The Lost and the Caged

by Lightningpelt 6.0

Shiganshina, a district abandoned by the monarchy after the Fall of Maria, was expected to decay, along with all it's people.But three children refused to die- even if survival costs their humanity. Eren struggles for sanity in the face of his mother's death; Mikasa simply wants to hold her tattered family together. And Armin's plans may mean the salvation or demise of all mankind.

4. The Three Feral Foundlings

(A/N) My apologies for the wait! Life... got busy...

Ihadsomuchfunwiththischapter hnnnnnnnn
I actually wish that I could've devoted more time to it. Even though it's... what? 7K words as it is? l'D

My apologies, as we've got some weird-ass time jumps coming. Looking at the work as a whole, I liked this order for the chapters the best. That said, this chapter was always supposed to be the fourth- and last -chapter of the work. After it became clear that that wasn't going to happen, I simply tweaked and lengthened it. ^^

A million and one thanks to bobbyneko, "Not so human," Kamil the Awesome, and NameMeLife for reviewing the last chapter! I'm going to try to type a few personal replies tonight, but I might not get to it. ^^;; Regardless, reviews mean the world to me! Thank you so much!

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"There! Head for the ruins of Shiganshina! We'll be able to rest and regroup there, provided the Wall is still intact!"

"And if the air isn't poisoned with death," I muttered, changing direction with my commander's order. Our formation had been torn ragged by the last group of titans we had run into; we had lost most of our horses and, much too far from Wall Rose to effectively order a retreat, we were desperate for any amount of cover we could find. But I wasn't enthusiastic about visiting Shiganshina, one of several districts that the monarchy had simply abandoned when Maria fell. We had come across one other such district so far; it had been hell, a graveyard that was so polluted by rotting corpses that the air had been unbreathable.

It hadn't been titans that killed those people; it had been humans.

"Corporal! Titan sighted!"

I twisted around mid-air, locating the creature that my squad-mate Petra had spotted. Definitely an Aberrant, I knew instinctually, watching the rhythm of its movements. It was fairly close to the Walls of our destination, as well, and so I made an executive decision.

"I'll deal with it; back me," I called to my squad. It was too dangerous to leave a nearby Aberrant unattended, but I didn't need to explain my reasoning to my subordinates; they either knew it already or trusted me unconditionally- often both. Erwin gave me a nod as we peeled away from the rest of the formation, letting them circle around and check for other titans before we approached the Walls.

Signaling to my squad, I led us in a wide circle and approached the beast from the side, grateful for the surrounding forest. It was a comparably large titan, pushing the 15 meter classification; it's huge, revolting mouth looked capable of snapping every bone in a human body. I made sure we took our time approaching; one could never be too careful around Aberrants.

I made a motion, signaling wordlessly for my squad to hang back and spread out. "Rodger!" they chorused, and I felt a thrill of pride. Gliding away from my teammates, I felt the familiar and soothing pull of my Maneuver Gear's straps. With the ease of years upon years of practice, my eyes locked on the titan's neck, muscles automatically shifting mere millimeters as I sailed forward, confident of hitting my mark.

"Prepare yourself for death, monster!" My blades at the ready, I began to spin, faster, faster, closing, closing...

"Oof!"

The breath was forced from my lungs, a distinctly human cry of rage filling my ears as I was knocked from my rotation, feeling my cables twist and tangle as I flew off-balance. My hearing was distorted as I tried to regain my balance, but I distinctly heard a female voice, shrill with anger, inches from my head.

"I won't let you touch Eren!"

I hit a tree before I managed to recover, but at least it stopped my flight. Getting the balls of my feet under me, I sprang away from the trunk just as a dagger embedded itself in the wood where my head had been.

"Who are you?" I shouted into the forest. "Show yourself!"

A shape melted from the canopy above me; a small girl, equipped with full 3D Maneuver Gear. Her clothes were tattered, the long red scarf she wore fluttering in the breeze as she watched me. Her eyes looked dangerous; feral.

"Are you friend or foe of humanity?" I demanded, echoing the wording I had heard Erwin use on several occasions; kept the titan, not a fifty yards from us, in the corner of my vision.

"Neither," she replied simply, and then glanced over to where the creature was standing. "But I will not allow you to harm Eren."

"'Eren?'" I echoed, my face twisting slightly as I realized what she was saying. "You can't be talking about that titan, can you?"

The girl seemed to briefly realize how insane she sounded, but nodded anyway.

"Corporal!"

"Corporal, the titan-!"

I spun to see both Petra and Gunther rushing toward me through the trees, having broken their formation when I had failed to reappear; the titan had turned, gaze fixed on the girl and I. I felt my brows arch slightly as I locked eyes with it; Aberrant or not, there was something very unusual about it.

Then, before I could entirely make sense of that, something moved on the titan's head; a tiny blonde boy popped up from its virtual forest of hair, stretching up and straining forward to call, "Mikasa! What's going on?!"

The girl, Mikasa, didn't take her eyes off of me, but shouted, "It's alright, Armin; go back home with Eren." I was more than a bit surprised when the titan shook its head with an audible rumble, nearly jarring the blonde boy free. It began to come toward us, despite girl's alarmed cry of, "Eren, no! Stay back!"

Suddenly, Eld and Olou were there, soaring up over the treetops and aiming for the Aberrant's neck. I felt a flare of pride; they were doing exactly the right thing. However, in this particular case...

"Eld! Olou! Stand down!"

Again I was beyond proud as my two subordinates instantly broke off their attack, despite the confusion that was obvious on their faces. The titan, true to my predictions, spared them no more than a fleeting glance and warning growl, trotting until it came up beside the girl and I.

"Eren!" the girl said scoldingly, using her 3D Maneuver Gear to fly up, landing on its nose. The titan actually winced. "I told you to go back home! You almost got yourself killed!"

"But someone called off the attack, against his better judgment," I pointed out, fishing for a 'thank you' and getting roundly ignored.

"The bigger your head, the smaller your brain, I swear!" she continued to lecture the titan; a moment later that blonde boy reappeared, swinging down from the titan's huge, pointed ear. He also wore 3D Maneuver Gear, I could see, although it was missing its blades.

"We were worried about you, Mikasa!" he said, and the titan rumbled in apparent agreement. Their miniature squabble continued as Petra appeared beside me, her face pale with shock as she stared at the titan.

"Go fetch Hanji," I said before she had the opportunity to ask any questions, smirking slightly as I added, "She'll flay me alive if I let her miss this."

Nodding reluctantly, Petra flew off; the rest of my squad, at my signal, hung back, and I approached he strange trio alone.

"I'll repeat my question," I said loudly, catching all three of their attentions. "Are you friend or foe of humanity?"

"Considering we are humans, I'd say friend," the blonde replied simply, and my eyebrows rose a fraction.

"And what about that?" I asked, nodding to the titan. The creature glowered at me, another surprise; in all my time killing titans, I had never seen one respond as if it really understood what I was saying.

"Eren is human as well," the girl snapped, and I cocked my head.

"Oh? Sincere apologies if I don't believe a word of that bullshit."

"She shouldn't expect you to," the blonde boy said, glancing meaningfully at his companion. "Come back to the Walls with us; we'll prove it."

"Armin!" the girl objected, and the boy gave her a baleful look.

"They're the Survey Corps, Mikasa," he pointed out reasonably. "It was only a matter of time before they stumbled upon Shiganshina. We may as well be upfront with them, to avoid misunderstandings."

My suspicions were confirmed- the two of them were Shiganshina kids, although Fate knew how they were alive after all this time. They had likely scavenged the 3D Maneuver Gear off dead Garrison members, although the blades would have been harder to find. And they must have taught themselves how to use it, I added. They can't be more than 15 or 16, which would mean they were... 11 or 12 at the time of the Fall. Not quite old enough to be enrolled in military training programs.

The girl looked at me for a long moment; I stared back, intrigued but refusing to yield to her unusually strong will. At last she gave a sigh; nodded.

"Come on, then. We'll only take... two, though. You and someone else."

"Very well," I said, inclining my head slightly. The girl, Mikasa, knew the rules of the street- whichever gang was intruding on another's turf sacrificed the advantage of superior numbers. Refusing to comply would have been like announcing an invasion, something I wasn't ready to do.

"Uwwaaaaaah!"

I winced at the over-enthusiastic shout; turned in time to see Hanji sailing toward us, with a concerned Moblit on her tail. Her second in command managed to catch up right before they reached us, crashing into her and sending them both careening into a tree.

"S-Squad Leader! You mustn't rush into things!"

I was relieved to see Erwin approaching more slowly, and ignored Hanji in favor of greeting my commander. "Erwin. I think you'll be very interested in this."

"As interested as Hanji seems to be?" he asked, peering first at the seemingly tame titan standing several yards from us, then at the practically convulsive Hanji and Moblit, who was still holding her back. I scowled.

"Yes, but hopefully in a less obnoxious way."

... ... ...

Hanji was more than a bit distressed when told that Erwin and I alone would accompany the children and titan back to the Walls of Shiganshina. But Erwin didn't cave to her tantrum, thank Fate, and soon we were on our way. Once out of the woods, the girl dropped down from her Maneuver Gear and mounted a waiting horse, a black stallion that she greeted warmly. There was also a spare horse, so I soon found myself seated, a bit disgruntled, in front of Erwin as we rode toward the district.

"We won't be entering the district itself," Mikasa explained calmly, as we rode. "I won't have that. However, we can talk on top of the Walls; it's certainly safer than down here."

"And if we decide to enter the district anyway?" I asked.

"Then I'll kill you," was her simple response.

I respected her spirit, but that didn't mean it didn't irritate me. So I scowled, unconvinced.

"I'd like to see you try."

"You're Levi, right?" she asked suddenly, and I nodded. "'Humanity's Strongest?' Eren is quite enamored with you, or at least he used to be."

"A titan enamored with a titan-slayer," I said, slightly amused despite myself. "Well isn't that a twist. I suppose the beast would be flattered if I was the one to kill it, then?"

Mikasa didn't reply, but I noted the shift in her aura- the dark protectiveness of it. It was obvious to me that she would do anything, withstand any torture or death for the sake of the titan she called Eren. And, although it confused me that the object of such feelings was a titan, I recognized the feelings themselves.

She's part- if not leader -of a gang... someone who's lived on the streets and battled for daily survival. And she knows what it means to look after valued comrades.

We reached the Wall after a surprisingly short ride; the titan was still keeping pace with us, but pulled up alongside the Wall and rumbled questioningly. A moment later, the blonde boy joined us on the ground; the girl dismounted to greet him.

"Are you sure about this, Armin?" the girl questioned him, with a mistrustful glance at Erwin and I. "Having Eren reveal himself like this?"

"It's the only logical path," the blonde replied, seeming comparably at ease. "And the Survey Corps are trained to kill titans, not humans."

"We can if we need to, Mushroom Head," I felt the need to mutter, and the blonde turned to me.

"My name is Armin- Armin Arlert."

"Don't you dare show that sort of disrespect, Runt!" the girl spat at me, seeming angrier at the nickname than the actual threat. My eyebrows arched.

"Fine, fine," I said, dismounting and glancing back at Erwin. He was letting me do the talking, I realized; analyzing the kids' reactions in silence. Fine, Erwin... if that's how you want to play it, I'll go along. "So what do you mean, 'reveal himself?'"

"Eren!" the Arlert boy called up suddenly, and the titan rumbled. "Go ahead and undo it!"

The titan nodded, then sat down abruptly with a thud that nearly knocked me off balance. I didn't take my gaze off the creature as it began suddenly to twitch, eyes rolling back in its head and mouth opening slightly. Then it reached up with one hand; groped at the target on the back of its neck. I watched in amazement as its nails sunk into its own flesh, and it peeled back a layer of skin right over the vital point. There was a tremendous rush of steam, characteristic of any titan wound, and I noticed the blonde boy smiling approvingly.

"He's getting better at this," he commented to the girl, probably not for me to hear. "Last time he was spasming so hard that he shook me clean off."

"He's only been in titan form for an hour of so," the girl replied. "That probably has something to do with it."

My attention snapped back to the titan as I heard a faint coughing; it's arm went totally limp, revealing the smoking wound and... something... moving? Straining forward, I confirmed that, yes, something was most certainly moving inside the exposed muscles of the titan's neck. And as I watched, aware of Erwin stiffening beside me, I saw a shape emerge- a distinctly human shape. It ripped itself free of the steaming musculature, coughing slightly and then gasping, wriggling as it fought to tear away from the titan's flesh. The titan itself was beginning to dissipate, just like any other titan corpse.

"Mikasa!" the boy, most likely called Eren, shouted down. "M-my leg's really stuck! Give me a hand!"

Huffing softly, the girl motioned to Armin. "You go. I don't trust the runt down here alone."

The blonde boy nodded; took the sword that she handed him and shot up onto the quickly dissolving giant. He wasn't as adept at the 3D Maneuver Gear as the girl, but he managed, at least as well as most of the newer recruits could.

"Care to explain?" I asked Mikasa, and she glowered at me.

"Not particularly."

"I believe that Armin-kun will offer sufficient explanation when he returns," Erwin said diplomatically, one hand materializing on my shoulder. Don't push it, Levi, his tone said, and I shook my head.

Fine, Erwin. I trust your judgment.

A moment later, the two young boys joined us on the ground- the titan boy, I noted, also wore full 3D Maneuver Gear, although also without the blades. I peered at him curiously, and he stared back, his eyes swirling with something that made me uneasy. Unused to being unnerved by a scrawny brat, I shook my head slightly.

"Shall we go to the top of the Walls?" Armin suggested, and Mikasa nodded, with one more mistrustful look at me.

"If you're set on this idea, Armin. Of course."

"Levi?" Erwin asked, motioning for me to go first. Silently, I echoed the girl's statement.

If you're set on this idea, Erwin.

The five of us ascended together, although I noticed that the two children- Mikasa and Eren -hemmed Erwin and I in casually, with Armin between and slightly behind them. They moved confidently, especially the girl; I knew that she was prepared to make good on her threat, if we attacked them or tried to enter the district. When we reached the top of the Wall, all three faced us, although again with Armin Arlert between and slightly behind his two companions.

Erwin was the first to sit, with a murmur to me to do the same. For a moment I resisted; it had been a long while since anyone had managed to put me so one edge, since my days on the street, certainly. Arlert sat next; motioned to his companions. Eventually I relented, and the titan boy followed suit. The girl, however, stayed standing; a blatant challenge. It was obvious that she was the most powerful of the group, although none of these feral children should be taken lightly.

"How many of your district are still alive?" Erwin queried; it was the blonde boy who replied.

"Three hundred and twenty one," he said, but then corrected himself. "No; only three twenty. There was a death this morning."

"Do you have a leader?" I asked, already sensing the answer. "Any sort of organization?"

"Of course!" the other, brown-haired boy scoffed; the titan boy. "Without him, none of us would be alive!"

My eyebrows arched. "May I... speak to him?"

The titan boy drew breath to reply, but was cut off by the girl. "Perhaps," she said, her voice low, "but only after the three of us decide we can trust you. We're in charge of screening potential threats, you see, and you haven't yet convinced us that you're harmless."

I furrowed my brow. "Listen, little girl," I said softly, dangerously, "you've done well to survive for this long. But it's time you let the adults handle things; if the Survey Corps is to organize an evacuation of Shiganshina, as I intend to see happens, I need to speak to the person in charge."

"Evacuation is an impossibility," the girl replied evenly. "I know that as well as you do. Don't try to bluff me, or Armin; it will only end with you dead."

I felt dark anger rising in me at the impudence of these children, especially the girl; Erwin's hand on my shoulder calmed me, though, and I sat back slightly as he edged forward.

"Mikasa; Eren; Armin; I can only imagine the types of trauma you people have gone through," he began, and I rolled my eyes. "We're here to help, in any way we can- please believe that."

The blonde boy actually scoffed. "We don't actually need your help," he said, looking a bit put-out; I felt a flicker of suspicion, a theory gaining strength in my mind. "We can support a slightly growing population through our farming, and you've seen the usefulness of Eren's titan Powers when faced with unforeseen incidents. We don't need any outside help."

"But what sort of life will you have, confined to your tiny district?" Erwin pressed, and Mikasa cut in.

"Trust us, Commander- it is anything but boring."

Erwin sighed softly; it was my turn, again, and this time I stood to address the trio of scruffy teenagers before me. The girl glared, her eyes dark with danger, challenging me to take her on; the titan boy was looking at me with undisguised hostility, daring me to question him. But I was no fool.

"You, Mushroom Head," I said, pointing. "I can believe that these two survived in the hell your district must have become, but you? I don't buy it. They look like gangsters; you look more like the bookworm type." A tactician, I added silently. A strategist. "These two must have protected you."

"They did," he replied, unflinchingly; my respect for him increased just a bit.

"But why?" I asked- rhetorically. "You must have had a use, despite being so frail." I saw the titan-boy, Eren, begin to object; cut him of with a glare and continued to address the blonde. "The strongest of friendships would crumble under such strain; there must have been a practical reason to keep you alive."

"You're right," the blonde conceded, and then the girl had placed herself bodily between us.

"Leave him alone, Runt," she growled, her hand on the hilt of one blade. "Enough questions."

"You're only digging yourself a deeper hole," I said matter-of-factly, eyes widening a fraction. "I'm not skeptical about the fact that he's your friend and you're very emotionally attached to him, but there's something far beyond that in your protectiveness of him. You move to shield him with your bodies automatically; you always keep him in the corner of your vision. Friends, yes, but something far more serious.

"You're soldiers protecting your king."

I heard an approving murmur from Erwin, behind me; realized, with some mild annoyance, that he had already come to this conclusion a while ago. The girl flinched back; gulped; the titan boy shifted where he sat, bringing one hand up to his mouth for some reason I couldn't pinpoint. To their surprise- and mine, for that matter -the blonde boy stood, stepping in front of the girl.

"You wanted to talk to the person in charge? You have been, this whole time."

I narrowed my eyes. "I suspected as much." Then I shrugged, unconcerned with the latest development, and perhaps even glad of it. "I'm not surprised that such a youngster ended up in a position of power; you were smart enough to realize you needed to wait out the die-off, right?" He nodded. "And the fact that large gangs would never manage to hang on to their power?" Another nod. "Older people wouldn't be able to grasp either of those facts." Then I turned to the two others, who were watching me in bewilderment. "You did well to trust him; it's the reason you're alive, weird-ass titan powers be damned."

"We know," the girl retorted, sounding furious. But the titan-boy was watching me with wide eyes, a smile starting to break through as he sprang to his feet.

"Wow! I had heard that you were truly awesome, but man-! You live up to the legends, Corporal!"

"Corporal?'" I echoed distastefully. "What the hell, brat?"

"I've always wanted to join the Survey Corps!" he admitted in a rush. "Before this all happened, it was my dream!"

"Good for you," I said dismissively. I was actually unnerved by the sudden change in his demeanor; it had crossed my mind that anyone who could magically turn into a titan couldn't be entirely right in the head, and his sudden switch from hostility to mania seemed to be supporting that particular suspicion.

"Would you like to?"

I nearly choked on my tongue when I heard Erwin's question; eyes wide, I rounded on my superior.

"What are you thinking?!" I hissed, at exactly the same moment the titan boy, slightly behind me, exclaimed, "That would be amazing!" Rounding on him, I gave him a withering glare that didn't seem to work.

"Listen up, brat," I said, actively trying to sound terrifying- I had been told that I was terrifying even when I wasn't trying, so I hoped trying would scare him shitless. "We can't enter your district without your permission, and you don't get to enter my Survey Corps without mine."

The boy didn't flinch, only nodded. "I get that, Corporal," he said seriously, and I felt myself snap.

"I swear to god if you call me Corporal just one more-"

"Levi." Erwin's voice brought me back to my senses; I noticed immediately that the girl had both of her blades out, and shot her a glare before turning to my commander. He looked painfully disapproving, and I felt shamed irritation lance through me.

"Erwin, you can't be serious," I said, forcing my tone to be more reasonable. "We don't know a damn thing about them."

My commander smiled slightly- soothingly. "No more than I knew about you." I felt myself soften, despite the situation. "Do you trust me, Levi?"

"..." Glowering, disgruntled, I glanced at the three children behind me. "... Unconditionally."

"Excellent." Beaming, Erwin set his hand on my shoulder as he came up beside me, addressing the three children. "Then I hereby extend an invitation to all three of you to join the Military, if you wish."

The titan boy's response was instantaneous; the girl, Mikasa, was quick to follow with some sentimental gibberish about how she would go wherever Eren did. The blonde boy responded slower, although I got the impression that there was never a question in his mind, and eventually he too accepted Erwin's generous offer. My commander looked all-too-pleased with himself, and I scowled up at him to try to convey my displeasure. You and your insane recruitment drives...

"The 104th Training Division is scheduled to have their final exam a week from now," he informed the children. "I'd consider the life you've led sufficient training, titan powers aside; if you can pass the exam, I'll convince the brass to let you skip the typical three years of schooling. The only condition is that you promise to join the Survey Corps upon graduation."

I forced myself to bite my tongue, hard enough to draw blood; Erwin was making things far too easy for them. I would be the first to admit that very few people in the Survey Corps were entirely right in the head- including myself -but I had severe reservations about these kids. All three of them were feral; unpredictable; wild. They had undoubtedly had to do many terrible things to stay alive, and it had left scars on them- just as such things had left scars on me. I knew how powerful memories like those could be; how they could easily swallow you up and rot your very humanity from the inside out.

titan powers be damned, the Eren boy had seen a lot of death- and brought a lot of it about. I could see the bloodlust etched in his face; in his smile. The girl was unerringly loyal to him- to a flaw. And she appeared to be able to match- or nearly match -my own 3D Maneuver Gear skill already. Anyone that talented should be handled with care; anyone that loyal to a madman was more dangerous than the madman himself.

The blonde boy, Armin Arlert, I admittedly liked the look of. I though it was because he reminded me of Erwin; his mind was sharp and clear, far cleared than that of the other two, and he seemed capable. However, he seemed all-too adept at the art of deception, of manipulation, and I could see his flexible morals reflected in his eyes. Additionally, he wasn't cut out for the military- life as a tactician or scholar would suit him far better, and make better use of his talents.

And then, as if it were possible for there to be even more wrong with the situation, there was the simple fact that Eren could transform himself into a 15m titan. According to Arlert, who seemed to have no compelling reason to lie (in this case, at least), it had been over a year since the last time Eren had lost control of himself. However, no matter what sort of tactical dream this might seem to offer, having a titan on our side, not a thing was known about him... except that he may or may not be more than just slightly off his proverbial rocker.

But Erwin's decision was final. I did trust my commander unconditionally, as many reservations as I had. And victory was impossible without taking calculated risks- that was a fact just like any other. So I sighed; rose; addressed the children.

"Your district will provide shelter for the Survey Corps tonight. We'll set out for home tomorrow morning at dawn. Be ready then if you haven't changed your minds."

... ... ...

The accommodations that Shiganshina had to offer were surprisingly good; it was painfully obvious that the district had been through all manners of hell, but there was a functional inn (although I didn't imagine they got many visitors; the Arlert boy had probably had it prepared it for just such an occasion, as he had already stated that he had been expecting the Survey Corps to show up at some point or other) and we several dozen soldiers were presented with a shockingly decent supper. The people of Shiganshina, too, seemed wary but friendly enough... at least after Arlert had told them the we were honored guests.

I didn't sleep well- I didn't really try, to be honest. I curled up against Erwin's back, unwilling to sleep alone or to let him; I didn't trust our surroundings. I could hear people moving about outside; I could hear arguments. The Arlert boy was preparing for their departure; as ruler of the district, effectively king of his own private domain, he had a lot of loose ends to tie up. I hadn't given them much time to prepare; I knew that Erwin would want to get back to the main Walls as soon as possible, to give them at least a couple of days to prepare for the exam.

When morning came, I rose and stretched; told Erwin that yes, I had managed to sleep (although he knew it was a lie), and then made my way downstairs. All of us ate a hearty breakfast- the three children included, although Arlert didn't actually eat, much too busy making some final arrangements -and then set off. The district bid us a warm and reluctant farewell; Armin seemed the most reluctant to leave, and the people reluctant to let him. But the district was functioning just as any other district; able to support itself.

"Why are you prepared to leave so easily?" I asked the blonde suddenly, as we were saddling our horses (the district had also provided us with new mounts). "You've rebuilt this district from the ground up; you have more power and influence than most men could dream of, and you seem to genuinely care about the people you rule. Why leave?"

I saw him pause, thinking; formulating his response before he spoke. "For one thing..." he said, slowly, "I don't actually care all that much; its a bit of an act. Helping the district as a whole benefits my close friends and I. I'm not some saint who saves lives for the sake of saving them." I shivered slightly at his detached tone; knew he was telling me the truth. "For another, I never liked being trapped within the Walls; I didn't like it before the Fall of Maria. I always wanted to see the world, with Eren and with Mikasa. Would someone tied to a throne be able to do that?"

"I suppose not," I admitted. "Then why go to such pains to make sure that Shiganshina survives, even after you're gone? Hasn't it served its purpose?"

And his reply, with a deceptively innocent smile, was, "Always have a back up plan."

Feeling slightly awed and more than a bit unnerved, I swung up onto my mount, deciding that the blonde boy could very well be the most terrifying of them all. Then we were off, galloping through the gates and back out into titan territory, the three children riding beside me. Hanji gave a whoop, as she often did, spurring her horse until she could pull up beside Eren.

"Ne, Eren!" she called, practically drooling; she had been trying to get close to the titan boy all evening and all night, and I growled with annoyance that she had finally managed it. "How do you turn into a titan? What caused it to begin with? Were you born with the power?!"

"Well, I think my dad gave them to me," the boy replied, and my ears perked. "He injected me with something... and then Mikasa and Armin say I went on a rampage and ate him shortly after that. That was the first time I transformed."

Ate him, I acknowledged grimly. So he has eaten people... his own father, no less.

The significance of this fact seemed lost on Hanji, as her face lit up and she gave an enthusiastic, "Oooh!" Before she could ask another question, though, Mikasa had inserted herself between them.

"Eren won't be answering any more of your questions," she growled, one hand on her blades. I rolled my eyes, easing my own horse closer to the scene.

"Stop it, all of you," I growled. "You, girl; you're only here because Erwin thinks you can handle it, so don't think you can order anyone around. And Hanji, you indiscreet bitch, hold off on your obnoxious questions until we're safely home. Don't answer her," I added to Eren, who nodded seriously.

"Yes, Corporal!"

"Stop it, Eren," Armin spoke up tiredly, guiding his horse up to our little clump. "Don't go overboard with this whole 'Corporal' business." His voice held a warning; he clearly didn't want Eren's loyalty drifting to me... or drifting away from him, I realized.

The titan boy shifted uneasily, nodding. "Of course not, Armin," he murmured, although his eyes were still on me. I wondered why his fixation was so sudden and so powerful; Mikasa had said that he had always admired me... Giving myself a brief shake, I shoved the speculation from my mind.

"Break it up," came Erwin's stern order, although he didn't turn from the head of the formation. "Stop gossiping like old women and stay alert."

Irritated that I had been sucked into the little huddle to begin with, I urged my horse forward until I was riding beside Erwin. He glanced over at me- somewhat disapproving.

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on the Shiganshina kids?"

"I can't put up with them for another minute," I grumbled, staring straight ahead.

"Levi..."

"Don't 'Levi' me!" I snapped, glaring over at him. "This was your idea- they aren't my responsibility to... to babysit!"

Erwin's eyes softened; I groaned, anticipating what was coming. "Do you trust me?"

"Unconditionally, you bastard."

"Keep an eye on the kids for me, Levi."

Muttering angrily, I let myself drop back, once again falling into a steady gallop between the girl, Mikasa, and Eren. Arlert and Hanji had fallen in beside one another, as well- talking in hushed tones that would have made me worry if I had given half a shit at that point.

"Get away from me, Runt."

Turning baleful eyes on the girl, I grimaced. "I wouldn't be anywhere near you, if I had a choice in the matter. You'd still be back in Shiganshina if I had a choice in the matter."

"Then you'd be dead, Corporal!"

I looked over in surprise at the titan boy; he was smiling, his gaze still glowing adoringly... but glinting with something else entirely, a hard-edged madness that was all but masked by his casual tone and posture.

I forced my body not to shiver. "Oh? How do you figure, brat?"

"Armin said that if-" he began cheerfully, but a loud hiss from the girl cut him off.

"Eren!"

"What?" the boy asked, peering around me at his friend. "They should know that-"

"Eren!" the girl hissed again, her eyes dark. "They most certainly do not need to know certain things!"

Eren's eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded. "Alright. I don't think Corporal takes us very seriously right now, though," he added, flashing me a smile. This time I couldn't stop the shudder from racing up my spine, setting my fingers twitching around the horse's bridal.

"Oh, I take you brats deadly seriously," I assured him, succeeding in keeping my voice steady despite the unease roiling like nausea through my body. Erwin, what were you thinking...? There are similarities between these kids and how I used to be... I can feel the darkness in them as clear as you can see the potential...! I trust you, but you should also trust me, damn it...!

That made the boy's smile widen; unnaturally, gruesomely. "I'm glad to hear that, Corporal!"

... ... ...

I tried to avoid conversing with the children as much as possible; we were making good time, considering, and had managed to avoid any major titan encounters. I was relieved to think that we would be back within the Walls, Fate willing, by early the next morning.

We stopped a bit after midday; set up a temporary camp and ate, our dry rations supplemented with fruits and meat from Shiganshina. The three kids huddled together automatically, although the Arlert boy seemed intent upon weaving his way through the whole of the company; the other two stuck to him like glue, although he shot them baleful glances whenever they- usually the titan boy -scared off whoever he was trying to talk to. I settled myself on a tree trunk, nibbling at some bread and sipping my coffee, to watch them. I didn't like them moving among my men, but Erwin knew what he was doing by allowing it... probably.

A sudden shot rang out, a red smoke round going up at the edge of our encampment. Leaping to my feet, I saw Mike racing back toward us, smoking gun in hand.

"A whole group of titans, coming from the North," he reported, as Erwin came up beside me. Hanji gave a whoop of excitement, but I ignored her; my eyes were on the three children, wondering how they would react. Erwin's thoughts were turned to the same subject, I could tell, as we made for our horses.

"All units, prepare for combat!" he called, swinging up onto his mount. I noted with interest that Arlert was no longer riding alone; he had climbed onto Eren's horse.

And then, before any of us had anticipated, they burst from the trees.

There was a chorus of screams from those closest to the tree line; some soldiers hadn't even managed to get onto their horses yet. I felt the animal beneath me buck in surprise, and clung tightly to its reigns to keep from being thrown off.

"Eld! Olou! Petra! Gunther!" I shouted, grabbing for my Manuveur Gear's triggers. "Format-!"

Before I could even get the order out, there was a tremendous explosion just behind me, the force of which was sufficient to topple my horse and pitch me forward. I flipped, recovering mid-air and landing on my feet, but was momentarily deafened by the roar that split the air. A 15m titan came barreling out from the smoke, each step making the earth shake beneath my feet. The chaos intensified exponentially; rumors had spread, of course, but only a fraction of us had actually seen the so-called Rogue Titan, the boy Eren.

Hanji's cheer was even louder than the titan's roar.

"Get down, get down everyone!" Erwin bellowed, and for once I didn't even think of obeying; the order probably didn't extend to me, regardless. Shooting out my cables, I took off after the huge beast, watching in grim apprehension as he charged straight through the ranks of Survey Corps, narrowly missing several fleeing soldiers.

"Don't get in our way!"

I was unsurprised to hear Mikasa's voice as she flew up beside me; glowered in her general direction.

"Tell your pet titan to watch where he's stepping," I growled. "If he squishes one of my men, I'll cut him right out of that titan body and flay him alive."

The girl drew back her lip, but didn't reply; Eren had made contact with the first of the titans, and Mikasa and I split up to hunt our own targets. Again and again I sliced through soft flesh, my movements controlled and precise; I kept an eye on Mikasa, and acknowledged with some concern that her kill total was nearly equal to mine.

Eren, of course, was doing just as well as either of us in that regard. It was quite the sight, watching him fight; watching him tear the other titans limb-from-limb, his own wounds smoking as he sunk teeth and nails into victim after victim. After each kill he would give a bone-shattering roar before charging at the next, his eyes wild and swirling with mad bloodlust- not all that differently from that of common titans.

Within a minute, between the three of us, a dozen or so titans lay in smoking heaps on the ground. Mikasa landed on Eren's shoulder; the titan was trembling and breathing hard, both his hands steaming furiously as they regenerated. His eyes were rolling slightly back in his head, and I braced myself; prepared to attack, should he lose control of himself.

But, after a moment, he simply collapsed; sat down heavily, jarring Armin, who, as it turned out, had been riding on his head the whole time. Then he turned to me; in those glowing green eyes, I saw a monster- a bridled monster, straining against the feeble human holding it under control.

And, for the first time in years, I felt honest, gut-wrenching fear.

"Levi."

Erwin landed beside me, and I was careful not to let the terror bleed through; he didn't seem to notice. I shook my head slowly, turning.

"Tell the brat to get the fuck out of that form," I growled. "I'll deal with the men."

"No, Levi," my commander said sternly, and I nearly snarled in frustration. "You tend to the kids; I'll reassemble the formation."

"Why?" I asked, my voice beginning to crack, despite my best efforts; I glanced furtively at the Shiganshina brats, making sure that they were out of earshot. "Erwin why are you making me responsible for them?! I don't even think they should be here! It's only a matter of time before the titan and the girl turn on us- either that or the Arlert brat ignites some fucking coup d'état!"

"Levi, I agree with you," my commander said, much to my surprise. "And that's why I can only trust you to look after them. So look after the kids for me, Levi."

Closing my eyes briefly, I rubbed at my forehead. "Fine, Erwin, fine. Just answer me this, then: why, if you see the risk so clearly, do you think this whole mess is worth it?"

"Since when do you question me, Levi?" my commander asked mildly- somewhat amused, or so it sounded.

"When I think you're making a mistake."

"Oh? And since when do you think I make mistakes?"

"When you're blinded by your damn insane recruiting methods!" I retorted.

"Like when I offered you-"

"I know how I came into the Survey Corps, I know!" I snapped, then took a deep breath. "I see the similarities, Erwin, I do, but..."

"Trust me, Levi," my commander said simply, and I felt my anger deflate. "I think it's worth the risk because we're fighting a losing war; we can't afford to be careful, not at this point."

"... I understand, Erwin."

"So you'll keep an eye on them?"

I sighed; turned. "Of course. But if things get out of hand, I will kill them, I hope you know."

"I'd expect no less, Levi."