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melishade · 7 months ago

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Attack on Prime Alternative Scenes Part 4

Part 3

Now this is going to be a long one and I am going to hate it, because guess who we're talking about today!

Gabi!

Look, full disclaimer. I am neutral about Gabi in terms of how she was written in AOT. I get what Isayama was going for with her, but because we knew her for so little, or course many people were obviously going to get mad that she killed a long time fan favorite. Sure, we've spent time with Gabi, but not enough to care about her compared to the main AOT cast.

I did write one scene where Megatron's confrontation with her is much more violent which prompts her to reflect on his words:

Megatron felt his anger rise to a level he hadn’t felt since he was the leader of the Deceptions. He kicked Gabi hard in the stomach, causing her to fall to her knees and clutch her stomach in pain.

Reiner and Colt tried to interfere, but Megatron raised his hand in front of the both of them.

“She needs to learn,” Megatron hissed in an ominous tone.

“You!” Gabi hissed as she stood up, “You don’t know a damn thing about honor! About serving a country! I’ve worked hard to get to where I am, and you still treat me like I’m a child!”

“Because you are!” Megatron shot back, “At least Falco and Colt listen! You always make one impulsive decision after another without a care in the world! That type of stupid attitude is going to get you killed!”

“Then I’ll die as a hero!” Gabi shouted, “Unlike you, who runs away from everything like a coward!”

“Gabi!” Reiner yelled.

“You’ll die as a fool and a waste!” Megatron shouted.

“You don’t know!” Gabi shouted, “You run away and have the audacity to tell me that I’m a coward! You wouldn’t know sacrifice! Or honor! Or glory! You-!...you…,”

Gabi stopped when Megatron lifted up his shirt. Pieck gasped in horror while Reiner looked ready to throw up. Zeke grew tense while Porco took a step back. They all could see the jagged scar that was smacked dead center of the titan’s chest that ran down from the top of his chest to the bottom of his abdomen.

“Go on,” Megatron challenged, “What were you saying? It must be such an honor, right? To die a hero?”

Gabi didn’t open her mouth as Megatron let go of his shirt. “It’s easy to die a hero, but it’s harder to live with the consequences of the horrible things you’ve done. You are a soldier! Not a child! Yet you act like a fucking fool! An arrogant stain on Marley military! Stop acting like an idiot! The world is never as simple as you think! Grow up!”

Gabi jolted when Megatron threw the rifle to the ground and stormed off.

This scene was supposed to contribute to her character development later, but I changed it in order to make Megatron more calm when it came to confronting Gabi. Also, also, I was originally going to have her be the reason they were captured by enemy forces in the other alternate scene and have Megatron go berserk, but that got scrapped. Here's the scene though:

Gabi walked outside to see Matthew sitting on the bench, wrapping his arms in bandages. She tensed when she saw him without his shirt, seeing the huge scar on his back match the one on his front along with other multiple scars.

Gabi took a deep breath and walked up to the man. “Um…Matthew?”

Matthew stopped wrapping the bandages and looked behind him to see her. Gabi wanted to cry when he saw him glaring at her with such disdain.

“What do you want, brat?” Matthew demanded as he continued wrapping the bandages.

“I…I wanted to apologize,” Gabi began, “It…was because of me that we got captured. I was brash…and reckless…my friends were hurt…and you were hurt. It was because of me. I’m sorry.”

Matthew finished wrapping the bandages before grabbing his shirt. “I don’t want to hear your half-assed apologies. I want to see action, which you clearly haven’t been able to demonstrate since day one. I would’ve cut you out a long time ago, but your unbridled devotion is what’s keeping you here. And because none of your superiors know whose fault it was that caused your capture.”

Matthew placed the shirt over his head. “I would tell your superiors it was you, but that would cause you to be stripped of your rank and being turned into a titan along with your family at the next battle.”

“I deserve it,” Gabi said without hesitation, “I’m a devil.”

Matthew smacked Gabi in her head hard. The girl clutched her head in pain and glared at him.

“What’s your problem?!” she shouted.

“You’re an idiot; that’s your problem,” Matthew answered, “Because you believe your life has no worth, you’re completely and utterly reckless in your actions. Wanting to be the best and not caring how you get there. You think the world is simply black and white. If you kill this person, Marley recognizes you. Follow their orders, Marley rewards you. Sacrifice your lifespan, Marley gives you an ‘honorary title’. You believe that Marley will grant you freedom once you get the founding titan. That all the discrimination and hatred will go away over night. It doesn’t. The world is more complex than you will ever know, and if you keep looking through rose colored glasses, you won’t get very far.”

Matthew stood up. “Your actions will reflect badly on your score in becoming a titan shifter. You will have to work to earn my confidence that you won’t blow yourself up on the next battle. Prove to me that you can grow and learn, and not shove my teachings down the gutter. Do you understand?”

Still, writing her in AOP was going to be a problem because I had to redeem her without having Sasha killed off! Then I remembered that Arcee was there and I was writing her to get attached to the humans. Originally, she and Sasha were going to be partners but that didn't work out. And then Ymir is still the Jaws Titan, so...Falco has no use in the story. So he gets shot!

But instead of Falco being knocked into a coma, he was supposed to survive and have a confrontation with Megatron, before Sasha takes Falco to stay at her parent's place with Arcee to protect him:

Falco slowly blinked as he opened his eyes. He found himself looking up at a brown ceiling and that he was lying down on a bed. He sat up and winced in pain when he looked down to see a bandage wrapped around his stomach.

“What…happened?” he asked himself.

“You were shot,” a voice answered.

Falco turned his attention and gasped in surprise to see Matthew standing at the foot of his bed with his arms crossed.

“Matthew,” Falco said, “W-what happened? Where am I?”

“Eren Jaeger attacked Liberio after Willy declared war,” Matthew explained.

“No, after,” Falco corrected, “I-I followed Gabi onto the ship. I must’ve gotten shot and fell over. Everything else was blurry after that. Matthew, where am I?”

“You’re on Paradis island,” Matthew explained before his voice dramatically changed, “And I am not Matthew Hayes.”

Falco felt a sense of dread and betrayal when the man’s voice changed. “No…not you too. Who are you?”

‘Matthew’ lifted his arm up and it began to change shape. Falco watched as it changed into one of that of the flying titan.

“You…you’re the flying titan,” Falco realized.

“Yes,” he answered in his true voice.

“All this time,” Falco began, trying to process the situation, “You lied to us. You’ve been lying to us for four years.”

“It’s clear that I’m not wanted. I’ll leave. I have to be informed about plans regarding the next attack.” The flying titan proclaimed as he was making his way out of the makeshift infirmary.

“Wait!” Falco exclaimed as he tried to reach out for him. Falco fell out of bed for reaching too far and landed on his side. He clutched his wound in pain as he curled in on himself.

Megatron heard the boy’s cry for pain as he was at the door. He debated his options and sighed to himself before walking back over to him. He picked the boy up before setting him back down on the bed.

“You shouldn’t exert yourself,” Megatron advised, “You’ll reopen your wound.”

“Why do you care?” Falco demanded as he still held onto his side, “You were sent to destroy us.”

“I was sent for recon,” Megatron declared as he grabbed a chair and sat down, “If I wanted to destroy you, believe me, I would have done it a long time ago.”

“Was anything you told us even true?” Falco asked.

“Some of it,” Megatron admitted, “A good lie holds some truth to it. The story regarding the scar on my shoulder was true to an extent. The creature I mentioned was of Cybertronian origin, not this world.”

“So the idea of leaving?” Falco asked.

“I had to play on the idea so I wouldn’t get caught,” Megatron explained, “I did have to come up with a reason to permanently stay until recon was finished.”

“…when you saved us,” Falco realized.

Megatron hummed in response. “Honestly, I’m not fond of seeing sparklings going to war and then dying immediately. At the very least, I wanted to ensure that you were ready.”

“But…that doesn’t make sense,” Falco admitted, “I’m a threat. I was one of the warrior candidates. You were teaching me to fight you.”

Megatron chuckled. “You are the furthest thing from a threat. I taught you how to fight, but I never taught you how to beat me. The style I’ve been teaching you in was one I wasn’t good at.”

“And…you still managed to fend off Annie during training,” Falco retorted.

“I’ve been fighting for my entire existence,” Megatron declared, “It’s nothing new.”

“I see,” Falco said before remembering something, “Gabi! Where is she?!”

“Prison,” Megatron answered, “She shot a Survey Corps member and nearly killed another. The two wheeler saved the other one, and that bullet she shot deflected off of her and hit you in your side. The one who nearly died saved you from falling to your death.”

“But you know her!” Falco exclaimed, “Can’t you do something for her!”

“She killed a human, injured another, and almost killed a second one,” Megatron deadpanned, “Even if I wanted to help her, there’s not much I can do for her.”

“But-!”

“Falco, this is war,” Megatron reminded, “Remember that. Not everything I taught you should go to waste.”

“So then…what will happen to me?” Falco asked, “Will I be thrown in prison?”

“No,” Megatron answered, “Because you didn’t do anything entirely stupid, I was able to create a case for you. The human that brat nearly killed decided to take you to her home for the time being. You’ll be staying with her family.”

“Why can’t you take me back home?” Falco demanded, “My brother. My family.”

“If I go back, I will be attacked by Marley troops,” Megatron explained, “While it will take time to kill me, it doesn’t change the fact that I can get injured and that there is no medic here.”

“But I’m still a prisoner,” Falco proclaimed.

“It could be worse,” Megatron reminded, “You could actually be thrown in a cell.”

“I guess,” Falco agreed, “But…why did you advocate for me? I’m your enemy, right?”

“I respect you to a degree, and your brother,” Megatron proclaimed as he stood up, “I figure it was the least I could do after everything. And you two are able to see Marley for the fools they are.”

“I didn’t think you’d care, considering what I’ve heard about you,” Falco admitted, “You still seem…okay.”

“Once you do here the entire story, that opinion will change. I can guarantee it,” Megatron proclaimed, “You’ll see me as a monster.”

“But…you’re all just normal people,” Falco reasoned, “You and everyone else here are not demons at all. You just want to live and survive. You only attacked because we attacked you first.”

“I’m surprised you’re taking this as well as you are,” Megatron admitted.

“That doesn’t change the fact that I am hurt,” Falco declared, “Eren made me send that stupid letter to his comrades, and you’ve been lying to us since day one.”

“…that doesn’t mean my actions were not real,” Megatron proclaimed as he turned to walk away.

“Wait!” Falco called out, “What is your real name?”

Megatron touched the handle of the door and sighed to himself. “Megatron.”

“Megatron,” Falco spoke before smiling, “Thank you…for advocating for me.”

Megatron didn’t respond as he opened the door and walked out the room.

===

Falco tensed up and hid behind Sasha when he saw Arcee in her bipedal mode. Sasha noticed this and held his hand.

“It’s okay,” Sasha whispered, “She’s not going to hurt you, I promise.”

“I…I’m not sure,” Falco admitted.

Sasha decided to ease the tension and greet Arcee. “Hey ‘Cee,”

Arcee looked down at Sasha and smiled before kneeling down. “Ready to go home?”

“You have no idea,” Sasha sighed with relief.

Arcee noticed Falco hiding behind Sasha. “You’re okay.”

Falco lifted his head from behind Sasha. “You…were worried?”

“You have no idea,” Arcee answered, “I’ve been through a lot. The last thing I wanted was a dead kid on my conscious.”

Falco fully removed himself from behind Sasha, but still stayed close to her.

“Call me Arcee,” she introduced herself.

“Falco,” he replied in kind.

“Well, Falco, I’ll be taking you to Sasha’s home,” Arcee explained, “You’ll be staying there until we figure something out.”

I still have more scenes with Falco but this whole portion of the storyline gets scrapped because of Arcee. The way I was building up Arcee throughout the story is to break down her ideology about black and white, good and evil, blah, blah, blah. She sees that through the victims of the war on Cybertron, but she obviously can't accept that so she ends up leaving. She's put in a situation where she is considered an enemy of the world, but she still can't stomach the idea of working together with Megatron. I needed Arcee to have one more break, which was Falco getting hurt and knocked into a coma, to ultimately break her black and white mentality. She needed to recognize in the worst way possible that she is a villain in the story.

Anyway, back to Gabi. There was one scene that I had written where Optimus does confront her about being from Marley instead of Megatron technically outing her:

Optimus noticed ‘Mia’ glaring at him after he waved goodbye to the vender. He walked over to her and offered her his hand so he could take her to his alt mode. She immediately swatted the hand away and took a step back.

“I assume you are still scared of me,” Optimus assumed. He wanted to get a truthful answer out of whoever this girl was. He knew she was lying to him; he just had to pinpoint exactly what it was.

“Stop trying to be nice,” ‘Mia’ hissed as she walked away from him.

“I am trying to help you,” Optimus reasoned, “I wish to make sure you are safe.”

“So you can rectify your unforgivable sins, you devil?!” ‘Mia’ exclaimed.

Optimus stared in surprise while ‘Mia’ covered her mouth in fear.

“You are…from Marley?” Optimus asked in surprise, causing the girl to take steps back away from her.

“N-no,” she shook her head, “I’m not.”

Optimus knew she was trying to lie again and instead tried to put the pieces together of who she was. No one besides the Eldianrestorationists should be back from Marley. He remembered that two enemy soldiers stormed Wheeljack’s ship. One of them was with Sasha, and the other…was thrown in prison.

“You are,” Optimus concluded.

“No I’m not!” the girl cried, “Leave me alone! Or I’ll scream!”

“No, don’t scream,” Optimus pleaded, “The island will take my word over yours. If they so much as learn who you are, you’ll be sent back into military hands and I cannot control what will happen to you then. You have to trust me.”

“Why should I do that?” the girl hissed.

“Because I can get you off the island and back to Marley,” Optimus answered, before listening to footsteps approaching them, “I know you have no reason to trust me, but I can find you a way back to your home.”

The girl still looked like she was debating her options as the footsteps almost rounded the building. Optimus thought quick and grabbed the girl and picked her up.

“Pretend you are sleeping,” Optimus whispered to her as a woman rounded the building and saw them.

“Is everything alright?” the woman asked, “I thought I heard fighting.”

“Everything is fine,” Optimus reassured, “Mia was just tired, that is all.”

Optimus felt the girl tighten her grip on the holoform jacket and tuck her face into his neck.

“Oh, the poor thing,” the woman sighed, “I can loan you something for her if you’d like.”

“Do not worry. I have what I need for her,” Optimus proclaimed, “Thank you for the kind offer.”

Optimus watched the woman walk away before quietly sighing with relief. He then turned his attention to the girl, who still hid her face in his shoulder.

“It is alright now,” Optimus reassured as he was about to set the girl down, but she tightened her grip even more now.

“You…didn’t tell her,” the girl addressed him without moving her face.

“Of course I did not,” Optimus said.

“Why would you save your enemy?” the girl demanded.

“You are not my enemy,” Optimus declared.

“Then why would you save me, devil?” the girl demanded, “You’ve caused destruction of lives throughout the world for over 1,000 years. You’re a demon. You hate anyone that isn’t like you. You attacked my home, killed my friends, and killed my mentor. He wasn’t even my mentor. He lied to us all.”

“Mentor…?” Optimus questioned before realizing who this girl was, “You are Gabi Braun?”

The girl finally lifted her head and glared at Optimus. “So Matthew told you about me?”

Optimus noticed the pain and shame in the girl’s eyes and felt guilty. “What exactly did he tell you?”

Gabi didn’t respond as she placed her head back on his shoulder. “That I’m a failure. That I’m incompetent. That my recklessness gets people I love killed.”

Optimus placed his hand on Gabi’s head as he walked over to his alt mode. “You are just frightened and terrified. That does not make you a failure.”

“I’m a warrior,” Gabi declared, “I’m not supposed to show fear. I’m supposed to gladly lay down my life for my people and my country. I must atone for my sins.”

“What sins?” Optimus asked.

“The sins my ancestors have caused,” Gabi explained.

Optimus arrived at his alt mode and placed Gabi by the passenger door. “What have you done specifically that would warrant you to be called a devil?”

Gabi looked up at the Prime. “My ancestors-,”

“I am not talking about your ancestors,” Optimus interrupted, “I am speaking of you, specifically.”

“I…I stormed your ship,” Gabi explained, “Tried you kill one of your own. I…I’ve killed so many people so that I could gain respect from Marley.”

“Because you were not given much of a choice,” Optimus proclaimed, “You were given so few options in order to survive, and you were placed into war, which forces people to sacrifice their morality in order to survive. You were told that you had to give your life because of what your people have done in the past. A single person should not be defined by what their ancestors have done.”

“What my ancestors have done is unforgivable,” Gabi proclaimed.

“But you have not done those things,” Optimus proclaimed.

“You have no right to tell me this,” Gabi proclaimed, “You’re a demon. You’ve plundered and destroyed the world and left nothing but blood. You’re a murderer.”

Optimus sighed as he sat down in front of her. “Perhaps you are right,”

Gabi blinked in surprise before scowling. “Of course I’m right.”

“But not in the way that you think,” Optimus continued, “I have killed many. I have killed many of my own people in a civil war that destroyed my world. I have had to make difficult choices that would result in heavy consequences. And I had to fight Matthew: someone I once considered brother. I was not there for him when he needed me, and…he lost his way.”

Gabi scowl disappeared as she stared at Optimus in surprise. She remembered the tale Matthew told her years ago and the pieces finally fell into place. “You…you’re the librarian?”

Optimus was startled by Gabi’s question, but continued. “Yes, I am. I did not expect you to know about me.”

“Matthew told us about you,” Gabi explained, “He was…trying to teach us a lesson.”

“And what was he trying to teach you?” Optimus asked.

“That…the world is not black and white,” Gabi answered.

Optimus blinked in response before huffing and giving a sad smile. “That is the unfortunate truth of the universe. If the world were black and white, I would have killed Matthew to end the war and stop the destruction of our planet a long time ago. But I let my attachment to him cloud my judgment, and as a result, it prolonged our war to unforeseen circumstances. I lost my home, my mentor, my brother, my lover. I lost so much.”

“Then…why?” Gabi asked, “Why would you continue to fight when you’ve practically lost?”

Gabi was startled when Optimus placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“I continue to fight, so that someone like you will never have to experience the pain and sorrow that I have felt,” Optimus declared.

This scene wasn't included or it had to be severely changed. I originally was going to have Megatron bring up Orion to the Marleyans, but that ultimately got scrapped because Megatron would never talk about that to the enemy, no matter how fond he's gotten of them. He does end up calling Orion a 'naive little shit' Lol. But I mainly wrote these scenes because in order for Gabi to be redeemed I thought that having her be around Optimus would be a good start.

And before that, Kiyomi was originally supposed to find out about Gabi, and offers Optimus to help watch her when in reality she wants to interrogate her. Also, ignore the misspelling of Kiyomi's name. I wrote this a while ago:

Gabi glared at Kyomi as the woman sat down and poured herself some wine. She clenched the chair she was in as she felt eyes on the back of her head as she glanced back at the two guards behind her at the doors.

“I’m just a simple child,” Gabi tried to reason, “What’s with the security?”

Kyomi took a small sip as she looked Gabi dead in the eye. “Do you really think I’d forget your face? I saw all four of you when I helped your friend avoid getting turned into a titan when he spilled wine all over me.”

Gabi began trembling.

“And what do you know, two Eldian warriors storm the titan’s ship and kill a Survey Corps member,” Kyomi added, “And by the flying titan’s account, both were trained warriors.”

Gabi growled in anger. “You traitor.”

Kyomi huffed in response. “That was fast.”

“Shut up!” Gabi shouted, “You could’ve told someone about these demons! Instead, you’re working with them! You’re just as evil as them! Eldian sympathizer!”

“That should be good for you,” Kyomi reminded calmly, “Considering the fact I could just as easily turn you over to the government and probably have you executed.”

Gabi’s face dropped and her whole body filled with dread.

“Or I could tell Optimus, since he clearly doesn’t know who you are,” Kyomi continued.

“Y-you can’t do that,” Gabi proclaimed.

“Says who?” Kyomi demanded.

“Marley will come for me,” Gabi warned, “They’ll come and-,”

“I doubt they would come for an expendable warrior,” Kyomi proclaimed, “They’ll just pluck another Eldian to take your place. When they come, they’re coming to avenge the non-Eldians. Not you.”

“My friends are dead,” Gabi hissed, “Zofia was crushed by a boulder. Udo was trampled to death. Falco…falco…,”

“He’s dead because of you,” the flying titan’s voice echoed in her mind.

“It’s because of those titans,” Gabi hissed, “It’s because of those demons. Eren killed my friends. Those titans trampled my home! It was because of them!”

Gabi looked at Kyomi with such fury. “WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO LECTURE ME WHEN YOU’VE BETRAYED YOUR OWN KIND?!”

Kyomi put the glass down. “You want my personal opinion: I’m just doing this for profit. I think it’s just better to work with the person that has the goods instead of trying to blow them up. If people thought like that instead of the nonsense they think of now, this world would be better off. If you took the time to actually talk to the people at the harbor, you’d realize that they’re not demons.”

“They are,” Gabi declared, “Especially that flying titan and the metal titan!”

Kyomi broke face and began to snicker. Gabi felt insulted when the woman began giggling.

“The flying titan destroyed my home!” Gabi shouted.

“He did,” Kyomi said, “He also could’ve destroyed it four years ago if he wanted to but he didn’t. Matthew doesn’t deny that he’s a demon. He’s played that role for so long that he’s come to accept the backlash. I’m laughing about your opinion on the metal titan. Optimus Prime has done nothing but take care of you, and all you’ve done is curse and spit at him.”

“He’s a demon!” Gabi exclaimed, “He wanted to destroy my home!”

Kyomi sighed. “I’m going to let you in on some confidential information.”

“Ma’am,” one of the guards spoke.

Kyomi raised her hand in response before turning to Gabi. “Optimus never wanted to attack Liberio. No one did.”

Gabi stared in disbelief.

“Eren went rogue on his own,” Kyomi continued, “He left the island without informing anyone. The original plan was to find Eren and bring him back to the island before he did anything dangerous. When it became clear that Eren had full intentions of attacking Liberio on his own, everyone was cornered with a decision: help Eren attack Liberio and kill innocent people, or let Eren attack on his own and have the Founding Titan power redacted. The flying titan already had the information he needed, and had no issue with killing. The other two titan were complacent; they had their own friends they needed to protect. Optimus kept up vocal opposition until the end. He said he would remain on the island to defend it in the event a fleet came and attacked. In reality, he just didn’t want to kill any humans.”

Gabi shook her head in response. “I-I don’t believe you.”

“Did Optimus hurt you?” Kyomi asked, “Did Optimus attack you? Did Optimus harm you in any way?”

Gabi didn’t respond.

“There’s your answer,” Kyomi said, “Optimus protects humans; he doesn’t hurt them.”

“He’s still a demon,” Gabi whispered.

“Still in denial,” Kyomi sighed, “I should tell Optimus who you are, or any official for that matter, but I know that you just want to go back to Marley.”

Gabi grew worried at her statement.

“I clearly can’t take you,” Kyomi proclaimed, “The Amizubitos will be outed and attacked. I can’t risk my nation being destroyed. My advice to you, if you want to stay alive: stay with Optimus Prime.”

“Stay?!” Gabi shouted.

“There are others still outside,” Kyomi reminded.

Gabi closed her mouth.

“The fact that you killed one of their own will no doubt get you killed,” Kyomi explained, “Breaking out of prison doesn’t help your case either. Staying with Optimus will increase your chances at survival. He doesn’t harm human, and you’re a child. He’ll give you special treatment and make sure your safe under his care until he can get you a home. It’s not like you have any other options, anyway.”

“…what if…he finds out who I am?” Gabi hesitantly asked.

Kyomi thought it over. “I don’t think he would hurt you.”

“Why?” Gabi asked.

“Every sentient being deserves an opportunity for redemption,” Kyomi quoted, “His words. Not mine.”

Gabi scoffed in response. “That’s stupid.”

“It’s what he believes,” Kyomi proclaimed, “It’s not something bad to hold on to.”

Also the final confrontation between them was supposed to be a little bit different too:

“Gabi, are you alright?!” Optimus asked with concerned as he examined the bruise on her arm.

Gabi grew angry and pulled her arm from Optimus’ grip. She tried to shove him away, but she merely fell backwards and hit her head on the side of Optimus’ alt mode.

“Gabi-!”

“Stop it! Just stop it, you devil!” Gabi shouted.

“Gabi-,”

“Is this some kind of sick twisted joke to you?!” Gabi demanded, “I am a devil! A demon! Why are you risking your life for me?!”

“Gabi, they would have killed you if I handed you over to them,” Optimus reasoned.

“I’m your enemy!” Gabi shouted, “You were supposed to hand me over to them! Instead, you protect me?! Are you out of your mind?! You’re an idiot! A fucking idiot! You’re trying to manipulate me to trust me before you kill me yourself!”

Gabi stood up. “You’re a demon! A devil! Do us both a favor and die!”

Gabi didn’t know what came over her as she punched Optimus square in the face. She felt her heart stop and dread go through her as Optimus touched his cheek. What did she do?! The titan saved her, and she decided to punch him! Now he would no doubt try to kill her now! She doomed herself! She was going to die! The flying titan was right! Her idiocy was going to get her killed!

Gabi fell back down as Optimus stood up and looked down at her. She trembled in fear and was ready to cry. She then watched in confusion as Optimus walked away from her towards a small bush of blue flowers.

“I understand your hatred of me,” Optimus began as he knelt down and picked the flowers one-by-one, “I understand you want me dead after the attack of your home. If it was my choice, I would not have attacked a place full of innocent humans, but it is war. War does not spare the weak. It only takes as it leaves nothing in its path but death and destruction. It does not matter who is in the right or wrong, many will die.”

Gabi tensed when Optimus stood up and walked over to her before sitting down in front of her. “You are a soldier because you were given such few options. Because of your heritage. You are seen as a demon by the people you serve, and as a result, you believe yourself to be a demon.”

“That’s not-,”

“You wish to become great,” Optimus continued as he weaved the flowers together, “You wish to become powerful so that you will mean something to someone. You wish to be recognized by the ones who do not care for your own life at all. When you are met with others who wish to help you that have no alliance with Marley, you curse them and say they do not matter. Marley only wishes for you to become great because they wanted to use you as a weapon. They do not care for you as a person.

“You’re afraid that everything Marley taught you is wrong. You’re afraid of the reality that someone you loved attacked and killed innocent people. You scream and cry out in fear. You’re afraid of being considered weak. You do not believe your life has value.”

Gabi watched Optimus finish weaving the flowers into a crown. “The island sees you as an enemy. That is understandable. The world sees you as a devil. That is unforgivable.”

Gabi shut her eyes in fear as Optimus placed the crown on her head. “All I see, is a little girl. I see a little girl who wants nothing more than to return home.”

Gabi shakily touch the crown on her head as looked Optimus in the eye. “What…what do you want from me?”

“I just want you to see that you are human,” Optimus answered.

“I’m…I’m not,” Gabi whispered, recalling her memories of the four year war. She began recalling the way she treated her friends, and how they were now six feet under. She remembered the way she killed her enemies, both Eldians and others. She remembered Falco, and how her foolishness got a bullet in his side and caused him to bleed out. It was her fault. She was the one who did that, and she was powerless to do a thing.

“I’m a devil,” Gabi whispered as tears rolled down her cheek, “I killed people. I was cruel to my friends. I didn’t get to tell them that I cared, and now their dead. They’re dead because of me. I deserve to die. I…I…”

Gabi covered her eyes with her hands and began crying. “I’m so horrible!”

Gabi screamed and cried as she sobbed loudly. Optimus could only watch with sorrow before wrapping his arms around her. She tensed in fear as Optimus placed his hand on her head.

“It is alright,” Optimus reassured, “You are allowed to cry. You are allowed to be human.”

Gabi felt her hands move to Optimus’ arms and she gripped them tightly. She put her face on Optimus’ shoulder and continued crying. The tension in her body leaving, realizing she didn’t fear the titan. The titan would protect her, and keep her safe.

Yeah, in the original outline, Pieck was never in the scene. She was supposed to be tailing Eren originally. Then I had the whole 'shadow' idea so I had to change course. Also, I thought Optimus making Gabi a flower crown would have been nice but I don't think he would know how to do that.

So originally I was going to have Levi and Kenny find Optimus together, after Kenny and Levi have a rather heated conversation after the Killer saves the Captain's life from Zeke. Optimus remembers Falco's location and ends up going to the cabin with all three of them to drop of Gabi and pick up Sasha:

Optimus helped Gabi out of his alt mode before kneeling down in front of her. “I need you to stay here.”

“No!” Gabi exclaimed while shaking her head.

“Gabi-,”

“No, I want to stay with you!” Gabi pleaded.

“Gabi, where we are going is dangerous,” Optimus explained, “You could be killed.”

“He’s right,” Levi reasoned, “The military wants you dead, and there’s a chance Eren and Zeke are raising hell as we speak. You’d be dead in an instant.”

“But-!”

“Gabi, look at me,” Optimus pleaded, earning the girl’s attention, “This is the best option for you. I will come back for you; you have my word, but you need to stay here.”

“…I’m scared…,” Gabi whimpered as she hugged the Prime.

“I know you are, but this is the safest place for you right now,” Optimus declared.

“How are you sure?” Gabi asked.

Gabi gasped when the door opened to reveal the woman who went to rescue Falco on the ship two months ago. She was now in civilian attired with a bow in hand and arrows in her quiver. Gabi yelped in fear and hid behind Optimus as she drew her arrow.

“It’s not for you,” Optimus whispered.

Gabi peaked over Optimus shoulder to see the woman directing her weapon at Kenny who had his hands up in surrender.

“Stand down,” Levi ordered, “He’s on our side.”

“I’m not convinced,” Sasha declared.

“Too bad sharpshooter,” Kenny hissed, “You’re gonna have to work with me.”

“Why the hell should I do that?” Sasha demanded.

“Zeke escaped,” Levi explained, “He’s infected the wine from Marley with his titan fluid and has been feeding it to the military.”

Sasha stared in fear as she lowered her bow. “Hanji and the others? Where are they?”

“Fine,” Kenny answered, “They didn’t drink the wine and Erwin got them out in time.”

“We are heading over to them now,” Optimus declared as he stood up, “I know this is much to take in, but we need as many soldiers as possible.”

Sasha turned her attention to Gabi, who was trying her best to hide behind Optimus. “And what about her?”

“Can she remain here with your family?” Optimus asked, “Where we are going, it will not be safe for her.”

“Depends,” Sasha answered before turning to Gabi, “You’re not going to try and kill me, right? That bullet would’ve gone through my heart if Arcee wasn’t there,”

Gabi furiously shook her head. “No, I’ll be good. I promise.”

Sasha thought over her options, but sighed in irritation. “Doesn’t seem like I have a choice due to the time crunch. Fine, she can stay. Falco, Gabi’s here!”

Gabi heart stopped as she stepped in front of Optimus. Falco? Falco was here? No…Falco was dead…her bullet when through his side. He bled out…right?

Gabi’s breath got lodged in her throat as she saw Falco walking out the house in perfect health. She noticed the bandage wrapped around his waist under his shirt and began trembling. Falco didn’t seem to notice as he smiled with joy.

“Gabi!” Falco exclaimed as he ran to her and gave her a hug, “I’m so glad to see you! Did they let you out of prison?! What’s with the flower crown?!”

Gabi couldn’t handle it anymore and her legs gave out. She fell to her knees and out of Falco’s grasp, startling the boy.

“Gabi, what’s wrong?” Falco asked in surprise.

Falco didn’t know what to do when tears began forming in Gabi’s eyes. She ended up taking a deep breath and loudly sobbed. Falco immediately got on his knees as a fountain of tears poured out.

“Gabi-!” Falco wasn’t able to get a word out as Gabi tightly hugged her friend.

“I’m sorry!” Gabi sobbed through her tears, “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s fine! I’m fine!” Falco tried to reason before turning to the three men in front of him, “Why is she like this?!”

“Right, forgot to mention. Megatron told Gabi that you were dead,” Kenny answered.

“What?!” Falco exclaimed.

“What the hell?!” Sasha demanded.

“Permission to shoot buckethead in the face,” Levi said.

“Granted,” Optimus allowed.

Mr. Blause came walking to the door with coffee in hand when he heard the loud sobbing. He was startled to see all these people at his doorstep and looked down at his coffee cup.

“I think this ain’t healthy,” he commented.

“Pa, I gotta go,” Sasha told him, “Take care of that girl, Gabi, okay?”

“’Kay,” Mr. Blause agreed before hugging his daughter, “Be safe. Love ya’.”

“Love ya’, too,” Sasha replied back as he hugged him. She let go of her father before running towards Optimus’ alt mode. She hopped into the back while Kenny jumped into the passenger seat. Optimus deactivated his holoform and opened the driver door for Levi. The captain jumped in before Optimus revved his engine and drove away from the house.

Mr. Blause sighed in irritation about the chaos before looking down at Falco and the newcomer still crying. Mr. Blause set his coffee cup down and walked over to the two and kneeled down.

“Heya,” he greeted, “Ya’ look tired,”

Gabi glared at the man while tightening her grip on Falco.

“Gabi, it’s okay,” Falco reassured, “His family let me stay with them.”

Gabi was still unsure as she watched the adult with caution.

“How ‘bout I take you to a nice bed and ya’ get some rest b’foreya’ eat somethin’?” Mr. Blause suggested.

Gabi was really tempted by the offer, and gave into her exhaustion. She let go of Falco and nodded her head quietly.

“I can carry ya’,” Mr. Blause offered.

Gabi felt her guard go down as Mr. Blause picked her up and carried her into the house with Falco following behind.

So originally, Megatron was going to tell Gabi that Falco was dead instead of alive in order to break her mentally and keep her in the prison. He didn't want her having the motivation to escape. She ultimately did in this version, and she ends up under Optimus, who leads her right back to Falco.

There were also a few other scenes on the farm:

Gabi opened her eyes and rubbed her head before sitting up. She noticed that she was in someone’s room and the bed she was on was right next to the window.

Gabi felt the blankets shift and looked down to see Falco resting his head on the bed while he was sitting in a chair. Gabi was going to cry again when she saw Falco breathing. He…he’s alive. Falco’s alive.

Gabi slowly reached out and touched Falco’s head. The boy slowly opened his eyes and raised his head. He rubbed his eyes before looking directly at Gabi.

“Hey,” Falco said.

“Where…are we?” Gabi asked.

“We’re at Sasha Blause’s home,” Falco explained, “She let me stay here instead of getting sent to prison.”

“Oh…,” Gabi weakly responded.

“Gabi, are you-…,” Falco stopped himself short. She probably wasn’t okay. She thought for months that he was dead, and from the looks of it, she blamed herself for it.

“Gabi, I’m alive,” Falco told her, “I’m here, and we’ll find a way to get back home together.”

Gabi looked down at Falco’s shirt to see the bandages around his waist. Falco noticed the direction of her gaze and pulled down the shirt. He then pulled her into a hug, startling the girl.

“But…but I hurt you,” Gabi reminded, “You almost died because of me.”

“You would’ve never hurt me on purpose,” Falco proclaimed, “And I’m here now. It’s okay.”

Gabi wrapped her arms around Falco’s waist, causing him to wince. Gabi quickly let go of him with fear and concern.

“The wound’s not completely healed yet,” Falco explained, “I’ll be fine though.”

Gabi wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Gabi-,”

“I was always mean to you. I always looked down on you,” Gabi cut him off, “I never…,”

Gabi began crying again in his shoulder. “I hurt you. I almost killed you.”

Gabi obviously needed to apologize to Falco for calling him a bad friend. And there's a much more positive interaction between Kaya and Gabi:

”Can’t believe Megatron told you I was dead,” Falco admitted.

Gabi looked at Falco. “That’s Matthew’s real name?”

Falco nodded his head. “I wasn’t aware he faked his death, so when I woke up in the hospital, kind of thought I was back in Marley. Then I heard him talking differently, and he told me who he was and what he was doing.”

“So…why were you sent here?” Gabi asked, “How come you weren’t put in prison?”

“Megatron advocated for me,” Falco explained, “He told the military here that I was much more rationale and wouldn’t try to kill anyone. He even said I most likely got on the ship to try and stop you. So the woman, Sasha, decided to take me here and allow me to recover. When I asked him about you, he said there was nothing he could do since you tried to kill one of their own.”

“…He could be lying to you,” Gabi proclaimed, “He lied to me. He lied to everyone. Udo and Zofia are dead. Liberio’s been destroyed.”

“From what I heard, Eren Jaeger was the one who launched the attack by himself in the first place,” Falco proclaimed.

“How could you have heard that?” Gabi demanded.

“I heard some of them talking,” Falco explained, “They said they threw Eren into prison.”

“No excuse for what Megatron did,” Gabi declared, “Did…did he even care about us? Every action he did, was it because he cared, or was it because he was trying not to get caught?”

“…can’t say for certain,” Falco admitted, “Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. I don’t know.”

“I hate him,” Gabi declared.

“…I don’t know if I can,” Falco admitted.

“Hi,” a voice greeted.

The two looked up to see a blonde girl holding two sandwiches, offering both of it to them. Falco smiled and took the both of it from her hands. He handed one to Gabi, and she took it from his hands.

“Can I sit with you two?” she asked politely.

“Sure,” Falco answered.

Gabi grew tense when the girl sat down next to her. She grew even more nervous when she held out her hand to her.

“I’m Kaya,” she introduced herself.

“…Gabi,” she meekly responded as she shook Kaya’s hand.

“You’re from Marley, like Falco, right?” she asked.

Gabi nodded her head.

“So…you probably think I’m a devil right?” Kaya asked.

Gabi pulled her knees up to her chest. She didn’t know what to think anymore.

“I…,” Gabi trailed off, unable to come up with a response.

“It’s okay,” Kaya reassured, “You were raised in Marley. I can’t blame you for your way of thinking.”

Gabi was startled by the girl’s response. She didn’t yell at her, or curse her out.

“Falco, do you know when my sister’s coming back?” Kaya asked.

“I’m not sure,” Falco answered, “It seemed pretty urgent when she left. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“…Zeke broke out,” Gabi declared.

“What?!” Falco exclaimed while Kaya looked in surprise.

“He broke out, and now he might turn people here into titans,” Gabi proclaimed.

“…that’s terrifying,” Kaya remarked.

“How are you not worried?!” Falco exclaimed.

Kaya quickly shushed him before continuing. “I am worried, but I know that the Survey Corps and the Autobots will do everything they can to stop it.”

“’Autobots’?” Gabi questioned.

“Arcee, Wheeljack, and Optimus,” Kaya listed, “They’re called Autobots, and they advocate for the protection of life. I don’t know about Megatron though. Every time I ask Sasha about it, she would give me this uncomfortable look and said that ignorance was better.”

“Do you know anything about Megatron?” Gabi asked.

“Not really,” Kaya answered, “Arcee would tell us tales of battles she had on both her home and on Earth, but she didn’t really talk about Megatron much.”

“Who’s Arcee?” Gabi asked.

“The blue Autobot,” Kaya explained, “She’s extremely agile and fast. She’s my sister’s partner.”

“I hate her,” Gabi hissed, earning a worried look from Falco.

“Is it because she was part of the Liberio attack?” Kaya asked.

Gabi looked at Falco and felt a wave of guilt rush over her.

“Arcee didn’t mean for me to get injured,” Falco explained, “She felt guilty when the bullet hit me and was glad that I was alive. She even came to me in the hospital and apologized to me.”

“Arcee wanted to apologize to you too, but since you were in prison, she never got the chance,” Kaya continued, “She never wanted to attack Liberio. None of the titans did.”

“Then why did they?!” Gabi exclaimed, “Why did they trample my home into the ground?! Why did they kill Udo and Zofia?! Why did those devils attack us?!”

“Gabi!” Falco exclaimed before grabbing her hand.

“…because it’s war,” Kaya answered, earning both of their attention, “Arcee has always told me and Sasha that war was terrible. She had to get her hands dirty in order to survive. She struggled so much to keep her morality while fighting a group that wouldn’t hesitate to kill their own in a heartbeat. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done. People will end on dying, because one side feels right. It’s why…,”

Gabi felt her stomach turn as Kaya began to cry. “It’s why my mom was devoured by a titan. It’s why our country was devastated. It’s why Arcee lost her home, and why the Survey Corps attacked Liberio. It was because of war.”

“War is a cruel and terrible thing,” Gabi remembered Optimus saying, “It kills and destroys until no one is left. You’re only given the option to survive, and must sacrifice everything in order to do so.”

“…I’m…sorry,” Gabi said quietly, earning a shocked look from Falco.

“It’s okay,” Kaya reassured as she wiped away her tears, “You were born in Marley, and told to think a certain way.”

Gabi removed her hand from Falco’s grip as he stared in disbelief. Gabi would never say stuff like this. She would never apologize. She would never be kind to the people she had been told were demons. What the hell caused this change?

“So…,” Kaya began, wanting to change the topic, “What’s Optimus like?”

Gabi stared at her in surprise. “Huh?”

“You actually got to meet Optimus and spend time with him,” Kaya said, “I’ve always wanted to meet him, but I missed my chance when Optimus came here. Arcee always told me and the others stories of battles they fought together. I’ve always wanted to know what he truly was like. You spent time with Optimus, so what did you think of him?”

Falco became worried once more. What was Gabi going to say? She already hated Megatron, what could she say that could possibly make this-

“Kind,” Gabi answered, “Optimus is…really kind.”

Falco stared in shock. What?!

“Optimus protected me and was willing to take care of me,” Gabi continued, “Even when he figured out that I was from Marley, he was stilling willing to help me get back home to safety. He protected me from his own allies and saved my life over and over.”

Gabi let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Even when I called him a devil and cursed him out, he saved my life. I…just hope I get the chance to apologize to him when he comes back. And tell him thank you for protecting me.”

Yeah, there was a lot going on, but this originally happened because Sasha was supposed to be bringing Arcee to the farm more often, and the Autobot would tell stories to Kaya and the other kids, which is why Kaya knew more than the average person.

I think that's all I have for right now because this is a lot. And as I'm scanning through my old documents, I'm realizing I'm missing a lot more shit. Lol. I'll post it later with time. Just enjoy.

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