Chapter 2 – The Scarf

Lebensraum, or rather, living space, was a neat term to use for the small cottage that Mikasa and her mother and father had lived in. The floorboards creaked when even a step was laid down on the floor, the corners on the roof had cobwebs, (which, Mikasa assumed they were cobwebs.) When you would first enter the small building, to your right you would find a knitting area, where Mikasa's mother would usually hang around with a needle and thread, carefully mending clothing and other fabrics. The knitting area had a boarded up window directly in front of it, where dead flies had been dropped down with a profound smell. In her young age, Mikasa couldn't explain how this smell of death made her feel, though she paid no attention to it.

As was the customs her mother and father had taught her.

The monarchy, or aristocracy, whatever you wanted to call it, indeed, made itself known. The King was an honored figure, only rivaled by the religion worshipping the walls, which the Ackerman's hadn't especially approved of either. For the aristocrats, they were served with fine wine, extravagant feasts, and even, if they were favored enough, were invited personally by the King within Wall Sina. Mr. Ackerman had always had a bitter taste in his mouth about the monarchs and aristocrats. Mrs. Ackerman didn't understand why he did but never bothered to ask.

Mikasa craned her head to the right, staring out through the window nearest to her bed. Outside, her gaze laid upon a bird catching some sort of prey, what pray, that was, Mikasa couldn't tell. She shifted in her upright sitting position, before climbing out of bed with an audible yawn. It had been around, what? Two or three weeks since Eren had last visited? She couldn't exactly remember.

"Oh hey! You're awake." Mikasa's mother said in a low whisper, making a hand motion that Mikasa's father was still asleep.

"H-Huh?" Mikasa mumbled out. She had just woken up, and she hadn't expected to talk to anyone this early on in the morning.

"I'll let you wake up." Her mother said, with a content smile as she began knitting.

Mikasa took this time to go look around the house, avoiding her parents' room, of course.

In the backyard, Mrs. Ackerman had a lovely garden growing. In one row, a bundle of bright-colored flowers littered the mound. In one row, a giant patch of rotten pumpkins had been spotted.

Strange. They were fine just yesterday, and one was missing from the end – which, there was evidence to suggest it was yanked out. The raven-haired female turned her head from the left, and then the right. She swore she saw something move in the bushes. She brushed it off, seeing it as nothing more than an animal.

"Little girl, one guy, one woman." One man said.

"I need more details, retard." The older man replied.

"Alright, calm the fuck down. The girl looks exotic, and so does the mother."

"Exotic? That'll fetch a pretty hefty price," – a pause from the older man as he took a draft of his pipe – "Keep watching them. I want the woman and the girl. The father doesn't matter."

The men left the area, as one stayed up in the treetops with a spyglass.

It was around 2 in the afternoon, and Mikasa had picked up her hat. It was a strange hat, to be sure, but her mother wore one just like it. The older of the two, was on her knees as she catered to the bright flowers. In the sun, they were almost blinding.

"How well do you think these will grow this season, Mikasa?"

"Oh, uh-, I think they'll grow fine mom," Mikasa responded hastily.

"I was thinking of going over to visit Eren and his parents tomorrow or later today," Mikasa added on to her original response.

"Ah. Well, you have my blessing. I'll consult it with your father, and then we'll see if you can get over there by tomorrow." Her mother smiled a little saying this.

"R-Right."

By the next day, Mikasa had boarded a ferry towards Wall Maria. She turned around to her parents waving her goodbye for now, the smell of dew in the air.

Mikasa turned to her right, keeping a glare forward, following the rules of not talking to strangers.

Or making eye contact for that matter.

She let her head hang low, her gaze turning its attention to the floor beneath her feet.

Within an hour, the ferry had arrived at the Wall, pleasing Mikasa as the ride there had been treacherous, making many individuals on the craft sick. Though she didn't understand it, the walls were enormous. Though her parents never really told her much about the walls, all she knew was that it shielded her and others from the Titans.

It seemed, a bit overkill.

Maybe because most Titans were short? How would it get over it?

Anyways, when the ferry reached the port, Mikasa stepped off, holding her little circular hat in her two small hands.

She stared up into the sky, before setting off to find Mr. Jaeger and Mrs. Jaeger.

Back at the Ackerman residence, however, it was a bit of a different story.

Not much of sunshine and rainbows, though outside it was raining, a scene out of a horror movie was taking place.

The spilling of blood, and the cracked open skull of a man. Mr. Ackerman was certainly dead. His skull was split open, brain matter leaking out. Though, there are fates worse than death. Mrs. Ackerman was taken, gone, not there. Vanished.

Though, let's not downplay the gore. The left arm of Mr. Ackerman, the once cheery man, was split open, while his head was struggling to keep itself connected. It was disgusting, absolutely horrific. In our times, I suppose it would look like someone had bashed their head against stones, or had gotten into a car crash.

In their time, I guess it would look like an ODM accident. If, ODM could take a head apart. Maybe it could, though that's a separate idea for another time.

Why does this matter, so far? Well, I'm pretty sure you know why.

Armin, and Eren were just chucking pebbles across the water, ripples through the body of liquid coursing throughout as Armin sat there. Reading the same book that his parents gave him. Eren took quick glances at it, something about the outside world or something. Eren recalled that being banned.

But this was Armin, he'd know better, right? Right? He didn't really know, he was going to ask him something right now.

"Hey, Armin-" Eren was cut off by the sudden yelling of a young girl running towards them. Armin looked over, craning his head slightly over with his head.

To the right, he could see an easily two story building, to the left, the same. Down the middle, a cascade of people was seen, and with that, Armin could clearly see the markets lining the area.

Armin looked down at the book, completely ignoring the two. He seemed rather intent on this book, the book seemed, wonderful to him.

As he began to read to himself now, he noticed someone fall down to the right of him.

The ground rumbled as a loud thump was heard.

Armin stared up into the sky, confused.

There, a giant jaw was closing as the wall's top side had been completely neutralized.

The rubble started to fall, screams.

More screams.

Screams.

Armin panicked. Soldiers flew towards the wall, but not before a leg reeled back and kicked the gate.

The gate was gone.

Gone.

Blood flew across the sky, like rain. In biblical terms, this could mean the end times, but I doubt the people inside the walls had ever picked up a bible.

Soon, giant monstrosities were walking inside of the town, and all they could do, was sit there in awe.

Armin wanted to move, he wanted to run.

Move! Come on! Armin screamed at himself.

But, nothing happened? Everything was fine.

Armin looked up to his right, seeing Eren being flung down by something.

Armin stood up to attention, staring at the local bully, Armin got in between the two, and frantically tried to reason with him.

"H-Hey! What'd he do? I'm sure this is all just one big misunderstanding!" Armin said, in a very, nervous voice.

Eren stood back up, and stared at the bully.

Eren tried lunging for him, but being smaller, the bully easily tripped him.

"Pffft, whatever. You and Eren are titan chow. See you 'round, retards."

He walked away, Mikasa just sat there, shaking under a bench.

Now, it was time for Mikasa to leave. Eren promised her that he'd walk her back home, his dad had agreed to accompany them as well.

The trio walked down the road, boarded the ferry, and rounded the bend towards the outer areas of the second wall.

Mikasa looked over the boat, as the water was much calmer now. The voyage was very quiet, with not much of a peep. Only the occasional flock of birds flying by, or the ferry tooting a horn.

Around half-an-hour later, the ferry had reached the dock.

"I'll walk you two on over to the front of the house, alright?" Grisha said before putting his small fedora like hat back on, and standing up.

Eren nodded, and not knowing what else to do, Mikasa just followed his lead.

The trio started to walk faster towards the house, as it was getting increasingly cold, and dark out.

Mikasa could've sworn she smelled a foul stench. Grisha knocked once, then twice. No answer.

"Mr. Jaeger, do you smell that?" Mikasa asked shyly of the doctor.

"Yes, it…" Being a doctor, Grisha knew the smell all too well. He wrapped his hand around the door knob, and turned it, opening it with a loud creak. One man stood in the center.

One man.

One man.

With a pool of blood under his feet.

Blood. Stench. Mikasa's home.

The sudden realization of what had happened hit hard for Mikasa.

Not so much of Grisha or Eren, but a rather profound heaviness was taking place now.

"Oh hey." The man said.

Then Grisha felt something blunt hit him in the front of his head.

And he was out. Cold.

Later on, Eren and Mikasa found themselves in a pool of blood.

Eren didn't know what happened.

The man was there, slumped in the corner.

Mikasa was in front of him, with Eren staring.

In Mikasa's right hand was a knife.

And Grisha's right arm, was gone.

Grisha was awake now, but in shock.

Maybe dead.

Eren stared at this, massacre.

Mikasa turned around again, and the next thing she knew, Eren was wrapping a crimson red scarf around her neck.

She was cold.

So, so cold.

End

AN; I feel like the chapter got a bit weak towards the end, I wanted to portray more of a mindless rampage rather than something that was more meticulous and precise. So, in the next chapter, things should be ramping up a bit more, with Shiganshina being levelled, and the trio joining the army. Though personally I don't think that Armin moment isn't the highlight of the chapter, I still think some people will like it. I'm sorry for the delay on the chapter, where it took 3 months for it to finally come out, and only be about around 2k words. I'm definitely going to try and fix my schedule of chapters and get it all worked out, but in the meantime, I'd like to address one thing that I'd like to take into consideration.

MedusaGal; "Not bad, but a bit too much detail. Please continue to write, your style of storytelling is fascinating and wonderful."

Thank you, I apologize for this chapter being a bit too detailed, as this chapter was being written since late October of 2018, and I appreciate the compliment. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.