LOCATION: SHINGANSHINA - YEAR 845
YEAGER HOUSEHOLD
Carla Yeager was a relatively simple woman. She did housework, took care of the kids, cooked and cleaned.
You'd think her life would be simple.
You'd be wrong.
First off was her son. Eren Yeager. Oh how she loved her son. He and Mikasa were her world, and she would always love them. But sometimes, Eren could be so frustrating.
He was determined to join the Survey Corps, against her wishes. Honestly, she could understand why he wanted to. These walls were essentially a prison that the titans kept humanity in. He wanted to get out of this prison, be free. Explore the walls outside of the world.
But Carla loved her son too much to support a possible death sentence.
She knew that he would probably end up joining the Scouts anyway, as much as it hurt to admit. But she would do whatever she could to either convince him to give it up, or make sure he knows that he'll always have a home with his family.
Another reason she didn't agree is because of how joined at the hip Eren and Mikasa were. She didn't want Mikasa joining anymore than she wanted Eren to join, but at least Eren had a bigger motivation than protection. If she knew Mikasa, Mikasa had no desire to join any of the factions. She would join simply to protect Eren.
As much as she loved that, as much as she loved the child like she was her own, she hated how blind it could make her at times.
Mikasa's devotion to Eren seemed to have began when he and Big John, a boy who's height hid his true age, saved her from a few traffickers attempting to sell Mikasa after murdering the poor girls parents.
She wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but she knew that each of the children had, unfortunately, been forced to kill one of the traffickers each.
But ever since, Mikasa had always followed Eren around, protecting him constantly.
Like she said, she loved it, but she hated it too.
Then there were the other two kids she took care of.
"Big" John Gallagher, and his little sister, Lucy.
Though neither of the children were residents of the Yeager household, they frequented it so often that she considered both of them children of her own. In fact, when she says she and Grisha are the ones who cared for the two, she wasn't exaggerating.
Both often came to them to seek solace from the hell that went on in their own household.
Little Lucy was often so terrified when it came time for her to return home, and it hurt everyone to watch John have to carry her bawling form out of the house. It hurt John himself that he had to take her with him.
But John himself probably had the worst of it.
While Lucy was often yelled or screamed at, John had been physically abused.
It pained Carla to say that she had lost count of the amount of times Big John had shown up at their doorstep at random times of the day or night. Lucy was always in his arms, either still crying, or had cried herself to sleep. Meanwhile Big John was usually sporting a cut or bruise or two on his face, but there had been times where Grisha had to actually get his medical kit and sew up wounds on his body.
Grisha had actually been forced to teach him how to set dislocated joints back into place, and had actually had to put John in a cast on some occasions.
It was no secret among the boy's close ones what went on in that household. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do, as Charles, John's step-father and abuser, had connections within the Military Police.
Carla and Grisha had actually tried to get custody of the children in the past, but due to Charles' aforementioned connections, they were shot down almost immediately. Charles had even had the urge to boast about it.
That was the one day in all her years that she had ever witnessed Grisha, who was usually so calm and collected, hit someone. Something about John's situation struck a nerve with the doctor.
John had thanked them profusely for their attempt, despite its failure, and requested only one thing.
"Look, if something ever happens to me… Please, take care of Lucy for me."
The boy was forced to grow quickly due to his height, but it was scary to think how much a ten-year-old had been through.
It was heart-wrenching.
The boy acted as a big brother not just to his own sister, but Mikasa and Eren as well. Not to mention his own friends, Rex and Deacon.
Honestly, Big John was wise beyond his years, and both he and his sister deserved any peace they could get.
She hoped that peace would come soon.
As she listened to Eren and Mikasa ramble about one thing or another, she heard three light knocks on the door.
"Coming!"
LOCATION: SHINGANSHINA - Year: 845
Some distance from the Yeager Household.
"Big John, why do you let him hurt you?" Lucy asked her brother as they walked towards the Yeager Household.
"So that he doesn't hurt you." John responded simply.
Lucy looked down for a moment. "Why don't we just leave?" John didn't respond for a few moments, before he sighed.
"Because we're not allowed."
Lucy quieted after that. She didn't understand why they weren't allowed to leave a bad man, but she knew better than to question John too much.
Big John protected her. He actually cared. Despite how scary Charles was, Big John made sure she was actually happy whenever he could.
And he suffered for it.
John almost always told Lucy to head to the bedroom they were forced to share when a beating, or worse, was about to happen. But there were times he didn't get the chance. Time where Lucy didn't think to move for herself.
Times where she saw what Charles did.
She'd seen him put cigars out on John's skin. She'd seen him beat John unconscious. She'd seen him cut John in specific places. Places that could be hidden. She'd seen him hurt John worse than normal, such as this morning.
And every time, John would take it, instead of fighting back. Almost every time, John gained a scar.
John was only ten-years-old, but at his six foot height, he was far taller than Charles, who was only 5'2". He was easily larger, too.
That's why she didn't understand why John just took it. Why didn't he fight back, or they didn't just leave?
But she knew better than to question Big John. Not only because he cared, because even though he would never hurt her, his anger, although never directed at her, even if she caused it, was a whole lot scarier than Charles.
"Lucy?"
Craning her neck, she looked up at her older brother as they walked.
"Yes?
"Are you okay with spending a few nights at the Yeagers?" He asked with a smile.
Lucy's eyes sparkled and her face lit up at the prospect. "Really?"
Big John nodded. "Yeah. Me, Deek, and Rex might be in the forest for a few days, and I figured you would like to be there while I'm out." The rest of the sentence didn't need to be said, as they both knew what he meant.
With a squeal of delight, Lucy wrapped her arms around John's waist. "Thank You!" She said, jumping up and down with glee as she hugged him.
Big John chuckled. "No problem, Luce. Let's go."
It didn't take them too much longer to reach the Yeagers; They were only a block away when the conversation started, after all.
Walking up the steps to their porch, Big John gently knocked on the wooden door.
After three quick knocks, the familiar, kind voice of Carla Yeager reached their ears, muffled through the door.
"Coming!"
After a second, they heard the sound of the door being unlocked, and it opened to reveal Carla, curious as to who her guests were. When she saw the Gallagher siblings, she couldn't help the smile that ended up on her face.
"Lucy, John, it's good to see you!" She said as she opened the door up completely.
"Mrs Yeager!" Lucy yelled with glee as she threw herself at the woman, giving her a hug, which the woman gladly returned.
"How are you, Lucy?" Carla asked as she picked the child up.
"I'm doing great! John said he'd let me stay here for a few days!" Lucy informed her excitedly.
"Hey, we have to ask them first!" John spoke, though a smile was still present on his face. "You don't invite yourself to someone's home." He lightly admonished.
"Oh, it's fine John. You know you two are welcome here anytime." Carla said, looking at John with a smile, before looking back to Lucy. "Of course you can stay, sweetheart." She said with a gentle look on her face, before setting the child on the ground. "Now, how about you go inside and play with Eren and Mikasa, Lucy? I want to talk to your brother for a little bit."
"Okay!" She said, before rushing into the house, where the two could hear her greeting Grisha on her way to Eren and Mikasa's room.
"John, you know you two are always welcome here. There's no need to knock." Carla reminded him. "You know where the spare key is."
John chuckled. "Mrs. Yeager, my mom made sure me and Lucy had proper manners before she died. Knocking is just polite."
Carla's smile wavered at the mention of John's mother, but it never left her face. "Well, that's better than most kids your age. Will you be staying with us as well?"
John shook his head. "Nah, not tonight. Me, Rex, and Deacon are going hiking in the forest for the next few days." He explained, politely refusing her offer. "I appreciate you and Mr. Yeager looking after Lucy."
"Like I said, John, you and Lucy are always welcome."
"Thank you, Mrs. Yeager."
"Would you at least like something to eat before you go? We're having steak for dinner if you'd like to join us." Carla offered.
John shook his head. "I'd really like to, Mrs. Yeager, but I'm on a bit of a time limit. Deek and Rex could be expecting me any moment now."
Carla nodded. "Okay. You three be careful John." She said as she turned back into the house with a wave.
"You too, Mrs. Yeager." John said as the door closed, before turning away.
LOCATION: WALL MARIA - YEAR: 845
VASTATA HOUSEHOLD
Out on the southeastern side of Wall Maria stood a large marble three story mansion. A mansion such as this definitely did not match well with the usual constructions from within the outermost wall, although many would agree that it could be worse.
Not many heard the arguments that were practically a regular occurrence within the confines of the mansion.
"I'm not changing my mind mom!"
"Rex, your father and I are sick of this disgusting behavior!"
"Aren't you the pot calling the kettle black!"
"Rex, don't disrespect your mother!"
"Why's it okay to disrespect me then?!"
"So long as this degrading behavior continues, associating with common peasants, you will get these talks!"
Rex Vastata, more commonly known as Rex Luke, slammed his hands upon the table in frustration. "We're just going for a hike, you jackass! What's so bad about that?! Or is it just because I'm going with John and Deacon?!"
"Watch your mouth! You will not speak to me in such a way!" Rex's father, Logan, who was a rather heavy set man, pointed aggressively at Rex, as if it would help him make his point.
"So long as you are a jackass, I'll call you one!" Rex screamed right back, refusing to back down.
"Rex, this behavior is a direct result of associating with that Gallagher boy!" Maria Vastata exclaimed. Rex snorted.
"Right, I suppose it has nothing to do with the overbearing assholes in front of me!"
"Rex!"
"How dare-!"
"No, how dare YOU!" Rex yelled, silencing them both with his interruption. "John has been nothing but a good, loyal, helpful friend since I met him! He's always been there for me, supported me, even when you, my own parents, wouldn't! So has Deacon! And you can't accept them because they aren't rich, pompous ASSHOLES, WHO ONLY CARE ABOUT THEIR IMAGE!"
Silence rang out through the kitchen at Rex's outburst. Logan and Maria could only stare in shock as tears began to prick at his eyes.
"Rex…" Maria mumbled softly.
Rex, realizing what was happening, looked down, shaking his head with his eyes clenched shut. He backed away from the table, letting his hands slide off, before looking back up at his parents, a look made of anger and hurt on his face.
"I'm going out for a couple of days with Deacon and Big John. You know this. Unlikely as it is, I hope you two get something close to decency before I get back."
"Now Rex-"
Rex quickly interrupted his father as he opened the door. "I'd like it if I could finally be proud of the parents I have."
And with that, he left, shutting the door behind him and leaving Maria and Logan looking like kicked puppies.
LOCATION: WALL MARIA - YEAR: 845
FOREST OF GIANT TREES
With a sigh, Deacon Ross threw another rock purely out of boredom. Having arrived with the three coolers filled with supplies for the hike, he had nothing to do now but wait outside the forest, waiting for Big John and Rex to arrive.
Unlike them, he had nothing to distract himself with, no one to stop and see, no one to really talk to. Sarah was working in her flower shop, and Rex had the hassle of his parents to deal with. Meanwhile, Big John had to drop Lucy off at the Yeagers, because he definitely wasn't leaving her by herself with Charles for three days.
Meanwhile, he had nothing to do but wait, sitting against a tree, pulling grass and throwing rocks out of sheer boredom.
With a sigh, he began to sing.
"Sleep my darling tiny one
Tucked within your bed so tight
Else the old grey wolf will come
And grab you by your side"
An old folk song his mother used to sing him when he was a child. Eventually he would sing it with her, before he was out like a light.
"He'll snatch you up between his teeth
If on the bed's edge you sleep
And drag you to the forest deep
Beneath the quaking tree"
Most children would likely have nightmares rather than sweet dreams follow, and considering the song was about a wolf dragging you away into a forest, it wasn't very kid friendly.
But he loved wolves. And his mother's beautiful voice made it out to be so sweet in his head. He could never be intimidated by the song.
"So close your eyes and fall asleep
Count the little wooly sheep
Tucked so tightly you must keep
Or he will come for you"
A lot of other kids would make fun of him at first when they heard him singing such a lullaby. He didn't care. Most ran away when he got to the second verse.
He'd sing the song for a number of reasons. When he was sad. When he was bored. When he was nostalgic. He'd sing it for as long as he felt he needed. What anyone else thinks doesn't matter.
"Sleep my darling-"
"You know, I don't understand how a song about getting dragged off into the night can be so soothing, but to each their own I guess."
Opening his eyes at the familiar voice (he hadn't even realized he closed them), he jumped to his feet upon spotting the familiar hulking form of Big John.
"Johnny!" He said as he closed the distance, meeting the behemoth halfway. "How have you been, man?"
Deacon knew it was a stupid question even as they fist bumped, but John didn't care much. In fact, it had pretty much become a running joke between the two.
"Kinda shit, but that's an average Monday." Big John responded with a grin. "Got anything to eat or drink? Haven't had anything all day."
"Yeah man, help yourself." Deacon, pointing to the coolers. "Don't know which is which, so you'll just have to check."
"Alright." John said with a shrug as he approached the coolers.
"So, I take it Lucy is with the Yeagers?" Deacon asked as John checked through the coolers, pooling out a bottle of water and some venison strips.
"Yeah. Face lit up like a Christmas tree when I told her she'd be there for a few days." Big John said as he took a swig of water.
"I imagine Mrs. Yeager was happy to see you both." Deacon said with a smile, to which Big John nodded.
"Oh yeah. Big time." He said as he sat the water down and began eating some of the venison strips. "Rex ain't here yet?" He asked as he stood up.
Deacon shook his head. "Nope. You were the second one to show up."
Big John scoffed. "His folks are probably just giving him shit. You know they hate us."
Deacon shook his head again. "I don't understand why though."
"They're the second richest nobles in the Walls." Big John pointed out. "They see us as peasants. They don't think he should hang out with us cause we aren't rich, snobbish assholes."
"But, why can't they just let him be? It's clear they care about Rex."
"In their heads, they have an image to maintain. As much as they might love Rex, his happiness comes second to that image." Big John paused as he took another swig of water. "They don't know how to be parents, just businessmen. Or woman, in Maria's case."
Deacon chuckled. "Nah, she's just a trophy wife. She has nothing to do with the business."
Big John laughed at that. "She just thinks she does. She has ole Silver Lip by the balls, doesn't she?"
"Among others." Deacon remarked. John nearly spit his drink at that, pulling the bottle from his lips as he laughed.
"Slut of the year?"
"Try century!"
They were both outright laughing, ignorant to the third party approaching them.
"They get on my nerves too, but can you please not talk about them like that?"
At the sound of Rex's voice they both stopped laughing and turned to look at him. Noticing the irritated look on his face, their smiles slowly but surely fell.
"Sorry Rex." Big John was the first to apologize, with Deacon following.
"We shouldn't have spoken like that about your folks." Deacon admitted.
Rex looked at them for a moment, before shaking their heads. "They didn't exactly give you a reason to like them, and I don't care about you ranting, but please don't make jokes like that."
Both had the decency to look ashamed.
"Sorry, man."
"Sorry Rex."
Rex was silent for a moment, before sighing. "It's fine." He said, before smiling. "So, we doing this thing or what?"
Deacon grinned at that while John chuckled.
"We have three coolers, one with water, one with venison strips, and the rest is medical supplies. Right?" John asked Deacon, who nodded.
"Yeah, Rex bought the supplies and had me hold on to them so his parents didn't find out. We also got a family sized tent set, and a couple backpacks with hiking supplies." Deacon explained. Rex snorted.
"I had to tell my parents where I would be for the next three days. Damn did that spark the argument to end all arguments." Rex grumbled.
"Let me guess." John deadpanned. "'Those boys are peasants and you shouldn't associate with them!'" John said in a high-pitched imitation of Rex's mother, causing the other two to laugh.
"Yeah, that's about it." Rex said with a chuckle.
"Well, let's get going." Deacon said, looking up in the sky. "We waited to long to start, it looks like. By the time we find a good camping spot, we'll be setting up well into the night."
"Well, let's hope we can find an elevated spot. Might be a double edged sword, but less of a chance of being attack by wolves." John said, putting on a backpack and picking up two coolers and the tent set.
"Well, I made sure to get some hatchets and the stuff to make fireworks if we need to." Rex said as he and Deacon picked up the other two backpacks, Rex grabbing the last cooler as well.
"Let's get this show on the road!" Deacon said in excitement as the three began their trek into the forest.
LOCATION: SHIGANSHINA - YEAR: 845
YEAGER HOUSEHOLD
Grisha Yeager was a relatively calm man. Just about everyone who knew him would say the man has almost never allowed his anger to get the best of him. As the best doctor in not only the Wall Maria, but all of the walls, his skills were second to none and he was desired by many organizations, often being called into the interior as well as Wall Maria, so it was pretty much a given that the man had a gentle temper.
However, almost was the key word in that second statement.
Johnathan's situation reminded him greatly of his childhood.
While not even Carla knew many specifics, his childhood had been full of hate and hurt.
His sister had been killed. Thrown to the wolves and eaten alive. For nothing more than amusement.
And his parents tried to brush it off out of fear. Ignore it.
Her killer had even bragged about it to him.
And while it was true that the boy's sibling was very much alive, he suffered to keep her safe and happy.
He and Carla had tried in the past to get custody of the Gallagher siblings, even citing Johnathan's various scars and marks as evidence. However, due to Charles' connections with the Military Police, it was easily written off as the boy being a delinquent who got into too many fights.
He still remembered the man's words after the trial.
"You'll never get those kids, Doc. That boy'll be my favorite punching bag till the day he dies."
Grisha Yeager was a relatively calm man.
He still remembered how good it felt to break the man's jaw.
As the most sought after doctor in the Walls, he could get away with certain things that most others would get locked away for immediately. That was one of the few times he took advantage of that immunity.
Only time, so far.
It pained him how much he's had to operate on the boy. He's stitched cuts, treated bruises set bones, put casts…
The boy was practically a practice dummy for him, and it angered him.
That boy had a heart of gold. He trusted so easily, despite how much he's been hurt, how much he's lost. He cared so much.
He made friends so easily, and he was always ready to help people, even total strangers who might have been rude at first. His parents had truly taught him well while they had him.
He still remembered them fondly.
Kenneth and Helen Crueger.
Kenneth was a little rough around the edges. He wasn't exactly easy to approach, in fact his wife had made most of his friends for him, but he truly cared for those he was close to, always ready to fight for them if the time arose.
But John was a momma's boy. Especially after Kenneth disappeared.
Helen practically spoiled the kids rotten. She would take them to carnivals, festivals, buy them toys, books, whatever their little pure hearts desired. Even little Lucy, who was barely old enough to remember her mother at three years old, would get toys, especially dolls that she would snuggle with as she slept.
Then Kenneth disappeared.
Helen struggled afterwards. She was never as lively. She was much more quiet, and while she bought her kids toys still, she never really took them anywhere after that. They were always isolated after that.
Both He and Carla had offered help, but she had kindly refused every time.
She eventually remarried, to Charles of all people, who had apparently fooled her with a façade of kindness, about nine months later, to the couple's shock.
Then she disappeared only a month after they married, and Charles dropped his façade.
Ever since he was seven, Johnathan had been dealt a poor hand, and had done his best to take care of his sister despite the hell he suffered.
The only thing they had left over from their parents was a blue flower, called the Lapis Immortalis or the Immortal Flower, and a necklace with a blue gem wrapped in gold. The flower, only ever found in Wall Maria, and rarely ever used in medicine due to the danger it posed if used on the wrong ailment, was gifted to John as a reminder of his mother's high spirits. To some cultures, the flower represented the belief that life never truly died, hence, the Immortal Flower.
The necklace was left to Lucy, so she'd always have a part of the father she never got to meet. The story behind the necklace was a rather interesting one. Instead of getting a wedding ring for his beloved as Helen had done, he had used a necklace that had been a gift from his sister. He still remembered the man's words to his wife as they married.
"This necklace represents the most important part of me… the good that this old darkened soul still holds onto… and I feel it's only appropriate that the guardian of this good be the angel who brought it to light in the first place."
Helen had felt that the necklace should go to his little girl. As she had safeguarded the good of Kenneth, so would Lucy.
It was a wonder that Charles had never tried to tamper or destroy those remnants.
Then again, the only reason Charles had never touched Lucy was because despite his treatment of the boy, John was very large for his age, and he could be particularly violent if pushed to the bring.
"I wanted to make sure the monster was dead."
Considering what he had meant by those words, Grisha could only shudder at the thought of a full grown John being pushed to the limit.
Being his regular physician, Grisha could say with almost complete certainty that if the boy wasn't eight feet tall when he was done growing, he'd be damn close to it.
An eight foot man ready to kill… that was a scary thought, no matter who you were.
Grisha could only ask himself over and over how the boy managed to stay so kind despite the hellish hand fate had dealt him.
Grisha was pulled from his thoughts as he felt a tug on his pants leg. Looking to the source, he found Lucy tugging on his pants, yawning and rubbing her tired eyes.
"Mr. Yeager? I'm tired." She said quietly, her words seeming to slur together from how tired she was. Grisha looked at the clock.
When he had arrived back from an appointment, he had found the child had been dropped off by her brother two hours prior.
That was four hours ago.
He must've really been lost in his musings while doing his paperwork. It was almost 10 o'clock.
She had been playing with Eren and Mikasa for almost six hours, and if the fuss he heard down the hall was any indication, Carla was giving Eren a bath while Mikasa was getting ready for bed.
Looking back at the child, Grisa chuckled.
"I would imagine so. How about we get you into some more appropriate clothing." He said, picking up the tired five-year-old and heading down the hall towards the bathroom.
"Carla?" He called as he knocked on the door.
"Yes?" Carla's muffled voice came from the other side.
"I'm putting Lucy to bed. Where is her nightgown?" He asked as he felt the child nodding off in his arms, head laying down on his shoulder before shooting back up.
"I left it in the guest room." She answered. With a habitual nod that she couldn't see, Grisha moved towards the guest room, opening the door and gently maneuvering himself inside so as to not jostle the tired child in his arms.
"Alright sweetheart, let's get you changed and get you to bed." Grisha said as he gently set her down on the bed.
The process of changing her was relatively quick, and he had her ready for bed in no time.
"Alright dear, let's get you tucked in-"
"Mr. Yeager?" Lucy's suddenly alert and fearful expression stopped any further action. Grisha paused.
"Yes?"
"Can I sleep with you and Mrs. Yeager please?"
The question threw Grisha off balance. He was almost positive that she slept by herself at Charles. Though, at a young age, it's possible that she would go to John when she was scared or have nightmares.
"My dear, don't you at least want to try sleeping by yourself?" Grisha asked gently.
Lucy shook her head. "I always sleep with John. Charles makes us share a room, and we have to use a bunk bed."
That made his eyes widen.
"You don't have separate rooms?"
"Uh-uh."
Grisha was quiet for a moment.
"Do you ever sleep in your own bunk, Lucy?"
"No. John's too big for the top bunk, and it doesn't have a guard, so he's afraid I'll fall off."
The poor girl had never slept by herself once, and she never really had a choice either, since Big John was, probably rightly so, concerned for her safety.
Grisha figured that perhaps their was another reason that the child didn't know, but he wasn't about to scare her any more than she already was. With a sigh, he gave her a gentle smile.
"Well, I suppose it's time for me and Carla to go to bed as well. Carla will probably join us after she's done with Eren."
Picking Lucy up off the bed, he made to leave the room, but was stopped almost immediately outside the door by a familiar little girl.
"Grisha?" Mikasa asked, realizing she had found the person she was looking for.
"Yes Mikasa?"
"Lucy left her doll in our room." She said, handing the little ragdoll to Mr. Yeager, who handed it to the child.
"What do we say Lucy?"
The child looked down at Mikasa. "Thank you Mika."
Mikasa smiled at the child she considered a little sister. "No problem Lulu."
Lucy smiled and the nickname, before yawning. "Tell Ereny I said good night." She said before nodding off once more.
Grisha smiled before looking at Mikasa. "Thank you Mikasa. Why don't you go ahead and get ready for bed. Eren will likely be in shortly, and Carla will be joining me and Lucy when she's done as well."
With a nod, the little girl retreated to her bedroom, while Grisha carried Lucy to her own to continue getting ready for bed himself.
LOCATION: WALL MARIA - YEAR: 845
FOREST OF GIANT TREES
"Goddammit, how in the hell won't the damn thing stay?!" Big John growled in frustration as the stubborn tent once again fell apart on him, to Rex's amusement.
"What, never set up a tent before, Big John?" Rex laughed.
"No, I haven't, you know that!" Big John exclaimed. "You have experience setting this shit up! I'm lucky if I get to go a mile down the road to see a fucking mime!"
Rex's amusement refused to cease. "Well, I think it's funny watching struggle." He said with a chuckle.
Big John gritted his teeth in frustration, before smirking. "Well, it's either me or Deek. Your short ass wouldn't be able to hold the damn tentpole up."
That wiped the amusement from Rex's face. "Excuse me? It's not my fault your a mini titan!"
Big John grinned. "Maybe, but Deacon isn't as tall as me, but he's still taller than you." He said, crushing Rex's defense.
Rex growled, flipping the bird at John, who laughed. "Fuck you, ya overgrown asshole."
"No thanks, I don't swing that way."
"Go to hell!"
"Live there!"
Rex growled in frustration at realizing he wasn't going to win, realizing that John was gonna keep the tables turned
"Dick."
"Got one."
"UGH! WHY?!"
With a chuckle, John turned to get back to work on the tent. "It would go faster if you'd help me set it up."
"Just follow the instructions." Rex remarked, gesturing to the discarded piece of paper John had thrown to the side.
Big John shook his head. "Nah. I learn better as a go."
Rex sighed, smacking his head on his palm. "And you wonder why it's taking so long."
Ignoring him, John continued trying to up the tent, Rex watching him with a raised eyebrow.
As time passed, Rex spoke up. "Wonder what's taking Deacon. He's taking an awfully long piss."
At that, John perked up, looking around. "He's not back yet?"
"No."
"Hm." John brought his finger to his chin in thought. "Maybe his dumbass stuck it in-"
"Hey guys!"
The voice of their topic of conversation rang out through the clearing, causing them to turn in his direction.
"Come look at this, I found this really weird cave!" He told them, before turning back into the woods. John and Rex looked at each other in confusion, before following.
Pushing bushes out of their way, and in John's case, branches as well, they followed the direction Deacon had went. Eventually, they found himself standing outside the large opening of a cave.
The cave entrance was massive, easily three meters in diameter, looking like it would hold a couple small titans.
"Jesus Christ, I've never seen a cave this spacious." Rex remarked. John chuckled.
"You seen stables more spacious than this." He remarked. At that, Rex chuckled as well.
"Yeah, I have."
"Wait till you see the inside of the cave!" Deacon said, running off inside without warning, to the other two's shock.
"Deacon!"
"Wait!"
The two rushed in after him, expecting to lose him quickly in the darkness. And they did.
Only for the cave to seemingly grow brighter as they went deeper.
They found Deacon admiring the cave, looking around in wonder at it's walls, though Rex and John didn't share his enthusiasm at the moment.
"You fucking dumbass." John said in frustration, glaring at Deacon.
"What if there was a fucking bear in here or something?" Rex asked in annoyance.
"Risk never stopped me before." Deacon said, still looking around at the cave.
"Common sense should though, you freaking-"
"Hey, when you guys have burnt yourselves out, how about you actually take a look around." Deacon interrupted. "Y'know, since we're already in here."
At his words, both Rex and John found themselves looking around at the cave walls. Upon diverting their attention, both found their anger quickly turning to shock and wonder.
The cave walls were a deep dark translucent purple, with cracks running all throughout it, seeming to be section in rows, similar to a spider-web. The walls were very shiny, looking almost like ice, albeit purple.
"What the…" Rex's trailed off.
"Hey John, you're the bookworm of us three. You ever heard of a cave like this?" Deacon asked.
Big John shook his head. "No. Closest I've ever heard of are caves for mining Ultra-Hard Crystals. You know, for the ODM Gear that's standard issue for the military." He informed them. "Even then, that's white, and it never completely makes up the wall, just sits in it as ore." He took another look around. "A completely purple cave is something completely unheard of."
"Hey, guys." Rex's voice caught their attention, causing them to turn in his direction. He was running his hand along the wall, face alight in wonder. "Feel the walls."
Following his advice, John and Deacon each approached their own section of the wall and touched. Both were shocked at what they saw.
It was slick, it felt wet, almost like warm water or, as impossible as it sounds, warm ice. As they ran their hands accross it, it felt like they were running their hands accross melting ice, yet, the cave walls remained completely intact. It was almost as if the cave was reaction to their touch.
"It feels like warm water, but it's got about as much traction as ice." John remarked, noting how easily their hands slid accross the wall.
"Even feels like it's melting, don't it?" Deacon remarked, to which the other two nodded in agreement.
As he continued running his hand across the cave walls, something caught John's attention.
It was a small, square section of the cave, jutting out from the rest of the wall. It seemed almost like the cracks converged on the squar. The square itself had an indent in it, and as he approached closer, John could that it had something carved into it. But he couldn't make out what it was.
| | | /\ \ |_| | |\| _|
It looked like a bunch of scratches, almost as if someone wanted to make sure it was only something they could read.
Curious, John reached his hand out to rub the carvings, before jerking his hand back almost immediately.
The moment he touched the square, it seemed to shoot back into the wall, glowing a bright shining purple. Deacon and Rex jerked their own hands away as the wall seemed to invert it's pattern. The purple walls became black, while the shining purple light of the square spread from it through the the cracks.
"John, what did you do?!" Rex yelled, nervous as the walls quickly changed in front of them.
"I don't know!" John exclaimed as the three backed away from the wall, nervous and unsure of what was happening.
As the change finally seemed to finish, the three were almost completely terrified as a deep, powerful voice boomed through the cave.
"THE GUARDIANS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN, AND THE POWER SHALL NOW BE BESTOWED UPON THOSE WHO ARE WORTHY."
"W-What?!" Deacon yelled in fear as cave began to shake, the uncomfortable feeling of dread creeping upon them at the declaration.
"What the hell is happening?!" Rex exclaimed in fear.
"I don't-AGH!"
What ever John was going to say was cut off, as lighting seemed to sprout of from the ground. The bolts were purple, rather than the normal colors, and they certainly weren't random, as every bolt that materialized struck one of the three boys. None of the boys could do anything but scream, as the most agonizing pain any of them had ever experienced brought them to the ground.
Their screams reverberated through the cave, and it was all any of them could hear as the feeling of fiery heat and unwilling muscle spasms flooded their beings.
It seemed as though the torture was never going to end. For each agonizing second that it continued, the pain grew worse and worse. Spots grew in their vision and the grasp of darkness slowly took hold of them.
Only when they finally succumbed to the darkness did finally find relief.
As they lie unconscious, none of them knew how much their lives would be changed from this moment on.
A/N: FINALLY FINISHED!
It took me almost four weeks to get this chapter the way I wanted it. I wanted to put more depth to the characters interactions, as well as their bonds and relationships with their close ones. I also wanted to let the reader know more about John's parents, instead of a quick mention of his mother.
Compared to the first chapter of the original, I'd say this is a step up, although please feel to leave a review to let me know what you all think. Originally, Introduction chapters were actually gonna be a part of the first chapter, but I felt as if that was too much. What I had was enough to give the reader a quick grasp of their life.
Anyway, I don't know when I'll have the next chapter out, but I'll try to have it out within a month, and I can guarantee that there will definitely be more action. Not to mention the first actual appearances of Eren and Armin.
In the meantime, feel free to leave a review, as that feedback is what really drives me forward and pushes me to update these stories. They are essentially my drive.
Also, for anyone curious, the song Deacon sings as he waits for the others is an old Russian lullaby known as Bayu Bayushki. Those lyrics are translated by the wonderfully talented Ashley Serena, and I heavily recommend checking it out on her youtube channel. Dead by Daylight fans such as myself will also recognize the song as the one that the theme of the Huntress.
Anyway, with that, take care, and stay safe.