Chapter Two: Realizations

A/N: Sooooooo…. Let me know what you think of this one!

Shuffled around several tables towards a spot in the back, Eve was forced to sit in the center of the table. She'd insisted on having her back to the wall. Armin sat on her right and Jean on her left. Reiner sat directly in front of her with Connie and Sasha to one side and Eren and Mikasa to the other. She could see various other faces among the other tables- some she'd seen at her village and others she did not know. Her stomach fluttered with anxious butterflies. She could make out Erwin on the far end of the room, sitting at the bar beside Hange and Levi. They were having a heated discussion in low whispers.

Three weeks? It didn't feel like three weeks had gone by, but that explained why she felt so weak. Those around her danced in their seats; she guessed they were waiting for her to ask questions, but she still needed time to process what little bit they'd already told her. "Why are you all here?" That was an easy first question, she thought.

Armin sighed and she turned her head to look over at him. "To get you and take you with us back to headquarters."

"She still has to talk to Commander Pixis first, though," Jean cut in. "Look, it's going to be hard to explain everything if we just bounce around." He looked irritated.

"Then start from the beginning," Eve grumbled.

"When all of your people were safely inside the Wall, we formed a border around them to keep the citizens from really noticing them. Our orders were to take them up to Wall Sheena first so that they could be debriefed." Reiner paused for a moment when she took a drink from the canteen in her hand.

"That was the easy part," Connie muttered under his breath. Eve frowned, her brows furrowing. Her eyes continued to dart around, looking at each of the faces surrounding her. They all wore similar expressions of worry laced with tinges of sadness.

"The Wallist Cult members found out about them before we made it to Wall Sheena," Eren spoke up. She threw him a hateful look. He had no right to speak in her presence, as far as she was concerned. "They tried to keep us all out- screaming about how everyone in your village had been claimed by the Titans already and they had no business bringing their curse inside the Walls."

"They were all furious," Sasha mumbled. "Your people were scared. Some of them started asking questions and then everyone began to panic…"

"Crowd control," Mikasa clipped, "was no easy task."

"Lacey… Lacey died." Eve's eyes went wide with shock. So far, everything they'd told her hadn't even made much sense. She'd already known her people were going to be questioned, but what was a Wallist Cult? That single sentence, though, make perfect sense. She couldn't remember much from the last leg of their trip to Wall Rose, but she knew she had the impression of Hans' death. With both of them gone, who had stepped up to lead her people?

"H-How?" she choked out, staring at Armin for further explanation. He appeared pained by the crushing news he'd just delivered. Why was he upset? Lacey was the woman who'd taken on the role of mother for everyone in her village, but Armin couldn't have known that.

"She'd climbed out of the carriage to try to plead with some of the Wallist guys," Jean spoke, his tone flat and factual. That, Eve felt, was more appropriate. She wanted facts without opinions or thoughts. "A few of them started screaming at her to get back, and one of them hit her really hard. We were all just standing here, and watched it happen." Jean's voice cracked just slightly.

"The Commander stepped in after that, though, and he forced the Wallist guys back so that we could all get inside," Reiner continued. "One of your people got Lacey back into the carriage, but she was already dead."

"Who else is dead?" Eve breathed. She took a few deep breaths to keep her composure. Determination not to break down in front of these people filled her.

"Hans, Klaus, Doc's wife, um…"

"Susanne," Eve whispered.

Armin nodded and continued, "A little girl named Janette, Orlan, and Karen." Everyone at the table was staring at Eve with varying expressions from pity to guilt to nervousness. She took a deep breath and everyone paused to give her a moment to process their deaths. Her grief could come later.

For now, she had to know, "What else?"

The conversation was interrupted just before Reiner opened his mouth to answer her. Commander Erwin and Hange appeared behind him. Erwin had a mixed expression of boredom and annoyance while Hange's insane grin was firmly in place. She looked up at them for a moment before standing. "We need to go." Eren stood as well, and the two of them made their way back over to the door.

"Where are we going now?" Eve asked. Exhaustion seeped into her bones and her posture slumped.

"We have a meeting with Commander Pixis," Erwin answered curtly. They filed out of the dark room and back into the street. Eve blinked in the blinding sunlight, but managed to keep up with the paces of the other three. Her mind wanted to reel over the deaths she'd just learned about, but she had to push those thoughts away for now.

This trip was far shorter than the previous one. No one spoke as they made their way up the little side-street and over to a bigger one that was far busier. Eve bristled as Eren walked beside her. She still did not trust him- still hated him for his mere existence. She found herself envisioning him transforming into a Titan and rampaging through the city. If that were to happen, she knew she'd be next to useless. Not only was she lacking her gear, she didn't have any weapons. As she gazed around, looking for anything to use to defend herself with, she noticed that Erwin and Hange were both un-armed as well. Eren wasn't even in his military uniform- just plain dark pants and a white shirt.

The small group headed across the busy street at one point, and made their way to a plain-looking building that stood a few stories tall. She could make out the Military Police Brigade's emblem emblazoned on a sign above the door. Her anxiety grew and her hands began to shake from it. They entered the building and Eve was a little surprised to find it almost as bright inside as it was outside. There were only a few military personnel lingering about, and most of them looked bored. Eve wondered how they could be bored with so many Titans out just beyond their little Wall. Wouldn't their time be better spent coming up with solutions to eliminate the Titans once and for all? She knew that was almost an impossible goal, but it was better than looking at these few people just lounging on the corners of desks or fanning themselves with a stray paper.

The company moved by them without a word. Eve threw them a nasty look, and they responded with glimpses of surprise at her gall. No words and several flights of stairs later, they wound up in a large, plain room with a single desk towards the back center. The man seated in the chair behind the desk stood upon their arrival. The three soldiers before Eve saluted, but Eve herself felt uncompelled to mimic their actions- she wasn't a solider.

"Good afternoon," the man said pleasantly enough. The hairs on the back of Eve's neck stood straight up. Her nervous tick, pulling her braid around to play with the ends of her hair, returned with a vengeance. She'd thought she'd tamed the reaction years before. The balding man smiled at them, his narrow eyes almost closed from the effect of his cheeks lifting. He stepped around from his desk. "At ease." Those in front of her relaxed their positions.

"Eve?" Erwin glanced back at her. She understood the look without being told and stepped forward. "Commander Pixis, this is Yvette Marks, the so-called leader of the small village of people we brought with us on our return."

"Wonderful to meet you," the Commander said, his smile growing slightly. He held out his hand for her. The space between them was too great for her to simply accept it without moving. No, she'd have to take a few steps forward. She was being singled out, and that made her nervous. Not only was this man she did not know to her front, but the Titan Eren was at her back. Her foot shifted forward as she made to take a step closer. She was surprised when the Commander met her in the middle, closing the gap efficiently. She accepted his hand. The handshake was meant as a friendly gesture, she was sure, but it didn't feel that way. Instead, her impression of the man grew more negative.

"Miss Marks has only just awoken two days ago, and she knows very little of what's happened since she and her people arrived," Erwin told Pixis.

"Good, good," Pixis said, nodding. Eve frowned. "Miss Marks, we have quite the conversation to have. First, though, I'd like to care of a little bit of business with Mister Yeager." Eve nodded and stepped back into her place behind Erwin. She felt better with the wall behind her. There, at least, she didn't have to worry about someone attacking her from behind. Eren took her place at the front, but the older Commander had moved back to his desk. The chair creaked as he sat.

In the moment of silence that followed, Eve looked around the room. There were a few maps pinned to the walls, but little else by way of decoration. The desk itself was cluttered with papers and books of all sorts. Pixis didn't seem to be at home in the mess- he struck her as someone who was painfully organized. This room was not his standard office, she realized. Who did this desk and chair belong to?

"Sir?" Eren asked, wondering why they were standing in silence for so long. Pixis pulled out a single sheet of paper from one small, neat stack and grabbed a pen.

"Just a few questions," Pixis said at last. Eve stared him down, wondering what he had to say. "Did you transform at any time for any reason in the last two months?"

"No, Sir," Eren stated. Eve's eyes narrowed. She couldn't know if he was lying or not.

"Excellent, less paperwork for me. Now, I understand that for the majority of the time you were in Miss Marks' village, you stood guard. I've been led to believe that there was a bit of abnormal Titan behavior- especially leading up to the day you all left. What are your thoughts?"

"Sir?" Eren stammered. Eve rolled her eyes and scoffed under her breath. She was aware of Hange's cocked eyebrow over her shoulder. "There were Titans attacking at night, Sir. I've never known them to do that… Also, it seemed as if their numbers increased steadily from the time we arrived to the time we left. We captured a Titan one night, and it was still incredibly active despite the late hour."

"Who authorized the capture of this Titan, and why was it necessary?" Pixis' question was aimed at Erwin this time.

Eve stepped forward with a deep breath. "It was necessary to capture a Titan and show it to the true leader of our village- a woman named Lacey. She had never actually seen one. It was only once she was persuaded that we needed to leave that the rest of my people agreed."

"I see…" Pixis jotted down something on a separate sheet of paper, then turned his attention back to Eren. "Are you the one who told Miss Marks of your ability to change into a Titan?"

"No, Sir," Eren answered. With a nod, the Commander scribbled more words on the paper reserved for Eren's comments.

"Alright, well that's all I have for you," Pixis said with a dismissive wave. "Squad Leader Hange, yes?" The woman at Eve's right nodded. "Please take Mister Yeager here back to wherever the rest of you are. Miss Marks and I have quite a long conversation ahead of us." Wasting no time, Hange and Eren gave one final salute before they filed out of the room. "Commander Erwin, you are not required to remain."

"If it's not any trouble, Sir, I'd like to stay." Eve was both relieved and annoyed by this request. Pixis nodded once, then gestured towards the two chairs resting against the wall to his left.

"I see no reason for you to stand." Eve waited for Erwin to move first, then followed him to the wall. She grabbed her own wooden folding chair and sat it near Erwin's, but out of arm's reach. "Now, tell me Miss Marks, what are your intentions now that you are here behind Wall Rose?"

Eve narrowed her eyes at him. "I intend to secure proof that my people are safe. After that, I'd like the opportunity to become a member of the Survey Corps."

"Why?"

With a sigh, Eve began, "Because I have no other talents. I cannot cook, and I've forgotten everything I used to know about farming. My life has been consumed for the last seven years with killing Titans. I am useless otherwise."

Pixis chuckled at her. "I see! So, despite just now achieving the safety and peacefulness behind Wall Rose, you wish to go straight back out into the chaos. It does make me wonder, you know: is there another reason you wish to leave the Walls?"

Understanding washed over her like a bucket of ice water. Her dry throat burned as she looked for the right words. Anything less than an absolutely perfect answer would probably discourage him from allowing her to join the Survey Corps. Her eyes darted over to Erwin, but his face was carefully blank with traces of just enough mild curiosity so that he didn't seem suspicious. She gritted her teeth for a moment before answering. "I betrayed my people when I discovered Eren Yeager's true nature and allowed him to continue to roam amongst them. Whether or not they know or believe that to be true, I do not deserve to remain with them and take on the role of the local burden. I cannot even care for the child that is now my responsibility. My talents lie, as I've said, in killing Titans. I can also provide knowledge of the current state of the majority of the lands around my village- including a fairly secure route to Shingashina District."

Erwin tensed beside her, but she was determined not to give indication that she'd noticed. Pixis' eyes actually opened for the first time as he gazed over at her. "I see. You are determined to join the Survey Corps, then?" She nodded once. "Very well." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Your participation will be, much like Eren Yeager's, conditional upon your usefulness. I understand that the Corps has no intention of leaving for at least a month. Gathering the amount of supplies required to continue laying out their supply route takes time. During this period, the 106th trainee squad will graduate and they will choose their placements. This is a very unique opportunity, Miss Marks, and I have a difficult time believing that you possess all of the skill sets that we require of our soldiers."

"I can kill Titans," Eve snapped, losing her patience with the man, "is that not enough?"

"No," Pixis countered. His tone was just a clipped as hers, but held far more authority. His gaze hardened. "There are a number of other talents that will be beneficial to you as a soldier. Hand-to-hand combat, rifle mastery, and basic first aid are only a few examples. I am going to require you to have a proficient understanding of these things before I will allow you to embark on the next expedition outside Wall Rose." Eve's hands curled into fists, but she nodded. "I'm tempted to force you into the cadets to reform you into a proper soldier, but based on testimony from those who were with you at your village, I've decided against it. Do not make me regret that decision. I want proper soldiers in my military, Miss Marks."

"I understand," she muttered through gritted teeth. He nodded to her once.

"Now, we've interviewed your people extensively, and it seems that we have a large portion of your movements in the last seven years accounted for already. However, it was also disclosed to us that you were one of the few to travel as far as necessary to obtain whatever supplies your village needed to survive. You've been to Shingashina, obviously. How many times?"

"Five," Eve answered curtly.

"Did you venture outside of Wall Maria?"

"Yes."

"How many times?"

"Once."

"How far did you go?"

"About fifty kilometers southwest, then I returned to the gate and went another fifty kilometers southeast. I spent a total of four days outside."

"How many Titans did you interact with?"

"Only a handful. However, nearly every one of them was an Abnormal." The elder man's thin eyebrows lifted in surprise. He made yet another note, then his expression settled down once more.

"Interesting. Now, why did you go outside Wall Maria?"

"I wanted to know what it felt like," she whispered. "I wanted to see if it was any different. Alone, I didn't attract much attention from the Titans. I could move freely. I doubt I will ever be able to explain the sensation." Eve felt herself slip back into the memory of watching that first sunset outside the Wall. It had been the most magnificent thing she'd ever seen- not because she knew there was no longer a Wall blocking her from the real beauty of it, but because she'd been completely and totally free. She could still picture the mountains that crowned the horizon, permanently snow-capped despite the summer season. The tips glowed bright orange, then pierced into the darker pinks and reds, and finally consumed by the deep purple and black of starry nights.

"Tell me about the trip that your former leader, Micah, took to Wall Rose."

Eve sighed and the pleasant memory was shredded into tiny fragments. The feelings of bliss and freedom were replaced with those of fear and paranoia. Her gaze drifted to the floor as she fingered the end of her braid. "Micah wanted our people to be safe. At least, that's what he told us. Thirty of us set out for Wall Rose that spring, after the trees had begun to grow back and provide additional protection from the Titans. We only lost four on the trip there."

"How many years ago was this?" Her head snapped up. He wasn't looking at her, only writing.

"Two? I don't remember exactly."

"Go on," Pixis goaded. At his next glance, she nodded and focused on a small, dark spot in the grain of the wood on the front of the desk. Her eyes unfocused as she pictured the scenario in her mind.

"When we reached the Wall, we weren't at a gate. He scaled the wall with his gear, leaving the rest of us on the ground. He spoke to someone up there, but I don't know who. All I could see were the shadows. A few hours later, he came back down. He only told us that we'd been turned away. Everyone was asking why, but he never answered our questions. We were forced to leave. He told us that if we didn't get out of there soon, we'd be stuck on the plains in the dark- and he was right. It was the only other time I remember Titans attacking at night. They ambushed us, killing almost everyone- including Micah. Six of us made it back to the village."

"I am sure it comes a little consolation to you, but no one ever reported that incident to us," Pixis said softly. She blinked, pulling herself away from the memory of her and Otho huddling inside a small cave, terrified that they'd be crushed. His expression was one of pity. She felt herself hardening towards him. "Do you have any idea who he might have spoken to that day?" She shook her head.

"Like I said, I only saw shadows. Probably a man, though, about Micah's height… So… 180 centimeters? Similar build, too. 75 kilograms max."

"You could see that in shadows?" Pixis asked. Eve stood up and looked around for a moment. The setting sun was shining through the window behind him, casing their shadows against the wall with the door. She turned around and pointed to her own.

"My shadow alone doesn't say much- I appear taller and thinner. Will you stand up, Commander Erwin?" He nodded and stood a short distance from her. She pointed to his shadow. "Now we have a point for comparison. One can easily see that he is male and much taller and broader. Imagine two shadows similar to his, side by side. I knew how tall Micah was, and about how much he weighed. Making the comparison isn't difficult when you have that much information to go on."

Pixis gave her a sly smile and nodded, satisfied with her answer. She and Erwin regained their seats. Eve wrapped one arm around her stomach as it rumbled at her. She was hungry again, and parched. Both Commanders looked at her. Erwin had a small frown, but Pixis seemed amused. "Tell me, Miss Marks, what do you know of a group of people who call themselves Wallists, or members of the Church of the Wall?"

"Only what I was told just before we came here," she said. "A few members of the Survey Corps that stayed in my village told me about what happened when they were bringing my people here. A group of those cultists prevented their entry to the Wall and when Lacey attempted to reason with them, they killed her." Her volume was controlled down to a painful level of calm, but her tone sang with anger and agony.

"Unfortunately, yes, her death was a result of a blow to her head," Pixis said with a regretful smile. "The one responsible has been punished accordingly, I assure you. Do you know why these people disliked the idea of your people entering Wall Sheena?"

"Eren Yeager said something about them screaming that my people had been cursed and shouldn't be allowed to bring that curse inside the Wall."

Pixis nodded once. "That's in the official report we received. I want to offer you a small explanation, though I don't want you to believe I excuse their actions. These people worship the Walls that protect us. They pray to them to keep us safe. The monarchy has granted them certain rights that involve vetoing any decisions made about protecting the sanctity of the Walls themselves. The fact that people have been able to survive without the protection of our Walls for so long is astounding, and that frightens them. In the weeks since your arrival, we've shielded your people from their threats and torments. They are now secured in a small agricultural district- they are farmers now. I couldn't think of a better place. We've stationed a squad from the Garrison to keep an eye out on the town, but so far, there's been no Wallist activity in that area.

"Now, what you need to know is that they are doing everything in their power to persuade the highest ranking military personnel, and even the King himself, to force you all to leave. We won't let that happen as long as you can prove useful to us. Your survival encourages many of us in the military, and we want to know everything you did to keep your people alive out there."

Eve wanted to vomit. She understood perfectly now that her people could still be turned away, they could still be exiled and forced back into the world of barely surviving each day. She stood violently, tossing the chair back with the force. It clattered to the floor, folded. Grabbing the sides of her head in frustration, she stomped over to the door and made tight circles. Erwin was standing- watching her like a hawk. Pixis only looked intrigued.

"You're telling me that the fate of my people still rests on my shoulders- even though they are safe behind the Wall, I still must do everything in my power to protect them?" Eve faced Pixis, dropping her hands as they formed into fists once more. "Are you fucking kidding me?" She slammed her fist into the wall behind her, only successfully bloodying up her own knuckles. "I don't want that responsibility anymore! I can't protect them! They made it all the way here, and even after that someone died!"

"Eve…" Erwin held out his hands in a defensive way. He was trying to calm her down, but his tone was stern, warning her that this sort of behavior was only going to get them all kicked out.

"How can you do this to them?" Eve shouted, too angry to care. If they were going to be forced away, it might as well be sooner rather than later. No need to let them become comfortable and complacent. "Those people have sacrificed everything to get here! I forced this decision on them because I thought they would finally be protected and safe. I thought I wouldn't have to be responsible for them any longer!"

"Those who have power are rarely afforded the luxury of throwing away their responsibilities," Pixis remarked. "I am known commonly as a butcher for sending out troops-including trainees- to fight in Trost District two years ago at the second appearance of the Colossus Titan. If you will, think of the situation in this way: as long as you perform well and do as you are asked, your people will remain here in safety."

"And if I die?" Eve snapped.

"We'll figure something else out," Pixis answered with a slight shrug. "I've been told that two of the boys from your village wish to join the cadets later this year. Also, another of your people, Alois, wishes to join the Survey Corps with you. The same responsibilities will be given to him."

Eve took a deep breath. She wanted to scream some more, but she knew it'd get her nowhere. How was it fair to place such a burden on a young boy like Alois? He was only nineteen. He'd never been directly responsible for keeping their people safe and alive before. Sure, he'd helped with supply runs and with taking down the Titan threats, but he'd never had to have the mindset of knowing what to get, where to get it from, when to go, how to rally the people together to ration supplies, and taking on the guilt when someone died. It wasn't fair, but then, she thought, when was anything in this world ever fair?

"If you'll excuse my poor behavior, Commander," she muttered, "I'll accept your conditions."

"I understand your desire to leave it all behind you," Pixis said softly, "but that is a luxury we cannot afford. Now, I know you must be tired and hungry. It's become quite late. Take the night to rest. You'll be leaving tomorrow morning to return to the Survey Corps' headquarters." Eve picked up the chair from the floor and placed it against the wall where she'd found it. Erwin mimicked her actions. "Oh, and one more thing, Miss Marks. We will be evaluating you before we allow you to leave on the next expedition. Keep that in mind as well, would you?" She could only nod.

Erwin glanced over at her for a moment. When he decided that she posed no personal threat to Pixis, he turned and moved to the door. By the time he opened it for her, she was at his side, ready to leave.

What next?

A/N: Did I get Pixis right in this one? He's kinda hard to write…

Anywho! Review for me please! I really appreciate it!