The Devil With A Human Heart

Chapter 5


Zeke didn't know what to think anymore.

He was alone, after all.

Perhaps he had always been alone.

When he found out his Aunt's house had been caught in an explosion, a part of him wished it was just that his Aunt overcooked some food and that she and his cousin were safe.

He was wrong.

There was nothing left of the house. There were no remains of his family members. They were in a better place than this wretched one.

Now, he could carry on his dream of ending the Eldian race without seeing his family's betrayed looks when they see him carry it out.

But now, something was wrong. Zeke needed Kruger to get the Founding Titan.

Zeke's eyes widened.

Could Kruger and Aunt Faye be alive and carrying on the mission on Paradis? It seemed like a stretch, but something didn't add up.

The Attack Titan was suddenly lost; his cousin and Aunt died a week later. Zeke knew this was something Kruger had to have concocted in secret. Zeke was too smart for his good, but if anyone could devise a stupid plan like this, it would be Kruger.

However, Zeke wished Kruger had told him about this. They could've formed a better plan for the house explosion. For instance, place a fake skeleton.

Kruger never was one to use his brain. That was usually Zeke's specialty.

With all that in mind, Zeke couldn't help but smile. It was the first time in a long time that Zeke's smile seemed like a light source for those who lost their way.

He will continue his part, and Kruger will carry his.

All for freedom.

Annie was taking this differently. Her life was finally looking up, and then that happened. The death of her new family, minus Zeke. She didn't know what to think. She was very happy and extremely grateful to have a family that seemed to care and love her despite her flaws and insecurities.

Kruger never pushed her to tell him what was wrong. He said to take it at her own pace and tell her what was wrong when she was ready to express her feelings and thoughts. Faye was the Mother she never had. They didn't look alike, but Faye didn't care about that. She said a mother doesn't care if her child is a demon. She'd still love them because that was what a mother should do.

Annie didn't understand it, but now she does. It doesn't matter that you look different or have different blood. Blood ties don't matter when it comes to family. The last thing Annie said to Kruger and Faye was, "I'll be back home."

Now, she has no home to go to.

No one to say, "Welcome back, dear!"

No one to say, "Hey, sis, want to stargaze tonight?"

It was all gone in a matter of seconds. Her life flipped on its head. The past six years have been the best for her. Despite most of the time she had to stay with her "father." she still made the most of it whenever she spent time with the Yaeger family.

Faye told her she was already a Yaeger when Kruger brought her home.

Annie Yaeger sounds funny but to Annie herself.

It felt right.

That's all that mattered.

She wondered who could've killed her new family. No explosion happens randomly. It had to be set up. It was possible that it could be revenge. Not all of the Eldian Restorationists were caught. Maybe they wanted to kill off Zeke and planted bombs in Faye's house.

That was a possibility that couldn't be kept aside.

The other was that Zeke did it himself. Annie didn't know why, but she felt he could do so. That's how scary Zeke Yaeger was to her. She had an internal fear of him. He wasn't stronger than her physically, she felt she could handle him quite well, but she didn't know if that counted from Titan to Titan.

Her fear wasn't misplaced.

She needed to be wary of him but also keep him dangerously close. She needed to ensure she was one step ahead of him and discover his true intentions.

Annie shook her head as she looked at the warriors next to her. She didn't particularly care about them. They were just acquaintances. If she had the chance to abandon them, she would, but they had the power of the Titans, so if they were ever in trouble, she needed to get them to safety,

She often listened to Kruger and his thoughts on what it meant to be a warrior. He said. "Even though they aren't your friends or comrades, you must ensure they survive. No one can do something alone in this world. Build connections but not trust."

She needed to build connections, but not necessarily trust. That seemed fitting. She will take that to heart and use those words to fuel her own goal. She would find whoever killed her Mother and brother and make them suffer.

That was her grand goal.

She would exploit her Titan powers to the fullest and get stronger so that even Marley would have to fear her.

She'll become a devil herself in her brothers' place.


Kruger, who was in his Titan Form, walked through the barren sands of Paradis Island. Perched on his shoulders were the Ackerman sisters on his left and his Mother on his right shoulder. Kruger felt absolutely blissful at this moment. It was like he was a bird flying through the clear skies with no one to stop it.

"I see three eight meters towards the east!"

Kruger heard his Mother tell him with a panicked voice. He reassured her with a puff of smoke escaping his lips. He proceeded to nod his large head before he began to sharpen his fingers. His fingers seemed to bend so that he could easily climb trees and scale jagged mountains.

The three 8 meters approached, and two began running recklessly at Kruger. It looked like their legs would snap from how fast they were approaching. The last 8 meters didn't seem to care about everything and changed course.

"Hm, that last one changed course. Is it a shifter like you?" Helga asked, as she wasn't knowledgeable about Titans.

Kruger narrowed his eyes and shook his head. He placed his three companions on the ground and rushed towards the two approaching Titans, despite Kruger's height towering over them by 10 meters. He had to be careful.

One of the 8 meters decided to jump like a pouncing dog, but Kruger sidestepped and grabbed it by its neck as it jumped quite high. Kruger immediately went to slash at its nape with his free hand, but he suddenly let loose a small but echoing yelp as he felt the other Pure Titan sink its slimy teeth into his leg.

Kruger felt his skin begin to peel, and that's when he decided to slam the Pure Titan in his hand into the one biting his leg. Kruger looked at the damage his leg received and was thankful for it not being too deep, where he had to focus on regenerating.

"Stomp on your necks! That should still work!" Helga shouted. Thankfully her timid voice was gone and replaced with a lady who's had enough for one day.

Kruger was thankful for the advice and lifted his right leg over the recovering Pure Titans and slammed it down on top of one, causing the one under to sink into the sand as it was painted with blood, the bloody spots began to combine, and a small area of the sand was now red.

The corpses were steaming, and their skin was melting off. It worked better than he expected. Kruger bent down, got his companions on his shoulders again, and began to walk further inland. They were able to see a treeline but still none of the walls.

This was beginning to tire Kruger.

He was walking all day, and the sun was now going down. The orange glow opened a path for Kruger to follow, and he took it without hesitation. He wanted to ensure his mom and his two new friends were safe. He didn't know what to think of them, but they would benefit him if they truly were Ackermans. They just needed a knife and a gun, and they would be pro-killers already.

Helga might need a book and some spiritual water. She seemed like a priestess more than anything with her neatly tied bun and hair. Hilda looked the opposite. She looked to be the wild, untamed child. They were sisters like the north and south pole.

"Kruger, once we enter the treeline, take a rest. Your breathing is beginning to become hoarse."

Kruger couldn't argue with his mom. Mother knows best, after all.

"We should find a better place to hide out, shouldn't we?" Helga asked shyly as they began to walk through a dense forest, the sand beneath Kruger's feet now crushed grass.

"That would be a better option, but we're in Titan Land now," Faye said as her nerves were on fire. She was worried about many things, specifically her son, and now she had to worry about the Ackerman sisters.

A Mother's duty is never done, it seems.

"More the reason to find shelter in a high enough place, like a high cave, we could camp there for the day."

Faye couldn't argue with Helga. It seemed her mind was her greatest strength, coupled with her sister's fighting spirit and her sons' new power. The next generation might be able to end this millennia-long hatred.

But she couldn't help but worry that her son would forget to think about the little things in life. He was so deadset on the mission she saw a glimpse of Grisha in his eyes, those very eyes that held in so much fury that once the right trigger for it was open, the world would turn to ash, leaving Kruger the sole survivor.

Faye shook her head at such thoughts. She was his Mother. She would discuss it with him and give her opinion on his actions. He's still young and needs to be raised well. She had a few more years before his rebellious stage activated.

Kruger's pointy ears twitched, and the ground seemed to shake violently. Everyone looked behind to see a sudden horde of Pure Titans rushing their way.

What were the chances of this happening?

One Hundred percent when it came to the Yaeger luck!

Kruger placed his large hands over his Mother and the Ackerman sisters and began darting further into the forest. Despite his large size, he was fast enough to keep a distance from the speeding Pure Titans. Kruger didn't know if it was because of the Jaw Titans' speed and agility, but if so, he was thankful to be a hybrid. He was sure something of his size couldn't run as fast as the smaller Titans.

"To your left!"

Kruger didn't stray from his path, the sun was almost setting, and it seemed the Pure Titans were slowing down. Kruger moved out of the way of a 15 Meter Titan that seemed to try and ambush him. They were attracted to his scent. That means he was still a human in their eyes, which didn't bode well for his new family.

He needed to protect them, as a big brother should!

He didn't care if Hilda and Helga were older. He was the only man in the group. He would survive no matter the cost, not for his sake but theirs!

His life was already cut to the age of 26. He could be reckless and selfish all he wanted to be.

Kruger felt himself tire, and he felt he was running for a straight hour now. The sun was finally gone, and the moonlight shined in its place. The twinkling stars in the sky lit up the Island, giving the nighttime here a peaceful aura not found in Liberio.

Kruger also noticed that the Titans stopped moving. Did they not operate at night? If so, that was useful information the group could keep stored away.

As if the Gods were listening, they found a suitable but abandoned house within the forest. Kruger gently placed the people on his shoulders on the grassy floor, making sure not to overdo it with his strength before kneeling and removing himself from the nape.

Kruger's skin was extremely pale, with bags under his eyes. His orange eyes held no life in them, and he collapsed immediately, but Hilda was the first to catch him as he landed on her back.

"Seems like you overdid it there, boss. Don't worry, your big sisters got your back," Were the last words Kruger heard before he dozed off to sleep.

The three ladies walked into the run-down house. The smell was that of mildew mixed with dried water. It was dry on the tongue, but the group didn't have the time to be picky. They were fighting to survive now.

The house was an outpost or perhaps an old base. It had a gray exterior with some cracks in the walls, but nothing severe where the night chill could slip in. There were two beds and some sheets, which was odd.

Perhaps the people here had to evacuate immediately?

It didn't matter. Their leftovers were about to help the group.

Hilda placed the sleeping Kruger on one bed.

Helga looked around for something to create a fire but found nothing. She could only sigh in defeat.

"Miss Yaeger, you should also rest. We can stay up and keep watch. I believe the Titans don't function in the night, meaning they photosynthesis like plants."

"Which means we gotta hit the road once the sun starts to rise," Hilda added as she sat on the floor.

Faye rubbed her temples in mild agitation. She remembered her Brother and Sister-In-Law were roaming these lands. They could be dead after all these years, or perhaps they're alive and somehow sticking together even if they were mindless giants.

"I will rest when we have proper security. I may not be your Mother, but my motherly instincts are in overdrive. So you girls get some rest, and I'll keep watch."

The girls were about to refute, but Faye gave them the "No nonsense." stare that made them zip their mouths with a gulp and a shaky nod. Faye smiled and approached the window on the right side of the house.

"She's scary," Hilda surprisingly voiced instead of Helga.

"Don't say that! She's just worried."

"Yeah…I know. It reminds me of Dad, which is a good thing. We never got to know our Mother, so I guess this is what it's like to have one, huh?"

Helga looked at her sister with an exhausted look taking over her, and she yawned. Hilda smiled, and both sisters fell asleep with their heads resting on one another.


"I'm close to completing the formula…just a bit more data, and we can finally create them!"

A crazed voice echoed throughout what seemed to be a secret room. All around them were large glass tubes with acidic water bubbling within them. It looked to be a scientist making some concoction in secret. They were a middle-aged man with black hair in a shaggy undercut style, the sides were gray, and his eyes were a misty orange. It held a look of insanity. The man was short, reaching only the height of 5'5, wearing nothing but the clothes of a scientist and the traditional white lab coat.

"Test subject 32. A young Eldian man who had the misfortune of losing everything in his life, wife, kids, all to the Marleyans. They seem to think we'll all let them keep us shackled. GUESS AGAIN!" The man raged at the end as he held a syringe. His lab coat billowed along with his words as if the wind agreed with him.

The man entered a door, entering a large area that spanned a long reach. It was underground where he could conduct his research with no one telling him what he couldn't do. He always found it funny when people try to dictate his life choices. He was free to do what he wished. He killed several of his fellow Eldians, all for the sake of science.

His research?

That remains to be seen.

The man walked along the steel-enforced path and reached a door that held his test subject. The man's orange eyes seemed to beam with uncontrolled madness. Before the man could open the door, he peered to his right.

"Who the hell…"

"GAH!"

"Kruger!"

Kruger had sweat pouring down his face like a faucet, and his pitch-black hair stuck to him as if on life support. Kruger threw the sheets off and held the wall as his Mother came to keep him from falling.

Kruger looked at his Mother with a foreign gaze as if he didn't know who she was or where he was, for that matter.

"Where am I? I remember working on test subject 32," Kruger's voice seemed distorted, a mix of confusion and weariness for the lady holding him.

Faye looked at Kruger with mournful hazel eyes. She didn't know what to say to that. It seemed he was experiencing a dream of one of his past predecessors, something Eren told her would happen, but it wasn't supposed to be this quick. It was as if the past shifters wanted Kruger to learn everything with haste. Eren told her it depends on the individual. A shifter could probably go their whole term without receiving a single memory.

Yet, Kruger was receiving his faster than a locomotive.

"Kruger, that's your name."

Kruger looked at Faye with unblinking eyes as he took in his surroundings. He looked at the two sleeping teenagers on the spare bed. The scent of smoke seemed to enter Kruger's nostrils as his nose twitched with annoyance of it. Kruger shook his head and looked back at Faye; his eyes seemed to shimmer.

"Mom? What happened?"

"You were…having a nightmare," Faye lied as she and Kruger sat in bed. The sun was due to rise in another hour, so it was a good thing Kruger awoke when he did.

"It felt…so real. I saw a man with the same eyes as me, but he looked full of rage and madness that consumed him. He was using Eldians as test subjects for something. I didn't get that far to see it."

Faye looked appalled at the information and rubbed her temples.

She couldn't help but feel that these orange eyes would lead to her son's demise.


END

AN: I felt Frieda would've been unnecessary to add in this chapter as I was already halfway through it, so I'll save her for the next chapter's opening.

As you all can see, Zeke isn't stupid enough to fall for Kirch's plan, so he knows that Kruger and Faye are alive. I do believe Zeke is one of the smartest characters in the series, so I had to show it off. Annie believes Kruger and Faye are dead, and with Kirch's signal in the last chapter, it's safe to say Marley knows where the Attack Titan is, although they won't expect it to be a Hybrid.

Yeah, Annie is totally different in this story, it might just be my favoritism at work here, but she, Zeke, and Kruger are the "Big 3" of this story.

I didn't want Kruger to automatically defeat the two 8 Meter Pure Titans since he's still adjusting, so I had Helga give him some clues on how to finish them off with his legs as well.

I hope you guys liked the overprotective motherly instincts on Faye, as she's a character who died young I believe if she were left alive, she would become something similar to how I'm portraying her. I believe she wouldn't follow in Grisha's footsteps, but she would probably support his efforts in silence.

So Kruger experienced one of his past memories, but it wasn't Eren. K's but someone else (Obviously OC), but I didn't want to make him bland, so I went to the mad scientist route. The Attack Titan seemed to enjoy picking (My headcanon) people with dangerous minds and professions. Grisha was a doctor, which I feel is a high-risk job cause you could still cause your patient to die, Eren. K was a spy, that's already dangerous, and now, and for Kruger, I'm still figuring that out, but I'm going to the Protector Route, which is a selfless thing to have.

I didn't reveal the Scientists name to keep the suspense, but we will see more of him as he plays a role in Kruger's character.

Also, you can tell a lot about a person through their eyes, and if you paid close attention to the last chapter, Gross felt like he was staring at someone else and not Kruger himself. I wonder why?

Anyway, that's all for this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. I sure as hell enjoyed writing it.

(I noticed some errors in the past chapters, and considering I edit everything by myself, I tend to overlook that, so I'll change them in the future, but they're not too distracting.)

Question: Should Historia's Mom be redeemed?