I'm really wondering why I used bold in conversations so I get rid of it since I'm getting tired using it.

Oh and I change the story summary and from Fem!ErenxLevi, I changed it to OCxLevi. See the AN at end for the info.

Summary: Erena is sick so how will Eren Kruger react?

3. She Caught The Plague

Hange watched as Dr. Eren Kruger, a man who was in his 30's that attends to anyone in need and nobler than the nobles inside Wall Sina, became frustrated as he continues to make mistakes in the medicine he was making. The medicine was placed in a large cauldron, boiling gently in low flame. It was almost finished but the last ingredients and also the most important one were still in process. And it's clear that Dr. Kruger was having a hard time doing it which was unusual.

They have a good relationship with Dr. Kruger as he was often in the medical facility of the survey corps in the headquarters to treat most soldiers who fought against titans. Hange watch him sometimes, as long as she was not busy with the titan research, to see how he works and hopefully learned something from him that can help even a little in their expeditions in which he allowed to. He even gave some free lectures when he have nothing to do that was accessible to different people, doctors or not as long as they are willing to learn. The survey corps soldier regularly attends it especially the squad leaders and the commander itself.

And if she asked anyone who knew Dr. Kruger, soldier or not, the answer will be the same. They never once saw him having problems in making medicine unlike what he was doing now.

"Dammit!" Kruger slammed the table with his hands. "What's wrong with this? Everything is right and perfect but it's still missing something!" He scratched his head in frustration.

A knock interrupted Kruger's monologue. Keith Shadis, the commander went inside and Hange saluted as a sign of respect.

"You aren't finished yet?" Keith Shadis asked as he surveyed the cauldron and the mess in Kruger's table.

"Not yet." Kruger answered calmly. His face was gone of the signs of his frustrations earlier.

"The medicine was expected to be finished tonight. You promised and the people are waiting." Shadis said.

"I know that." Kruger nodded. "I'm almost finished. I'll just call you when it's completely done so it's better you rest first because I'm sure you'll be tired distributing this medicine." He eloquently 'invited' the commander outside of the room.

"I have no intention of staying here in case I might interrupt you. I just wanted to remind you that there are only two hours left." Shadis turned to the door and open it.

Hange was sure that he saw a smirk in Shadis face as he went outside. A smirk that speaks he was having fun at Kruger's struggles.

She heard Kruger sighed. He checked the pouch containing the herbs they've obtained outside the walls. "Three more tries." He whispered and look at her.

"Can you take care of Erena? Make sure she eats and cleans herself up then tell her I wanna talk." Hange nodded in compliance.

"Can I ask why?" She can't help but ask. He was in the middle of making an important medicine and yet, he was asking for his niece.

Kruger shrugged. "Because if I can't get it right in 3 tries, we need her."

Need her? How would a 10-year-old child know what to do with the medicine if Kruger himself cannot do it?

Hange went outside the door to check on Erena. When she gets into the room she was staying in, she saw her lying on the ground. It looks like Levi didn't bother tying her up even if commanded to.

She leaves the door open so that the light will come in. This room with no window or any other openings was very dark inside and she has no lamp of any sort to light this room up. When she came near Erena, she instantly knew that something was wrong.

Even in this barely lighted room, Hange can tell that her face was somewhat red and she was breathing heavily like she was having a hard time doing it. She placed a hand in her forehead and manage to keep her hand from flinching because of the hotness of her skin.

"She's having a fever." Hange mumbled and ran to the pharmacy to inform Kruger.

Kruger tossed away his task and everything he was doing just to get to Erena. Hange saw the worry in his face and his panic that he feels for the child.

"She's infected by the plague." Kruger said after he checked her. "Why is she infected? I thought she was healthy enough when I leave her."

"What?" Hange asked. She didn't hear the last part.

Kruger shook his head and carried Erena in his arms. "Let's get her to a room."

They hurriedly prepared a room. Along the way, they also encountered Mikasa and Armin. Kruger asked them to get warm water and a towel as well as a set of clothes to change into.

"I'll get her food as well. She hasn't eaten anything." Armin offered.

"That would be great, Armin. Thank you."

Kruger laid Erena in the bed. Mikasa came in with the clothes, towel, and warm water. Hange was about to do the job of taking care of Erena but Kruger beat her to it.

"I'll do it, Kruger-san." She insisted. "You still have work to do." She reminded him about the medicine.

Kruger hesitated.

"You still need to finish the medicine. She needs it." She persuaded. "Don't worry. I'll take care of her very well."

"Fine." He gave up and went back to his work reluctantly.

Hange and Mikasa took of the Cardigan revealing Erena's t-shirt. They directly notice the armband on Erena's left arm. It was red and have a symbol in the middle. At first, it looks like a star but when you look closely, you can see that it has nine points instead of five.

"Is this a trend in Wall Sina?" Hange asked in amusement.

The door opened again and Armin came in with food. Seeing that they are undressing Erena made him blush and hurriedly took off. But he stopped and look at Hange.

"Hange-san, is she related to Dr. Kruger?" Armin asked.

"Why do you ask?" Hange is not surprised at the question. She knew that Armin is smart and he can easily deduce things if he observes closely.

"Both have resemblances when I look at their faces and only noble people who live in Wall Sina can wear clothing as extravagant as she was wearing." Armin explained.

"Her name is Erena. She's Dr. Kruger's niece."

"But..." Armin hesitated. But the urging look on Hange's face made him convey what he was thinking.

"But if she is Dr. Kruger's niece, then why is she locked up?" Hange just stared at Armin.

Armin sighed and look at Mikasa before speaking. "Mikasa and I saw her came back with you. She was in the cart."

"We found her outside the walls." Armin and Mikasa look at Hange's face in shock.

"O-outside the walls?!" Armin exclaimed. "Did she sneak into your cart? Wait... No, you said you found her so she went outside the walls herself. Then..." He stopped and look at Hange with a horrified face. Hange nodded at him. She knew what he was thinking.

"There's no way she can survive on her own unless she can fight titans on her own." Armin deduced. "And it's three walls she needed to pass before she gets outside."

"Did she really?" Mikasa asked quietly, looking at the girl who was lying in bed.

Hange's face became excited as she recalled how they saw her. She has completely forgotten the sick child on her side. "Yes. We were fighting the titans... And then... And then we saw her... Did you hear that Armin? Mikasa? We saw her!" Her breathing became quicker as she was so eager to tell them the scene she saw earlier.

Armin and Mikasa were focused on her, waiting on what Hange was about to say. They are curious. Curious that a child not older than them manages to get outside the walls alone.

"We hid in a tree as Erwin instructed..."

"Wait! You just watched her?! What will happen if a titan got her?!"

"Don't worry, Armin! We were ready to fight the titan if she ever got caught and we also have Levi!"

"So she was already being chased by a titan and you just watched?" Armin asked in disbelief.

Hange nodded. Honestly, she was guilty of watching Erena fight for her life but she trusts Erwin. If Erwin saw something in her, then it must be true. He was rarely wrong after all.

"We saw her tripped as a titan was chasing her. Then..." The three of them leaned close as though what Hange was about to say won't be heard clearly. "Then she grabbed the sword of the fallen captain. She ran on the titan's arm, flipped into the air and take note... With her legs tucked in her chest."

"Is fighting like that possible? If your legs and arms are stuck close to your chest, then if a titan suddenly came to you..."

"You won't be able to do anything if a Titan's arms suddenly went to get you. You cannot cut them and can only struggle hopelessly, waiting to be eaten." Mikasa continued Armin's sentence.

"Yes. Yes. Because your whole body will be in the titan's grasp." Usually, they recommend the soldiers who flipped in the air to keep one arm high enough so that if a titan grabbed them, they will still have a chance to cut their hands as a means to survive. "But she did just that. Then she landed in its arms, ran to the shoulders but its other arm was about to grab her."

"Then what did she do?" Armin asked.

Hange was at its climax and cannot wait any longer. She feels that she was about to burst with enthusiasm. "She backflipped and made sure that she landed on the wrist then jump again to land in the head with its arms acting as the legs."

"And then she jumps using her arms to face the nape and slice! The titan is dead!" Hange finished while swinging her arm, acting like how Erena sliced the titan.

"She fought without an ODM gear." Mikasa concluded while looking at Erena. No one can tell what she was thinking.

"Yes! And if she ever joins the military, maybe we can capture a titan!" Hange said excitedly. Levi didn't want to capture a titan after all.

"Oi. That brat needs to be taken care of." And speaking of the devil. The three of them look to see Levi standing at the door. With the scary look on his face and the way he talked might make others misunderstand the meaning of taken care of to 'taken care of' (killing).

"Levi-nii." Armin and Mikasa greeted.

"Kruger wanted me to give you this." Hange caught the thing Levi threw at her. It was a herbal tea. She can tell that it was Levi's.

"This can only be found in Wall Sina. Even you have at least seven pieces of it." Hange said. "You're willing to give up a piece just because Kruger said so?" She doubt it. Levi is not someone to follow orders unless he trust and respect them. Moreover, this is a tea they are talking about. How can Levi just gave it up so easily?

"Kruger promised me seven boxes if I gave that one."

Hange anticipated that answer. She knew this shorty will go great lengths fighting for the tea like he fought titans.

And of course, you cannot forget the habit he has that the Survey Corps dreaded a lot.

"So you can be bribed too."

"Tch. Just do your job. I don't want to hear a weeping doctor, blabbing shits just because his niece got sick." Without another word, he left them.

Erena coughed, gaining their attention. They saw her opened her eyes a little bit but forced to closed them again because of coughing.

"We need to clean her up." Hange said. Armin on the side volunteered to be the one who will make the herbal tea.

"Thank you, Armin."

As a 10-year-old child, Erena is small for her age but Hange sees the beauty in her face despite the dirt covering her.

'A true daughter of Wall Sina.' Hange thought. She decided to first remove the armband on her arms but before she could do that, the child lying stops her.

Erena, even if she was having a fever, manage to get up and flip Hange's arms with incredible force.

"Aw! Wait, Erena-"

Mikasa immediately aids her by grabbing Erena's arms and force her to let Hange go. Erena struggled back but she cannot beat Mikasa's strength and before she knew it, she was lying down on her bed again.

"Okaayyy." Hange forced the two apart. "No one is gonna hurt you, Erena. You were just having a fever so we wanted to clean you up." She explained. But Erena's expression was still not easing up as she clutched her arm, specifically her armband. She admits that she was curious what was the importance of her armband more than the fact that it may be a weird trend in Sina.

'I should investigate it later.'

"Where's that dammed Kruger?" Hange mentally remarked how she got a sharp tongue and a manner of speaking not suitable for a noble like her. She wanted to file that thought away but decided not to as she remembered that nobles were sharp tongue when talking to the people they deemed low-class or trash.

But Hange knew that she needed to look deeply into her relationship with Kruger aside from being his niece. She knew that Kruger has no family left and yet, someone of his own blood was right in front of her.

Almost everyone knew of his story except his mysterious teacher in medicine that he refuses to tell but he's still a mysterious person for them. Kruger was just like that. He is like an open book with many hidden pages. Hange, Erwin, and Levi knew that he always kept a secret but they didn't know it was a bigger secret than they thought. It raises so many questions when they met Erena.

Just who was she?

What did Kruger do to make her hate him and yet he cares for her?

And what were those callouses?

Hange felt them in her hand when Erena touched her. As a veteran soldier who fought titans for almost a decade have similar callouses like her. No... Erena has more callouses than her. But it's weird that a noble like her has callouses in her hand. Their hands should be like cotton in softness and not rough like this.

But there's still a chance that she is not really a noble. Kruger might know and care for her as a family but it didn't mean that she really live with him. She might live outside Wall Sina and her clothes were just given to her by Kruger. That is a possible explanation about her callouses and her relationship with Kruger.

She did not live with Kruger in Wall Sina but she hates him.

She trained herself but it did not explain how she survived in the titan territory and even manage to take down a titan without ODM gear. Hell! Even a trained soldier died from a single titan attack and she has an ODM gear.

So given how proficient she was at fighting, there is only a possible explanation. Her proficiency didn't come just from training but also from real-life experiences. It might not include titans on the list but you wouldn't improve if you won't encounter real-life experiences.

And outside Wall Sina and even inside itself, there are no dangerous places that can risk your life unlike outside the walls which were infested with titans. But there is a particular place that came to her mind. It was protected by the three walls and not located on the surface. But you need to have skills and talent to survive. And it's only reasonable that she came from that place because the strongest one among them live there before joining the corps.

The Underground.

"Hey! You dammed bitch! I'm talking to you!" Hange snapped out of her daze and looked at Erena who was being glared at by Mikasa.

Yes... That kind of vulgar words... Nobles only used it fir specific people and if she uses it like an everyday word, Where can she get it aside from the underground?

Her beauty might say that she came from a noble family in Wall Sina but her actions came from the underground. Hange sighed mentally. She almost tricked herself into thinking that she is really a noble just because she is Kruger's niece.

"Kruger was still making the medicine for the plague that affected you too. He told me that he wanted to talk to you after you eat and cleaned yourself up."

"I don't want to him." She declines plainly.

"You can't do that-" A knock on the door cut Hange off.

"Come in." Armin walked in with the herbal tea. He looked surprised that Erena was already sitting up and have an alarmed expression on her face.

Hange get the tea from Armin and offered it to Erena. "Kruger was having a hard time with the medicine he was making. He told me if he can't get it right in three tries then we need you."

Erena raised an eyebrow. "He can't get it right so why does he need me for?"

"That's my question too." Hange said. "Drink the herbal tea first. It will help with your fever then change into these clothes if you don't want us to help you."

Erena wanted to decline again but the blonde boy cut her off. "Dr. Kruger was really worried about you. He can't focus on his work and that can affect the medicine he was making. Thousands of people were waiting for it."

"So you're guilt-tripping me." Erena stated.

Armin looked away in embarrassment and guilt. "But I was only telling the truth." He mumbled. "There is a cure. But if it's too late, Dr. Kruger himself said that many would die. I don't want that to happen."

Mikasa's eyes flickered like she remembered something and immediately glared at Erena. But Erena ignored her and just look blankly at Armin.

"You are playing the good guy." Armin looked at Erena before answering her. "I just wanted Dr. Kruger to save many people. And if he needed you then that means you can help."

After seconds of silence, Erena spoke. "Your name is Armin, isn't it?" Armin nodded. "If I played with you and help Kruger, will I be seen as a good guy as well?"

"W-what?" Armin asked, startled at her weird question. Even Hange and Mikasa looked at her.

"I- i g-guess so." He stuttered.

"Okay. I will help him." Erena agreed.

Hange cannot help but think what a weird kid is she. Her curiosity only deepened.

Erena went down the bed and wobbled a little. Hange wanted to help her but she snaps her hands away. She went to the bathroom by herself.

"She's weird." Mikasa commented. Hange and Armin couldn't help but agree more.

Who the hell would ask if she will be a good guy or not by doing something she didn't want at first?

Erena feels lightheaded. Her fever was getting annoying. When was the last time she felt sick like this? She cursed Kruger for making her like this. She knew that she should be ready to face him but she can't help it.

As she was about to submerge in her own world, she heard a knock on the door.

"Erena, are you finished?" Hange asked outside.

"Wait."

She quickly cleaned herself up and ignored the scars that were reflected in the mirror in the sink. Her eyes caught sight of the armband on her left arm. She clutched it tightly like her lifeline. It was so close. She thought that she won't have a chance on wearing this armband. Now, she was very reluctant on taking it away but it was also very risky showing it around. For this mission and their future, she must keep it hidden for a while.

"Good thing Mikasa's extra clothes somehow fit in you even if it's bigger than your size." Hange said, looking down at her who was wearing a white dress with long-sleeves. It looked so much bigger like Erena will be drowned by the clothes. Wearing these kind of clothes make her small body even smaller.

"What are you talking about? It fits perfectly. Mikasa were slim like me but just a little taller. Very little." Hange's mouth was twitching as she listened to Erena spoke many words in one go just because she said that the clothes were bigger than her.

Of course, Mikasa and Armin never missed it. Mikasa, however, still has her blank face but Armin was red from keeping himself from laughing.

How could Hange not know what they were thinking when she's also thinking the same as them?

This girl reminded them of some shorty who was also sensitive about his height although he is not someone to show it. You just need to know him well enough to tell if he were ever pissed or not.

And the way he insist that she was just a little smaller was like how Levi was when he joined the survey corps especially when she went to annoy him. But it looks like he grew tired of it since Hange was the only person who can tell face to face how short he was. Even the underground learned not to speak about it through painful experience.

"Now bring me to Kruger. I'll be working to be a good guy." Hange nodded, amused at the girl.

Hange thanked Mikasa and Armin's help before they leave. Of course, she also did not forget to insist Erena to drink the herbal tea until not a single drop was left. She might not be Levi but she clearly knew how expensive this tea is.

Thinking about the tea, she made a note to ask Levi how he got it. Because to buy a piece of this tea requires almost two months of his salary, and while he might like teas, he won't make it a priority in exchange for his hygiene.

Hopefully, he did not threaten some merchants or nobles for it. Taxes might be the one that pays for their expeditions but they knew that those taxes can last for only one expedition a year or two given the different plagues and famine. She remembered that the longest time the survey corps didn't have an expedition was five years. Thankfully, she was not yet born or even a soldier at that time.

Who knows what will happen to her if that really happened?

AN: I'm not a doctor or even knew medicine of some sort that's why don't expect me to explain the plague or the cure since I don't have an idea how. But while I don't know any medicine, I figured that it should be involve for some reasons.

AN: I really wanted to make Erena the female version of Eren for some reasons (again) but the thing is, she will be very Out of Character since it's obvious that she was raised in Marley. There might be some similarities but I think not too much. So just treat Erena as an OC, okay? I even change it in the summary.

Again Erena is an OC and not a female version of Eren since she will be OoC to the point that she better be an OC herself.

AN: And another thing... I really love Levi so even if the age gap is a little bigger, I still wanted to push them together. Don't worry, I reduced Levi's age a little so he won't be in his 30's but he will be in his 20's after the time skip. (But I know you agree that his face looks so young!)

Sorry for the long note! Have a good day, Everyone!