I feel like I should apologize for how long it took to write this….. I didn't think it would take so long. I caught what feels like a head cold recently and feel deplorable. Yet my fics wouldn't leave me alone, so I simply had to write this chapter, before my friend maimed me for not updating! Also, I read something like the flame in this fic online somewhere last year, and unfortunately can't find it! If you do send me a link okay! Also. Just an FYI: no. You can't tell age based on blood.

Levi POV

As much as I had wanted to push the horses full tilt until we got to the cave where Eren might be, Petra spoke against it. Making even me listen to her logic. "We can't just run there captain. The horses are too loud, they'll hear us coming if they have anyone keeping watch. And then they'll be long gone before we even get there, taking Eren with them." She says, dismounting and leading her horse to a small cave in the nearby cliff.

The others quickly follow her, wanting to get out of the rain that was now falling, cold and harsh, soaking you before chilling you to the bone. Our cloaks were waterproof, but they were still cloaks and allowed water to get in them, soaking us to the bone. I quietly follow them, dismounting and leading my horse over to the cave.

Eld had already set about to building a fire, using a special material that Hanji had created. He made a small circle of stones before he grabbed a bag from his saddle bags, said bag being about the size of your average cat, and pouring its contents into a small pile, only using about a 3rd of the bag. The contents of the bag being small, roughly shaped, jet black pebbles. He quickly sets the bag back into his saddle bags and grabs a lighter.

He lights it easily, the flames spreading to the other pebbles quickly and within moments we have a small, warm, scentless, smokeless, bright blue fire. The flame was accidentally created by Hanji when she was trying to make a waterproof gun powder, right now I'm rather happy that she made this instead, as it will still burn regardless of the weather.

I yank off my cloak, my jacket following suit as we all quickly set about to removing the many soaked layers we were wearing and replacing them with warm dry ones from our packs. Once warmly dressed again, with our clothes hanging to dry on a makeshift clothes line courtesy of Petra and Eld, we all checked on our horses, making sure they were alright and after unsaddling them, quickly throwing a blanket on them.

After that we all huddle around the fire as we try to see if the storm will blow over or if we'll have to walk it, making what should have been about a (I SUCK AT MATH. Especially a conversion from Kph to Mph then a distance problem. Like, Damn I love writing because I hate math, but I did it for this fic.) 50 minute trip, into a multiple hour trip, as the mud will make it so we can't push our horses as fast and the rain will make it hard to see, further slowing us down.

I crouch down next to the flame, glancing angrily at the sky and watching as the already dark sky deepens in color as I watch the clouds thicken by the second, the rain increasing steadily as the wind howls, throwing the rain in a sideways direction. I growl softly at the sky, cursing the shitty weather for its stupidity and for its timing.

I stand quickly, walking over to my horse and grab out a pot and some coffee, thinking that the caffeine will make thinking easier, along with the fact that I've been up for the last 19 hours accompanied by 12 of those have been stress filled. I grab some water bottles out of my pack and quickly set up the kettle, setting it gently into the flame.

Petra grabs cups while Gunther grabs some provisions while Aurou quickly grabs out a map of the area, quickly circling the area where Eren was and calculating where we are. Gunther quickly sets about to making a light meal while Eld helps, Petra having grabbed a pot from her pack and helped the other two make a stew. I watch the coffee carefully, thanking Petra's sharp eyes for the cave we're in.

It was deep enough to block out all of the shitty weather, but not so deep that the back of it was a dark abyss that could easily hold every sort of nightmare, save Titans of course. The ceiling was high enough for the horses to stand fully, but low enough that the fire warmed the entire cave. It was also on a slight incline, making any water on the ground go away from us, and a stone floor.

All in all, had the circumstances been different I would have been rather happy about the cave. But unfortunately I was more angered and annoyed at the delays, wanting to just be moving. And getting Eren as far from those bastards as soon as I can. My mind snaps back to attention as the coffee finishes boiling, and I set about to pouring the black liquid of life into 5 metal cups. Someone had apparently set sugar beside me while I was zoned out.

I then quickly set about to preparing each coffee to the likes of my squad, as well as forcing myself to think about something other than my fears for Eren's safety. Petra likes a little bit of sugar, Aruou likes his as black as his soul, Eld wants enough sugar to cause a coma and Gunther prefers honey in his but will take sugar when need be. While I myself prefer a healthy medium. I think as I make them and pass them to each person.

We all like milk in them, save Aurou, but we all still like it without. I slowly sip my coffee as Gunther finishes up on the food and begins dishing it out, passing each of us a full bowl of stew and a roll which Eld had been heating up. We are all consumed by silence as we eat, watching the storm howl outside the cave.

Eld speaks up first, saying "Captain. I think it would be best if we stayed here the night, and continued at day break. That should give the storm time to pass over and give us some light so were not 5 idiots riding round in a pitch black storm at 2 am." I look up at them, seeing how tired they all looked and weighed my options.

We've been up for hours. And after making our way through this shit we'll be at a point of exhaustion, and going up against a group of well rested thugs. Or wait till FIRST light, and continue on, with a few hours of sleep under our belts and fully awake, not caffeine fueled zombies. "Alright. We can get some rest. BUT. We leave at the first light that shines over the horizon. No complaints." I say, giving each of them a pointed look.

They all nod, letting out relieved sighs as they set about to getting ready for some sleep, quickly appointing Aurou as first watch and Petra second. I grab out my sleeping bag, which like every other survey corps item is green. I roll it out next to the fire and climb in, facing away from the bright flame, and allowing the heat to lull me to sleep, the temperature reminding me of Eren.

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Five Hours later, 7:02 am.

Eren POV.

I wake up slowly, my head foggy and hurting, pulsing with pain. I barely hold back a whimper as my head throbs again, apparently pulsing with the beat of my heart. I tiredly look around, expecting to see Levi in our room. I didn't know why it was mine, something just told me it was, the same feeling that told me that Levi was special.

I snap awake when I remember where I am, my body suddenly fully registering the pain I'm in. My arms and shoulders ache from the way I'm tied up, my neck hurting from how I slept and my back hurting from the position I'm sitting in.

I look around the cave, the 'room' is far darker than I remember it being last night. I look over my shoulder, trying to get a look at the knots holding my arms. Just as I start trying to adjust I hear a loud SMASH from the other 'room'. "GET UP YOU LAZY FUCKS! WE HAVE A PACKAGE TO DELIVER! THE COMMANDER OF THE MILITARY POLICE DID NOT PAY US TOP DOLLAR FOR YOUR STUPID ASSES TO BE LATE!"

I jump at the sound of the man's voice, it was loud and commanding, but lacked the natural sound that Erwin's always had. He sounded as though he was trying to lead, unlike Erwin who simply did. And people follow him on instinct. Pure terror courses through my veins when I realize WHO they would be selling me too, and the deepest part of my mind screams with hatred and fear. I try to make myself look as small as possible as a man walks into the room, an air of authority that was far to put on, like it was as fake as he was.

He was really tall, with mud brown hair, and an equally muddy pair of eyes. But he looked like the kind of person you would glance at and forget just as fast. He looks at me, eyes sweeping my curled up form before glancing at my face, eyes narrowing as he quickly approaches, hand darting out to grab my face. I cry out in surprise at the speed of the man, as he quickly yanked my head to the side and examined the side of my face.

"I shall ask you one time. Why is there blood on the thing that's going to get me the biggest payday of my life?" He asks, his voice a deadly quiet that made shivers race up my spine as I let out a small whimper, trying to pull away from the painful grip. The man who he had been questioning, one of the men who were watching me. And I also see the one who dragged me in here.

I know that the cut on my head has at least almost healed, but the blood on my face had dried while I slept and was an unmissable fact. None of the men said anything, they only looked down at their feet or at any other object in the room other then the man in front of me. I look at him, finally seeing what made this man so terrifying to the others.

It was his eyes. Deep within the muddy brown, was darkness. Not the darkness of madness, or anger, or pain. But the darkness that comes from the lack of feeling. Looking into this man's eyes I could see that I was nothing to him. A doll, a puppet, a interchangeable annoying plaything. I mean nothing. I am nothing. He could shoot me, and all he would feel was recoil.

I shivered, feeling small and insignificant and worthless. I almost whimper with relief when he finally looks away, his chilling gaze finding the men behind him. "I asked….. WHY IS THERE BLOOD ON THE THING THAT'S GOING TO GET ME THE BIGGEST PAYDAY OF MY LIFE?!" He shouts, his voice reverberating on the walls of the cave, and I openly wince at the sound, whimpering at its volume and at the pain it caused.

Since my hearing was better than others, it also meant loud noises hurt more. The men jump as well, one of them finally caving under the gaze of the man and cries out "He moved him!" Pointing at another man. He instantly points at another and says "He's the one that hit the brat!" The group of men began shouting at each other, crying out profanities and accusations at each other.

The man lets out a slightly annoyed sound, turning back to me as he surveys me again, before letting go of my face, and quickly grabbing my shoulder and yanking me to my feet. I let out a small cry, more of a yelp, as he drags me from the room. He drags me, literally, out of the cave. Walking me quickly toward a large carriage, with 4 other people around it, one driving the carriage the others on horseback.

I look around wildly, seeing nothing but forest as far as my vision can tell, I can feel my feet sinking into the thick mud under me, and see the sun barely peaking over the horizon. He looks at the first male, a tall beefy man with short cropped brown hair, and says "Kill everyone inside. I don't want a single loose end." The man nods dismounting as he drags me toward the carriage, I dig my heels in, yanking on his grip and doing the one thing I've been wanting to do since this whole thing happened. I screamed.

I inhaled and let out the loudest, most earsplitting, attention catching, shriek I had ever let out in my entire life. You know the one. The screaming toddler you see being dragged around by its mother, and the earsplitting sound that they make as they are dragged. And just as I let out half of my scream, everything happens.

Two grappling hooks slam into the trees near us, and the next thing I see is Levi, swords swinging and easily slicing through the thick leather straps that hold the horses to the carriage. "What the fuck!" I hear someone shout to my side as I hear the familiar sound of 3DMG as another person went down.

I see Levi turn, his boot slamming into the face of the carriage driver and suddenly someone's picking me up off the ground, slamming me into their chest and something cold is pressed against my head. I let out a small startled cry when his grip tightened to the point it made it hard to breathe.

My vision fuzzes out around the edges for a moment, before black begins to steadily creep into my vision as I try futilely to keep a grasp on consciousness, while I pathetically try to fight him off, as I hear people shouting around me. I give one final tug as black absorbs my vision completely and I fall into unconsciousness.

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Levi POV

I stare at the man, who now holds an unconscious Eren. My anger boils as I watch, unable to do anything due to the gun pointed at his head. I could see Eren struggling but I can't do anything, as he could pull a trigger before I could get to him. I'm fast, but not that fast.

Just as I'm about to run out of options, and maybe even give into his insane demands, Eld saves our asses. Eld, having landed behind him easily swung a perfect hit with his blades, dull side down, hitting either side of his neck and knocking him unconscious. I dart forward, catching Eren who instantly starts coughing and gasping for breath.

It takes a moment for Eren to regain consciousness, but when he finally opens his eyes I can't help but breath out a sigh of relief. Petra appears by my side, quickly untying the rope that binds his arms behind his back. As Eren is waking up I use the time to check him over. I see the blood on his face, but can't find a wound, and I can see the red marks on his wrists are starting to fade as I cradle him in my arms.

I hated hearing him scream, it was terrifying. For a second I had thought they were hurting him. Instead I find that he's just trying to tell us where he was, and make it more difficult for his captors. As he fully wakes up he finally notices that I'm holding him. "Levi!" He cries out hoarsely, moving and throwing his arms around my neck. I hold him tightly, burying my face into his hair as I hold him. Petra stays beside me, unmoving as Eren slowly relaxes in my grip, but keeps a tight hold on me.

We stand like this for a few minutes, I vaguely see the others tie up the men and throw them into the carriage, the ones from the cave either killed by one of these assholes or unconscious. I hear Eren whimper out something, letting out a small sob. "What was that Eren?" I ask him softly, wanting to let him rest, but also wanting to know what Eren knew about all this.

He adjusts his head, laying so he faces me and says softly "They were going to sell me... To the commander of the military police." He whimpers softly and buries his face in my shoulder, clinging to me tightly as he slowly relaxes. I on the other hand have just found a new level of livid. And the anger the courses through my body would be enough to kill.

I hold him tightly as we all walk back to our horses, Eld had already wrote a report about the men and tied the horses to the carriage after everyone had been thrown inside. The two steeds that the men had been using were a very well behaved pair, easily being led by Gunther. We all mounted our horses, Around making sure that the carriage was locked tight before mounting. Eren sat in front of me, facing me as he had fallen asleep and refused to let me go. I couldn't help the relief that went through my body as I watched him, and the pure calm that settled after it.

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The trip back to the base was a slow and muddy one, taking about 3 hours. By the time we arrive the sun is well over the horizon, and we are immediately swarmed by people the second we arrive. Erwin appears after a second and quickly tasks some men to moving the men from the carriage to the dungeon, while the others are sent back to their previous tasks.

Erwin and my squad then accompany me to Hanji's lab, where she has the injection that should return him to normal. He had woken up while we were outside, and he had proceeded to hide his face in my neck till we were inside. The walk to Hanji's lab was quiet, mostly with Eren simply watch the hallways. When we finally arrived Eren let out a small whimper, holding onto me tighter.

"Hey." I say softly, my voice surprisingly calm. He looks up at me, looking scared. "She's just going to give you one shot. Just one. And it should fix what she did to you, okay? Then we'll have someone to meet tomorrow." He nods slowly, still looking scared. Hanji approaches a few moments later, holding a shot full of clear liquid. "Hanji." I growl out softly, knowing that that isn't what she's supposed to be injecting him with.

Eren whimpers again, grip tightening to a point far past a child his size, as he stares at her. Hanji is in complete scientist mode, calm, cool, and collect, not a single shred of the bouncy Hanji we all know and, although I'll never admit it to her, love. She holds up the syringe and says "I don't know how long the serum will take to come into effect. Due to this I wanted to have Been unconscious for it, so his mind would have time to adjust from child to teen. This shot will only last for 4 hours."

I grimace, but slowly nod. Eren, having understood what Hanji had said nods as well, and allows me to set him down on the table, which is screened in with hospital screens. Hanji then gives Eren a basic physical, making sure he was breathing fine and his heart was alright, making him drink something as well before injecting him. It takes Eren less than a minute to fall asleep, still holding tightly onto me.

We slowly pry Eren off me, and gently lay him on the bed. I help Hanji take off the outfit that Eren was wearing, covering him with a sheet instead as we both remembered how Eren's first transformation went. "Off you go then. Erwin wants to talk to you, after that you can come back. I think he also needed you to submit a report about Eren's rescue, instead of Eld."

I stare at her in wonder, asking myself if she was crazy for thinking I was going to leave his side right now. Until Erwin himself called me from outside the curtain. I unhappily leave Eren's side, after giving Hanji a pointed look, and exit the enclosed space.

The next two hours pass both extremely quickly and unbelievably slowly. By the time I finally got back to getting back to Eren Hanji slams into the room. Before looking at me and Erwin before sighing and saying "I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" I stare at her, every possible horror running through my head as Erwin says "Good News."

She nods and says "It worked. Eren is no longer a child." We both breathe out a sigh of relief as I ask hesitantly "The bad?" She nods and says "...He's slipped into a coma..." I stare at her, not fully able to move yet as the horror of what she just said slowly sank in... "Let me see him." I ask. Wanting to sit by him until he woke up. "I can't allow that Levi." She says, hand resting on my shoulder and says "Get some sleep. He might wake up in the morning, we don't know. But trust me. I will wake you up if there's any change."

I feel myself nod, my body switching to autopilot as I half stumbled to my room, which thankfully was in the tower, away from everyone else. I stumble up the stairs, not really sure how I got here as I gently open my door. The room is dark, almost to dark to see as I step inside, sliding off my boots as I shut the door behind me, quietly making my way over to my bed.

I collapsed on it, having finally lost whatever energy had gotten me here, and curl into a ball. It's slow at first, just small sobs that rack my body, before it turns into full blown tearfest, quickly soaking my pillow. He's in a coma, he could easily DIE. And... And... And I'm the one who left him there! Why did I leave? I should have stayed! I should have... I let out another choking sob, moving just enough to remove the pillow I'm currently crying into and grab Eren's, quickly burying my face into it and breathing, hoping that it will help me calm down. It helps, as I slowly relax into the bed, sleep creeping closer as my sobs slowly stop. I lay like that, clutching Eren's pillow as sleep takes me, leaving me at the mercy of my subconscious.

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After Levi left.

Erwin POV

I could sense that what Hanji had told Levi wasn't all of it, and that she probably wouldn't tell him yet. God dammit what's happened now? I ask myself as I watch her, she waits, listening to Levi's quieting footsteps. She turns to me and nods saying "Yes. You're right. There is something else wrong with Eren. And by the looks of it, I have no clue if he'll ever wake up." I stare at her, having confirmed my suspicion. "What happened?" I ask.

She nods and says "Well... I think it would be best for you to see for yourself. As I think words won't do his current situation justice." She says, opening the door and motioning me to follow. I stand from my desk, preparing myself for the worst as I follow her to her lab.

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Hehehe. I just love cliffhangers. Don't you? Comment and review! Tell me how I did!