the rest of the world.  The group asks Erwin if he thinks they can make peace, with Erwin saying it will just have to be another gamble.

What if Falco ate Reiner?

The events of the story would remain the same up to Marley’s counterattack in Shiganshina.  When Marley invades Paradis to retake the Founding Titan, along with rescuing Warrior candidates Gabi Braun and Falco Grice.  In the main story, Falco is turned into a Pure Titan by Zeke, and almost eats Reiner, until Porco gains his attention, causing Falco to eat and inherit the Jaw Titan instead.  Falco's flying Titan would go on to play a pivotal role in preventing Eren from destroying the world.  However, in this timeline, Falco ignores Porco and eats Reiner, gaining the Armored Titan.   

There would be surprise and confusion all around.  Much of the battle would play out the same, but with one major change: Gabi dies as Eren's Founding Titan crushes her since Reiner wasn't alive to carry her off.  Instead, Porco grabs Falco and hides inside the city, like Reiner and Gabi did.  Annie would still be freed from her encasement, but wouldn't meet up with the others since Connie never took Falco.

Hange and Levi would still meet up with Pieck and Magath, and would carry out the plan of capturing Jean, Onyankopon, and Yelena.  Being in Shinganshina, a healed Porco and Falco would notice the Cart Titan, and follow them, meeting up with the Alliance.  Similar events would follow, with the Alliance understanding one another, and fighting Floch and the Yeagarists at the docks (Porco replaces Reiner in this battle).  Falco would transform into the Armored Titan, which still takes on bird-like characteristics since he was injected with Zeke's spinal fluid.  Since he's the Armored Titan, Porco uses his Jaws to free Falco.

During the final battle, events continue the same.  Even alone on the ship, Falco realizes that he can fly since he ingested Zeke's spinal fluid, and flies towards the others with his bird Armored Titan.  Events of the final battle would roughly be the same, with a few minor changes.  Armin is freed from the Pig Titan by Porco, who is able to catch up to it thanks to the Jaw's speed.  Porco and Pieck would hold the centipede creature back, trying to stop it from reaching Eren.  From then on, the ending would be the same, but Porco would be part of the ambassadors who are trying to make peace with the world, though he has a more pessimistic tone to the idea.

Meanwhile, Annie would be heartbroken, believing that her father is dead, and would give herself up to Paradis for her crimes.