28.Outside The Walls (1/2)

"When I was a young child, I lived in a walled ghetto called Liberio with my family. Many people like us were forced in these places because we were considered monsters. My childlike nature refused to accept it when my sister wanted to see a flying ship land. For her sake, I managed to slip past the guards and leave Liberio. Outside, we were met with glares and hatred, even though we were just children. We managed to make it to the landing pad of the ship. I was content to see my sister's ecstatic face, but we were caught by two public securities. I volunteered to take physical punishment for my sister. I was beaten, and my sister was taken away by one of the officers. The officer still remaining told me to stay with him and watch the ship land. When I got home later that day, my sister wasn't around. She was found in the river the next day.

"The officers met with my parents in our home. The one who took my sister said to them that he didn't know what happened to her after he left her at the gate. I knew this man from the Marley Public Security Authorities was lying. He was skipping out on his job and sleeping by the riverside. He could not have been busy. My mother was overwhelmed by sorrow, while my father demeaned himself in front of these men. When I saw my father and this man, I held so much hate for them that I began to feel dizzy. But even more than that, I cursed my own foolishness."

"That doesn't explain anything," Levi interrupted Optimus, causing the Prime to look at him, "Why were they discriminated against? And what the hell's a 'Marley'?"

Optimus grabbed another one of the books and opened it to the first page. "Over 1,800 years ago, Ymir Fritz, the progenitor of the Eldians, made a contract with the Devil of All Earth and acquired the Power of the Titans. Using the power of the Titans, Ymir cultivated the wastelands, built the roads, and constructed the bridges, bringing abundance to the land and wealth to the Eldian people. Ymir's power built the Eldian Empire, and when she died it was divided among the Nine Titans. The Empire then brought ruin to the great and ancient nation of Marley and became the conqueror of the continent. Now possessing the power to become Titans, these Subjects of Ymir (the Eldian People) oppressed and subjugated other races for about the next 1,700 years, even conducting ethnic cleansing.

"The Eldian Empire had grown arrogant after 1,700 years, eventually allowing Marley to work from within and instigate a civil war, causing it to grow weak. Marley was also able to acquire seven of the Nine Titans, winning the Great Titan War about a hundred years ago and defeating Eldia. While Fritz, the 145th Eldian King had inherited the Founding Titan with its ability to rule and control all other titans, he made the decision to renounce war, moving to the remote island of Paradis along with some other Eldians. There, he built three layers of walls and hid inside them. Meanwhile, the Eldians who held out and were left behind on the continent were segregated into interment zones, forced to live under Marley's tyrannical rule."

"Well…shit," Hanji spoke.

"So while we have wanted the titans dead, there's an entire nation that despises us as well," Pixis declared.

"From what we know so far, it seems the entire world hates us for what our ancestors have done," Erwin said.

"Shall I continue?" Optimus asked.

Hanji nodded her head, allowing Optimus to continue reading from Grisha's early life. "My father told me the history of our ancestors. For someone who lost his daughter, he looked content with belittling his ancestors and defending his masters like a dog. I told him that the officer knew something, that my sister and I didn't do anything wrong, but my father told me to be quiet. A simple rumor could get us all sent to Paradis, and forced into becoming titans for all eternity. My father wanted me to remain quiet, and accept the reality that I was born into for the sake of my family that was still alive.

"Who was in the wrong? Was it me or the world? Maybe it was both. I was foolish and ignorant while the world was unfair and insane. I discovered my own path when I was eighteen; making plans to take over my father's clinic, until a patient came in and told me about the death of my sister. I worked with medicine, but I also bore a deep hatred for the Marley government. The underground anti-establishment group known as the Eldia Restorationists took note of these two and came to recruit me. When I learned the truth about what happened to my little sister, how she was practically torn apart by dogs, I made a vow to myself. I'd teach them who the true devils were, what our ancestors had done was right. If we wanted to set the world right once more, we had to bring Eldia back to power."

"Oh look buckethead it's you," Hanji remarked.

"In my youth I fought for the equality of Cybertronians," Megatron explained as he continued staring out the window, "That ignorant fool wanted to put his people back into power once more and oppress his enemy. If he had gotten what he wanted, how long would it have taken for 'Marley' to overthrow them once more? The cycle would continue and nothing would've been solved."

"But you would have so much to talk about," Hanji said in a fake, sweet voice.

Optimus gave a disapproving look to Hanji while Megatron flipped her off without looking at her.

"Let's just get back to the story," Erwin said.

Optimus quietly sighed before he continued. "The informant led the Restorationists from the shadows as 'the Owl.' The Owl supplied us with weapons and funds, and gave us historical documents that Eldians in those days had forgotten about. It told us that Ymir used her powers to build bridges and cities, allowing Eldia to flourish. At least, that's what I interpreted. The Owl then sent us a descendant of the royal family: a woman named Dina Fritz.

"I decided to devote myself to wherever fate took me. She was from a branch in the royal family that refused to flee the island at the end of the Great Titan War and stayed on the continent. She was the only descendant left. Her family waited for the day that Eldia would rise again, hiding in the interment zone with her knowledge of the titans. The information she brought us was nothing short of a path to victory.

"The issue was retrieving the power of the 145th king, who chose to hide behind the walls. Dina told us that the King refused to fight. In fighting between the houses of certain titans grew too much and often led to more conflicts. We vowed to take that power, no matter long it took and what was ahead of us. Dina and I married the next year and we were blessed with a baby boy. His name was…Zeke?"

"What?" Hanji questioned.

"What's wrong? Why is that important?" Mikasa asked.

"Bertholdt told us that was the name of the Beast Titan," Hanji explained.

"Are you sure that not a coincidence?" Pixis asked.

"I wish it was," Optimus admitted, "But if a person of royal blood has the ability to control other titans, would that also apply to a titan shifter that didn't have the powers of the Founding Titan?"

"That would explain Connie's village," Hanji answered, "The Beast Titan managed to turn and control the people there during the night. If a person of royal blood managed to do that, it's somewhat terrifying what they could do with the powers of the Founding Titan."

"Which raises the question: why did the descendants never chose to use the powers of the Founding Titan to fight back against Marley?" Erwin said.

"Because the will of the king was forced onto them as well," Historia declared, "They inherited the memories of the outside, but that also came with the will of the king as well: the refusal to fight. If the user chose to try and fight, the will was stronger, and it nearly drives the user mad."

"So this power is practically useless," Megatron proclaimed.

"I wouldn't say that," Hanji retorted.

"A human of royal blood is the only one able to access this power, and even when given to one of royal blood, they are overwhelmed by an ancestor's will," Megatron explained, "None of the descendants have been strong enough to break this."

"It's better to have it in our possession then in the enemy," Erwin declared, "That should by us time to figure out how to use it."

Optimus glanced over at Eren before he continued onward. "One age to another, and people changed. Just as the world was growing rapidly, a turning point came for the Eldia Restorationists. The Marley Government proclaimed the king was going to attack the mainland and wipe out everyone. They stated that they enlist Eldian children between the ages of five and seven to inherit the powers of the seven titans in Marley's possession. If they succeeded, they and their families would become honorary Marleyans. Back then, it didn't make sense for the King to attack. When the King left, he declared 'If you ever try to interfere in our affairs, the tens of millions of titans that sleep inside the walls will surely flatten the Earth'.

"The Owl informed us that the reason Marley was going after Paradis was to increase their military might. The nations around them were advancing in technology, guaranteeing the Titan's Power would not be absolute. Paradis also had untouched minerals that could benefit any nation that could get their hands on it. However the goals of Marley and the Restorationists remained the same: to take back the Founding Titan without provoking the King.

"I decided to make my son, Zeke, a warrior so that he may infiltrate Paradis and take that power. We allowed him to pledge his loyalty to the enemy as a ruse to gain their trust. But in the end, I was still the same foolish child I was on that day. Around the time my son turned seven, he betrayed both me and my wife to the Marley Government. The Revivalists were all sent to 'Heaven', where we would be doomed to wander around Paradis as mindless titans for all eternity."

"It was too late by the time I realized it. I should have realized it. It was the same thing that was done to me. I never treated Zeke as my son. I only saw him as a child of royal blood and savior of Eldia. So Zeke had every right to sell out his parents who foolishly put their child in danger, in exchange for the safety of his grandparents and himself.

"I was tortured for days as the Marley Government demanded that I revealed who the Owl was. Even though I told them I didn't know, they still tortured me and took me to Heaven along with my comrades. One by one, I watched my comrades injected with titan spinal fluid and pushed down walls before they were turned into titans. During this time, I also remembered the commanding officer at this time. He was the one who murdered my sister, and he was the one who injected my wife and forced her to become a titan. I called him out on it, told him that what he was doing was wrong. But he told me that it didn't matter what I believed, the people of the world wanted us gone because we were the only ones that could turn into monsters. He almost pushed me down to face another titan, but another soldier pushed him down instead and saved my live. The man who did this was in the same man who told me to watch the ship land. He was the Owl, and he was also a titan shifter.

"He attacked the Marley forces that took us to the island, and by the time they ran out of ammunition, the Owl, now a titan, crushed their steamed ships into dust, which he spread across the ocean. Soon he squeezed the soldiers dry and threw them into the ocean as well. He wiped out their existence and whatever trace of them being on the island.

"He revealed himself to be Eren Kruger: a subject of Ymir that managed to falsify his information to the Marley Government. He told me he wanted to restore Eldia, but in order to do so he had to play the part of Marley by cutting off fingers and turning Eldians of all ages into titans. He even stated that he allowed Dina to be turned into a titan, instead of being used to breed more descendants of royal blood. I was furious with him, but I listened to him. I listened to his story and his reason for choosing me. I didn't want to continue his mission then, but he told me he could no longer do it himself because of 'The Curse of Ymir.'"

"Curse?" Levi questioned.

Optimus grabbed the book regarding the history of the titans and flipped to the page regarding the curse. "'The Curse of Ymir'. Ymir Fritz died thirteen years after receiving her powers. As a result, no one can exceed said power. So whoever becomes a titan shifter,…will die within thirteen years."

Eren stopped looking down at his hands to see that all eyes at the table were on him. He even glanced over at Megatron to see even he was tense, but the ex-con didn't look his way.

"Eren…," Hanji began, "When did you get your powers?"

"…Five years ago," Eren answered, "When Wall Maria fell,"

"That means you only have eight years left to live," Pixis concluded.

Mikasa quickly got up from her chair and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Optimus looked at the door in sorrow before turning his attention to Eren.

"You're allowed to leave," Optimus told him.

"I…I'm going to stay," Eren said.

Megatron glanced over and noticed the heartbreak in the Prime's eyes that the others didn't see, but didn't say much to it as he looked back out the window.

"Is there any way to reverse this?" Erwin asked.

"No," Optimus answered, "It only continues to explain that if powers of the titans haven't been inherited, then it will be transferred to an Eldian baby. The baby does not have to be related in any way to the previous holder. They are paths that transcend physical science and are connected to the Founding Titan."

"Anything else in Grisha's early life?" Levi asked.

Optimus looked down at the first notebook. "I didn't wish to continue fighting. I underestimated the price of freedom being too high, and I led everyone else to their deaths. I had nothing left except for my sins. However, Kruger told me he didn't choose me because of my hatred for Marley. He chose me because I went beyond the walls with my sister on that day. It was because I sought freedom. The deaths of the people around me were not going to be paid until I achieved that goal. If I wanted to save everyone, I needed to stand and fight. So I stood, and chose to fight, and I chose to accept the power of the Attack Titan."

Optimus flipped to the next page to see that it was blank. "That is all the information in his early life."

"So then, what will be our next move?" Pixis asked.

"The meeting tomorrow morning," Historia declared, "We can explain the information there and determine what we should do with it, and whether or not we should address it to the public. For now, the meeting is over. We should take the time to process the information."

Eren watched as Optimus and Megatron deactivated their holoforms before heading for the door and leaving the room before everyone else. He managed to reach a safe enough distance from everyone else in the castle before he sat down and began to cry.

Erwin sat down at his desk in his office while Levi pulled up a chair and sat in front of him. Erwin sighed in irritation before reaching under his desk and pulling out a wine bottle and a glass cup.

"What are you going to do?" Levi demanded.

"I told myself that if I ever found the truth of the outside, that I would quietly celebrate by drinking an entire bottle of wine, and doing something stupid," Erwin explained.

"Odd thing for you to do," Levi admitted.

"I still haven't turned in my resignation form," Erwin said as he poured himself a glass, "So I'm considering this my 'I quit' statement."

"I'm guessing you're ecstatic to be proven right," Levi assumed.

"Yes and no," Erwin admitted as he took a sip, "I'm content we discovered the information, but that just makes our situation more complicated. We're not going up against titans now; we're fighting against our own kind. The entire world wants us gone."

"Do you really want to relinquish your command now?" Levi asked.

"I figured out the truth of this world," Erwin answered as he drank some more wine, "That was the main reason I joined the Survey Corps. Now that I know the truth, I have no reason to continue being commander. I will help Hanji with reports and paperwork, but other than that, I'm making her the commander. Besides, continuing to be the commander would practically mean shitting on the graves of the people that died under me."

"You're still a good Commander," Levi retorted.

"But not a good man," Erwin declared.

"Do you really think any of us are good people anymore?" Levi asked.

"You're a lot better than I am," Erwin stated.

"I tried to kill you," Levi reminded.

Erwin finished the wine in his cup before pouring himself another glass. "It was justified. And since the world is our enemy, we need Optimus and Megatron now more than ever. Nations, armies greater than our usual hundred Corps members."

"It's not the first time we've been outnumbered before," Levi reminded.

"But the world is changing," Erwin declared, "And if we decide to release the information to the public, there's no going back. We're going to enter a new age."

Levi sighed. "Titans might seem like a blessing in disguise soon."

"They most likely will be," Erwin declared as he stared out the window and watched the sky turn into a mixed shade of orange and yellow, "Our form of normal is gone."

Levi watched Erwin drink from his cup of wine. "By the way, I'm going to knock you out if you take your stupid stunt too far."

"Permission granted," Erwin said.

"Mind telling me what it will be?" Levi questioned.

"I haven't decided," Erwin answered, making Levi even more concerned.

"So what do you think was in the basement?" Sasha asked Armin as he, Jean and Connie were all walking to their room.

"I'm not sure," Armin admitted, "I'm still not sure."

"Let's hope it's something useful," Connie said, "Like a weapon to kill the titans."

"What weapon would Grisha have in that basement?" Jean remarked.

"It would have to be something Reiner and Bertholdt knew and didn't want us to know," Armin explained, "Grisha knew and he was a titan shifter. Maybe it was something only known to-"

All four of them stopped when they heard someone crying. They all followed the noise to the girl's dorm area and opened the door. All four of them were shocked to see Mikasa curled up in a ball at the end of her bed. She held her scarf close to her chest as tears screamed down her face.

"Mikasa!" Armin exclaimed as he moved past the others and kneeled down next to her, "Mikasa, what happened?"

"E-eren," Mikasa stuttered as she tried to provide an explanation through her tears, "He's-"

"Mikasa, take a deep breath," Armin instructed, "In and out, c'mon."

Mikasa struggled to take deep breaths as Sasha, Jean, and Connie looked at each other with worry.

"Okay, now tell me what's wrong," Armin requested.

"He's going to die in eight years," Mikasa said, "The titan power doesn't last forever, and Eren is going to die in eight years."

Armin was unable to process the information, making him as still as stone. Sasha then walked into the room and knelt down in front of Mikasa.

"Hey," Sasha greeted with a soft smile, "Mikasa, how about we go to the dining hall and get something to eat? Maybe…having a full stomach might help you better process the situation."

Mikasa looked Sasha with tears in her eyes and nodded her head. She allowed the Hunter to help her to her feet and escort her out of the room with Jean and Connie. Armin awoke from his shock and bolted out the room towards Mikasa.

"Where's Eren?!" Armin demanded.

Mikasa stared at Armin before looking down at the ground. "I-I don't know. I-"

Mikasa wasn't able to finish as Armin ran off to go find Eren.

Eren managed to force himself to travel to his room and shut the door behind them. He slumped down to the floor and leaned against the door. Eren then removed the key from around his neck and looked intently at it.

He thought that getting to the basement would finally lead to an end to the titan's reign, but now, he was left with more questions and a lack of satisfaction. Now, he didn't have that much time left to live. Eight years. Only eight years left and he would turn to dust.

He thought that he would make it out of this with all the time he needed. To live out the rest of his life and travel with Mikasa and Armin and see the places they were denied. Now that dream was never going to happen.

"Eren," Armin called out as he knocked on the door to his room, "Eren, are you in there?"

Eren didn't want to, but he forced himself to stand up and open the door slightly to see Armin's worried face.

"What do you want Armin?" Eren demanded in a rather harsh tone.

"Eren, what happened? Mikasa said you only have eight years left to live," Armin said, "Is that true? Please tell me that isn't true."

Eren stared at the floor. "It is. That's what my father left behind. Humanity's not extinct and titan shifters are only allowed thirteen years left to live. The entire world hates us, okay. Now just leave me alone."

Armin felt like he was going to throw up as he tried to find out if Eren was lying. "But Eren. That…that can't be right."

"It's true," Eren declared, "There's no hope. No freedom outside the wall. That dream is dead."

"We can still find a way," Armin said, "We can find our freedom and-"

"Armin, that dream is dead!" Eren shouted as he forced the door wide open to stare Armin in the eye, "Okay?! It's gone! I was right; there's no point in trying! So stop trying!"

"Eren, you can't say that!" Armin retorted, "We don't know the whole situation!"

"You don't! I do!" Eren declared, "They killed my father's sister because she just wanted to see a flying ship! They force people like us to turn into titans! What good will anything do when there are others that look down on us like dirt?!"

Armin felt something lodged in his throat, and he looked like he was ready to cry. "Don't say that."

"Just go, Armin!" Eren shouted before whispering, "Just…go."

Eren shut the door and leaned against it once more. He heard Armin's footsteps leave his room before a memory that wasn't his flashed through his head. He gasped in horror as he saw the mangled and bloodied body of a young girl in the grass. He let out a scream of anguish as a surge of emotions rushed through him, causing him to cry in agony.

Megatron was leaning against the wall far away from the castle and trying to sleep but to no avail. He opened an optic to see Optimus still in his alt mode, not moving an inch.

Optimus was not handling this news well. At all.

Megatron knew that, since Optimus has remained in his alt mode ever since the meeting was over. The Prime was trying to process the information on his own, and when Megatron tried to speak with him about it, he merely drove away in response. He kept on prompting the Prime to talk, but that only resulted in Optimus honking his horn at him.

Megatron was trying to be considerate and talk to Optimus about the scenario, but he was refusing. The ex-con was honestly feeling better, since he took his anger out on the titan shifters. But Optimus has been on this world longer than he has and was just as in the dark as the humans were. If they did release the information to the rest of the walls, what would that exactly mean? Especially considering Historia's position among the people and how some have misgivings about her.

And then there was Optimus' pet.

Of course there was Historia's possible conjux endura, but he had no clue as to which side she was on. According to her, the titan shifter merely wanted to be with Historia, or at the very least see her one last time.

But the pet…he chose to save him that night. Was it a wise choice considering his life span? He had less than a decade to live. The pet was an emotional mess when he stopped him, but how would all of this information affect his mind? The information was already causing heartache to the others. He knew it was hurting Optimus; the Prime got attached to the boy. Meanwhile, Mikasa was constantly keeping an eye on him because she felt like she failed him that night. He didn't know much of the other cadets or their attachment to Eren. And then there was…

Armin.

Did he know? He wasn't in the room. Did the Ackerman tell him? Did anyone tell him? He had to find out.

Megatron activated his holoform before making his way into the castle, ignoring whether or not Optimus saw him.

Connie continued to rub Mikasa's back while Jean and Sasha were cooking something for her, despite their initial bickering of what to give her in the beginning. But as they continued to cook, Mikasa explained everything to the three of them regarding what was in Grisha's basement and the outside world. And while all three of them were shocked by the information, they did their best to remain calm and comfort Mikasa. Even though all three of them were internally screaming.

"So do you know what they're going to do with the information?" Connie asked Mikasa.

"I'm not sure," Mikasa admitted, "I left the room before the meeting finished. I think they said they would discuss it with the other branches of military."

"Here you go Mikasa," Sasha said as she placed the food down and handed Mikasa a spoon, "Beef stew from yours truly with an Omelet from horse face."

"You're going to wake up late one morning and your rations for the day will be gone," Jean warned.

"Thank you," Mikasa said, "Both of you."

"You're welcome," Jean said as they sat down at the table.

"This…is really good," Mikasa complimented as she began eating.

"Of course," Sasha smiled, "We're really good at this. Well, me specifically,"

"Pixis would beg to differ," Jean reminded with a smirk.

"That contest was bullshit, and he was drunk," Sasha retorted, "I could smell the wine off of him from a mile away."

Mikasa merely smiled to herself as she continued eating.

"So…um…," Connie trailed off, "Do you want tea after this? Do you want to go sleep?"

"I should probably wait to sleep," Mikasa admitted, "This is a pretty big meal."

"If there's anything else we can help you with, let us know," Jean reassured as Sasha's eyes drifted to Megatron passing quickly by the room.

Mikasa nodded her head as she continued eating.

"How's Eren handling this?" Connie blurted out.

"Connie!" Jean hissed.

"I don't know," Mikasa answered, "We got into a fight regarding the key, and we haven't been really talking except when it came to the mission."

"Maybe…we should check up on him," Connie suggested, "What if he does something dangerous again?"

"I don't want to check up on him right now," Mikasa declared, "I…I can't."

"We can check up on him for you," Jean suggested, "We can make sure he doesn't do anything dangerous while you get some well deserved sleep."

"I can't do that to you guys," Mikasa retorted.

"It looks like you really need it," Jean stated, "Please."

Mikasa thought it over before taking another bite out of her meal. "Okay."

"And if you need anything else, let us know," Connie said, earning a nod from the girl.

"You know, buckethead just walked by," Sasha commented, "Should we say something?"

"Sasha, what the fuck are we supposed to do?"Jean demanded.

"Anything!" Sasha declared.

"'Anything' is not going to help!" Jean shouted.

Megatron searched the entire castle for Armin, but wasn't able to find him. He passed by the other three cadets, but chose to ignore them as he heard them talking to Mikasa. He also passed by another room and could've sworn he heard the Commander slurring his words while the dwarf listened in. He didn't bother with that and continued onward.

The ex-con managed to find a small library in the castle with the lights on and the door slightly open. Megatron pushed the door all the way open and saw many books scattered across the floor and on the desk. He stepped over all of them with ease before seeing Armin sitting down with a notebook in hand. The cadet was writing something down from another book he found from the shelf.

"You should be sleeping," Megatron remarked to make his presence known.

"Can't," Armin said, "I'm busy."

Megatron wasn't sure if Armin realized he was talking to him or someone else, but he continued onward. "I'm pretty sure this isn't healthy for you."

"This isn't the first time I've done this," Armin declared as he closed the notebook and stood up, leaving the book on the ground to go find another.

"You should be resting," Megatron advised as he followed Armin.

"I'll sleep when I'm done," Armin declared, "It shouldn't be too long."

Megatron saw Armin open his notebook once more and saw a page that said 'notes on ocean.' Megatron knew it was his dream to see it with Mikasa and Eren, so that meant…

Shit. Armin knew about Eren's lifespan.

"Do the others know you're here?" Megatron asked.

"No," Armin answered as he wrote some other information down, "They're with Mikasa."

"Does Eren know?" Megatron asked.

The ex-con noticed Armin tensing at the mention of his friend, but didn't answer the question as he continued looking through the books on the shelf.

"Does Eren know?" Megatron prompted once more.

Armin merely shut the notebook in response and walked past Megatron to the desk. Megatron huffed and followed Armin. He noticed the boy flipping through some of the opened books on the desk and writing stuff down.

"Alert-"

"Megatron, I'm busy," Armin finally spoke up, "I just want to get as much information down. I don't want to talk about anything. If you want to talk about Optimus, for once, just try to talk to him."

Megatron was baffled by the boy's response. He didn't expect a response like that from him at all. He was angry; he was grieving. He could see that, but how should he approach this?

Armin was about to walk past Megatron, but the ex-con put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him forward.

"You need to stop this," Megatron said.

"I don't have to listen to you," Armin retorted, "You're not my commanding officer."

"Well I don't need to be a medic to know how unhealthy this is for you," Megatron countered.

"Like you know anything about the human body," Armin shot back.

Armin walked back to the desk and was about to open another book, but Megatron slammed his hand down on it to stop Armin.

"You need to stop this," Megatron ordered.

"I don't have to listen to you," Armin reminded.

"I'm advising you-"

"As what? As a friend?" Armin interrupted, "You already look down on us for being weak and pathetic. You only care about Optimus and your amends to him. I don't need you of all beings to look down on me, and belittle me, and make me feel worse than I already do right now!"

Megatron felt anger rise in his as he snatched the book from under Armin and threw it to the ground. "This foolishness of yours needs to-"

Armin didn't let the ex-con finish as he threw a book at his face. Megatron was clearly surprised by Armin's action, but that didn't stop the boy from throwing another book at him.

"I hate you!" Armin shouted as Megatron shielded his face, "I hate you! I hate you! You bastard! You monster! Eren wants to die because of you! And all you care about are your selfish needs! Not how it affects everyone around you! I wish you'd just disappear!"

Armin threw the last of the books on the desk before slamming his hands on the table. "Just get out!"

Armin began panting from his outburst before realizing he lost his notebook. He wasn't sure if he threw it or not so he began to look all over the desk.

Megatron lowered his arms and saw Armin panicked state as he looked all over the floor for the notebook. He should be angry with Armin, but the boy was right. His presence here caused many problems and concerns for this place. And he didn't care who got caught in the crossfire. He didn't care for the humans, but Armin and Mikasa were one of the few that made an effort to understand him. And how did he pay them back? By threatening to harm them, kill them, and caused a friend to nearly commit suicide.

By the Allspark, he was a terrible being.

Megatron took a step forward and noticed the notebook laying on the ground. He picked it up and walked over to the desk while Armin didn't notice him at all. The ex-con knelt down and handed the notebook to him. Armin stopped what he was doing and glared at him. He snatched the notebook from him and hid under the desk away from view.

Megatron sighed as he sat down in front of the cabinet drawers. "Alert-"

"Go away," Armin hissed.

"I don't know much about your world," Megatron continued, "But I could tell you of a few things I might know."

Armin didn't respond, allowing Megatron to continue onward. "Flaming mountains might be one. The humans on Earth called it volcanoes. It's spits out magma hot to touch and covers the landscape in red molten rock. Deserts are another one. It's a barren wasteland of sand and not much life can grow there. The sand might get everywhere as well. Canyons are deep gorges in the ground that may sometimes have water but not always."

Megatron sighed to himself as he continued. "Unfortunately many of the other places I've seen on Earth are somewhat similar to the island. And other places I would recommend would be out of Earth's orbit. I should have been a little more knowledgeable of these places but-"

"Why are you still here?" Armin demanded, "Why are you trying to comfort me? Trying to be nice? You got what you wanted, right? So why should you care now?"

Megatron merely chuckled. "I thought with your intellect, you would've figured it out right now."

"Get to the point," Armin demanded.

Megatron thought it over before deciding to speak up. "You…were the first that's been willing to listen to my side of the story and understand my struggles. And while you've been willing to understand, I've caused pain and heartache to you and your friends. So if you wish, take your anger out on me. Do whatever you wish. I suppose…I owe you this much."

Megatron expected Armin to lash out at him again, but he was only met with heavy breathing. He looked under the desk and saw Armin trying to write stuff down in his notebook while tears were coming down his face. Megatron gently took the notebook and pencil from his hands and placed it on top of the desk, forcing Armin to crawl out from under it and try to reach it.

"Wait," Armin pleaded as he tried to grab it, "I still need to pay Eren back. I-"

Megatron gently took his hand and removed it from the table. "Please don't do this to yourself."

"B-but I still need to," Armin proclaimed as more tears fell, "Megatron, please I-"

Armin was startled when Megatron put a hand on his shoulder.

"Armin, you're just a child," Megatron declared, "You shouldn't be doing this to yourself. You're allowed to feel this way, and I won't judge you for it. I have no right to."

Megatron watched Armin's face contorted into one of agony as he finally broke down and began sobbing. Megatron froze in place as Armin hugged the ex-con as a means of comforting himself.

"I don't want to lose him," Armin wept, "I don't want to lose anyone anymore. He and Mikasa did everything for me. They saved my life, and I'm going to lose him. I don't want to!"

Megatron grimaced in anger at the boy's grief. He wasn't angry at the boy. He was angry at himself. There was nothing he could do to lift his worries. He couldn't tell him that everything would be alright. They were children losing a hopeless battle. He would be lying to him and that wouldn't help at all.

The ex-con then raised his hand, hesitating for a moment at the idea, but he let his pride and fear go as he placed his hand on Armin's head. Megatron's anger turned into one of understanding as he pat the boy's head.

"Thank you for staying," Armin whimpered.

Megatron didn't respond as he let Armin grieve. He owed him that much.