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Despite the battle at Castle Utgard that nearly got everyone killed – including Sasha, Connie, Reiner, Bertholdt and Christa (apparently an alias for Historia) – and a now awoken Eren's participation in the clean-up, which more or less involved disobeying Hange's direct orders and slaying every Titan in sight, the entire building is in shambles. Hange's team moved all the injured soldiers from the Utgard battle and Ymir, an apparent shifter, to the temporary medical ward directly behind the cloaked gap in Wall Rose, where they were already housing Eren before, and could now safely conduct their investigations into Annie's past while properly managing the wounded.

"The damage is bad, but they think when the swelling goes down I'll be able to properly see out of my left eye again. And I'll have this concussion for a while, so no 3D maneuvering for me any time soon."

Mikasa is poised at the side of Armin's infirmary bed, her hands folded on her lap and her indigo gaze turned out to the window. The sun is descending below the wall, the blush of night already dusted across the clouds. Eren should be in the bed beside his best friend, but it's been vacant since he went off to be a part of the Utgard cleanup. She of course tagged along, but to see this renewed blankness in his eyes as he danced around the Titans and slaughtered any he could find despite Moblit's insistence to be careful… well, it scared her. It's like he was just an empty shell of what he used to be, acting on pure impulse.

And now that he hasn't come back she can't help but let the anguish gnaw on her gut. She's both worried about him and about this new revelation – that the Titans may have come from elsewhere that is not a breach in the Wall. (And she picked up on some rumors of an Ape-like Titan spotted in the deserted village, where they found Mike Zacharias' remains).

When she looks around, she sees all the soldiers injured in the chase after Annie. She wonders if they blame the Female Titan for all that's happened, or if they're now blaming Eren for being so blind to the truth.

(For not fighting back).

"And here I thought I wouldn't be able to see the ocean with you." Armin gives her a weak laugh, but he ends up awkwardly coughing it off when he realizes she isn't responding. "So… how is your wrist doing?"

"Hurts a little," she answers despondently, playing with the rigid breaks in her bandages. "Hange says I won't be able to fight for at least a month. Guess that means I've single-handedly disabled both Humanity's strongest and our classes' top graduate in only a few weeks."

"Don't blame yourself Mika', it's not your fault." He quickly passes off the topic. "Hey, I haven't heard from Eren since he sat with me this morning. Is he alright?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him either."

He bashfully gazes elsewhere. "Sorry, I'm asking too many questions."

"No, it's fine."

Across the way she catches sight of Reiner and Bertholdt standing at Ymir's bed side, the taller man with a scowl on his face that suddenly intimidates her. She's never seen Bert so angry before; he's always been stoic, complacently following orders and trailing behind their group leaders. This change in him is something unnerving. "I want the truth from you," he hisses, but it's barely audible and Mikasa isn't sure that's what he really said.

Ymir is almost fully recovered now, surprising given her dire injuries, missing limbs and scrambled organs, but still mumbles weakly. "I'm sorry," she finishes, gradually reaching for his hand, only for him to snap it away. "Bertholdt, I'm so, so sorry…"

"Bert," Reiner starts, but his best friend shoots him a menacing glare.

"I don't want to hear it from you, liar."

And he storms out. Armin has his attention on them as well now, watching Reiner occupy the chair at her bed side and rub the visible throb in his temple. "Geez," the boy mutters, "what is that all about?"

"No idea."

A split moment later boot steps scuff the hallway floor outside, and the duo quizzically glance at the open door. Three soldiers shuffle by, their unicorn emblems indicating their status in the Stohess Military Police branch. Mikasa pats Armin's hand and excuses herself, jogging out after the group as they make their turn around a corner. "Excuse me!" she calls out. "May I assist you?"

The soldiers pause and the one closest to Mikasa – a man, cropped dark hair and just above Reiner's height – faces her. "Yes, I'm Marlow Freudenberg, and this is Hitch and Boris. We were friends of Annie's, more or less."

"Do you perhaps know an Eren Jaeger?" Boris questions hopefully.

She returns with a curt nod. "He's my brother."

"Then do you know where we can find him? We want to give him our condolences."

Mikasa takes a moment to ponder his words before briskly moving between them to take the lead. "Of course, I'll bring you to him. He might be in his room now."

She guides them down into the building's main corridor towards the stair well for the second floor, the area of temporary bedrooms for the scouts who aren't drugged up on pain suppressants in the ward. Given all that's happened she realizes she hasn't slept well in quite a few days, and subconsciously, she touches the rings under her eyes. At the entrance of the stair well Eren turns the corner, ramming right into her, but he catches her by her elbow to keep them both from tipping over.

"Shit! Oh, Mikasa, you startled me. Sorry."

She gives him a wane smile. "It's alright. These officers were looking for you." She turns to face them. "Marlowe, Hitch, Boris – friends of Annie."

Eren steps to her side to greet them himself. "I know you guys, Annie talked about you a lot." He gestures to Hitch. "She also told me she beat a man up for you."

Hitch laughs gently, but the humor is lost in the voided timbre of her voice, in the old memories of her past. "Yeah, guess I'll never get to thank her for that… But, wow, can I just ask – you were the one who knocked her up? I can safely say I'm jealous."

"Hitch!" Marlowe stresses.

Eren quirks his eyebrow. "Uh… I'm – I was – thanks?"

"And you are one serious hunk of man."

"Really now, Hitch," Boris hisses as he pushes her to the side. "What she means is, it's great to finally meet you, despite the circumstances. We came to pay our condolences… and we're really sorry for what happened. Are you going to be okay?"

He shrugs passively, but his eyes are averted to the floor and it gives him away. Pitiful. "I guess… I know it'll take me a while, but I'll cope. I have to."

Marlowe grasps his shoulder. "Be strong, alright? We have to go before our captain notices we're gone, but if you need anything out of Stohess don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you."

Marlowe nods at his group and they give Eren brief goodbyes, Boris through a handshake and Hitch a quick hug, before they're heading back the way they had come. Eren immediately returns to the stair well platform and picks up the bag he had dropped in his collision with Mikasa.

"What's that?" she asks, folding her arms beneath her chest.

"This, my curious sister," he says rather condescendingly, throwing it over his shoulder with the strings wound around his wrist, "is a sack of clothes I'm going to wash. I'm just occupying myself to help…y'know, not think of everything that's been happening."

And then he leans towards her, kissing her chastely on her porcelain cheek. It's a familiar gesture she hasn't received since her parents died when she just a child… so, so very long ago. But she doesn't like the strange tingle it induces in the back of her mind, giving her the sense that something isn't right with what he's claiming, that maybe he's… lying? To her? What did he have to lie about?

She quizzically raises an eyebrow at him when he pulls back. "What was that for?"

"Nothing." He adjusts the sack. "Is a little affection a bad thing?"

She narrows her gaze. "No…" But you're not the type to just throw affection around unless it's for Annie.

"I'll see you later."

She watches him go with an intensifying guttural anxiety, but she decides to let him be, and turns her attention to returning to her room and getting some sleep.

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Eren passes by the infirmary, glancing in to where Armin is trying to focus on reading his book, and Sasha, Connie, and Christa – Historia – are recovering from their minor injuries during the collapsing of the pillar. Reiner is seated with Ymir, but aside from the other soldiers also in the ward, he doesn't see Bertholdt anywhere. After catching what remains of Armin's gaze and exchanging a wave, only sparing everyone else who looks at him (sympathetically, like they want to tell him it'll all be okay but can't find the appropriate words) a passing glance, he continues down the hall and turns for the basement.

The guard this evening is Moblit, who is mumbling to himself about not being able to keep at Hange's side. She'd probably get hurt without him.

"Moblit!" Eren remarks, drawing up to him.

"Oh, hi Eren," he replies despondently, "what brings you here?"

"I ran into Hange on my way to do laundry and she says she needs you on top of the wall right away to help supervise the tightening of the Titan's cover. One of the lines came loose, apparently, but the wind's really kicked up. She doesn't want to do it by herself."

Moblit frowns. "Dammit, what does she want from me? I can't do that and keep people out of the morgue…"

Eren beams up at him. "How about I take your spot? I'm sure you won't be that long, right? I don't have anything better to do."

"Oh, really?" The veteran scout breaks into a wide smile. "Thanks Eren, you're the best! I promise I won't take too long!" He pats the young soldier on the back as he jogs off to meet his eccentric squad leader outside.

Eren exhales his held breath before checking to make sure no one is around to see him. Steeling his nerves, he enters the darkness of the platform.

The stone stairwell descends for what he thinks are too many steps, the darkness illuminated by torches, the thick stench of rigor mortis and black mold overlapping the stale air. At the base of the platform the corridor stretches on with no guards, rightfully so with such a terrible smell, and behind the bars of what's supposed to be a jail cell the bodies that belong to the fallen soldiers are lined along the tables, sheets draped over their corpses to keep them from being exposed until they are cremated at the ceremony later into tomorrow.

He squeezes through the open door, moving swiftly over to the smallest body he can see in the dim torch light. I don't have much time.

His fingers grasp the edge of the cover and he pulls it back, exposing Annie Leonhardt to the frigid air. Even now, she's beautiful – her eyelids are shut and when he caresses her cheek she feels a little colder to the touch. "My Annie," he whispers, leaning down to embrace her lips with his. Cold. Unresponsive. "It's time for us to leave this place," he continues when he draws back, setting the bag down at her legs.

I promised Mom I'd put an end to every Titan in this world… no matter what…

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A/N: Sorry for the delay. Oh Eren, what could you possibly be doing...~