Chapter 1
Eren knew Levi had told him to stay inside. He knew Armin had told him the same. He knew that he still had enemies in the Military Police. But the barracks were as suffocating as living inside the walls. Sure, he liked reading with Armin, but sometimes he just had to go out and do things for himself.
He looked around him as people in clean, expensive clothing strolled down the street looking at pretty things that cost enough money feed his whole family in Siganshina for a month. He grit his teeth so he wouldn't humiliate himself in front of everyone and get found out. This system was more corrupted then he had ever imagined. A patrol of Military Police strolled by, chatting amongst themselves. Those weak, lazy bastards. Eren felt his teeth vibrating in his cheeks from gritting them too hard.
"Hey kid," said one.
"Aren't you old enough to be in the Military?" put in another.
Eren glared back at them.
"Hey, what do you think his deal is?" said the one nearest to Eren to his comrades.
"Dunno. Hey, kid, what's your problem?"
"All you fucking do here is sit on your asses all day and gossip around the city! You were the ones who were best able to defend humanity, but you get to sit here eating our food, you fucking parasites! You're the ones who will probably never see a titan, but you're also the ones who were most likely to survive it!" Now that he had started Eren couldn't stop. "How can you live with yourselves, you fucking scum?! How can you…"
The first kick hit him in the gut. It hurt. He doubled over, clutching his stomach. He couldn't let them beat him like this. When the next one came at him, he was ready. The Military Police woman threw a punch at his face, but he dodged and pushed her in the direction she was going. She fell to the ground. He would use Annie's fighting techniques on them even if she had joined them. He tripped the next one., sending him sprawling on the street. The rest stared at him for a second.
"Dude, that's Jaeger!" shouted one of them as Eren reached up to wipe the sweat off his upper lip.
The second one nodded at the first one. They slowly advanced to where Eren stood near the wall. Maybe if he made them think it wasn't a good idea to come near they would go away. After all, they were weak cowards. They hesitated.
"What are you doing?!" the one on the left demanded.
"No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir," Eren had no idea why he was saying this; it just sort of spilled out of his mouth. It was from a book he and Armin had been reading the other day. Romeo and Juliet. One of the books that had been banned.
"Maybe we won't arrest you now, but we will report this to the King," said one of the people in the Military Police squad as they retreated.
Eren decided his best choice was to go back to his barracks. As he walked through the door, he heard a cannon shot near the wall.