They took the train that would drive them to the capitol. Despite the speed, the road was going be long.

Maybe in another situation, it would be an exciting experience; it would be exciting to be able to be leaving the small and forgotten district to go to the capitol, the big city, but there they were, sitting face to face. Just the view of all these excessive ornaments around the whole cabin made them cringe, they didn't even feel like walking around to explore the rest of the train.

None of them spoke in the three hours they were there. Mikasa remained with her stoic expression, looking through the window at the landscape, drawing with her finger on the tarnished glass. Eren's gaze was constantly shifting, from the ground to Mikasa, from Mikasa to the floor, from the floor to the door, from the door to Mikasa; repeating that cycle, over and over again, as he fidgeted with his hands. None of them dared to break the silence, perhaps the emotions were too much to just process them, to be able to digest what had happened.

"How can she be so calm?" Eren thought, looking at the raven-haired girl's stoic face, how these onyx orbs of her were staring through the glass. It almost made him lose his patience, he really hated that deadpan on Mikasa's face, the one that made her so hard to read. It was often impossible to realize what she felt. Unless she openly expressed it, no one would know what was really going through her mind.

"Why?" he dared to break that ice barrier that they had unwittingly built. "why did volunteer?" He asked with a small degree of annoyance. "You could have stayed with Mom, with Armin, living a quiet life, not here, not like this, Mikasa." Mikasa turned her gaze to him, lowering it immediately. She didn't answer, she didn't speak.

"Mikasa, I'm talking to you." He repeated, this time he was annoyed, he was upset. The raven-haired girl opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her lips began to tremble. Her hands on her head, in sign that a headache had begun. She hid her face behind the red scarf she always wore, her bright, black eyes staring at him.

He hadn't seen such an expression in years, he thought he had forgotten it, that he would never see it again, but memories of that time came to him, passing through his mind, overwhelming him.

x.x.x

Seven years ago.

There was a thunderstorm that night. He and his father hurried to get home. He had wanted to go to work with his father. He longed to see the great Dr. Jaeger in action, accompanying him to the monthly medical appointment he gave to Mrs. Johnson, an old woman that lived in the district.

He ran with his father, keeping up with his pace, when the loud sound of a thunder stopped then. The blinding light so close, so close to them that they swore it could fall on some tree. Grisha opened his eyes, looking for the impact point. A house in the south. Almost on the edge of the wall.

"Son, I need you to run and get someone to help," he asked, getting on his knees to see him straight in the eye. "go quick!"

Eren remained motionless, watching as his father ran towards the house that burned in flames. There was no one outside since it was late at night. Not even a soul. Eren ran. He was faster than his father, anyway.

"Eren!" Dr. Jaeger called him, trying to stop the child from running as fast as his legs could.

Fast. He had to get there fast.

There he went, that little boy who liked to stick his nose in what wasn't none of his business.

He stopped in front of the burning house, peeking through the broken windows, looking for anyone who needed help. And he looked at her. That paled-skin, slender creature. She was lying on the floor, face up and eyes closed.

"Shit, no!" He gasped when he saw her. He ran to where she was, entering through the fallen doorframe, beware of the flames. He walked fast, diligently, using his scarf to cover his nose from the smoke.

"Eren!" he heard his father shouting from far away. "Eren, come back!"

He approached the motionless body of the little girl, slightly shaking her. But she wasn't reacting.

"Ackerman!" He cried, trying desperately to wake her up, coughing. He knew there was not much time left, despite his young age, he knew all that, in such a cruel world there was no room for innocence, there was no room to live a full childhood.

x.x.x

"Mikasa ..." he said, getting on his knees in front of her so she could see him better. Her eyelids closed tightly, frowning at the headache. "Mikasa, are you ok?" He asked, even though he knew the answer. She didn't speak, she was silent, her hands covering her face, shaking her head.

He tried to carry her on his shoulders, but he was still very weak, he was too weak to lift her up, choosing to take her slender arms, putting them around his neck, and with his back he carried the weight of the little girl's body.

She was heavy, heavier than he expected, but he did his best to get her out, making his way through the flames, the flames that without mercy, took the structure of the house as their own. The girl's eyelashes began to flutter, as she slowly opened her eyes.

The smoke she breathed made her cough, scaring the little one who carried her on his back, as he accidentally let her go. The girl fell to the ground, letting out a painful moan. He tried to lean with his arms to get her up from the ground, his eyes lost in those cruel flames that had taken everything. She remained motionless, feeling the pain of the burns on his skin, looking down.

Eren didn't take his eyes off her. He was starting to feel a disturbing discomfort when he saw how she was giving up, how she stayed there so as not to move. So he glared at her, frowning, with burning and intense eyes.

"Let's get out of here! Don't you see that this is going to fall down?" He pointed at the raven-haired girl seemed not to hear. "Let's get out of here, we have to get out-" the flames began to burn with more intensity before he finished his sentence. One of the wooden house pillars - already charred - fell on his arm, causing a great pain, a strong burn. And he was weak, he was so weak that he could not get rid of it, so weak that he couldn't move from there, no matter how hard he tried.

"Get out of here, run," he said, with a weak voice to the girl in front of him. "You have to fight to live." And she just opened her eyes, watching him not asking for help. No. He was asking her to save herself.

"If you don't fight ... you can't win!" He said in a thin voice, coughing from the smoke. "If you win, you live. If you lose, you die. If you don't fight, you can't win!" He was still struggling to get the wooden pillar off, the heat burning the palms of his hands. Something about his words made her come to herself, something that made her get up, covering her nose with the thin fabric of her nightgown as she tried to breathe.

She went to him, looking at him close to lose his consciousness; she pushed that heavy pillar, taking it off him. Everything he looked at was fuzzy, just a blurry image of a white bulge among all that hellish surroundings. And suddenly, he passed out.

x.x.x

"Mikasa," he repeated. With no answer as before, he took her by her wrists, lowering them, revealing her face. "Mikasa, look at me." He insisted. The bright obsidian eyes opened, uncovering the tears she tried to hide, and they looked like a couple of ink puddles. Dark, bright eyes that looked at him, that reminded him of those he looked at so long ago. Those who seemed to beg for help, even without saying words.

She was strong. He was stronger than him. However, it was only on the outside. Inside, she was still that girl. Maybe she had been strong for so long that she ended up collapsing.

"Mikasa, here I am," he said, squeezing her slender wrists, "here I am."

x.x.x

When he woke up, he was outside the house. The downpour extinguished the flames all over the house. His father was under a tree, covering both children from the rain.

He opened his eyes and watched as he took care of the little girl's burns, taking out some jars and instruments from his briefcase, putting gauze and bandages on. His burns had already been treated.

"Fortunately, none of them are serious, kid." He heard his father explain, leaned into his arms to sit up. "You just need to take care of them daily, and don't scratch them, okay?" He asked, with a bittersweet voice. He watched as the girl with the stoic face nodded. "Oh, Eren. You finally woke up." He ruffled his hair, examinating his face for a while. When he finished, he gave him a small pat on the head. Eren let out a painful moan. "This is for risking your life without thinking!"

"I had to, or she would have lost her life in the fire," he objected. "I wanted to save her, father."

His father sighed, there was nothing he could do to stop him, right? Little Jaeger was like that, always jumping into action.

"Do you have anywhere to go, Mikasa?" his father fell on his knees, staying at her eyes level as she clung to the jacket that he put on her shoulders.

The girl shook her head, her black eyes fixed on her savior, so open, that they made her look like an abandoned puppy.

"My mother was the only family I had left. I don't have a home, I have no one." she mumbled, trying not to cry. "I'm cold, and I don't know where should I go now."

The tears that threatened to come out made her eyes even brighter, as bright as a lake reflecting the moon. Her mouth trembled, unable to utter a word. Somehow, those eyes seemed to beg him to save her. Eren walked over to her, removing the scarf from his neck to wrap it around her, awkwardly covering her.

"It's warm, right?" He asked with a subtle sweetness, his cheeks flushed. "Come on, let's go home, to our home." He said as he took her little hand, so carefully not to hurt her.

x.x.x

"I never wanted this to happen, Eren" she said, sobbing. "I always watched to protect you, to protect you and Armin, but here we are." Eren looked at her with concern; how was it that someone as strong as her could break as if falling piece by piece? "I'm scared, Eren, I'm afraid of losing you." she confessed. Eren opened his eyes, as tears threatened him to go out.

Self-control, he only asked for self-control so as not to cry in front of her. Not when she was so vulnerable, not when she needed him to be stronger.

"You won't lose me," he said, so hypocritical of him to promise, even when he himself didn't believe he could survive. He got up, letting go. He didn't dare to look her in the eye. He couldn't do it after lying to her. "We'll both get out of this, you'll see." He promised, turning his back to leave through the cabin door.

Just looking at the wagon made him feel dizzy. To think that its cost could provide sustenance to his whole district was just repulsive. To think that this was his "consolation prize" for being chosen to die was unbelievable.

"Fuck it," he spat as he sat on the couch in the middle of the car.

He looked up when he heard the noise of the door being opened by the guardians who were careful not to let them escape.

"Hey, boy," a blond-haired man greeted loudly. He was carrying a bottle in his hand, maybe with some liquor, judging by his appearance. His walk was awkward, he staggered as he took a step, his cheeks and eyes red and his voice almost unintelligible. He was clearly drunk. "Ready to be trained like pigs for slaughter?" He scoffed, and then, he started to laugh.

Eren grimaced, frowning.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked defensively, furious at the stranger's teasing. The man raised his hands, making the famous jazz hands, dropping his bottle in the process.

"Oh, shit," he complained. "Someone will have to clean this up, and it certainly won't be me." He shouted, addressing the servants from the capitol who accompanied them, who cleaned up his mess with no hesitation.

Eren felt even more furious and confused; was it a kind of sick joke sent from Sina?

"I am from now on your life teacher, kiddo. I'll be your mentor and the other girl's mentor. You better show me some respect if you want to win," he said, sitting lazily on the sofa in front of him, putting his feet on the coffee table. "You should know me, I've been the only winner in your district, you... Ernest?"

"Eren." he corrected immediately. Hannes clicked his tongue, disdainfully.

"Whatever, go and call Misaki, I should tell you how things will be from now on."

"Mikasa." He corrected again, getting the same reaction from a while ago.

He made his way to the cabin, taking unsteady steps. He released a long sigh before touching the door, waiting for Mikasa's answer.

"come in." she said with a thin voice. Eren did as he was told, her obsidian eyes not looking off the ground.

"Eh, Mikasa, our mentor ..."

"Hannes Alistair, isn't it?"

"Uh, yes. He wants to talk to us."

She nodded, getting up to put on her scarf and leave, following Eren's footsteps to the sofa, sitting in front of the drunk who had fallen asleep.

"Hannes ..." Eren called, but he didn't get an answer.

Eren was never a patient person, he was the opposite. His patience was almost non existent, especially in these moments, when it was something important. Eren didn't wait to get an answer, so he kicked the drunken man lying and sleeping on the couch; Mikasa tried to pull him by his arm, but, surprisingly for both of them, Hannes threw Eren to the floor, trapping him in a lock with a single hand.

"Eren!"

"Did you think you could get away with it cause I'm drunk, you useless boy?" the blonde man scoffed as he saw the brown-haired boy struggling. "Look at yourself, you're a weakling. A wimp scum like you has no chance to win."

A wimp like him, who was always beaten by the bullies who attacked Armin, a wimp like him, who always had to be saved by Mikasa. He would never have a chance against the other tributes. But he must be able to; he promised to take care of Mikasa and himself, didn't he?

"Let me go."

"Let yourself go," Hannes replied, applying more force. Mikasa glared at him, about to act. "Ah, ah. Don't think that I will stop just because you are a girl. First rule, always treat your mentor well, brat."

"Now let go of me!"

"Second rule: You'll pay attention to what I say, it also applies to you, Mikasa," he said as he let go of the boy. "Sit down, the journey will be long." he pointed.

"What will be the plan?" The raven-haired girl asked.

"Simpatize with your public. Ta-da!"

"Eh? be serious at once!" The green-eyed boy replied.

Hannes gave a mocking laugh, crossing his arms. "Don't you understand yet? They want a show, give them a show and you'll win." He snapped.

"A show?"

"Make them feel sorry for you. Make them want you to win, so they will sponsor you."

"No way!" He said again. "I'm not going to become their clown." He got up from the sofa, annoyed, heading to the cabin, slamming the door shut. Mikasa sat there, unsure of what to do. Black eyes pinned to the ground, then looking at Hannes.

"Look, little one, this is the plan. Listen to me carefully."

Eren was lying on the seat, feet on the wall, arms crossed and frowning. He was alone. He was upset.

Since when did Mikasa leave him alone? What on earth would she be talking about with that lazy ass? How is it that this drunkard had managed to win the Hunger Games? He couldn't even walk straight, how could he subdue him like that?

He was about to get up to go to them, but, Mikasa entered at that moment.

"You finally came," he snapped.

"I was talking to Hannes."

"I noticed. So?" He asked, sitting down.

"First we will arrive at the dormitories where we will stay for six weeks during the trainings. They will do some tests and they will score our skills." she explained.

"skills?"

"Yes. Afterwards, we will do the tribute parade and we'll give some interviews with Hanji on live broadcast."

"I hate this." He mumbled, his face resting on his hand.

"Me too." she muttered, lying down on the seat, wrapping her arms around her knees.

x.x.x

Eren woke up with the sudden brake of the train, falling from the seat he was resting on. He noticed that Mikasa wasn't there, so he got up immediately to look for her.

"Mikasa!" He shouted, peeking through the door. "Mik-"

"Eren?" she asked, standing up from the couch with a glass in her hand. In front of her, was Hannes.

"Finally, you woke up!" Exclaimed a nearly melted Hannes on the couch. "I was asking Mikasa about your skills."

"skills?"

"Mikasa told me you were good with the bow and arrow."

"Actually, I'm not that good." He expressed modestly, scratching the back of his neck.

"You're not that good? He had managed to shoot at squirrels that I wasn't even able to see," Mikasa said. "Almost no shot has failed to him since we learned how to use it."

"Well, I see that at least you have a talent, Eren. What about you, Mikasa?"

"I ... well ..." she mumbled, unsure.

"If we made a list of Mikasa's talents, it would take us all day." Eren joked, sitting next to Mikasa.

"It's... no big deal, honestly." she said in a low voice, with a slight blush, fixing her hair behind her ear.

"To begin with, she's very strong, even more than many men in the district," he said. "She's also very good with the bow and arrow, and she fights better than any bully. She's also good to sneak away with no noise and-"

"Are you done praising your girl?" Hannes scoffed. Mikasa hid her face behind her scarf, while Eren frowned.

"You asked about Mikasa's skills! Don't you remember, old man?"

"Easy, kid. What you just told me is exactly what I want you to show the judges today. I want you to analyze the other tributes and find their weaknesses," he explained. "Stay together and don't think about making allies, much less with professionals."

"Professionals?" they asked at the same time.

"Tributes of districts 1 and 2. They are trained since kids to compete in the Hunger Games. They tend to be little assholes and will attack them from behind when you least expect it."

"What about the others?" Eren asked.

"They won't help much. Just don't make alliances, not even between you two." He warned.

"Why not?"

"You should be smart enough to know that if you two are alive, you won't want to fight each other." The sudden reminder made them open their eyes in surprise. Looking at each other with horror. Eren swallowed, remembering his nightmare, with the horrible feeling that it would come true.

No.

This was the kind of scenario he wouldn't want to have to live, he did not want to have to live his nightmare in his own flesh. He wouldn't be able to fight his best friend, nor would she be able to fight against him.

"If the alliances are discarded. Are we lone wolves then?" Mikasa asked.

"Just hide between the trees and pay atenttion to changes in the sand."

"Basically, hiding like cowards." Eren replied.

"I call it survival instinct." Hannes corrected.

"Or cowardice", Eren thought.

"We have to get down here, children. Remember what I said. I'll see you at dinner time." His mentor waved them goodbye, as he hurried out of the car.

"Surely he'll go to buy alcohol," Eren rolled his eyes. He moved forward, not knowing for sure what to do, with one -unusually- scared Mikasa clutching his arm firmly.

"Remember it, you have to be brave for her, you have to be brave," he repeated to himself.

"Welcome to Sina." He heard a tweeting voice coming from outside the car. Hanji Zoe herself, approaching them, with a camera recording everything. "Tell me, how are the two favorite tributes of the public?"

"F- Favorites?" Eren asked.

"Oh, please, modesty aside, children. Since you appeared, the public loves you for your bravery," she commented. "You top the raking lists!"

They both blinked, confused.

"Don't you understand? They want a show, give them a show and you'll win."

Eren remembered what Hannes told them, with a forced smile, walking after Hanji with Mikasa still clinging to him.

Iliana, a thousand thank-you's for you, thanks for translating this 3