REUNIONS & REVELATIONS

Carla ran over and gathered her shocked son up in her arms. "Why don't we move him to the sofa in the sitting room," Kuchel suggested.

Levi went over and picked the young man up, tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He carried Eren into the room where he and his mother had held their reunion talk years ago. He plopped the hapless student down on the sofa. "Wake up, idiot. Your mother wants to talk to you." For his own part, Levi never even considered that the Carla that worked for his mother would be the same Carla that was Eren's mother, so he was just as shocked. "I know you have questions for her. I know I sure as hell do."

Eren groaned when Levi flicked him on the forehead. "Owwwwww. What happened?"

"You fainted, genius," Levi snarked.

Eren opened his eyes, then widened them when he saw his mother seated on the edge of the sofa where he lay.

"Don't you dare faint again," Levi warned.

"I don't . . . understand. Mom? How are you here? How are you alive?" Eren was having trouble wrapping his head around what he was seeing.

Carla gently stroked the side of her son's face with the back of her fingers as she smiled sweetly, yet sadly down at him. "I never died. I needed Titan to believe that I was dead. I had to draw them away from you. Your father was . . . he stumbled onto something big; something dangerous. He had warned me to keep you away from Titan at all costs, so I staged my own death. I had a false key made and took it with me that night."

"Your father and I had helped Kuchel when she came to us 23 years ago. Titan had torn the wings from her back in a fight to protect herself and her son, Levi. In return, when Grisha realized he was in trouble, Kuchel's people helped him to make the rest of us disappear from the records. When Grisah left, Hannes and I eliminated the remaining records; school, housing, utilities. We then moved to Mitras. But Titan found us anyway; or rather, found me. I had to let them believe I was dead. I even went so far as to have a false key made."

"I knew Titan would follow me that night. I knew they'd come after me. Kuchel had warned me. When they came after me, I ran out into traffic where Petra and Oluo 'ran me over' and kept going. Nifa and Ness were the 'paramedics' that responded to the scene. Everyone helped to falsify the records of my 'death' and made sure Titan got their hands on the fake key. I've been here ever since."

"I'm so sorry about all of this, Eren. I didn't want to do that to you and Mikasa. And even after all of that, Titan still found you." Carla had angry tears running down her face. "They've destroyed everything we had, but that's not enough for them. Those sick people want to destroy everyone and everything in the world!"

Eren suddenly threw his arms around his mother and buried his face on her shoulder. "I'm so glad you're alive!" he sobbed, voice muffled by Carla's shoulder.

Carla hugged him back, happy tears of her own flowing freely.

Levi and his mother left the two to their reunion and to allow Eren to fill his mother in on what had been happening. Kuchel led her son to the kitchen where she proceeded to brew them a pot of tea. "Much has happened since we last spoke."

"More than even you can imagine," Levi confirmed as he sat down at a small table and watched his mother work. "Carla's not gonna be happy when Eren tells her what his father did to him."

Kuchel glanced at him over her shoulder. "Oh?"

Levi proceeded to fill his mother in on everything that had happened over the past months and what they'd learned about Titan. "We needed to bring Eren somewhere out of Titan's reach while Erwin figures out what to do. More importantly, I need to learn how to fully control and use my magic. Erwin thinks it may be the key to defeating Titan."

"It is one of the keys," Kuchel confirmed. "Petra," she addressed the young woman just entering the kitchen. "Do me a favor and get Ilse for me, please?"

Petra bowed slightly. "Of course," she said before turning and leaving the room.

Kuchel sighed. "I'll never be able to break her of that habit."

Levi chuckled slightly. "At least she's not trying to always impersonate you like Oluo does with me. And he does a lousy impersonation, for the record."

"It's the highest form of compliment," Kuchel teased.

"Tch! It's annoying is what it is."

"You wanted to see me, Kuchel?" A woman of average height, long, wavy black hair and dark brown eyes came into the room.

"Yes, Ilse. Please, sit. I'll pour you some tea," Kuchel said. As she fixed a cup of tea for Ilse, she spoke to Levi. "About a week ago, I started foreseeing a Super going around killing other Supers by turning their own powers against them. I had Ilse look into finding a Super with this kind of power. Ilse, could you tell Levi what you found?"

"Of course. It turns out that around forty years ago there was a Super hero by the name of Turncoat. Her power was the ability to control the powers of other Supers. Villains were terrified of her because she could not only use their powers to turn them against each other but could also destroy them using their own powers. She disappeared about 25 years ago. She would be about 65 years old if she were still alive today."

Ilse pulled a phone out of her pocket, fiddled with the screen for a moment then handed it to Levi. "That is a photo taken of Turncoat 38 years ago. Move to the next photo." Levi swiped the screen and looked at a picture of the same woman. "That image was captured by a security camera three nights ago. Next image." Levi frowned as he saw a third picture of the same woman. "That image was captured fifteen minutes later, on another continent. Next image." Levi frown deepened at a third picture of the same woman. "That was taken an hour before the first one in Trost."

"Clones?" Levi questioned. "They're all too young to be Turncoat, but in too many places at once to be the same individual. Unless Turncoat had identical triplets."

"Clones," Ilse confirmed. "Take a really close look at the first image from three nights ago."

Levi almost immediately noticed a strange dot below and behind the left ear in the black and white security image. "What is that?"

"I can't be sure," Ilse replied. "but I suspect it's either a tracking device or, considering this is Titan we're talking about, some kind of control device or transmitter."

"So, these attackers are clones created by and controlled by Titan to kill Supers?" Levi thought for a moment. "If this really is the purge talked about in their book, then those may be kill switches. If I understand what I read correctly, all Supers would be considered impure and have to be eliminated in order for humanity to return to its 'former glory'."

"Once the Supers are out of the way, and there's no one left to stand against them, they could begin eliminating anyone who has any kind of imperfection or deformity," Ilse added, her voice quiet in horror.

"There is hope," Kuchel said. "Levi, your powers are not really Super powers. As my son, they are a natural part of your biology. T'varians are naturally stronger, faster and have keener senses than humans. Your ability to fly is also a natural part of T'varian DNA. Even your telepathy is a recessive gene present if not active in all T'varians. These clones would have no power over you."

"They could use the power of my comrades against me," Levi pointed out.

"That is where magic comes in," his mother told him.

"How? Magic is little more than energy manipulation, which these clones can use."

"No, Levi. It is not the same. Magic is, to some extent, energy manipulation, but it is on a level that defies the laws of physics and nature. That is why it is called magic. It defies any and all ability to explain it. Unlike Super powers, which are linked to a person's genes, magic is linked to a person's soul," Kuchel explained.

"You once said you don't use magic. How then, did you shield Tinninvale?" Levi asked.

Kuchel smiled. "You grandparents. It was my mother and father's final act. They too, could use magic. They used every last bit of their combined strength creating, or rather upgrading Tinninvale's barrier to protect it from modern technology. As for who originally created this lodge and the magic barrier that shields it, we may never know."

Levi sighed wearily. "How am I supposed to learn to use this power if there's no one that can teach me?"

"You already know how," his mother told him. "You need only clear your mind and listen to your soul."

He drank the rest of his tea and stood. "That doesn't help."

His mother chuckled at him. "You need to take some time to relax and meditate on it." She too stood but turned to Ilse. "Thank you, Ilse, for everything. Just leave the dishes by the sink. I'll take care of them later."

"You're welcome Kuchel. And I don't mind washing them."

As Levi and Kuchel crossed the entry hall, Carla came out of the sitting room, spotted them and immediately came over and wrapped Levi in a strong embrace, much to his surprise. "Thank you, Levi. Thank you for protecting Eren."

A baffled Levi looked across the room over Carla's shoulder at a puffy eyed Eren, who just shrugged. Levi gently patted her back in return, not entirely sure how he should respond. "Um. You're welcome."

"It's been a very long day and night for you two. The sun is already up. You both need sleep. We'll talk more tomorrow." Kuchel gave her son a hug and kissed his forehead as they parted. "Sleep well."

After Eren had hugged his own mother, Ilse took them both to the large, round bedroom overlooking one of the many falls and the forest both in a long panorama of windows. It was the same room Levi always stayed in when he visited.

"Please sleep well, both of you," Ilse told them as she left.

"Wait a second," Levi called out to her. "what room is . . . Eren . . . damn it. She's gone."

Eren didn't hear Levi, and never thought to question why they were put in the same room together. Levi set his pack down on a chair. Fine. I'm too tired to give a fuck right now anyways. At least I sleep better with him beside me, but still.

The first door Eren tried was a closet, which already had some clothes in it that Levi left there for his visits. The next door was another closet; this one empty. Third time's the charm, right? Wrong. Third door led out into a bright little sunroom with a tea table and three chairs. Eren didn't even bother with the French doors out onto the private balcony. The final door, at long last was the bathroom.

Levi rolled his eyes as he heard Eren's exclamation of, "Oh my god, I feel so much better!" as the younger relieved himself.

"Yeah. I'll sleep better tonight knowing that." Levi mumbled, his voice was dripping with sarcasm. He changed into a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt. By the time he'd relieved himself and brushed his teeth, Eren was already sound asleep in the bed. "Sleep tight, kid. You're gonna need it."


It was late afternoon when Levi woke up. He wasn't sure how long he lay there staring at Eren's sleeping face. His brown hair was even messier than usual. His long lashes rested against his cheekbones. He breathed softly through his slightly open mouth. Levi couldn't figure out what he found so fascinating about the younger man. Why do I care about him so damn much? Why am I not bothered by him sleeping beside me and drooling on the pillow? Why don't I feel like beating the shit out of him when he cuddles me in his sleep? Why in the hell do I sleep better when he's snoring like a bloody bull moose in rut right next to me?

He eventually rose, dressed and slipped out of the room, careful not to awaken Eren. He went down the ornately carved stairs to the entry room. His intent was to find his mother, but as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw her out on the massive front veranda watering the abundant plants that decorated it. He had once compared it to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

"Mother," he said testily.

"Yes, dear?" Kuchel replied innocently while she continued watering plants. She knew what this was going to be about.

"Mother, there are twenty freakin' bedrooms in this place; less than half of which are in use. So why, pray tell, did you think it was necessary to put Eren in my room?"

"Because you refuse the see that which is right in front of you," Kuchel answered.

"What does that have to do with Eren being in my room?" Levi asked incredulously.

Kuchel finally turned from her watering to look at her son. "All these months alongside Eren, and you still don't get it. You still try to deny the inevitable and push him away."

Levi frowned. "It's for his own good, Mother."

"Is it?" she countered. "Or is it for your own good? Is it really because you're afraid of losing him?"

"People who associate with me have a bad habit of dying; Izzy and Farlan, Dad, Mike, Nanaba, Gunther and Eld, even you almost."

"It would seem that not acknowledging Mike and Nanaba as friends did nothing to lessen the pain of losing them," Kuchel pointed out. "You always told me they weren't friends; that you only trusted them. But, when they died, your heart broke anyway. Denying your feelings doesn't make them go away. It just leaves you with regrets."

Levi's frown faded. Though his expression remained neutral, there was no mistaking the sadness in his eyes. "But Eren is different. I don't know how or why. I keep wondering what makes him so goddamned important to me. Why do I feel so drawn to him? Why is it so easy to let him in close? Why don't I feel like punching him when he gets in my personal space? Why does it rip my heart to shreds when I hurt him, even if it's for his own good? Why does it hurt so much to see him cry? Why is it so hard to push him away?"

"Is it really so hard to understand?" Kuchel asked him.

"Yes, it is," Levi replied, sounding almost desperate. "No one should be able to get under my skin the way he does! He's just some random, normal kid that found himself in a shit-ton of trouble through no fault of his own. It's not like there's anything really special about him."

"But there is something very special about Eren Jaeger," Kuchel argued. "He's your soul mate."

Levi looked at his mother as if she had five heads. "What?!"

"You wonder what makes him so special. It's the fact that he's your soul mate. You're not complete without him."

"That's . . . that's ridiculous."

She chuckled. "Why? The first time you came up here I told you that you're an old soul. You've lived many lives before this one. Each of those lives have been with Eren in one capacity or another. Sometimes friends, sometimes lovers, sometimes siblings, cousins or parent and child; but in each life you are together. This is why you are drawn to him. Even if you've never met before, your souls recognize each other and are drawn together. Your fates are intertwined."

"Fate . . ." Levi had the same strange reaction to that word. "I feel like that's important, but damned if I can figure out why. Fate . . . fates . . ." Levi's eyes widened. "The Fates! I know them!"

Kuchel cocked her head to one side. "You mean the three Fates from Greek mythology?"

"Yes! No. Sort of," Levi stammered. "They exist, but not like in mythology. It's hard to explain. Must be one of those soul memories you've been talking about. I have to go talk to them."

"Go talk to them?" Kuchel echoed.

Levi held his right hand out in front of him, palm out and fingers spread. "Yes." He concentrated for a moment before a portal opened before him. "I'll be back shortly, Mom." He stepped though and the portal closed behind him.