"Survivors aren't always the strongest; sometimes they're the smartest, but more often simply the luckiest."
― Carrie Ryan, The Dark and Hollow Places
11•11 - Day 1
x
Eren gripped his phone in his hands, reading back over the texts he'd sent a few minutes ago.
Eren:
Dad... were here with Hannes and Mr. Arlet. were evacuating the city. Me and Mikasa are ok
Mom didn't make it.
I hope you get this
I hope youre ok
There was still no reply. He wished his dad hadn't had to leave. It's like every time I actually need him, he's not around, Eren thought, feeling anger bubbling up inside of him as he glared down at his hands.
"This is ridiculous…" Hannes muttered, shaking his head at the line of cars blocking the road. "It looks like they just left the cars and went on foot."
Eren looked up and blinked rapidly, trying to clear his head. He shoved his phone back in his pocket and focused on the stalled vehicles, frowning.
"Can you go around them?" Armin asked, peering up from behind Hannes' shoulder.
"Those assholes couldn't move their damn cars first?" Eren muttered, crossing his arms and sighing. "I need to take a walk. I'm going fucking crazy, I swear."
Armin's grandfather turned and gave Eren a sharp look. "Sorry..." Eren muttered, but as soon as Armin's grandfather faced forward again Eren was rolling his eyes at Mikasa and mouthing so dumb.
"Yeah, I think I can get around. Then we'll find somewhere to stop at, Eren." Hannes spun the wheel and attempted to maneuver around the line of cars, the right wheels dipping low into a grassy ditch.
"I have to pee." Mikasa added, looking eagerly to the front of the police car.
Hannes swerved around a pothole. "Okay… we'll find somewhere with some restrooms."
"There should be a side street soon. Crawford. It'll take you over to DeLang." Armin's grandfather piped up, holding the map out for Hannes to see. Hannes grunted and nodded, turning right onto the dirt road.
"It's a shame even these country roads are backed up." Armin's grandfather muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.
Armin leaned back in his seat, peering out his window into the empty cars. It looked like people had taken most of their stuff with them, but there were still heavier things like tents and boxes filled with canned food left in the seats.
"Do you think looters will come through here?" Armin asked quietly. Mikasa just shrugged. Eren continued to glare at nothing in particular.
There was a scratchy exchange over the police scanner, which had Armin perking up again.
"What'd they just say?" Armin asked Hannes, shifting forward and gripping the metal grate between the front and back seats.
"An officer was attacked by one of the infected near Cypress County."
"They're that far out?" Armin's eyebrows rose and he bit his lip, glancing out the window again.
"Seems like they're popping up everywhere," Armin's grandfather added gravely, reaching to adjust his hat.
"You called them infected." Mikasa said, her eyes grazing the fields they were driving past. Eren and Armin's eyes met. They knew exactly what Mikasa was thinking about.
"That's the intel we got. It's some sort of disease, or sickness, or something. Infecting people. It's like they just lose their minds. We thought it was only a few isolated cases at first, but if it's already this widespread…" He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "When we got the info about the evac centers, we knew it was getting bad in town. My partner told me to go ahead and make sure you guys were safe, and I didn't argue. That's when I started calling Karla." Hannes paused, pursing his lips and shaking his head sadly.
"I nearly crashed the damn car- uh, sorry," He said quickly, with an apologetic glance at Armin's grandfather. "I nearly crashed the car on the way over, with those people all over the streets. It was rough. Luckily, I spotted Armin here on his way out of the house with Mr. Arlert. Armin told me where you guys were and we sped over there. I just-" Hannes paused, and his face took on a pained expression. "I just wish I'd been faster."
"...So it is a disease." Mikasa murmured, barely audible.
"Does that mean we're all susceptible?" Armin asked, worry seeping into his voice.
Hannes sighed heavily. "I really don't know, kiddo. I'm in the dark about this too."
Eyes widening, Armin looked over at Eren and Mikasa. They had both had direct exposure to the infected, twice.
"Don't worry, Armin. We're fine." Mikasa said, meeting his worried gaze. Armin's eyebrows pulled together and he nodded.
A heavy silence filled the car, the only conversation coming from the police scanner. Armin chewed at his fingernails, Eren stared at his feet, and Mikasa tugged absentmindedly at the red ribbon around her wrist.
"What's that up ahead?" Armin's grandfather asked, breaking all of them out of their trance as they peered ahead.
"Looks like a diner." Hannes said, pressing on the brakes. "Yeah, it's Sadie's. Looks like there's a bunch of people there, too. Maybe we can stop for a few minutes and get some information while you kids stretch."
Mikasa and Armin nodded eagerly, Eren simply shrugging. Hannes pulled into the lot and parked beside a jeep. Leaning back in his seat, he looked at the three through the rearview mirror. "Stay together and keep your things with you. We'll be in and out, okay?"
They all nodded and Hannes swung open the car door, hauling himself out. He opened the trunk and grabbed the duffle bag of guns, hoisting it up over his shoulder.
"I'm gonna go with you to the bathrooms, Mikasa," Eren slid out of the car, grabbing both of their bags. Mikasa nodded, shouldering her backpack and taking his hand to lead him towards the diner. Armin adjusted his coat and bag and stuffed his hands into his pockets, shivering slightly as he followed.
Armin's grandfather opened the diner's door and went inside, followed by the rest. There was loud shouting coming from within. Armin could tell it was arguing. He hesitated for a moment at the door, then backed up, walking around the corner of the building and sitting on the curb. He could still hear the loud voices from inside the diner, but it was much more peaceful where he was.
Setting his bag next to him, he brought his knees up to his chest, burying his face in the fabric of his jeans. He could feel his lower lip tremble as he went back through the day's events in his mind.
He was absolutely terrified.
"Holy shit! Armin? Is that you?"
Armin snapped up in surprised, quickly wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "...Jean? Marco? Oh my God!" Armin exclaimed, jumping up and running to embrace the two. It wasn't something Armin would have normally done, but he was glad to see a familiar face.
"Are you guys okay?" Armin asked as he pulled away, feeling slightly awkward. He felt his stomach flip as he noticed the dried blood stains on the front of Jean's shirt.
"Yeah, we are." Marco said, voice shaking slightly.
"You alone?" Jean asked, eyes filled with concern.
Armin quickly shook his head. "Eren, Mikasa, my grandpa, and Hannes are here too. We all got out together."
Marco's eyebrows pulled together. "What about Eren's parents? Are they here?"
"Dr. Jaeger went out of town on business on Sunday. It was an emergency. We haven't heard back from him yet. And Eren's mom… she didn't…" Armin inhaled shakily.
"It's okay, Armin. We- we got it." Jean quickly interjected, looking uncomfortable.
Armin nodded gratefully, quickly wiping his teary eyes with the palms of his hands. "What about your parents?"
Marco and Jean hesitated, their eyes briefly meeting. Marco was the one who finally spoke. "My parents are already on their way to the evacuation center and… we haven't heard from Jean's mom."
Armin just nodded, unsure of how to reply. Jean had his eyes fixed on the brick wall behind Armin's shoulder, aimless anger rolling off him. Marco took Jean's hand and squeezed it gently.
The door of the diner dinged and the three turned towards the sound of scuffling feet. Eren and Mikasa rounded the corner, toting their bags over their shoulders. "Armin! Hannes said not to go off alone. What-" Mikasa's words fell short when she saw Jean and Marco, but she didn't stop walking until she was standing beside Armin.
Jean stuffed his hands in his pockets and averted his eyes. "He's fine, Mikasa."
Eren followed close behind and Armin tensed, expecting some sort of snarky remark towards Jean, but Eren only responded with a slight nod. Jean looked just as surprised as Armin. Eren and Jean had been rivals since the beginning of seventh grade, but Eren was the one who usually egged Jean on. Armin couldn't even remember what had sparked their original conflict in the first place.
"I'm glad you guys are okay." Eren mumbled. "Where are you heading?"
"Evacuation center." Marco piped up. "We've got Jean's car, but we weren't sure if we had enough gas to make it all the way, so we stopped here."
"W-"
"That's where we're heading as well. You two should come with us." Armin offered, cutting off Eren's response. Mikasa gave Armin a quick, sharp, look, but he didn't react.
Marco nodded eagerly, Jean seeming a little more hesitant. The diner door dinged open again, and they all turned to see who it was. Two unfamiliar voices muttered to each other, followed by the tart smell of cigarette smoke. Eren moved closer to Armin and Mikasa, giving the two men a weary glance as they walked to their truck.
"This place is wigging me out," Jean muttered. "Like… everyone is so tense."
"For good reason," Armin whispered, picking his bag back up off the curb. "Hannes and my grandfather need to hurry up." He said louder.
"I'll go get them." Eren muttered, turning and heading back inside the diner. Mikasa frowned, putting a hand on Armin's shoulder as she watched him go.
Jean turned his attention back to Mikasa and Armin. "Do you guys have any idea what's... going on? With the people?"
"It's some sort of infection." Armin began hesitantly, "We- we don't know much. But the people who have it will attack others without hesitation."
"Mindlessly," Mikasa added. "Even if they've been shot a few times."
Marco's eyes widened. "They're like zombies!"
Jean gave him an irritated glance. "This isn't fucking Left 4 Dead."
The diner door swung open again with a jingle and Hannes, Armin's grandfather, and Eren all appeared from around the corner. Hannes had a jug of water tucked under his arm, and his expression was even darker than before. "Let's go. The situation here is getting dangerous." He said gruffly, his eyes flicking over to Jean and Marco. "You know them?"
Armin nodded. "They're friends from school. They're going to the evacuation center as well. Can they come with us?"
Hannes looked them over. "Where are your parents?"
Jean shrugged, looking down and scowling. Marco gave him a concerned glance before looking back at Hannes.
"My parents said they'd meet us there." Marco responded. Hannes nodded.
"You kids have a ride? We won't all fit in my patrol car." Hannes said, adjusting his sheriff hat slightly.
"Yeah, I drove," Jean gestured back at an old truck parked haphazardly in the parking lot. "But we're low on gas."
"I have a can in the trunk. We can fill you up and you two can tail us to the evac center. How's that sound?" Hannes flashed his charismatic smile as Marco nodded eagerly.
"I'll help you, Hannes." Eren spoke up, heading over to Hannes, who was pulling his keys from his pocket.
"Let's go ahead and wait in the car." Armin's grandfather said to Mikasa and Armin, gesturing the two forward with his hand. They both followed without complaint.
Hannes unlocked the car and popped the trunk open. Eren grabbed the gas can as Armin and Mikasa piled into the car. Armin shut the car door as another cool breeze blew in, making him shiver..
Armin reached for his backpack, unzipping one of the smaller pockets and pulling out a package of beef jerky, Silently, he offered a piece to Mikasa, who took it with a small smile..
"Come on, Eren." Hannes called.
"Yeah." Eren said softly, slamming the trunk shut.
x
"...evacuation of counties 415, 416 and 423 is currently in effect. Follow hurricane evacuation routes, marked by blue highway signs. Remain calm…"
Mikasa gazed straight ahead, her arms folded in her lap and her eyes fixed on the windshield. She watched the steady stream of droplets collect and fall, eventually being pushed aside by the windshield wipers. Through the rearview mirror, she could see the blurry headlights of Jean's truck. The emergency broadcast the radio was tuned to faded in with the quiet sound of the vehicle and the repetitive patter of the rain.
Armin and Eren were sound asleep, their heads resting against Mikasa's shoulders. Armin's grandfather seemed to be asleep as well, though she couldn't quite tell. They'd been driving for nearly two hours since leaving the diner. The evacuation route had been pushed back to McCarther county, which was at least another hours drive. The reports on Hannes' police scanner had only gotten grimmer and grimmer, so he had eventually shut it off in favor of the emergency broadcast. From what Mikasa could gather, the infection was still mostly confined to Texas, but quickly spreading.
"Have you heard anything from Dr. Jaeger?" Mikasa asked quietly, careful not to wake Armin or Eren.
"Nothing." Hannes shook his head, switching hands on the wheel in order to turn the stereo system down.
Mikasa thought back to the two days she had spent with the Jaeger family, right before Eren's dad went out of town. Dr. Jaeger had been on the phone constantly, skipping dinner and working late into the night within his study.
Eren had seemed almost oblivious to the increasing tension in his household. He'd either been busy trying to comfort Mikasa or helping his mom get Mikasa settled. Looking back on it now, Mikasa wished she hadn't been in such a daze, so she could've paid more attention to what was actually going on.
"I feel guilty." Mikasa admitted quietly, twisting the red ribbon tight around her wrist.
Hannes sighed from the front seat. "I do too, kiddo. I keep thinking… what if I'd just paid a little more attention? Or if I'd gone to get Karla before I went for you guys?" Hannes shook his head, wiping his nose a little on his sleeve. Mikasa could tell he was getting emotional. "All I can do is keep looking forward. You should do the same."
"I promised Mrs. Jaeger I would protect Eren." Mikasa spoke, turning to look at her friends. Hannes was right. She had to keep looking forward. For them. To keep them safe.
"I did the same." Hannes said, his eyes still on the road.
"When?"
"When the two of you first came to my house. Karla was worried about your wellbeing. But even if I hadn't promised her, I'd still protect you kids."
"Does that mean she knew? You guys knew something was going on?"
Hannes seemed uncomfortable with the questions, but he answered anyway. "We had… suspicions. Sort of. Karla and I were more in the dark than Grisha, because of his job."
"Being a doctor?" Mikasa felt her tone sharpen. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Hannes' voice just took on a tired tone. "I don't know exactly, Mikasa. I didn't know much about what was going on, like I told you."
"Sorry," Mikasa said, as she clenched her fists on her thighs. "I understand."
He's telling the truth. She turned to look out the window, eyes on the thick rainclouds. There's no reason for me to take my anger out on him.
"Is my bag back there?" Hannes spoke suddenly, bringing Mikasa back. She blinked at him for a few moments before checking around her feet. Hannes' bag was tucked beside Eren's feet.
"Yes." Mikasa replied, hefting the bag into her lap, careful not to jostle Eren or Armin.
"Look in the left pocket." Hannes instructed, peeking back at her as she unzipped the pocket and reached inside. She pulled out a large hunting knife, tucked away in its sheath.
"I want you to have it," Hannes said simply. "You seem the most responsible and I want you to be able to defend yourself."
Mikasa looked down at the knife, feeling the weight of it in her hand."Thank you, Hannes." She didn't know what else to say. Hannes nodded and turned back to face the road.
Mikasa rezipped the pocket and set the blade on her lap, running her fingers along the thick leather surrounding the knife. She turned her head back to the swollen clouds, listening to the rain slide down the windows.
x
"Mikasa, we're here." A gentle hand touched her shoulder and Mikasa groggily opened her eyes, surprised that she had fallen asleep.
Mikasa sat up and stretched a little, rubbing her face and bringing her backpack up into her lap. Armin opened his door and the two of them scooted out of the police car.
The highway had been cleared, all the cars moved off to the sides of the road. She could see the sun beginning to set in the distance. There was a military blockade set up, and on the far side of it Mikasa could see canvas covered trucks, obviously military grade. All around them, there were soldiers carrying guns. It was more than a little unnerving.
There were several groups of people standing around near the blockade. Directly ahead, Mikasa could see Eren, Hannes, and Mr. Arlert, standing by Jean and Marco. Marco was talking, obviously upset. Jean was holding on to his friend's arm, his posture tense.
"Did something happen?" Mikasa asked as they walked towards their group, zipping up her jacket. She could feel the weight of Hannes' knife from where it rested inside the pocket.
Armin nodded, his weak smile quickly fading. "He got a text from his parents that the group they'd been with had been attacked. Marco's dad was... bit. It- it didn't seem like his mom knew the danger. Now his texts aren't going through." He squeezed his hands together and gave Mikasa an apprehensive look. "And the caravans are almost full. They're only accepting those under 18, elders, and pregnant people."
"Hannes." Mikasa said quietly. Armin nodded. They finally reached the group, walking up to stand next to Eren.
"No fucking way! You can't stay here, Hannes. We're not splitting up! I don't care what they say. They can't do this!" Eren's fists were clenched at his sides, and Mikasa could see angry tears were welling up in his eyes.
"What will you do, Hannes?" Mikasa asked, letting Eren take her hand and turn his face into the shoulder of her jacket. She knew he wanted to cry. Hannes had been like a second father to him - to all of them, really.
"I'm not the only one being turned away," Hannes said sadly, gesturing to a few groups of people on the outskirts. Mikasa was surprised they weren't more desperate to get in. "They're planning on moving up north, which is what the caravans are doing as well. I'll still be with you, just not in your group."
Mikasa shook her head, surprised by the lump building in her throat. "We shouldn't split up. We should go with you."
"No."Hannes said immediately, voice firm. "I'd prefer you guys having military protection. They'll do a much better job then I'd be able to."
"We can take care of ourselves! We're not afraid to fight. We've already done it twice now." Eren said, voice rising.
"Eren, be reasonable." Armin added quietly. "It's only a temporary split up and then we'll be together again once we get to Adrian."
"You have all your stuff?" Hannes asked, giving each of them a once over. They all nodded, Mikasa moving her hand down to grip the hunting knife still tucked away in her jacket pocket. Hannes gave the barricade a quick look. "You guys better hurry over, then."
Armin walked over to his grandfather in silence, and Eren released Mikasa, keeping his eyes low. "Swear you'll find us again?" Eren asked, his voice wobbly.
"I swear." Hannes replied firmly, giving Eren's shoulder a squeeze. Hannes gave them both pointed looks bent down a little, taking Mikasa's shoulder as well and looking into both of their eyes. "No matter what happens out there, you guys stay true to who you are. Sometimes people lose their heads when bad things happen… lose their humanity. Promise me you won't sink to that."
Mikasa and Eren nodded. Hannes stood and breathed deeply, nodding."Well, go on."
Eren turned to follow the rest towards the barricade, sniffling.
Hannes turned to Mikasa and removed the large duffle bag from his shoulders, handing it to her. "I left a few guns in there and most of the food and supplies. Just in case" He hesitated. "Take care of him Mikasa." Mikasa nodded, gripping the knife in her pocket. "Now go catch up." Hannes instructed, waving her away. She jogged over to catch up the rest of the group, sliding in between Eren and Armin. Hannes watched them go, hoping desperately that he'd made the right decision.
