"Unless you miraculously have an ice pack; please, for my sake," Evelyn growled through gritted teeth, "STOP POKING AT MY ELBOW!"
"I have to examine the wound to treat it properly." Hange replied. "Plus, you moving it around so much didn't help."
"Nothing's poking out. I swear it's turning purple. I think I know what it needs; some rest from being prodded." Evelyn tried to turn away but Hange caught her shoulders.
"Wait until we support the area at least. A sling could help reduce strain on the joint." Hange said.
"Squad leader!" Moblit called as he barged into the barn. "Commander Erwin has arrived."
Shortly after Erwin came to a stop in front of Evelyn. "The battalion is circling the area, we can't keep this up for long before suspicion grows. We'll reenter the walls before sun down. The casualty wagon has collected the fallen soldiers from your recent encounter. I'm afraid it is the only wagon we can transport things in without suspicion."
"Wait, I'm supposed to pack my things in amongst your dead?" Evelyn balked. "That is so nasty."
"Would you prefer to bring nothing with you?" Erwin countered.
Evelyn chewed on her lower lip. "Is there at least something I can use to separate them from my things?"
"Of course, we have tarps but there isn't much room. Bring only the essentials with you and pack them quick. We will return in the future and you can take the rest with you then."
"How long will that take?" Evelyn asked.
Erwin thoughtfully pinched his chin softly with his right hand, "difficult to say; it may not be for months. Now please hurry."
"Wow, the colors are so vibrant." Hange held a purple long sleeve up by the shoulder seams.
"What are you talking about? I only really wear dark colors." Evelyn said before taking the shirt back to stuff in her large knapsack.
"You must be rich in your world, owning purple. You don't have any white pants though, do you?" Hange mused out loud.
"I not rich, I forgot that dyes are pretty amazing to less advanced societies. And no, I don't have any white pants, it's mostly jeans and some dark hiking pants; stuff for camping mainly."
"We'll have to find something for you to blend in." Hange chewed her lip in thought. "We don't generally have spare uniforms on hand."
"Squad leader!" A solider called from outside, "the cart has arrived!"
"Is that everything?" Hange looked at the two bags Evelyn inspected and shoved to one side.
"It's my clothes, my electronics, some food, and; oh!" Evelyn reached for a dark green bundle. "I'll take this guy too for good measure."
"What's that?" Hange asked reaching for it.
Evelyn handed it over "Don't unpack it. It's a camping hammock."
"Ham-mock? What's that?" Hange held the bundle up and turned around in her hands.
"I'll show you when I can get it set up." Evelyn slung the strap of her backpack over the shoulder of her good arm. "Can you grab the knapsack?"
Hange nodded and the pair left the barn. An uncovered rickety wooden cart stood outside with two horses lazily grazing at the grass in front of them. Bodies had been unceremoniously stacked in the cart with one wrapped in a couple of scout capes from head to foot. A cloth tarp lay in a corner of the cart where some space was left clear.
Hange helped to load the backpacks, enthralled at their quality, as Moblit came towards Evelyn with some clothing and boots in his arms. "Commander Erwin mentioned you'd need a uniform. I had to guess your size but I hope it fits."
"I thought you didn't have any extra uniforms in my size. Where did these clothes come from?" Evelyn asked as she examined the various dirt marks on the white pants. "What's this?" A particularly dark stain ran along the back of the waistband. She threw the garment away in horror as bile rose to the back of her throat. "You gave me pants a person died in!"
"We cleaned them the best we could." Moblit said as he picked up the pants and handed them to Hange's outstretched arm.
"We need you to blend in with the others and nothing you have comes close to our uniform." Hange examined the stain herself.
"The cape, jacket, boots and harness have also been cleaned up. There's no blood on them though." Moblit said as he held the items out to a frozen Evelyn.
"Do you want to be the center of attention? It's just clothing, here." Hange looked Evelyn over. "If you tuck your shirt in it won't be against your skin. We'll get you new clothes as soon as we can."
Evelyn composed herself and nodded.
"Moblit, I'll take it from here." With a nod, he handed the clothing to Hange before leaving.
Hange helped Evelyn to a secluded room in the barn before looking at Evelyn's arm, "Do you need help?"
"I'll be fine." Evelyn said stubbornly as she took off the sling and winced through taking off her jacket and hoodie.
"The pants?" Evelyn asked as Hange looked at her, ready to help if needed.
Grimacing as she pulled the pants on, carefully trying to keep the back from touching her skin and tucked her shirt in as far as possible before fastening the front closed. Evelyn slipped into the boots next before staring at the spider's web of belts on a nearby table before looking back at Hange.
Embarrassed, Evelyn said, "Hange, I need some help."
Nothing fit right. The pants were a bit tight around the waist, but Evelyn refused to remove her shirt from the waistline. The jacket was baggy and the boots were a size too big. The cape helped to hide the disorder while the straps from the 3DM gear enforced a feeling of being trapped in the uniform.
Moblit held the reins as the cart found its position in the battalion. Evelyn's jaw nearly dropped as she looked at the sheer number of soldiers. It was one thing to expect a large number of people and quite another to see them working as a singular unit. Moblit stayed quiet for the most part besides answering question Evelyn posed regarding things like the color of the flares she'd see shot occasionally. Unsure what to discuss or if Moblit even wanted to talk, Evelyn kept small talk to a minimum.
After what felt like an eternity of being bounced around, a large structure could be seen in the distance.
"We're almost there" Moblit sighed with relief.
"Are those the walls?" Evelyn asked. "They must be huge if we can see them from here."
"You have no idea. They tower even over the titans." Moblit responded.
With each gallop, the truth of Moblit's statement became clearer. It would take a couple of hours for the sun to set but the abandoned town at the foot of the walls was covered by the shadow of the structure.
"How was it made?" Evelyn wondered out loud trying to remember information about the Great Wall of China and drawing comparisons where she could.
Moblit shrugged "They were always there as far as we know."
Evelyn looked back at Moblit in confusion. "Walls don't just magically appear or build themselves." Again, Molbit shrugged and shook his head.
You could probably see this sucker way better from space. Wait, something's off.
Evelyn's thoughts were interrupted as the battalion began to enter the walls through a ruined gate. Her eyes were trained on the wall as they passed through into a small town.
How did they manage to make it so smooth? There's no brick pattern running up the wall. Are they more advanced than I thought?
They rode past buildings packed tightly together with miscellaneous items strewn across the ground between debris.
"What happened here?" Evelyn asked unable to tear her eyes away from a collapsed house.
"The titans." Moblit said.
"I thought the walls were supposed to keep them out."
"This was caused by an abnormal that was larger than the wall. Wall Maria fell only recently, that leaves only Wall Rose and Wall Sina. The Survey corps has been trying to find out more information about where these special titans came from but we've come up short."
Evelyn watched as soldiers flew around them using the ODM gear. Before she could ask where they were headed, she saw a bored looking titan walk out from behind a house. She felt fear swell up in her chest but it was replaced with curiosity.
She turned to Moblit."Why are the others only targeting the back of the neck? Wouldn't it be more helpful to cripple it?"
"That's the only spot that kills them. Squad leader Hange has been studying other ideas but the titans heal too quickly to leave any form of lasting damage behind."
The battalion had arrived at another gate as the red glow of sunset streaked through the sky.
Lost in thought, Evelyn didn't notice the people staring at her as the cart went through a crowded street. After looking around in confusion and fear of failing Erwin already, she noticed the people were focused on the casualties behind her. Disgust, anger, fear, the faces she saw varied but always carried an expression of disappointment. She could barely make out bits of different conversations.
"How many lives were wasted this time?"
"Do you think they achieved anything this time?"
"What a shame."
"Look at those kooks, no way anyone who leaves the walls is sane."
"Our son, I can't see him!"
"Come on, the commander called a meeting and wants us there." Hange said stretching her arms over her head and standing on her toes to stretch her calves. "The sooner we get it over with, the sooner we can eat." She flashed a grin. "I'm starving; I could eat an entire cow."
"Help me down?" Evelyn asked monotonously. Riding on the casualty wagon, even if it was on the front seat had forced the reality of her situation in sink in. The result of failure in this world lay behind her. Out of sight out of mind, but the smell, the smell had seeped into her soul. Everything ached from the bumpy ride but the thought of food was a pleasant distraction.
As Evelyn entered the meeting room, she found herself drawn toward leaning against a wall in a darkened corner. Erwin sat at a desk looking over some papers as more people entered the room and began to form a semi-circle in front of the desk. Hange motioned for Evelyn to join, but was met with a sideways shake of a head.
"That's everyone, commander." A solider said as two more men entered the room.
Erwin stood, sized up the room, and positioned his arms behind his back. "As you all have gathered, the world is more complicated than we expected. The discovery of our new guest has surely caused a bit of an uproar, but I must ask for this information not to be spread. It is imperative that we learn what we can without the danger of the public reacting poorly to the unknown; for our guest's safety and our own."
Heads began to turn and eyes scrutinized the young woman standing in the corner. Evelyn forced herself to concentrate on Erwin.
"The scouts have always faced disapproval upon reentering the walls. We do not need more reasons for the people to turn against us. I cannot understate the importance of this matter. Anyone found to be openly discussing the topic will answer directly to me. You're dismissed."
Evelyn looked at the floor in concentration or maybe it was shame.
What kind of mess have I found myself in? All this fuss over a nobody.
Evelyn looked up as a fist lightly bumped her shoulder.
"Come on," Hange said, "food time, I'm starving."
"Miss Turner, may I have a word? In private?" Erwin asked behind the pair. Confused and curious, Evelyn turned to face the man who positioned himself in front of the desk and leaned against it.
"I'll see you in the mess hall." Hange respectfully saluted Erwin before departing.
"I'd like to emphasize the need for you to blend into our society in the walls. Although you will be under the survey corps protection, we can only do our jobs if your presence isn't well known." Erwin began as the door closed.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow, "I thought you wanted me to work with Hange."
"Yes, however, only discuss ideas and inventions that are outside of our society's understanding in private. People who ask too many questions or those with ideas of wanting to flee the walls through unconventional means have a way of disappearing." Erwin's grim expression began to lighten. "Keep your head down and everything will work out fine. I hope you have a pleasant evening."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes slightly and nodded her head down, "You as well." Closing the door behind her, she went to find some dinner.
After what felt like hours of tossing and turning on the stiff cot, Evelyn snuck out of her temporary room to find some fresh air. Her journey led her to a large balcony overlooking the country-side. The waning moon drew her attention as she sat on the crumbling stone battlements, her legs dangling off the side.
Her mind wandered to dinner and cravings of junk food far outside her reach. Although she had eaten her fill, it did nothing for her slight headache and shaky hands.
Evelyn looked over her shoulder at the sound of movement behind her. "Oh, it's you."
"Got a problem with that?" Levi asked.
"Not really," Evelyn looked forward and wiped a tear from her eye. "I guess I was hoping for someone else." An uncomfortable silence filled the air between the pair.
"Ya know," Evelyn began to speak softly, "no matter how much I tell myself this isn't real, the pain keeps reminding me otherwise." Evelyn looked vacantly at the sling holding her elbow. "I realize how naive I must sound. You and the people you care about have dealt with this shit for your entire lives. I can't fathom it. And as selfish as it is, I don't know how to deal with it now that I'm here."
Tears began to stream down Evelyn's cheeks, warm against the night breeze. "I've lost everything and everyone I care about," Evelyn's breath hitched in her throat, "again."
A simple white handkerchief came into view as a hand held it in front of her chest. Evelyn's eyes followed the hand up to see Levi sitting beside her looking at the night sky.
"Thank you." Evelyn sniffled as she took the cloth and began to clean her face. "What am I even doing here other than flailing about and injuring myself like a toddler?" Evelyn chuckled and hiccuped, struggling to regain a normal breathing pattern.
"I don't know. You're apparently some sort of brainiac outside of physical ability. Work with Hange, help humanity. Way I see it, you don't have much of a choice." Levi looked toward her from the corner of his eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Evelyn asked, not hiding the offense she felt.
Levi stood up and brushed off his pants. "You're either useful to us or dead weight. Think about it; no home, no friends or family, no income. You can either help us, or you can be left out in the cold."
"You're not great at pep talks, are you?" Evelyn asked staring into the night, her throat suddenly dry.
"Don't spend the night out here, you'll get sick." Footsteps echoed in the night as Levi began to walk away.
"Wait! Your handkerchief?" Evelyn looked over her shoulder.
Levi stopped but kept his back to her. "It better be clean when I get it back."
Yeah, I know I disappeared for a while but let's be honest it's not like I'm getting paid for this. Still, in order to motivate myself I thought about writing little enclosed stories from time to time that may or may not fit into the main story depending on how it develops. For anyone interested in these, I'll put a link below to check the first one out. These will not be in any order and may jump around timeline wise.
Link: /s/13568689/1/Exploring-Space-and-Time
