Disclaimer: I do not own the SNK series in any way, shape, or form.

A/N at the end of the chapter.


During breakfast, the atmosphere in the mess hall felt more relaxed than it had been in days, Armin noted. The news that the Female Titan had been captured last night was quickly spreading throughout the base, and no doubt would leak into the public soon enough.

Sitting with Jean in a small table, they mostly ate in silence. Armin hadn't had a good night's sleep, and judging from Jean's eye bags, he hadn't either. They both had carried Annie's motionless body through the streets of Stohess, dropping her along with Levi and Hanji in the dungeons, where the two veterans would most likely spend some time torturing her. Having to torture Annie was something Armin understood as necessary, but was still uncomfortable with, as until recently he considered her a friend of his in a way.

"I really can't believe they captured it so quickly" he overheard another couple of scouts chatting in a nearby table.

"I know" his mate replied. "I'm sure it's being tortured as we speak."

"Well done. Serves her right for killing all those people."

Armin and Jean looked at each other and returned to their food. Armin was still mulling over the events of the previous night. Why had Eren left to capture Annie on his own, especially so suddenly? He must have planned that thoroughly considering that he left them clues to find him, but if so why not include them in the first place? And there was also the matter of that shelter, how did Eren know about it? It didn't make any sense.

"Was looking for the missing piece..." he muttered, remembering the scene playing out on his head.

"What?" Jean asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just thinking."

"About last night?" he asked, filling in the gap. Armin nodded. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it as well. Pretty strange what went down. I mean, the bastard disappears for several hours, and then we find him in a weird underground shelter, having beaten Annie."

Armin noticed Mikasa entering the mess hall, coming from the wing of the building where the men's quarters lied. It didn't take much to realize just what that meant, and did his best to conceal a smirk. When she noticed him and Jean, Mikasa made her way to their table, taking a seat next to Armin.

They continued chatting idly for some time, mostly speculating over the events of the night before. It was frustrating for Armin asking questions he had no answers to, but then again he was used to it; he just hoped Eren explained himself soon enough. When Jean excused himself, Armin took the chance to turn to Mikasa.

"You spend the night at Eren's quarter, right?" he asked. Small splashes of pink appeared on his friend's cheeks at the mention.

"I wanted to make sure he was ok" she managed stammer. Mikasa did not need this kind of interactions at the moment, as she was still flustered from the events late last night. She had shared a bed with both Eren and Armin several times when they were younger, especially while they were in that refugee camp. But they were children then, something which was no longer the case. Her heart was beating faster just by thinking of it.

But more than that, it was what Eren said when he wrapped his arms around her that she had no way to interpret. 'I've missed you so much.' The way he said that line, the shaky tone of his voice, how his jaw quivered over her head. She hadn't known how to answer then, and now she was even more bewildered. Something had happened to Eren, she just knew it. From how more affectionate he had been recently, from how he didn't snap about anything really, and from how his gaze no longer had that intensity that for so long was synonymous of him. She didn't know what to do about it, or whether or not she should do something, nevertheless it was worrisome to her.

"You know where he is?" she was taken from her thoughts by Armin. She shook her head.

"He was gone when I woke up."

Armin let out a sigh as he rubbed his eyes. His childhood friend has always tended to things on his own, but this was a new level. He just hoped Eren knew what he was doing, wherever he was.


He had entered her cell about ten minutes ago, and Annie was getting really sick of him not saying anything. Seemingly just being content by sitting in the only chair in the room, a sick joke considering she was chained to the wall, smoking a cigarette, looking in any direction other than her. She was really pissed at that attitude by Eren, especially after spending the last few hours getting tortured by that mad woman with glasses.

"Speak, damn it!" she shouted. "You come in here and don't say anything! What are you waiting for?!"

"I'm waiting for us to be truly alone" he responded calmly in between drags. A few seconds passed before the sound of the door of the corridor sounding. Her cell was dimly lit, but Annie could see a small smirk appear on his face. "Well, now, what do you want to know?" he asked as he crossed his legs.

"Bastard" she hissed. "How do you know about Marley?!" He looked slightly confused.

"Oh, that" he said scratching his chin. "Yeah, I did kind of slipped that night…"

"Well?!" she asked. If she could tap her feet, she very well would be. He kept rubbing his chin as he leaned from the chair, looking at her, as if noting something of interest in her.

"How do you shit?" he suddenly said, taking a look at her. Caught off guard by such an absurd question, she stuttered not knowing what to say until Eren interrupted her. "I mean, I've been imprisoned a fair amount of times, but never chained to a wall, so this is new ground for me. What do you do if you feel like shitting? You call a guard who brings a latrine, or simply dump it on the floor and someone comes to clean later?"

Eren smiled inwardly, seeing that she lost the initiative. With that, he could redirect the conversation where he wished. He waved his hand, as if brushing the topic away.

"Your trial is in the coming days" he started. "You're mostly likely going to be executed before a cheering crowd, and your body will be dumped in an unmarked hole somewhere, or burned. No one on that room will vouch for you, so you can be certain that you'll be dead by the coming week… Unless you cooperate with me" he mentioned off-handedly at the end.

"I know everything there is to know, you see" he continued. "I know about Marley, the Warriors, about Reiner and Berthold, about Zeke and Pieck, the Galliard brothers. You say it, I probably know about that as well" he shrugged, putting his cigarette out with the sole of his boot. "But, and this is important, I'm not in a position to know these things. I could probably get away with it if I explain the most basic aspects, you know, the old Eldian empire, Marley, the origin of the walls and the titans, that kind of shit. But if I also happen to know who the other shifters are, or why are you here, that would start to raise suspicion, and that could cause a trainwreck if handled improperly, and I'd rather not risk that to begin with. Besides my knowledge is only useful if I do not interfere directly too much. Luckily for me, you were born in Marley, you know who the Armored and Colossal titans are, and what your mission is. "

Seeing where he was going, Annie frowned. "What do you want from me?" she asked aggressively.

"I could convince commander Erwin to apply the same treatment he did on me to you, to take you in the Scouts and use you for the recapture of Wall Maria" he said as he got up from the chair and started roaming the small cell. "It'd be tough for you, far more than it was for me, seeing that you actually killed soldiers and all that. You'd have to use the knowledge of Marley for your defense, and play the whole 'I know their methods, you'll need me when they inevitably attack,' and that much would be true." His hand was drawing circles as he circled round the room, his mismatched stare always on her eyes. "No one in Paradis might ever trust you again, most will certainly hate your guts. But you don't need to be their object of adoration for them to keep you alive, just being useful will do."

"Why would you think I'd go with that?" Annie said defiantly, her gaze fixed on him. Smiling, Eren took the chair, got it just in front of her and sat, resting his head on his hand as he looked up at her. Their gazes mere centimeters apart.

"Because your mission has failed" he said matter-of-factly. "The founding titan doesn't exist anymore, and Reiner and Berthold will not be leaving this island alive if I can help it. If you want to see your father again, I'm your only option to do so. Didn't you promise him to return home?"

Her eyes went wide, and no other words left her mouth. Eren let her process what she heard for some seconds, before doing the question.

"Can I count on you, Annie?" She remained silent for long time, looking down. Eren sat in anticipation, come on he thought don't make this more difficult than it already is, Annie. Make the right decision. He was about to ask again when he saw her gave a nod. A small smile came to his lips as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll find a way for Erwin to back you up" he said reassuringly. "I won't be able to attend your trial; the coming days will be hectic. It'll be up to him, and you, to save yourself there. Next time we meet, I'll fil you in on the details of the situation." As he was walking out of the cell, Annie's voice caught his attention.

"How do you know all of this?" she asked one more time. Looking back at her, he reasoned that, since they two were on the same ship from then on, he might as well let her in.

"This is not my first time doing this" he said softly as he looked down. "This will not be easy, Annie, we'll be dancing around getting ourselves killed on every corner. But when we make it, we may just be able to put an end to all this senseless hatred and ensure a peaceful existence for us. Keep yourself alive, Annie, you still have a promise to fulfill."

With that, Eren left, humming a tune Annie could swear she had listened before.


"Hanji" a voice called her attention, looking up from her microscope to see Levi entering her study. "You got a second?"

Shifting over her desk so she could face him, Hanji was intrigued over what the good captain might have to say. "Sure, Levi, what is it?"

"Did you allow Eren to visit the Female Titan unsupervised earlier today?" he asked flatly.

"I was going to stay in the back and eavesdrop on them, but he wouldn't speak until I left the room" she said nonchalantly.

"So you just left?" he frowned at her.

"Well, yes." Levi sighed in frustration. "I don't see too much issue at the end of the day, to be honest, he may just have wanted some answers from her."

"Answers?" She nodded, she noted he was looking away.

"Is something wrong, Levi?"

Are you looking for the right perspective, you brat? Levi asked himself. Noticing Hanji looking at him worriedly, he shook his head. "It's nothing."

After some thinking, Hanji decided not to dwell on the poor captain, and in turn shrug. "If you want to ask Eren personally, Erwin summoned him to interrogate him on his actions in about an hour. I don't think he would mind if you join in. You're the boy's direct superior, after all."

"Maybe…" he said, still lost in his thoughts. Maybe he should be there in that meeting, he might as well figure out what was going on in the brat's head. He decided to shift topics. "Speaking of the Female Titan, you got something out of her?"

"Nothing, spent hours with my favorite play things on her, still wouldn't say a word. Tough bitch that one… I was thinking that we could conduct a few experiments on her, you know? To further expand my research."

"Not gonna happen, four eyes, we're not giving her a chance at escaping. Besides, haven't you got enough notes from Eren's experiments?"

"We can never have enough notes!" she exclaimed.

"Tch, those'll have to do" he said before leaving. He had a meeting to attend.


The smell of smog was probably the hardest part of Phrygia for him to get used to. Being one of the centers for industry and an important shipyard in the Marleyan Empire, there were dozens upon dozens of buildings emitting the disgusting columns of black smoke upon the sky, so big that even the wealthier neighborhoods further inland could see them smearing the landscape.

Sitting on top of one of an apartment complex near downtown, he witnessed the rally take place, covering himself from the reek with the scarf, dampened by the rain, the cold breeze making his recently shaved head shiver. Election year was coming upon the nation, something he had never even heard of until then. The idea that the citizenry chose the legislature of the empire might have intrigued him in other times, but was mostly apathetic towards it now, a sentiment very prevalent among the gang members. Cook, one of his direct bosses, had even congratulated him when he heard of his apathy.

On the plaza he was overlooking was occurring a really by the current major of the city, some fat fuck member of the Marleyan National Party. He looked like a swell guy through the scope of his rifle, and considering why he had been sent there, the man, in some form, was.

Albert had called him that morning. He was in his office, behind the bar they used as a front. There was no one else outside of the two. When he entered, the heir to the Entrechteten offered him a cup, which he took.

"I have a special job for you today, Eren" piercing blue eyes boring onto his subdued green ones. "Major Clausewitz has been a making a campaign for reelecting himself on a basis for his purging of corruption. And he has, which is good for the populace, but bad for us."

"Do you want me to take him out?" he asked preemptively. Albert Smith was not one to like being interrupted normaly, but he seemed to tolerate his to a certain point, maybe it was because he was the gangster's personal dog.

"He'll hold a rally this afternoon in the lower part of the city, not too far from the Eldian ghetto. The eldians, they hate his guts, especially after enforcing the segregation more along the lines of Liberio than it has before. So it is known there's bad blood between them. As for your job, we managed to get our hands on a rifle who goes back to a prominent restorationist. All you have to do is kill the major, and leave the weapon."

Albert didn't tell him the rest of his plan, then again, he was no one to know. But he could make a rough picture of what would happen. The assassination would be blamed on the local eldians, causing public outcry and divert police attention off the Entrechteten's operations, which would give them the space to consolidate and even expand their power. He had to give it to Al, he was the leader of this branch for a reason after all.

With his gloves fixed he turned to focus on his target, he noticed that the major was accompanied by his wife and daughter. Couldn't he do a job without being reminded of what a monster he was? He clicked his tongue in annoyance. After making the last adjustments, he lined the shot. And as he prepared for the moment, he started humming the song his landlord tended to sing.

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

Remember me to one who lives there

She once was a true love of mine"

As he finished the last line, he took the shot. It hit the target. Blood flying amongst the calm rain, screams silencing the band's upbeat tune.


The door to Erwin's office opened to show Eren Yeager enter. He carried a solemn look on his face when he made a small salute and took a seat opposite to Erwin, Levi stood behind the commander, leaning against the wall of the small room.

"You wanted to see me" Eren spoke.

"Yes" Erwin nodded. "First of all, you abandoned your post without an explanation. For several hours nothing was known about your whereabouts. Protocol demands your punishment for such an offense" he said stoically. In normal circumstances, such actions demanded at least the discharge of the soldier, or downright a direct execution. But these were not normal circumstances, and Eren was no normal soldier. "But considering that you captured the Female Titan without any casualties or collateral damage, I'll allow you to go off with a warning, and let Levi think of how to discipline you."

"Thank you, sir" said Eren.

"Now, I want to ask you. What made you think that going after the Female Titan on your own was a good idea?"

"Because the alternative would've been catastrophic, sir."

Shifting in his chair, Erwin arched an eyebrow. "Care to explain what do you mean?"

"Yes… The previous night I had a dream, which showed me and the Female Titan fighting in Stohess, causing lots of destruction in its wake. I decided to circumvent that from the root."

"A dream you say…"

Eren gave a sigh as he thought of what to say exactly. Well, here goes nothing.

"Ever since my trial, I've been getting strange dreams" he started. "I didn't mention them before because they were vague and could very well mean nothing. But, I had the feeling that there was something important being said there, and that I just needed a few missing pieces for all to make sense. That is why I wanted to talk to Annie Leonhart earlier today, to see if I could make sense of it all."

"And well, did it pay off?" asked the Commander of the Survey Corps. Eren gave a firm nod.

"Yes, now that I know that these dreams were factual I have knowledge that is important for you to hear. It is knowledge about the origin of titans, and the walls."

Taken aback by the topic, Erwin's widened. He motioned for Eren to proceed.

"This is not easy to say, so I'll just say it: everything we think we know is a lie. We are not the last bastion of humanity in a world overrun by titans. We are but a hermit kingdom, the remains of a once powerful nation called the Eldian Empire. A hundred years ago, the eldians were fighting an insurrection by one of their subjects, the Marleyans, and they were losing. In a last ditch effort to save his people, the 145th king, Karl Fritz, translated as many eldians to an island called Paradis. He built the walls and sent the threat that if any nation broke the peace of his people, the world would be trampled."

"The earth would be trampled" Levi repeated behind Erwin. "How did he plan to do that?"

"The eldian people have something that separates them from any other in the world. Thousands of years ago there was this figure, Ymir Fritz. She received the power to turn into a titan, and her decedents are also capable of doing so. The eldian people are also referred to as the Subject of Ymir, and are the only ones who can turn into titans. The king of the Eldians possess the most powerful titan ability, known as the Founding Titan; it was with this ability that Karl Fritz created thousands of Colossal titans, which were used for the creation of the walls. He also erased the memories of all eldians inside the walls, to keep them from suffering."

Processing what he just heard, Erwin was wide-eyed when confronted with all the implications of what he had just heard. His father was right after all. Then, it dawned on him.

"But, if only eldians can turn into titans, where do they come from?" he asked.

"There are still many eldians living in the outside world. Marley has been sending them here to Paradis, to turn them into titans as punishment."

"So… all titans…" Levi muttered, seemingly to himself as his gaze hit the floor. Eren nodded, his eyes closed.

"Anything else?" asked the Commander.

"Yes, the royal family, the real royal family, went into hiding after erasing the people's memories. They go now by the Reiss name, and installed a puppet government in their stead." Erwin processed the information he was fed, and after feeling he had a grip on what was revealed, he pressed Eren.

"This is a very… interesting turn of events, Eren. However, I fell I need to ask, is there any evidence supporting your tale?" The boy in return, turned his face to the commander's and nodded.

"I am convinced that the basement in my old home in Shiganshina has evidence that supports it. You could always corroborate the part of the walls, all needed is to make a hole in the structure… Regarding the Reiss, they have a few proxies by which they impose their will, the nobility and the Order of the Walls… And we also have Annie."

"You think Annie Leonhart is one of those eldians born in Marley?"

"I know that she is, it would explain her motives for her actions. Speaking of her" Eren paused to make sure the two officers were listening. "For all the bad blood between us and her, I'd suggest against killing her. She could prove a valuable resource in the recapture of Wall Maria, and more importantly, against Marley."

"You think we can trust her?" Erwin asked with certain suspicion. Eren shook his head.

"She doesn't need to be trustworthy if she proves to be useful, we can keep her on a leash if need be. We still have the Armored and Colossal titan out there to worry about, and who knows if Marley has already sent other forces to back them up. We need any weapon we can get. If we show her that it's best for Annie to work with us, and keep a close eye on her for good measure, she could very well become a powerful asset in the wars to come."

"I see" Erwin muttered while considering the idea. Truth be told, he would be more comfortable if they just killed the Female Titan and be done with her, but there was merit to Eren's idea. "I'll take your idea in consideration. Annie's trial will be in the coming days, and myself and Levi will be attending, as is required. You think we can turn Annie over to our side, Eren?"

"I think it's possible, it's all a matter of finding out what she wants, and prove her that we are her best bet at getting it."

"Very well, if you manage to convince her, I'll consider your idea and vouch for her. You may leave."

With that, Eren stood up, made a small salute, and left. Leaving the two men alone.

"What do you think, Erwin?" asked Levi, his voice low. Erwin hummed.

"If his tale is true, this whole situation is a lot bigger than we ever thought of" he muttered. "Levi, send a small team to corroborate the walls, I'll send word to Pixis so he is notified of our actions. I also want someone of trust to look up the activities of the Reiss, and report anything that might be worth of mention, no matter how small it may seem. Bring Hanji into the fold, and have her look into the Order of the Walls. The local pastor is a high ranking member; she could start there. After you gather all you can dig, catch me up in the trial, so we can plan our next move."

After Levi left the office, Erwin remained seated, thinking about all that had just transpired. It would an understatement to say that, if his claims are true, Eren Yeager had just turn the entire world upside down. A small smile appeared on his lips, father he thought, you may have been right all along.


So, this is it for this chapter.

A more relaxed chapter, to give a bit of a rest as we're about to head into the Clash of Titans Arc and Annie's trial.

A serious question for you folks: Are you interested in me making a prequel of this story, about Eren's time in Marley? I already have a few storylines for that one basically ready, they just need to be written. But I'm a bit hesitant mostly because 1)Eren as a character would remain static for the lenght of the run, as that time serves as his darkest hour, from which he justs overcomes in this story. 2)Because that story would follow a more episodic structure rather than a overarching narrative, which is something I haven't tried writing yet, so I don't know how would that one turn out.

Anyway, I'd love to hear your opinion on that matter.

Also, this is the last chapter I had ready made when I first started publishing, so updates might become more sporadic. I'll still attempt to publish at least a couple of times per month. So beware that the upload schedule has essentially ceased to exist.

And as always, all reviews are welcomed. Until next time!