Here we go! Although it's not really necessary to read "Live in the Moment" before jumping into this sequel, I hope any new readers will choose to read it first in order to set the full context for this fic and provide you with all the background information regarding Eren and Mikasa's current relationship. To all returning readers, thanks for giving this a shot! Huge thank yous to kiks493, Sentinel07, and blackdragonhuntress for being so supportive and encouraging! :) I have yet to decide the length of this, but I anticipate more chapters than there were in the prequel. Rated T for language and violence.

Opening up with Chapter 49 means huge spoilers for those who don't follow the manga and that shit is going down. A major bulk of this first chapter features canon dialogue from the manga, but I will be taking more liberties in the rest of the story. Nothing fluffy here, but I promise there will be enough to go around later! Without further ado...

Her Kind of Love

Chapter 1: Grin

"Commander Erwin!"

Startled and petrified cries came from all directions as the soldiers of the Survey Corps beheld the gruesome sight of the right arm of their admirable and seemingly invulnerable commander trapped between the jaws of a Titan that had charged at their formation with alarming speed. It had happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that no one had been able to react quickly enough to engage it. There was a sickening crunch, and all they could do was watch in uninhibited horror and abject disbelief. Blood poured out from the wound, splattering his uniform and everything within a two-foot radius.

The disturbing sight of the symbolic Wings of Freedom splashed with crimson was a grim reminder that the price of freedom was a heavy one.

He was visibly shaken himself and cringing in pain, but he had only one objective in mind at the moment and it took precedent over everything else—including his own life if it came down to it. There was no hesitation whatsoever.

"ADVANCE!" Erwin bellowed, his voice unwavering and eyes flashing with slightly crazed determination. "Eren's right before your eyes! Advance!"

Mikasa didn't need to be told twice; even if he hadn't issued such an order, she would have proceeded on her own and fought against anyone who got in her way. She barely noticed the few soldiers who stayed behind to aid their commander.

Eren was right in front of them, so close that she could sense his distress and rage, and he needed her. From the glimpse she had caught of him before she and the others had been forced to abandon their first try to reclaim him, he was gagged, tied to Bertolt's back, and held captive by Reiner in his Armored Titan form. Furious tears stung her eyes and clouded her vision as she recalled all of the past instances when she had nearly lost him. Last time, it had been in the Forest of Giant Trees, but with the Lance Corporal's help, they had managed to recover him without any further casualties. But this time… as soon as instinct had warned her that he was in danger, circumstances had intervened and given the enemies a five-hour head start. She had woken up from the impact feeling disoriented, distraught, and alone, even with Armin's usually soothing presence.

And that was what scared her the most—more than any of these Titans storming towards them, more than losing other comrades, and even more than death. She had vowed to never stop fighting and give up again, so as long as she had Eren by her side, there was nothing she could possibly be afraid of. He was never going to die before her, not on her watch.

Perhaps it was a reckless and overly confident thought, but that was how much she loved him.

Gritting her teeth, Mikasa gripped her unsheathed blades tightly and urged her horse to go faster as they dodged the large open palm of an incoming Titan. Left and right, her fellow soldiers were being snatched up, trampled over, or directly eaten from their saddles. But she couldn't afford to dawdle in an attempt to save them; she couldn't afford to care about any of them when the person whose life she held in greater value than her own was not within her reach. She meant what she had said to Krista when the petite girl had begged her to spare Ymir's life. They were comrades, friends even, but no one would see any mercy from her when Eren's life was at stake.

"Asking me for compassion is mistaken. After all, I have no heart or time to spare. Krista…Eren and Ymir. Which will it be? Will you get in my way as well?"

On either side of her, Hannes and Jean were tailing closely with their blades drawn. Dark eyes narrowed dangerously as she zeroed in on her targets—Reiner was preoccupied with the task of fighting off the massive crowd of Titans that Erwin had strategically lured to the scene, leaving Bertolt and Eren exposed. This was her chance. Swiftly assuming a crouched position upon her still galloping horse, she kicked off the saddle and launched upwards with the help of her activated gas mechanism. Arranging the blades in her hands, Mikasa took a second to aim before firing the grapple hook towards the Armored Titan's chin, where the two humans were tucked under and stayed in place with the help of Bertolt's grapple hook.

The taller boy uttered a noise of surprise as her hook embedded itself a mere inch or two above his head. Eren's eyes widened as a wave of relief flooded through him—she came back for him! He hadn't doubted her, but just a short while ago she hadn't been able to successfully rescue him due to Ymir's interference and Reiner's protection. He watched attentively as she swung towards them, noting the murderous intent on her face and the blades in her hands poised to strike. Visibly panicking, Bertolt acted upon instinct and leaped away just in time, narrowly missing Mikasa's vicious and precise swipes.

His gaze never leaving her form, Eren struggled against the restricting binds and made a futile attempt to bite through the cloth serving as a gag. Sudden movement from behind her caught his attention, and at that moment, he wished he could be anywhere but here, helplessly watching the horrifying and torturous scene unfold before him. Reduced to only being capable of making muffled frantic sounds that she couldn't even hear, he had never loathed himself more.

Still recovering from the smarting blow that she had missed yet again, Mikasa became aware of the grave predicament she was in just as the Titan's hand closed around her torso. Gasping in shock and squeezing her eyes shut, she cried out as she felt the bones comprising her ribcage fracture, her features sharply contorting to reflect the extreme amount of pain she was experiencing. A century seemed to pass by as her agonizing shrieks persisted; the stark realization that she might die was the only coherent thought in the midst of her suffering.

That, and Eren. He wasn't even safe yet—she couldn't die. Would she never be able to hold him in her arms again?

"Mikasa!"

His ears were deafened by her blood-curdling screams, his eyes were brimming with vengeful tears, and his breaths were shallow and unsteady. He was sweating profusely, not because of the harsh sunlight nor the unwanted body heat radiating from the person behind him, but in sheer cold terror. This couldn't possibly be real—she was Mikasa, the strongest in their class and one of the most valued soldiers in the Survey Corps! It was nearly impossible for her to get caught like that, not when she was so agile and skilled with her 3DMG and swords. And yet, here she was. He knew that she wasn't invincible; he had told her that himself. But to actually witness her slip up and reveal that she was susceptible to physical harm as well was deeply upsetting.

And it was all his fault. She was at such a disadvantage because of him. Was he going to be forced to relive that infamous day and lose her as well?

"The world is cruel."

Why was he thinking of her words now?

"Shit! You bastard!"

As Bertolt quickly reeled them back to rest on Reiner's left shoulder, Eren didn't need to see the person to know who he was. He had never thought the day would come for him to actually be happy to hear horse-face's irritating voice. From his unfavorable position strapped to Bertolt's back, he could only see what was happening from out the corner of his eyes. He turned his head as far as he could to assess the situation, his aching heart hammering wildly in his chest and entire body heating up in pure, unadulterated resentment. He was torn between wanting to block out her tormented cries and finding a way to break free from this bastard so he could slaughter that creature. And then kill those repulsive, two-faced traitors. Murderers. But, dammit, he was stripped of his 3DMG, so even if he decided to go with the latter, he wouldn't achieve anything.

He had never felt more powerless.

Fuck, he couldn't lose her. He couldn't. She was important. Too important—and still in the clutches of that fucking Titan…where the fuck was he?!

Eren would never admit it if anyone asked, but deep down he knew that if he had to trust one person to save Mikasa's life in the event he couldn't do it himself, that person would be Jean.

"Let go of her!" Said boy's enraged yell ripped through the air as he confronted the Titan, shooting his grapple hook and swinging himself out of his saddle. Soaring straight towards the Titan's face, Jean ruthlessly stabbed its left eye.

Suddenly extremely grateful for Jean's existence, Eren released a shaky breath as he watched the Titan's grip around Mikasa loosen. His vision was abruptly obscured as Reiner's arm moved to protect Bertolt from other advancing members of the Survey Corps, jostling both of them and spiking Eren's already boiling anger.

"We finally made it all this way!" The usually soft-spoken boy announced, although there was an audible nervous hitch in his voice. "We're taking Eren back with us! Back to our hometown!"

The gray-eyed boy listened in silent fury, dismay, and dread. Where the hell was this "hometown" anyways? And there was something about the future of this world...a monkey... Shit, at this rate everyone was going to die! All because he got captured…Mikasa. Was she safe and on the way to getting her injuries treated yet?

"Bertolt!" A voice that Eren knew almost as well as his own rang out.

Armin!

The blond boy jumped into his line of vision, crouching by the juncture of the Armored Titan's neck and shoulder. He appeared to be carefully pondering his next course of action, his expression bleak and blue eyes swirling with various emotions. Eren felt Bertolt tense as a slightly deranged look of enlightenment crossed Armin's face.

"Is it really okay…" Armin began slowly in a dark tone, "for the two of you to leave your comrade behind and return to your hometown like this?"

Bertolt sucked in a sharp breath, and Eren would have voiced his surprise as well if it weren't for the gag. What exactly was Armin trying to say? He trusted his best friend and knew without uncertainty that the blond always figured out the best solution to any situation, but that look—that was something Eren had never seen before on such a pure and honest face. It was devious, unforgiving, and didn't suit Armin in the least.

What had this fight for humanity done to him…to all of them?

"You're going to leave Annie behind?" The brainiest of the trio pressed on without missing a beat, seemingly unaffected by the astonished faces before him. He stared hard at one of the said girl's accomplice. "She's deep underground now, in the northernmost Utopia District…being tortured."

Eren could have sworn that the boy behind him stopped breathing. He knew for a fact that what Armin was saying wasn't true—it was a bluff. But for a second there, he had almost believed the words that were said with so much conviction. So why…?

"If you could hear her screams, you'd understand immediately. Even if the physical wounds can heal, there's no way to erase the pain. Great care is being taken so that she won't die, but even at this moment, Annie's body hasn't had any time to rest yet."

What the hell, Armin? A flurry of questions flew through Eren's mind, and fear for his childhood friend's safety as well as sanity consumed him. What was he trying to accomplish?

"She's undergoing all sorts of ingenious methods of torture…" The blond boy trailed off ominously, a mad glint still evident in his bright calculating eyes.

Eren jerked forward with a start as Bertolt reacted violently and roared in a voice that neither of them had ever thought he was capable of possessing. Who knew that the quietest and most timid soldier in the Survey Corps could also snap like that?

"You sons of bitches! I swear I will exterminate you all!" A foreign look of outrage etched on his face, the Colossal Titan shifter made to lash out at Armin, his swords in hand.

Before Eren could even attempt to call out, the noise of shredding cloth and Bertolt's staggered gasp resonated in his ears and for a few moments, the sounds of chaos and bloodshed happening all around him were muted. Did Armin get hurt? The ensuing seconds were a blur.

He was suddenly falling, and although he was glad to finally be detached from Bertolt's back, rejoicing was a thought far in the back of his mind as gravity continued to pull him down at a disconcerting speed. Physically prevented from voicing his agitation, Eren settled for desperately endeavoring to break out of the ropes binding his hands to his back.

He felt her before he heard her. Like a relentless and powerful typhoon crashing without a warning, she collided into him from behind, wrapping her arms around his torso in a vice-like grasp. A strangled sigh of relief escaped from her mouth, and he was overwhelmed by an onslaught of mixed emotions surging through him. Her chin was resting on his right shoulder as she propelled them towards the empty saddle on her stampeding horse. Too engrossed in sorting out his feelings, Eren hardly considered the fact that Armin had goaded Bertolt to buy enough time for the commander to attack and cut him loose. Hell, he hadn't even realized that the commander had saved him.

The most prominent emotion that was dominating his being was anger. What the fuck was she doing? Why wasn't she taking care of herself? She had just gotten the life squeezed out of her by a Titan—how many bones were broken?

He continued to seethe in silent rage, glaring furiously at the side of Mikasa's head as she deftly arranged their positions so that they dropped onto the saddle with her taking the reins.

"All units, pull back!" Erwin's booming declaration rudely drew Eren out of his vehement thoughts, and the boy belatedly realized that everyone around them was retreating at utmost haste. Whipping his head around, he could see Reiner stretch his hand out towards them and Bertolt's limp dangling figure. In almost mirthless satisfaction, he briefly wondered whether the guy was severely wounded or even better, dead. Grudgingly aware that the only thing he could do at the moment was stay put instead of thrash around and demand to be released already, he felt the anger ebb away as it was replaced by immense guilt.

Once again, they were risking their lives for him—how many people had died just now? Once again, Mikasa had to save his sorry ass because he had failed. Once again, he had failed them all. Why was he so weak?

His self-deprecating thoughts screeched to a halt as something large soared overhead, temporarily blocking the sunlight. What was that? He felt Mikasa grow rigid and craned his neck to see if he could catch a glimpse of the cause of all the commotion over the horse's mane.

"Reiner, that bastard…" Jean's cutting tone with an underlying anxious note came from somewhere close by. "He's tossing Titans at us!"

Before he could even squirm in discomfort, within seconds, Eren found himself toppling from the saddle as the horse beneath them collapsed. He could only guess that they had been struck by one of the Titans Reiner had chucked. Panting from the scare and getting the wind knocked out of him, he lifted his throbbing head from where it had been face down on the ground and peered blearily about him. Where was she?

A sharp and painful intake of breath from behind him caught his attention, and it was followed by a weak but anguished, "Eren…"

It had been too long since she had last sounded so desolate. He strived to twist his body around to face her, straining against the binds. The earth below him was shaking perilously due to the heavy footfalls of pursuing Titans and pounding hooves of bolting horses nearby. A bone-chilling feeling of apprehension suddenly overcame him as his senses tingled forebodingly.

Something was approaching them.

Fully aware that he was defenseless, he looked up in trepidation and despair to greet whatever cruel doom was awaiting them. His blood ran cold and his heart seized up as Eren took in the sight of the looming figure towering above them. Shocked into silence, Mikasa didn't make a single sound, but he could feel the waves of horror and fear emitting from her—or perhaps those were his own feelings.

As fate would have it, the Smiling Titan leered down at him, the same wide and horrendous grin that was forever burned into his memory plastered on its face.

Initial thoughts/questions/comments/feedback? :)