Muffled voices were feeding into the lithe space between Minka's ears. Her head was pounding and she was fighting to open her eyes even a fraction. Her thoughts drifted back to her last waking memory. A shiver flew down her spine as she felt the slimy walls of the Titan's throat clenching around her. She felt her foot falling from her blade. She felt her body slipping downwards screaming. Her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright her throat raw as a scream tore free. Someone grabbed her shoulders firmly shaking her. There were two people speaking at once. Then one gave a somewhat commanding tone and the other fell back.

"Minka! Hey, it's ok!"

"Eren, shut up…Minka…" Levi's voice resounded in her ears as he shook her again. A second scream stuck in her throat and her wide terrified eyes bore into his. He looked down at her with that same transfixed expression of boredom and concern. His hair was longer since the last time she'd seen him. It had been years ago. Levi had met her on a horrible day but it had been that day he'd saved her life.

Minka sighed sitting beside her mother's bed watching as the huddled crinkled figure sucked in a breath and puffed it back out. Whatever disease her mother had contracted it had created a misshapen monster in the place where her mother's body used to lay. The sun was not shining leaving the gloom of a rainy day to seep in through the cabin windows as morning approached. Minka knew that her father would return home from the bar very soon so she had to make sure that her mother's needs were attended too. Once her father returned she knew that she wouldn't be able to do much for her. It would be her own body she'd be caring for. Minka ran her hands through the small white porcelain bowl ringing out the damp rag to place it over her mother's forehead. If anything, it was the least she could do. She couldn't carry the body to the bathroom to wash her. She stiffened hearing the front door slam shut. Her heart froze. Since Braughn's death her father's rage had intensified greatly. He was also home early which either meant he was too drunk to care or he was angrier than normal. She scooted back in her chair quickly dropping the rag into the bowl and tried to race for the bathroom. If she could get into it first and lock the door he would just pound on it for a few minutes screaming fowl words before stumbling to his bedroom. Her hands fumbled with the knob to turn it as his footsteps thudded down the hallway.

"Hey! Worthless brat…where'd you go?" he slurred. She inwardly cringed as the door to the bedroom slammed open and she was out in the open.

"Dad…"

"What are you doing? Get over here…" when Minka didn't comply he yelled, "NOW!" his face contorted in a mask of angry wrinkles.

"Y-yes father…" she whispered slinking nearer him. She scrunched up her nose. She could smell the alcohol wreaking off his breath even from a foot away.

One of Minka's good friends, Jacob stood outside her home, staring horrified at the front door. From within the cabin walls he could hear screaming. He could hear shouting. He could hear sickening thuds of what he could only assume were a body colliding with thick wood. He heard crying. He heard Minka's voice shouting for him to stop. Jacob stood terrified. He'd come over with his mother's bread she'd baked early that morning to share it with their neighbors. Now, he realized he'd dropped the bread on the ground the first time he'd heard Minka scream. His hands shaking he took a step back. He wanted to help her. He wanted to charge inside and save her but he was much too little. He was only seven and less than a third of the size of her father. He ground his teeth into his cheek and bit his lip. He had to get her help. They'd all wondered…Minka had come into town with bruises before…gone to the hospital for injuries she'd sworn she'd managed while searching for firewood…he had to get his brother. It was final.

Minka felt her head snap against the wall and she cowered against the floor pulling her arms over her neck to shield herself. She whimpered without being able to stop it. She hated giving him the satisfaction. It was only a year away from her being able to apply to the training process and leave this hell hole. She felt a hand grab for her hair about to wrench her up.

"Stand up you weak snot!" he snapped yanking her upright. She refused to let her legs buckle no matter how badly they shook. Her knees knocked against one another shaking.

"D-da….dad…" she wouldn't look up. She wouldn't let him see the tears forming in her eyes.

"I should have gotten rid of you when you were born. Do you know what it's like to feed three mouths when one of them can't even provide!?" he snarled shoving her towards the bed. She stumbled slamming her leg off the hard poster bed and fell over the side crashing to the floor sucking in a breath. Her ankle twisted. It caught on the post and snapped. She cried out reaching for the pained limb but her father loomed over her grabbing for her forearm. Terrified, because he'd never caused this much damage before, Minka felt the first real twinge of self-preservation in her life. She turned as he started cleaving her over the bed and grabbed for the white bowl. She smashed it against the end table. It shattered plaster and dust raining down around the floor. Where it had first splintered Minka felt the chip bite into her flesh. She swore for the first time in her life, but gripped the shard of bowl hard, and threw her hand out against the arm that gripped her. Her father stumbled back eyes wide holding his arm where she could see blood between his fingers.

"Why you little…" he roared and went to rush forward.

"Not another step forward." A young man's voice snapped standing in the doorway. Minka's body tensed shaking before she found the courage to look around her father's blocking body. He stood still in front of her view not daring to look at the man who'd told him to stand. She didn't blame him. The guy held a blade to the back of her father's neck, enough so that he could feel it's metal teeth, and his tone had made it plenty clear that if he wanted to stay alive he'd stand there.

"And just who are you?" he said in a calm tone of voice. Her father stood to his full height adjusting his shoulders as if he were in control of the situation.

"That's not really your business and I think you should understand that you're under arrest."

"Oh, you really think that you can come into my home and…" her father's words had died away as he'd turned to face the younger. His eyes widened a bit seeing the insignia of the wings of freedom over the shoulder of this man's riding cape.

"I will only say this once more. You are under arrest." He sighed as Jacob's brother came around the corner and entered the room. He braced his shoulders and shook his head slipping past her father.

"Minka, are you alright?" he asked gently bending down in front of her. It took several moments before she could answer.

"I…My f-foot…" she whispered still staring up at her father's back.

"Get her to a hospital. I'll deal with this guy…" Levi had said.

"Don't you want to wait until the brigade gets here?" Levi had lightly shook his head.

"Some things are dealt with without the law…get her and your brother out of here."

Minka stared silently up at Levi as he gripped her shoulder finger biting into her skin. Levi had always kept in touch with her after what had happened that day. He was sort of like a long distance relative that you never saw that often but had to report in to when asked. If she had to put her thumb on it he was like your sibling that had moved away as a child. Levi sighed running a hand through his hair as she felt her body relax back against the bed frame.

"You told me in the letter that you were going into the brigade brat." He snapped letting her go.

"I didn't want you to worry." Her voice felt small. She felt small. The memory of the Titan clamping it's jaws shut as she looked up horrified becoming enclosed into darkness replayed in the back of her mind. She shivered closing her eyes.

"What were you thinking?" he demanded. "Going back there alone…suicide." He clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

"She was thinking of saving those kids." Eren snapped coming closer to the bed.

"Did I ask you?" Levi sighed agitated.

"I don't care. Are you ok Minka?" he asked leaning forward taking her hand. She stared up at his round blue eyes and took a slow breath. Was she ok? Not really…but she wouldn't admit that. Levi felt his inner self-control waver.

"I suggest you remove your hands from her in my presence Jaeger." He said lightly.

"What is your problem?" Eren shot back annoyed with the man's hovering.

"He's sort of like a brother to me Eren…" Minka whispered. "But you can ignore him." She smirked trying to shake off the cold feelings still racking her body.

"Reinsfelt, need I remind you, I'm a captain." She chuckled now wrapping her fingers between Eren's.

"What? Is it an order captain?" he groaned staring at the two.

"I don't like this…" he muttered under his breath. "He didn't wash his hands before he came in here." She laughed; leave it to the clean freak to be concerned with that.