Chapter One: Aftermath

"You don't really think we'll find anything out here, do you?"

"Nah, this is a wasteland now."

Two Marleyan soldiers rode together along what used to be the outskirts of Hizuru territory. It had been two days since the Rumbling had destroyed most of civilization. The large Colossal titans had been stopped just before reaching outer Hizuru, where the remnants of Marley now gathered. With the assistance of the Paradis defectors and former Marleyan warriors, an expeditionary force was created, just to try to find any remaining survivors among the destruction.

"Hayes! Wait!" one of the men alerted his cohort to stop the vehicle. "I can't be sure," he started, pulling binoculars from his pack, "but I think I see someone!" He peered through the lenses eagerly. Just within sight, he noticed a crumpled mass that stood out from the now-desert landscape.

"I'll get closer, Perry," Hayes said, putting the Jeep in drive once again and slowly making his way toward the object. "Oh my god," he said almost silently, pulling up close and parking the vehicle. In stunned silence the pair got out of the vehicle and began walking toward what they now recognized as a human body.

"Do you think he's dead?" Perry asked nervously reaching for the small pistol he kept on his belt.

"Call it in," Hayes replied. "I'll check."

As Perry radioed back to base, Hayes got closer to the man and knelt at his side. He brushed strands of long dark hair from the body's face, trying to figure out if he could make an identification. It was then he noticed the unmistakable chest movements of small breathing. Hurriedly he rose and ran back toward the jeep where Perry now was standing, communicating with their home base.

"He's alive!" Hayes exclaimed, grasping Perry by the shoulders shaking the man. "I can't tell if he's one of ours or someone else, but he's breathing!"

Perry, shocked, stood motionless as the radio static hummed quietly. The pair had been exploring the area outside Hizuru for two days, never finding anything more than a few weeds that had been missed in the destruction. To find a body, no, a living man! "Marley Base, this is Expedition Team Four. Come in Marely Base," he said, putting the cans over his ears and the microphone to his face. Hayes could just barely make out the sound of Marley Base communication replying through the headphones.

"We found a survivor. We're bringing him in."

Armin walked into the small hospital room occupied by his former commanding officer. "I think that nurse has a crush on you, Captain," he snickered as Levi Ackerman's nurse walked out of the room after changing his bandages.

If it didn't hurt so much, Levi would have rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You need to stop calling me that," he said flatly, dodging the jab altogether. He sighed and looked toward the window out of the room. "I'm Captain of nothing, now. The Survey Corps are dead. We left Paradis as pariahs." Levi had never been one to mince words, but these words felt strangely cold coming from his own mouth.

Armin's face darkened. "We're lucky what's left of the world considers us heroes," he said, staring at the floor. "Hizuru was already an ally, but it's nice that the remaining Marley forces accepted us, too." With Levi in the hospital and Hange sacrificing herself in the battle, Armin became the de facto leader of the so-called Heroes of Humanity. In the two days since the end of the battle, he had been called upon by leaders from all remaining civilizations to give statements and breakdown the next steps for the nations. The new responsibility weighed heavily, as all he wanted to do was return to Paradis. He missed Eren and Mikasa.

Armin crossed the room to stare out the window. Rain clouds gathered in the distance, which was much easier to see now that most of the space around had been flattened. He sighed. "Why did you choose me?" he asked, taking Levi off guard.

Levi frowned and tried to collect his thoughts before answering.

"Eren and I met in the Path at some point before he..." Armin trailed off, unable to continue without his voice shaking. He cleared his throat. "He told me it wasn't Bertolt's time to die that day…"

Levi swallowed hard. He didn't have a good answer to Armin's question. Armin turned back to face the stunned former Captain. He placed a hand over his face, shook his head, and smiled to himself. "Forget I asked. I'm just thinking out loud."

Several quiet minutes passed as the two sat with their own thoughts. "So, did you come to tell me I can leave this hellscape?" Levi finally asked, trying to break some of the tension.

Armin snapped out of his thoughts. "No, Ca-, " he stopped himself. "Levi. I just wanted to make sure you were doing OK. Hizuru has set us up with a few living spaces once you're finally well enough to get out of here." Armin smiled smally. "I know how much you hate living in the same area as us slobs, but we're pretty much all we have left."

Levi leaned back on his pillow. He had lost so many others in the last five years. Perhaps now was a fine time to get to know these brats he'd fought alongside for so long. The survivors. He closed his eyes and smirked. "You're right," he admitted, keeping his eyes closed. "Have you gotten word from the others yet?"

Before Armin could answer, a knock sounded at the door. "Sir," a Marleyan soldier opened the hospital room door addressing Armin. "I need you to come with me. You've been asked to identify a survivor we found in the wastelands."

Armin turned to Levi with a puzzled look and shrugged. "Duty calls, I guess," he said quietly. "Lead the way," he motioned to the soldier.

The hallways of the hospital were relatively quiet. There were barely any injured in the final battle, and those that had been were mostly in recovery by this point. Armin focused on the clack of his own boots against the floor, wondering why he'd been called upon for such a strange task. Everyone from Paradis had been accounted for already, unless something had happened to the ship… No, he didn't let his mind wander to such dark thoughts and settled on deciding this would be a fool's errand by the Marleyans.

"He's in here, sir," the man stopped at the door. "He hasn't woken up yet, and we're sure he's not from Marley. We were hoping you could help us identify him; maybe he's one of yours?" he mused.

Armin nodded shortly before reaching for the handle. His breath caught in his throat. Time stopped as he stared at the man in the bed. He looked so peaceful, lying there. Nothing made any sense anymore. Eren. He mouthed the name, tears welling in his eyes.

"Is he one of yours, sir?"

The question snapped Armin out of his stupor. He cleared his throat and blinked away the tears. "Yes, he is from Paradis. I'll take care of seeing to his recovery."

"Does he have a name I can add to my report?" the soldier asked innocently.

"Marco Bott," a familiar voice said from the hallway. Armin turned to see Reiner in the doorway of the room, and he gave him a small smile.

The soldier nodded curtly and saluted before leaving the two men alone in the room.

"I know we can't tell them yet," Reiner admitted once he knew the Marleyan was out of earshot. Armin nodded in response, looking back at his childhood friend, speechless and in disbelief.

"I'm going to stay here until he wakes up," Armin mumbled over the ringing in his ears, his eyes never leaving Eren's body.

"I thought so," Reiner sighed. "I just wanted to check in on Captain Levi, take Gabi and Falco to get some dinner, ponder everything that has happened in the last week," he laughed. "And now I have to process this, too." Reiner placed a hand on Armin's shoulder and squeezed. "Don't let him distract you too much; for all we know, he's a vegetable," he said, heading for the hallway.

Armin barely registered the contact. As Reiner left the room, Armin pulled a chair closer to the bed. "Thanks, Reiner," he said quietly.