Chapter 2: Head trip

"Hey, Eren! Mikasa! Did you hear the rumors, apparently two people showed up at the gate they had been outside wall Rose?" Armin said as he walked into the barracks. They had been part of the garrison regiment for a couple of months, and in that time strange rumors of something...else being outside the walls something bigger than most titans, something big.

Though there were never actually any definitive sightings, the scout regiment had been the ones to first see it, the descriptions were vague thirty meters high, at least. The part that was the strangest, fifty to sixty meters long, yet they could never get close, there was always a loud explosion and a flash of light.

"Really? When was this," Eren said wondering if his father had returned, but instantly he doubted that.

"Mikasa, one was a woman with black hair like yours, and the other was a guy about our age carrying a sword almost as tall as he was," Armin said more to Mikasa, "this was about a week ago, it's probably not true but someone said that the guy lifted the gate."

"Damn right its not true, no human is that strong, not even a titan can lift that," Jean scoffed at the ridiculous sounding statement.

"Hey the scouts are heading out!"

-location change-streets of Trost-

Eren, Mikasa, and Armin watched the survey corps pass by, happily cheering for the soldiers heading out on a mission. Eren was elated that things had changed so much. Some people shouted and cheered.

" That's right commander Erwin, did you give those ugly bastards a thrashing", someone shouted out to Erwin, he simply stared onward like the stoic leader he was.

"Look it's Captain Levi! They say he's like an entire brigade unto himself", another person said getting an indifferent huff from the Captain.

" Feel how excited everyone is? It's like the crowd just has a different energy now", Eren said excited to see a change in attitude towards the scouts.

"Well we are going on five years without incident, seems like a good omen to me", Hannah said

"Yeah and check out all the cannon upgrades, this side alone oughta be enough enough to scare em' off", Franz stated confidently.

"That's the truth", Hannah agreed.

"You two in denial because you're a couple", Eren barked at the blushing pair.

"Come on man stop you're embarrassing us", Franz said.

Eren was pulled out of his anger by a familiar voice, "Hey, hey, lookie here!"

"Mr. Hannes!", Eren shouted when he saw an old friend.

"Word on the street's they let graduate yesterday, either you've grown up or the standards have plummeted", Hannes joked.

"Oh yeah like you're one to talk, Corp of engineers keep their new chief in the drink", Eren retorted.

Watch it," Hannes warned Eren before he grew serious, "I'm sorry if this is out of the blue but I want you to know your mom's death still haunts me."

"Me too but it wasn't your fault," Hannes looked shocked at this, "we were shooting in the dark back then, but we won't make that mistake again. We know what we're dealing with." Eren held so much confidence in his words, he was determined not to make the mistakes that those before him made.

'fired up and capable make a good combination, just don't screw it up by getting yourself killed', Hannes thought as Eren ran off with his friends to the wall.

"My little boy is as hard headed as ever, oh what to do," a voice from behind him said, it was a voice he knew all to well Carla Jaeger, Eren's mother. He turned around to see she was a very different woman than five years ago. Her hair had become jet black from it's original dark brown, and the irises of her eyes had a red outline. Overall she appeared stronger than she used to be.

"You're alive!?" Hannes muttered stunned, he hadn't a clue how she could have gotten away.

"Yes...yes I am," Carla said stating the obvious, "Though I have Rexx to thank for that..." She trailed off gazing at the man that had saved her, she wouldn't say it aloud but she knew herself well enough to know she was falling for him. She wouldn't deny that him being a freakin' Adonis was part of what she liked about him, he was kind, selfless, strong, and would rather he lose his limbs than lose a friend. He was a gentleman something one rarely saw anymore.

"Who?", Hannes asked before seeing the man that she was referring to, he walked over to the man see as he should thank him for saving his friend. "thank you for saving her, I don't know how I can ever repay you."

The man pulled back his hood showing a man, who looked younger than Hannes he had rusty orange hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. "There's no need to thank me," he smiled back knowing that this guy was a truly good person. Though Hannes still had to wonder how they survived in titan country for five years.

"How exactly did you two survive, I mean don't get me wrong I'm glad your safe Carla, but five years out there is beyond lucky", Hannes asked curious as to what the secret was.

"Fear," Rexx said simply before continuing, "and epic proportions of ungodly badassery," he said nonchalantly. Carla giggled a bit at the way he explained how they were here in one piece.

"Huh?" Hannes asked dully.

"Well the more explained version is harder to accept, but when you do it makes total sense", he sighed and pulled out from his large bag he had next to him a pair of sleek silver blades. They were something he had been working on since Carla downed her first titan. Two blades, unlike his own which was unbelievably heavy, hers were light and agile designed to make quick clean cuts not to mention they had...other perks. The blades were about four feet in length, with the handles being perpendicular to the silver blade. Leaving one foot below the grips and three above.

"So what is the explained version", Hannes asked his curiosity getting the better of him, Rexx grinned wolfishly as he motioned for the blonde to sit seeing as this would take some time to explain.

-two hours later-

"whoa", was all he could say, the power that this kid spoke of seemed so huge it dwarfed the things even the colossal titan was capable, he was talking about people with the power of a god and even greater still.

Suddenly Rexx stood up a look on his face of anger confusion and shock, 'it's here' he thought with a frown.

A flash of red lightning and it was there, just like five years ago, the colossal titan was back.