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

Please, be welcomed to this small project of mine!

As you may have read, this works as a prequel for my fic, Concerto for a Rainy Day. And this story will focus after what would be considered the main story for that timeline's Eren. This story starts in 855, after Eren escapes prison in Marley and is left stranded in Marley as a runaway. In this AU, the Rumbling failed (how exactly is not really important for the purposes of my objectives here), Marley won and the people of Paradis were erradicated.

The structure of this story will be very different from CfaRD, as for this one I plan on using a episodic structure and not have any real overarching plot. This is just a broken story about a broken Eren, wandering around after his failure to protect Paradis, and the different fragments of adventure he comes across during that.

Please, enjoy!

Walking through the wet streets of the city of Liberio, Eren Yeager kept tried his damnedest to keep his profile low, his clothes damp of the still falling rain. If he was to guess, it was well into the afternoon, but he couldn't tell from the dark clouds who had been there since the day before. His feet were hurting from all the walking he had been doing since, well, he escaped that horrendous prison about a month ago, the soles of his shoes already with small holes that would only grow in the coming weeks.

His back and neck ached from the several nights he spent lying somewhere off the road, getting little more than a couple of hours of restless sleep before getting up and keep moving, occasionally getting a ride from some unsuspecting driver, completely unaware of the monster they kindly let hop on the back of their trucks or carriages. Making a small opening on the scarf loosely wrapped around him, he massaged the back of his neck, all while continuing his walk. Always keeping his eyes down, always avoiding making himself the center of attention. For he knew that, by this point, just about every police station in Marley had his face and name on the most-wanted list.

He also couldn't lower his guard at any point as there were signs all around with him and a hefty reward for he who brought Eren back into the hands of the marleyan military. There were probably a large amount of bounty hunters looking for his trail.

The falling drops of rain were making his steps silent in comparison. He should probably look for some place to look for shelter. Continuing his pace, he soon found what seemed like a pub. He had next to nothing money-wise, and what little he had he got by pick-pocketing. If Eren went inside, it would require him to buy some liquor as many pubs only allow in people who buy. But he was so short of money that if he bought a drink, he might not have enough to pay for shelter in the evening. As he considered his options he turned to look at a police patrol not too far from him. With that pressure, Eren quickly made up his mind and entered the establishment.

The pub in itself was almost cozy. A poorly lit large room, with tables hugging the walls and a bar. There were very few people in there. An older man with a pint and a book, a young couple snuggling in their corner, a man leaning on the bar smoking a cigarette, and the middle-aged barman washing the used glasses. Eren approached him and payed for his drink.

As he took a seat in one of the tables in a relatively dark part of the establishment, Eren took a drink out of the bottle, foregoing of the glass he was given, the bitterness of the alcohol flowing down his throat. He had never gotten into drinking, his status as a shifter making it very difficult, almost impossible, to get intoxicated even a little bit. And without that, alcohol has always been just a bitter drink that made others lose their shit. He didn't get into it when Levi had relented on them drinking wine shortly after recapturing Maria. He still wasn't into it during the scouts' ill attempt at brokering a deal with Marley. And he very much wasn't into it when, no matter how many bottles he emptied, the weight of his actions dragged him down just as much.

How many nights had Eren woken up in a cold sweat? How many times had he witnessed Mikasa's corpse mangled in the streets of what was their hometown or had he seen Armin being taken so the Colossal would go to the girl that killed Sasha? How often had he remembered himself asking Jean where were the others, just for him to respond that they didn't make it, and sacrificing himself do Eren, the one responsible for all that death and misery, be allowed to escape prison and be free? He never bothered keeping count. There was no point after all. It was all just the same. No matter what, he would always see the demise of all he ever cared for. It was an anvil forever tied around his neck, an anvil with a chain of red wool. And such anvil shall not be taken off, as his penance would be lifelong.

He spent the next few hours there, hoping in vain that the booze would take effect this time and distract his woeful mind. Just feeling bad for himself, as he knew there was no one else on this earth to do so for him. How low had he fallen? His past self would be ashamed or enraged with him, letting his grief overtake him, obliging him to just throw the towel on any chance at liberation. What did he know anyway? That one was just naïve and foolish boy who thought that sweeping it all up and leave the field open for his loved ones to prosper would indeed happen. That fate would allow such a thing. It all seemed both so distant and so present at the same time, like a lucid dream.

Stepping away from his self-pity, he focused a bit on the pub. Everyone else but the old man and the barman had left. As he closed in on a nearby window, he noticed that the rain had stopped, and nightfall was nearing. With he remembered there wasn't enough money to take a room even in the most run-down hotel in the area. Counting the coins on his pocket he found that he may have enough for a Penny sit-up. He hated those places, being tied to a bench with a bunch of other unfortunate people and left for the night like that, open to be robbed while sleeping. But seeing that he wasn't in a position to choose, he resigned himself to the humiliation, after all it couldn't get any worse, could it?

Stepping out of the table, gave his thanks to the barman in a whisper. He walked out of the pub and took a turn towards the park at the end of the boulevard. The rain had lowered, it was now barely a drizzle, so he had that going for him. Perhaps he would sit in a bench and try once again to remember how exactly he had ended up here.

No matter how much he tried, the memories of the escape from the Rock didn't come. It took place the night Armin died, that much he had clear. All he remembered was waking up late at night to a Jean killing his guard and freeing from his cell. After that it was all a haze. Connie screaming as he was shooting at the guard tower. The alpenians falling as they crossed the open field. Reiner in his titan appearing and then eating him along with the still unconscious Gaby. Him and Jean walking alone through the tunnels. And the next thing he knew was himself, waking up in a canoe in the middle of a river. Alone and with a splitting headache. If he wasn't here, he would swear that as a dream.

As he was walking past an alleyway, he felt a sting in his neck. Placing his hand in the spot, he felt the shape of a dart. His legs started feeling weak. It all seemed heavier. Terror filled his mind, but before he could react he was already numb. As he eyes were closing, he felt himself falling into a pair of hands.

Dragging the body of his prize, Karl Stefan Bekker was already visualizing waiting for them back at the station, all they needed to do was cashing the poor sod in to old von Schlieffen, and then they would be swimming in money.

"You're heavier than you seem" he grunted to his unconscious companion. The truck wasn't far, but it'd still be a drag. If he had known how much the bounty weighted, he'd have gotten a wheelbarrow.

Waiting for him at a small patio in the middle of the square, was the truck with the other two. The woman still had her arms crossed resting against the vehicle.

"Took you long enough" she complained. Karl simply shrugged, he was well used to Carmen's nagging.

"Would've been awkward dragging him through the street. Had to wait for him to walk by an alleyway" he retorted. An older man came down from the truck and approached him. He took a look to the body before nodding.

"This is our guy" Boss said with satisfaction.

"We've been tracking him for weeks, of course he is" Karl argued nonchalantly. The two carried the guy into the back of the truck and Karl hoped in with him. Boss took the wheel and Carmen sat in the passenger seat, as usual. As they started driving in the direction of the station, to collect the bounty.

"Who's this guy?" Karl asked, as he leaned his back to the front seats. Carmen sighed.

"Do you ever read the bounties we're given?" said the short haired woman as she took a cigarette. Karl leaned forward to take one himself.

"This is Eren Yeager" Boss explained as he stopped in a red light. "An eldian from Paradis, he was the one who attacked the city last year and killed Tybur. He escaped from prison a couple of months ago. Seriously Curly, it'd do you good to read the files up."

"First off, I told you to not call me Curly" he answered seriously before relaxing. "Besides, I have you to that part. I just focus on the face and the bounty" he said with a smirk as he lit his cigarette. Boss shook his head, turning the radio on as the light changed to green and proceeded on their way to the station. Trumpets blasting in a swing as the Meliora drove towards the Liberio General Magistrate.

Images started coming back blurry. He couldn't hear anything. But he felt he was moving, he was being transported. A sense of dizziness flooded through Eren, the sting on his neck still palpable. Slowly, sounds started appearing, the sound of wheels against the road, the sound of music hindered by a buzz, and the sound of seemingly exasperated voices, their speech unintelligible. Turning over to lay on his belly, Eren lifted his gaze to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Yet again.

"Careful now, buddy" a man said, his voice slightly nasal. Said man would be in his early thirties, he had dark hair curling around his head, dark blue eyes staring at him in a very relaxed manner. "I don't have too much ammo with me at the moment, so it'd be waste wasting a bullet on you. So do a big one and stay down."

"Damn it Karl!" the sound of a woman in the front seat came. "How little did you put on that dart, you fucking dick?!"

"Shut it" the man said calmly shifting his gaze momentarily to the front seat. "Everything is just under control."

"Quiet all of you now!" a third voice roared, that of a man. The feeling that the car they were in was slowing down. The back of the truck they were in had a cloth covering, making it impossible for Eren to know where they were, but had a suspicion they were still in Liberio or in the area. As the car stopped, the sound of a window lowering.

"The Meliora bounty-hunters" a new voice said from outside the car. "How long has it been since we met." The tone of this new voice was masculine, and despite its seeming cheeriness, even Eren felt the mood darken around him at its presence.

"Too long, Aphra" the third voice responded, "we've been busy going around the place. You know, standard stuff."

"I hear you, Boss" the man outside said. "How've the bounties gone? Are you drowning in money yet?" he asked mischievously.

"We get by" came the sharp answer from the woman. While that happened another person came into view in the back, a man carrying a shotgun.

"Oh, Carmen" the voice answered. "Still the stand-offish type." The man with the shotgun called for another man, telling him that 'they had him.'

"It seems you got the jackpot here" he said. "You're already planning your retirement?" Looking up at the man pointing the gun at him, Eren noticed that he had concealed the weapon and had his gaze fixed on the two men now facing him in the back of the truck, the one with a shotgun and the other who appeared to be carrying a rifle. Eren had been in enough of these situations this could only end poorly, but still being numb from the sedative there was little he could do at the moment.

The one named Aphra proceeded. "It's such a shame, 'cuz he's coming with us. Take him boys." With that the two men on the back started climbing in, being stopped by the sight of a gun.

"Oh you are?" asked the man with curly hair. "I'd love to see you try." The men stopped and pointed their weapons to him. Aphra simply snorted, still leaning against the driver's window.

"Do you really want to do this?" he asked snidely. "You're only three, and I've got all my boys, all twenty of them, waiting for you to do something stupid. Is this really a bet you're willing to do?"

"Karl…" the driver warned to the curly haired man. Karl, cigarette still in his mouth smirked, causing him to sigh. "Look Aphra, we don't have beef with you. So about we make a deal, hear me out, ok? What we'll do is—."

Before he could finish however, the sound of a shot came from behind him. Blood splattered through the cabin. Before anyone could process what happened, Karl took the signal and quickly shot both of the men before any could answer, their lifeless body falling inside the truck. Eren felt the vehicle quickly dashing out of there. Then the shots started almost immediately, Karl in front of him ducked as bullets made holes in the fabric covering them.

"What the fuck was that Carmen?!" Boss screamed as he drove through the streets, the sight of Aphra's old gang after them in cars.

"You're stupid if you think he'd have just split it with us!" she retorted. "It was kill or be killed, I did what was needed!"

"Hey, what's done is done" Karl said as he loaded the two missing bullets in his barrel. He noted he only had four other rounds apart from this six. He'd have to be picky with his shots. "Now, c'mon! We need to lose them!"

As they drove through the streets of Liberio, taking sudden turns and a nonsensical route to lose their pursuers, the truck in which they found themselves in was losing ground to the lighter, more mobile vehicles the bounty hunters chased them from. The four passengers inside of it had their pressure building up as the distance between them started closing. The thoughts of losing the bastards was rampant amongst them. They needed to get out.

As they took a turn on few blocks that had a river flowing in between and a bridge connecting them, Boss found himself staring directly at another car. He quickly made a maneuver to avoid a collision. The tires lost control and the truck moved to its own accord, crashing into the border of the bridge. Smoke started coming out of the vehicle.

Still dizzy, the people on board of the crashed scrap of metal. Taking their weapons and starting to be ready for the coming firefight, they took cover behind the crash. Eren was jumping out when the curly haired man, Karl was his name, came to him, the rifle of the man he killed hanging on his shoulder and the shotgun on his hand.

"You can shoot?" he asked him. Eren nodded. "Good" he said as he tossed the shotgun to his chest. "Change of plans, Eldia. Waste the motherfuckers!" He looked at the weapon he was tossed. It was an average double barrel shotgun that had been a staple even in Paradis, with the change that the barrels had been sawed to shorten their length. He opened to find that there were two bullets already set there. He readied the gun when Karl also tossed him six other rounds.

"Karl, what the hell?! You're seriously giving our bounty a gun?!" the woman exclaimed as she dug for cover behind the truck. The chasing cars were already stopping, and as Eren hid behind cover he saw that each of the five car must had about four people in them. This was going to be rough

"Four guns are more than three, Carmen" the curly haired man said as he took a preemptive shot. "Even kindergartners know that!"

"Shut up the two of you and kill!" shouted the large man referred to as Boss.

The loud banging sound of gunshots tore through the noise of the street. The sound of lead crashing against the steel of the cars came almost instantly, along with a few screams coming from their enemies. Eren leaned in to the front of the tuck, where the motor is, keeping a low profile, waiting to have a good shot. His weapon wasn't as fast to reload as the bolt action rifle Karl had, or the pistols his other two unlikely new allies had, so he needed a good shot. When a man jumped out of a car, arms flailing in the wind, Eren quickly lifted his gun and shot one of the barrels, hitting him straight in the chest. Blood splattering onto the wall behind the man.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed a woman running from the scene, with a baby in her hands, trying desperately to cover the infant with her own body. As she neared the corner of the block, a new man appeared from there, shooting indiscriminately in the direction they were in. His shotgun wasn't an accurate weapon at that distance, about fifteen meters he would guess. As Eren lowered to cover from the shots, the woman, Carmen her name was, raised to meet him. He witnessed from a small opening the body of the man falling backwards as a cloud of blood formed behind his head. The woman running fell to the ground, protecting the baby still. Some seconds later, she got up, one of her heals broken and her long skirt torn, but still she ran around the corner, trying to not step on the now dead man.

Lifting up again, Eren placed his sight on a man out of cover some five meters from them and shot. The man falling to the side with a scream.

"We cannot hold this position for long!" screamed Karl. The large man, Boss, agreed with him.

"Let's go into the river to make our escape. Tide's low, we can walk across!"

"And leave our backs open?!" Carmen shouted. "No way!"

As she said that, an object fell besides them. It was a stick, with a large cylinder at the top. It took Eren a fraction of a second to realize what that was. A grenade. It took the others even less so to recognize the threat. Karl quickly grabbed a hold of it and threw it back to their opponents. It exploded midair, making everyone around dig for cover, to avoid the shrapnel.

"There's our distraction!" Karl said nonchalantly. "Let's get moving!"

Keeping their heads down, the four men quickly went down the small cliff into the dry river basin. Running along quickly. Boss turned around as the men came over, shooting one man down, letting the others gain some meters. Then Carmen turned around and started shooting, forcing the gunmen to duck behind cover as Boss and the others kept running. As Eren kept running next to Karl, he noticed that he was loading his rifle. As Boss reached them, the lean curly haired man turned and swiftly fell on one knee. Shooting and reloading the bolt action rifle at an impressive rate, two gunmen fell dead as the others took cover. After the sixth shot, he threw the rifle to the ground and started dashing to them. They were now just about a dozen meters from a tunnel on the side which led to another street.

"Ran out of ammo!" he screamed as shots started coming again. "Only four rounds in my revolver also!"

Dodging the bullets that came for the remaining distance was a very stressful for Eren. A strange sensation built up inside of him. A small fire that started in his belly. A fire that he hadn't felt since, well, years. A flame that hadn't been there when he was forcefully pulled from the Paths and taken by marleyan soldiers. A flame that hadn't been there when he infiltrated Marley and enlisted in the military. A flame that hadn't been there since he entered the basement in his childhood home just over five years ago, but it might have been eons ago either way. He felt alive, he felt enjoyment.

Finally entering the tunnel, Karl took the lead of the group as he entered into the street, revolver in hand.

"Ok, I think we grab a car, drive somewhere and—" His words were stopped as a car appeared from his left and drove into him, sending him into the air. They stopped to watch him fall at the other side of the now still car.

Without missing a beat, Karl raised himself up and directing himself to the driver's seat, revolver aiming at the woman behind the wheel.

"Get out the car!" he said sternly. "Get the fuck out of the car!" he repeated as he smashed the gun into the window.

Seeing the scene, Carmen quickly picked up on what was happening and moved forward to open the back door of the car, Eren got up to it and also took a back seat. Boss was opening the passenger's seat when Karl pulled the woman by the hair to the ground. Pointing the revolver at her.

"Three! Two! Stupid" he yelled shooting the ground besides her twice. "Worth it…" he muttered. It was then that a gunman appeared and was running towards the car. Time slowed for a bit. The man was wielding a knife and was running madly, shouting insults as he went towards Karl, who still had his back to him. As Karl turned, his curls waved as he shifted to face the man quickly and shot the man straight on the forehead. "One" he added as he got into the car and quickly drove off.

For a few minutes, no word was uttered. The most sound there was that Eren could still was the bounty hunters and himself catching their breath. The numbness of the tranquilizer must have faded at some point during the fight. Perhaps he could use this to escape. Maybe even shift into the Attack Titan and make a run for the sea and swim far away. Soon enough, he realized however that he didn't have a strong motivation to shift into a titan in the first place. He had tried to a few times in his time on the road, all attempts to no avail; if he was to escape, it would be by jumping from the car and pray to not get shot. With his head down, he turned his eyes to Carmen besides him, she was sitting straight, inspecting her handgun and reloading bullets into it. His eyes then shifted to the large man in the sit in front, Boss they called him, he had a shotgun with the barrel sawed to a smaller size. Realizing that, Eren's posture slouched even more and simply let himself be taken wherever the bounty hunters were headed.

After some time, they reached the outskirts of Liberio. There was a building in a u-shape, with a big sign outside that read "Hostel." Karl, Carmen and Eren waited in the car as Boss went inside, emerging not long after with a key, giving it to Karl.

"Room 27, second floor" he said. "I'll call von Schlieffen and see what can be done. Do. Not. Make. Another. Scene" he added, his tone growing lower. Karl nodded as he took the keys and drove to park the car.

As Eren got out of the car, he looked at the building. The state of the structure was poorly maintained, with some small cracks on the walls, lights palpating, turning off and on rapidly, and some dead insects on the floor. His musings were stopped by a hand planting itself on his shoulder, pushing him.

"Get moving" said Carmen behind him, Karl was standing in front of them, with a relaxed posture and his hands on his pockets, waiting for them to move past him to start walking.

As they entered the room, Eren took a quick look as the other two made themselves comfortable. It was a simple room with two double beds, two nightstands, a cabinet with a mirror on top, a small round table by the small window and a bathroom on the back. Eren took a seat by the table as Carmen sat on the bed with her arms crossed and Karl leaned against the wall, right next to the door. Just then did Eren had a good chance to take a look at his kidnappers.

Carmen was slender and she was relatively tall, maybe standing at 1.75 meters. She had fair skin and a heart-shaped face. Her brown hair was wavy and stopped just above her shoulders. She had a well-defined nose and chestnut colored eyes. Even sitting down on the bed she had an upright posture. And she was wearing dark pants, a light blue shirt and black suspenders, along with combat boots.

Karl was also lean in body complexion, and was maybe was a bit taller than Carmen if his relaxed, slouched posture was considered. His skin was a bit tanner than Carmen's though not by much. He had a long oval face, with his dark curly locks messily surrounding the contours of his head. He had dark blue eyes and a thin nose. Unlike Carmen's low and serious speech, Karl's voice was slightly nasal and almost playful in tone. He also was wearing dark pants, with a white shirt and a jacket covering it. Eren noted the butt of his revolver showing inside his jacket, so he must be wearing a harness to hold it also.

Waiting in silence, the three figures stood still for what seemed like an eternity. Eren would occasionally play with the fabric of the red scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, wondering absentmindedly what would happen next. The light touch of the scarf in his fingers sent memories of what seemed like another lifetime, even though it had only been a few years ago. How did he end up here, so miserable and alone? He was only twenty years old for crying out loud! And yet he was three years at most from his death, and had managed to lose everything that was once important to him. He looked at the red fabric, it was tattered from many years of continued use. If he focused, the smell of its previous holder could still be sensed. He had been such an idiot.

And then he remembered the firefight and chase he was in no less than an hour ago. Not since his first few months in the Survey Corps had Eren felt this invigorated by being in a fight of any kind. He had felt confusion, terror, anxiety and excitement all at once while bullets flew above his head and the sounds of shots thundered in his eardrums.

He was brought out of his self-pity by the door opening to show Boss enter, a frustrated look on his face.

"Well?" Karl said. "What does old Schlieffen say?"

"We're officially criminals in the eyes of Marley" the large man answered as he fell on the chair. "We cannot deliver the bounty on him without ending up behind bars us as well" he added pointing to Eren.

"Now, this is just great" Carmen said, standing up with a sigh. "Von Schlieffen can't do anything to let us off the hook?"

"Witnesses already reported the incident" Boss answered as he shook his head. "He explains that our truck has already been seized as well. He can't do anything without tarnishing his reputation, especially being just one year away from election year for the position of Magistrate. The most he could do is give us the patrols for tonight so we can avoid them as we leave Liberio" he said taking out a sheet of paper from his jacket and holding it in the air.

Karl listened and nodded. He paced around the room until he was standing before the bathroom door. "It seems to me, in that case" he started. "That our only options are: go our own ways. Hideout somewhere, take new identities and live the rest of our life praying that no one recognizes us. It's either that or continue on and take out jobs from the criminal organizations scattered throughout the great nation of Marley."

"You're saying that we are to become mercenaries for the scum of the earth?" Carmen asked, indignantly. Boss ran a hand through his face.

"Karl, taking jobs from von Schlieffen was one thing. But taking them from syndicates and lowlifes is not the same."

"You're sure?" he asked with a shrug. "The old man sent us to find out people he wanted or kill people he didn't want. That to me doesn't sound too different from what would the gangs ask of us. The underworld is big here in Marley. There's lots of coin to make here."

The other two seemed still hesitant, so he proceeded. "Look, I know that dealing with criminals are not something a war hero and a high-born are comfortable with. But here we are, what is left for us to do?" Carmen walked up to him until they were mere inches apart, daggers in her eyes.

"You think you know me, boy?!" she asked. "You have no right to tell me who I am! I'm no scared little highborn! I've done all that you've ever done and then some. I'm not scared of some lowlife scum."

"That means you're joining?" Karl asked casually. After a few seconds, she nodded.

"I'm going to hate myself for this, but yeah."

Satisfied he turned to the large man. "And you, Boss?"

"It's not like I got much of a choice, anyway" he answered shaking his head.

"I want to join as well" the three stopped in their tracks to turn and look at Eren. He didn't even know he had said the words himself. The room was dead quiet for a few minutes until it was broken by a giggle from Karl.

"Oh what the hell. Sure, you can come along" he said, amusement lacing his voice.

"You cannot be serious" Carmen protested. "Having such a big bounty running with us is putting a target on out back!" Karl waved a hand dismissingly.

"It's not like there's not going to be a bounty on us anyway."

"We cannot choose for the lad anyway" added Boss matter-of-factly. "Eren Yeager, right?" he asked Eren, he nodded in response. "Look, kid. If we're gonna take you in, you're gonna have to contribute to us. You get that right?"

"I do" Eren answered. With that Boss shrugged.

"Ok, welcome on board. My name's Amir Derian, but everyone knows me as Boss. This insufferable rascal is Karl Stefan Bekker. And that is Carmen Griff. And we're known as the Meliora." As he proclaimed that, he extended his hand, which Eren took. A very tight grip Boss had.

He still was unsure what propelled him to say that he wanted to join. If anything it would make more sense for Eren to want these people dead. Just a few hours ago they sedated and kidnapped him with the intention to sell him off to marleyan authorities. And here he was, joining them as they also became outlaws. Still, the smallest of smiles came to him. He only had a couple of years left on him before the curse of Ymir took him anyway, so what was there to lose really?

Thanks for reading the first chapter in this project of mine. Updates will be sporadic, as Concerto for a Rainy Day is my main work at the moment, this one being a compliment to help build up Eren as a character and explain the ooc attitude he exposes in there. Along with it, this work will be used to build up Marley as a nation. Something that bothers me about Marley in canon is how flat it is, the worldbuilding in it is very rudimentary and all centered around the plot, and that is something I want to elaborate upon on this work.

As always, thank you very much for reading my output, and all feedback is very much welcomed.