Tearing from his bed while simultaneously trying not to wake anyone wasn't exactly an easy task, but Eren managed. He realized quickly after mistakenly trampling Hanji's fingers, that it would take nothing less than a detonated bomb to wake her up. Every one else just snuffled sleepily as he tiptoed by. Even the sunlight did little to stir them. It streamed through the windows, warming the room and the faces that peeked out from beneath blankets. As Eren rose, everyone else continued to sleep soundly.

It did make a certain amount of sense. Anyone who worked through the night had to sleep during the day, right? Yet as Eren stretched he couldn't help but wonder exactly what day it was. He couldn't have slept more than a few hours, yet his body felt refreshingly limber, like he'd been out for days. Peeking outside Eren saw that the birds were awake too and the sun was high over the forest's trees. So it was what? A little before noon? That didn't make much sense. He'd spent hours running around the bathhouse last night, into the early morning surely, and he'd definitely slept longer than what the sun was telling him he had.

Eren squinted at it and huffed. Then again, Corporal had mentioned that Irwin made it night when he wanted night. For all Eren knew, he might be able to keep the day at bay too.

But did he care? Not right now he didn't. However unnatural, the sun was still shining and his family was waiting for him somewhere below. Eren bounced. He waited only until he was out of the bedroom before crouching into a full-blown sprint.

It felt great to run again. He'd been dragged and pushed and hidden far too much lately. As he flew down steps Eren let out a whoop that bounced off the empty corridors. It wasn't like he knew where he was going, but that was half the fun. He just kept heading down until, gasping, he spotted a familiar elevator. With a crank of the lever and a stitch in his side Eren was heading down to the boiler room.

Back through the storage rooms and through the little door. Eren popped his head out first.

"Sasha?" he whispered. "Connie?"

They too were asleep. Sasha had commandeered the ledge, curled up with only her arm as a pillow and an extra pair of overalls for warmth. It looked like she'd given up halfway through another request for water. Connie wasn't much better. He hadn't even managed to lie down. He sat with his back to the wall of drawers, a bit of drool leaking from his open mouth.

Sneaking by Eren started pulling out some of the drawers on the other side as quietly as he could. He found an infinite variety of bath salts—so pungent they left him sneezing, frantically trying to muffle the sound against his shoulder—collections of various tools, and one drawer that had a false bottom with packets of crackers hidden beneath. No doubt that was Connie's. Eren would bet a lot that Sasha didn't have the self-control to actually hoard food. He closed the drawer with a snap. Lots of interesting things but nothing resembling blankets. With a frustrated growl Eren was just about to give up when he heard a tiny squeak by his foot.

"Oh," he said. "Hey there."

It was one of Connie's soot creatures, scrubbing at its eyes like it too had been asleep. Catching Eren's gaze it squeaked happily again and pointed towards a drawer a few feet above his head. Sure enough, after a bit of reaching Eren came away with a pile of scratchy blankets.

"Thanks," he whispered and hurried to cover his friends. Because they were his friends, weren't they? Who cared if they hadn't known each other long? Eren didn't. He tucked the edges around Sasha and grinned when she relaxed more fully, letting out a contented sigh.

A new plan then: see his family, get Corporal to change them back, find a way to kick Irwin's ass (after he quit first, duh), get home, then rub his newfound friends in Dad's face. Eren couldn't wait.

And in the soothing quiet of the boiler room all of that seemed not only possible but also remarkably simple. Dream, tears, threats… they belonged to another day. As Corporal would probably say, fuck 'em.

Eren was nearly whistling when he hopped back down from the ledge… and stopped when he found some hundred little eyes peering up at him.

"Um hey, guys… I don't have your breakfast or anything."

Did the soot balls just droop?

"Sorry."

They recovered quickly though and as Eren tried to make his way out of the boiler room they swarmed around his legs, squeaking madly. He tried to shush them, gesturing firmly to Connie and Sasha, but their volume only increased. It got to the point where he couldn't move without being in danger of stepping on one. Eren crouched, glaring at the closest group of them.

"I'm in a hurry," he hissed. "I don't have time to play!"

Fervent squeaking. It would probably help if Eren spoke soot. Did they even speak human? For all he knew, they might only speak boiler-worker…

He tried to nudge them gently aside. "Seriously I don't have time for this. I'm going to see my family—"

That caught their attention. There was a brief, blessed moment of silence before they started squeaking even more passionately, sounding like a group of crazed mice. Eren glanced guiltily towards Connie but he only rolled over with a snore and a stretch (finally succeeding in lying down). When Eren looked back the soot creatures were nodding at him. Some of them thumped his toes triumphantly.

"Yeah, yeah it's a good thing. But that means I need to go—hey! What are you—?"

The little balls weren't just touching his feet, they were swarming them. The ones closest to Eren covered his skin to his ankles and stared up at him, seriously, before crawling back off and repeating the process. It took Eren a moment, but when he asked, "Shoes?" they all cheered happily.

"I haven't got them." Eren groaned when they continued to pester him. "C'mon, it's not that big a deal. I ran around barefoot all the time at home! Listen,I really can't…hell."

Talking to them did nothing. It was like arguing with a swarm of two year olds. They just kept nudging him back towards the door, chirping and chirping. Eren finally lost his patience and kicked out at a bunch of them. Most nimbly avoided his foot while the rest clung on tightly, their squeaky voices confirming that they viewed it more as a carnival ride than an act of violence. Still, while rolling his eyes Eren gave the closest ones a quick pat in apology.

"Okay, sorry, but leave me the fuck alone. I don't even have them anymore! Hanji's the one who—huh?"

It was like a switch had been thrown. All of the soot balls froze… then began nodding frantically, practically vibrating. Half swarmed forward to keep Eren in place while the rest ran full pelt into their holes, arms raised and pumping.

"Hey, wait! Where are you…?"

Shockingly, it didn't take long. Within seconds they'd returned and Eren gapped at the shoes they had balanced over their heads. Those were his alright, grubby laces and all.

Eren gingerly took the offered footwear. The soot balls gurgled happily as he started pulling them on.

"You got these from Hanji?" He asked. More nodding. Eren scrapped some dirt off the heel, his hands feeling slightly numb. "There is noooooooo way you guys got all the way up there and back down that fast." They just tiled their heads at him curiously. "That's inhuman… not that you're human. Wait." Feeling torn, he looked between the door and his own, gurgling stomach. He'd left the bathhouse so quickly…

Eren bent down close. One soot ball started scrubbing at his nose. "Can you guys get something from the kitchen?" He whispered. "Like, super quick?" They cheered, immediately running off.

"Onigiri!" Eren called as quietly as he could. Mikasa's favorite. She'd probably be really hungry after all this.

Sure enough, just seconds later Eren had a towel wrapped around two handfuls of food. The cloth still felt warm from the kitchen's steam. He could smell the meat hidden inside but, mouth watering, he forcibly tucked the whole package beneath his shirt. There'd be plenty of time to eat when he was with his family.

The soot balls stood swaying, gazing up at him.

"Can I go now?"

Apparently yes. They moved aside and Eren tried to smile his thanks while passing, but really he just ran. He only cast another, quick command behind him to keep it down already. Then he was through the door, down the hall, and out into the clean air—for the first time in what felt like forever. The steps were to his left and the forest stretched out to his right. Between them, some ways off in the distance, were the restaurants. And right where the restaurants ended was the bridge, where Corporal was waiting for him. Feeling lighter than the breeze, Eren ran.

Soon—but hardly soon enough—he had the bridge's planks beneath his feet. There was absolutely nothing between him and his family.

Unless you counted the masked man hanging on the rail.

"… Hi there."

Coming closer Eren realized that he recognized this guy. He'd been on the bridge before hadn't he? Back when he was trying to cross with Corporal, holding his breath. The spirit was still dressed all in black, the material almost see-through, with painted markings on his pale face and tufts of golden hair. Tentatively, Eren raised a hand in greeting.

His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when a black arm materialized out of the guy's 'clothes'… or maybe it was more like his body. He waved, and his head tilted oddly away from his shoulders. The creepy mask-like markings didn't help the overall image, nor did the fact that they guy was as pale as milk. Eren could see a mouth, nose, eyes… all the important bits, but they were combined in so odd a manner that it almost looked like he had no face at all. The scruffy blond hair only heightened the contrast.

As No-Face continued to wave he looked hard at Eren he suddenly recalled that this guy had seen him before, not just the other way around. He'd really seen him that is, right through Corporal's spell. Maybe. It had certainly seemed that way at the time. Even if he hadn't, it didn't escape Eren's notice now that he was the only spirit in this huge ass place still awake. That wasn't normal…?

Eren kept a healthy amount of bridge between them.

"I'm in a hurry." He said. Not that he needed to justify himself or anything.

No-Face only nodded. He bowed a little in agreement, then gently shooed Eren off.

"Right. Thanks. Uh… see you later?"

It was a genuine question, one Eren was really asking of himself. After all, would he even be coming back? Corporal would take him to his family and then… then…

Something. Corporal would turn them back… somehow... and then they'd go home. Simple. Eren was sure of it. Nothing was like it had been last night. For all he knew, they'd all be back in their car within the hour, Mikasa's hand once more in his. So it seemed kinda mean, promising this guy that they'd see each other again when they really wouldn't. He looked a little lonely. Weird and possibly dangerous… but also lonely. Eren knew what fiddling with your shirt—chest… thing—meant. Whatever.

"I will see you later," he said, grinning a little when No-Face's head popped up. After all, at the very least he needed to come back for his clothes. Mom would kill him if he lost those shorts. "Okay?"

No-Face nodded again, a little more energetically. His markings stretched into smile.

"Awesome. Bye then!"

Eren only looked back once. When he did No-Face wasn't quite as slumped anymore and that was good. He'd pulled a book out of nowhere, now reading peacefully over the water, swaying slightly in contentment. Eren smiled as he slid through the side gate and ducked out of sight.

Here Eren paused. Corporal's note, worn smooth in his pocket, said to meet him at the bridge… but he wasn't there. Eren wasn't worried though. He could feel something warm in the back of his mind, urging him to keep moving forward. So he took the dirt path down the hill and instead of turning towards the grass fields Eren entered the garden of flowers, gorgeous and twice his height. For a moment, walking between their stalks, Eren had the feeling that he'd been here before. It was something like déjà vu, lapping at the very edges of his memory. But before he could grasp it Corporal was there, standing with sternness and swords.

He held out his hand. Laughing, Eren went to grasp it… and received a sharp slap to the ear.

"Ow!" He howled. "The fuck was that for!"

"You're late, brat."

"Yeah well you didn't need to hit me. You said you wouldn't do that anymore."

"That wasn't a hit and you know it." Corporal crossed his arms sharply. "Brats. You're so fucking dramatic. The hell were you doing all this time? Crap not coming out right?" As if he'd finally caught sight of what Eren was wearing, Corporal snorted. "Pink looks good on you."

Eren glared, smoothing the clothes Hanji had given him. "You have a messed up obsession with potty stuff, you know that? What, are you five?"

"Five thousand's a little closer, kid."

"Uh huh, suuure." Eren wasn't interested in how old Corporal was. Why would he be? Nuh uh. Not interested at all.

"… Five thousand?" He finally asked. Corporal shrugged. Eren nearly tripped when he did. That little movement had the same sort of dejected air that had been hanging around No-Face. But this was Corporal. What did he have to be sad about?

"Maybe." He answered. "Truth is I don't rightly know. I can't remember much from before I entered Irwin's service."

Eren swallowed. "Oh."

"C'mon." Corporal gave him a shove forward. "The fuck are you doing, interrogating me? You want to see your family or not?"

Eren got that this was a distraction and all but… he did. He really did want to see them, so badly he could hardly verbalize it. Corporal seemed to understand though. Silently he lead Eren deeper into the flowers, frequently looking back to make sure they kept together. Eren tried to focus on anything at all—why did this place look so familiar? Why did it feel like rain?—but all he could do was rhythmically rub his hands over his new pants. The sweat soaked through to his skin and Eren shivered under the bright sun.

"Corporal?" he whispered. "How are you going to—?"

"Quiet, Eren."

He jerked. What had Corporal just called him?

But then Eren heard it: a low, gurgled moan rising up from somewhere up ahead. With it came a smell like livestock, the kind that had been abandoned in their own waste for days, weeks at a time. The combination had Eren slapping a hand over his mouth and nose even as Corporal said, "You get used to it."

They pushed through the last of the flowers. There, down the hill, was a barn the size of an auditorium. Everything was stronger here, from the smell to the noise to the creaking of the barn's boards as something moved inside. Eren edged closer to Corporal, ridiculously grateful when he didn't push him away.

"That place is way too big for pigs," he said.

"No shit, kid."

"… What's in there?"

"What do you think?"

Eren didn't want to think. Already his chest was tight and his thighs felt like they'd been liquefied. Thinking would make it worse, so Eren just let himself be lead down until the barn looked even bigger and he felt impossibly small.

There was no dramatic reveal or anything. The doors opened easily at their approach and Corporal gestured Eren inside. For his part he only leaned against the doorjamb, hands linked loosely in the sash that held his swords. Wobbling slightly, Eren inched forward until he had a wider view. That, he realized, was close enough.

They were titans. Just as Irwin had explained. Huge, hulking beasts that were packed inside the barn shoulder to twisted shoulder. They all roared when they caught sight of him—or maybe they smelled him—and Eren tripped backwards until warm hands gripped his collar. Corporal shoved him back inside. As he did beams of sunlight reached past the metal barriers and Eren could not see that each monster was firmly held. Ropes as thick as logs twisted around their bodies, their ends spiked into the earth like someone was pulling up a tent. Others had that as well as nails driven through extremities. One titan, with a full beard and a shark's eyes, had a dog collar wrapped around his neck. Of course, that collar wouldn't fit any pooch Eren had ever seen. Maybe Clifford. Maybe.

Eren was so focused on whether these bonds would hold that he didn't immediately realize that their features were as diverse as their cages. That one with the beard was fatter than the others but some were so thin they looked like waifs. Most were male, a few obviously female, and their faces varied from mildly deformed to something right out of a nightmare. The only thing they all had in common were their frantic struggles and their gnashing teeth.

"You can tell who's been here the longest." Corporal said. Eren couldn't tear his eyes away to look but Corporal sounded fascinated. There was an agonizing pause before he said, "Well, brat? Anyone you recognize?"

The question prompted Eren to really look, something he wasn't exactly keen on doing. He shuffled forward, sneakers digging into the dirt, and each step crystalized the picture a little more. There was a titan with scars running down its cheeks and another with a nose so big it obliterated the rest of its face. One female gurgled at him from the far right, two pulled their lips back in synch, one was nearly invisible under all his ropes, another made a sound horrifyingly like a giggle, and there—

There they were.

They were in a far corner, the ground around them disturbed from when they had recently been moved—dragged—inside. The thing that had once been his mother sat with its mouth open to the ceiling, perhaps hoping that something small and squirming would tumble into its maul. The Grisha titan was one of the most constrained, trembling beneath a mound of ropes. Its fingernails gouged out small canyons into the earth. And the third… the third locked eyes with Eren.

"Mikasa."

Eren would have sworn to whispering it but really it came out as a shout. It must have, because something set the titans in motion. They roared to life in a way they hadn't when he'd simply stepped through the door. He supposed that's what running forward would do. A titan with hollowed cheeks was now close enough to snap at him and Eren really, truly didn't care.

Luckily for him, someone else did. Strong hands grabbed Eren by the collar of his shirt and the back of his pants, hauling him away. He was probably still shrieking, he could feel the vibrations in his chest, but he couldn't hear it. There was a rushing in his ears not unlike waves and no wonder. She was right there, looking as terrified as when she'd lain under white hospital sheets, when she'd bobbed brokenly against the white side of a boat. It didn't matter that she gnashed her teeth and roared as loudly as the others. Eren knew.

"Mikasa!"

Eren was being pulled away though, one wrenching inch at a time. The doors closed again on their own accord and he tried to crank his neck out farther, to catch one last glimpse. Eren was sure that if he succeeded he'd see something else—some kind of answer or, miraculously, Mikasa starting to change back. But there was only darkness, then wood, then the path before him. Yards away from that place Eren was thrown to the ground where a wad of grass wedged itself between his teeth. He spat and tried to roll to his knees but there was a boot planted firmly over his stomach. Corporal glared down at him. He had both swords unsheathed, one hovering protectively between the two of them, the other pointed back towards the barn.

"Do you have a death wish, brat?" Corporal hissed. Eren had never heard him raise his voice before and he certainly didn't now. Instead, Corporal's words thinned into something sharp and brittle. It spread like far-off thunder.

"If you do want to die just let me know, because I have half a mind to gut you here and now for being such a goddamned stupid—hey!"

Despite the pressure on his ribs Eren rolled as hard as he could. He got his feet under him and sprinted, clawing his way back up the hill and plunging blindly through the flowers. Gasping, he felt the touch of water and shrieked, pulling away. It was his own tears though, pouring off his chin, and he could no more stop them than he could stop his legs from pumping. It was only when he'd cleared the flowers and had reached gate that Eren crashed hard into an immovable object: Corporal. He stood with his feet planted like he'd been waiting there all day.

Hands shot out and gripped his arms. Shook him.

"That's enough now, brat. Calm down. Just—"

"No!" Eren pointed back towards where they'd come, his whole arm shaking. "You were supposed to do something! You were supposed to fix this! How are you going to fix this, huh? Tell me, you bastard!" Corporal let go. Or maybe Eren succeeded in twisting away. Stuttering out a breath he drew in another laden with gasps. He grasped at his own chest, determined to quiet it because he wanted, needed, to hear this.

"…I can't." Corporal said and Eren's vision went dark blue.

"Fuck you!" he screamed. "I—I did everything. Go it? Everything. I ate your food and I got inside, a-a-and I got a fucking job. I went up there!" Eren gestured above them. His clawed fingers held the same ferocity as someone referencing hell. "I went to Irwin because you said to but you weren't there, you fuck, you weren't there and he hurt me, s-so much, he hurt me but I did it because you said I had to. I trusted you! You said you'd fix them but that's not fixed, Corporal! It's not it's not, it's not, it's—"

Eren dropped but there were hands there to catch him. Instead of trying to pin him this time Corporal scooped him forward as they both fell to the ground, succeeding in landing with Eren in his lap. One arm wrapped itself protectively around his middle while the other moved to start rubbing circles against his chest. The compressions were firm but not painful, yet Eren was definitely in pain.

"Breathe, kid, c'mon just fucking breathe already, it's not that fucking hard. Look, even I'm doing it, so you don't have any excuse, do you? C'mon now, Eren, for fuck's sake—"

Eren did breath—eventually. Everything ached as he slumped boneless against Corporal, his fingers pulling threads out of his cotton pants. With his speech returned Eren wanted to continue his screaming, to tell Corporal exactly what he'd done, how he'd lied, and how he still needed to fix things. Instead, what came out was,

"What did you call me?"

"Eren." Corporal answered. He continued rubbing soothing circles near his collarbone. Corporal continued with, "That's your name, brat."

"Oh."

"Yeah. 'Oh.'"

"… I'd forgotten it."

Corporal huffed what might have been a laugh against the back of his neck. It didn't sound terribly happy though.

"You didn't forget it. Irwin fucking stole it from you, the bastard." Corporal lifted his head to the sky. Eren could just feel him shaking. "And yes, I can say that now can't I? Gone running off, haven't you? Useless piece of shit."

Slowly, Eren pulled away until they were facing each other across the grass. "He's gone?"

"Not for long, kid. I saw him flying off this morning, with his stupid, fat-ass wings. He'll be back soon though, don't fucking doubt it. That's why I had to take you out here. Today. And what do you do? Have a goddamned mental breakdown, that's what… Not that I blame you." Corporal's face pinched into something regretful. "Shit. Yes, kid, yes. I lied. Why? Because I needed you to shut up and do as you were told. And you wouldn't have unless I told you what you needed to hear."

Eren crossed his arms and thinned his lips just as tightly. He barely opened them to say, "You don't know that."

"Is that fucking so? You're telling me, brat, that if I'd said to you out by that bridge," Corporal pointed to the now deserted landmark. "That I, literally, could do fuck-all to change your family back you would have gone on your little job hunt regardless? With a big dopey smile on your face? Is that what you're saying?"

Eren glared. Corporal scooted closer.

"Kid, I'm not a sorcerer. Shit like that? Keep it the fuck away from me. I'm served well enough with these." He partially unsheathed a sword. "And some grade-A loyal fucks at my sides. That's what has worked before and what's gonan work now 'cause that's what Irwin doesn't get, kid: loyalty. He's never gonna get it either, trust me on that if nothing else. So you've got to beat him at his own game. You got your job, now use it. Do it well, so ridiculously fucking well that even he can't complain. So well that everyone else can't help but think highly of your skinny, pre-pubescent ass."

Eren sort of felt like he couldn't breathe again, but for an entirely different reason. Corporal really was shaking, a thrumming through his skin that Eren recognized. It was the need to move. To get up and do something.

"At the risk of sounding like a two-bit pansy… make some friends, kid. Because I guarantee you, at some point Irwin's going to fuck up and when he does you'll have an army of kick-ass spirits at your side. You want your family back? Start planning ahead. Start planning now."

Dirty, weak, and scrubbing at his eyes, Eren still forced himself to picture all the good things about this place. And yeah, everything he came up with was tied to its residents. Hanji's love and obsession, often intertwining together. How she'd taken the time to safely tuck him in to bed last night. Eren thought of Jean's prickly exterior—that really wasn't that prickly after all—and the cute, overly helpful Marco that he hadn't even met yet. Once he started it was like opening a flood gate, the images pouring through: Sasha screaming at bits of wood, chugging food, Connie's grating laugh, Hanji's entrance, Jean cranking the elevator at his side… Eren even thought of the five in Irwin's office. He knew they were good, despite where he'd found them. He remembered the warmth of Petra's hands—and her words. All of them were here, doing what needed to be done, together.

And of course there was Corporal. Still sitting beside him. For all his faults, Corporal was good too.

Eren let out a watery sigh and dropped his head to Corporal's shoulder. "I'm already on it," he said.