Chapter 26: New friends
There aren't any titans left as Eren jumps over the edge of another building. Erwin told them to find survivors, how should any human have gotten away with their life in this city. All Eren can see and smell are dead bodies. Many humans are dead, he is afraid to see a familiar face of a human that had seen them off all this days ago. He doesn't know them, not by name or anything about them but he had met them shortly, just a glimpse of their eyes. Eren doesn't want humans dead, he wants to protect them, make sure they life and kill all titans. He knows that not only titans kill humans, humans kill humans too. Levi told him that, Levi who protects him from other humans and titans, his little human he want to keep safe forever.
Deciding that using his eyes isn't helping complete his task Eren gets to the ground walking around the destroyed city, listening for a sound that isn't one of his soldier friends, a smell of living humas, the smell of fear would give them away, maybe something else. Holding up his nose Eren takes in all the different smells around him, in his titan form it would be far easier but Erwin told him to stay in his human form so he has to work with what he got.
The smell of burning wood and flesh meet his nose first, the smell of dead, blood and fear are dominant as well. Cold fear, old and whoever felt that fear is dead or run hours ago. Slowly Eren walks pass a well and around a corner and stops frozen in place. It isn't so much a smell but a noise that got his attention. It's not a noise he could name but it is a human noise right in front of him. Where once had stand a house are only ruins left.
Eren runs toward the noise and find the debris of a roof blocking his way. With all his strength he pulls one piece of wood or stone after another away. It takes him a few minutes but his work gets rewarded by a knocking sound behind a wooden door in the floor. Behind that door are humans, humans that could be very frightened and fear he is a titan.
The titan-shifter knees down and knocks at the wooden door. "I´m here to help you, be careful when I open the door." Eren wouldn't lie and tell them that he is human. He is here to help, a simple truth. Eren pushes the last rock from the door and opens it.
What he finds are to human children. Around his own age if he had to guess, maybe a bit older. A small blond boy with blue eyes and a black-haired girl with a red scarf around her neck. Both look frightened but not hurt. Seeing him in his Scout uniform they seem to relax them a bit and they climb out of the basement staircase. "Are you hurt?" Eren asks, even when he can´t smell blood they could have other injuries.
The blond boy is the first to talk. "No, we did get away without injuries. Thank you for saving us. I´m Armin and that is Mikasa." He points at the girl.
"I better take you to my commander. My name is Eren, nice to meet you." Eren did learn normal social behaviour, not from Levi or Hanji but from Erwin. Always telling him what to do in normal conversation. He always said one day it could be very helpful. Thinking about it the situation doesn't really scream normal but who is he to judge the boy, Armin for his politeness.
"What about the titans?" Asks Mikasa as they make their way back to the building Eren know Erwin is waiting for them.
"The titans are dead, a few soldiers guard both entrances." Both stay very close to Eren and it makes him very happy. As they reach the right building Eren pulls both closer. "Hold on tight, we are going to fly." Eren smiles encouraging at them and while he holds them tight at his body both tighten their grip on his body as well.
Eren shoots the cables up and let them be pulled up fast. The speed throws them over the roof side and Eren uses his Titan strength to take the impact by landing. He looks up and finds Levi watching him. "Brat I see you found new friends."
Friends, that would be nice. Human friends with the same age. "Found survivor. That is Armin." He nods toward the blond boy. "And that is Mikasa."
"Not bad brad, come on Hanji will need to check them over and Erwin has a stupid plan for your to close the gate again." Eren nods.
"Let´s go." Eren takes the hands of his new humans and pulls them toward Hanji. "She isn't as crazy as she behaviours but don't let her do experiments on you." He whispers and ignores both as they stare at him confused.
Hanji walks over to them. It seems as Eren is the only one that was successful finding living humans. A sad thought but at least he found someone, two someones. "Hey my little titan. Do you bring me some new test subjects?"
"No shitty-glasses, I found them buried under a building you should check them out." Hanji ruffles his hairs as she always does when she things he is especially cute, mostly when he uses Levi´s nickname for her.
"Don't worry I will take care of them. You go over to see Erwin." Eren nods waves Armin and Mikasa a short good-bye and walks over to Erwin. He hears how Hanji gives them both water while checking them over.
Erwin waits for him and without further explanation he points at one giant rock in the middle of the city. "Levi found this one, I need you to pick it up and carry it to the gate to close up the wall. All the titans inside will be prisoned, and we can kill them without having to worry about more getting in. Can you do it?" It isn't a real question.
"Yes." Still Eren answers.
