Chapter 3: Exhausted

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Previously: Eren lies to Armin and says the serum messed up his memories. He learns about Carla's death and pushes it out of his head. He doesn't remember sealing the hole with the rock.

When Eren came to, he was in a cell.

How did I get here? Chains jingled around his wrists. Uh-oh. He had passed out not long after he was pulled out of his Titan. Ungrateful fucks. I save their sorry asses and this is how they—No. He frowned. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember carrying the boulder.

"You're awake," an unknown voice said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Eren saw the short man, the hobbit, leaning against the wall, arms folded. Something about him seemed familiar. Had he seen the man somewhere? Before Eren could think where he had seen him before, he saw the person sitting in the chair, the one who had spoken. Captain America?! Eren almost slapped himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. No wait, that's not him. The dude's eyebrows were huge, though.

"Where am I?"

"As you can see, you're in a dungeon."

No shit, Sherlock. Eren almost rolled his eyes. Obviously, I can see that.

"Right now, you're in the custody of the Military Police."

Eren leaned to the side, noticing the men with rifles positioned on either side of his cell. He almost laughed out at the insignia on their jackets. Fucking unicorns of all things. Yeah, that'll strike fear in the hearts of criminals everywhere.

What the fuck was it with the military and their cheesy as fuck uniforms and insignias? Roses and unicorns and wings. At least the wings looked cool. He wondered if their plan was to make their enemies laugh themselves to death. But they thought they were the last of humanity and Titans are their only enemies so it wasn't a dumb strategy apparently, just a poor taste in fashion.

"That's mine," Eren said, spotting the key in not-Captain America's hand.

"Yes. And I will return it, later. It's the key to your basement where the secrets of the Titans are kept, yes?"

"That's what my old man told me," he replied.

"You've lost your memory," the hobbit said. "How convenient."

Eren shrugged in a what can ya do? manner.

"Levi, we've already concluded he has no reason to lie," not-Captain America said. "There's so much we don't know. The most important thing is to know your intentions," he told the teen.

"My intentions?" Before the man could speak further, Eren blushed and said, "Well, there's this girl, Mikasa, and I've been in love with her since we were nine and I—"

"Not those kinds of intentions, idiot," Levi the Hobbit growled.

"Oh."

"If we want to investigate your home, we first have to take back Shinganshina district and Wall Maria. Drastic measures were taken to ensure the hole was sealed. We'll need to use your Titan abilities," Eyebrows said, smiling.

Commander Erwin Smith. Is that his name? Eren thought as it popped up in his head.

"Ironic that a Titan will determine our fate. The Colossal and Armored Titans are likely the same as you. Your intentions are the key. The key to freeing humankind."

"Uh, no, dude. The key is the key." Eren pointed to the object in Erwin's hands. "Just send a small team when the moon is full and bright or whatever to sneak over. You have my permission to take the key and I'll tell you where the house is. Easy." He smiled in satisfaction at his simple but brilliant plan. "You're welcome," he added.

Levi snorted, "Like it's that simple."

"Yeah, it is."

Erwin sighed. "No, unfortunately, it is not. There are rules we must follow."

Fuck politics. Eren rolled his eyes. The solution was so obvious to him. Why were people so fucking stupid? You'd think natural selection would've taken care of the majority of the idiots by now but no.

"Well?" Erwin prodded.

"Answer the question, scum," Levi sneered.

Pissy little fucker. Eren decided to be childish. If he was under the MP's custody, the two men couldn't do anything to him. Not to mention he was too precious to the Survey Corps and they wanted him at all costs. He was glad for the quick but insightful info Armin had provided in the history lesson. "What question? You didn't ask me anything."

"What are your intentions?" Erwin answered patiently. "Not your romantic ones," he said quickly.

Eren was a firm supporter of House Targaryen. And associated the Wings of Freedom with dragons. It's practically a sign from the universe, he thought humorously. Also, he didn't think the two men would appreciate him wanting to join because wearing a rose or unicorn insignia was too embarrassing to him.

But most importantly, it was where Armin was fully intent on going and Eren had his best friend's back, even if he wasn't the same Armin he knew. I'm only alive because I took over their Eren's body. Least he could do was keep an eye on them and protect them for the other Eren.

"I'm going to join the Survey Corps," Eren declared loudly, resolute. "So I can slaughter all the Titans." He grinned, borrowing the reason from the other Eren.

"Hmm." Levi studied him. "Erwin, I'll take responsibility for him. Tell the brass." He walked over to the cell and grabbed one of the bars. "Doesn't mean I trust him. But if he does anything suspicious, I'll kill him right then and there."

Lame. Eren was not impressed. Stop trying so hard to be cool.

"I doubt anyone will complain. Because I'm the perfect one for the job. I'll accept your enlistment in the Survey Corps."

Whoopty fuckin' doo. It almost pained Eren not to roll his eyes. "When will I get to see Mikasa and Armin again?"

"You'll have to wait until after the trial," Erwin told him before he and Levi left.

"Can I use the toilet?"

"You just went earlier."

"Can I get some water?"

"Hey, understand the situation you're in, monster."

"I do. That's why I want to go to the toilet. Or I can just go in here, near the bars, and you can deal with the smell."

The guards spluttered. "You bastard!" One of them growled.

"Actually my parents were happily married before they had me, thanks."

The guards refused to be baited anymore and fell silent.

Eren fell back on the bed, arms behind his head. Man, it's been days. Why did the government always have to take so long? Even here it seemed bureaucracy dragged its feet. He hadn't minded the first day. He took the time to relax and rest up, convincing himself he wasn't hallucinating because of brain damage or whatever. It had been nice at first, sleeping as long as he wanted and not worrying about failing humanity. Finally, when he decided it was real, his thoughts turned somber and scary.

The situation was too frightening to deal with. It made him fall into a black hole of terror and hopelessness if he spent too long thinking about it. His family, his friends, his home, his entire life, it was all gone.

The situation left him feeling sick to his stomach and he dealt with it the same way he dealt with tough homework assignments: procrastination. Eren knew it was a terrible solution, shoving his fears and anxieties in the back of his mind to deal with later. It was still there, though, no matter how much he ignored it, and he was forced to face it in his nightmares. But a small part of him was still hopeful it was a long dream he was having because he was in a coma.

Boredom was another problem for him. During his imprisonment, he had grown so restless he'd reached the point of annoying the guards for fun. They were going to think he was a monster regardless of what he said, Eren had reasoned. Why not amuse himself while he was stuck in their dour company? They never failed to fall into his traps.

Eren made it a game as he waited for his trial. He liked to verbally poke them and piss them off, getting into arguments and annoying them even more. He wanted to see if he could make them crack quicker the next time he saw them. They thought they were so smart, wising up to the fact that he gleaned amusement from getting a reaction out of them. But he liked the challenge. It made it more interesting and they always cracked eventually.

Finally came the day of the trial.

When the sound of footsteps came from the stairs, Eren stopped harassing Seaman—a name he had come up with when the first set of guards had warned the others not to say each other's names because he would overhear.

A crazy woman attacked the bars. Eren shrieked theatrically. "Seaman, Marmaduke, sic her!"

The guards looked beyond relieved their duty was done and practically ran away.

"Hey! Don't leave me with this serial killer! I thought you were supposed to my guards, you fuckers! So guard me!" He heard the door slam shut at the top of the stairs.

"Hello, you're Eren?"

Is this a dude or a chic? He wondered. The voice isn't deep so she must be a woman. Eren rolled his eyes. "No, I'm his twin brother, Elmer. And this is all one big misunderstanding. Eren's the evil twin. I'm totally innocent!"

She smiled in amusement. "It took so long time, I know, you must feel filthy." She studied him curiously. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wear these."

Did these people forget what he was capable of? Huffing, Eren slipped on the cuffs and followed them out of the basement.

"I'm Hange Zoe," the woman introduced herself. "A squad leader in the Survey Corps. And this is Mike Zacharias, also a squad leader."

Mike was sticking his nose far too close to Eren for comfort. Then the weirdo actually sniffed him.

"Sorry, man, I'm strictly chicks, no dicks."

That earned him a smirk. Hange began babbling but Eren tuned her out until she said anything worth listening to. Which didn't happen. She babbled nonsense the entire way. They arrived before a closed door.

"We've no choice but to trust you blindly." Hange smiled at him. "Good luck."

Thanks for nothing. Eren thought sourly.

This is so uncool. Eren was less than thrilled about being locked in place in the middle of the entire courtroom.

Like this is going to help if I decide to transform. He toyed with the idea of becoming a Titan just to see their reactions. I guess my time in prison affected me more than I thought. How long had he been in there anyway? He hadn't been allowed to see the sun or given a bath. He'd had to make do with washing himself as much as he could from the tap in the dingy restroom. Even serial killers got those basic luxuries back home. This place blows big time.

The judge introduced himself as Darius Zackly and began reading info about him off a piece of paper in his hand. "You're Eren Yeager, a soldier devoted to serving humanity, correct?"

I mean, technically in The Last of Us I did fight for—wait, never mind. He fondly remembered finishing the game a few weeks back, yelling at the TV: Humanity can suck it! I'm saving my baby girl! Armin had thought the ending was a little sad. The world had been denied a vaccine against the infected over one girl, though Eren had been completely fine with it.

"Yes, sir."

"This is an unprecedented case."

You don't have to tell me about unprecedented. Eren thought.

Zackly went on to explain how the trial would work. "This case is outside the bounds of common law, hence the special court-martial."

Where was his attorney? Eren sulked, searching for his public defender. Don't I get one? His eyes fell on Armin and Mikasa. Hey! He smiled at them. This is good. They're right here. In case they decided to take off his head, he wouldn't need to search for his friends.

"I will make the final decision. We will deliberate whether you live or die as well. Do you have any objections?"

"No, sir."

"Good. I'm glad you're so cooperative," Zackly said. "Unless we publicize your existence in some way, we will have to face another threat besides the Titans. This court is tasked with deciding which faction will take custody of you, the Military Police or the Survey Corps. First, let us hear the opening statement from the Military Police."

"Your Honor, I am Nile Dawk, Commander of the Military Police. Our proposition is as follows: We will examine Eren's body thoroughly, then dispose of him as soon as possible. It's a fact that his Titan power repelled the last attack," Nile said, looking at the boy.

Eren hit the man with his best puppy-dog stare.

It threw Nile off for a second before he started again. "However, his character induces disturbances that may even lead to a rebellion."

"Objection!" All eyes turned to Eren in surprise. "Calls for speculation!" Eren had only wanted to say the first part for fun and threw in another familiar phrase he had heard on legal dramas. Then he realized the MP Commander's words did, in fact, invite the judge to speculate on his character.

Zackly raised an eyebrow. "Trainee Yeager, let him finish. Continue, Commander Nile."

"Yes." Nile cleared his throat, his flow interrupted after being thrown off again. "Therefore, he shall provide us with as much intelligence as possible, then he'll become a martyr for humanity."

"A martyr, huh? Do I at least get a statue in my honor?"

"No."

Well then, your proposition sucks. Eren turned to Zackly. "Everything that guy just said is bullshit." Gasps went around the courtroom. "Thank you," he added as an afterthought.

"Our proposition—" Nile began.

"There's no need for that!" A man dressed as a preacher suddenly interrupted. "He's some vermin that breached and infiltrated the sacred Walls by intruding on our lands! He should be killed here and now!"

Before Eren could tell the man to come and try it, Zackly spoke. "Pastor Nick, please remain quiet or you will be escorted out. And you, Trainee Yeager, do not speak again unless spoken to."

This trial's a fucking joke. Eren thought bitterly. The Survey Corps, his so-called allies, hadn't even given him one piece of advice. Not that it mattered. I'm not even allowed to defend myself. He had his own plan though. If—when—things went to shit, he planned to transform, grab his two friends, and run for the hills. The world was a bigger place than any of them knew. He was sure they could find a civilization out there. Hopefully less crazy than these Wall obsessed weirdos.

"Your Honor, I am Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps. Our proposition is as follows: We will accept Eren as a formal member of the Survey Corps, and recapture Wall Maria by using his Titan power. That is all."

What? Eren gaped. He wasn't the only one taken back.

"Is that it?" Zackly inquired.

"Yes. Using his abilities, we can retake Wall Maria. I believe the priorities are clear."

Maybe he has a plan, after all. Eren thought hopefully.

"I see. And from where do you intend to launch that operation? Pixis." Zackly turned to the Garrison commander. "I believe the gate at Trost was sealed for good, yes?"

"Yes," Pixis replied. "I doubt it'll ever be opened again."

Erwin began to present his plan which then led to people interrupting and arguing about whether the gates should be sealed permanently, Levi insulting people, and Pastor Nick sprouting more nonsense about the Walls being built by goddesses and shit. These people are fucking nuts. Worshipping Walls? The fuck? At that point, pretty much anywhere was looking better than staying behind the Walls with these lunatics.

Finally, Zackly made them all shut up and turned to him. "Yeager, let me ask you this: Can you keep fighting for the sake of humankind as a soldier, and also use your Titan power for the same goal?"

"Yes, sir," he answered when really he wanted to tell them all off and run away someplace saner. Hawaii's nice this time of year. And pretty much all year 'round. While he daydreamed about sipping piña coladas on the beach with him and Armin in trunks with leis around their necks and Mikasa in a coconut bikini and grassy skirt, the conversation turned deadly. Eren noticed the tension oozing off his crush. And I missed something again. He really needed to work on his bad habit of spacing out at the most inopportune moments.

"The incident we refer to is how Mikasa Ackerman lost her parents at a young age and came to live with the Yeager family."

Now that had Eren's full attention.

"Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman were nine-years-old at the time when they stabbed and killed three men wanted for robbery and kidnapping."

Eren's jaw fell to the floor. He flinched when the memories hit him like a bus, and the blood drained from his face.

"Though it is justifiable self-defense, I can't help but feel disturbed and believe their basic human nature needs to be questioned," Nile concluded.

Eren barely had time to process the new info, and the memories, before the people started baying for his blood...

"Yeah! He's probably a Titan who infiltrated us disguised as a child!"

...and Mikasa's.

"Her, too! How can we be sure she's human?"

"That's right! We should dissect her just in case!"

"Hey! She's got nothing to do with this!" Eren glared furiously at the idiots who had just spoken. "Leave her out of it!"

"How can we believe you?"

"Because I said so, asshat!"

"He's defending her so she's probably like him!"

"Are you fucking kidding me? Are you people honestly that dumb?" Eren struggled against the handcuffs now, causing the court to become quiet I can understand coming after me but how dare they attack Mikasa! He had never been angrier in his life. Suddenly, Eren felt another tidal wave of rage come out of nowhere. It was the pent-up frustration at his situation and the fear of the strange, unknown world he was stuck in that he had pushed back for days, now rushing to the surface. "You just sit there and spout your bullshit and nod like you're so fucking smart!"

The courtroom was dead silent.

"I got news for you, fucktards! You're not! You're nothing but a bunch of scared, stupid, worthless cows!"

This is it. Eren thought almost giddily, grinning like a maniac. Unlike the previous owner of the body, the new one felt no loyalty to these people, to humans, and he was ready to leave them to save their own useless asses and watch them burn. Hell, he'd take front row seats and a bucket of popcorn to go with the show.

He was just about to mention how much he loved beef before Shifting and scaring them all shitless when Nile ordered one of his subordinates to take aim. I can regrow limbs. What's a measly bullet gonna do? Eren wasn't worried one bit, too fed up with all the shit and at his breaking point.

Suddenly, a powerful kick caused him to black out for a second.

He blinked, seeing a bloody tooth on the floor a few feet from him. Is that my tooth? And then the vicious beating started.

"Wait, Mikasa!" Armin grabbed her arm.

Seeing their faces caused the tornado of emotions in him to pause, giving him a moment of clarity.

Eren wondered what the hell was wrong with him. The hobbit continued to beat him but he barely felt it, too overcome with horror at what he had almost done. He had no experience transforming indoors and he could've accidentally brought the roof down on his friends and other innocent people if he had gone for his desperate bid at freedom from these nutters.

Levi smashed Eren's face into the ground, resting his boot on the teen's head. "It's just my personal opinion, but pain is the best tool for discipline. You don't need to be educated by words. You need training. You've fallen low enough that you're easy to kick around, anyway."

The kicks started again.

"Hold on, Levi," Nile interrupted, nervousness clear in his voice.

"What?"

Though he could hear them, Eren couldn't understand what they were saying, too lost in his own head.

"It's dangerous. What if he starts raging and turns into a Titan?"

He felt weak all of a sudden and small tremors rolled through his body. Eren felt like a puppet whose strings had just been severed. He felt lifeless and immobile.

Levi gripped his hair and held his bloodied face up for display. "What are you talking about? I thought you were going to dissect him."

Motherfucking bastard. I should sue his bitch ass for every fucking penny. Eren thought tiredly. Other voices spoke up, Zackly and Erwin, but he may as well have been underwater for their voices came out distorted and incomprehensible. Oh right, I can't sue him. Because this isn't home. Every bone in his body felt like lead, weighing him down with exhaustion. He wanted to cry but didn't have an ounce of energy left in him to do even that.

The rage had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him feeling like an empty shell.

He missed his home, family, friends, society, technology, food, music, everything. Beads of sweat coated his forehead and he wondered what Levi had done to make his arm hurt like that.

His heart was beating strangely, too, and he wanted to throw up. Eren briefly wondered if he was having a heart attack, despite his young age. The courtroom disappeared and white walls began to spin around him.

Why didn't I just die when the truck hit me? That would have been so wonderful. But it wasn't too late now, he thought.

"He's out cold still?" Levi crossed his arms.

Mike was next to him, a grim look on his face.

"You were too rough with him," Hange complained, kneeling by the couch where Eren lay.

"Has he started healing yet?" Erwin asked.

"No, not yet. I wonder how long the process is."

"He'll have to understand," the commander said. "It was unfortunate but necessary."

As they talked, Hange watched Eren. She was excited to see his miraculous healing abilities work right before her eyes. The eager smile on her face started to disappear. Her stomach dropped in pure dread when she noticed his chest wasn't rising and falling. Frantic, she grabbed his wrist and placed her ear above his heart. Her frightened shriek made the men in the room jump.

"What—"

"Eren's not breathing!" Hange screamed in panic.

They shared twin looks of horror.

"His heart's not beating!"

References

House Targaryen — Noble family, Game of Thrones

The Last of Us — Post-apocalyptic video game

"Everything that guy just said is bullshit. Thank you." — My Cousin Vinnie

Please Review~