A.N: I knew I would do something for this series. Uggh! Oh well, so I saw a picture of a parody of this series that involved the characters in Avengers like outfits with Armin being Captain America.

I realized how similar (Armin & Pre-Cap Rogers) actually were.

I don't plan on this being a long term story (Maybe 5-8 chapters) unlike another story but let's see where this goes.

That said, on with the show!

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!

Captain Mashiga: The First Superhuman

Chapter 1: Memoirs in Darkness

-Present Time-

Uggghh, my ...head is...

I try to rip my hands apart from whatever was holding me, but something was confining me; something strong. Stronger than I can break...

...unless...

All I see is darkness from a small black rag, whether the whole room is dark or the rag is long, I can't tell. All I can tell is a small scent of lemon pine with a hint of white wine. I must be in a cellar somewhere.

Doesn't narrow anything down though. There are hundreds of cellars in Wall Sina, about eighty in Wall Rose, & ten known ones in Wall Maria after it was re-taken from the Titans.

I try to guide my body left & right on the wooden chair to try and fall down, take the rag off my head and...

*Thunk*

...bolted to the floor. Whoever took me prepared for this and I think I already know who.

Whoever it was laughs an awkward laugh gently within the darkness, expecting their new prey to heel towards them, and beg for mercy. I know your background, & you really don't scare me so why don't you come out an-

*Thwack*

That feeling...the dripping from my mouth...bruises being made...the clacking of my teeth...and he keeps going in a frenzy of sadistic delight. He keeps me guessing whether it's a punch or a kick or he's holding the butt of a rifle, they all feel the same to me at this point.

Each hit I deserve for falling for such a stupid trap. Not even Annie fell for ours three years ago; Mine, Eren's, & Mikasa's.

The only mercy I'll find right now won't come from the the chilling cry of my best friend or the silent speed of my other one; his wife.

I can't expect any of the Survey Corps; I choose not to from Shadis.

All I'm going to have is my memories from a time where I envied those two, for having a life like I have right now.

-Flashback: 4 Monthes Ago-

I hate my body. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!

Every time I looked myself in the mirror when I woke up in the morning, all I'd see was inadequacy. True, my physique is better than most people within the walls. Compared to guys like Jean or Eren, I was lackluster at best.

It didn't help that most guys would come to the Mess hall for breakfast and eat in their pajamas, usually a pair of pants and...that's it.

I always dreaded the training exercises too. How did Keith describe me? Right, a daffodill with a brain. I could barely keep up with half of my own unit in the 3DMG exercises, I was always thrown around in the hand-to-hand, and sword practices were a massacre at best.

The worst part about it was I could clearly see where I could get the upper hand. I sparred with Connie a week ago, which I was surprised about. He and Sasha would joke around and pretend to fight instead while I watched Mikasa & Eren go at it. This day was different, it was her and Jean, & Connie was angry.

Every hook he landed on me, all I had to do was a side step. He would put his knee off, I could pull him off guard. He jumped and charged, a duck with an elbow was all that was needed.

Made perfect sense to perform every single tactic if my body could react to it. Levi & Erwin would berate me about how I could do better, one being more constructive than the other, make your guess. On the other hand, you had some of the veterens or Jean making the sny comment until Eren or Mikasa backed me up and defended me, like they always do.

I sighed, ''at least I had my brain.'' Sure, I saved people with my strategies but when it comes down to a life or death situation, I'm going belly up. I wouldn't mind being able to take up my fists or a sword and killing a Titan or saving a life knowing I did it.

Hell, Jean did it a few days ago! He captured Reiner with Sasha! Which reminds me, I should visit Connie at the hospice. I checked the time on the clock above the door of my room.

''3:00 pm. Not for another few hours.'' Connie won't be stable until 5. I decided to check my bookshelf and slip through some of the books to kill some time. Most of them I've already read, especially the scientific ones and this new science called psychology. I thumbed through a few until I reached one I haven't read.

''Camelot.'' It was a dusty book with a large shield in the front. It must have been a book dated before the Titans came. I often wondered if some of these books were fantasy or if there really were characters like...King Arthur and...Merlin.

I haven't read it yet. I don't have to, to know what Excalibur was. I wouldn't mind venturing out of the walls one day and come across a sword thursted into a large rocky slab with an enchantment saying, ''Those who rip the sword from it's stone shall become the King or Queen'' of some faraway land. It's an idea.

Very similar to another dusty story I read called Beowulf, however the English used was very difficult to dicipher until I noticed a few cognates and...

''Hello?'' I jumped on my feet from the slam of the door. It was Commander Hanji with a backpack on her and a smile that chilled the spine of anyone it connected at, considering her experiments which almost always involved Titans, Eren, or both.

I stood in salute to her almost immediately. Didn't bother putting the book away first, I dropped it mid-startle.

''Commander Hanji! What can I do for you?'' I could guess she was looking for Eren, likely another trivial experiment on transformations. The way Eren described it, he appears to have almost full control over his Titan form as long as he can keep his mood at a specific balance between rage and duty.

I'm sure Hanji told him that.

''Oh drop the formalities, Armin. I've gotten sick of that,'' she entered the room and looked around perplexed, ''where's Eren?'' Eren also happens to be my roommate. Our rooms are two each, no co-ed except for certain occasions.

I broke stance before speaking, if only my voice would take the hint. ''Yes, M'am. Corporal Yeager is currently out with Corporal Ackerman in the city.'' I was not at all surprised when Mikasa, not Eren, asked him out after Historia took the throne. I guess it was along the lines of, 'we could die tomorrow, so why wait and hold our feelings until we die of something worse than being eaten: heartbreak.' Since then, they've become inseperable. So much to the point that I was stuck as a third wheel.

She gave me a queer look at me for calling her M'am. ''Are you saying that to make me mad or are you just mannerly?'' I quivered to what I would say next, as if either answer shared a similar consequence...that is until she broke character and laughed. ''I'm kidding, call me whatever you want! I'm not like No-Fun Levi.''

I thought of laughing or smiling, but my body only responded by sweating further. ''Is there anything else you're here for?''

''Now that you say that,'' her voice must've amped up a few octaves, ''there is!'' With a desperate clutch, she gripped my shoulders causing me to whimper. ''I have this new experiment I want to devise and you, Armin Arlert, are the perfect specimen!''

''Huh?'' She lept towards my bookcase and looked through every single topic in what must've been attoseconds without rest.

''Biology, immunlogy, genetics...you really are smart! You're even more perfect than I realized!'' How did she know they didn't belong to Ere...oh right, Eren. ''Do you know what Eugenics is?''

''You want to experiment on my DNA?!''

''Exactly! Hear me out!'' In horror & intrigue, I did despite every fiber of my being telling me to run away.

''You see, after we captured Reiner & Berthold decided to surrender himself, I took a quick gander at their DNA from their Titan forms before they managed to dissipate entirely, which was a harsh process and compared them to,'' she sniffed before continuing, ''Sawney and Bean's DNA to which I found a discovery. It is possible to splice Titan & Human DNA to create someone with traits similar to a Titan in physical & immunological, and also...''

''Please forgive me for interrupting but what does this have to do with me?''

She stared at me in a moment of clarity before continuing in a manner I didn't think she would, maybe because of what I was used to from higher-ups.

''I'm glad you asked! For some strange coinscidence, you & Sawney have very similar DNA connections which makes you possible to have your DNA spliced with his.''

''But why not anyone else? Like Jean, Eren, Mikasa, or even Connie...'' The last one chilled out my throat before I could utter the noise.

''For Eren, Titan Shifter DNA when not in a certain form will die away quicker than normal Titans while the other three could not be spliced. Their DNA just wasn't compatible from my notes.''

''How do you know mine ar...''

''Not important! What matters now is we have an amazing opportunity to create the first ever Superhuman! Think about it, we have the Titans on the run after we found out the chemical destablizer worked against them and now we an have a seemingly invincible man chasing them away further! We could save lives just from your existance! What do you think?''

I had so many questions come to mind all at once. Why do you have my DNA? How did you get my DNA? Were there other test subjects? How do you know this will work? And so on, and so forth but none of these questions came to mind. I couldn't tell which word tricked me into saying what I did, of which by the way was a large and unanimous,

''Yes, M'am. I shall.''

It could have been being invincible, being the first ever Superhuman, or perhaps, and this isn't just a word, save lives from my existance. Whether my inital feelings on the matter was selfish or selfless doesn't matter now. All that mattered was that I, Armin Arlert, would be useful mind & body for the coming days at that point.

''Great to hear! Meet me in my lab at 8:00 am tomorrow sharp and we will conduct tests then! Oh and before I leave, let's keep this our little secret, huh?'' With a wink and a run, she left my room.

Here's the problem with leaving me alone in my room, it let's all of my thoughts enter my head including self-doubts and second guesses.

Did what I just agreed to have been the right thing or was I wrong to not ask those questions? What if I turned into a freakish monster like in those tragedies! Or I transformed into a Titan?! What do I...

''Armin?'' Eren? ''Did I just see Hanji leave here?''

''I don't think so, I was about to read...''I looked down and quickly picked up Camelot from the floor, ''this!''

''You're not going to get immersed into that as you did with 300, will you?'' That was the short name for Thermopylae, a short story about the King of a land called Sparta that fought a legion of Persians with only 300 soldiers. It was one of my favorite stories when I was young. To have such bravary to fight that many people to protect your home. It was enviable.

''No, so what are you doing home early? I thought you were with Mikasa?''

He started to search through his drawer before taking out a small item I could barely notice. ''I was. We went out for a walk around, spoke a little, had dinner, sparred, you know, the romantic stuff but then I felt like I had a question for you so I left, she had horse duty anyways.''

I don't think this will have anything to do with Eugenics. ''Alright, don't freak out,'' he showed me the item which was a wooden ring case, it was crudely made, likely, by Eren or some amateur wood cutter, ''I'm going to ask her to marry me.'' Did I mention how much Jean howled after he found out Mikasa asked out Eren? Apparently, Connie didn't sleep for a week. That was until Jean started talking to Sasha but I digress.

''Wait, are you sure you want to do that? The Survey Corps are preparing to attack one of the last few Titan breeding grounds and they want you and Mikasa to lead the charge with Warrant Officer Levi, wouldn't you rather wait?''

Eren's face went from joy to something close to anger, but not entirely there like a light pink. ''I know and so does Mikasa. Why wait? Me and her could die tomorrow, you could die tomorrow, Levi could die tomorrow, all of us could be killed by a rampaging Titan as we speak so why wait? If I'm going to die when we perform that offensive, I'll die a married man with the woman I love.''

''Alright, alright, but you two have only been together for a few months now...''

''And we've lived together for almost ten years.''

''I know...''

''Then why are you asking me if I want to do this?'' I should've known better. Eren is way too easily defensive, especially if he believes something needs to happen like defend mankind, kill the Titans, and marry Mikasa.

''I-it's nothing. I'm happy for the both of you.'' He kept a blink of victory before returning to the smile he came back in here with.

''I'm glad because I want you to be my best man.'' Anticipation was written all across his face, bending his knees to my level. I could tell he had worry from our semi-argument, he really shouldn't! ''I can't think of anyone else who should be there.'' Without sounding egotistical, there was no one else!

''Of course I'll do it.'' Did my voice have a jist of nervousness in it? Cause Eren was laughing. It's been a while since I see Eren or Mikasa smile so frequently or laugh with glee. For the first time in a long time, they were both happy.

''Thank-you, Armin. I really appreciate it.''

''Sure,'' I shrugged, ''what are friends for?''

He stood up, gently placing the ring box in the pocket of his trousers, making a small undetectable bulge hidden around the 3DMG garb he placed around himself. ''I'm glad we could do that. I'm gonna go head off to do some training in the woods nearby, wanna come?''

''Wait, I need some help,'' he stuck around curiously awaiting, his left leg shook wanting to train, ''I was offered to perform a secret task by Commander Hanji earlier today,'' I tried to word it to make sure it stayed a secret but not vague enough to take away the purpose of the experiment, ''and she told me if I did this, it could be a great help for humanity and I'm nervous about what would happen to me if I did. What should I do?''

''Do you remember what you told me a while back? If you're not willing to sacrifice anything, you won't change anything. This seems like your chance to do something like that.''

''It's also Hanji...''

''Hanji is scary, but not deadly...well to humans. I've survived all of her experiments so take that in stride. If she didn't think it would work, she wouldn't ask.''

''You're right, thanks Eren.''

''What are friends for?'' He waved his hand towards me. ''Now get your gear, we have trees to fly through!''

-3 hours later-

I...I think my heart stopped...for a moment.

Seriously, Eren could make Shadis' & Levi's look like a walk in the park. I must have used up all of my second wind's for the next few months trying to keep up through every quick branch and trunk. I've eaten enough leafs to be classified a herbivore.

At one point during the exercise, I must have lost track where I was going and crashed head first into a wasp's nest. I tried to activate my gear at a dextrious rate, I wasn't fast enough. The wasps started to sting my hand before Eren tackled me away from the area. Wasps are territorial bugs so they wouldn't follow us after a while.

It took a while for the sting to effect my hand, becoming red and insufferable. We dropped by towards the hospice to get some cream and bandages to keep it applied to the wound.

There's my body again, failing to react to the most obvious of dangers. There was something worth changing for.

If I won't sacrifice anything, I can't change anything.

This body...I hate it and I'm more than willing to sacrifice it for something better, especially after that, but my body changing to a stronger form can't be the only thing, can it? If it helps my friends take on the Titans and quit having to protect me every five minutes, I'll do it.

You could say I made my decision then.

Eren left to go propose to Mikasa, best of luck to you. I chose to visit Connie while I was there. About an hour late but I'm sure he wouldn't mind. His mood is a lot more managable around now, closer to what he was like before.

I checked his room window to see if he was awake. I could still barely handle the sight of him. Only a week ago, he was landing kicks and knees to me, fighting like a man with a purpose.

Now, he sleeping with his bed at a slight angle, his eyebrows were arched in a state of frustration and anger, the eurphoria of any drugs in his system have yet to work on him if at all. His hair grew out to a much darker colour, only slightly longer than Eren's, more string-like to something I can only describe as malicious or perhaps malnourished. His upper body still had the features of a young man in his prime, his lower body was mangled, his calves were crushed by Reiner's grip as if he were pressing on a tube of toothpaste, desperately oozing at the last drop.

The Doctors and Medic had said that rehabilitation for him would happen soon, but his chances of walking again were nothing short of a miracle.

It never gets any easier.

''He still blames Jean.'' I'm glad Sasha gave me an excuse to look away for a moment. This is the first time I've seen Sasha here, whether she visited earlier or not. She & Connie had to be as close as me & Eren are, if not as close as Eren & Mikasa are. Ever since the fight, Sasha was a changed woman. She acted less eccentric, she was less talkative, and the food storages, especially in potatoes, had been in surplus. She only spent time with Jean & Mikasa, and the only reason she spent time with Mikasa was because they shared the same room.

''I don't know.'' Truth was he went on a full rant about how Jean was nothing more than a opportunist momma's boy who would stab anyone in the back just to look good, then he said Sasha was gullible enough to fall for it. It's scary what a week can do. As for Jean, I haven't heard from or spoken to him since. Only Sasha has. ''Have you ever tried visiting him?''

''I have.'' She started to tear up a little. I had thought about comforting her but not in front of the window. ''I would hope everyday it would get easier & easier to visit him but it never does. It took everything I had to come today.'' She turned to me, her head was still down and her chestnut brown hair hiding her eyes. ''Do you think it was Jean's fault?''

''How could anyone know? Only three people were in the underground.'' By the time we found Connie, Jean, & Reiner, a large armoured skeleton, doused with the chemical destabilizer, laid before us with Reiner detained by the hands, Jean above him gasping with an armour piercing blade in his hand and Connie in the corner, surronded by his own blood.

''You're right. Have you spoken to Reiner?''

''No one has, no one I know.''

''Oh.''

Seconds felt like hours, we were stuck standing there for so long. I'd imagine what Sasha was thinking about saying, a part of me believed she was thinking the same thing. ''I feel tired, try to have a good night, Sasha.''

''Armin,'' I stopped, ''Jean feels horrible about that day. I...I wish I could say more but he feels horrible.''

''How do you feel?'' She must've been caught off-guard by my question but instead of pressing on like I wanted to, I just left. I should've said something like he was your friend and you couldn't visit him once. I'm sure Connie's spirits would have risen from seeing Sasha once.

It's her life in the end, I feel bad that while Eren & Mikasa are on cloud nine, which I found further evident when I saw the two in my bedroom cuddling with each other, Sasha, Connie, and maybe Jean are trapped in limbo.

I didn't want to disturb them. Any time for peace is good.

Now that I think about it, I should visit some of the Titan Shifters too, it must be lonely in those prison cells, chained to the floor. Annie can't still be in that crystal cage, can she?

Forgive me if I sound selfish, but I was content with how life was for me, especially now with the chance of me being the world's first Superhuman; to help defend humanity at a better rate isn't a bad thing to do. I just hope that I can protect my friends for a change, save them when they need me.

I know I'll help them in some way on their wedding day, whenever that is.

-Present Time-

Their wedding day...I often wondered how that went.

A part of me felt like a few of those kicks were fired at me by Mikasa & Eren for not being at their wedding and letting them believe I had disappeared...

...for a month.

I still feel guilty for missing that when I said I would and it was not by my choice. I didn't have a single opinion. No matter how many times I tried to tell myself they were better off not seeing me or not being around me, I missed them more than ever.