So, I've been thinking about this story and the direction I want to take it as I mentioned. I'm trying to figure out how much time I need to spend with characters in order to make everything feel right. So I reread the earlier chapters (which I probably should have done already anyways) and found a few places were I wanted to add a little details here and there as well as found some issues and grammar mistakes that I'm editing. Feel free to reread from chapter 1 if interested. It's nothing too major though. I wrote this with those changes in mind so there is the potential of some missing context without rereading, but it should be minimal I hope.
Regardless I probably could have updated sooner, but I started playing Borderlands 3 again a bit. It's surprisingly tolerable when I don't play with any audio and don't think about the story of the game, and I'm glad I'm enjoying it.
Mikasa looked over to Armin, seeing how tired he was after pushing himself as hard as he had been. They had been running for close to 30 minutes this morning, Armin working to keep at a fast pace as best he could. She could tell he needed a short break. She stopped running, and Armin did as well in response, mild confusion adorning his face.
"We're taking a break. It's not good for you to push yourself that hard for that long. You don't want to hurt yourself." Mikasa tells Armin, her breath only slightly labored in comparison to his gasping breaths, his lungs laboring under the pressure of their workout.
"Don't take this the wrong way since I enjoy how much more open you are with me in general, but I also don't need you to baby me, either. I still have a lot to improve on before we join up, after all. We should keep going." He responds to her.
The date in which they would join the cadet corps is fast approaching. When Armin had made his request known to her, it's not like she could have said no to him at that point. So they decided start running for an hour or so every morning to get Armin in a better condition as well as for Mikasa to push the limits of her physical speed. He had decided he needed to try to get into better physical shape before joining to help ensure he performs as well as possible. Mikasa had always been in a strong physical condition, so while she didn't necessarily need to do it, she had her own gears to grind in regards to this particular topic. And it's not like the two of them really had much better to do with their time. Outside of making sure they had the necessities to live, everything else was up to them in terms of how they spent their time.
Logically, it made perfect sense to do this. In hindsight she was surprised he hadn't said something sooner. But she was starting to get slightly worried. His behavior had started changing more recently. He seemed almost angry. Kinda like herself to be honest, and that realistically wasn't a compliment at this point.
"You're doing well, much better than when we started doing this routine. You are improving quickly, whether you think so or not." She praised Armin. He was perseverant, that was for sure. Armin had decided he needed to get stronger before joining the cadet corps in the coming weeks. The notion of joining the military actually had the two of them more excited than they'd been in quite some time. It gave them something to focus on other than themselves. It was a nice break from the normal misery that would occasionally wallow in.
"I'm still not as good as need to be. If I'm going to survive outside the walls and not just be literal dead weight, I'll need to be as good as I can."
"You'll get there if you set your mind to it. You're the smartest person I know." She stopped briefly, considering her next words a bit. "But keep in mind that you don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know." She responded to Armin. "I won't think any less of you if you don't join the scouts with me. You of all people could do a world of good from inside the walls just as well as outside."
She knew it would amount to nothing, but she would rather Armin be safe inside the walls than out there risking his life as well. If Armin died as well, she wasn't sure what she would do. She would have nothing at that point.
"No. I need to do this, too. You have your reasons for joining the survey corps, and I have mine."
It was unnecessary to expand on that statement. They both understood the score. They'd been around each other enough to understand.
For Mikasa, she needed revenge. Nothing would make her forgive the titans for what happened. They took everything she cherished from her. All she had left was Armin at this point.
For Armin, while it wasn't revenge, it was quite personal. For him, he needed to prove that he didn't need to be protected anymore. His grandpa, Eren, Mikasa, everyone he knew had always been looking out for him. He wanted to prove others could rely on him just as well.
That and one other thing, a more innocent reasoning for wanting to join the scouts.
I'm going to see the sea for myself, to experience the freedom that we didn't get to feel together. Nothing is going to stop me. I need to see it for him.
He did a quick stretch then resumed running. Mikasa quickly caught up, syncing speeds with him.
Grisha Yeager shot up in a disoriented haze, his brain in overdrive trying to process recent events. His heart was beating at a rapid pace, and he was hyperventilating as thoughts were racing through his head at a mile a minute.
Slowly he started calming down, allowing himself some time to think.
What exactly happened? I rode my horse through titan territory, got caught by a titan and then fought them. But what happened after that? And better question, where am I?
Grisha looks around where he currently is residing, not having the slightest clue as to where he currently was. It certainly wasn't anywhere he'd been before. He was officially in unknown territory, but his eyes eventually landed on a lone figure who was sitting some distance away, facing away from him, unmoving. Something in the back of his head lit up in vague recognition, but he couldn't put his finger on it, his brain still fairly frazzled for whatever reason.
He closes his eyes in concentration, trying to recall recent memories. Finally, his brain snapped back into attention. The events after his titan transformation, his attempt at finding sanctuary at a nearby town, getting grabbed while recovering, unconscious.
Seeing Dina's titan.
I was eaten, and by my first wife nonetheless? Now that really is karma.
The full force of his mistakes had finally manifested he supposed. Everything he'd done had led to this moment. At least Dina would get to come back, but she would just be a slave to the Founding Titan as the Reiss family was unfortunately. Perhaps this was further punishment for his sins: his wife forced to roam the world, having the power to save them all but being unable to do anything about it.
He decided not to linger on those thoughts too much, though; his mind settling back on the situation at hand. Just where the hell am I? Is this the afterlife?
He opens his eyes to only just now see another, seemingly female, figure sitting next to the person he'd already noticed. It definitely wasn't Dina, though.
He gets up and walks over to them, simply standing next to the two of them. He notices she seems to be grabbing the boys hand. She holds her other hand out to him. He doesn't react to this motion. Something about her is also nagging at the back of his mind but much less so than the boy sitting adjacent to her.
Grisha stood there staring at the scene for quite some time. Whatever feeling of in familiarity he'd had earlier in regards to the young boy in front of him was still there, stronger than before, he just wasn't getting it. Something in him just still hadn't clicked into place yet, and it was annoying him to no end. He was still hung up on everything that had just happened.
He stood there staring at the boy, his mind revisiting his previous thoughts.
I failed... there's no hope for any Eldians now. They are all doomed to die painful deaths, unable to defend themselves properly against those that wish to kill them, all because of my mistakes. Mistake after mistake seems to be the theme of my life. And now without the Founding Titan, what hope did they have? Even though Dina in the past would have wanted to use it, with the powers she would neither want to nor be able to due to the vow of nonviolence affecting any of royal blood. Events are doomed to transpire as is, now.
He took another moment to focus on the boy in front of him, and finally, Grisha's brain made the connection he had been missing this whole time. He knew who the boy was.
Eren...
He looks back down to the girl whose hand was still extended, inviting him to take her hand as well as his son. Something in the back of his head told him he should see what it means.
Uncertain about what's going on, Grisha sits down next to her and grabs it.
Eren shoots up, awakening outside in the grass. Dim moonlight illuminates the sky, allowing him some semblance of vision in the darkness. All he knows is that he doesn't recognize where he is currently.
Why did I fall asleep outside? Where is everyone? Even at this time of night, Shiganshina isn't this quiet.
Panic slowly starts to build inside him.
Where is mom or Mikasa? Why wouldn't one of them come get me? I'm starting to freak out. I don't know what's going on!
A thought pops into his head, currently unsure of exactly where it had originated from, but it did help him calm down a bit.
You need to be responsible. Calm down and think.
He closes his eyes to take a second to calm himself down. He starts thinking back on what happened. His memory is hazy, but he finally starts recalling his most recent memories. Insulting Mikasa, the conversation with his dad, getting grounded.
He gasped in horror.
The titans.
The titan attack! Mikasa and mom! What about Hannes? What happened to them? They got away safe?
Then everything came crashing down on him at once, the events of that day fully dawned on him in full force, specifically in reference to himself. He grabbed his head in bewilderment, frustrated tears starting to stream down his eyes.
The gate getting kicked in. Shoving Mikasa out of the house. The house getting crushed with him still inside.
That titan. It's horrifying smile.
"What the hell is happening? How? Why? What the hell is going on? I don't understand anything!" He yelled out to himself, aggravation permeating through his voice.
He screams in frustration.
Panic and fear overtake him. He starts looking around in a craze, slowly starting to become aware of his surroundings. The building he awoke next to was in shambles. Everything around him was in disarray.
Most importantly though, nothing in front of him looks even vaguely familiar. He's not in Shiganshina.
What am I supposed to do? I've never left home before. Where do I go? North? Which way even is north from here?
He's scared, but more importantly he's angry. Furious at everything around him. Furious at the unknown surroundings he was in. Furious at the titans for destroying everything he held dear.
But most of all, he's furious at himself for being so weak and pathetic. He'd need to get stronger if he wanted to fix anything. He needed to get away from here, once he figures out where exactly here is.
He turns around and instantly a new, overwhelming wave of fear hits him like a train. The titan that had eaten him was just standing there only a few meters behind him, it's disturbing, unnerving smile still plastered on its face.
Any feelings of anger and confusion over his current situation he'd previously had vanished immediately, the desire to get away as fast as possible overtaking all previous thoughts. He turned and ran as fast as he could, the titan not moving to follow.
His body moved on autopilot. He was barely even thinking conscious thoughts at this point, and in what felt like the blink of an eye to him, hours had passed.
It was during this time, though, that he realized he was completely nude save for a single necklace around him with what he knew to be the key to the cellar at his house. But he had absolutely no clue how it came into his possession. He knows he didn't have it before that day, so that was another part of the list of things he couldn't explain.
Exhaustion racked his body at this point; any motion was painful to him. Now that the sun had risen, he at least knew which direction was north approximately, and in a stroke of luck that had fortunately been the direction he had more or less been running. Unfortunately, the exposure from the sun was bearing down on him, and he was hungry and thirsty. It had to be the afternoon at this point. He didn't want to know how many hours he'd been wandering by foot.
He didn't even know how far from the walls he was. He didn't know if he could make it, but it was all he could do. He didn't have another choice.
Assuming he even makes it to the walls, though, he wasn't sure how he would explain his current situation to anyone. How could anyone believe him? All he wanted was to find his mom and Mikasa if they were still alive, but even that would likely be impossible. He honestly didn't know what he could do.
Hell, he didn't even know if north was the direction he should be going. His best guess was north considering he was from Shiganshina, but he also had absolutely no clue where he was. For all he knew he could be anywhere at this point.
The lament he had for the situation, however, was cut short when he heard a noise in the distance. He turned around to see a group of horses with riders heading in his general direction. He could almost cry at the good fortune, seeing people, even if he didn't what he would say to them.
Erwin still wasn't sure how to feel about the results of this most recent expedition. On one hand, after deliberating in the early morning about the lands they were currently, it was decided that this location would be one of hopefully many that the scouts establish in titan territory. The expedition had been a success. Now all they needed was to coordinate a much larger expedition at a future date to begin the process of transforming this area into one that suites their needs. A large task, surely, but not insurmountable. By all accounts, he should be pleased.
Except for what Levi had reported back about his investigation last night. The knowledge that there was some other, unknown, group operating outside the walls in conjunction with them with such an overwhelming yet unknown power was honestly quite terrifying.
Beating even a single titan to death wasn't anything he or anyone had ever considered as possible. And yet it was reported that not just one but four titans were found defeated in the most unconventional way he could possibly imagine. Who in their right mind would attempt brute force against an entity as powerful as a titan? Yet Levi and his squad reported it, and he had no reason not to believe them. He sent them because he trusted they would get it done, and they had.
It's just unfortunate that they came back with such bad news. When the current best case scenario based on what information they currently had is that the Military Police are infringing on Survey Corps jurisdiction, developing new tech, and actively experimenting with it, you know you're royally screwed.
His gut said they needed some sort of plan, some contingency in case they are ever confronted by whatever did it, but what the hell could they plan for when they knew absolutely nothing about this mysterious force that managed to best four titans in the strangest way they could imagine. Realistically, the best they could do currently is be extra cautious while both inside and outside the walls, but telling everyone in the scouts to be paranoid at all times was nonsensical at best without solid evidence.
No, at this point it was best to go about everything as if nothing was even wrong. There was nothing they could do about it currently. They could only adapt as time went by. For now, the knowledge of last night left too many questions hanging. Too many unknowns. Best to just deal in what they knew, fighting titans, until events unfolded.
He wasn't happy with this approach, but only time would tell if he's making the correct decision.
Time. Something they desperately needed more of but which seemed to be getting more and more scarce.
"Commander. We need your final approval that we are done here. We've documented the land as well as we need at this point. Give us the go ahead and we'll pack up and leave." Hange reported to Erwin.
He looked over to Hange, the sun high overhead boring down on them. "Granted, there are many things we need to plan. There's change in the air. It's time to leave."
In more ways than one. They both thought simultaneously, still holding eye contact with one another for a moment more before nodding to one another, Hange leaving to spread the word of their exit.
In short order, the Survey Corps left to head home.
Levi was pissed. It seemed likely that the Military Police were interfering in scout territory. The fact that they seem to have developed such terrifying new weaponry didn't help his mood, either. With them it was always such a slippery slope. They wanted too much control, too much power, and didn't know when they had stepped too far. When there was such a huge impending issue like the titans, it made his blood boil that the scouts had to deal with internal issues ever.
For him, it wasn't really a question of if he could kill a titan, rather how fast he could kill a titan. It's not something that has ever really meant much to him, but that idea is what all he or anyone in the Survey Corps should have to deal with, not conniving people looking to stab them all in the back in the hopes of stealing power for their own personal gain and bullshit politics.
And it only made the situation worse since they couldn't prove anything. It was all conjecture as to who was actually responsible, but as far as he was concerned it was the only solution that made sense to him. Yet all they could do was keep quiet about what they had learned; keep their eyes down and ears open until someone slipped up. Only then could they take any sort of action.
His team could tell he was in a sour mood as well, hence why such little conversation was taking place during their ride home even though they all wanted to discuss what had happened since they were currently alone and clear to do so.
However, that silence was replaced by apprehension when they saw a shockingly small titan in the distance. No titan had ever been recorded at that height that he knew of. Still, after yesterday he wasn't in the mood to take chances, and it was too small to be a normal titan. Hange would be cross at having skipped the opportunity, but at this point he didn't particularly care.
"We're going around whatever that is. We don't want to get slowed down by something we can avoid. Let's go." Levi ordered to his team.
So they turned to maneuver around the titan.
Unfortunately for them, it seemed to have noticed them and started moving in a futile attempt to cut them off, horridly slowly though. It's feet were shuffling in apparent exhaustion.
Exhaustion? Titans don't get tired. What the hell? Levi thought to himself as they continued riding.
The "titan" was frantically waving it's arms in their direction, beckoning towards them to head in its direction.
It was becoming increasingly obvious that this was not a titan.
The rest of his team seemed to have come to similar conclusions. They were looking to him for further orders, unsure of what they should do. This was an opportunity they couldn't afford to pass up, given the unlikelihood of it being a titan at this point. This person almost certainly had knowledge of the events that had transpired yesterday, even if they had to torture the information out of the person. This was too important to mess around with.
"We need to investigate. It doesn't seem to be a titan, and if that is indeed the case that person may know something about yesterday. It's not something we can ignore." And with that, Levi and squad went to confront the person. As they got closer, though, it was becoming increasingly obvious something was horribly wrong. Levi was questioning this person's potential knowledge of anything from last night at this point.
A horrified gasp escapes Petra's mouth, similar facial expressions appearing on everyone save Levi's face.
It was a kid, completely in the nude, barely in his teens at the oldest, and he was in terrible shape. They could tell even from the distance they still were.
"Captain, what the hell is a kid doing outside the wall?" Petra voiced her concern.
"Only one way to find out. Still, be on your guard. We aren't taking any chances."
As they approached, desperate cries for help started reaching their ears. When they finally reached the kid, the relief they could see on his face was astonishing, tears coming to the boys eyes as he collapsed in front of them, unconscious.
None of them missed the massive scar across his torso. Whatever had caused that couldn't have been pleasant.
"Gunther, give him your jacket. It'll be better than nothing at least." Levi commanded.
"W-why don't you?" Levi just stared back, waiting.
Gunther proceeded to take his jacket and put it on the kid.
"He's riding with you. Deal with it. Let's go. We're heading back to Erwin to get this kid on a cart. We'll ask him questions once he wakes up and we are back inside the walls." Gunther hoisted the boy up over his shoulder, saddled back onto his horse, then set the kid in his lap.
And with that they left with many more questions than they'd already had.