Title: The Glory of Humanity

Rating: PG-13 (for violence and themes)

Pairing(s): Eremika, hints of various others

Summary: After humanity is hit with a contagious mutant virus, they are forced to take refuge in a floating city in space with the only hope of recovery of earth being through the efforts of the scouting legion. Eren is determined to get his home planet back, even if it means killing every mutant.

Notes and Disclaimer: I don't own this wonderful story by Isayama, but I appreciate the characters and setting so I hope that this AU interpretation will be beautifully crafted in a way that honors his brilliant creation. This is my first SnK fic so please be kind.

The war had taken so many, including Eren's mother. The house had burned down with her inside and he had only been spared because he had been playing with his friend Armin in the forest. It had come so suddenly, the attack on their town. Bombs were dropped and screams were heard between the devastating blasts from the explosions. They survived somehow, hidden in the brush when the rescue crew came through to catalog the wreckage. They had stopped keeping count of the dead, since the numbers were too high to number anymore.

Eren and Armin were ushered out of the forest and taken to the nearest orphanage, tears streaming down their dirty faces. The protests from Eren's lips fell on deaf ears. It didn't matter that he had a father. He was a military doctor and his camp had been attacked and half the fleet was MIA.

The haunted faces of the children in the orphanage were a sorrowful sight. Not a toy or smile in sight, but rather the joy seemed to have been drawn out of their tiny bodies. It left an empty shell, where only tears and screams were held. There was not a restful sleep to be had because the nightmares stirred and woke them, especially for the newly added. Those that had been at the orphanage longer were withdrawn and apathetic, only growing annoyed by the cries of those still mourning their loss.

"Shut up!" Ymir chucked a pillow at a crying child in his bunk. "Trying to get some sleep here!" She yelled before curling in closer to the tiny blonde beside her.

The crying child choked back a sob, little boy still shaking with grief. His name was Connie and he had just been taken in that morning. He had watched his mother die in their own kitchen. Eren clenched his fingers into the thin material of his pillow case, closing his eyes tight as the onslaught of memories haunted him as well.

"Be nice, Ymir." The tiny blonde whispered to her friend, a frown settled on her face. Though Ymir snorted in annoyance, her efforts did seem to make Connie try harder muffling his crying into his pillow.

Even though it had quieted the space, Eren couldn't sleep. He slipped out of bed and padded over to the only window in the room, staring out at the moon. He heard the rustling of sheets and another form joined him. He spotted the blonde out of the corner of his eye and he knew it was Armin.

No words were passed. They didn't have to be. The understanding was mutual and they stayed staring out the window until they both passed out against the wall. Pure exhaustion pulled at their bodies in the morning when Corporal Levi came around and snapped at them all, commanding them to clean the orphanage floor to ceiling. The orphanage was also military run and the aim was to train up future soldiers. The Corporal only visited once a year but when he did, everything was to be spotless.

Eren grunted when he felt the heel of a boot hitting the back of his head, forcing his face to plant itself against the newly scrubbed floor.

"Do you call that clean, Jaeger?" Levi asked, mocking tone to his voice. "How will you become a decent soldier with such effort?"

"Sorry, sir." Eren mumbled against the floor boards, gritting his teeth at the pain. The first time he had met Levi he had gotten the tar beat out of him so he learned quickly to work extra hard when the Corporal was coming around. This time his exhaustion had impaired his work and he would pay the price.

"Clean it again." Snapped the short but frightening man, his heel giving an extra grind to the back of Eren's skull, before he moved on to the next room and the next scolding. There was a time that Eren had looked up to Levi, idolized him for his victories, but that glimmer had faded over time.

War was not pretty and there were no heroes. It was merely bloodshed. There was no right or wrongs when it came to harming innocent people. When your loved ones were sent home in pieces, if that much could be found of them, it didn't matter which side you were on. At the end of the day, a human life was a human life and they were just pawns in a game. A game of which the instigators could watch carelessly from a distance in their lavish luxury, detached from the sufferings of the people.

Sitting in the limited state of a child's body, Eren felt frustrated. He wanted to fight, he wanted to make a difference. Nothing felt more out of reach for him though. It was stifling and the air felt heavy and oppressive in the afternoon light. Eren stared at the floor which practically gleamed in the sunlight streaming in from the window.

Gritting his teeth, Eren threw down the rag he had been using to polish the wooden floor boards. He pushed himself up and glanced around, checking to see if the coast was clear. He snuck over to the window and unlatched the locks on it, pushing the glass up and beginning to shimmy his way out. He grabbed onto a nearby tree branch and swung himself down to the ground.

It was a well practiced action, since he was notorious for skipping out on his responsibilities. He had too much of a burning desire to be free, outside the walls of the orphanage. Even that could not satiate the desire he had to explore. Armin had shown him books of places exotic and wild and he wanted to go there. The dirty streets in muted tones were nothing like the bright swirling colors of faraway places. Places that were off-limits because of the war.

He slipped easily between broken boards in the fence and between the bodies of adults walking past. He was still small at nine years old and had learned to blend in and sink into the background when he wished. Traveling the familiar road to the market, he swiped an apple from a cart and hid it until he reached a dark alley way. He bit into the red fruit, a smile of pure joy on his face at the sweet taste.

His moment of bliss was interrupted though by voices of men nearby. Ducking behind some crates, Eren strained to hear the conversation.

"You idiot, you killed the mother too? She would have sold for a fine price. She's full-blooded Oriental. This little mutt is barely old enough for the market." One voice said, followed by another gruffer voice.

"There's a market for any age and she's pretty. She'll still go for decent price."

Eren glanced down at his apple, formulating a plan. He knew what was going on since he frequented that area. He had almost been caught by those people one day but he had managed to slip away. They sold human slaves. Woman almost always were sold for sex and didn't tend to have a very long shelf life. They were tossed on the streets or killed once they lost their allure. After all, in the end it was just another mouth to feed and the rich couldn't be bothered.

His nails dug into the skin of the apple, determined to go through with his plan. He rose from his hiding spot and let the apple fall. He stumbled out from behind the crates, beginning to wail in distress, rubbing at his eyes.

The two men turned to look at him, startled by the sudden sound. One reached automatically for his gun before realizing it was just a boy. Eren took note of that with pleasure. They were stupid, of course they were.

"I can't find my mother." Eren cried, emotion making his voice quiver. It was easy to act when he brought up the emotions of seeing his mother's lifeless body. The men exchanged glances before crowding around Eren.

"Do you need help, little boy?" One of them asked and Eren nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. One of them reached out for Eren, and with an impressive speed, Eren lashed at him with a knife he always kept hidden in the waistband of his pants. He buried the blade into the flesh of the man, feeling the hot, thick blood coat his hand as he pulled it out.

The other reacted quickly, grabbing at his gun and moving to take aim when Eren turned and drove the blade into him as well. The gun shot echoed in the small alley as the man fell to the ground. Eren had dodged the bullet but there was no time to spare. He quickly moved to the covered cage the men had been guarding, pulling the sheet off. Inside was a girl about his age, raven black hair covering most of her pale face, but pretty almond shaped eyes blinked open with the sudden wash of light.

Her eyes were a stormy grey, and as Eren quickly unlocked the cage with a key he swiped from one of the dead men, they widened with realization. Eren cut the ropes binding her arms and legs and pulled the gag from her mouth.

"Are you ok?" He asked, concern coloring his voice. The girl looked between the men laying on the ground bleeding out and Eren.

"Yes." She answered quietly.

Eren nodded, grabbing her hand. "I'm Eren. I'll take you somewhere safe."

"Mikasa." The girl looked down at their hands, her own becoming stained red from the blood on Eren's.

"Oh, sorry." Eren apologized, drawing his hand away and wiping it on his shirt. Mikasa said nothing, still stunned that a boy had been able to save her.

"But there were three…" She remembered suddenly, eyes growing wide in fear. Just as the words left her lips the third returned, stopping short at the scene of the other men, fallen and stained crimson. The deep red colored Eren's hands and clothes, marking him as the culprit.

The third man grabbed Eren and threw him against the wall, his hands going around the child's throat. "You killed them, you little brat! I'll make you pay!"

Mikasa rose to her feet, the need to protect Eren rising inside her. Their eyes met over the man's shoulder and Eren gasped out a few words Mikasa would never forget.

"Fight!" He gasped, legs kicking as he struggled against the powerful grip of the attacker. "You can't win if you don't fight! If you lose you die! Fight to live!"

Mikasa sucked in a breath, eyes darting down to the abandoned gun on the ground. She quickly picked it up with shaking hands and raised it. Taking aim, she followed the motions she knew were right, the sound of the bullet releasing deafening in the small space. Scarlet painted the walls as a bullet was planted in the man's head and he fell, Eren falling with him.

Eren coughed and gasped, drawing in the much needed oxygen. Mikasa dropped the gun immediately and crawled over, checking to see if the boy was alright.

"We must run!" Eren gasped, pulling himself up and offering his hand to Mikasa. "Hurry!"

Mikasa nodded and grabbed his hand, uncaring of blood staining her skin. His touch was warm in her cold palm and his warmth was comforting. They ran and ran until night had fallen and they reached a pond on the outskirts of the town.

Eren washed his hands and rubbed at the dried blood on his clothes, trying to get the spots out. He was so dead. Sighing, he gave up trying to make himself presentable, resigning himself to the fact that he would be scrubbing toilets for the rest of his life.

Mikasa shivered, the night air much cooler. The sweat had collected on them both with all their running and it had made her clothing damp so it stuck to her skin uncomfortably in the cool air. Eren noticed her discomfort and moved closer, unwrapping his red scarf from around his neck and draping it over Mikasa's head.

"Here. It's warm, isn't it?" Eren felt his cheeks heat from the gesture as Mikasa's grey eyes met his. The gratitude reflected in them was overwhelming. Mikasa held the scarf to her nose, inhaling the scent that was uniquely Eren. Though it was tarnished with the metallic scent of blood, Mikasa chose to focus on the spicy and warm scent that belonged to the boy next to her.

"Let's go home." Eren whispered, slightly embarrassed at his actions. He took Mikasa's hand again and led her back to wherever home was. Mikasa followed along, putting all her trust and hope in him.

The memories still haunted her of her parents' horrific murder and they would for the rest of her life. But despite that, she had found a beacon of hope, someone to cling to in the wake of all the devastation. Her hand tightened around Eren's.

They were so dead. Blood stained and far too late, Eren came back with Mikasa trailing behind. Little faces popped up from behind doors, staring at the scene as Eren was yelled at and punished by Keith Shadis, the head instructor. He was strict and was responsible for keeping them all in line and training them to be soldiers. Orphanages rarely were used for adoptions since resources were tight and instead the orphaned children were raised to replace soldiers lost at war.

They were just warm bodies who could strap on a gun.

The string of curses and yelling stopped when Levi stepped out and observed the scene. He looked them over, eyes lingering a bit longer on Mikasa. "What happened?"

"I saved her, sir." Eren said, back straightening even more. "Her parents were murdered and she was going to be sold as a slave."

Levi said nothing else for a few minutes before he ordered the children back to bed and told Shadis to let him handle the matter. Once they were left in the main entryway, Levi immediately snapped at Eren to go clean himself up.

Eren reluctantly let go of Mikasa's hand, sending her a worried glance as he moved towards the bathroom. Mikasa met his gaze for a moment before directing her attention to Levi.

Eren wanted to watch their interaction, curious to know if Mikasa would be able to stay. He hid around the corner for a minute, ears straining to hear.

"Name."

"Mikasa Ackerman."

There was a pause for a moment and then the sound of rustling cloth. Eren poked his head around the corner to catch a glimpse of Levi pulling up the sleeve of Mikasa's sweater to look at something on her arm. Mikasa seemed uncomfortable with it and she quickly drew her arm away, hugging it to herself.

"Mother told me not to let anyone see that."

"She's right. Cover it." Levi ordered, voice and face devoid of emotion as always. "Go clean up as well. A bed will be ready for you."

Mikasa nodded, beginning to head Eren's way. When she rounded the corner, her eyes widened upon seeing him.

"What's on your arm?" Eren questioned, curiosity getting the better of him.

Mikasa hesitated, unsure if she should tell him. She avoided his gaze, but eventually decided to share some information. "It's a symbol of my mother's clan. We were the last."

Eren knew that the war had included the genocide of several races and he felt a protective wave of emotion for the girl in front of him. She was rare and beautiful and she would have to be strong because the world outside was a cruel place.

"I won't let anyone hurt you." Eren said with such conviction that it surprised Mikasa. She stared at him through her bangs in awe. Her lip trembled and she fell forward, arms coming around Eren as hot tears rolled down her cheeks. The harsh reality crashed into her, reminding her of her loss. She was alive and she had Eren to thank for that. He had saved her from a miserable, dismal future. He had given her a second chance, but she had not been strong enough to save her parents.

It took a long time for her choked sobs to subside, but Eren held her as he thought of his own mother's death. When she had calmed down enough, he pulled her into the bathroom where he took a cloth to wash the blood off her hands with.

"My mother is dead too. My father went missing and I'm alone." Eren admitted, watching as the pale skin was revealed, such a pristine white. Unblemished and pure and Eren wanted to keep her that way, but her hands had already taken a life. He knew it was a necessity to survive.

"No." Mikasa's voice was small and shaky, but she pressed her newly clean hands to the sides of Eren's face, cupping his cheeks. "You're not alone anymore." From that day forward Mikasa knew she would be with Eren. Nothing would keep them apart.

Everything was foggy, edges blurry and the flash of his father's glasses caught the light. "I'm sorry, Eren. Someday you will understand. Take this and never lose it. The answers will be found in our basement." A chord slipped over his neck and he was struggling and crying. He wasn't sure why, but something had happened, something very important. "I'm sorry!" His father repeated, voice edged with desperation as he plunged a syringe into Eren and drained the contents into him.

"Eren!"

With a start, Eren jerked awake, green eyes taking a minute to focus. There was a light shining behind a shadow. As things started to clear, he made out the matured features of Mikasa.

"Eren, why are you crying?" Mikasa asked, reaching out to touch his cheek. Eren jerked his head back, body shaking. Mikasa looked hurt, drawing her hand back to herself.

Realizing that he had returned to reality, Eren reached up to wipe away his tears with his sleeve. "Sorry, I just…had a dream."

Mikasa bit her lip, holding back from saying anything. They all had dreams. They haunted almost every trainee.

"We're still in a period of peace now. You don't have to worry." Mikasa tried to soothe him with those empty words. Eren was a child born out of war and his heart was never settled. He was never at peace.

"Just because we're forced to evacuate together doesn't mean we're at peace." Eren grit his teeth, turning to the only source of light in the room, the circular window by his bed, just over Mikasa's shoulder. Earth was still visible at a distance, but it seemed as if it weren't real. That was their home and yet they couldn't return while it was in quarantine.

In efforts to eliminate their enemy a scientist had developed a formula to mutate the human DNA into the ultimate soldier. It had backfired, spreading a disease of horrific mutations across the globe and the few survivors had been packed together and shipped off into space. They had developed a floating city, using technology to mimic the benefits of earth. Though they could still see their home, they couldn't return until the mutants had died out.

"Don't think about it, Eren." Mikasa begged, tugging at his arm. The military had been reformed, branching out into three different categories: the scouting legion, the garrison and the military police. Eren had desired to join the scouting legion from day one, since they were the only ones who went back into mutant territory to find a way to eradicate the problem and end the quarantine.

"My mind is already made up and you should stop sneaking into the boys sleeping area. We're too old for this." Eren whispered, nodding his head to the other boys sleeping in their bunks. As they got older they had been separated according to gender, though that did little to sway Mikasa's actions. She tugged at the scarf around her neck, looking down.

"Our ranks are announced tomorrow and we will get to choose which branch to join." Mikasa started, obviously distressed. Eren noticed the worry ever present in the girl who had been at his side since he saved her. She had become the strongest in their trainee group, probably second only to Levi in the entire military.

"You don't have to follow me." Even though he knew what Mikasa would say, it didn't stop him from trying to give her a way out. Eren wanted nothing more than to keep her safe, but Mikasa was never swayed when he was involved.

"I will always follow you, Eren." Mikasa's eyes flicked up to meet his in the darkness. Her fingers tightened their hold on her scarf and Eren snorted softly. He flicked the end of the scarf over Mikasa's head.

"I don't need protecting." He immediately defended himself, though they had been over this a million times. Mikasa shook her head, the scarf falling to the side and revealing her face once again.

"Yes, you do." She whispered, clutching at Eren's hand for a moment before a hushed whisper interrupted them.

"Mikasa, guard." Armin hissed in the dark, his bed closest to Eren's. Mikasa quickly rolled off the bed and hid underneath at a startling speed. The nightly guard opened the door and flashed his flashlight over the room, checking on the boys. Seeing that everything appeared in order, he left and continued on his nightly watch.

"I bet Kirstein reported the nightly visits again." Eren mumbled bitterly, sending a disdainful look towards the bed that contained the trainee he was least fond of.

"He's just bitter Mikasa isn't visiting his bunk." Armin mumbled with amusement, just quiet enough not to be heard by Eren.

Mikasa crawled out from under the bed, giving Eren one last look before turning and leaving the boys' room.

Eren sighed, rolling on his side to stare again at the far away home he missed. Even those muddy streets and the constant warfare felt more welcoming than the cold walls containing him like a prison. He wanted out.

The entire human race was confined to a giant space station, made up of three sectors. They were arranged in rings around the center and residents were categorized according to rank and class. The outermost layers were the poorest, the less privileged and the inner most ring was the closest to the king. The monarchy was started after they had escaped earth to bring a period of peace to the remaining members of mankind. All under one rule, living by the same standards so that things were fair, but they weren't. Like everything humans did, it was corrupt.

The trainees were stationed in the outermost layer, sector Maria. Their rank was revealed one name at a time on a screen above their heads, cameras focusing on them as each was announced, flashing their faces briefly. The emotionless sound of a female voice started with the first.

"First: Mikasa Ackerman."

Mikasa's picture flashed before their eyes, stormy grey eyes apathetic and signature scarf secure around her neck. No one was surprised by the result for first place, Mikasa was somewhat of a legend among the trainee squad.

"Second: Reiner Braun."

A strong blonde popped up on the screen, looking very much the part of a soldier.

"Third: Bertholt Furbar."

The dark haired companion of Reiner's showed upon the screen. He had always been quiet, almost undetectable at times. Both were skilled and strong, fit for their place in the ranking.

"Fourth: Annie Leonhardt."

The blonde girl's face flashed before them and Eren winced, remembering how she had easily flipped him in training. Not that Mikasa hadn't done that to him on the regular, but every single time he faced Annie he ended up on his back with black dancing across his vision. They were both decidedly scary women.

"Fifth: Eren Jeager."

Eren's eyes widened as he looked up at the screen, shocked to have received such a high score. He had wanted to be among the top ten to show everyone he could do it. He worked overtime training, getting as much advice as he could from his fellow trainees. Armin had helped him a lot with the classroom portion of the exams but he had never anticipated being in the middle of the top ten rankings. He stood straighter, priding himself on beating Jean.

"Sixth: Jean Kirstein."

Jean's eyes were narrowed, his eyes cast over in Eren's direction. His displeasure was obvious at being outranked by Eren, who had no natural talent for anything.

"Seventh: Marco Bodt."

The bright, freckled face of Jean's friend showed up after. He was terribly pleased to make it into the top ten, his eyes set on making it into the Military Police.

"Eighth: Connie Springer."

The little boy who had cried at the orphanage was no more. Though small, he had proved himself to be a competent soldier. He seemed surprised and pleased with the result.

"Ninth: Sasha Braus."

Though no one had expected anything from the girl who had often suffered punishments for stealing military issued food supplies, she was a natural born hunter and her instincts could be counted on.

"Tenth: Christa Renz."

The tiny blonde girl's face flashed before them, pretty and sweet. She was very much the dream girl for several of the male soldiers for her beautiful appearance and sweet, mild disposition. Though the dark cloud of Ymir that followed her around tended to keep them away.

"As you know, only the top ten will be allowed to enter the military police. The others will choose between the garrison that acts as a security for the outer sectors and the scouting legion that directly faces the enemy. You will be recruited into your choices by tomorrow."

The voice died out, leaving the rest of the trainees to chatter among themselves, sharing their choices with each other.

"Mikasa, you ranked number one. You should go with the military police." Eren tried once more to persuade her, picturing the little girl she was when they first met. She would be safest closer to the inner ring.

"I'm joining scouting legion." Mikasa said, refusing to let Eren protect her and shield her, in turn separating her from him.

"Me too." Armin chimed in. He knew he hadn't ranked high enough to have much of a choice, but he had always shared the same dreams of seeing the earth reclaimed as theirs. He wanted to be a part of it.

"I'm joining the military police, unlike some idiots that want to kill themselves." Jean said loudly, sending a pointed look in Eren's direction. Eren grit his teeth, clenching his fists at his sides. Mikasa's hand shot out, holding onto Eren's shoulder. She really didn't want to have to break up another idiotic fight between those two again.

"Me too!" Connie chimed in, a sad smile on his face. "Mom would've been so proud to hear that I got into the top ten."

Silence fell over the group for a moment, chilling memories sweeping over them all. The silence was only broken by a thudding creak, lights flickering. Murmurs of confusion and fear spread like wildfire before the wall dented in the training sector.

Something had appeared outside the space station and was trying to break in.

In the middle of space.

What could possibly exist out there?

Steam clouded up the windows as the metal continued to creak and groan under the brute force of something ridiculously strong. Eren felt his throat go dry, realization dawning.

"It's a mutant!" He yelled, sending the squad into hysterics. "Abandon this sector!"

The lights flickered and went out completely, pitching them all into darkness. The clanging continued, the outer wall caving under the pressure.

Armin thought quickly and pressed the button on his suit that snapped the helmet over his head. "Suit up, we're going to get sucked out."

The trainees surrounding them began hitting their buttons but some were too late. A hole punctured the side of the ship and they were sucked out into the unforgiving black. The cold took hold of them, their mouths opening to take in the air that wasn't there. Those that succeeded in properly donning their suits watched in horror as their friends and fellow cadets floated past them, faces frozen in fear.

The beast, the horrible monster was holding on to the side of sector Maria, skinless and steaming, easily 15 meters of pure horror.

Eren grabbed his jet pack controls, kicking into action while others were still reeling from the sudden attack and loss of comrades. He shot forward towards the beast but just as he was about to launch a hook into the skinless mutant, it disappeared. Eren's hook bounced off the wall of the ship and he growled low in his throat, frustrated. Where had that thing come from?

Mikasa and Armin joined his side, both stunned by the sudden turn of events. The evacuation lights flashed all around sector Maria. Though each section was airtight and wouldn't be affected despite partly being down, the fear still shook the people into running to sector Rose.

The surviving trainees jetted back towards the ship to request re-entrance, but something was terribly wrong. The sector began moving, separating from sector Rose. Sector Maria was being abandoned.

"No!" Eren yelled, realizing too late that the remaining people who had not evacuated would be left alone to die. It was the measures that had to be taken in order to keep the contamination from spreading further.

"Everyone get back!" Armin suddenly yelled, remembering the protocol for Sector abandonment. "It's going to blow!"

They retreated, blasting their jets as far away as possible. The sector they had called home during their training, as well as the home of one third of the population, flashed bright before their eyes. The briefest of spherical fire balls showed where the sector one was before disappearing, debris scattered into space. The cries of their teammates sounded over the communication system as they stared at the vast nothingness. Within a matter of seconds, everything had changed.

On that day humanity was given a grim reminder that there was no place to hide and no place to escape to that would shield them from the consequences of their actions.

Information Available for Public Disclosure:

Mutants are larger than humans, ranging from a height of 3 meters to 15 meters. They require no oxygen to breathe, no food to eat and no waste disposal. They are strong and generate lots of heat, making it easy to detect with thermal sensors. They are more active during sunlit hours and tend to attack during the day. Mutants contain several rows of razor sharp teeth and they devour humans for no apparent reason. They appear to be skinless and can range from the natural color of muscles and tendons to a dark grey or black. The disease of their mutation spreads at this point in time only through a bite of a mutant. Injured soldiers are to be shot within 24 hrs of being bitten by a mutant to prevent further contamination, before the transformation fully completes.

Ending notes: Please let me know your thoughts and opinions.