A/N: Hey guys! Rogue Schneider here. This is another idea I came up with while I was recuperating from a severe case of writers block. To be honest, this isn't really an original idea, but something I got inspired to write after watching a lot of movies. The main pairing for this is ErenXMikasa, but there's also a bit of ErenXAnnie.
This is a sort of modern AU, but the story still unfolds within the Walls! Also the characters in this fic may seem a bit warped, so if you're into spot on characterizations, this might not be the best story for you!
And uh... since this is the first chapter, I've got some background information to cover before I go to the next chapters.
All that said, I hope you enjoy it!
As Long As I'm Alive:
Chapter-1:
The Man who cannot die
It was a time of despair, it was a time of loss… and yet it was also a time of hope.
In the year 844, a new breed of Titans known as the 'Armored Ones' emerged. A species so powerful, it posed one of the greatest threats to Humanity since the erection of the three Walls. With strength and speed far exceeding its fellow Titans, the Armored Ones were unique. They had the capability to break through the Walls and the typical weapons of the Survey Corps proved to be harmless against the species.
In the year 845, Humanity's worst nightmare began. An army of Armored Ones attacked Wall Maria, mutilating several components of it completely with the help of their unique hardening ability. The toll taken by the massacre on the people was enormous. Lives were lost, families separated and livelihood's destroyed. The survivors of Wall Maria were shipped within Wall Rose, where they were considerably safe. The Armored Titans didn't return, but the damage had been done. People were unable to cope with the prospect of imminent danger.
The world seemed to be nearing its end. The citizens needed someone to assure their safety. They turned to the nobles and the leaders, who in turn, went to the scientists, seeking their help.
And thus the greatest minds in the Walls flocked together, searching for a solution- a way to fight back against the Titans. They spent countless days and nights working on the project and eventually tasted success.
The 'SHIFT' Serum was undoubtedly one of the greatest innovations of the century. It allowed the user to transform into a Titan and also provided them with the necessary strength to take on the Armored Ones as well as to undo the damage done to the walls, by hardening their bodies and sealing the breaches.
Humanity finally had a way to fight back.
Five years later, Wall Maria was recovered and further territory gained by the soldiers. The terror of the titans faded into nothing but a distant memory.
But in the initial stages, it wasn't that easy. The serum was extremely unstable. It could destroy a person's mind. It could annihilate someone from the inside. The success rate of the candidates was extremely low. And even those who survived the transformation weren't safe. Transforming into a Titan was an extremely dangerous process and any attempt of doing so could result in serious injuries and even death.
There were still those people who survived and emerged unscathed. Every time.
One such person was Eren Yeager -popularly referred to as 'The Man who cannot die'. Hailing from the Shiganshina district, Eren volunteered for the serum after the destruction of his hometown. Within a span of three years, he rose in popularity, with the highest record of sealed breaches and exterminated Armored Ones. He emerged from the realms of heroes and passed into that of legends...
Many people wonder why Eren was different from the rest. Some believe that it's because of his powerful sense of purpose and a firm mind. Others say that it has some thing to do with his DNA.
However, Annie Leonhart- a leading journalist for Sina's Times claims that it is neither. She says that his story is not one of courage or miracles, but a simple story of love...
Arsha District, Wall Maria, Year 850:
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Commander!" Annie squealed, barely restraining herself from jumping and hugging the elderly man.
Erwin's blue eyes stared in to hers and though most people would find his gaze disconcerting, it didn't affect her at all.
"It's not a problem!" He droned. "We need all the publicity we can get, and I've already talked to the Manager."
Annie rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, her blonde hair a disheveled mess.
"Ooh! I've never been so excited before! I can't wait to get started! I'm sure it's going to be an amazing experience.!
Erwin couldn't help but smile at the girl's enthusiastic attitude.
"I'd advise you to wait until morning." He suggested. "They've just returned from a mission and they're probably exhausted."
The way her expression fell was almost comical.
"Oh.." She muttered, looking down at her feet. "I was hoping to talk to them today!"
Erwin chuckled.
"I'm sure you'll get a chance some other time." He comforted her. "But at the moment, they need a good night's sleep as do you!"
He ushered her outside and directed her to her room before leaving.
As Annie walked away, she looked up into the sky and was entranced by the bright full moon which hung in the sky.
'It's beautiful' She thought.
And suddenly, she was on the ground, face-down in the grass. She felt a slight tug on her leg, and she turned around and spotted the straps of an abandoned 3DMG clinging to her boot.
Furious that something so trivial had managed to trip her up, she shook it off and gave the inanimate object a stare of absolute loathing.
But as her eyes flitted towards the gigantic Walls looming over her, she suddenly realized that the Gear was more of a boon then a bane.
Annie didn't know much about killing Titans, but she knew the basics of 3DMG gear. She'd learnt it from her dad.
After all, a journalist needed to be a bit of everything to survive in this world.
'Perfect!'
A few seconds later, Annie stood on top of Wall Maria, arms outstretched, the wind beating hard against her chest. The moon shone brightly, and though Annie was shivering from the cold, she could have sworn that she'd never seen a more beautiful sight.
Here, she was, on top of the world. Alone. Happy. Free.
The scene which lay before her was a sight to behold.
As a child, Annie had always wanted to be a free bird. She wanted to fly, to soar into the skies, to keep moving forward and never look back. She'd become a journalist because she had the passion and the will to be one.
For a girl who'd lived all her life in a tiny cage, the immensity of such an experience could never truly be grasped.
And things only got better from there. A rumbling sound resonated below her feet and as she looked down, she saw something majestic.
Several feet below her lay a Titan, nestled against the wall. It's skin seemed to reflect the hues of the moonlight and it twitched from time to time like a restless baby.
She leaned towards the edge of the Wall, drinking in the scene. She'd never seen a Titan before, and she'd never expected to see one either in her short stay at the Survey Corps. This was a golden opportunity for her to get a scoop for the papers.
She attached one of the cables of her gear to the edge of the wall and slowly lowered herself until she was just a few meters above the Titan. She took out a note book and started scribbling whatever came to her mind.
Her heart was racing now, beating hard against her chest.
For those few precious moments, Annie was completely engrossed in her work. Nothing mattered except for the snoring monster that lay in front of her.
But then, Annie heard a faint ripping sound above her.
She froze.
No... Sudden...Movements.
How could she have been so careless?
She'd forgotten to check the condition of the gear before trying it out. She'd been defeated by her own pride.
'Now's not the time to blame yourself, Annie! Now's the time for you to think! Get yourself out of this mess!'
Slowly, she reeled herself in. Inch by inch, meter by meter. When she was halfway through, her cable gave another ominous creak and Annie winced.
She was just a meter below the edge of the Wall when her cable snapped.
Annie found herself hanging from a ledge below the Wall, with no where to go.
As she hung on for dear life and in that moment, Annie truly realized what was going to happen.
She was going to die.
But she was still too young! She had things to do! Goals to achieve! New heights to reach!
Her life couldn't end here!
Her vision was blurred and her fingers were aching. Desperate, she tried to swing over the ledge, to get some sort of footing.
But it was to no avail. Slowly, her grip began to loosen.
That was when she spotted the other person.
A man. Sitting on the wall, gear slung on his back.
It was as if something had ignited deep inside Annie.
"He-Help!" She screamed.
The stranger heard her voice. He turned towards her and his teal green eyes met hers.
"Help me!" Annie yelled again. "I'm falling!'
The man didn't seem to hear her. He simply stared at her blankly.
Annie felt weak. Her arms were growing numb and she felt like she was slipping into an unfathomable darkness. Her last feelings were those of regret.
...
Her eyes flickered open. She was looking at the same moon she'd been admiring a moment ago. But she was no longer on the Wall.
She sat up and whirled around, gasping heavily for breath.
There he was sitting a few meters away from her.
She gaped at him. She tried to speak, but ended up mumbling incoherently.
When she finally found her voice, she felt a new-found anger growing inside her.
"Wh-What were you thinking, taking so much time?' She cried.
Silence from the other end.
"I was literally at the edge of my life there!" She yelled, turning away from him.
"I-I could have died!"
A burst of gas and the sound of whizzing cables.
Annie turned around and the man was gone, replaced by a patch of smoke.
She blinked.
"What an asshole!"She grumbled.
But before she could leave, she spotted something gleaming amidst the grass.
She bent down and her hands brushed against soft leather.
Her fingers ran over the surface and came to rest on some sort of carving on the other side.
She flipped the pouch in her had and stared at the back.
There, right in the center, engraved in ornate calligraphy were the initials:
E.Y.
For some reason, the initials seemed to be vaguely familiar to Annie. In fact, she could have sworn that she'd seen it before.
'He must have dropped it.'
Annie made a mental note to return the pouch to the mysterious man if she found him. After all, he'd saved her life, even if he'd been a complete jerk about it.
Annie sat on her bed, her legs crossed and her hands fiddling with the pouch.
'Where have I seen those initials before?'
She twiddled her thumbs, then leaned forward, her curiosity getting the better of her.
She unzipped the pouch and put her hand inside.
All she felt was cold metal against her finger tips.
She overturned the pouch and a number of coins spilled out. She picked up one of them and inspected it.
As she shook the pouch a bit, something else fell out. She goggled at the new item. It was a cheap notebook, not unlike the one Annie used to pen down her thoughts.
She frowned.
'I never thought a grumpy man like him would be interested in writing stuff.'
It was obviously something private, only meant for the owner to peruse.
But now that Annie had gotten her hands on it, there was no way she was going to bother about little things like that!
She flipped the book open. The pages were yellowed with age, but there were no dog-ears or torn pages-the book had obviously been handled with great care in the past.
She lay down, resting her head on an arm and snuggled in her blanket.
She skipped to the first entry and began to read.
-(***)-
I first saw her on a winter morning, an angel wading in the snow, wearing a beautiful red dress. Her eyes were dark as night and her skin glowed brightly, as if it had been infused with a divine aura...
~Chapter-1