Reasons

by SilverShadow1711

The world could be a cruel, wicked place, filled with nightmares and terrors unending. Erwin Smith made the choice to throw himself into those nightmares, but even the most steadfast man is not an island. At the very least, there was someone he could fall back on, even if it took him some time to realize it. (Erwin backstory-centric, the slowest of slow burns. Cross-posted on AO3)

30. Turning

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Ch.30- "Turning"

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While the Military Police set up barricades to ensure the streets were clear, there were so many people pushing against them that it still felt overly crowded. The cheers and whoops all blended together, but Erwin still managed to pick out a few snippets of speech here and there.

"The Survey Corps is coming!"

"They're going to kill all the Titans, sweetie…"

"Look, it's Lieutenant Levi!"

"You're gonna give those ugly bastards hell, right, Commander Erwin!?"

Behind him, Levi grumbled under his breath, not loud enough for anyone but those closest to hear.

"Tch, spare me. Noisy bastards are just attracting more Titans…"

"What, you don't appreciate your adoring audience?" Cecile asked sardonically, earning a snicker from Hange.

"If only they knew the contempt 'Humanity's Strongest' held for them..."

Erwin surreptitiously glanced down into the crowd. Amongst the civilians, he spotted a fair few tan jackets, the crossed silver swords of the Training Corps insignia gleaming in the early noon sun. The 104th had just graduated the day before, and given that most of them would be joining the Garrison, they were being assigned to their nearest district to learn how to lock and load canons. The sight of those smiling, excited faces didn't fill him with shame as it once had, and he sat taller in his saddle. Hopefully, at least a dozen from this crop would be foolhardy enough to join the Survey Corps, and he didn't need them realizing just yet how wretched this branch could be. The bells rang, drowning out the chatter, as the chains creaked and groaned.

"Thirty seconds until the gates rise! Look sharp, Scouts!" Erwin's hands tightened on his reins, the clatter of the gate locking into place an old, familiar sound but one that always made his heart lurch painfully in his chest. "The 56th expedition begins now! ADVANCE!"

~o0o~

Their progress was slow. Too slow. They should have been in Amity by now, but they'd only made it to their fourth supply cache. There was no avoiding the Titans- Mike smelled them in all directions, and the walls of red smoke only served to prove him right. Fortunately, the village they were in now had enough still-intact homes for them to effectively utilize their ODM gear, but it still made no sense…

Erwin dislodged his hooks from the wall they'd been anchored in at the apex of his ascent, the fluid motion of his body twisting in midair belying the strain of every muscle working in tandem as he fired out the hooks again, the steel barbs sinking deep into discolored skin. With a roar of frustration and exertion combined, he carved out a thick slice of flesh, shutting his eyes against the blast of steam that followed.

His hair was plastered to his forehead, sweat soaked into every crevice of his uniform. This was his fourth kill… in this village. Panting, he retreated to one of the few roofs that hadn't been caved in yet, watching his latest quarry collapse in a pile of limbs that were quickly burning away into ash. A clatter of hooks, and he heard Mike's thudding steps approaching. The taller man looked as though he'd just dumped a bucket of water over his head, wiping the rivulets of sweat pouring from his brow with the back of his hand. His clothes were still steaming, the blood not having all evaporated yet.

"What do you make of this?" Erwin asked as he filled his lungs with the stinking, humid air. Mike shook his head, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.

"It doesn't make sense. There were always this many Titans, but once everyone evacuated, they stopped swarming like this. It can't just be us- it would've been like this during every expedition!" Finally catching his breath, Mike frowned at the commander. "What's with that face? What is it?"

"I'm thinking…" he whispered, looking up over the rooftops. They'd passed quite a few Abnormals on the way, more than usual. Oddly enough, once they'd given up their chase quite easily, heading north judging from Cecile's assessment. Erwin hadn't given it much thought at the time, just grateful they hadn't disrupted the formation and filing it away as a problem that could be dealt with by the Garrison's canons, but… "Mike. Do you remember our last expedition before Wall Maria fell?"

"Obviously."

"Do you remember how many Titans we passed?" Already small eyes narrowed further.

"What, are you saying that this is a repeat of five years ago?"

"I can't say that with certainty. What I can say is that something isn't right here. Its like these Titans are all coming out of hibernation. And so many of them are heading north…" He frowned, looking back to his second-in-command. "Did you smell anything unusual in Trost?" Mike shrugged.

"More people than usual, but it was just the cadets." His lips twisted in distaste. "What, you think the Titans are being drawn in by the stench of all those horny, unwashed teenagers?"

"I don't know, that's the problem-"

"Commander! Commander Erwin!" Looking down at the street below, he frowned as he saw Cecile galloping far too fast, her long hair whipping about her face as she scanned the area frantically.

"Hold, Cecile!" Deploying his hooks, he dropped down as she dismounted, running up to him. Her fair face was white as a sheet. "What is it?"

"Sir, a group of Garrison soldiers just arrived with a message from Trost!" Garrison? They weren't supposed to go outside the walls… and in these Titan infested lands…

"What was the message?" She swallowed hard, the slightest waver in her voice.

"The Colossal has appeared again. It's broken through the outer gate of Trost." Erwin's blood turned to ice in his veins, but this was not the time to let his emotions get the better of him.

"What of the inner gate? Has the Armored also appeared?"

"I don't know, sir; they started riding as soon as the gate was destroyed-" He moved past her, reaching into her saddlebag and pulling out her signal gun and loading a sound grenade into that he fired off immediately.

"You and Horace assemble the Scouts and get them into formation. Leave the wagons- leave everything; we ride back to Trost post haste!" His fingers were salty and gritty, dirt and sweat and blood caked under his nails as he whistled shrilly, pausing only to call up to Mike. "Where's Levi?"

"Three roads over east, one south." Erwin didn't even wait for his horse to stop, hooking one foot into the stirrup and spurring it to keep running as he pulled himself up.

"Dispatch the remaining Titans nearby and get back on your horses! We ride in five!" His voice echoed throughout the empty streets. If the outer gate had just been breached, then they still had time. There were canons, so many canons- they didn't have to kill the Armored, just slow it down enough for the Survey Corps to get back. They could not repeat what happened five years ago. Wall Rose could not fall! He noticed the smoldering remains before he noticed Levi, kneeling in the dirt beside the body of a soldier, one of his squad mates wiping the blood from her hands.

"Levi! What are you still doing down there? Didn't you hear the acoustic shell?" Unamused gray eyes lifted to meet his.

"I was a bit preoccupied." He waved a bloody hand around at the carnage as he stood. "What's all the commotion about, anyway?"

"We're pulling out."

"Sir-?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Levi interrupted his subordinate, his face twisted in anger. "It's barely past noon! We can at least get halfway to Grenville."

"Not today. Saddle up." The way his eyes flashed, Erwin was reminded of that stormy day, Levi's body colliding with his, the kiss of ultra-hardened steel against his neck.

"My soldiers didn't die for us to belt a retreat…!"

"More people are going to die if you waste time arguing with me. The Colossal Titan has appeared at Trost." The young woman behind the lieutenant gasped as she rose, shakily, to her feet as well.

"The inner gate…?"

"Unclear. That's why we're heading back." Levi ground his teeth together.

"You could've led with that. Petra! Go with Eld and round up any stragglers!"

"Y-yes sir!" Levi didn't bother calling his horse, reluctant to stick his bloody fingers in his mouth. He glanced down at the fallen soldier, his thin brows furrowing in distress for all of a second before his face once again became a mask of apathy. Deploying his hooks, he opted to maneuver through the streets, and Erwin rode after him.

"Did you happen to see Hange?" He called up, Levi's voice faint over the mechanical sounds of his gear.

"Not recently. That freak's probably trying to muzzle one of these fuckers to bring it back with-"

"The Colossal?!" A shrill voice cut through the streets, and Erwin had to pull hard on the reins to stop his horse before it collided with the bay galloping like a bat out of hell.

"Hange, slow down!" he called out after the rider.

"Gotta get back to the wall! Gotta get- fukken- COLOSSAL! Wait for me, baby," they wailed, "mama's comin'!"

It took less than five minutes for the Survey Corps to deploy once more, riding far faster now that they were not bogged down with supplies, nor the bodies of the fallen. Those soldiers would understand; they'd given their lives for humanity. They would not begrudge their earthly remains being left behind to do the same. The acute sense of terror running up Erwin's spine sharpened all his senses, leaving him hyper aware of the broken branches that littered their path, the heavy breathing of Abnormals they passed that paid them no mind, focused solely on heading north.

If the wall was truly breached, it might have been wise to kill all the Titans they came across off, to lessen the odds that one of them would slip inside and tear through the populace, but… no. They needed to get back, they needed to stop the Armored Titan before it brought humanity to ruin. If a few people has to die for the greater good, so be it. A vision of Thomasin flashed in his mind. It was Tuesday, so she was at work. Had news reached her yet? If the worst came to pass, she would be amongst the last able to evacuate- five years ago, the Garrison had accounted for most of the casualties in Shiganshina…

He forced those thoughts from his mind. No, that was why she wasn't in Trost. This wouldn't be like five years ago. The Survey Corps was almost three hundred soldiers strong. He had years of command experience under his belt. This time, they would meet the threat head on and exterminate it.

The sun was nearly setting by the time they reached the outer gate of Trost, the twenty meter crater in the brick and mortar visible even before they crested the outer village. There were swarms of Titans around, but strangely, most were clawing at the wall as they usually did. Erwin initially assumed these ones in particular were just too dull witted to find the giant hole, but the truth was far more confusing. As they came upon the gate, he did not see straight through into the district as he'd been assuming he would. The gate had been completely destroyed, with cracks even spiderwebbing along the Wall itself, and yet… there was no hole. Or rather, the hole that was there had been plugged with… something. Frowning, he signaled for the soldiers to stop, just short of the gargantuan craters in front of the gate. Levi was the first to pull up to him, scowling.

"What the hell, Erwin? You made us ride our horses into the ground to get here, and now we're just gonna camp out outside the Wall?" He ignored his lieutenant, unholstering his ODM handles.

"All Scouts! Switch to ODM gear and ascend the Wall! Do not engage in combat! Leave the horses where they are!" Sensing obtainable prey, the Titans pawing at the Wall turned their attention to the soldiers, their grubby hands scrambling to catch anyone who anchored their hooks too low.

It was difficult to hear the screams behind him as he made his way up the wall, especially when the screams coming from within the district were as loud as they were. Erwin frowned as he traversed the top of the outer Wall. Its normally smooth surface was ragged, broken stone and the twisted metal beams of what had once been the rail system for the canons the only evidence that the Colossal hadn't just focused its attention on the gate. The canons…

"Dirk!" He called out to the nearest soldier. "Send Hange over here."

"Yes, sir!"

"Levi!"

"I'm here." The shorter man walked past him, standing near the inner edge of the wall, his cloak flapping as he stared down at the carnage. He swore sharply. "Why do these assholes always strike when we can't do shit to stop them?" That was a good question. Once could be chalked up to coincidence, but twice? Those were thoughts to dwell on later.

"Can you and your squad fight?"

"Tch. Do we have a choice?"

"Then head down there and help the Garrison, but do not take any unnecessary risks, Levi. We still don't have word on the Armored, and we might need all hands to deal with it." Levi locked a fresh pair of blades into the hilts of his gear, his lips pulled back from his teeth in a hateful snarl.

"Give me the word the second the fucker shows up. I look forward to deboning that son of a bitch. Günther! Oluo! Take the left side! Eld and Petra, you take the right!"

"Sir!" They dropped down, the Wings of Freedom gleaming amidst the cinders and smoke and dust as they began carving through the Titans nearest the Wall. Boots scuffing on stone preceded Hange running up to him, stumbling slightly on the uneven surface.

"Slow down, Hange; we don't need you getting injured."

"How can I slow down!?" they lamented. "There's no sign of the Colossal anywhere! Just a giant crater outside the gate! They couldn't have killed it already; I needed to dissect it!"

"Hange. Close your mouth for one second and look around. Tell me what you see." All but pouting at being told to shut up, however delicately, the bespectacled soldier glanced around, their lips turning down as they scanned the top of the Wall.

"It scraped off the top section of the Wall… How is that possible; Titans have been clawing at the Walls for over a century and they've never left a scratch…"

"Not just that," he noted grimly. "The canons all around this section of the Wall are missing." Hange's eyes widened behind their goggles.

"Wh-what are you saying, Erwin…?"

"It knew. It knew the canons were a threat and destroyed them." The other soldier shook their head slowly, disbelieving.

"That's impossible… Titans don't know what weapons are…"

"Titans shouldn't know what gates are, either. But clearly they do. This is the third time these Abnormals have targeted gates specifically." He lowered his voice. "These may well be the same subset of Titans as the one Ilse encountered." Raising his voice, he clapped them on the shoulder. "I want you to investigate around here, see if the Colossal left behind any evidence, even a bit of charred bone. Even if it was killed, its body couldn't decay that quickly."

"Yes, sir!" Casting one final glance towards the destroyed city, Erwin set off. He needed to find someone who had more information.

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The Interior looked no different than it had when he'd last visited, but to hear the whispers of the great lords and merchants, one would think Wall Sina had fallen. Like clockwork, they stopped talking amongst themselves as they noticed the soldiers walking past them, scrambling to rush after them.

"Y-you're with the Survey Corps, right!?"

"Commander Erwin, have any of the Titans slipped through into Wall Rose?!"

"Did you kill the Colossal?!" Some lordling grabbed Erwin's arm in an attempt to halt him, and before he could so much as voice a warning, Levi struck, quick as a viper.

"Back off, pigs," he sneered down at the man sat flat on his behind on the freshly swept cobblestone. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to keep your hands to yourself?"

"Levi, it's fine." Bending, he took the fallen noble's arm and heaved him back to his feet. "Forgive the Lieutenant- he's exhausted. He and the rest of the Scouts have spent the past two days dispatching each and every Titan that made its' way into Trost. The inner gate was untouched, and Wall Rose's territory is still as safe as ever."

"You're lying!" Some merchant thrust an accusatory finger at his chest, backing off only when he spotted the murderous gleam in Levi's eyes. "You didn't kill the Colossal; it would've been in the papers if you had! How can it be safe when that thing is still running around, to say nothing of the Armored?!"

"Yeah… yeah! And now they're saying there's another one like that! That the military is turning soldiers into Titans!"

"How do we know you're not Titans!?"

"You'd think with all those riches you're sitting on, you idiots could afford an education," Levi said, his voice dripping with contempt. "If we were Titans, we wouldn't waste our time killing other Titans, now would we? No, we'd be sampling you lot and figuring out if you really are what you eat-"

"Levi, that's enough." Erwin turned his attention back to the small crowd amassed around them. "There is no reason for anyone to panic over hearsay and conjecture. The Walls are safe, and the military is not turning soldiers into Titans. That's just foolishness. Now, if you'll excuse us…" He didn't wait for the questions to stop, didn't wait for anyone to move, simply continued walking. The highborn were wise enough to part for him, unwilling to risk being bowled over by a giant of a man who clearly was not going to stop for them. Levi followed in his wake, muttering under his breath all the while.

"The elite members of the human species, ladies and gentlemen. Tch, they built these walls backwards- these jackasses should be the ones in the outermost districts-"

"Levi, do you enjoy making my life harder?"

"…I don't not enjoy it…"

"I know your brain and mouth are completely disconnected from each other, but please bear in mind that I'm the one who has to smooth over all your social faux pas, and these 'jackasses' are the reason you can afford to spend an eighth of our food budget on tea." There was not even a hint of shame in Levi's dull gray eyes as he stared up at Erwin.

"That's a strategic purchase."

"Pray explain your strategy."

"Soldiers perform better when they know there's a treat waiting for them back at base. You want a dog to do a trick? You give him a bone. You want me to kill Titans? You make sure my tea doesn't run out." He wasn't wrong, but the snide assuredness buried deep within his voice made Erwin's hands itch with the desire to wrap around his scrawny neck.

He looked away from his lieutenant before he risked giving into that desire, turning his attention to the looming chancellery. The had business deep within its bowels. He, of course, could not tell the people that the hearsay had a grain of truth in it. Even though the soldiers of Trost had been placed under strict non-disclosure orders, keeping a secret that was known by so many under wraps was akin to keeping water in a sieve. It would be all over the papers in a matter of days, and soon all of humanity would know that they owed their continued protection against the Titan horde to one of those very same Titans.

The Assembly was already chomping at the bit to sweep all this under the rug, but while maintaining the status quo was a net positive for them, Erwin had no intention of letting this miracle of miracles be dragged behind the back of a shed and dispatched. The only saving grace was that this Titan child was a soldier, a freshly graduated member of the 104th southern Training Corps. He had probably been in the crowd the other day as they rode past. Erwin wondered if he'd unknowingly locked eyes with the boy, one Eren Yaeger, the son of the good doctor. The Military Police had moved in immediately to take custody of him, an odd move in and of itself.

Erwin had sent a "strongly worded" letter to Commander Jones immediately, demanding to know why the MPs were taking an interest in Titans now all of a sudden, and had received in turn a boilerplate response that it was the will of the Royal Government. No help there. In fact, the only reason he was being granted an audience with the boy at all was because he'd gone over the MPs' heads, straight to the Premier to argue his case.

While Zachary couldn't grant the Survey Corps custody- not yet, at any rate- he'd explicitly ordered Commander Jones to ensure the Military Police not stand in the way of the Scouts today. Which most likely explained the sour looks they garnered as they made their way deeper and deeper into the building, the smooth plaster walls giving way to rough exposed stone, torches in sconces making the damp mildew at their feet glisten. Levi pulled a face, pulling a kerchief from his pocket to cover his mouth and nose.

"Ugh. They can't execute him, so they're just gonna let him die from all the mold down here… They're probably trying to off us the same way." Levi was, as usual, exaggerating. While the cell young Eren was being housed in was indeed dark and damp, they'd carted in an actual bed for him to sleep on, a standard military cot, but better than a pile of straw. The boy was out cold, the only signs of life his soft breathing and the occasional rattle of the chains locked around his wrists as he shifted in his sleep.

"How long has he been out?" Erwin asked one of the guards. The man shrugged, adjusting his grip on the rifle he held.

"He was passed out when they brought him in. He hasn't woken up since." That was almost three days ago. Levi scowled, approaching the bars.

"We don't have time for Yaeger to catch up on his beauty sleep. Lemme in there; I'll wake him up." The MP swallowed hard, unsure if the shorter man was joking or not.

"I-I'm afraid we can't do that, Lieutenant; we have orders not to open the cell for any reason."

"It's fine," Erwin assured him. "We can wait a while. He's bound to wake up eventually, and if he doesn't while we're here, you can send for us once he does."

"Yes, sir."

The MPs stationed near the entry way were sent out to bring back chairs for their "guests", though Levi brushed them off, preferring to stand.

"Gotta be ready to act in case he tries some shit…" His paranoia was prudent. From what they'd learned from the reports filed by the Garrison captains, this cadet- this child- emerged from the nape of a fifteen-meter Titan after going on a rampage and accumulating almost two dozen kills of other Titans. This was the one that lifted and carried that massive boulder that plugged up the outer gate of Trost. If he were to transform now, he could kill every person within the central building with the ease of swatting a fly. They weren't even wearing ODM gear.

Erwin reached into his pocket, pulling out one of the few pieces of evidence the boy'd had on him after being recovered from the Titans. A small iron key tied to a length of leather cord and fashioned into a necklace. His ODM gear and uniform had been destroyed, but somehow this remained unscathed. Another cadet, his adopted sister, claimed it belonged to Doctor Yaeger, the key to his cellar, apparently. Why would a doctor's cellar be so important…? Levi dug his elbow into Erwin's shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts. The chains were rattling softly, the one they bound groaning as he slowly pushed himself into a seated position.

The cell was so dark that it was hard to get a good look at him, but from what he could see, Erwin couldn't buy that this was a Titan. With his messy hair and unfocused eyes, he looked just like any other boy waking from a deep sleep. Hardly the face of a monster that ate humans, but appearances could be deceiving.

"Wh… what…?"

"I see you're finally awake now. Good morning, cadet." Eren raised his hand, intending to rub the sleep from his eyes, but crying out as he unwittingly struck himself with the manacles clasped tightly around his wrists.

"Wh-where am I?!"

"Hmm… let's call it a holding cell. You're currently in the custody of the Military Police. Do you know who I am, young man?" He was expecting a nod or a shake of the head, not for the boy to jolt up straighter, his chains clattering loudly.

"Of course I do! You're Commander Erwin, of the Survey Corps! And that's Lieutenant Levi!" Levi scoffed.

"Sounds like you're a fan, Yaeger-"

"I am!" His excitement was almost endearing. Levi certainly didn't find it such, lowering his voice so only the man beside him could hear.

"Hear that, Erwin? He's probably been dreaming of meeting us since his balls dropped. Probably just blew a load-"

"Levi-"

"-at the sight of those bushy eyebrows in the flesh-"

"Levi, don't be crass." He turned his attention back to the boy. "We have several questions for you, Eren. Let's start with this." He held the key up to the light, and Eren gasped.

"Where did you-?"

"It was recovered from your person. Don't worry; you'll get it back in due time." He rolled the thin iron bar between his fingers. "We've been informed that this leads to your father's cellar in Shiganshina. And that there might be a secret in there. Regarding the Titans." At those words, the MPs, who'd barely been paying attention all this time, awoke from their stupor, their gazes intently focused either on Erwin, or on Eren. The boy frowned, his brows drawn together as though he were thinking hard about something.

"Yeah… I-I think so. That's what he said… I think. It's… blurry…"

"And you have no idea where your father could be now?" Something slipped in Eren's face, the fear and uncertainty of a lost little boy blending with the confusion as he shook his head.

"I haven't seen him since the Wall fell…" Levi shifted against the wall, his gaze hard and scrutinizing.

"…must suck having your dad and your memory MIA at the same time… unless, of course, that's just a cover story." Erwin turned, fixing his lieutenant with a cold frown.

"Enough. We've been over this already; we know he has no reason to lie." From a purely logical standpoint, he understood Levi's doubts. The story that had been recounted to Commander Pixis was beyond suspicious. From everything he'd heard, Grisha Yaeger was a devoted father and husband, an exemplary member of the community. For him to just abandon his son like that… Of course, it was possible he hadn't left his son willingly. Erwin pushed his own memories back into the furthest recesses of his mind, his attention back on Eren. "But that's all we know. How about you shed a little light on things for me by telling us your intentions?"

"My… what? I don't understand, sir…"

"Here's the long and short of it, cadet; if we want to pay the good doctor's cellar a visit, we first need to return to Shiganshina… which is overrun with Titans who continue to pour in and impede our progress. Now, we could spend four more years getting there, and maybe another four patching up the gate… or, ideally, it could be sealed it up the way it was in Trost. But that relies on your special power. …any way you slice it, a Titan's deciding our fate.

It's pure conjecture at this point, but we have reason to believe the Armored and Colossal Titans are the same as you. That's why I asked your intentions; they could be the key to turning the tide in this bloody battle. You could save us, all of us."

The cellar key had since grown warm from the heat of his fingers, the smell of iron growing stronger. Eren's eyes, dark in the gloom, cast away from that small piece of metal, his lips parted slightly as his breathing quickened. He stared down at his hands, his fingers clenching and unclenching.

"I… I don't… know-"

"Cut the shit," Levi snapped. "It's not arithmetic- it's a simple question, so answer it. What the hell do you wanna do?" Inhaling deeply, shakily, the boy raised his gaze, his teeth bared in something that might have resembled a smile had it not been for the manic fury gleaming in his eyes.

"What do I wanna do…? I wanna join the Scouts and wipe the Titans off the face of the earth… I want make every one of those fucking monsters suffer before I slaughter them!"

"Huh. Is that so…?" Levi's apathetic expression didn't so much as flicker, and to an outsider, he would have sounded no different than he had a second ago, but Erwin's ears were sharp enough to pick up on the amusement in the lieutenant's voice. "Look's like you've either got some balls or no brains, but either way, I like your moxie." He pushed off the wall, making his way over to the bars and leaning against them to better look at boy.

"Alright, I'll take responsibility for him. Erwin, you can iron out the details. I'm not saying I trust him; its more that I trust my ability to kill him if he tries some shit. I can't imagine the Assembly taking issue with that; I think my record speaks for itself. Good news, Yaeger- you're the Survey Corps' newest recruit." Erwin pushed himself to his feet, catching Levi's attention with a snap and motioning for him to come away from the bars.

"Just sit tight, Eren. We'll get you out of there as soon as we're able. And don't lose heart." He offered the boy a faint smile. "Humanity will be counting on you." Eren inhaled sharply, sitting up straighter as he beat his fist against his chest in a salute. The chains rattled loudly.

"Yes, sir!" It wasn't until they began ascending up the stairs that Erwin turned his attention back to his comrade.

"Stop writing promissory notes I can't cash, Levi."

"What? You telling me you're actually gonna let the MPs keep him?"

"Of course not." Even if the boy was only capable of becoming a three meter Titan, the things they could learn from him were indispensable.

If Hange wasn't currently preoccupied with their latest test subjects, they probably would have already launched an effort to break Eren out of his dungeon and cart him back to Trost. And in all honesty, Erwin would probably be right there alongside them. Titans that could speak… Titans that showed logic… Titans that grew from humans… Every day, the world grew more terrifying, and everyday, he grew more desperate to get to the bottom of its mysteries.

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Trost was quiet, save for the buzzing of flies and crunch of wagon wheels rolling over crushed stone. Most of the fires had been put out, those that still burned only a smolder that kept a haze obscuring the sky. The district had been evacuated, the civilians set up in nearby villages. The only people walking the streets were soldiers, digging through rubble and hauling away bodies. The smell of blood and human waste and rotting flesh was eye watering, and Erwin made an effort to not look down, not pay attention to the squelching underfoot as he walked through puddles of blood congealing in the crevices of the cobblestone. He and Levi spoke not a word until they were back inside the Survey Corps' headquarters.

"Ugh. I'm gonna go shower…" Erwin nodded silently. He needed to do the same, but more importantly, he needed to start devising a plan. The government wasn't going to relinquish its custody of Eren without a fight, and that was a fight he could not afford to lose. As he made his way up to his office, a young female Scout with short red hair approached him.

"Sir! Someone from the Garrison is waiting to see you!"

"Pixis?" She shook her head.

"I don't think so, sir. Section Commander Hange sent them up to your office to wait on you." Erwin frowned slightly. Hange had no business letting strangers into his office… The door was unlocked- he hadn't expected anyone to go barging in while he was out- and no sooner had he stepped over the threshold than he was accosted.

"Erwin!" He registered the voice only a second before something solid collided with him, a tight grip wrapped around his chest, strong hands clutching at his jacket for dear life.

"Thomasin?" She was the last person he'd expected to see, but after all the carnage he'd passed on his way through the city, she was a welcomed sight. Breathing hard, she pulled back just enough to look up at him. She looked awful, her eyes sunken so deeply in that she looked almost as much like a corpse as the bodies being carted off outside. God, he'd missed her…

"I was so worried about you…! I came as soon as I had a free second-!"

"Calm down," he bade her quietly, leading her back to the couch. She was in uniform, her apron unpinned and laying on the floor where she'd been sitting. "Let me make you some tea-"

"No!" She grabbed his sleeves, her eyes wild in panic. Sighing, he took a seat beside her.

"Stop worrying. I'm fine- you can see that. We weren't in the city when the gate was breached." Her relief was visible, her entire body going limp as her eyes slipped shut. She continued gripping his sleeves, but no longer so tightly that her knuckles stood out against her skin.

"Thank god… As soon as I heard, I just- I immediately assumed the worst."

"Have a bit more faith in me than that, Lindemann; I've been killing Titans for fifteen years." Her eyes snapped open, flashing in anger.

"Yeah, and how much longer do you think your luck is going to last, Erwin!?" She sucked in a ragged breath, shaking her head. "No… no no no, not this. Not now… I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" Erwin's gaze softened as he took her hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. Anger was just fear, he reminded himself.

"No, I'm sorry you've had to worry. I wanted to send word to you, but we've only just finished clearing out all the Titans, and I'm afraid something else has taken precedence."

"That Titan boy, right?" Her lip curled in disgust. It was only natural; Titans were the enemies of humanity, after all. The fear and revulsion they triggered was instinctive.

"That's right. I've just come back from visiting him. He wants to join the Corps, so hopefully I'll be able to wrangle him away from the Military Police-"

"He what?! Erwin, no! You can't let a fucking Titan into your ranks! It's bad enough you have those… things out back, but letting one join as a soldier!? What if it attacks you?!"

"Levi will be keeping an eye on him."

"Levi is one man with one set of eyes!"

"Thomasin." His voice was firm and steady. "This boy is the key to our reclaiming Wall Maria. To our finally understanding the Titans and, god willing, eliminating them once and for all. Would you have me throw all that away on the risk of a single attack?" Her dark eyes cast down and she didn't speak, but her silence was all the answer he needed. Yes. Sighing, he released her hands, leaning back on the couch. "What are you doing here, Thomasin? Surely you didn't run to Trost in the middle of a shift just to chastise me?" She shook her head, her hands clenching and unclenching in her lap.

"The Garrison hospital was destroyed by the Titans. The injured are being transferred to the surrounding districts. All the non-life threatening cases are going to Krolva and Calaneth… there are a lot of non-life threatening cases…" Erwin frowned at her words.

"Then why are you here? You should be out there, doing your duty."

"I've been doing that since sunrise!" she snapped at him. "They're still finding injured people in the rubble- I've been cutting off crushed limbs and pushing peoples' guts back in for hours. I'm not shirking my duties, you ass; this is my first break all day. Everyone else is eating or sleeping- I came here to see you!"

"…and you have the nerve to get on my case about taking risks…" Sighing deeply, he stood, her anger flashing to fear for a brief moment.

"Wh-what-?"

"You stay here, you stubborn little fool; I'm going to go get you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry," she groused, sinking deeper into the couch.

"Yes, you are. You have an important duty, Thomasin; you can't go collapsing out there." His gaze softened, and he reached out to touch her hair, the thick braid barely giving under his touch. "I'll bring my lunch up as well. This will probably be the last meal we can share for quite some time." Her shoulders slumped a bit.

"Yeah… you're probably right…" Her lips pulled into a wan smile that didn't fully reach her eyes. "Just… don't talk to me about Titans, Smith…"

"But we've learned so much in just the past year alone," he all but whined. "We have a record from a Scout named Ilse Langner who-"

"I don't care, Erwin…" she muttered under her breath, looking away from him again. "I don't care where they come from, I don't care why they eat people- I just want them all to go away…" She looked up at him, her lips a thin, hard line. "Give me the record of the Scout who finally kills the last one. Tell me the name of the person who can make all of this stop."

Though he did not say the words aloud, they rang loudly in his mind. That person would be him if that was what it took.

Amidst all the horrors, all the tragedies, Erwin could see the faintest glimmer of something wonderful. The embers of his dream that had long since burned down to a smolder steadily being stoked back into a roaring blaze. First they needed to get to that cellar in Shiganshina, and then… then he would kill every Titan with his bare hands if he had to. When it was finally safe and Thomasin had nothing to worry about anymore, then maybe she would care. Maybe she would see things the way he did, then. A secondary dream, perhaps…

000000000

There was to be a trial. In the olden days, the time of King Fritz the Good, matter like this were solved via a trial by combat, under the belief that God granted strength to the righteous. Barbarous though it was, Erwin would have preferred such a thing. Levi would have been the most righteous man to have walked the earth if such beliefs still held true, but alas, disputes these days were settled with words. But that was fine, too. Erwin had as much confidence in his ability to talk his way into getting what he wanted as he did in Levi's strength. He sent Horace and Cecile to interview the 104th cadets, needing more information than what was written in the statements collected by the Garrison captains.

"You're certain?" he asked them, setting down the testimonies they'd handed him after after reading through the sheaf twice over. Groaning, Cecile dropped down onto the couch, stretching out her legs.

"Positive. Every kid said the same thing- he's got a short fuse, he's got no impulse control, he was constantly getting into fights…" She scoffed. "You'd think three years of military training would've straightened the brat out, but apparently, he's gotten worse. Shadis must be slipping if he's letting that shit fly."

"Are we sure we actually want this kid in our ranks, Erwin?" Horace asked, sitting in the chair opposite the desk. "I mean, he says he wants to be a Scout, but what if he disagrees with one of your orders, turns into a Titan and tries to kill you?"

"Yaeger's a Survey Corps fanboy," Levi drawled, scowling at the cup of tea in his hand rather than actually drinking it. "If we tell him to jump, he's gonna cum in his pants and ask 'how high?'."

"Ew."

"Gross."

"Stop saying words, Levi. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, getting there at all is the most imperative thing." Shifting through the paper on his desk, Erwin pulled out one bearing the Premier's seal, glancing at it to ensure he wasn't mistaken. He wasn't. "Nile Dok is going to arguing for the side of the prosecution, and honestly, we couldn't hope for better luck."

"That's your buddy from the Training Corps, right?" Horace asked, and he nodded.

"Yes. He was a crack shot and a deft hand at vertical maneuvering, but critical thinking was never his strong suit. He'll regurgitate whatever the Assembly tells him to say, but won't be able to think of anything outside the script he's been given." Cecile winced, but a wry smile tugged at her lips.

"Ouch. If that's how you talk about your friends, Erwin, I'd hate to hear what you have to say about your enemies." His lips pulled down into a frown, his eyes hard.

"…he's standing in my way… He's standing in the way of humanity. For all the love I bear him in my heart, at this moment, Nile is my enemy, and I intend to crush him just the same if that's what it takes." Cecile and Horace both gaped at him, left uneasy by his confession. That's… something to admit… Levi took a sip of his tea, scrunching up his nose in distaste but otherwise unfazed.

"That's fine and dandy, but how exactly are you planning to 'crush him'? I hate to admit it, but the government's actually got a pretty good case against Yaeger. We've been trying to keep Titans outside the Walls for a century, now we're just gonna let one roam loose?"

"We've been trying to kill Titans for a century. The Colossal has proven that the Walls aren't keeping them out so much as keeping us in, so the prudent option is to exterminate them as quickly as possible. And he won't be roaming loose- he'll be on a tight leash." Horace shook his head slowly.

"You're speaking the truth, Erwin; all that makes logical sense, but… people don't run on logic. They're ruled by emotions, and fear is probably the strongest of those emotions. Eren could shit diamonds and piss gold, but a Titan is a Titan and most people are going to be too afraid of getting devoured to care what he can do for them." Erwin nodded.

"I know. That's what I'm betting on."

"Huh?"

"There will be about a dozen people in that courtroom who have actually seen Titans and lived to tell the tale. All the rest only know the horror stories they've heard. They don't even know what Titans are, but they know they're something that can kill them all without a second thought. And they know that the boy on trial can turn into one of those things. No idea how or why, but he can." Cecile frowned at him, leaning forward.

"What are you getting at, Erwin?"

"Half of that courtroom is going to be telling this boy who wants to be a Scout that not only can he not join the Corps, but that they're going to kill him. Antagonizing him to hell and back. What do teenagers with short tempers and no impulse control do when they're antagonized?" The Section Commanders only stared at him, utterly bemused.

"They get pissy and mouth off," Levi supplied for them, and Erwin nodded.

"Wait, so your plan is to just let this poor kid convince everyone that he's actually a threat?" Cecile sounded disappointed in him.

"Part of it. The other part involves you, Levi." Thin brows furrowed.

"I hope you're not expecting me to make some grandiose speech. I'm not you."

"I'm expecting you to be yourself. But I need to know something. I need to know if you are capable of following whatever order I give you, no matter how cruel or unjust it may seem." The tension in the room thickened until it was almost palpable. Levi blinked slowly, setting down his cup and shifting to look deep into Erwin's eyes.

"…I trust you implicitly, sir."

Erwin inhaled deeply, closing his own eyes for a second. He couldn't believe these words were going to come out of his mouth… It was for the good of humanity, it was- it was for his father, but… what kind of monster would even think such a thing? Did he think his father would be proud of him for this? Pale blue eyes snapped open.

"Levi, can you publicly beat the shit out a child?" Levi stared at him, long and hard, his lips slightly parted, his eyes wide.

"…are you serious?"

"As the plague."

"Erwin, are you crazy!?" Cecile was beside herself. "You want Levi to beat up a kid!?" Horace shook his head, unable to even look at the commander.

"That's messed up, even for you…"

"He'll kill him!"

"No, he won't." He turned his attention back to his lieutenant. "I don't want you turning his insides into outsides; I just need you to shut him up, to leave no doubts in anyone's mind that you're capable of dealing with this threat whether or not he's a Titan. Can you do that for me, Levi?" Grabbing his cup, he took another careful sip of tea.

"…yeah."

"Really?"

"Tch. What, did you think I'd say 'no'? That I'd grow some scruples all of sudden? I'm from the Underground, Erwin- I beat the piss out of kids on a regular basis. What's that shit you all say up here; 'pick on someone your own size'? Pretty sure Yaeger has a couple centimeters on me- that makes it fair. Hopefully I can find my child-beating cravat before the trial…" Relieved though Erwin was that his plan had at least a snowball's chance of working, he didn't appreciate deep simmering glee in Levi's voice as he informed Cecile that his "child-beating cravat" was a very real thing. Horace's warning echoed between his ears, what if he disagrees with one of your orders, turns into a Titan and tries to kill you…?

Eren probably wouldn't take kindly to being humiliated in public- a teenage boy's pride was as important as it was fragile, he knew all too well. This was exactly the kind of thing that bred resentment, but… He recalled the fervent gleam in the boy's eyes as he expressed his desire to join the Survey Corps and kill all the Titans. He sounded more dedicated than Erwin had ever been at that age. Whatever drove him and stoked his hatred had to be important. Hopefully, it was important that he would be able to overlook this slight.

000000000

It was early morning, barely eight, early enough that most of Trost was still covered in the shadows cast by the Walls, but atop them, the sun was bright and strong. Erwin could see Titans shambling through what remained of the outer village, tripping over rubble and the legs of their fellow monsters… From so high up, it was hard to believe these things were capable of feeding themselves, let alone driving humanity to the brink of extinction… at least, this cluster of humanity.

He pushed it from his mind, scanning the ruined section of Wall for his quarry. Pixis' lieutenant, a young woman called Anka or Invanka or something, directed Erwin to the top of the Wall when he asked after the other commander. She wore that same exhausted, put-upon expression he'd been seeing more and more on Moblit's face these days. It didn't take him long to find the older man, the sun reflecting off his gleaming scalp like a beacon.

"Commander Pixis," he called out, receiving no response. "Commander Pixis!" He tried again, louder this time. Pixis didn't so much as budge, his head bowed, his chin resting against his chest. 'Oh lord, don't tell me the old fool's gone and died on me, now…' Marching up to him, Erwin grasped his shoulder and gave him a firm shake. "Pixis!" The old man startled awake with a snort, looking around wildly. It was only then that Erwin noticed the empty bottles leaning against his legs. "Are you drunk…?"

"What? No, no, of course not…" Pixis got to his feet, stumbling but catching himself. His cheeks and nose were ruddy, and his golden eyes didn't seem to want to focus. "Hmm… on second thought, maybe I am a bit tipsy… I might be seeing double- were there always four of you, Erwin?" He turned away, rolling his eyes unseen.

"It seems you won't be of any help to me today…"

"Perhaps not, but I wouldn't have been so regardless." The slur that had been present in his voice before was all but gone, and when Erwin turned back around, he saw Pixis standing upright, straight and balanced. Were it not for the stink of liquor wafting from him, and his forlorn expression as he shook an empty wine bottle, one would never have guessed he'd been drinking. "My hands are tied, I fear- the Garrison has always maintained neutrality between the branches, and it must remain so. The best I can do for you is keep my mouth shut." It was a blessing that he was wise enough to acknowledge that, at least. "Do the odds favor you?"

"The odds have never favored us. We're little birds, fighting giants with pointy sticks and pretty, but ultimately empty songs. The enemy is always bigger, stronger…" Erwin inhaled deeply, looking up to the sky. The clouds glowed with the sun behind them, and the blue of it hurt his eyes. This was the vision Thomasin had longed to see, one he'd since stopped noticing. If they could plug up Wall Maria, perhaps he would find it more humbling from there, when he knew there weren't anymore walls off in the distance. "But that's never stopped me from playing my hand before, and it won't now." Pixis chuckled, though there was no real mirth in his eyes.

"I never would have guessed you were one to gamble so frivolously, Smith."

"I'm not. You've known the Premier far longer than I have. Do you think he agrees with the Assembly?" The lines around Pixis' mouth deepened as he frowned, reaching into an interior pocket of his jacket and pulling forth a flask.

"Dhalis has the good sense to keep his personal feelings out of matters of business. That's the most I can say about him."

"I didn't ask what you think his judgment will be- I asked if you think he believes Eren is a threat." Having taken a swig of whatever was in the flask, Pixis wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes clouded with something dark.

"…he rarely sees eye to eye with the powers that be. Let's just leave it at that…"

Vaguely, Erwin remembered the cold tension between Premier Zachary and Colonel Aleister shortly after the fall of Wall Maria. Pixis could claim the man was unbiased in his rulings, but as Horace had reminded him, humans did not run on logic. No matter how devoted to a duty or cause a man was, his personal feelings would always leave a chink in his armor.

~o0o~

He and Levi were amongst the first to arrive in the courtroom. That was probably the only reason Levi let his guard down for a fraction of a second, staring up at the magnificent fresco that adorned the vaulted ceiling with open awe. Bloody though the scene was, the skill with which it was rendered was humbling. Erwin blinked and his lieutenant's face was once again a mask of apathy, but he knew what he'd seen.

"It is beautiful, is it not?" he asked quietly, earning a scoff.

"A waste of time and money. You can't eat art."

"No," he agreed. "Beauty isn't meant to nourish the stomach, but the soul." Levi scoffed again, but he continued. "If all humanity had to look forward to was eating and sleeping and breeding, we'd be no better than livestock. A life that simply consists of existing is no life at all…"

The man beside him fell silent, perhaps ruminating on his words, perhaps thinking of nothing at all. Erwin watched as the rest of the witnesses piled into the room, some behind him on the defense, some across the room as the prosecution. He caught Nile's eye as he trudged in, leafing through the papers he carried. The slight frown his old friend wore darkened into an outright scowl as his eyes landed on Levi, and he focused his attention back to the papers. Eren would be brought in soon. While he was guarded by a pair of MPs at all times, Erwin had pulled several strings far too tight to allow two of his own soldiers to accompany the boy to his trial. Like everything he did, every choice he made, there was a method to his madness…

"Hange, no one understands Titan behavior as well as you. You won't have much time, but I want you to see if Eren shows any sign of aggression or… hunger."

"Wait, you think he might try to take a bite out of someone!?"

"Please don't look so excited by the prospect. And Mike, you get a good whiff of the boy. If we're lucky, he'll carry some of that Titan stench on him even in his human form."

"If we're lucky?"

"We're going to have to find the Armored and Colossal one of these days. If we could have even the slightest advantage in that hunt, it would be a godsend…"

By the time most of the people who were to be present had arrived, the low mummer of voices had become an almost overbearing pressure. Nobles and priests and merchants associated with the conservative faction stood behind Nile, undoubtedly muttering about how this Titan boy was hurting their bottom line. Within Wall Rose- Trost, especially- he was seen as a savior, a blessing from God Himself sent to retake Wall Maria and free them from the hardships of a life that grew bleaker by the day. It made sense, of course; those with the least to lose had the least to fear, and those who lived through the Fall had already lost most everything. The men standing across from him had their villas and fine art and decadent food and lavish clothing and so much stuff- obviously, they would be terrified.

It was almost a blessed relief when the doors opened once more, and Eren was lead in, his hands shackled behind his back. He was made to kneel on the cold marble floor, his hands locked behind a metal pole. Erwin almost smirked- it made for a fine show, but eyewitness statements from over thirty Garrison soldiers maintained that he created a shell of Titan bone that stopped a cannonball mid-blast. A dinky iron rod wasn't going to so much as slow him if he got it in his mind to transform then and there, and neither would those rifles the MPs were clutching onto as though they were their manhoods. The Premier entered from the judge's chambers, folding his heavy longcoat and pulling the bolo tie from his neck.

Amidst all these soldiers in uniform and wealthy elites dressed in their finest, he looked almost drab in his plainclothes, no different than when Erwin saw him in his office when he had to make his arguments in person. It put him more at ease, watching the old man roll up his sleeves and glance at the papers before him. This would just be getting approval for a proposal, and he wouldn't even have to… arrange an "exchange" with anyone…

"Alright, shall we begin?" Adjusting his glasses, he read aloud the defendant's name and rank, and the issue laid out before them. As he gestured for the Military Police to give their opening statements, Nile stiffened, his jaw tight as he tore his eyes away from the papers in his hands.

"Thank you, sir. I am Nile Dok, commander of the Eastern branch of the Military Police, and a representative of the Royal Assembly. It is their, and our own, recommendation that, following a thorough examination of his physiology, Cadet Yaeger should be disposed of immediately." While the whispers were kept to a minimum, the assembled gallery did not bother to hide the disconcerted gazes they exchanged. Perhaps most assumed the MPs would simply lock Eren up for the rest of his days; that had a more palatable ring to it than the summary execution of a child. Eren's bright green eyes growing wide in fear probably also had something to do with that, but if the scared, confused boy before him touched Nile's fatherly heart, his face didn't show it.

"The Crown acknowledges the role Yaeger's ability played in the reclamation of Trost. However, as has been stated, his mere existence is creating a swell of rebellious sentiment. We do not have enough land, enough resources, or enough of a population to survive a potential civil war. For the greater good, after we have gathered all the information we can from him, we would see him honored as a martyr of humanity-"

"UNACCEPTABLE!" A great many people in the gallery jumped at the harsh voice echoing through the room, and Nile flinched away from the man all but screaming directly in his ear. Erwin recognized the long black robes before he spotted either the thick golden chains or the fervent hate gleaming in the man's eyes as he jabbed a finger, shaking with barely contained loathing, in Eren's direction. "A martyr!? This abomination has defiled the mighty Wall heaven has bestowed upon humanity, and you wish to honor him!? Even this farce of a trial is an affront to God- he should be hanged for this blasphemy immediately!"

"It was the Colossal Titan who 'defiled' your precious Wall," Levi called out to him, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you wanna hang the blasphemer, at least get the right one."

"Pastor Nick, Lieutenant Levi, that's enough." Zachary calmed the growing whispers barely raising his voice. He looked as though he'd rather be anywhere else, but his voice remained firm and even as he turned towards the defense's side. "I'll now hear the Survey Corps' proposal."

"Yes, sir. As the commander of the Survey Corps, I, Erwin Smith, propose the following: let Eren join our ranks- instate him as a full member of the Scouts- and we will utilize his Titan ability to retake Wall Maria. Eren has already proven that he's physically capable of sealing holes made by the Colossal Titan. With his assistance, I'm certain we can retake Wall Maria far quicker and easier than without." He paused for a beat. "That is all." The whispers started buzzing like a hive of angry wasps. Erwin could feel dozen of eyes upon him, staring as though he'd lost his mind. Even Zachary readjusted his glasses, as though to make sure the man he was looking at was the same Erwin Smith who blackmailed a member of the Dissolution Faction.

"Is… that it…?"

"Yes, sir. I believe our priorities are clear." What more was there for him to say- at present at least? Zachary leaned back in his seat, his golden eyes sharp as he looked Erwin over.

"Quite bold," he murmured, a hint of something that sounded impressed in his voice. "And, if given clearance, where do you plan to launch this operation from? Commander Pixis, the Wall in Trost has been completely sealed, is that correct?" Pixis nodded.

"That is correct, sir. I doubt its gate will ever open again."

"We'll set up base in Calaneth and head to Shiganshina from the east," Erwin explained. "It will take time to set up a new supply line, but by going around the Schäfer Mountains instead of through them, the route will be easier-"

"Oh, that's bullshit!" He was honestly surprised it had taken that long for someone to interrupt him. A well dressed man leaned against the wooden partition separating the gallery from the accused, his glare not directed at the boy who was actually on trial, but on Erwin. "In five goddamn years, you couldn't manage a straight line from Trost to Shiganshina, and now you wanna waste even more of our time and money strolling there from Calaneth!?"

"Order-" The Premier attempted to nip the dissent in the bud, but the floodgates had already opened. Another man, possibly a conservative merchant or some petty lord, pushed his way forward.

"We can't afford any more of your worthless 'expeditions'!"

"That's right! Instead of throwing our taxes down the gullets of those fucking Titans, we should use the money that's being wasted on the Survey Corps to completely seal off the gates! Those're the only parts of the Wall the Colossal can break, right? Just reinforce the blasted things and call it done!" A great many voices in the gallery murmured their agreement, dozens upon dozens of heads nodding sagely, but theirs was hardly the consensus.

"Shut your piggy mouth, you conservative swine!" someone behind Erwin shouted across the room. "Sealing up the Walls is fine and dandy for your fat asses, but what about the rest of us!? We can't farm, we can't hunt- there's fucking Wall Maria refugees everywhere!" The defense's side was far more… rambunctious in their agreement.

"With a Titan on our side, we can finally reclaim our land!"

"Not that you'd give a damn about that, you selfish cowards!"

"Yeah!"

"That's right!"

"Do you merchant dogs really want land that badly!?"

"We're the ones paying for this farce, not you worthless peasants!"

"You wanna fund the Survey Corps' delusions of grandeur, go ahead! I'm not paying another Maria for these idiots to act out their death wishes!"

"Squealing louder won't help your case, pigs." The noble who had been speaking choked on his indignation, his eyes all but bulging from his skull as he glared at Levi, and Erwin had to bite the inside of his lip to keep his expression from shifting. In the balcony above the gallery, Hange had both hands clasped over their mouth, their entire body shaking with poorly repressed laughter. Beside them, even Mike's lips were pressed into a tight smirk. After all the horrors they'd endured fighting Titans, watching humans squabble with one another was very entertaining indeed, but there was at least one person in the room who found no amusement in the shouting matches. The lieutenant saw no humor in his words, his voice as cold as his eyes.

"The only delusional ones here are you lot. Do you honestly think the Titans are going to just politely wait for you to finish sealing the gate? Oh, did I say 'you'? I meant the laborers who would actually be sealing the gate, because God knows your tiny little dicks might fall off if you lift one of your hocks to do anything but feed.And when you say 'we can't afford', are you speaking for anyone other than your fat noble friends? Do you lordlings have any idea how much humanity is suffering outside your shitty gilded bubble, how many people have died because we don't have enough arable land in Wall Rose to feed them all? Have you forgotten what happened four years ago… or do you just not care because it didn't affect you?"

For all his insistence that he wasn't one for making grandiose speeches, Levi's words brought silence to the courtroom, an uneasy, tense silence. One of the men on the prosecution's side spoke up, but his words were not nearly as forceful as those just seconds prior had been, his face flushed… with shame, with anger, it was impossible to tell.

"N-no one has forgotten what happened four years ago… but that's why we need to seal up the gates; so it can't ever happen ag-"

"Shut your fool mouth, you belligerent heretic!" Pastor Nick grabbed the man's lapels, a second away from throttling him. "Are you truly suggesting we lowly humans meddle with Wall Rose, a gift to us from On High?!" He pushed the priest away, whatever reticence was in his voice before gone now.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm suggesting, you crackpot! Us 'lowly humans' are the ones actually getting eaten by Titans! Tell 'On High' His Walls aren't doing their job!"

"The Walls are a miracle, and their divinity transcends human comprehension!" another priest spoke up, his words just as forceful as his companion's, but this one with the sense to not start a physical altercation.

"Oh, shove it up your ass, preachy! The Walls were built by man, for man, and if we want to seal them up, that's our right!"

"Blasphemy!"

"Order!" Zachary banged his hand against the heavy wooden table he sat at, his tight frown suggesting he'd long grown tired of this theological debate. "This is courthouse, not a parlor; I ask that you save your personal sentiments for a more appropriate venue." Breathing heavily through his nose, he finally turned his attention back to the accused. "Now then, Mr. Yaeger, I have a question for you. As a soldier, you have made a solemn pledge to dedicate your heart to humanity. Do you believe you can control your… ability… well enough to serve?"

"Yes, sir!" He answered without a second's hesitation. "I will, sir!"

"Is that so…" Zachary was not nearly as impressed with his certainty, shuffling through his papers. "Because this report from Trost contradicts that statement. After transforming, it seems you made an attempt to, in the words of Captain Rico Brzenska, 'crush' one cadet Mikasa Ackerman, to the point of mutilating your Titan form in a 'blind rage'." Eren's eyes widened as he whipped his head over to where cadet Ackerman was standing, the hurt confusion on his face reminiscent of a scolded puppy who didn't understand what he'd done wrong.

"Oh, fuck…" Levi muttered under his breath. "Looks like he doesn't even remember doing it. This is getting dodgy, Erwin…"

"It's fine," Erwin whispered back under his breath, "be quiet." For all the scandalized whispers in the gallery, it wasn't even surprising.

Many a soldier- many a Scout, at least- pushed to the brink physically and mentally, running purely on an adrenaline, found themselves with gaps in their memory after a battle. Hell, not just soldiers. When they'd interviewed the Shiganshina refugees who witnessed the Colossal appearing, many of them stated that they remembered seeing or hearing the gate's destruction, and the next thing they knew, they were on a ferry with no idea how they got there. Of course, considering how many non-combatants and Wall Sina natives were in the room, it was no surprise they were all staring at Eren as though he had just attempted to crush them.

"Where is this 'Mikasa Ackerman'?"

"Here, sir." A young woman with the blackest hair he'd ever seen stepped forward, and as all eyes fell on her, the whispers grew in intensity, though not because she'd survived a Titan attack if the looks being cast on her were any indication. Erwin would have only spared her an aside glance had he not noticed her eyes. Narrow and dark, they looked so… different… Glancing up at Nile, he found the other commander shuffling through his papers, stopping to frown at something he saw in them, a dark cloud forming over his face. Was he, too, remembering what he'd said during Pixis' honors ceremony?

"Is it true, then?" He nearly startled, almost having forgotten that this Oriental girl was a witness, and not some strange, mythical creature that just stepped out of the pages of one of his father's books. "Did Eren Yaeger assault you while he was in Titan form?" Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and she looked as though she wanted nothing more than have the ground at her feet open up and swallow her whole, but her voice was firm when she spoke.

"Yes. All of that's true… However," she raised her voice to be heard over the din of fearful, angry muttering, "he also saved my life twice before, using his Titan ability in each circumstance. First from another Titan shortly after the gate was breached, and the second from an artillery shell fired at Armin and myself. I implore you to take these facts into consideration!"

"Objection!" Nile cut her off, his voice hard. "We have reason to believe a personal bias is playing a large part in Cadet Ackerman's testimony. Let the record show that Mikasa Ackerman was orphaned at a young age and subsequently taken in by the Yaeger family." An almost faded memory rose to the surface of Erwin's mind, a dingy bar, Thomasin's soft, mournful voice, I think she and her husband were killed by robbers or something, because Dr. Yaeger adopted their daughter… So that was why he visited them up in the mountains where the pariahs lived… Nile's sharp tone was a painful contrast to his memory.

"Furthermore, our own investigation into the matter revealed some very disturbing details. Eren Yaeger and Mikasa Ackerman, at the tender age of nine, brutally murdered three adult kidnappers by stabbing them to death."

"Kidnappers"… what a toothless way of saying "slavers", sex traffickers who undoubtedly intended to steal a little girl from her family and sell her as a plaything for the depraved in the Underground, "how much for the 'exotic' one…?"

Erwin ground his teeth together so hard it was a miracle they didn't splinter in his mouth. He could practically feel the cold fury radiating from Levi, but he wondered how many of those shocked, affronted whispers were so upset at the idea of children having to fight for their lives? Not many, he would wager. Hell, how many of these rich, powerful men would have placed a bid on the girl if she and Eren hadn't slain her attackers? The richer you get, the more perverted you're legally allowed to be…

"While we will concede that this was done in self defense, we must question the violent nature of the act." Nile wasn't even looking at the children he was condemning, his entreaty aimed solely at the premier. "Knowing all this, should we really take on the risk associated with this… creature? It butchered two men with a knife; how many do you think it can kill as a fifteen-meter Titan?!"

While the Premier's face remained impassive, it was clear that Nile's impassioned little speech won over most of the citizens, and not just those on his side of the gallery. Even behind him, Erwin could hear the doubtful, concerned voices, What if he's always been a monster? He lived in Shiganshina; maybe he was one of the Titans killing people there, too… Maybe all of them can take on the form of little kids…

"Maybe she's one too!" One of the merchants pointed at Mikasa across the room, backing up until the wooden partition behind him kept him from retreating any further. "She's probably not human either!" The floodgates opened once more, naked fear pouring from them this time.

"Y-yeah! Look at her; she doesn't look normal!"

"Everyone knows the Titans have creepy-looking faces; she can't even hide it!"

"Looks like we're about to have a full-blown riot on our hands…" Levi muttered, the sound of his knuckles cracking unheard under the fearful shouts. Erwin stilled the man's flexing hands.

"Not yet, but just about…"

Eren's fear had slowly shifted to confusion, but now, with every second that passed, Erwin could see in the boy's face that he was growing more and more frustrated. He pitied him; this was a matter of life and death for him, and these people, the ones he'd sworn three years ago to dedicate his heart to protecting, were more concerned about their taxes than his life. Well… he did say he wanted to be a Scout, so Erwin couldn't pity him too much. Better he learn what to expect now than upon returning from a failed mission. His thin chest rose and fell rapidly as whipped his head back and forth, frantically seeking out the source of the voices now not only condemning him, but his sister as well. The problem was, there were too many of them.

"Dissect her too!"

"To hell with dissecting- just kill her and be done with it before she kills any more people!"

"What?! NO!" Eren's voice nearly cracked from the strain of his desperation. "Maybe I am a monster, but you leave her out of this!"

"Of course the monster's gonna stand up for his fellow monster!"

"She's innocent!"

"Why should we believe you?"

"It's the truth!"

"She must be one- look how he's protecting her!"

"They're gonna kill us all!"

"How many other Titans are you hiding, monster-"

"STOP IT! All of you, just shut UP!" The iron rod restraining him clanged loudly, almost as loud as his scream, as he strained against the chains binding him. "You're wrong… about everything…" Eren's entire body heaved as he gulped down breath after breath, his arms shaking, the faint clattering of his manacles providing a soft chorus for his words, every one of them dripping with malice and loathing. "From the moment I gained these powers, I've done nothing but try to help you worthless pieces of shit…" Levi shifted, but Erwin held him back.

"Not yet…" 'Let him talk… let him talk himself into a hole, and then we'll dig him out…'

"What are you blathering about, kid…?" Nile sneered.

"I took back Trost for you... I saved countless lives… and you treat me like a monster. None of you have even seen a Titan, so what are you so afraid of? You wanna hide behind the Walls for the rest of your miserable lives, then do it," Eren seethed back at him. "Take off your clothes and go roll around in the mud, since you wanna live like ignorant swine so badly! You're cowards, each and every one of you… you disgust me! If you don't want to fight for your worthless lives, then shut the fuck up and let ME do it!" His voice echoed in the chamber long after he'd finished screaming. Erwin released his hold on the shorter man beside him.

"Shut him up." He could have sworn he saw the faintest impression of a grin on Levi's face as he easily hopped over the railing blocking them from the accused. Across the way, Nile roughly shoved the armed MP beside him.

"What the hell are you doing?! Take aim, dammit!"

"Y-yes sir!" He fumbled with his gun, the barrel of the rifle shaking so badly as he set Eren in his sights that, even if the kneeling boy had been in the process of transforming, he most likely would've hit one of the Garrison soldiers standing across the room instead of his actual target. A dark shot rushed at Eren, but not fired by the Military Police.

Levi's boot hit Eren's jaw so hard that the entire chamber could hear his teeth clacking together. The fact that he was using the inside of his foot was the only sign that he was holding back; during his brawl with Mike, every kick had been delivered with his heel to ensure the most pain and stopping power possible. Of course, to anyone outside of the Survey Corps veterans, it must have looked like he was trying his level best to kill the boy, every kick to the stomach and knee to the face earning a pained gasp or audible wince from the onlookers, as though they could feel a fraction of Eren's pain. Erwin allowed himself the hint of a smile; the boy was tougher than he looked. Even with blood dripping from his split lips and quickly swelling nose, he only cried out a few times, barely even whimpering as Levi shoved him down, a boot on his head forcing him to kowtow.

"You know you can run your mouth, Yaeger," Levi drawled, staring down his nose at the boy with indifference bordering on disinterest. "The Survey Corps has no use for yappy little dogs. You're in grave need of some discipline, boy, and who better than me to teach you that lesson? Let's start with a basic command. Heel!" He kicked the boy again, and again, and again, aiming most of his blows at his shoulders and arms, trying to avoid any areas that might cause lasting damage.

Eren would probably be out of commission for a few weeks after this, but that was a small price to pay in Erwin's book. He flexed his left hand, the thick scar along his palm still pulling stiffly at his pinky and ring finger. At least Levi wasn't using a blade… The rest of the onlookers didn't see it as favorably as Erwin did, with Nile raising a shaking hand.

"N-now, hold on, Levi…"

"What?" The lieutenant sounded as though he'd just been interrupted in the middle of reading a good book, his posture much the same, save for the fact that he was using Eren's face as a footstool.

"I-it's dangerous… What if he gets angry? Wh-what if he turns into a Titan…?!" Levi lowered his foot slowly, allowing the onlookers to get a good, long look at the boy's bruised and battered face, bloody saliva dripping from his open mouth as he panted. His green eyes were bright with fury, with hatred, giving him a feral appearance. He looked more beast than man in that moment and Levi, deciding they'd seen enough, shoved his foot back in the boy's face.

"Nah, it's fine. You didn't care about that before; why get so worked up about it now? You wanna dissect him, right? You think he's just gonna lie down and calmly die for you?" He took a step back, and the boy collapsed as far as his bonds would allow. "While he was transformed, they say Yaeger was able to kill twenty Titans before he finally ran out of steam. And unlike your average Titan, this one not only has a human's intelligence- in a manner of speaking- but also a soldier's training.

Now, there's maybe… six people in this room that could deal with a threat like that, myself included. I don't think you're one of those people, Dok, and I don't think any of your rich and pious little friends are, either. If you're gonna poke the beast, you'd best think long and hard if you're actually capable of killing him. I know I am." He ground the toe of his boot into the back of Eren's head to drive the point home. Okay, he was starting to have a bit too much fun with this… Erwin raised a hand to call attention to himself, a calm contrast to the past half hour of shouting and screaming.

"Sir, I have a proposition." Zachary's lip curled, and though he muttered under his breath, it was quiet enough that Erwin still heard him.

"Put your hand down, man; you're not a child… Proceed." He lowered his arm.

"There is still too much we don't know. As Commander Dok brought up, there is a possibility that Eren's emotions may lead to him transforming, even unwillingly, and attacking humans. The Military Police may be composed of the best and brightest recruits of the Training Corps, but not a one of them has ever faced an actual Titan in combat. Even now, amidst fear of a Titan attack in this very courtroom, they come armed with rifles rather than ODM gear, as though bullets would even tickle a fifteen-meter Titan." Across the room, Nile flushed with humiliation, and Erwin was tempted to thank him for his gross incompetence.

"What are you getting at, Erwin?"

"This, sir- I propose that Eren Yaeger be placed in the custody of Lieutenant Levi whilst we conduct a recon mission outside of Wall Rose."

"And Yaeger will join you on this mission?"

"Yes, sir. You can look upon the mission's results yourself. If he successfully controls his ability during a high-stress situation such as that, Eren will have proven that he is not a threat, and that his continued existence is a benefit to mankind."

"Cadet Yaeger will be closely supervised, I trust?"

"Of course, sir. By the Lieutenant himself." Zachary turned his sharp gaze to Levi, who had grown bored now that his little show had come to an end.

"And if he should lose control?" The dark-haired man glanced over his shoulder to Erwin, then back to the panting, bleeding child at his feet.

"I have the highest kill count in the Survey Corps' history- anyone who doubts that is more than welcome to tag along and see what I can do for themselves. I can put him down, no problem; the problem is not killing him. I'm not used to holding back against Titans…" Zachary inhaled deeply, steepling his fingers as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed as he considered all he'd heard and seen.

"I've made my ruling. Cadet Eren Yaeger is hereby placed into the custody of the Survey Corps, under the strict supervision of Lieutenant Levi, barring the results of their next expedition. When will you be heading out next, Commander Erwin?"

"We'd initially planned for our next mission to take place in a month, sir, but due to our having to circumvent Trost now, it's been pushed back to May." The older man nodded heavily.

"Very well. In two months, we will reopen this case on the grounds of the success of this expedition. If it succeeds, Yaeger will be instated as a full member of the Survey Corps. If it fails, he will be turned over to the Military Police. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Yes, sir…"

"Very well, then. Court is adjourned. You are all dismissed."

Like a dam that had been steadily cracking under the pressure, the moment the Premier stood, voices washed over the courtroom, none so loud as Hange up in the balcony, leaping with joy as they cheered.

"Hey!" Levi snapped at the MPs. "Military Pigs, get your asses over here and unchain my recruit." Erwin did not climb over the partition as his lieutenant did, though he would have had an easier time of it, walking around it and marching across the room. As he noticed him approach, Nile handed his papers to the MP he was speaking to, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Looks like you've gotten better at convincing people of your delusional bullshit…"

"I have you to thank for that- you practically handed me my case by mindlessly regurgitating what the Assembly told you to say instead of wasting a few seconds thinking."Erwin gave him a mocking little bow, his voice uncommonly cold.

"I was doing my job-"

"Oh, is that your job, now?" He lowered his voice so only the other man could hear him. "Condemning children for defending themselves?"

"They murdered three men!"

"Three men who had already killed Mikasa Ackerman's parents. Who were going to sell her on the black market. What should they have done, written a strongly worded letter? You should be on your knees, thanking Eren Yaeger for doing your job for you!" Nile's lip curled into a sneer.

"You always did defend the freaks…"

"No, Nile; I defend humanity, something you seem to be having difficulty with. Make sure to tell your daughters about this. Tell them that if some man tries to rape them, they'd best not defend themselves too aggressively, otherwise we might have to 'question the violent nature of the act'-"

"Shut up," Nile spat, "shut the fuck up! Don't you say shit like that about my daughters!"

"Mikasa is someone's daughter, too. I'm sorry I have to remind you of that…" He turned on his heel, pointedly ignoring the ragged breaths behind him as he approached Levi and Eren. The boy had finally been uncuffed, and was gingerly rubbing the raw, bruised skin where the iron had rubbed against his wrists. "Let's be off before those unsatisfied with the ruling decide to take justice into their own hands. It's too late to return to Trost, so we'll be staying in the Ehrmich barracks tonight."

"S-sir! Yes, sir!" Eren rushed to salute, wincing at the strain of his battered arms.

~o0o~

The sun was setting by the time they reached Ehrmich, dust motes glittering in the windows as they opened the doors. Erwin felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him as they led Eren to his temporary quarters; how many years had it been since he'd spent the night here? Since less than half of the Scouts were with them, they were putting Eren up in one of the officer's rooms. A bit luxurious for a new recruit, but Levi, Hange, Mike and Erwin would all be on the same floor, ready to act immediately should the worst come to pass. Better he be left to contend with them rather than catch those with only a year of experience off guard. A cloud of dust filled the room as Mike opened the window. Levi waved a hand in front of his face, trying to clear away the dust, but only succeeding in stirring it up even more.

"Ugh. All the rooms are probably like this. To hell with this- I'll sleep in the stables, thanks. They looked cleaner…"

"You're supposed to be keeping an eye on our new recruit, Levi."

"He can sleep in the stables, too."

"I'll keep an eye on him tonight, Erwin!" Hange tried their damnedest to sidle up to Eren, trembling with excitement. "I have an entire questionnaire ready for you, Titan Eren! I mean- Eren Titan! I mean- Eren!"

"Enough," Levi groaned. "You want me to kick you in the face, too?"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me." Erwin approached his second-in-command, only half listening to the conversation behind him.

"Well?"

"Nothin'," Mike muttered, causing blue eyes to widen in disbelief.

"Not at all?" The taller man shook his head, barely noticeable save for the flutter of his hair.

"Not a whiff. He smells like what you'd expect a fifteen year old boy who hasn't bathed in five days to smell like, but… if we didn't have a hundred witnesses saying that he's a Titan, I'd have no idea." So much for their edge in the hunt. Loathe as he was to admit it, the cowards in the courtroom had been right; they had no way of knowing if there were other Titans walking amongst them, man eating monsters disguised as their friends, their neighbors, even children…

No. No, he couldn't let that kind of thinking cloud his judgment. Inhaling deeply, the crisp air flowing in through the window cutting through the dust, Erwin turned his full attention back to the others. Eren was sitting on the low couch, an already bloody handkerchief sopping up the blood from his nose. Hange, the closest thing they had to a medic on site, was dabbing a cut on his lip with a piece of cotton soaked in antiseptic.

"Does it hurt?" they asked, their tone deceptively sympathetic. Eren fell for it, hook, line and sinker.

"Y-yeah…"

"Yeah? Describe it to me~"

"Down, Hange; give the boy some time to recuperate." Sighing deeply, Erwin approached him, stopping short as he noticed the boy cringe away from him ever so slightly. Guilt burned in the back of his throat; this was still a child, after all. "I'm deeply sorry we put you through this, Eren, but it was necessary to convince the Premier that the Survey Corps is the best place for you."

"I-it's fine, sir…" Erwin knelt down, the hard wood floor digging uncomfortably into his already aching knee.

He didn't see much of Dr. Yaeger in the boy's face; he must have taken after his mother. His bright green eyes reminded him sorely of a boy he'd seen in Shiganshina, only hours before the Wall fell… He'd looked so excited to see the Survey Corps returning… had he waited for them when the Titans came? Convinced the heroes would come and save him and his sister? Had they escaped, or had they been eaten like so many others that day? Forcing those grim thought down, he smiled warmly at this boy.

"You have my utmost respect," he said, offering his hand. "I'm glad you're on our side, Eren. Welcome to the Scouts." Eren gaped at him for a long minute, his eyes darting from Erwin's face, to his hand, and back again, before he scrambled to grasp the palm before him, as though it might vanish if he took too long. His hand was rough, but it felt so small, so delicate.

"M-me too! Thank you, sir! I'm honored to be here, sir!" His eagerness would have been cute if it weren't so tragic. It wasn't going to be long before the pride and adoration in his eyes began slowly extinguishing… about two months, by Erwin's calculations. Levi threw himself down on the couch beside Eren, and the boy snatched his hand back as though he'd been burned, flinching away from the lieutenant with a terrified squeak.

"You can stop sucking his dick, Yaeger; you're not his type."

"For the love of god, Levi- language!" Levi ignored him, as he often did, casting an askance look at the boy slowly trying to creep away from him.

"So. Eren."

"S-sir…?"

"…you don't resent me now, do you?"

"No. I… I can see it was necessary, sir…"

"Good. We all have to endure things we don't enjoy- that's part of being a Scout. Consider that… initiation. You've earned your place in the Survey Corps… and my begrudging respect. You take a beating well, brat; I respect people who get the piss kicked out of them and keep on fighting." Erwin huffed, shaking his head.

"If it makes you feel any better, Eren, you're hardly the first person in the Corps Lieutenant Levi has beaten up."

"Not even the first person in this room, in fact!" Hange added cheerfully, earning a silent scowl from Mike that they proceeded to ignore. "Still…" They dropped down besides Erwin, pushing him out of the way to get closer to the newest subject of their fascination. "You didn't have to go that hard, Levi. You knocked one of his teeth out!" Reaching into their pocket, they unfolded a kerchief, revealing a small, white tooth, still stained with blood. This time, it was Levi recoiling.

"You picked it up?! That's disgusting!"

"Look! There's even a bit of gum still attached to it!"

"Get that nasty thing away from me, you four-eyed freak!"

"Hange, you can't go around stealing people's teeth…"

"Sure I can! It's for science!" They grabbed Eren's shoulders, pulling him closer. "Let me look in your mouth…" If Hange had said those words, in that tone, while wearing that expression, to anyone else, they would have run for the hills and rightfully so. It was a mark of how dedicated Eren was that he not only didn't attempt to flee, but actually tilted his head back to given them a better look as he opened his mouth as wide as possible. If Hange could have fit their entire head in his mouth, they would have done so. Gripping his chin, they angled him until he was in the light, their wide, nearly manic smile dropping from their face, leaving shock… and fear.

"What?" Levi straightened as all three men tensed. "What is it?"

"His tooth… It… grew back…"

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A/N-Writing what essentially boils down to novelizations of things is my specialty. I know some people don't like that in fanfiction, but I can't rightfully write a story about Erwin's life while not including canon aspects of Erwin's life. I really, really, really hate the idea that he just played that trial "by ear" and that things just so happened to go the way he wanted them to- which is something that's actually a big aspect of his character, and it drives me literally insane.The series makes it seem like characters are smart, but most of the time, they're just lucky.Especially Erwin.Maybe this bothers me more than most people, but too much of it reminds me of something a very wise man once said about a show called Sherlock- "Sherlock (or in this case, AoT) gives you a meaningless glimpse of a trivial piece of the puzzle, then produces the finished puzzle and tells you 'It was very hard, I promise'." (Looking at you, "Armin recognizing Marco's ODM gear at a glance"...)