Review responses -
Matthew0526: I have not read the manga :/
Traitor: Thanks.
Sentinel07: Sometimes, no matter how hard I try or how many times I re read the chapter, things slip through. :(
Authors Note- Thanks for all the reviews and feedback from last chapter. I know that I said I'd try to update once every week, but I didn't have a whole lot to do this week so I made this chapter faster than I expected. Constructive criticism is welcome. I appreciate everyone who reads.
Town of Hilda, two days after the attack.
Kace sat there quietly against the cold cement wall, Tatum sitting to his right, picking at something on the ground. Among the silence, the sound of her nails rubbing against the floor was enough to turn a few heads.
"Stop." Kace requested quietly, not moving his eyes from gazing at the wall ahead of him.
"Why?" Tatum asked innocently, continuing to scratch at whatever was on the floor.
"Because it's... the floor is dirty. I don't want you getting sick."
Tatum sighed and returned her hand to the tops of her knees, which were curled up close to her chest. Damn... Kace thought. I feel so bad for her. She's so bored... She was a good student, she cared about people even if they were mean to her. She was even a good sister. But now look at her - Stuck in some underground bunker with a bunch of strangers... What a world we live in.
"Everyone! Gather around!" A proud, noble voice demanded from the other room.
The citizens within the bunker all lit up in joy, all except for Kace. Instead, he just rolled his eyes as everyone else funneled into the next room. Another religious sermon? Didn't they just have one an hour ago?
The one who led the sermons was an old man by the name or Jin. People seemed to flock to him in search of hope within his own faith. "Crazy..." Kace said to himself. He was never one to buy into the idea of religion so easily. In his eyes, all it did was cause unnecessary fights all in the name of someone or something no one has ever even seen before.
"I never really understood the idea behind God, you know?." Marcus, Kace's best friend, mumbled as he sat next to the siblings. The room was now empty, leaving the three alone to talk while the rest of the citizens sung and conversed about various scriptures that apparently foretold that the Titans would attack.
"Yeah..." Kace replied with a shake of his head. "Pretty soon everyone'll just stop trying to fix their situation and believe that someone else will do it for them."
Tatum, who had remained quiet for the most part of the day, spoke up. "Well... It's never bad to have faith, is it?"
Kace's eyes softened. "No not at all... It's just that Marcus and I think that actions speak louder than words, you know? We'd rather confront our problem head on rather than pray that someone or something else will save us." He explained.
Tatum's eyes drifted to the floor as she scratched her chin. "Well, mom knew there was a god." She said softly, as if she wasn't sure if what she said was true.
Mom... Kace's stomach turned. As much as he wanted to mourn the loss of his mother, he needed to remain strong. "Well... I'm not sure how to put this, but... She didn't know. Nobody knows."
Tatum turned and glared deep into her brothers eyes. "What do you mean?"
"Mom had faith, which is a great thing to have. Some people just look at the world in different ways. Others may not agree, but that's what makes us unique. It makes us humans." Kace explained.
Tatum seemed flustered as she tried to speak. "W-What should I believe in, then?"
Her brother smile and brushed some of her stray black hair behind her ear, trying to comfort her. She's been through a lot these past few days... More than any kid should have to go through. "You think whatever you want to think. Don't just agree with what I say because I'm your brother. Whatever you choose to believe or do in your life, I'll support."
The young girls face dropped into a frown. "Thanks, Kace." She sounded unsure.
"No problem. You just gotta live the life that you want to live. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."
"I won't... But... I just wish there was some kind of answer. We don't even know ow long we'll last in this bunker." She said nonchalantly, not understanding the bomb she just dropped on her older brothers demeanor.
Kace just sat there in shock as Tatum leaned against his side, drifting off to sleep. Tatum... She doesn't even think we'll make it out of here alive? I... I can't let her live like this any longer. She's the only family I have other than my Grandpa, but even he's probably dead by now.
"Marcus..." Kace mumbled.
"Yeah?"
"We need... to get out of here."
"How? Those religious freaks wont let anyone in or out."
Kace grabbed his own hair and grimaced in thought. "I know, I know. We just need a plan.
"Well even if we get out of here, we still have to deal with the Titans."
Suddenly, out of no where, a voice came from just above them. "What're you two talking about in here?"
The two friends glanced up and saw a tall woman wearing torn up, rugged cloths staring down at them with a disapproving look.
"Uh! Nothing Ma'am!" Marcus stammered.
"Yeah!" Kace confirmed. "We're just talking about school! Haha!"
The woman shook her head. "You shouldn't lie to an elder. I heard you two discussing about how you wanted to escape. I suggest you can it before you get us all in trouble."
Marcus and Kace froze, and blinked towards each other nervously. Before they could speak, the woman continued. "If you try to escape, you'll doom us all. Pastor Jin said so. Trying to escape would be defiling him, and I take that personally." She promptly exited the room with a disgusted look over her shoulder, returning to the crowd that formulated one door over.
Kace glared at Marcus. "Man... This is getting out of hand fast. We've only been down here for a few days and they already look at that Jin guy like he's a god. Pretty soon they'll probably start doing human sacrifices or some crazy shit like that."
Marcus, wide eyed, nodded in agreement. "We need to leave tonight."
Trost District, 10:48 pm.
Eren flopped onto his bed, a triumphant sigh escaping his lips. "Finally!" He cheered into his sheets, voice muffled by the soft cotton blankets. Mikasa and Armin entered behind. All three were dressed in their pajamas and ready for bed. Luckily for them, Levi had made the decision to remove half of the troops from Wall Maria, thus ending their watch of the construction on the farmhouses.
"I'm gonna sleep good tonight." Armin commented, sitting at the edge of his bed with a large smile on his face.
Mikasa sat next to Eren on his bed. "And we have the day off tomorrow." she reminded.
Eren lifted his face from his sheets and gasped. "Really? We do?"
"Yes." The girl confirmed quietly.
"Well..." Armin said to himself, scratching at the side of his head.
"Well what?" Mikasa inquired.
"Maybe tomorrow we could go to the lake for a swim." The blonde suggested.
Oh! Eren thought. I totally forgot about that. "Tomorrow would be perfect." He beamed, now sitting on the edge of his bed.
"Uh... What about the weather?" Mikasa asked worriedly.
"What about it?" Armin pushed.
"It's going to be very cold tonight and tomorrow." The girl explained.
Eren and Armin both glared at each other in disappointment. "Shit..." Armin sighed, lowering his head. "I didn't even think about that..."
The Titan shifter pursed his lips and chuckled. "It's alright, Armin. We can go for that swim some other time."
Armin shrugged. "I know... I was just looking forward to it."
Mikasa leaned forward and bounced her eyes between her two friends as if she was expecting something.
"M-Mikasa?" Eren asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"
The girl nodded and began to softly speak, "So... If we aren't going swimming, does that mean we can go to the forest like I wanted to?"
Armin and Eren both rolled their eyes, trying to hide their smiles from the girl. "Yes Mikasa." Eren tried to sound sarcastically annoyed. "That means we can go to the forest like you wanted."
Mikasa smiled wide, wider than she had in months, and leaned back on her elbows at the foot of Eren's mattress.
As their conversation went on, the three friends hadn't even realized that the sun had almost entirely vanished beneath the horizon. What's more, the room was now very frigid, causing the friends to shiver. "Ugh! I'm going to the storage closet for more blankets." Armin began to walk towards the door, but stopped before he exited. "Do you guys need anything while I'm out?" He asked.
Eren and Mikasa shook their heads. Armin shrugged and left the room, leaving the best friends alone.
"It's nice not having to worry anymore." Eren sighed in relief. The realization was finally setting in. The fighting was done, and now I could enjoy myself. Guilt is defiantly present in my mind. Many died to accomplish this, yet here I was lounging around... Oh well. It could've been anyone... I'm just glad that fate chose me and my companions.
"It is." Mikasa said softly.
Eren starred into her eyes, the moonlight glowing against the side of her face. She's beautiful, and so unaware of it.
"I feel like I could sit here and talk with you and Armin forever." The girl said, dipping her head downwards towards the sheets.
The young Titan shifter scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Well..."
Mikasa waited to hear what her best friend had to say, however he said nothing. "Well what?" She pressed.
Don't sound weird, don't sound weird, don't sound weird. "Why don't you?" Eren asked, silently cursing himself. You sounded weird.
"Why don't I what?" Mikasa raised an eyebrow.
"Why don't you stay here tonight. Jean and Connie are still out at Wall Maria and probably won't be back for a few more days. You can take one of their beds for the night."
The girl before him rubbed her head, unsure. "I don't know, Eren. It's freezing in here."
Eren just bit his bottom lip. In one swift act of bravery and courage, he leaned forward and wrapped part of his blanket around Mikasa. He felt his face get hot. "Better?" He asked, trying to sound as confident as possible.
After a few seconds with no response, Eren regretted ever trying this radical idea. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He thought to himself. However, much to his shock, he Mikasa lean her head against his shoulder. "Yes." She said softly. "It's warm."
Feeling relief wash over him, Eren smiled. "Warmer than your room?"
The girl on his shoulder inhaled deeply through his nose. "My feet are still cold against the ground." She said, still slightly shivering.
"Here. Lie down." Eren placed an arm around her and pulled her down next to him so she would be laying by his side. The two just laid there for a few moments beneath the sheets, both shocked at the boys actions. Once Mikasa took a few breaths to calm herself, she nuzzled her head into her friends chest, snuggling into his side.
It really worked?! Eren smiled to himself. It's strange... Mikasa is an expert warrior capable of killing dozens of Titans without breaking a sweat. She's saved me more times than I can count... But right now, she seems so innocent, so frail. Maybe this is how she always was? Perhaps she simply held up a mask these past few months in order to keep me safe. I... never thought about it until now, but maybe she was always just as scared as I was. "Mikasa..." Eren said quietly. "I... I'm so sorry."
The girl lifted her head off his chest and stared deep into his eyes. "W-What?"
"I... never told you how much I appreciated you... or what you did for me. I spent so much time worrying about the war, and all the fighting, that I never slowed down enough to see that you were the only reason I was able to do anything. You were always my rock. As long as I have you, I can -"
Mikasa suddenly leaned forward and gently placed her lips against his cheek. Eren's heart dropped immediately. She... She just? The boy was too surprised to react, though in hindsight, he wished that he had done anything else besides just sitting there with a dumb, surprised look on his face. The feeling was unlike anything he had ever felt. It was pure, it was... innocent. Mikasa pulled away and glanced down out the sheets, embarrassed.
"I..." Eren hesitated, his face on fire.
Mikasa's eyes widened and she covered her mouth. "Oh! Eren, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"No, no, no! It's okay, Mikasa..." He interrupted. "That... That was nice."
Her face softend, eyes sparkling in the light of the moon. Without a word, she slowly rested her head back on his chest. "I always knew Eren. I never wanted to say anything about it because we were so preoccupied with everything that had happened these last few years. But... Now that things are settling down... I want us to be closer."
"Of course Mikasa." Eren said as he stroked her hair lovingly. Nothing was happening around them. There was no noise besides the faint breeze flowing through the leaves outside. The curtains waved ever so slightly in the winds wake. Suddenly it wasn't so cold anymore.
Mikasa turned her head to the left so she could peer out of the window and at the night sky. The moon shone just overhead, its white glow cascading the trees in a benevolent glow. "Eren... What do you think that thing is like?" She asked, pointing towards the earths cosmic neighbor.
"Hm? The moon?"
"Yeah."
Eren pondered for a few seconds. He had never really thought about anything other than warfare and killing Titans. "Uhm... It's uh... pretty grey."
Mikasa chuckled softly. "Duh. I was hoping you knew a little more than that."
"Well... Do you know more?" Eren asked, his chin being tickled by his friends raven hair.
"No. Though, I'd like to." She sighed in wonder. "It only shines at night, yet sometimes I can see it during the day... Why is that? Also, how does it shine? It just looks like one big rock. Rocks don't shine."
"Good analysis, Doctor Mikasa." Eren held back a giggle at his own joke.
He felt Mikasa shake her head. "Maybe it's a special type of rock. One that glows in the dark." She said, seemingly ignoring her friends sarcasm. She kept going on and on about the moon and how it works. Eren found himself just simply smiling and staring up at the ceiling as he listened to her yammer about celestial bodies and how they worked. After a while, she seemed to be out of stuff to say, and eventually let a yawn escape her lips.
Wow... Eren thought. I think she just talked more in the past five minutes than she did in the past few months.
"Mikasa I..." Eren leaned his head against hers, placing a kiss on her head. "I'm glad you're here with me." I love you
"I'm glad you're here too." She yawned. I love you.
The boy silently sighed to himself. Really? That was the best I could come up with? "G-Goodnight, Mikasa."
The young girl didn't respond. Instead she just nuzzled her face further into the crook of Eren's neck. Sleep would come easy tonight.
Town of Hilda, Two days later.
"Alright... Kace." Marcus whispered, trying not to wake any of the other citizens in the room. He sat next to Kace and Tatum as they prepared for their escape. "I'm gonna level with you for a seconds here... This plan really sucks."
"I fucking know that, Marcus. There's not much to work with." Kace countered. "We're in a small bunker deep underground surrounded by religious freaks! The best thing we can do is just make a break for it while everyone has their guard down."
"What if we get caught?" Tatum asked, tugging at the side of her brothers shirt to get his attention.
"Nothing'll happen to you." Kace reassured. "I'll make sure of it."
The little girl smiled and nodded, giving Kace a sense of hope.
"Got all of your things?" Kace asked Marcus.
"Yeah. What's the plan once we get out of the bunker?" Marcus asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.
He was always one to panic easily. Kace thought. "Well I'm hoping there wont be too many Titans, so I say we find a building to hide in and wait until morning so we can actually... ya know... see what's around us."
Marcus shrugged, biting his lip nervously. "Yeah... Being able to see is cool." He joked.
Kace smiled. "It is. Now come on. Are you two ready?"
Both gave an affirming nod. "Let's go." Tatum whispered.
The three crouch-walked out of the room and quietly as they could. They entered the main room, where everyone was gathered in a tight square as they slept. "Crazy people... all of em'." Marcus said with a disgusted sigh.
Kace turned his head to give his friend a blank stare. "Focus, Marcus."
The stairs were just up ahead. Just a few more feet and we're free from this hellhole.
Suddenly, from behind them, something stirred. The three escapees spun around and saw a middle aged woman glaring at them with a horrified look on her face.
Frantically, Kace held a finger to his lip and hushed her. "Shh!" He urged.
The woman looked back and forth at the three children, and back towards the other civilians, who were all still fast asleep. "I... I'm sorry. Jin said that if anyone tried to escape, we'd be disobeying what the gods foretold him."
"He's lying to you." Kace said, trying his best to keep his voice down.
"Jin is a good man. He's gods vessel." The woman plastered a deviating smile across her face. "Why would he lie?"
"Because people like you are crazy enough to believe him" Marcus whispered.
The woman shook her head, the smile fading rapidly from her lips. "You think us to be crazy because we have faith?"
Kace sighed. As much as I want to say yes, I can't... Not in front of Tatum. She needed faith in this world... Just not in... this. "No... It's not that. I just think that we need to take matters into our own hands rather than praying for a miracle to happen. If this 'god' was real, then the Titans would've never existed in the first place. They would've never attacked our town and killed all our friends and family."
The woman stammered back, stunned as to what she had just heard. Her mouth opened to speak, however no words escaped her lips. "I... I..."
"You know he's right." Marcus pressed.
"Just... Just get the hell out of here." The woman swallowed hard and said, sounding disappointed in herself.
"Thank you." Kace said, relief washing over him. "Come on, you guys." He urged his two companions. The three quietly tip toes up the multiple flights of stairs until they reached the large iron door that secured them inside. There was no knob, instead the opening mechanism was a wheel with ten pegs sticking out, kind of like a valve. "Help me out with this, Marc."
Both boys grabbed a peg and began turning it. "Wrong way, Marcus." Kace instructed.
"What?" Marcus raised an eyebrow. "I'm turning it the right way."
"Yeah, I know. You need to turn it left." Kace whispered.
"I am."
"You just said you were turning it right."
"No..." Marcus sighed. "The right way. As in the correct way."
"Oh." Kace held back a smile before glaring at the valve handle. "My bad, I was turning it the wrong way."
"You're an idiot." Marcus let out a nervous chuckle.
"I'm well aware of this. I guess I forgot that age old rule."
"Lefty loosey, righty tighty?" Marcus grinned.
"Yeah. You'd think I'd learn."
The two boys managed to turn the valve all the way to the left. The door was now loose. Whatever laid on the other side was about to be revealed. Kace glanced at the two behind him, a worried look in his eyes. "Tatum, stay close to me, okay?"
The little girl grabbed a hold of her brothers hand and nodded. "Okay."
Marcus pressed his hands against the cold metal door and forced it open. The sound it made as it revealed the outside world was horrifically loud. As soon as I saw our village... our home... I gasped. Nearly all the buildings were ravaged, all deformed into a pile of rubble. Bodies strewn and contorted across the sandy paths, blood all around them. The wall was completely demolished.
Kace tried his best to listen and watch for any signs of Titans in the area. "...I don't hear any." He whispered.
"Me neither." Marcus confirmed. "Where to now?"
Suddenly, a voice erupted from inside the bunker. "Hey! Who opened the door?!"
Shit... They must've heard all that noise. Kace grimaced. "Come on." He whispered, queuing the other two to follow him down the road, and into the destroyed town. They didn't know what they were doing, or even what was in store for them. However, they all knew that anything was better than staying in that hell hole.
We just need to hold out for the night... I need to keep Tatum safe.
That night, the three huddled in a cellar of an old sandstone home. Tatum slept against Kace, the ladder of which was on high alert until morning. Tomorrow would be better.
Trost District, The following morning.
I never thought it was possible to sleep so well.
Eren sat up, and immediately noticed that Mikasa was gone. So was Armin. They probably already got their day started... I should go catch up. As soon as the teen got to his feet, the door to the room flung open, and Mikasa entered, still wearing her pajamas from the night before. Eren blushed, still thinking of what had transpired last night. "Oh... Hi Mikasa." he said as he scratched the back of his neck. The aftermath of what had happened last night still lingered in his mind. Hopefully it wasn't just a cruel dream.
The girl in front of him didn't look shy or embarrassed. Instead, she had a warm, content look on her face. "Good morning, Eren."
The boy smiled. "Hi, Mikasa."
"Did you sleep well?"
Eren's cheeks went red as he held back a chuckle. "Oh... yeah I did. Did you?"
"Yeah... I slept like a rock. Thanks you."
"No problem." Eren smiled. "So what's the plan for today? When are we leaving for the forest? I've been looking forward to this for two days."
"Oh..." Mikasa rubbed her arm nervously as she dipped her head. "We can't go... Not today. Levi requested that you come see him as soon as you wake up."
"W-What?" Eren hesitated. "Why?"
Mikasa shrugged. "I didn't ask. Something about a meeting he'd like you to take part in. He wants you in full ODM gear." She said, looking upset as she did so. I suppose this means we won't be going to the forest after all. She thought.
"But..." Eren started, "But we had plans today."
"It's okay, Eren." Mikasa smiled and stepped closer to her friend. "We'll have plenty of time once everything's over."
The young Titan shifter opened his closet and pulled his ODM out, preparing to suit up. "I thought everything was over."
"It never is." The girl said, a hint of sarcasm lingering through her lips.
Eren let out a chuckle. Sorry Mikasa. I guess the forest will have to wait for another day.
Authors Note - Let me know what you think of the story so far. (Comments, questions, criticism, etc,) Thank you.