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Chapter Text

Mikasa was giving him that warm soft smile again. She had already brushed her short bangs out of her face, a thick lock of ebony hair behind her left ear. So much had changed in the past few years, Mikasa was just happy to see him again. Between balancing her personal life and that of a soldier, she didn’t have time for everything, yet the man she loved who’s gaze was filled with all of the loving and longing she felt within herself.

“I- hope your… how have… how have you been, Eren?” His golden eye lit up, and Mikasa swore she saw dancing blue lights within his pupil.

“I’ve been okay. Working with my dad has been… interesting. It hasn’t been that bad. But enough about me,” Eren’s voice held the hesitation he carried with every word, and Mikasa assumed it was due to the things he’d seen as Doctor Jaeger’s assistant. People dying, something Mikasa saw nearly everyday. “How about you? I’m sure being a Scout isn’t all it’s glossed up to be.” Mikasa snapped back to reality upon hearing Eren’s voice again.

“O-oh, well… I’m in the Levi squad. I’m considered one of the best.” Petra’s death flashed before Mikasa’s eyes as the sound of Shiganshina buzzing around her faded to eerie silence, only broken by woodland animals and a Titan’s thundering step. Petra’s depraved laughter in her final moments, and the way she cried and screamed for Levi.

“Well, you are you after all. They have you to look after them, and you can follow in their footsteps and, I bet, easily surpass that tiny Captain Levi.” Eren followed his praise of Mikasa with the lightest touch of his lips to her forehead, rousing her from the thoughts that left the taste of bitter resentment in the air.

“Is something on your mind, Mikasa?” Eren could always see right through her, and after his mother’s death, he’d become the overbearing mom-friend of their little trio. He’d take care of his friends, no matter how far apart they were. Now here he was, only a few days too late for Mikasa’s liking. She would have given anything to have had him at that moment, someone who could have broken the trance she found herself in that caused the slip up. The slip up that cost the life of one her mentors from the squad.

Eren cupped her cheek with one hand, looking down to her, and all she could see was the warmth and sincerity in his eye. His left remained hidden by bandages, something Mikasa didn’t want to ask about. She merely basked in the comfort his presence held, closing her eyes, as he waited for a response.

“Someone died. Because of me , I hesitated. Eren, I never hesitate. She died protecting me.” The self-hatred emanated from Mikasa’s every word, and while her old Eren would have called the deceased weak for dying, this Eren, one she’d met after three years apart, was something akin to an empathetic creature. He hummed in thought, wiping the stray tear that escaped Mikasa’s left eye with his thumb. Eren gave her time to process, to gather herself.

“Even the strong ones need someone to protect them, Mika. People care about you, and you should feel important knowing they’d give their lives for you. They’ve just realized how special you are,” Eren praised her again, holding her face with his hands. Something in his eye sparked a fire within her, their proximity becoming increasingly heated. Mikasa fought the urge to argue, knowing she could never change Eren’s views of her value .

“The strong shouldn’t be the ones needing protection.” Eren narrowed his eyes at her statement, moving his hands down to her shoulders before giving them a gentle squeeze.

“You’re only human. Everyone needs… someone .” Eren nodded to himself, and suddenly Mikasa wasn’t sure if he was trying to assure her, or himself.

“Eren… are you sure you’ve been okay? You’ve… well, you barely wrote any letters and I… I was worried. If… if you’re the one who needs to talk, I can make us some tea and we can go sit down and just… talk.” She grasped gently at his wrists, removing his hands from her shoulders. She left a gentle kiss on both of his palms, feeling the blistering heat beneath his skin. Eren had started to naturally run warmer around the age of nine, but that hadn’t stopped Mikasa from worrying every time she felt his temperature.

“I’m fine, really. Work’s just been a lot lately, between traveling back and forth from the different Walls and… people. Lots of sick people. I don’t know how my dad does it.” Eren’s arms dropped to his sides as he sighed. It was at that moment Mikasa could see how tired Eren truly looked.

“Tea, then?” Mikasa fumbled for her keys, her hands digging through her several pockets before she felt the familiar cold metal. Eren nodded, silence overtaking them as they entered her house.

Small, neat, and overly minimalistic. Mikasa never spent much time at her home, only visiting certain times of the year and on occasional weekends. What was truly shocking was that no one had tried breaking in yet.

Mikasa heated a kettle on the stove, deciding a calming chamomile tea would suit their needs perfectly. Eren was waiting for her, sitting on the couch with one leg crossed over the other one as his body sank into the cushions. While Mikasa wouldn’t go as far as saying she’d chosen her furniture based on what Armin and Eren preferred, anyone who’d known her- or been in her house- would have known the exact reasoning.

Mikasa was perfectly fine and content sleeping on the natural ground, or a cold stone floor. She barely needed a pillow or even a blanket, and slept without complaint like the good little toy soldier she was. 

Armin liked soft blankets, soft beds, things he could wrap himself up with and be content to snuggle in. The military life had been harsh on him at first, but by the end of the 104th’s training, Armin had been accustomed to sleeping on the hard bunk beds the boy’s dorms had. Armin would stretch like a languid cat upon waking up, something Mikasa missed once they became trainees.

Eren was different from the both of them, but held aspects of both of his friend’s sleeping habits. Eren was fine with sleeping on the floor, the bare earth, or even an uncomfortable bunk bed. He always had the option to use his arms as pillows, more than comfortable to lay on his stomach to drool on his own arms. He did, however, want a blanket to wrap himself in. And as a bonus, Eren was quite the cuddler, and had been his whole life.

Mikasa didn’t have the gall to look Eren’s father in the eye and ask him if his son still liked to cuddle people.

Once the water boiled, Mikasa prepared the tea with a simple straining process, watching the beautiful light orange fill up the ceramic teapot. She didn’t mind a few plant pieces in her tea, and neither did Eren.

Mikasa’s mind was running circles as she placed the teacups in front of them, on the coffee table as she took a seat next to Eren. An entire cushion apart, not too close, yet not too far that it’d seem as awkward as Mikasa felt. Her house didn’t smell like it was lived in, aside from gathering dust that made it feel abandoned. Nothing held Armin or Eren’s scent anymore, from the sweet perfumes to the musky colognes. Mikasa’s house, and her life, were pathetically empty .

Eren knew Mikasa’s eyes were glued to him, watching his every move. The tiniest muscle twitch was enough to draw Mikasa’s gaze, even as she silently sipped her tea. Eren simply folding his hands on his lap was enough for Mikasa’s spine to straighten, as if at attention and about to receive orders. The beast purred at the thought of ordering Mikasa around.

“I’ve been busy lately.” Eren felt a sense of pride that with so little words, Mikasa’s attention was already captured and she was focused on him completely, tea forgotten. Eren played with the hem of his shirt, exposing his midriff for a few seconds, smirking at the blush forming on Mikasa’s face before she quickly regained composure. “For a while, I was just reading the books and practicing mixing medications in the basement with… Father . It wasn’t until recently that he started taking me with him, to treat people. He’s never been the strict type, but when it comes to having people’s lives in your hands, he’s… serious about his work.”

Mikasa furrowed her brows, trying to contain the tiny voice in her head ready to rip Grisha Jaeger apart for stressing her Eren.

“People on their deathbeds, clinging onto life that only we could provide. People recovering from fist-fights. Others, injured by attacks… some of them Scouts that went on expeditions outside the walls. The mental hospital in Wall Rose has seen its fair share of scouts, and sometimes I go to volunteer there.” Eren sighed as his head went back, resting on the couch to stare out the window through the crack between the curtains. The sun was just barely above the Walls that enclosed Shiganshina, which meant he had to go within the next few hours. Eren wanted to talk with Mikasa and then Armin first. 

“It’s just work? Nothing else?” Eren continued to glare at the sun for a few more seconds before he fixed his seating position and his posture. Regarding Mikasa with the softest look he could produce, watching the tension visibly leave her body.

“It’s just work, I promise.” You’re a liar , they told him. The voice belonged to someone he had yet to meet, yet rather than mocking him, they sounded just as guilty as Eren felt inside. Sitting there, comfortably in Mikasa’s own home as he lied to her face.

They spent the next half hour talking about each other’s lives, from interesting moments Mikasa had as a Scout, to Eren’s steadily growing knowledge of anatomy and medicine. Moments like these reminded Eren of his shame of not joining Armin and Mikasa as Scouts, instead following in his Father’s footsteps . Although the moments Eren shared with Armin and Mikasa had become brief and far inbetween, he cherished every moment, as they could be his last.

They parted with brief farewells, as Eren made his way further into the residential district. He knew every street like the back of his hand. Eren did grow up in Shiganshina, as did Armin and Mikasa. Eren passed a few food stalls on the way to where Armin lived and was reminded of their childhood.

Armin gets surrounded by a rowdy group of older kids looking for an easy target. Eren charged in head-first, with little thought of the size differences or whether or not he’d lose. Mikasa was always right behind Eren, her unnatural strength and innate talent easily turning the tides of every fight they found themselves in.

Those were simpler times. Happier ones.

Eren was lost in thought and soon found himself quickly approaching the steps to Armin’s childhood home. His grandfather had passed only a few years before, leaving the run-down cabin to Armin. Eren could only hope Armin was actually there as he raised his hand to knock on the door. While only a few minutes felt like an eternity, Eren was ready to knock again when he heard a voice behind him.

“Eren?” Armin stood there, holding a basket of presumably fresh produce from the market. His head tilted like a curious cat, watching Eren who froze like a deer with his hand hovering several centimeters away from the door.

“I- ah. Ah. Armin. Hi,” Eren struggled with words as he took in Armin’s appearance. While over tea Mikasa told him that her and Armin got matching haircuts, Eren hadn’t believed her. But there Armin was, taller than a few years ago- with his blond hair cut short, sides just above his ears with his bangs parted in the middle. Those once bright blue eyes held a certain dullness to them, eyes of a tired soldier. Eren composed himself, wiping his sweaty hands on his trousers as he moved out of Armin’s way.

Armin easily carried the basket of produce in one arm as he held the key to the front door in his free hand. Eren was more than mildly interested, somewhere deep within he felt pride at Armin’s growth. Taller, stronger, less afraid of the world around him. Even by the way Armin carried himself in his stride, Eren could tell he’s changed. They all have.

Armin motioned for Eren to join him inside, letting Eren close the door as he set the basket of produce on the table. Armin pulled out a chair and motioned for Eren to do the same. Once the two of them were sitting, Armin leaned forwards, lacing his fingers together beneath his chin. Armin’s incredulous gaze swept all of Eren’s body that he could see, his eyes narrowing as his ocean blue gaze settled on the bandages that wrapped Eren’s head, covering his left eye.

“You look like you’ve had it rough.” Armin spoke in an even tone, unamused and almost cold to Eren’s surprise. Eren reached up to touch the slightly dirty bandages, letting out a sigh as his hand dropped.

“Y-yeah. I suppose. I got attacked by a mental ward patient in Wall Rose. They were more unstable than I thought and clawed my left eye out.” Armin’s facial features softened as the lies left Eren’s lips. Armin reached for Eren’s hands across the table, scowling slightly at his temperature. Eren gave Armin his best attempt at an assuring smile, which came out far too strained to be anything other than a forced, overly-toothy grin.

“Who cares about me? I just lost an eye, it’s no big deal. But how are you?” Eren’s head was tilted slightly to the left, his long black hair draping over his shoulder and partially obscuring his face. Armin shifted in his seat, but still held onto Eren’s warm hands. His steadily growing concern could be felt by Eren, judging by the way his golden eye seemed to roll in a circle before refocusing on Armin.

“Eren… don’t say that. You’re out here saving people’s lives. And people do care about you, regardless of how you feel about yourself.” Armin spoke slowly and willed his voice to be steady, hoping some of his poorly put-together motivation could rub off on his friend.

“You don’t have to sugarcoat things for me anymore, Armin. I can take it.” Eren was lost in that moment, seemingly looking past Armin to something the blond couldn’t see. Armin spared a glance over his shoulder, furrowing his brows when he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“I’m not sugarcoating anything, Eren. I know things have been difficult for you for the past… ten years. But nobody’s blaming you, okay? We never have.” Armin gave Eren’s hands a gentle squeeze, trying to bring him back to the present.

“I blame myself everyday. I’m a fuckup, Armin. Just a brat with an attitude too big for my size.” Eren’s laugh was lifeless, similar to a wheeze as he looked to the ceiling then back to Armin, as if remembering something.

Armin let out a tired sigh that an old veteran makes, exhaustion and frustration settling into his body.

“Are you eating enough?”

“According to Father, no.”

Armin’s brows furrowed as a frown was fully set in place. Eren’s low-cut dark green shirt easily showed off his protruding collarbones, and the various bruises along his neck. Armin quickly recognized the bruises.

“Did someone try to… strangle you?” Armin wasn’t going to approach things delicately. The Eren sitting in front of him was merely the ghost of the best friend he once knew.

“Yeah. It happens. I volunteer in Wall Rose for the mental hospital. I’ve had more than a few old Scouts say I remind them with a Titan. So they… like to… put their hands on me. The nurses usually get there in time to stop them, though.” Eren didn’t seem phased at all, even as he mentally recalled a tall, burly former soldier grabbing him by the collar and slamming him into the wall. “This one guy… he was really pissed to see me. Said he’s seen me before, in nightmares he had after losing one of his arms to a Titan.”

Armin sharply inhaled as Eren moved to pull up his sleeves. The bruises and scratches on Eren’s arms burnt holes into Armin’s eyes.

“Eren… that’s dangerous. You should probably stop volunteering there before you get killed.” Another lifeless laugh left Eren, but this time his shoulders shook from the effort.

“And yet you live everyday risking your life. Ironic, coming from you.” Armin felt the tiniest spark of rage in his core, a building pressure that threatened for him to snap.

“Eren, I’m not playing this game of yours anymore. You have to get it together. We’re worried about you.” Armin knew Eren could feel the dissatisfaction emanating from him.

“I’m together.” The way Eren’s voice wavered would have been a dead-giveaway, but Armin had known something was wrong the moment his eyes landed on Eren.

“Eren… when’s the last time you’ve seen yourself in the mirror?”

“You sayin’ I’m ugly?” Eren’s attempt at humor earned an annoyed huff at best.

“No. You’re not ugly, you’re sick , Eren. You look like you haven’t slept in days.” Eren was the one to squeeze Armin’s hands this time, hoping the blond couldn’t feel him shaking.

“I haven’t slept in two days, actually.”

“Eren! This is exactly what I’m talking about!” Eren sneered and bared his fangs, small but sharp little things that could tear someone’s throat out if he tried.

“How would you know anything?!” Eren flinched at the volume of his own voice, shaking his head several times. Armin watched the long black tresses wave with every movement.

“Your Father talks about you in the letters he sends Mikasa and I. He’s worried, Eren. We’re all worried.” Armin tried to calm Eren as best as he could, but his words weren’t reaching him.

“I’m a… I’m… I’m a failure, Armin.” The last time Armin had heard Eren’s voice so soft and broken was after his mother died.

“You’re not a failure, Eren.” Armin had let go of Eren’s hands in favor of grabbing him by the cheeks, forcing Eren to look him in the eyes. “Listen to me, I don’t know what or who has gotten into your head, but they’re wrong . You’ve never been a failure.” Armin wiped away a tear he’d been staring at, one Eren hadn’t realized fell.

“Armin. I’m one of them .” Eren spoke as if Armin knew a single fucking thing that was going through his head. “I’m a monster , Armin.”

“Eren, I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but I do know you. You’re not a monster.” Armin had walked around the table, settled comfortably at Eren’s right side. Hugging Eren was something Armin had dearly missed, although it was often Armin being the one held in a protective embrace. “I don't know what you’re going through if you don’t tell me, but I won’t force you to say anything. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Armin sighed as he felt Eren melt at his touch, and began running his fingers through Eren’s messy black hair. Eren’s trembling had intensified to full-body shakes, as pain gripped his chest. Armin let Eren cry, holding him and refusing to let go. While Eren may have believed he wasn’t worth the time or the effort, Armin had the opposite to prove.

“You and Mikasa mean the world to me, Eren. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. And… if something ever does, I’ll… I’ll get revenge, before I join you. We promised each other we’d meet again in hell, and I meant it when I made that promise.” Armin leaned in to rest his head atop Eren’s, deeply inhaling the fresh scents that still lingered on Eren’s clean yet unbrushed hair.

Eren’s scent was off. While not completely unrecognizable, it wasn’t the smell Armin was expecting. The smell of petrichor and pine were almost completely masked by something far sweeter, something that made Armin almost begin drooling. Eren was unmistakably anything but that .

“E-E-Er… Eren. Do you have ah… how should I say this, any Omega friends?” Armin knew the question was sudden as he felt Eren go rigid in his arms. Armin brushed Eren’s hair from his face, seeing the panic that had settled onto Eren’s features. The blueberry pancakes just simply couldn’t get out of Armin’s head.

“N-no. I am… the… it’s me.” Eren left the word Omega unspoken, gaze following Armin’s hands as he brushed the fabric covering Eren’s shoulders away. Armin was relieved to see there was no mark left on Eren’s shoulders.

“Does anyone else know?” Eren seemed hesitant to answer, but caved as he felt Armin gripping his shoulders. “Eren. Who else ?” he hissed, the unpleasant scent lingering in the air through his blockers.

“Just you and Father.” Armin Arlert and Grisha Jaeger were the only two who knew Eren’s secondary gender, and in his mind, the only other one who should have known was Mikasa. As for the others … “Anybody else who’s… um… gotten close don’t know my name or don’t usually remember my face.” Armin released Eren’s shoulders, stumbling back only a short space before he hit the table.

“Got close ? What’s that supposed to mean?” Armin was dreading the answer. He should have known better .

“Close and personal? I don’t know how else to describe it. It was uncomfortable and I hated it. If Gri- if Father hadn’t been there something bad could have happened.” Armin narrowed his eyes at Eren’s slip up, but they weren’t the most pressing matters.

“And you’re just… okay with this? With that ?” Eren shrugged, like the world so simple with such a broad descriptor.

“The only heat I’ve ever had is my first one. Father thinks there’s something wrong with me. I should have been an Alpha, ” Eren hissed as his displeasure was shown. He was looking at the table, once again seeing things Armin hadn’t seen. “Everything they targeted you for, I became . I’m the weak link, Armin. It’s me .” Armin didn’t have to ask for confirmation, he could smell everything clearly. The stress mixed with the faintest pheromones, weak enough to be called pathetic.

“Damn it, Eren… what they hell have they done to you?” Armin whispered mostly to himself, but quickly shook his head. “Actually, don’t answer that. You’re already suffering enough.”

“I wasn’t going to anyways. Or more so, I can’t. I don’t remember.” The guilt had crept into Eren’s every word, something that flipped a switch in Armin’s head.

“You don’t remember… anything ?” Armin was the one steadying himself now, nails digging into the old wood of his table. Eren didn’t seem too phased, only mildly off-put as put all of his mental power towards remembering the past.

“Well, not everything , but most of it is a blur. There’s bits and pieces of the past nine years. I feel like I’m missing something important, but I haven’t figured out what it was yet.” Eren relaxed into the chair as Armin once again approached him. The hands that felt their way to his shoulders were unnaturally heavy.

“You didn’t forget… Carla , did you?”

“No! No, no, no. I didn’t forget my mother.” Eren shook his head again, as if the whole notion seemed amusing to him. An odd grin had found its way onto his features, and Armin couldn’t help but move closer to try and break Eren out of whatever trance he’d found himself in.

“Tell me about the bits and pieces, then.” Armin took mental note the forced smile had fallen from Eren’s face in a heartbeat, replaced by the hesitation that kept his mouth shut. Armin took his time to slowly close the distance between them, a hand splayed on Eren’s chest to push him back in the chair. Sitting on Eren’s lap wasn’t something he did while making eye-contact often, but Armin felt like Eren needed the company.

“Some of the memories are… from the past. Things I’ve done, in maybe a past life. Lots of bad things. It’s like that… ghosts are eating up things I learn here. In my everyday life. I can barely remember whether or not I’ve eaten each day because there’s somebody in my head telling me I don’t deserve to eat.” Eren quickly brushed a bit of his hair out of his face, avoiding Armin’s gaze until he felt a hand on his cheek.

“Eren… How long has it been like this?” Eren glanced to the window, checking the time as he thought of the simplest way possible to answer Armin.

“Almost ten years.”

…

“Almost ten years ? Eren that’s… you need to get help.” Armin locked his arms around Eren’s neck, biting his lip when he could see the internal conflict behind Eren’s golden eye.

“I’m fine. I get by. Most of the time Father reminds me to do things. We sit down and talk, from time to time. I live with a Doctor, remember?” Eren’s arms had snaked their way around Armin’s waist, while Armin pressed their foreheads together.

“A Doctor that specializes in medicine and people’s physical health, not mental.” Armin knew Eren was going to try to find a way to argue himself out of this. At least, his Eren would have.

“How I think doesn’t interfere with work. So it doesn’t matter. I’m fine,” Eren spoke softly, like every word that he spoke of as the truth would fix the matter entirely.

“Just because it doesn’t interfere with your career choices now , it could later.” Eren hummed in a form of acknowledgement, but looked over Armin’s shoulder to check the time once again.

“Speaking of work , I have to go.” Eren didn’t want to let Armin go, and they both knew this. Parting reluctantly was something Armin did with a hiss, inner turmoil already wanting Eren to not leave him.

“Have you seen Mikasa yet?” As the two of them backed away from each other, Armin watched Eren’s nod and perplexion before regrounding himself. Armin had reached for his wrist, lightly tugging Eren to his feet.

“Y-yeah. We had tea and talked for a while.” Eren stood and dusted himself off, giving Armin his best attempt at another reassuring smile that was more for himself than Armin.

“Are you going to actually be okay, Eren?” Armin was still holding onto Eren, even the minimal skin contact was helping him keep a semblance of peace.

“I told you, I’ll be fine . There’s nothing wrong, okay? Just… don’t worry about me.” Pain was reflected in that single golden orb, but Eren tried his damndest to cover up what he felt. What he knew he was going to do. Armin was too good at picking Eren’s mind apart, the sooner Eren escaped, the better.

“I don’t believe you.”

Eren bit his bottom lip, drawing blood until he felt Armin’s hand grab his jaw.

“Eren. Don’t you dare do anything fucking stupid , you hear me?” Armin’s fingers dug into the tanned flesh, the blond ignoring Eren’s painful wince or how his stubble felt like tiny daggers. “ Eren ,” he growled low, waiting for Eren to look him in the eyes.

“I won’t,” Eren tried being reassuring once again. Armin was still shorter than Eren, even after several years and the chance to mature. Yet at that moment, Armin felt like the size of the Walls compared to Eren, with his disbelieving stare boring holes into Eren’s soul. “I promise,” Eren said finally, reaching to yank Armin’s hands from him.

“Okay. Okay , go.” Armin turned away before he had the chance to say anything else, movements short and choppy as he removed his groceries from the basket. Eren took the small opening in their brief meeting to make a break for the door, slamming it on his way out.

Eren ran home to who he knew was waiting for him.

…

…

Grisha was going over his notes in his basement office. The dark paired by the quiet, only lit by faint lantern light flickering by an oil-soaked wick was his company. The journal which he hid inside a locked drawer in his desk was wide open on a corner of the desk, Grisha and Dina’s photo on display.

Since revealing the Truth to Eren, he’d become more comfortable looking at the photo of his old family- Grisha himself, Dina Fritz, and Zeke Jaeger. Zeke’s wide, lifeless gaze reminded Grisha almost everyday of his failures as a Father , and he took those hits blunt. He couldn’t stop looking back to them, even as he shakily held a syringe in his hand.

Eren’s spinal fluid glistened in the dim lighting, a faint blue glow reflecting in the lantern’s dim lighting. The faintest traces of the Hallucigenia could be seen floating within the liquid, the smallest invertebrate dancing their colorful waltz within. The spinal fluid was similar to the one he had originally injected Eren with. Grisha hummed a Marleyan tune to himself as he placed the syringe into a small padded wooden box, akin to the same one he had once used to inject Eren. Closing the box, Grisha ceased his humming and sighed.

“I’m sorry, Carla,” having his ex-wife’s name on his tongue filled Grisha with the self-loathing he’d held before truly settling on Paradis, yet he set aside his disgust to say a quick prayer to whichever deity would give him pause and listen.

“I’m sorry, Dina.” An accomplice for a secret society of Eldian Restorationists , whom he fell into a sick and twisted type of love with. The mother to his first son, Zeke.

The thought of Zeke had Grisha’s mind doing marathons, all the things he wished he could apologize for. “I’m sorry, Zeke, for the hell that… that I’m about to unleash upon you.” He had a bottle of tainted wine nestled behind a few medical journals on his bookshelf. Grisha opened a bottle full of the dark red wine swirling with glowing particles, and gave himself a generous pour into the finest glass goblet he owned.

“Here’s to the unwritten future, may you survive and reunite with that which you have lost.” The cup of poison was merely insurance for survival, bitter with the taste of regret. Grisha swallowed every last drop of the resentful crimson.

…

…

Eren had fled home. Every step brought him closer to revealing his lies once more, while Armin and Mikasa remained heavily on his mind. What was once a cozy, inviting home full of warmth and a mother’s loving touch had become a dusty, pest-ridden metropolis that gave the Undercity a run for its money. Those distant memories of a happier time in his life had almost completely faded away, just like the color in his mother’s old curtains.

Stepping over the entry into desolation was a sensation Eren had become familiar with every visit. The door remained ajar even after Eren had shut it behind him, the warped frame too tight against the heavy wooden door. A thick layer of dust coated every surface, and with every step Eren left footprints like he was stepping through snow.

The smell of rot and decay permeated the air, just as he had remembered it, almost fondly. The tiny whimper from his own emptiness was quickly silenced by the sound of footsteps coming from the basement stairs. Grisha held his briefcase tightly, knuckles turning white as he looked to the floor. The sudden appearance of his father nearly knocked the air out of Eren, as he made a quiet wheeze once their eyes met. Grisha’s eyes widened upon seeing his son for the first time in over two years.

“Dad. Dad. Dad , I-I I saw them .” Grisha cleared his throat as Eren practically bounded over, that familiar crazed look in his eye. Eren’s desperation came in the form of gripping Grisha’s coat, holding on tight enough the man couldn’t move. “They’re alive .” With Eren begging for attention and praise, Grisha didn’t know where to begin.

“That’s good, Eren. Did it make you happy?” Every word was laced with poison as Grisha spoke, keeping his voice level and as calm as possible to avoid Eren’s quick-fuse triggers.

“I think so. I felt… something , when I was with them.” Eren’s gaze flickered to the briefcase Grisha held, the soft golden gaze hardening to sharp amber. “What are you… where are you going?” With Eren’s attention on Grisha’s briefcase, he hid it behind his back and had to remain steady as Eren’s trembling hands came to grab his collar. As Eren pushed him into the wall, Grisha had to retain balance to not drop the briefcase and its delicate contents.

“I still have work to do in Paradis. As I’ve said before, I won’t be joining you.” How Grisha wanted to avoid saying those words, to watch Eren’s heart break all over again by his eye alone.

“No, no, no! You can’t stay. You promised me. You promised .” Grisha was once weak to Eren’s begging and his toxic charms of innocence, easily manipulating people he came across. Grisha bit into his cheek as he had to avoid Eren’s watery gaze. “Dad, please. Please don’t go.”

“ Eren .” Hearing his name from Grisha caused Eren to freeze, relaxing his grip long enough for Grisha to wiggle himself free. “Please, don’t hold it against me. We both know there might still be people in Marley who would recognize me, we can’t risk it. I have to stay here.” Nearly every word caused visible recoil from Eren, who looked to his father with resignation in his eye.

“To hell with people recognizing you! These… these rats don’t deserve you!” Eren’s pain was temporarily masked by rage, a seething, jealous pain that lit his every nerve. “What the fuck has Paradis ever done for you?! Nothing! Leave it!” Grisha couldn’t look Eren in the eye at that moment, glancing up to the cobweb-ridden ceiling.

“Eren, please don’t do this.”

“I’m already doing this. And you’re not backing out like a coward now!” Eren had pointed a finger at Grisha, nail digging into his collarbone as he was set on driving his words into his father’s head. Coward . That’s what exactly does it, coward . Grisha is once again reminded where Eren gets his blinded rage from.

“ Coward ? After all of… this , that’s what you’re calling me? No, Eren. A coward is not the same thing as someone who's being cautious, ” Grisha’s voice grew louder with every word that was enunciated and was followed by a growl, his distaste becoming increasingly prevalent. “I’m not going to throw away everything I have here to follow your dream.” Eren was reaching his boiling point, the yellow lightning dancing around his body as a threat.

“Then you are going to die here, hated by everyone you once cared about. You’re going to fucking rot in hell, Grisha. ” Grisha scoffed, unable to hide his own loathing from Eren.

“I already knew that. I knew what I was getting myself into, and I still went along with it. I have no one to blame but myself.” The light died as Eren ran out of proverbial steam. He watched his father readjust his collar and smooth out his coat, the briefcase still secure in his grasp. Grisha could see the physical shift as Eren’s demeanor changed, the lost puppy-eyed look once again on his face.

“Please. Please. Please please please don’t leave me too. ” Grisha pointedly ignored the footsteps that followed him, even as he neared the coat rack by the door to retrieve his hat. Eren’s emotions were a tangled web of seething hatred and agony, sweeping the empty open room like a storm. Grisha’s fingertips only grazed the door handle before Eren had seized his arm in a shaky grip. “Please. I didn’t mean-”

“Yet it’s true, isn’t it? How long are you going to keep lying?” Grisha glanced over his shoulder, met with Eren’s bandaged half of his face. From the way Eren was trembling behind him, he knew his boy was crying. “Look, I… I can’t go with you. We both know this. We both knew this. And… I’m sorry. Hell, your entire life has been my biggest lie.” Grisha couldn’t stop the regret that bled into his words, yet he let them. The tears fogging his glasses weren’t held back either.

“I know. I know .” Eren wiped his tears on the back of Grisha’s coat, ignoring the disgusted recoil. “You didn’t want another Titan to fall into Marley’s hands. You were supposed to die after I ate you.” Memories of that night full of tears, begging, screaming, and finally a Titan-sized child filled Grisha’s consciousness.

“I don’t know how I’m alive.” Grisha slowly eased his way out of Eren’s sweaty hold on his arm, hand now firmly grasping the door handle. “I don’t want to know why I’m alive. I’m only going to use this as a sign to keep moving forwards. Something you should do, too. You’re trapped in the past, Eren. Let go .”

Eren looked on in silence as his father slipped out the door, leaving behind the key to the cellar hanging from the handle of their- Eren’s - front door. Crumpling to the dirty, dusty floor had become the least of his problems. Every sob wracked through his body painfully, while he weakly grasped at his chest in effort to soothe his breaking heart.

He’s said goodbye to them all now.

…

…

The Gate of Shiganshina was about to open. The Scouts were headed out for another expedition, unaware of an unknown figure within their ranks. He wore his cloak over his head, obscuring his face from view. The man who’s uniform he stole remained an unknown, unnamed body on a dark and dirty street.

Eren waited for several hours until the expedition was far enough away from the Walls into what ‘ humanity ’ thought was the uncharted. As a horde of Titans descended upon the humans, Eren made a convenient escape by faking his death. Even by being stepped on he knew he wouldn’t die, so he embraced the temporary pain that awaited him. Every minute playing dead he could spend in his head.

The group Eren was meant to intercept were only a few hours away on foot, time cut short if he was traveling via a Titan. He’d never transformed before, but he could remember his father’s warnings. The first time was uncontrollable.

Eren would simply control a Titan instead.

Chapter Text

Bertholdt wanted to go to sleep and never open his eyes again, unless it was for Annie and or Reiner. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see yet another one of Marley’s wars on the back of his eyelids. Every explosion caused by the Colossal Titan to wipe out an enemy nation’s naval fleet, air base, or even large populated cities, haunted his every waking nightmare. Bertholdt could hear their screams in the quiet hours of night, once the Pure Titans had gone into hibernation-like states until the sun rose. Some birds reminded Bertholdt of children, and their screaming in their final moments. Bertholdt hated those birds.

Reiner was several paces ahead of their group, cursing to himself with nearly every step. Every few minutes, he would pause and look back to check on Annie and Bertholdt, seeing that they were arguably keeping up with his long strides, and continue. While they may have been a touch sleep-deprived and starved, they all mentally told themselves they were getting close . Close to the Walls, close to another slaughter to add as a notch on their uniform’s belts.

Worry was eating away at their every last nerve, especially after the seventh horde of Titans that day.

“R-Reiner, can we… please just rest for a moment?” Bertholdt dared to stop his rhythmic march that fell in line with Annie and Reiner, throwing his head back as he sighed in exasperation. “My legs are killing me…”

“Bert, we don’t have time to stop. Let’s go,” Reiner sounded just as tired as Bertholdt felt, although Reiner did falter and began to lean against a tree. “We really, gotta, go.” Reiner nearly dry heaved his words, coughing into his sleeve to try to muffle the noise. Pulling away revealed blood, a follow-up from too many transformations in one day.

“We’re all barely holding together. Nervous turtle’s got a point, we need to rest for a while.” Annie’s voice cut through the cacophony of their chorus of panting and wheezing, not nearly out of breath as either of the two men. “You look like shit, hammer-head.” Annie’s poor timing of nicknames angled at Reiner felt almost fairytale book-esque in that moment, as Reiner had a pounding headache accompanied by feeling like he’d been hit by a freight train.

“F- fuck , yeah. Let’s take a break.” Bertholdt and Reiner fell to the ground almost in sync, both letting out exasperated groans as they slouched either against the tree or their bags. “I think breaking my legs and waiting for them to heal wouldn’t be nearly as tiring as all this fuckin’ walking, I swear to the gods this is bullshit.” Reiner ran a hand through his already messy hair, close to gagging after feeling how drenched in sweat he was.

“I think… nevermind, I’m not going to think.” Bertholdt was ready for sleep to claim him, his heavy and uncomfortable bag rapidly becoming the most comfortable pillow in the world. “I wanna sleep. Annie. Can I sleep? I swear it’ll be, like, fifteen minutes.” Annie shrugged, although Bertholdt couldn’t see her as his eyes were already closed.

Reiner did, in fact, lift his arm up to sniff himself, and gagged loudly enough Betholdt was woken up as quickly as he had fallen asleep.

“You’re both idiots. Get some sleep, I’ll take the first watch.” She scrunched her nose as she took a seat in the grass, sliding the straps of her travel pack off of her shoulders. Her packmates- her fellow Warriors , were already off into a restless sleep that they would all likely regret later.

…

…

Annie let them sleep for approximately an hour before waking both Bertholdt and Reiner. The duo quietly complained even as they gathered their things, and while she would never admit it, Annie wasn’t quite ready to continue either. The closer they’d been to the true Devils of Paradis , the more her instincts had practically been screaming at her. There were only two things on Annie’s mind.

Don’t die, and run .

Reiner took Bertholdt’s right hand into his left, dragging the taller man along as he continued his sluggish waltz with the ground, entirely enticed by the soft looking pale green grass. Annie couldn’t care less about how nice the grass looked right then. Her thoughts returned to a swirling mess of anxiety, anger, and resentment. Although, she couldn’t have asked for better company.

“I don’t want to do this.” Bertholdt broke through the silence, looking at a few Pure Titans wandering aimlessly ahead, circling something in the open plains, underneath the afternoon sun. “I don’t wanna die.”

“Bert, we’re not going to die. I love you, but shut up. Please.” Reiner’s tired sigh was something they all felt deep within their souls, as they continued wandering almost aimlessly looking for the outer Walls.

“Is it just me, or… is that group of Pure Titans coming this way?” Bertholdt’s voice broke through their inner turmoil, and Reiner whimpered quietly as he looked to his right, where a group of at least five Titans were slowly making their way over.

“It’s not just you. They’re coming over here. Fuck , Annie, can you take care of these ones?” Annie’s first thought was to decline, yet as she saw the raised markings of the Armored Titan’s connections still painting Reiner’s flesh, she simply nodded in silence.

“You’ve transformed enough times today. Any more and you won’t be able to break a single gate.” Annie let go of Bertholdt’s free hand, cutting her hand with the hidden hook in her ring. “You owe me.”

Annie parted from the group to act as bait, narrowing her eyes as the Titans locked on to her retreating form. The Female Titan’s transformation was fast enough she was able to dodge an Abnormal from leaping directly at her throat. She crystalized some of her flesh to protect her nape and to have the force behind her kicks to send the Titan’s head flying.

The group descended upon Annie, as relentless as Pure Titans could be. A four meter had clung to her left leg, teeth breaking upon closing around her crystalized kneecap. While Annie limited her own mobility, she took the opening to pry the four meter Titan off of her leg, swinging it as a weapon at another Titan’s head. The eleven meter Titan’s jaw had been ripped right off, spraying steaming blood on her face.

Blinking away the steaming viscera that had made its way into her eyes was the least of Annie’s problems, as the Abnormal was already clambering to its feet. A thirteen meter Titan had made its way behind her during her momentary blindness, clawing at her arms and biting deep into her right shoulder. Annie tried to reach over her shoulder to pull the Titan off, but was stopped by a fourteen meter who had bitten into her left forearm.

Being overrun wasn’t anything for Annie to panic about, even as her Titan was brought to its knees, weighed down by Pure Titans picking and pulling at her flesh with their teeth.

Reiner was already on his way as backup. The Armored Titan’s roar echoed in the field, catching the attention of a few of the three and four meter Titans. Reiner decided to play ball as he kicked one out of the way, briefly glancing at it hitting one of the large redwoods and being crushed upon impact.

Pulling the larger Pure Titans off of Annie wasn’t as much of a challenge for Reiner, as he aimed for their heads and dug into the back of their necks with poorly timed claws.

The bloody, steaming pile of Titans had left Annie and Reiner both heaving in their Titan forms. Reiner’s jaw plate lowered as he released steam, both as a threat to the other Titans and to cool himself off.

Bertholdt ran over in a sweaty, panicked mess, ready to lecture them both. He pointed to the forest of comically massive redwoods, wearing an expression that left no room for argument.

“Okay, that’s it, both of you! Let’s hide in the forest until nightfall. You’re both in no condition to keep going like this!” Annie and Reiner couldn’t exactly argue in their Titan forms, which left no room for dispute as the two followed Bertholdt who was on foot. “You’re crazy. You’re both crazy. Are you deliberately trying to get eaten ?” He wiped the sweat from his forehead onto his sleeve, looking up at the Titan duo of suicidal dipshits , glaring as they walked into the open.

“ Hhhhh, ” the steam exiting the Armored’s jaw sounded suspiciously like an embarrassed, drawn out no .

“Uh-huh, you’re totally believable.” Every step closer to the redwoods was another step into the open, leaving Bertholdt to ramble hopefully before another group of Titans came upon them. “Just because this is our last mission doesn’t mean you two get to be… reckless . I’d prefer you actually kept your heads.” The low whine that came from the Female Titan sounded like a child shrinking away from their parents.

Their luck was truly detestable. At first, Bertholdt didn’t realize what happened until suddenly he felt the massive, scorching hand of the Armored pick him up from the ground. Reiner emitted steam as a warning, growling at a group of Pure Titans ambling their way over. Annie had already prepared herself for the pathetic excuse of melee combat, body easily going into a defensive stance.

Bertholdt spared a glance over his shoulders to the Titans that seemed to have no interest in accelerating their pace, the group of several thirteen and fourteen meter Titans nearly dragging their feet. Bertholdt gave Reiner a few slaps, trying to get at least one of them to pick up their pace.

“Stop staring, start running!” Bertholdt didn’t want to become a Titan’s dinner, at least not today . Reiner placed Bertholdt on his collarbone, then brought his arms up to cover his neck. All Bertholdt could hear was the Armored’s heavy footfalls, feeling the vibrations through the bone-like armor as every step Reiner made gained speed. Annie kept close behind, her eyes trained on the group of Titans that only now seemed to notice them.

The redwoods were thankfully closer than the group of Titans, enormous boughs of pine able to provide Reiner and Annie some cover. While being out of sight wouldn’t buy them much time, it would be long enough to stop and think. Bertholdt managed to wiggle his way out from the cover of the Armored’s hands, tugging on Reiner’s hair as he climbed atop his head.

Annie peeked out from behind one of the trees, glaring at the group of Titans who were still making their way over. The frustration was evident on her pale features, hissing as she turned to Reiner who stood there silently.

“H-hey, it’s just some Titans, what’s wrong?” Bertholdt smacked the top of Reiner’s head, vying for his attention as the Armored stared at the forest floor. Annie’s low growl brought Reiner out of his thoughts long enough for him to respond with a roar accompanied by enough steam Bertholdt was almost blown away.

“What’s wrong with you two?” Bertholdt kept looking between the two of them, waiting for an answer even if they couldn’t speak. Annie pointed in his direction, then gestured at her own neck. His eyes widened as he sniffed his own arm, met with the sickly sweet smell of decay. “O-oh. It’s me . But I’m wearing blockers, it shouldn’t…” Bertholdt slipped a hand into his shirt, feeling for the white patches at his shoulders. Both were still there. The deep lines of a frown quickly settled on his face, as his eyes gave Annie a once-over.

“We’re dying , Annie. Do you know what you’ve smelt like recently?” Annie responded with another growl, her hands coming up in exasperation. The steam emitting from Reiner seemed to grow in intensity, leaving a murky haze to encompass them. The Pure Titans outside the forest were about to become the least of Bertholdt’s problems.

“Okay, okay, let’s just… go further in?” He tugged at Reiner’s hair, trying to get him to go to the right. “Reiner, please… Please move.” The beads of sweat dripping from Bertholdt’s face were barely distinguishable from the condensation clinging to his skin. After a few more tugs Reiner seemed to cooperate, turning his body to the right and slowly walking deeper into the forest. Annie followed a few paces behind, keeping an eye on the Titans behind them.

Annie grabbed Reiner’s wrist to get his attention, pointing at the group of Pure Titans that had stopped at the boundary of the forest. Their unblinking eyes were trained on the trio, some of them reaching out but never stepping forwards. Annie growled once more, her hair flying as she looked around. None of them knew what would have mindless Titans become hesitant like that.

They heard the thundering footsteps before they saw the Titan come into view. The blonde hair, the wide grin that bared all of their teeth, and their unblinking blue eyes. The Titans at the forest’s edge backed away, turning around like the trio had never existed in the first place. The Pure Titan hadn’t moved any closer, like they were waiting for something. Annie checked their surroundings, to find that only this single Pure Titan had crossed into the forest anywhere near them.

The Titan’s arm came up, within seconds Annie and Reiner’s body language had changed almost immediately to defensive. Their surprise was unmatched once they realized the Titan was beckoning them forth, before turning their back to walk deeper into the forest.

Annie’s blue eyes met Reiner’s glowing ones, the two exchanging glances that may as well have been words. This could be a trap .

Curiosity killed the cat, or in this case, Reiner’s common sense. He kept his distance from the Abnormal, and partially from Annie as her annoyance was practically smothering them. The trio followed the Pure Titan all the way into a clearing, devoid of Titans or humans, from what they could see. The Abnormal sat down next to a small stream, scaring away the drinking deer and several birds. It made no other moves, as it waited.

…

…

Roughly twenty minutes passed before a humanoid figure entered the clearing. Behind them they dragged the fresh carcass of a buck, arrow still in the deer’s bloody eye. The man looked up from the grass, seeing the Pure Titan and waving to it.

“Dina!” He waved to the blonde Titan, garnering their attention albeit slowly. “Good girl! Scared the others off, huh?” He crossed the stream, running right up to the Titan with excitement shining in his golden eye. The Titan slowly tilted their head down, saying nothing, expressing nothing other than their crazed grin.

“It went that bad, huh?” The Titan reached for him, picking him up and bringing him closer to their face. Annie thought the crazy little man was about to be eaten, only to her surprise the Titan seemed to be snuggling him as he hugged onto their nose. “I’m sorry you had a bad day, Dina. I promise I’ll make it up to you.” He left a kiss upon the Titan’s nose, then made a motion with his hands for it to stand. The Titan stood without complaint, turning around to show the man the three Shifters.

“Oh, hello! I hope she didn’t scare you!” He waved, smiling brightly, but too strained to be inviting. Reiner grunted in response, trying to hide Bertholdt from the unknown pers- “I’m Eren, it’s nice to meet you!” from Eren .

Annie was the only one who seemed to have grown a pair out of the three, walking over to Eren and Dina and squatting down to get closer to their height. Eren wasn’t phased in the slightest from Annie’s proximity, climbing on top of Dina’s head to see her better.

“The Female Titan? Oh… you must be from Marley, then.” Annie’s eyes widened as she backed up slightly. Devils inside the walls aren’t supposed to- “We’re not supposed to know about you? Mm, yeah, their minds are pretty fucked.” Eren was closer than Annie remembered, sitting in her palm.

“I’m not like them.” Eren tilted his head, his long black hair falling over his shoulder. Annie didn’t remember her Titan being able to shake with fear she couldn’t place, either. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you. Now… why don’t you come out so we can talk?” He used two fingers to pull at the bandages on his head, revealing the glowing blue eye that Annie couldn’t look away from. She was pulled… into…

…

…

There were missing pieces in their memories. The last Reiner could remember was running from a group of Titans, entering a forest where they wouldn’t follow. He could also remember someone , but he didn’t know who. At some point he’d come out of the Armored Titan, and had… a bowl of stew, in his hands. Their rations had run out three days ago, and by Ymir this was the best fucking stew he’d ever had in his life. Reiner could care less who judged him as he discarded the spoon and drank directly from the bowl. It was still hot, too…

“Reiner, eat with the… oh for fuck’s sake… Reiner!” Annie’s voice had cut through the idle chatter long enough for Reiner to slam the empty bowl down before wiping his chin with his sleeve.

“Huh?” Reiner looked around, feeling the way his cheeks heated even as he tried to play it cool. Bertholdt didn’t look that surprised, only mildly disappointed. Annie faced him with disgust, rolling her eyes before she looked away. Eren was… Eren ?

“Oh, Reiner, you’re finally awake.” Eren’s uneven tone came from Reiner’s left, the Founder content with his head on Reiner’s shoulder. “Annie was just telling me about your plan. It sucks, doesn’t it? I’m starting to think Marley sent us children…” Eren’s contemplative hum sent shivers up Reiner’s spine. Reiner didn’t know Eren, but he couldn’t push him away either. Eren was comfortable, and there was nothing Reiner could do.

“Eren, if… if it was you , what would you have done?” Bertholdt didn’t know why he was so curious, but the way those dual-colored eyes swept his form, how Eren bit his lip as he grinned like he was proud, kicked Bertholdt’s apprehension out the proverbial window.

“I wouldn’t be this late. You were supposed to be here ten years ago. What went wrong?” Eren was so warm, arms wrapping around Reiner, snuggling up to his side as he stared at Bertholdt through his bangs. Annie coughed, drawing the attention from Bertholdt who was beginning to sweat bullets.

“Our… squad leader was eaten by a Pure Titan.” Reiner could remember Marcel’s face as he pushed him out of the way, Reiner oblivious as he monologues about Marley , unaware of the Titan about to snap their jaws down upon his child form.

Eren hummed once again as he rubbed his cheek on Reiner’s shoulder.

“ Marcel ? And then what happened?” Reiner’s gaze flickered between Annie and Bertholdt. Neither of them wanted to speak about their failures. He cleared his throat, swallowing the acid that burned through his senses.

“We turned back,” Reiner didn’t like the look Eren gave him. He felt awful , like he was being judged.

“You were children. No one should blame you for retreating.” Cowards was the word unspoken, hanging in the air by a thread. Eren shifted, grabbing Reiner by the jaw to force the blond man to look him in the eyes. “Reiner, let’s play a game.” Bertholdt’s choked gasp echoed in the air.

“A g-game?” Reiner’s played games with Eren before, he’s sure of it. Liberio. The stage-

“You’re going to tell me something, Reiner. And then I’m going to decide what I’ll do to you and your friends here.” Eren’s words took Reiner’s breath away. He could see things that he doesn’t remember happening. After all, Bertholdt was alive. Bertholdt was right there, so who was that blond Titan eating him? This isn’t right . Nothing feels right anymore.

“What do you want to know?” Reiner’s training was getting to his head. He shouldn’t be saying anything to an enemy. He just met Eren, didn’t he? Or, had they always known each other? Reiner felt like he’s known Eren his whole life, a disappointed shadow in his memories watching him…

“Why did they send you back?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why did Marley send you back?”

…

“We have a mission… we’re to retrieve the coordinate.”

“The coordinate? You mean The Founder , don’t you?” Eren was stroking Reiner’s jaw, enjoying the way his stubble tickled.

“Yes.”

Eren’s eyes narrowed to dangerous little quarter moons, amused by the information.

“Why?” Annie had her knees to her chest and was rocking back and forth, muttering something. From the haunted look in her eyes, Reiner could tell she was clearly elsewhere. “Ah-ah, eyes on me Braun .”

“I don’t know why Marley wants the Founding Titan.” Eren tilted his head, grinning to expose his sharp fangs. Reiner knew he wouldn’t have time to blink had Eren decided to tear his throat out.

“But what were you going to do to get it? You don’t have the time , do you?” The time? They didn’t need time. It was supposed to be simple.

“Break two gates. The Outer wall… Force the Paradis Eldians further inside. Find the King, they should reside in the innermost wall.” Eren tutted, rolling his eyes. Reiner suddenly felt like a six year old trying to learn physics.

“But Reiner , the king on Paradis’ throne is fake . How were you going to do it?” Eren had taken a liking to Reiner’s ear, nibbling along his jaw and his earlobe. Reiner felt the shivers creep up his spine and wanted to scream.

“Fake?” Reiner dared to glance at Bertholdt, who had a similar haunted look in his eyes like Annie did. Bertholdt was silently crying.

“The real royal family does all their dirty work from the shadows. Do you have the time to find out what name they hid under?” No, they didn’t have the time for that. A pitiful whine crept up from Reiner’s throat, pieces finally clicking together. This wasn’t a retrieval .

“This… this was a suicide mission, wasn’t it?” Oh, how freeing it felt to say those words. Speak his mind! The same concept all three of them had come up with, repeating in their heads like a mantra once the Marleyan warship pulled away from shore!

Annie and Bertholdt snapped out of their trances, slowly turning their heads to Eren and Reiner. Eren couldn’t wipe the smug grin off his face.

“You figured it out, good boy~” Eren’s voice had taken a lilted turn, positively purring into Reiner’s ear. “I knew you had it in there.” Eren tapped on Reiner’s temple, and the blond expected a hollow thud. He slinked away from Reiner, finding a comfortable space in the grass to sprawl out on, laying on his back. Eren didn’t seem to have a care in the world, after finally hearing Reiner’s words.

“What are we supposed to do now?” Bertholdt sounded so broken and lost, even as he watched Eren try to make dirt angels in the grass. Reiner didn’t know who to look to. They were supposed to look to him as their leader.

“I don’t know. Fuck, I don’t know.” Reiner couldn’t think of anything. They were still going to die within a few years, likely sooner if they didn’t find the Founder and go back to Marley empty handed. They were going to die, no matter what they did. If the three of them failed, Marley would send children in their place once they received the Titans. Children, just like Marcel, Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner, the first time that they had been sent to Paradis.

“I don’t want to die.” Bertholdt sounded just like he did back then . A lost little child Warrior , looking to the great Walls in the distance with abject horror. Eren made a strange noise, the trance the three found themselves under suddenly gone.

“I’m not going to let them kill you,” Eren had rolled over to lie on his stomach, his feet kicking the air behind him. He looked so unassuming, but… something told the trio’s instincts otherwise. “I like you.”

“What?” Annie voiced her confusion, glaring at Eren like one would an enemy. Her uneasiness drifted off her skin in waves, but Eren’s little chirp was like a thread finally snapping.

“I like you three, so you’re going to live.” Eren nodded, mostly to himself, although he didn’t know how he was going to keep them alive, but he liked this little pack. He wanted them more than they wanted themselves.

“This might sound surprising, Eren , but we all have less than a few years left to live. Titan-shifters… uh… have this… curse .” Bertholdt typically approached the matter delicately, since he had the most will to live out of the three. But something told him, deep inside, he might as well just get it out of the way.

“Curse? Tell me more?” Eren tilted his head again, those innocent looking eyes drawing Bertholdt in just like before. Letting their guard down around Eren was surprisingly easy…

“When a Titan-shifter’s power gets handed down, they only live for thirteen years. The uh… previous shifter dies, because they get eaten by the Pure Titan, and the new shifter… has only thirteen years to live afterwards.” Eren was practically melting into the ground of boredom, mentally chiding Marley for being reckless.

“What if I told you there’s a way to undo that?” A smug, cat-like grin spread on Eren’s features, as he rolled over onto his back. Bertholdt looked funny upside down. “Would you like to know, tree-man?”

“Marley has studied the Titan-shifters for years and never found a way to undo the Curse of Ymir.” Bertholdt was idly wringing his hands together, watching as Eren batted away some dandelion fluff floating through the air.

“Has Marley ever had all of the pieces?” Annie and Reiner quickly followed Bertholdt’s confusion, eyes glued to Eren’s every move as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. “They hold seven of the nine, right?”

“Yes.” Reiner answered this time, vehemently cursing himself internally as Eren’s gaze landed on him, smirking like a proud parent. Something about Eren’s smile sent shivers up Reiner’s spine.

“Then who’s to say they would have had the power in the first place?” The dirty little minx was basking in their confused stares, licking his upper row of teeth with a quick swipe of his tongue. Having these three little Warriors depend on him for answers was oddly empowering.

“Huh?” Bertholdt encompassed the energy of a fat, confused cat as he watched Eren’s demeanor shift.

“Play a game with me, and I’ll show you how to live.”

Chapter Text

Eren had been traveling around with Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner for about a week now.  Using the power of the Founder to get into their heads and force a sense of familiarity was painstakingly easy . While working past their trust issues had been nothing to scoff at, Eren was beginning to get bored. The trio had proven capable of surviving on their own, something Eren unfortunately had no talent with. They were all talented with hunting and foraging, while Eren relied on Dina to find him something even vaguely edible, at least to human standards.

Eren wasn’t entirely confident the three trusted him enough for Eren to reveal what he’d mostly been eating for the past three years, during every time he’d snuck outside the walls. His situation wasn’t seeming redeemable at all every time Eren had Dina do something for him, the three giving the Pure Titan wary glances anytime she was near.

Eren tried reasoning with them, saying that Dina was harmless, but nothing he said could sway them. He’d used his reserves that helped tap into the Founder’s power, unable to give them a shove into his direction more than he already had. He was pushing it by giving them false security like they’d all known each other for years. Eren wanted them to like him of their own free will, he really did. But by Ymir , were they stubborn.

The first thing he’d learned was that Annie would never say no to a sparring session, and had no hesitation to throw any of the boys right on their asses. Today was one of those days, where Eren’s persistent begging for Annie to teach him how to fight had her begrudgingly accepting.

“ Get up ,” Annie’s words came as a warning, the growl low in her throat signaling her lack of patience to deal with his shortcomings. “I know literal children who can throw a better left hook than you- now get up!” Eren groaned loudly as he pushed himself up off the ground, staggering and swaying on his feet.

“I-I’m up…” Standing was a bad idea, as Annie gave Eren no time to recover before kicking him in the ribs with her right leg. He desperately tried to push through the pain, struggling to get back on his feet once again. Eren copied Annie’s defensive stance, his arms protecting his head- not that she was aiming for his head anyways. She mocked him with a motion that beckoned him forth, ready to drop low to dodge his punch and use his own body weight against him.

Eren hadn’t been eating dirt that many times in the same afternoon before, but alas here he was, folded like a fucking pretzel with Annie doing her victory stride in the opposite direction. Eren didn’t move, eyes glued on Annie’s retreating figure. Her hips swayed tauntingly with every step she took, and Eren couldn’t help but do anything except watch.

Someone’s dark leather boots abruptly blocked his view. Eren begrudgingly uncurled himself, sitting on the grass with his legs under him. His gaze traveled upwards, to Reiner’s disapproving expression. The man even had his hands on his hips.

“Eren, what the hell was that?” Reiner didn’t sound nearly as disappointed as he looked, but from Eren’s angle, the haunting shadows on Reiner’s sharp features made him menacing.

“I uh… I told you I’m no good at melee combat…” Eren rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, trying to curl in on himself to get away from Reiner’s incredulous, judging gaze. The blond sighed, squatting to lower himself down closer to Eren’s level.

“Don’t take it personally, Annie… she’s the most trained out of all of us.” Reiner gave the top of Eren’s head a friendly pat, ruffling his hair like one would do to a child. Eren’s pout may have been one of the cutest things in the world, but not when Reiner was at the receiving end of it.

“Why don’t you try then, Reiner ?” Eren’s eyes seemed to glow as he challenged Reiner with his words. Reiner swallowed his own words, a strained and embarrassed grin now painting his features.

“I-uh- I’d rather not .” Reiner couldn’t stop the sweat starting to pour down his face as he stared into Eren’s unblinking, dual-colored eyes.

“What was it you said earlier?” Eren looked to the sky, humming as he slowly stood. “Ah, I remember now.” The cruel glint in Eren’s eyes only validated Reiner’s fears.

“Please don’t.”

“No, no, pound-town, brother, you’re going to go and ‘bag that bitch’, as you so eloquently said earlier. Right ?” While Eren may have been shorter than Reiner, the way the tiny gremlin of a man sometimes carried himself made Reiner feel like an insignificant small creature. Eren was looking up into Reiner’s eyes, waiting for the taller man to give in like he’s continued to over the past week.

“ Fine .” Reiner begrudgingly stood to his feet, internally screaming as he trotted up to Annie. She must have heard their entire conversation, with the way she turned to Reiner with likely the scariest expression he’s seen from her in his entire life. “H-hey, Annie… I was wondering if-”

Annie deftly cut Reiner off with a kick below the belt. Eren couldn’t be more smug as he watched the Armored Titan collapse into a heap on the ground.

“You should learn to keep your mouth shut, Reiner.” Annie huffed, exuding her annoyance as she stormed away from the two with visibly reddened cheeks. Reiner thought his torment was finally over, this is it, this is how he’s going to die. Neutered by A-

“Annie! You forgot to finish the job! You’re not going easy on monkey-brain over here, are you?” Fuck. Fuck you, Jaeger.

“Eren. Eren. No. ” The whine that bubbled its way through Reiner’s throat was a sad and defeated one, as he saw Annie’s shadow growing ever closer and looming over him.

Annie didn’t stop using Reiner as a punching bag until steam emitted from nearly every body part, his broken nose and jaw keeping him quiet for a while. Eren hovered over him with that menacing smile that drove Reiner crazy . Eren was perched on a log with all the grace of a particularly rude toad, chuckling as Reiner slowly uncurled himself and dragged his own body through the dirt. Reiner hoped his bloody, unblinking stare conveyed his words. I’ll kill you.

…

…

Bertholdt had just returned from looking for food within the forest, walking in on what looked like an attempted murder . Annie, of course, was the killer of the scenario, completely unharmed and fuming her rage away at the campfire, tossing rocks and small sticks into the fire. Eren and Reiner on the other hand… Bertholdt shuddered thinking what they said to piss off Annie like that. Reiner was producing more steam than steamed vegetables from Hizuru. Eren had a broken, bloody nose that was steaming as it healed, and several bruises littering his exposed forearms and collarbones.

“E-everyone… I’m back…” The mixed glances Bertholdt received did nothing to quell his steadily rising anxiety. He said nothing else as he scampered over to where Annie sat, tossing his bag to the ground before collapsing on the ground next to the fire.

“You’re late,” Annie said calmly. There was nothing in her voice for Bertholdt to gauge how she felt, so he hoped it would stay only a statement.

“U-uh, yeah. I got a bit… distracted? I saw this really colorful caterpillar, and I just… stood there, watching it for a.. I don’t know how long.” Bertholdt winced once the words left his mouth, hearing Annie’s disappointed sigh left him feeling hollow inside.

“A caterpillar , Bert? Really?” Bertholdt was glad he was already sitting, as his world began to spin as Annie placed a kiss on his cheek. “You’re so stupidly adorable, you know that?” Bertholdt had no retort as he stuttered and fussed, waving his hands in the air.

“You two are adorable together.” Eren’s musing broke the two out of their daze, earning him a kick to the knee from Annie. Reiner would’ve worn a smirk of victory if he could move his jaw.

“You three have been… uh… practicing?” Bertholdt’s wise choice of words received the flattest expressions from both Eren and Reiner, but a terrifyingly smug grin from Annie. “Oh, Annie…”

“Huh? They asked for it. Those two dickwads share a single brain cell, they deserved it.” Annie tilted her head, her unblinking sky blue eyes boring holes into Bertholdt. He shrinks away from her gaze, reaching for his dark green travel pack in an attempt to quickly change the topic.

“I got food! Mostly mushrooms and berries, but it’s better than nothing?” Bertholdt couldn’t even fake sounding proud of himself, holding up a handful of dark purple berries.

“Are they poisonous?” Eren was already reaching for one of the berries, barely chewing before he licked his lips. Annie and Bertholdt waited for a reaction.

“I guess not,” Annie sighed as she grabbed a few of the berries from Bertholdt’s open hand. “They taste like elderberries.” Bertholdt scoffed.

“I wasn’t going to bring out the dubious ones immediately , those are for later.” Annie raised a brow.

“Huh?”

…

“Face it, Annie, we’re all stressed to hell. So why not… get high instead?” While Annie was disappointed, Eren and Reiner were certainly interested .

“Oh! My first few months out here I accidentally kept eating toxic berries. The side effects are… not cool , let’s just say… I didn’t know humans could throw up that much.” Eren’s lack of survival skills was something the trio worried about, but put to the back of their minds with the way he tilted his head cutely and fluttered his lashes to distract them.

“Ugh, no. I’d rather not have another experience like that… No, the stuff I got is different.” Bertholdt retrieved a slimy, glistening mushroom from his bag after placing the handful of berries on a cloth and handing them to Annie. “ This will have you seeing things, but only if you’re not… sensitive? You shouldn’t throw up.” Bertholdt pocketed the mushroom before Eren could reach it.

Annie’s eye roll might as well have been her eyes doing an entire three-sixty, yet Bertholdt ignored her for now. He snuck a glance at Reiner, who was doing his best to remain calm as he waited for his broken bones to heal themselves. His jaw seemed partially movable now at least.

Everything was calm, quiet, and peaceful, until Reiner was healed enough to move. He dragged himself through the grass and mud over to the idiots- his idiots , who were perfectly content practically dogpiling on top of Bertholdt as they cloud gazed. Reiner couldn’t help being the jealous type, it’s what he always was going to be. He’d use the carefully calculated excuse of them having food for getting closer.

Bertholdt was the one dropping berries into Reiner’s mouth every so often, enjoying the company as the four of them looked up at the clouds. The sunlight was nice and healthy, at least until the afternoon. The storm clouds rolling in reminded Reiner of Bertholdt’s dark bluish-gray eyes, and while he’d love to stare into Bertholdt’s eyes all day, he didn’t need to be soaked by the incoming heavy rain. While the Titan-shifters took refuge beneath one of the many trees, casual conversation drifted between them.

…

Bertholdt wasn’t always partial to sparring, especially when he took into account what Titan he possessed. Being called the god of destruction didn’t require the speed and adaptability that Annie and Reiner possessed, yet he was still competent enough to take time out of his boring day to give Eren a few pointers. Their height difference made things challenging, but Bertholdt secretly liked a challenge. Reiner’s called him a masochist before.

One of Marley’s military grade survival knives was held firm in Eren’s hand, long black hair obscuring his vision as he stood there impassively.

“Are you ready?” Bertholdt could see Eren’s golden eye darting back and forth, looking for any opening he could find. Bertholdt was full of openings.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Come at me.” Eren with a knife was a completely different person than Eren with hand to hand combat. He was light on his feet, quick to change directions, every move more unpredictable than the last. Bertholdt didn’t move.

Eren had the upper hand when it came to speed, but Bertholdt’s advantage was purely grounded in surprise. A band of tension ready to snap at any given moment, static poses break once he dodges, dropping low enough to sweep Eren’s feet out from under him. Bertholdt wasn’t a fighter. He was merely an observer, side-glancing anyone who came his way.

Bertholdt knew all of their fighting styles better than they knew themselves. He could easily copy the way Annie moved, despite the size difference between them. Eren’s own weight was used against himself, so light , crashing into the ground with a thud. He’d keep Eren in a chokehold until he tapped out.

…

Eren hated sparring with the Warriors. All of them . They were each unique, grounded and well trained into the muck that was hammered into them since childhood. Reiner was a heavy hitter, Annie was fast and used momentum, Bertholdt was always a surprise who he’d move like next. They were a dangerous company, Eren knew this. The Warriors still had a mission, their lives still hanging over their heads.

Marley would only greet them with the gallows if they turned up empty-handed. Then new children would be handed a mission.

Eren didn’t have any more time left to play.

Chapter Text

Shiganshina District, 854

The cattle were content to graze in their walled pastures, playing along to their little tunes with great fifty-meter walls closing them in. Some revered those walls like they were the three great goddesses, impenetrable and forever their guard, their executioner, their salvation. Here within these walls, they toiled their lives away to a future that held no meaning. They continued to preach with ignorance, even with the signs right there .

Not only twenty years ago was a man found beyond the walls, but within the last ten, a woman as well. They were not accustomed to life within the walls, and yet the cattle still welcomed them. Claimed amnesia, made stories to cover up their true identities. The falsehoods were once a shroud of added protection that the guards had made in order to help those beyond the walls integrate into society.

After all, there were no other humans outside of the walls, only Titans . The humans were a flock of sheep, corralled by their False King and the puppeteer behind him, working in the shadows as one of the wolves. The Titans had been inside the walls for as long as they had been there, and the sheep only made the mistake to let more of the wolves inside. 

…

“Dr. Jaeger, are you available anytime this week?” Grisha was pulled from his thoughts, the devil’s voice inside his head, sharp as needles. He pushed back the memories of Marley, and reminded himself. He was one of them.

“What? Oh, yes, I have an opening today around two, is something the matter Mr Kolher?” Grisha fell into his professional manner of speech easily, masking his discomfort smoothly, regarding the Paradisian-Eldian steadily.

“Well, it’s my wife…” The man began once again, rambling about his wife’s recent illness. The symptoms were the same as the ones Grisha had been hearing all week, and the doctor knew another epidemic had swept through the outlier city. With a sigh, he readjusted his glasses and gave the man simple instructions. The virus wasn’t deadly, only very contagious and that proper precautionary measures should be taken.

Grisha wasn’t going to talk to any of them longer than he had to. His nerves had already been breathing down his neck, haunting him in Dina and Zeke’s voices. Grisha reprimanded himself, things would be different this time. He would be different this time.

…

Trost District, 854

The recent addition to the newspapers within the wall struck a nerve. Grisha already had speculated Eren’s disappearance would be eventually known, but the several other disappearances and suspected murders from territory disputes between the gangs in the area was shocking. He couldn’t imagine how Armin or Mikasa felt, only seeing their childhood friend for a few hours at a time… and then this .

Some of the bodies weren’t identified, mangled beyond recognition. They could very well believe one of those corpses could be Eren. Some of the bodies were strewn about, dismembered, with a few organs removed. Grisha could remember the scenery, almost fondly. Ribcages split open, every rib pulled back with the lungs outside of the body. A beautiful attempt at an angel.

…

Shiganshina District, 855

Grisha had been following the trail of crumbs Eren left behind. Discovering the deceased Scout was the first treat Eren had left behind. The body was rotting, swarmed by rats and flies by the time Grisha stumbled upon it. He wasn’t fond of this part of the town, crawling with filth and death. Several of the buildings to the west side were empty, often used as warehouses for several groups that lived within the interior walls. Wall Maria was simply the placeholder, where MP’s wouldn’t travel to. They wouldn’t dirty their shining, leather boots with the poor.

For the first month, Grisha believed there was no correlation between the victims. He began his research in Trost, forced to mingle within unpleasant figures that pulled strings in the underground. They were helpful, provided Grisha returned their favors with his services. Being a doctor often meant being versed in the fine art of poison, carefully crafted with little to no taste.

Grisha had provided the exterior wall the means of execution, given that Wall Rose’s puppeteers could pull their weight. Returning to the Capital, Mitras, would be a simple yet arduous process by ferry.

He could feel the tension in the air, electricity licking his skin, taunting him. The pain behind his left eye returned, continuing even after he’d momentarily removed his glasses. Grisha could feel him closing in, mocking, screaming within his mind the same ferocity as a feral beast.

Eren was closing in, and Grisha was counting the hours until the false paradise awoke from their long dream.

…

Annie hasn't run this fast before in her life. They were going to do it. They were going inside . She’d been gathering as many Pure Titans as she could with her scream, strikingly aware of the weight on her shoulders. Reiner and Bertholdt on her left shoulder, open cuts on their palms. Dozens of Pure Titans nipped at her heels, her hair, her arms swinging as she ran.

Annie had been gathering the Pure Titans for two hours, bringing them ever closer to the great walls that imprisoned their people, Marley’s enemies, followed by the promise of death and decay Annie couldn’t get out of her head. Her large form panted from the unending strain, every breath followed by a blast of steam.

The walls were within sight, which meant it was time for their positions to change. Annie prayed Bertholdt wouldn’t die, watching his haunted expression past her Titan’s long blonde hair. She was going to throw him, straight into the den of Pure Titans that already coalesced around the wall, clawing to get within the city on the other side of the gate.

Bertholdt clung to the fingers of her Titan, whether out of fear, desperation, or hesitance, she couldn’t place. She wasn’t going to. The most destructive of them all, felt so fragile, so delicate, breakable within her hand. Enclosing her palm around his body, feeling the trembles wracking through his form sent shivers up her spine. She squeezed him until she could feel him beginning to break, and reeled her arm back.

The flash of golden lightning blinded them for several seconds, but Annie couldn’t stop running. The Pure Titans were still behind her, some running, others at slow paces that wouldn’t make it in time. She screamed once again, straining the Titan’s vocal chords at such a shrill tone. It was enough , the Titans advanced. She could barely hear Reiner cursing on her shoulder, covering his bleeding ears.

The hunger that swept through them was answered with the Colossal emitting massive amounts of steam. Consume them. Hungry, so, so hungry. Must … Despite training together for several years, the commands from one another’s Titan still affected the shifters.

Bertholdt gripped the wall with one hand, bringing his left leg back. His storm-gray eyes stared down at the innocent humans below, many who had stopped to stare in horror. He began praying silently, once again, for Ymir to forgive him. The children who had been playing in the busy streets forgot about their toys in the streets. Some clutched their dolls, already crying.

The immense heat from the Colossal had already evaporated Bertholdt’s tears, which continued to fall as he kicked the gate in. The chaos was immediate.

The debris flung from the gate imploding landed on several houses and people. Their deaths were quick and almost painless, bones ground close to dust upon impact. The human screams could barely reach Bertholdt, but he could see them fleeing, staring, all in pure fear. Mothers running to their children, others standing there in shock.

The Pure Titans began flooding the city, meandering inside, all in search of humans to devour. An Abnormal crawled on all fours, jumping to snatch a soldier of the Garrison out of the air. Annie had caught up to them, dodging between Bertholdt’s legs to avoid being spotted by the soldiers panicking on top of the wall. His immense stature was perfect for Annie to hide, the faster Pure Titans that had been chasing her taking to the open hole within the gate to Shiganshina instead.

Bertholdt had to come out. They had to go inside . The inside of the Colossal enveloped him with a smothering, yet soothing warmth. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from the Titans now swarming the city, the city he breached. He let them in . He couldn’t get out, he didn’t want to. He had to .

…

Reiner knew something was wrong. Bertholdt hadn’t come out yet, his Titan slumped against the wall, causing the stone to crack from the weight. He was producing enough steam to obscure them from the Pure Titans and the soldiers, but they were still sitting ducks outside of the wall. Reiner briefly considered climbing the Colossal, but decided against it. The Armored Titan’s claws would only cause more damage.

“A-Annie… Annie , we have to… we have to get him out of there,” Reiner’s words were strained with every panting breath, the scorching vapor from the Colossal burning his throat. The pale face of Annie’s titan was contorted in pain, eyes clouded with tears. She was looking up to Bertholdt, hopefully, but after several seconds she growled, realizing the situation.

Her fingers were crystalized as Annie reached for the Colossal’s leg, scrambling for purchase on the flesh slick with condensation. She could smell the blood in the air, she was starving by the time she reached the Colossal’s hips. Bertholdt hadn’t moved, but Annie could hear him sigh.

Her skinless Titan was peeling and bloody by the time Annie reached the Colossal’s shoulders. Reiner was still on her shoulder, holding on via her hair, but every breath had more blood dripping from his chin and his nose.

Bertholdt’s Colossal produced more steam, a warning. He wanted to be left alone, imprint the image of what he’d done to memory. His eyes were glued to a woman darting between buildings, running away from the Titans, only to be trapped in an alleyway, a dead end. She covered her mouth to not be heard, but a Titan hovered over her, heavy body causing the building to crack beneath the pressure. The Titan grabbed her by the head, the woman flailing and screaming.

Annie bit into Bertholdt’s nape at the same time the Titan bit the woman’s head off, a jolt causing the Colossal to jerk. Bertholdt’s skin was fused to the Titan, the deep lines in his face left behind as Annie pulled away. Bits of steaming flesh still stuck to him, but all that mattered was he was out. Appearances could be fixed after.

The Colossal began to sway once Bertholdt was removed, forcing Annie to go against their plan- again . She continued to climb as fast as she could, just to reach the top of the wall past the Colossal’s shoulders. She was glad the wall held, and the steam from the rapidly decomposing Colossal obscured Annie from the humans’ view. Annie was aware of the weight on her tongue, and forced herself not to swallow as she threw her body over the side of the wall.

Her fingers dug into the crystalized stone, as she slid her way down the wall, having to drop due to the hole in the gate. A four meter Titan was killed by her foot hitting the nape as the Titan was forced to the ground.

The Pure Titans were swarming Annie once more, who weaved her way through the crowd and stepped on any three to four meter classes in her way. Reiner was still producing steam as he healed, wiping the blood off of his face onto his sleeve. With another puff of steam from his mouth, Reiner tapped Annie’s cheek.

“Put me down. We’re not done.” Annie’s eyes darted around, as she stumbled through the horde of Titans. Some were drawn to her flesh, others to Reiner on her shoulder. She was protecting her nape with one hand, the other blocking Reiner from view.

Several three and four meter Titans clung to her legs, slowing her down considerably. Putting Reiner down now would be a death sentence.

“Annie.” Reiner’s voice clouded her thoughts as she screamed, inadvertently drawing more Titans to her. It was too late, the humans were already dead, the ones who lived were behind the safety of the wall.

A thirteen meter bit into her shoulder, too close to Reiner, that was too close-

Annie fell to her knees as a Pure Titan bit the back of her legs- dropping Reiner in the process. She reached for him, blindly, she was afraid, so afraid. A Titan pried her jaw open, leaving Annie with a last resort choice. She swallowed Bertholdt.

Reiner had finished healing. He didn’t squirm as a Titan grabbed him, lifting him into the air and readying to close their jaw around his legs. Reiner bit into his hand, the yellow lightning dancing around his body.

The Armored manifested with a cloud of steam and a shattering roar, drawing the attention of the Pure Titans from Annie. Her right leg was missing from the knee down, her left mid-thigh down. She couldn’t run, but she could drag herself.

Reiner narrowed his eyes on the humans closing Shiganshina’s gate. Canons were aimed at him and the Pure Titans approaching the gate. The Titans clinging to Reiner groaned in pain as their teeth broke on his armor, their nails peeled off as the smaller ones scratched at his legs. He stared at his target, bending his knees as he prepared to take off.

Every step had the Armored Titan gaining speed, every breath another blast of steam. The humans shot their cannons at him, but the heavy iron cannonballs barely cracked his armor. Reiner angled his body so he would hit the wall with his shoulder. The humans were lowering the gate, but Reiner already sealed their fate.

The Armored Titan crashed through the gate, skidding on the ground to slow himself down. His feet dug into the upturned soil. He let out a roar, one the humans would mistake for a victorious one.

Annie knew better. Reiner was in agony.

…

Annie prayed Reiner would turn around and come back for her. Her Titan didn’t have much flesh left for the Pure Titans to consume, some now becoming interested in the contents of her stomach, the unconscious shifter held within. One of the larger fourteen meters had snapped several of her ribs, using the ends like toothpicks. Annie’s rib cage was being pried open, she let the mindless Titans do so. Her nape was crystalised. She’d be fine. Bertholdt would be fine.

One of the fourteen meter Titans dragged her Titan’s stomach outside of the body. She couldn’t see, with the steam emitting from her damaged eyes, but she could feel . She had one lung left, but thankfully her vocal chords were unharmed.

Annie screamed. The loudest, shrillest scream she could manage before one of the Titans went for her throat. The scream was a command, one the Titans were already following. She wept.

…

The Armored Titan dry-heaved. Every human scream caused his body to tremble, watching as they cried in their ferries on the way to the interior. The Pure Titans ignored him, ambling towards the masses of humans. They couldn’t swim, but they followed along the sidelines while reaching for the boats. He wasn’t ready to move forward, or expose himself yet. He wanted to stand there, cooling himself off. The beast rebelled, taking slow steps towards a few of the Garrison soldiers. They turned tail and tried to run away.

Reiner was so hungry.

One of the Armored Titan’s offensive capabilities was crystalised claws. The Titan dropped to the ground, digging his fingers and toes into the dirt and viscera. A brief flash of the Jaw came to his mind as he launched towards the platform, pinning a human soldier beneath his hand. The human squirmed, screamed , and begged for mercy. Reiner couldn’t hear him .

The Titan lifted his hand, picking the human up by the head. Human skulls were so fragile, easily popped just like grapes. The Armored Titan licked the blood off his face with his tongue, rumbling in satisfaction. He closed his jaw on the limp body, feeling the crunch of bones with his teeth. He sighed almost dreamily feeling the weight on his tongue. He looked up to the sound of something whirring in the air, past his head.

The Armored Titan easily snatched the Garrison soldier flying by using their ODM gear out of the sky, tuning out his screams as devoured another helpless body. He continued his rampage, coating his hands and his face with human blood.

He’s given in to the beast’s hunger.

…

The Female Titan’s distress call was enough to pull the Armored from his frenzy. The Armored Titan- Reiner- turned to the direction he’d heard the call, back to Shiganshina. Back to the den of Pure Titans, that were steadily moving into the interior of the Great Wall.

He pushed himself up to his feet, breaking into an easy sprint, shouldering past any Pure Titans that were in his way. The debris from fallen buildings crushed underfoot, sending small spikes of pain up his calves. He could see the Female Titan’s broken body from afar, how she reached for him with her only intact limb left.

The Armored Titan ran full force into several of the Pure Titans, shoving them aside with his heavy body. He scrambled to get to what’s left of Annie- picked and pulled apart by a horde of Titans intent on devouring her flesh.

His claws sank into the nape of a Titan that gnawed on her regenerating arm, lifting the Titan and then hurling it to the ground. He stomped on the Titan’s head several times for good measure, before roaring as a challenge to the others. They turned to him, some groaning and others giving their own half-assed roars in response.

He sank his fingers into the eyes of a fourteen meter, lifting it and tossing it to a group of larger Titans. He kicked away the three and four meter Titans, before starting to pry the others off of the Female Titan. He vaguely noticed an oddly calm four meter sitting on the ground next to Annie, something large and red inside of its mouth, the Titan unable to close its mouth.

Annie couldn’t move, that much was unquestionable. Her arms and legs were missing, her jaw broken and slowly regenerating. Her rib cage was pried open, most of the Titan’s organs missing or partially devoured. She made a low sound in the back of her throat, signaling with her eyes to the Abnormal. The Armored followed her gaze, growling as he realized what the Titan was trying to eat.

He lunged at the Abnormal with his claws, tearing open the Female Titan’s stomach to reveal Bertholdt- steaming and coughing. The acid came out of his nose and his mouth as he gagged. The Abnormal reeled back, shrieking, as acid went down its throat and over its body.

The Armored Titan picked Bertholdt up by the scraps of his uniform, to which the man wriggled and complained with a strained voice.

Annie was slowly rolled over, steam emitting from the Female Titan’s nape as she exposed herself. Reiner reached for her, scooping up her burning body. He placed Annie and Bertholdt on his collarbone, crossing his arms over his chest to protect them. He turned tail to run- to go further inside Wall Maria.

…

Annie couldn’t stop shaking. Bertholdt continued to throw up on the Armored Titan’s shoulder, the Female Titan’s stomach acid still in his system. Tears were gathered in his eyes as his nose continued running, the steaming yellow liquid dripping down his face. Another drop hit his tongue and he heaved again.

…

Reiner was getting tired. He’d fought his way past several groups of Titans, desperate to come within viewing distance of Wall Rose. The Armored Titan wouldn’t be able to push on for much longer. He could spot a forest of giant trees, and reminisced on the forest outside of the Walls. He almost fell over as he swerved into a tight turn, heading straight for the forest. It was close to nightfall, and they needed to rest. The trio was in no shape to infiltrate Wall Rose- whether that be in their human forms or breaking through another city.

The Armored Titan dropped to its knees once Reiner deemed them deep enough in the forest’s boundaries to be safe, landing roughly on the ground which flung Annie and Bertholdt. Annie tumbled on the ground and stayed laying there, too exhausted to move. Bertholdt gagged again.

Chapter Text

Eren managed to smuggle himself inside of Wall Rose, where refugees from Shiganshina and Wall Maria were currently being held. The caked blood on his face and his hands helped Eren to blend in, along with the state of his clothes- close to shreds, covered in dirt. His head was once again sporting bloodied bandaging to cover his left eye, which was causing him a headache, so nicely . He drifted between the raging crowds, tuning out the screaming and the crying from the refugees.

The MP were handling the situation just as Eren expected them to. By the second day since Wall Maria fell, riots were already breaking out in major cities. The three branches of the military had been called to a meeting in Mitras- which meant the Scout Regiment wasn’t hanging around. For Eren that simply meant he wouldn’t have to worry about running into Armin and Mikasa.

Over the course of an entire week, Eren kept his eye out for his three pets. He hadn’t even caught a glance of Annie, Bertholdt, or Reiner, and that frustrated him to no end. He was hoping they’d at least be on the last ferry into Wall Rose, but to no avail. Cowards .

…

The sun had long set, and Eren found himself in a dark, dirty alleyway stumbling through the dark. He’d run into Hannes earlier that day, the blond older man drinking his nightmares away. When Eren demanded a drink after winning a fight, Hannes caved in and brought him what he asked for.

Garrison soldiers had just broken up the fifth fight of the day, and it was only a few hours past noon. Eren watched from afar, sighing to himself. He leaned against a wall, peering from the corner at a group of particularly relaxed soldiers. They had a familiar flush to their cheeks, and were offering some of the older refugees to play cards with them. He scratched at the bandages on his face, sneering at the sensation. They would need to be changed, leaving him feeling icky and scratchy.

His eye caught a familiar face- a blond man holding up a stein to an older man wearing a hat who had walked up to the makeshift table and chairs made from cargo boxes. Eren tilted his head, pulling his hair over his shoulder to give him a better look. From the looks of it, the one holding the stein of what could be arguably called beer was indeed Hannes.

Eren continued sneering and scratching his left arm the entire way over to the table. Hannes froze in place, eyes widening as he quickly looked Eren up and down. He set down his mug, sputtering. Eren huffed, crossing his arms and glaring at the man.

“Still a fuckin’ disgrace, even in times like these.” Hannes let out an airy laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. He avoided Eren’s gaze, preferring to look at the cards on the table.

“Hey kid! It’s… good to see you again. Alive.” Hannes picked up his beer once again, chugging it. Eren didn’t bother to hide his disgust, but walked closer, hovering over the table with mugs and cards strewn about. One of the other guards squinted their eyes at Eren, pressing their lips into a thin line.

“Hannes, you’re not about to let this hobo talk down to you like that, right?” The guard was a man on the lax side of society, fat off of the people’s tax money, with his Garrison uniform strained on his body. He had a nasally voice that aggravated Eren’s every nerve. Hannes looked between the two, shushing the other guard.

“It’s fine, I’ve known him since he was a kid. He’s just a brat.” Hannes waved his hand dismissively, trying to give the other guard his best reassuring smile. Eren groaned and kicked the man’s seat from under him, the tiniest sliver of a grin gracing his features as the guard fell on his behind.

“What the hell, kid?!” The man struggled to get up, and spat on the ground. He was balling his hands into fists, looking ready to take the first strike at Eren. Good.

“Sorry, were you using that?” Eren taunted him, tilting his head again as he regarded the man with his good eye. The soldier was practically fuming at the mouth as he grabbed Eren by the collar, lifting him to his toes.

“I think this brat needs to be taught a lesson, ey boys?” The other Garrison soldiers at the table, excluding Hannes, stood up. A few cracked their knuckles, all itching for a fight. Eren smirked internally, as he faked fear on the outside.

“It was just a joke…” Eren tried to sound as pathetic as he could manage, but this only further angered the guard. He was grabbed by the jaw, and forced to look to the right.

“Just a joke, huh? Well then… I guess you’re about to find out what real comedy is.” Eren’s jaw was released as the guard punched him in the abdomen, then kicked his shin. The other guards ignored Hannes’ pleas to stop, circling Eren like he was another slice of fresh meat for them to enjoy. Eren couldn’t stop his own low chuckle from leaving his throat even as he was doubled over in pain, looking up at the guard through his long hair.

“That's the best you got?” Eren enjoyed the man’s surprise that turned into a seething rage, as he stood up and delivered the best below-the-belt kick he had. Watching the overly cocky guard crumple to the ground in pain was already a rewarding sight, but looking up to the other guards who now seemed hesitant was simply divine. “Come on, cowards. Fight me.”

Eren even allowed them a little treat, to come at him all at once. He’d put his hair up into a bun to keep it out of the way. The guards got a few good hits in, but Eren still had them on the cobbled ground by the end of the brawl. He felt the excitement crawl up his spine as the fight had attracted a small crowd.

Hannes had to pull Eren away from the first guard before he could disfigure his face any further.

…

Hannes was both impressed, and disappointed in Eren’s behavior. He hadn’t seen the kid in months, and now he shows up after the Breach of Shiganshina and Wall Maria and the first thing he does is start a fight with Garrison soldiers. Eren then demanded Hannes bring him four beers, to which Hannes agreed to. He didn’t think Eren would attack him next, but Hannes still wanted to be precautionary over anything.

Eren had found a canal to settle on the ground next to, swinging his legs over the edge and looking down into the water. Hannes swallowed his fear, bending over to place the wooden mugs on the ground next to Eren. The brunet sighed, running his fingers through his greasy hair.

“Fuck, I need a bath…” Hannes snorted, taking in Eren’s appearance.

“Yeah, you do. Looks like you’ve been through hell and back.” Eren turned to him, raising a brow. Hannes covered his laugh with a cough and his hand, feeling bashed for bringing up the obvious.

“R-right… Shiganshina. That is hell.” Eren schooled his expression, giving Hannes an empathetic look.

“Can’t imagine what it was like for you, having to actually do your job.” Eren’s demeanor instantly turned sour and sarcastic. Hannes could only feel shame, nodding as he gave Eren a farewell. He couldn’t face the kid after his failures.

Eren said nothing as he left, picking up one of the mugs and downing it in one go. His thoughts briefly wandered, wondering if Armin and Mikasa made it out alive.

…

Slumping against a wall in a back alley wasn’t Eren’s favorite pastime, but people watching was. He hadn’t eaten in days, beginning to feel the toll from all of the recent bouts of adrenaline. Outside the walls was fun, but relatively lonely. Inside the walls were boring, too stuffy. Watching the cattle run for their lives was entertaining, while it lasted. He couldn’t count the amount of fights he’d gotten into since Wall Maria fell.

Hours after the sun had already set, the town wasn’t getting any quieter. Eren could hear yelling in the distance, the whirring of ODM gear, and the constant thrum of feet against the cobblestone paths. The alcohol had long set into his system, but his buzz wasn’t a pleasant one. He was nauseous and sweaty. He felt too hot for the grimy clothes that stuck to his skin.

Eren’s questionable peace was interrupted by someone else stumbling into the alley, reeking of booze. The person had the insignia of the Garrison on their jacket, and looked to be one of the guards he’d fought earlier. His distaste was becoming an annoying constant.

The man approached him, feeling along the wall as he struggled to walk. He stopped right behind Eren, breathing down his neck. Every hair on Eren’s body stood up at the awful feeling, having someone’s hot breath on him, someone he didn’t like . One of the many pigs within the walls. He turned to greet the man, barely holding the urge to vomit.

“Can I help you?” Eren’s voice sent shivers up the man’s spine, as he gave Eren a perverted grin. Some drool dripped from his mouth, his face was flushed, and his eyes unfocused. The man was clearly intoxicated, and his lack of inhibition pushed him to grab Eren’s arm.

“Yeah, you… you can.” The man chuckled, gaze traveling to Eren’s neck, and to his exposed collarbones. Eren growled in warning, although he knew the man would only ignore him. Having only one eye meant limited visibility, which left Eren jolting when he felt a hand caressing his hip.

“What are you-” Eren was cut off as he was pushed up against the wall, and the man’s hand was now traveling up his shirt. He could feel the man’s leg between his own, kneeing him as he breathed in Eren’s scent.

“Baby, why are you out here alone when you smell that good?” Eren quickly sobered up as the rising urge to vomit smacked him at the same time the man’s repulsive scent hit his nose.

“Fuck off.” The guard ignored Eren’s words, releasing his arm to tug at Eren’s hair. The pain on his scalp was almost unnoticeable as he tried to push the man away, his hands on his chest. The guard continued to ignore him, his mouth close to Eren’s neck as he inspected his shoulder.

“Unmated, too, that’s good news for me, heh.” Eren couldn’t fight a whimper as the man licked his neck, but he hadn’t whimpered out of fear. Something snapped in him at that moment, as he grabbed the man’s arm, switching their positions as he pushed him against the wall. Bending the guard’s arm behind his back, Eren snarled.

“I said fuck off , or are you deaf?” The guard seemed to be angry at the sudden change, the acrid taste in the air enough to make Eren gag. The guard threw his head back, hitting Eren in the nose, causing him to release the guard and stumble back a few steps. The guard was quick to jump on him, pinning him to the ground.

“You’re a feisty little bitch , I’ll give you that.” The guard was holding Eren’s hands above his head, and had forced his legs apart with a knee. Eren thrashed for freedom, growling as he snapped his teeth at the guard who pulled away just in time. The man continued to glare down at Eren, but his eyes were clouded with lust that had Eren recoiling in discomfort. His heart hammered painfully in his chest, and every breath was a pained one choked with the awful taste of the air.

The guard tugged at the drawstrings on Eren’s shirt, humming in satisfaction as he exposed more of Eren’s unblemished, tanned skin. The guard’s fatal flaw, however, was forgetting to cover Eren’s mouth.

“Annie!” He didn’t know why the short one came to mind first, and not his two best friends. The electricity that licked at his skin reassured him he’d made the right choice, however. The guard let go of his shirt, quickly slapping a hand over Eren’s mouth. He cursed under his breath, checking the entry to the alleyway, and then laughing as the short woman came into view.

Annie was fuming. She’d been searching for Eren all day, and had resigned herself to sleep at that hour. She clearly had haphazardly thrown clothes on, her white shirt falling off of her shoulder and her sleep shorts not properly sitting over her hips. Her hair was down, bangs covering her right eye. She panted from the exertion of running to the alley. The guard scoffed at her, rolling his eyes. Annie rushed over, barely giving the guard to blink as she swiftly kicked him in the side of the head.

The guard fell over, unconscious. Eren pushed himself up, taking Annie’s offered hand to help him stand. She punched him in the stomach, sending him straight to the ground again.

“You’re out of my sight for one week , and this is the shit you get into?” She angrily gestured to Eren and the guard with her hands, dropping them in exasperation as Eren gave an airy laugh in response.

“Nice save, Annie…” Annie helped Eren to his feet again, death grip on his wrist as she tugged him out of the alley. “Where have you been, by the way?” Annie gave him another glare, blue eyes positively toxic .

“We’ll talk about it after you have a bath. You smell like that pig , and cheap beer.” She said nothing else as she led him away.

…

Annie had led Eren to where the trio was staying, an old cabin on the outskirts of town that was previously abandoned. Eren didn’t see Reiner or Bertholdt, and assumed the two were asleep already. How Annie heard him from that far away, he didn’t know or bother to ask. They had been silent on their entire walk there.

Once inside, Annie released Eren and turned to him.

“Strip.” Annie’s annoyance drifted off her in waves, as she scrunched her nose from the proximity. Eren raised a brow, then furrowed them as he tilted his head.

“What?” Annie huffed, grabbing Eren’s shirt by the collar and yanking it over his head. He didn’t have time to process as the hair tie was pulled from his hair, or when his pants were suddenly at his ankles until he felt the cold breeze. Annie wasn’t done, however, as she grabbed him by the hair and started yanking him further inside.

She threw open the bathroom door, and rolled her eyes at the sound of Reiner and Bertholdt shrieking. She unceremoniously threw Eren into the already occupied bathtub, snorting through her nose.

“Stop playing with your stupid rubber ducks and wash him.” Annie turned on her heel and left, slamming the door shut behind her.

Eren slowly sat up, trying to blink away the stinging sensation assaulting his eyes from the soap and bubbles. Once he could see again, he looked around. 

To his right at the end of the tub was Bertholdt, several bright yellow rubber ducks in his hands, and another on top of his head. His face was frozen in shock with his mouth slightly open, a small cut on his bottom lip that was still bleeding. His face was red and he looked mortified, gasping when Eren looked at the rubber ducks in his hands. Bertholdt tossed them into the water and turned to look away.

To Eren’s left was Reiner, who looked paler than he remembered. He had either arm to the side of the tub, stretched out and looking horrified. In one hand was a bottle of soap, and from what Eren could see from the label, lavender scented.

“...”

“...”

“Hello.” Eren broke the silence, chewing his bottom lip as he turned away from Reiner, gaze glued to the bubbles. Reiner coughed awkwardly, reaching for one of the bottles of shampoo. He squinted at Eren’s hair, deciding to push the brunet into the water to get him completely soaked.

Bertholdt didn’t move a muscle as he watched Reiner furiously scrub Eren’s hair clean, listening to every curse that left Eren’s mouth when Reiner’s fingers got caught in a tangle. There were, in fact, many tangles. He pouted as his rubber ducks floated away from him, but he didn’t dare grab them.

Reiner wasn’t gentle with scrubbing, leaving every part of Eren’s skin red and irritated. Eren didn’t complain, unless it was about his hair. Once Eren was indeed clean, one could say he almost sparkled . If pain makes people sparkle, that is.

Eren escaped the bathtub the moment he could, shaking the water off his body like a dog. He looked around for a towel, and jumped as the door to the bathroom opened so slowly it was creepy . Annie’s blue eyes were all that was visible, as she held a towel through the crack of the door. Eren reached for it, pulling his arm back as the door was quickly shut.

He towel dried his hair as much as he could, but still felt water droplets rolling down the back of his neck and his chest. Wrapping the towel around his waist, Eren left the bathroom- leaving a very disgruntled Bertholdt and slightly annoyed Reiner.

Annie was waiting in the common room of the cabin, a bowl of stew placed on the table and clean clothes for Eren to wear. She sat at the table, blinking away the lethargy that threatened to claim her. She barely moved when Eren sat down.

“Sorry for throwing you into that,” Annie sighed as she pushed her bangs back, sliding a small metal clip into place.

“It’s fine, not the worst bath experience I’ve had. I just didn’t expect there to be two other people taking a bath, though.” Annie chuckled, leaning back as she looked at Eren through her light eyelashes. Eren blew on the spoonful of stew that was still steaming.

“They weren’t taking a bath, they took one this morning.” Eren furrowed his brows while confusion swept his features, as he shoveled the stew into his mouth. Fuck , he was hungry.

“Bertholdt’s a fan of multi-tasking, they did it in the tub. Don’t mention the ducks, either.” Eren choked on the spoonful of stew, coughing while Annie laughed.

“ What ?” Eren managed to squeak the word out, looking at Annie, completely red. She had the most devilish smirk. She opened her mouth to retort, but snapped shut when Bertholdt and Reiner came out of the bathroom.

The both of them were naked, and Eren looked at them, mortified. Bertholdt caught Eren’s gaze and quickly looked away, quickly turning red. As he scampered into the bedroom, Eren could see the angry red marks on Bertholdt’s back, mainly around his shoulder blades, and the steam that drifted in the air following Bertholdt’s retreat. 

Reiner was nonchalant about it, covering his mouth to yawn. Reiner had the scratches on his hips and his legs, and his shoulders were covered with bite marks. There were multiple bruises on his hips and thighs that looked suspiciously like Bertholdt’s fingerprints.

Reiner waved to Eren before entering the bedroom.

…

After eating and getting dressed, Eren followed Annie to the cabin’s single bedroom, with… only one bed. Bertholdt and Reiner were thankfully clothed, laying on the bed and hopefully asleep. Annie gestured to the bed, shrugging.

“There’s only one bed, get in.” She didn’t wait for an answer, climbing over the already tangled bodies, finding a nice snug spot under Bertholdt’s arm. Eren sighed, feeling the bed shift with his weight as he climbed in. Reiner’s chest was the perfect pillow, and sleep claimed him almost instantly.

…

The morning was certainly awkward. Bertholdt had excused himself almost instantly once the four of them were awake, hiding in the kitchen to make coffee. Reiner made the quietest yay Eren had ever heard once he had a cup of black coffee in his hands, holding the cup with both hands to soak in the warmth. He sniffed the coffee like he was smelling perfumed parchment, eyebrows raised in pure bliss. Eren met Reiner’s gaze for a split moment, the blond wiggling his eyebrows before winking.

Eren choked on his coffee.

…

Bertholdt made pancakes, and more coffee. Reiner had drunk at least four cups by now, which Eren only seemed to be bothered by. None of the shifters spoke during breakfast, but Eren couldn’t pull his eyes away from Reiner nursing another cup of coffee. He could feel the table just barely rattling from Reiner bouncing his leg, a consistent tapping on the wooden floorboards that just about drowned out the noise from forks occasionally scraping against the plates. He couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“ Stop that,” Eren kicked Reiner in the shin, who was conveniently across the table from him. Pain briefly flashed on Reiner’s face, but he smoothed it out to his normal facade of indifference.

“ Rude .” The pair narrowed their eyes at each other, Reiner continuing to bounce his leg until Annie smacked him upside the head.

“That’s annoying.” Annie tapped her fingers on the table three times before chugging her own coffee. Bertholdt closed his eyes and sighed as he sipped on his water. Eren blinked slowly, glancing between the three.

“Alright, I have some questions.” Bertholdt cracked an eye open to look at him, a slight frown tugging at his lips. He placed his water down, giving Reiner the dirtiest side-eye Eren’s seen in his life. Reiner was unaffected, rubbing at his eyes, pulling at his prominent eye-bags that no amount of sleep would ever fix.

“What is it?” Reiner was still rubbing his eyes, and Eren swore he saw his right eye roll back. Bertholdt smacked Reiner’s hand, gesturing to Eren with that honest, judgemental side-eye. Reiner leaned back as he groaned, running a hand through his tousled hair. Eren bit his tongue, scrunching his nose and flaring his nostrils. Annie snorted at him.

“Where have you three been?” Reiner rolled his eyes, tapping his fingers on the table as his leg returned to bouncing.

“We were in a forest for about two days, we needed to recharge before one of us could climb the wall.” Reiner was glaring at Bertholdt now, who was still giving him a side glance as he brought the cup of water to his lips.

“And?” Eren waved a hand through the air, encouraging Reiner to elaborate.

“ And ? And what? Annie climbed the wall at night, we got in.” Eren hummed, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

“What will you do now?” Reiner looked down, biting the inside of his cheek.

“I don’t know.” Eren’s dual-colored eyes were boring holes into Reiner’s skull, somehow giving the blond a headache from across the table.

“You don’t have a plan?” Reiner sighed, looking back up. Annie had paused, holding her coffee away from her face as she peered at him through her hair.

“We have to find the Founder , potentially break a few more walls, then go back to Marley.” Eren leaned forwards, humming again as he placed his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers together under his chin.

“I’m right here, what’s Marley going to do with me?” Reiner sighed again, shrugging.

“Likely have a Warrior Candidate eat you so they can control the Founder’s power.” Eren narrowed his eyes, smirking and sticking his tongue out. That turquoise eye of his seemed to glow a little brighter.

“I’m not really into getting eaten , only eaten out.” Annie sputtered, spitting her coffee out as she coughed. Bertholdt’s eyebrows had practically flown up into his hairline, waiting for the words to click in Reiner’s head.

“ Shit , okay, well. We could try to convince them to not have you eaten, but we can’t make any promises. The War-Chief would have better luck with that, and it’d take a lot of ass-kissing for him to agree with anything.” Eren tilted his head curiously, waving a hand in the air, once again waiting for Reiner to elaborate. The blond pursed his lips, looking to Bertholdt with a gaze that screamed help me.

“The Warriors have a War-Chief ? Tell me about him.” Bertholdt’s mouth opened and closed, but he made no noise until Reiner smacked his arm.

“The War-Chief is our… superior. He’s the Beast Titan and has royal blood, so his Titan’s abilities are… more extensive.” Eren raised his arms above his head to stretch, making questionable noises as he did so.

“What’s he like? Personally, I mean.” Bertholdt rolled his shoulders, easing the tension with a loud crack that had Reiner grimacing.

“Zeke’s weird. It’s a running gag between the Warriors that he has a crush on Pieck Finger, who’s the Cart Titan. He’s a researcher, an experienced fighter, and he’s able to sweet-talk his way out of any trouble. Personally, I think he’s a massive dick .” Eren crossed his arms, humming.

“So you don’t know much about him, then?”

“No. But there is one thing .” Bertholdt had Annie and Reiner’s attention, the two of them shaking their heads. He pointedly ignored them.

“What’s that?”

“He has your last name.” The surprise was evident on Eren, stopping to think for a long stretch of silence. He snapped his fingers, startling the three as he grinned.

“Was his father’s name Grisha ?” The trio stared at Eren in shock before looking between each other and muttering words too quiet for Eren to hear.

“Yes, why?” Bertholdt reeled back as Eren’s grin grew wider, baring his teeth. One could even call it a grimace, now.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Grisha is my father’s name.” Annie opened her mouth to speak this time, trying to shove her feelings into a dark, seething pit.

“That has to be a coincidence. Grisha Jaeger was exposed by Zeke as an Eldian Restorationist over twenty years ago, and sent to Paradis to be turned into a Pure Titan.” Eren’s eyes narrowed to those little crescents, amusing playing with every feature.

“Annie, I’m barely twenty years old. And I’ve heard about Marley from my Father.” The trio were left in silence, questions churning in their minds.

“The only way he would have even been able to have the chance to make you is if he consumed a Titan-shifter.” Eren rolled his eyes at Annie, pursing his lips.

“Annie, what Titans does Marley not control?”

“The Founder and… the… Attack Titan .” Eren clicked his tongue, like he was about to announce a reward.

“Good job! Now, one last question.”

“...”

“Why the fucking bathtub? ”

…

Mikasa was searching through a ledger in the city directly north of Shiganshina, praying . The names were organized by last name.

She’d found Jaeger Grisha, and Jaeger Eren . A sigh of relief had her entire body sagging, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

Sasha rubbed her shoulders, bringing the smallest smile to Mikasa’s face. She’d have to look for Eren that afternoon. She hugged her ‘friend’, sighing as she could feel the way Sasha could fit perfectly against her. Sasha tilted her head up, leaving the lightest kiss to Mikasa’s lips.

Somewhere, Jean cursed and handed Connie money.

Chapter Text

“If you’re looking for ways to scare people, I have the perfect idea.” Eren twirled a dagger with his fingers, kicking his legs into the water. He sat on the bank of a stream, watching Bertholdt and Reiner try to catch fish with their hands. Annie was to the side near a campfire with a small flame, cursing as she skinned a wild boar.

“What’s going through your head now ?” Annie looked up from her bloody task, huffing to get her hair out of her face.

“ Well , I’ve been hanging around town and I heard some things that might prove useful.” Eren could hear Reiner laugh, using his hands to splash the brunet with the cold water.

“Your idea of usefulness is questionable.” Bertholdt hummed in agreement, gasping when he managed to catch a bass, lifting it up in victory. He misjudged how much fish can wriggle, the saddest sigh of defeat escaping him as the fish slipped from his grasp and fled downstream.

“Rude. Regardless , the Scout Regiment’s headquarters aren’t far from here. Sure, it’s a few hours on horseback, but if we travel by Titan we could cover the distance relatively quickly.” Eren picked up a handful of the rounded, smooth stones, tossing one at Reiner. “We could get some ODM gear for you to take back to Marley. I’m sure they’d want to know how Paradis’ technology is progressing.” Reiner paused, a handful of minnow cupped in his hands as he gave Eren a suspicious look.

“Why would you want Marley to know?” Eren shrugged, a lazy smirk on his features.

“Why not? They’d find out eventually. Honestly, I’d love to see their reactions to the Thunder Spears .” Annie shifted from where she sat, grunting as she pried the boar’s tusks. She tossed one to Eren, gesturing at Reiner with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Thunder Spears? What the hell are Thunder Spears ? I thought the soldiers here used swords.” Reiner was distracted long enough for Eren to toss the tusk at him, who relished in the pained noise that followed.

“Thunder Spears are a type of weapon some members of the Scout Regiment use. It’s a highly explosive spear that’s connected to their ODM gear just like the swords, but it’s capable of blowing a Titan’s head clean off. It’s a one-shot wonder.”

“The Scouts are the ones that hunt Titans, aren’t they? We’d be walking into a death-trap.” Reiner had picked up the boar’s tusk, aiming it at Bertholdt like a blade. “We’d be no use if our Titans got absolutely shredded .”

“I have a few friends in the Regiment, I could ask them to put in a good word. Or, use my supposed recent ‘disappearance’ as an excuse to get in and have them ‘watch’ me. It’s unlikely the Scout’s Commander and several Captains would decline.” Bertholdt smacked Reiner’s makeshift weapon out of his hand, the blond pouting as the ivory floated downstream.

“That’s all well that you can get in, but that doesn’t say anything about us .” Eren tilted his head and hummed, wheels in his mind turning as he thought of a plan.

“I’ve got an idea on how to get you three in. We have to learn the truth about the King within the Walls, anyways.”

…

Reiner and Bertholdt gave up fishing, succumbing to Annie’s questionable cooking methods that involved several plants the men hardly recognized. Eren was positive he saw grass floating in the steel pot, but said nothing. Annie served them their bowls silently, tucking her light colored hair behind her ears. Her scowl was prominent as always, lips parted only slightly for the spoon to enter her mouth.

“Why… why is it sour?! ” Bertholdt coughed, pieces of grass stuck to his tongue as he tried to spit them out. Annie’s death glare was focused on him immediately.

“Found some lemongrass. An actual lemon. Put both in.” Reiner hadn’t taken a bite yet, the spoon hovering dangerously close to his mouth. He could smell the bitterness that wafted to his nose in the form of steam.

“Annie, no ..” Her eyes narrowed to fine slits as she glared at Reiner, who brought his trembling hand to his mouth, the stew burning his tongue. “It’s… it’s great, ” he gave her his best, shakiest smile.

Annie and Eren were the only ones capable of eating the stew with a straight face. Eren ate worse before.

…

Eren managed to convince the trio to follow him into the city, Trost District. On a shopping trip , of all things. Annie couldn’t be bothered in the slightest, Bertholdt pulling her along by the hand. Reiner kept getting distracted by the fruit stands, and kept getting pulled back by Eren and Bertholdt. Got to hand it to the Armored , only thinking about food. After eight more food stalls, Eren gave in and retrieved the coin pouch tied to his belt.

Somebody stop this dumb blond and his food obsession.

Reiner was temporarily placated after two sandwiches, a handful of jerky, and a slice of watermelon. The four of them continued their undisturbed walk through the district, until it wasn’t.

“Hey, ain’t that Dr. Jaeger’s kid? Oi, Eren!” A healthy looking merchant called out to them, smiling as she waved. Eren desperately tried to hide behind his hair, cursing under his breath when he remembered Annie had put it up that morning.

“Keep walking, keep walking, don’t look over ,” Eren chanted under his breath, taking Annie’s free hand into his. It was too late, their peace was already broken as a group of children swarmed them.

“It’s Eren! Eren’s here!” One of the young boys bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, attracting an even larger crowd of children. Eren tried to hide from them by gluing himself to Bertholdt’s side, praying the practical giant would be enough cover. Annie was squished between the two of them, fury quickly rising. The worst feeling was how sweaty Bertholdt’s hand was getting in hers.

“Pops said hi!”

“My grandma’s been looking for you, she’s got cookies!”

Eren whimpered as he deflated against Bertholdt’s side, ignoring the surprise Annie gave him. Confusion was evident on her features accompanied by a raised brow.

“Wow, Eren , I was under the impression you’d be the last person popular with kids.” Reiner’s voice came behind them, followed by a loud, wet, crunch that startled them. Ah, the watermelon.

“Piss off. I don’t know these kids, honest to Ymir I don’t.” Annie rolled her eyes, letting go of Eren and Bertholdt’s hands and pushing them back as she approached the group of children.

“Hey, you know our friend here?” A few of the children nodded, an angelic light shining in their eyes.

“Of course we know Mr. Jaeger! He volunteers at the orphanage and sometimes works at the hospital with his dad.” Annie tilted her head curiously, humming.

“Does he now? Well then, you’ll have to introduce us better someday.” She gave the kid’s head a pat and ruffled their hair, earning a few giggles before the group split and ran off. Annie stood up then turned to Eren, looking at him inquisitively. “ You ? A volunteer ? I find that hard to believe. Did you pay them before we came into town?” Eren shook his head, arms wrapped around Bertholdt’s middle as he continued to hide.

“N-no, no , it’s believable. Father’s a doctor, and I grew up working with him. I’m allowed to have a life , Annie.” Eren’s voice cracked and wavered with every word, and he calmed himself by inhaling the fresh scent of grass on Bertholdt’s shirt. Bertholdt was just a smidge uncomfortable. He had a hand in his pocket, squeezing the rubber duck. The duck squeaked loudly, bringing the attention of the group to him. Bertholdt shirked away from their gazes, even as Annie refocused her glare at Eren.

“I doubt you’ve brought us here just to show us… that . So why are we here?” Annie crossed her arms, glancing to Reiner, who remained oblivious, and was clearing following his nose as he sniffed the air.

“We’re going to a tavern.”

“??” The trio made an unanimous sound of confusion.

…

Eren led the group to the south side of Trost, littered with several taverns and old shops with many customers weaving their ways through the crowded streets. Reiner had somehow managed to smooth talk Eren into buying the group lunch, to which he begrudgingly agreed to. Reiner wasn’t going to admit he was trying to get a certain taste off his tongue. Nothing had been strong enough to wash the blood away yet.

“Well, it certainly doesn’t look like a famine’s hit Wall Rose yet.” Reiner spoke after another mouthful of toasted bread and delicious toppings, earning a derisive snort from Annie.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, you ape.” Reiner rolled his eyes, taking another bite and humming. He still tasted the copper on his tongue.

“I’m surprised none of you have asked why yet.” Eren took a swig of the cheap, weak beer, cringing at the taste.

“Ok, Eren, why are we going to a bar?” Annie’s poorly masked annoyance was still aimed at Reiner, who continued to eat in blissful ignorance.

“Everybody knows soldiers around here love their drinking, even some of the Scouts. Actually, especially some of the Scouts, mostly the older ones. They’ve survived long enough to see mostly everybody they once knew die, so they drink their problems away. Drunk Scouts make fantastic messengers, despite how it may seem.” He clapped his hands together, grinning. Annie’s indifference spoke waves.

“That’s a stupid idea.” She sneered at the boys, wondering if she was the only piece of intelligence amongst the four of them.

“Nah, it’s pretty smart. Especially when you take into account how much my friends talk about me, those guards get one whiff and they’ll go running to alert some others. I’ve been mostly avoiding them for the past three years, but since I’m with a group… they’ll likely assume I’ll stay in town longer.” Eren smirked like he was a genius. Truly, a foolproof plan.

“You’re banking our infiltration on some drunkards… Do you realize how you sound right now?” Eren nodded, a playful shine in his golden eye.

“And we can have some fun while we wait!” Annie was considering what Eren’s idea of fun was, but decided against it as she remembered Shiganshina almost immediately. Bertholdt started quietly humming, low enough they could barely hear them. Eren recognized it as the tune of a Marleyan nursery rhyme. One his father used to hum.

…

The tavern Eren brought them to was packed, disgusting, and loud . Bertholdt was desperate to cover his ears to block out some of the noise, especially when he heard a glass breaking and shouting. A Garrison guard was getting into a drunken brawl with several other men, shouting the entire time. Bar fights were only entertaining when you weren’t involved, and unfortunately for Bertholdt, someone had been thrown over a table and crashed into him. He shakily sighed.

Bending down to grab the soldier by his jacket had Bertholdt’s back protesting, but what really sent his aching body was tossing the man back over the table into the group exchanging blows.

Reiner gasped when Bertholdt wiped his hand on the back of Reiner's shirt.

“What the hell did you just wipe on me?” Reiner turned, straining his arms as he tried to remove whatever Bertholdt had wiped on him.

“My faith in humanity.” Bertholdt spoke nonchalantly, glancing over to the group that had a few stragglers closing in on them. “Eren, I think you should find your drunk friends, and soon .” Eren threw his head back as he laughed, hands on his hips for a few seconds before he slapped Bertholdt’s shoulder.

“Lighten up Bert! What, never got into a brawl in a bar before?”

“...”

“No.”

“Seriously?” Bertholdt shook his head, earning a suspicious glare from Eren. “Well, there’s a first time for everything.” As if perfectly on cue, the guard Bertholdt had thrown came ambling towards them.

“Hey! You! Fuckin’ giant freak!” The guard pointed directly at Bertholdt, who avoided looking the shorter man in the eye. The ceiling was looking very nice today. Reiner elbowed him in the ribs, trying to hide the smirk that tugged at his lips.

“Hey Bert, you’re not going to just let him talk to you like that, are ya?” Bertholdt nodded, hoping that would be enough to get the guard to walk away. But to every spectacle of his dismay, Reiner’s smirk turned into a grin, baring his bright white teeth. He elbowed Bertholdt again , subtly nudging him in the direction of the guards. No, no, no-

“Hah! Big boy over here is a fuckin’ coward!” Bertholdt was already sweating bullets. He could feel Reiner’s hands on his shoulders, and the way his boots skidded on the wooden floor as he was pushed.

“Please don’t, ” Bertholdt pathetically whimpered, looking down at the guard who now stood in front of him. The guards exchanged glances, positively toxic as they regarded Bertholdt.

“Bet he’s pretty slow, huh? Hey, watch this,” the guard kicked Bertholdt’s leg. He didn’t move. “Oi, the fuck?! Fucker’s legs made of iron or someth-” Bertholdt dropped his weight to one leg as his knee connected with the man’s waist, the force of the kick sending him flying onto a nearby table. The other guards, who once stood there haughtily, changed their stances, readying themselves. Surely, Bertholdt couldn’t take them all at once.

One of the guards swung at him, aiming for Bertholdt’s face. He gave the guard his passive side-glance as he dodged, stepping backwards and feeling Reiner behind him. The low rumble in his chest was an encouraging one as he splayed his hands on Bertholdt’s back, pushing him forwards again.

Bertholdt dispatched the guards in record time. He felt bad for breaking one of their arms, but the guard had asked for it, trying to drag Annie into the fight. She was struggling to stay standing in front of Reiner, feeling the warmth of his body to her back as she vibrated in excitement.

Bertholdt panted, fists still raised as he stared at the guards groaning on the floor. Something deep inside purred , satisfied with the taste of blood on his tongue. Littered in cuts and bruises left him with lingering excitement, cracking his neck as he stood to his full height. Bertholdt dusted his hands off, wincing at the pain from touching the split skin of his knuckles.

“Feel better?” Reiner asked with a raised brow, arms around Annie, holding the smaller blonde back. Bertholdt wiped the blood and drool from his jaw, nodding.

“Actually, yeah, I do feel better.” As the haze lifted from his mind, Bertholdt gasped and looked down to the unconscious guards. “Oh.. oh no. They weren’t the guys you needed to talk to, were they?” Eren shook his head, chuckling.

“No, look at their insignias. They’re Garrison Soldiers, we’re looking for the Wings of Freedom . I saw a few guys at the back watching the whole thing. Those are the annoying little critters we’re hunting.” Eren hummed, seemingly in thought as he looked to Bertholdt, smirking as a devious little plot came to mind. “Hey, Bert, c’mere.”

Bertholdt did what was asked of him, leaning down as Eren beckoned him closer. Eren distracted himself looking at Bertholdt’s lower lip, the bloody split in the grooves that had him licking his own lips in thought. He wiped away the blood with his thumb before roughly grabbing Bertholdt’s jaw, locking their lips together. Bertholdt squeaked and his entire body went stiff, time slowing down just long enough for him to whine as Eren pulled away.

“ Good boy .” Eren’s praise was low and husky, sending shivers up their spines.  Eren’s breath ghosted over Bertholdt’s mouth for several seconds before he quickly pulled away red-faced, hands on his hips as he forcefully laughed. “Now then, let’s find those Scouts!”

…

Hange looked up from their mug, peering at the strange individuals who were causing havoc in their favorite, relatively tame tavern. Tame by current society’s standards, that is. Their curiosity was piqued as the group made their way over, the one leading the small pack being the most interesting to Hange. Something felt off about that man, but oddly familiar. Hange couldn’t quite place the feeling until he was standing in front of them, corners of their mouth curled up in a small smirk.

“You must be Hange Zoe, correct?” Hange blinked slowly, seeing an outstretched arm offered in greeting. Hange stood up and shook the man’s hand, searching his face to find the source of the familiarity.

“Yes, that’s me. How can I help you?” Neither of them let go, even as Eren’s hand felt scorching in Hange’s own. Sweat gathered there, accumulating with their discomfort.

“I need you to send a message to an Ackerman for me.” Eren’s grin was unsettling, and that’s when it clicked in Hange’s mind. This kid looked just like Doctor Jaeger! Hange forced a strained smile onto their features, eyebrows furrowed as they searched for intent.

“ Which Ackerman?” Eren’s grip on Hange’s hand went slack, the two of them pulling away. Hange resisted the urge to shake their hand that had gone numb.

“Mikasa. Please tell her Eren is looking for her, and will be staying in Trost for a week, potentially two.” A cold mask fell on Eren’s face, indifference being the only emotion Hange could sniff out.

“ Eren ? Ah, it’s you. No problem.” Hange wiped their sweaty hands on the side of their pants, the smile falling from their features as they turned away and sat back down. Eren spun on his heel, arms in the air over his head as he approached his small group that was whispering to each other. They were too far away for Hange to hear their conversation, but to them, it seemed relatively lighthearted. Judging by the consistent red-hue to the tall one’s face that hadn’t left, they assumed it was from the kiss Hange had seen earlier.

Eren and his little pack left, leaving Hange and their subordinates alone. Mike had been discretely scenting the air the entire time, picking up on something Hange could feel in their bones.

“They’re an odd quad, aren’t they Mike?” Mike looked down to his empty beer mug, chewing the inside of his cheek in thought.

“They don’t look like they’re from around here. I could smell blood and traces of Titans on them.” Hange tapped a finger on the table, turning to the man across the table from them.

“He said his name was Eren, which means he’s the Eren Mikasa’s been constantly talking about these past five years. They likely all came from Shiganshina, which would explain the Titan’s smell lingering on them. Takes a while to wash away, remember ?” Hange pursed their lips, giving Mike a look him and Moblit would understand.

“You don’t think… it’s them , do you?” Hange shrugged, waving a hand dismissively through the air.

“That blond guy he had with him, looked a bit like the…” Hange lowered their voice to a whisper, leaning across the table. Mike could hear them just fine, but still leaned in for privacy. “ Armored Titan .” They gave quick glances to their surroundings, coming to a silent agreement.

“Let’s discuss more about this with the Commander.”

…

“Four-eyes, you better not be fucking with us.” Levi narrowed his gaze onto Hange, who was at the edge of their seat in excitement.

“I’m serious! Ask Mike! The four of them just showed up, got into a brawl, then came over!” Mike nodded, to which Levi replied with another grimace.

“You’re being too loud. Quiet down , you Titan-obsessed ape.” Hange blatantly ignored Levi’s comment, waving their hands through the air in exasperation.

“Erwin, their appearances matched our reports, at least the one about the Armored Titan and the Female Titan. I know none of you are keen on my theory, but at least hear me out!” Erwin leaned back in his seat, grand fuzzy eyebrows furrowed creating thick creases.

“Hange, as much as we rely on your intel and your experiments, it’s too soon to follow into that theory. Is there anything else?” Hange shrunk in their seat, mumbling to themself as Mike took the lead.

“One of them was asking about someone from Levi’s squad.” Mike sat there, calmly, awaiting Levi’s typical snarky remark.

“ Who ?”

“He wanted Hange to deliver a message for Mikasa.” Hange was brooding in their seat, leg bouncing under the table, causing Levi’s teacup to rattle. He deftly picked the cup from the saucer, silencing the clashing of ceramic.

“What does some hobo from Shiganshina want with Mikasa?” Mike glanced to Hange, who had stilled.

“He said for us to tell Mikasa he’ll be in Trost for about a week. I’m guessing that means he wants to meet up with her.” Erwin cleared his throat, garnering their attention.

“You say that Eren’s party was suspicious, and he has unclear intentions. I propose we tell Mikasa, and have one of our seasoned Scouts tail her. If she’s able to pull information from a potential enemy, it could benefit us.” Erwin laced his fingers together, looking to his comrades. Levi took another sip of his tea, which was regrettably now room temperature.

“Sasha and Eld could go with Mikasa, follow her from a distance. Sasha’s appearance is so bland she’s able to easily blend in with the crowds, or perhaps the wilderness depending on where Mikasa decides to meet Eren.” Levi swirled the bitter tea with indifference, waiting for his suggestions he’d offered his comrades.

“Any information on the four of them could prove to be either another dead end, or a potential way to turn the tides. We should have them followed before we involve Mikasa.” Erwin’s voice left no room for arguments, and the several senior members in the room with him agreed.

…

“Oi! Mikasa!” Mikasa turned on her heel to the direction of the voice, and she instantly recognized who was calling out to her. Hange was waving their arm through the air, being loud as usual. Mikasa scowled at the intrusion to her training, the small group of newer Scouts that flocked to her backing away.

Hange jogged over to Mikasa’s side, wearing a wide smile.

“I’ve got potentially good news for you! Although that depends how you feel about somebody.” Hange playfully elbowed Mikasa’s side, earning a grunt in response.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hange stepped several paces away, waving their hands defensively.

“Ah, nothing weird I promise. It’s just I received a message for you, and after talking to the other Captains about it I was given the green to give it to you! I don’t know whether you’d be happy or not… Like I mentioned before, it’s how you feel about them that determines if it’s good or bad news.” Hange managed to pull off a disarming smile as they closed their eyes, to which Mikasa took the bait and relaxed.

“What is it?” Hange cracked one eye open, still smiling as they did a dramatic bow.

“Eren Jaeger is waiting for you in Trost District. He said he’ll be there for about a week.” The small group of Scouts jumped as Mikasa gasped, a light in her eyes they’d never seen before. The flush to her face matched her signature red scarf, and the girl’s mouth gaped for several seconds. She was unable to compose herself, shifting her weight on her feet as she stared at Hange.

“Eren? Can I go? Please, Captain?” Hange straightened themself out, dusting their pants. Seeing the usually cold girl’s demeanor brought a true smile to their face.

“You can go tomorrow morning. Please be careful.”

…

“Bertholdt. Don’t you dare put that into the pot.” Annie was far from qualified to be a cooking supervisor, but when it came to Bertholdt- nobody was ever prepared for what he’d sneak in. Bertholdt huffed, decapped mushroom in one hand, a small knife in the other.

“You’re too late, Annie. There’s at least a dozen here. The pot calls to them, they must obey the siren’s song.” Annie scoffed at his attempt at poetry- about stew , of all things.

“If Eren’s hallucinating dead people again because of you, I’ll have your head on a pike.” Bertholdt bit his lip as he tossed the pale colored mushroom into the pot.

“I promise, they’re just puffballs. They’re not even the toxic kind!” Bertholdt may have muttered the last part to himself, but he was sure Annie had caught it with the way she glared. Their chaotic kitchen experience was disturbed by Reiner entering, following the scent in the air. Annie and Bertholdt were quick to scold him and shoo him away.

“It’s not done yet-”

“Get out you half-wit monkey.” Annie threw a frying pan, which hit Reiner’s forehead. The loud clang echoed throughout the cabin, not even the bubbling of the pot could be heard. Reiner was sure the brain cells he had left exited his brain the moment the pan struck.

“Ah, fuck.” Annie waited with bated breath for Reiner to collect himself. “You… uh… fuck, why am I in here again?” Bertholdt snickered, pulling the collar of his shirt over his face to hide.

“Annie, I think you broke him.” Eren’s voice came from the doorway, where he leaned down to slip under Reiner’s arm to enter the precipice. “I sent him in here for some water, by the way.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh . Glad I didn’t come get it myself.” Eren gave Reiner a quick glance, the blond dazed and rubbing the bridge of his nose. There was a small trickle of blood dripping from his left nostril. “Eh, he’ll be fine.”

Bertholdt recomposed himself and continued slicing mushrooms, ones Annie had already washed and prepared. He tossed them into the pot periodically. Annie grabbed the glass of water for Eren, trying to shoo him and Reiner from the kitchen.

“Nuh-uh, you need someone competent to watch over you two. You’ve knocked Reiner out of commission, who’s to say you won’t take Bertholdt out next and add something weird to the food? Again ?” Eren held the glass of water to the air, mimicking the throwing motion Annie had done. “You’re behind him, you have the advantage. Bertholdt is so defenseless right now, you could have him on the floor and nobody would know-”

“Say one more word and you will be the one on the floor.” Eren snorted, tilting his head as he gave Annie his best, taunting smirk.

“Is that a challenge?” Annie’s response was immediate, crossing the distance between them within the time span it took Eren to blink. Her fist hovered in front of his face, both of them flinching as a knock on the door broke the tension. Her hand dropped, and she stomped the ground once. Visitors meant she had to behave.

“Reiner! Go get the door, you ape.” Reiner nodded, and the three of them wondered if he even processed what he’d been told to do. When he turned to head to the door, the three broke out in hushed voices.

“What the fuck, Annie?! He’s stupid enough already!” Eren pointed an accusing finger at Annie, pressing into her sternum. She grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm.

“The embodiment of pure concentrated ignorance can’t fall any lower.” Bertholdt wheezed, dropping the knife into the pot and quietly cursing.

“Fuck! No! My knife…wife…” Bertholdt rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, sticking his arm into the boiling pot of stew, searching the bottom for his small blade. The steam pouring from the pot was equal parts boiling water, and Bertholdt’s burning arm. Annie and Eren’s discourse fell apart into choked giggles as Bertholdt fished for the knife.

…

Reiner slowly opened the door, looking around. He even peeked his head out, startled when he heard someone clear their throat. His gaze slowly traveled down, to a small blonde woman with the brightest blue eyes he’d ever seen. Ah, is this an angel? Ymir, is it finally my time?

“H-hello… I’m here for Eren.” Reiner was mentally displaced by the woman who stood in front of him, then further displaced when a tall brunette showed up, placing her hands on the smaller girl’s shoulders.

“Oi, move it, you’re not going to keep Krista waiting all day, are you?” The woman’s voice faded from Reiner’s mind, as he looked down to the angel- Krista , who was holding a woven basket that emitted the heavenly smell of baked goods.

“A-ah.” Reiner couldn’t even form an apology as he stepped aside, letting the women enter. The taller of the pair, able to rival Reiner’s height- followed her nose to the kitchen.

“Oi! Eren! Ya fuck! We shouldn’t be hearin’ from kids that you’re back in town! Come say hi~” Her taunting tone turned song at the end, as she sported a fanged grin.

Eren ran out of the kitchen, leaping into the woman’s arms. Krista smiled at the sight fondly, placing the basket on the table. Reiner had something writhing in his skin, scratching at his arm to alleviate the sensation. It only continued as he couldn’t pull his eyes away.

“Ymir! Krista! It’s so good to see you two again,” Eren seemed to light up with the sight of the two girls, even as Ymir tugged at the bandages on his head and removed them.

“Ya surrounded by weirdos and still hidin’?” Eren opened both eyes, blinking at the sudden pain from the bright lights. Once he recovered, he took Krista’s hand and twirled her twice.

“It’s for who’s coming by later. Do you have any new bandages I can use?” Ymir shrugged, but Krista pulled the white cloth from the satchel that hung on her hip. Reiner hadn’t moved, leaning against the closed front door.

“I brought some, they’re softer than those so it shouldn’t be as uncomfortable.” Eren nodded as he took the bandaging from Krista, offering her a hand to lead her to the kitchen.

“You want to see the kitchen horrors?” Ymir followed closely behind, sparing Reiner from her toxic glares.

…

“What? What is this? What are you doing ?” Krista hadn’t seen such a piss-poor attempt at cooking since the day Ymir offered to make something for her. Annie and Bertholdt looked to each other, then to her.

“Making stew?” Bertholdt’s voice was quiet and weak as he stepped away from the small woman’s growing aggravation.

“Why was your arm in the pot? Why are you…steaming.” Annie held a blade behind her back, but Eren held his hands up passively.

“Don’t stab her, she knows about Shifters. I just haven’t told her about you three yet.” Ymir scoffed, crossing her arms as she leaned against the doorframe.

“Today was supposed to be a surprise for you , not the other way.” Eren gave her an apologetic smile, and quietly promised to explain everything later.

…

The steadily growing group faced their own steadily growing frustrations as Krista instructed Annie and Bertholdt on how to fix their amalgamation of disaster- turning the stew into something that resembled edible . Reiner was put on vegetable chopping duty, which he didn’t complain about. After all, it was the angel- Krista, who ordered him. Annie argued over their herb and vegetable choices, but was quickly shut down by Eren and Krista. She felt the stab of betrayal as he took the other blonde’s side, until he reminded her of the grass incident.

Ymir was the one to fetch Bertholdt’s knife from the pot, handing it to him with her arm steaming, the burns regenerating.

The Shifter trio was quiet and didn’t complain after that.

…

Things quieted down as the stew was brought to a simmer, conversations stretching into the afternoon. Krista had rebandaged Eren’s head, and helped clean up the table. As Annie was preparing to serve the meal, another knock was heard from the door.

The Shifter trio looked to one another, voting Eren to be the one to answer. After all, who else would it be for? Eren groaned as he hurled himself to his feet, feeling the ache in his legs from the extensive walking they’d done that day. Shopping is… tiring.

Eren opened the door, surprise tickling every nerve as he saw two people he hadn’t expected to see. Not yet, at least. They had brought another with them, a girl with her red-brown hair in a ponytail, wearing a simple dress that he recognized was from Dauper. Mikasa’s face was frozen in a mix of shock and mild annoyance, but she said nothing. Eren let them in, quietly greeting Armin.

Annie snarled as she returned to the kitchen to grab three more bowls, setting them down with a huff. Bertholdt rubbed her arm for both of their comforts.

Reiner was struggling to keep it together. Too many scents, too many people. Bertholdt was shaking and sweating, but he had Annie’s hand to hold. Reiner could hold his own hand, but it wasn’t the same. The fresh meat assaulted his senses, his mouth filling with saliva. The taste of blood had been finally washed away, but now he craved it again.

Eren introduced Armin and Mikasa to the group. Krista greeted the duo with smiles, something Armin appreciated. Annie and Mikasa gave each other cold glares, while Bertholdt introduced Sasha to one of his rubber ducks. Sasha was elated at the prospect, easily falling into quiet conversation with him.

Things were going relatively well. The food was good, the desserts even better. Although tension lingered in the air, it was fine. Eren was happy to introduce his friends to each other, and Krista was just beaming to bring confusion into their conversation.

“Oh, Eren! I forgot to mention, thank you for the help a few weeks ago. It worked .” Eren and Ymir seemed to gag at the same time, one coughing up their stew, the other their water.

“ I’m sorry ? I don’t remember… oh . Congratulations?” Eren’s gaze flickered between Ymir’s blatant horror, and Krista’s devious grin as she clapped her hands together. Ymir coughed loudly, trying to hide her blush with a poorly timed pun. Reiner looked to Krista who sat next to him, breathing in through his nose. She smelled just like the baked goods she brought with her.

“Okay, let’s move on from that…” Eren was quick to change conversation, hoping that clapping his hands together will pull Reiner’s attention from Krista. “Mikasa, I have a favor to ask you.”

Eren wasn’t expecting Sasha’s head to snap in his direction, the brunette’s eyes wide and unblinking. Mikasa glanced at him past her bangs that sat right at her cheekbones, a small fruit tart hovering from her face.

“What is it, Eren?” Her voice was as calm and level as Eren hoped it’d be. Mikasa set the tart down, turning her head to view him with both eyes. He wiped away the sweat that had already begun to drip down his forehead for the past few minutes, offering her a watery smile.

“Can I either borrow a few Thunder Spears, or come with you to headquarters for a demonstration?”

“ What? ”

Chapter Text

Sasha twirled several locks of her hair with her fingers, sitting on the plush leather couch as she kicked her legs idly. The hallway outside of Erwin’s office was always a nerve-wracking place, but the steadily rising voices she could hear had her flinching when she heard a fist slam on the desk. While the noise was muffled, her ears still picked it up. The door slammed open and Mikasa stormed out, her face red and tears in her eyes. She barely spared Sasha a glance as she continued her way down the long hall.

Sasha waited, impatiently. She didn’t have to wait long until the door creaked open, revealing her Squad Leader’s face. Hange gave her a nod, and Sasha was quick to her feet and entered the room.

Commander Erwin sat at his desk, an open notebook in front of him. From what Sasha was able to tell, the notebook contained her reports to Hange over the course of the past few weeks, with added information from Eld, Hange, and Armin. Levi sat in a chair by the window, cup of tea in his hand.

“Sit, Braus.” Sasha saluted to Levi, taking a seat in front of Erwin’s desk.

“Yes Sir.” Hange shut the door after Sasha sat down, leaning against the wood with their arms crossed. Sasha’s eyes darted around the room, avoiding Erwin’s steel blue gaze.

“Lieutenant Braus, I’m sure you’re aware why we’ve called you in here today.” Erwin kept his voice calm and level, watching the way Sasha’s body stiffened in her seat. She gripped her knees hard enough her knuckles were turning white.

“Yes Sir.” Erwin leaned back in his chair, raising a hand to slowly wave at Sasha.

“At ease, you’re not in trouble. Quite the opposite, in fact.” Sasha’s cheeks were full of air as she held her breath, groaning as she exhaled and slumped in the seat. The quietest chuckle left Erwin.

“What do you need me to do next, Commander?” Erwin spun a pen with his fingers, steadily gaining speed.

“I need you to research Eren’s companions, Reiner Braun, Annie Leonhardt, and Bertholdt Hoover .” Sasha bit her lip, eyebrows knitting together in a prominent crease.

“They’re from Shiganshina, aren’t they?” Erwin looked down to the notebook, and Sasha followed his gaze.

“We’re not sure. They were seen on the final ferry from Wall Maria, bringing several children with them that they had rescued. The children were registered for an orphanage in Shiganshina, but there’s no records on any of the adults that we could find.” Erwin motioned for Hange to come closer, who held a leather-bound book that was already beginning to look worn.

“This is the ledger that contains the names of evacuees from Shiganshina. Those three aren’t anywhere in here, so we dug for a few hours. Wall Maria’s ledger was an extensive read, but we found their names.” Hange set the ledger down on a waist-level bookshelf, before lifting up a large, weathered tome that was roughly the size of Levi’s torso. They placed it on the desk in front of Sasha, flipping through the pages directly to the end of the list.

“This is the name of the kids from the orphanage,” Sasha read the list of names, seeing the wax stamps next to their names.

“The trio signed after, and listed a place of origin we’ve never heard of.” Sasha followed Hange’s finger with her eyes, seeing the poorly written names. They each had their own signature style, but the words were strained and out of order, as if they were unfamiliar with the language.

“ Liberio ? I’ve never heard of a town called Liberio in Wall Maria.” Hange pulled away, closing the heavy ledger with a grunt.

“There’s no such town as Liberio anywhere within these walls.” Sasha tore her eyes away from the ledger, attention captured by their Commander. “One of the main questions we have is why would they put the name of a non-existent town? Are they perhaps purposefully drawing attention from others who have slipped within our Walls?” Sasha sat up in her chair, glancing back down to the ledger. Levi sipping his tea broke the silence that followed.

“The Commander shared four-eyes’ concerns. Those three could be a potential threat to humanity, and given that the knowledge about Titans still remains mostly unknown… They both believe there’s a possibility someone is capable of harnessing the power of the Titans.” Sasha kicked her feet in the air, staring at Erwin who’s facial features sharpened with the shadows cast by candlelight.

“Sir, what do we know about the history of the Titans?”

“Nothing beyond what is taught in schools, and what Hange has discovered about their biology.” Sasha narrowed her eyes, looking to her superior for approval. Hange nodded, giving her a small smile.

“Do you believe what they teach in school, Sir?”

“No, I do not. Do you?”

Sasha bit her lip until it bled. Her hands were balled into fists, her knuckles turning white as she slowly exhaled.

“No.”

…

Annie huffed as she hoisted another crate over her head to put on the wagon. Volunteer, they said. It’d be a great cover, Eren said. She’d rather drop dead than to carry heavy boxes and donations for six hours a day. Her boss rarely gave her any breaks, impressed by her physical strength enjoying giving the youths arduous tasks everyday.

Annie avoided the children the best she could, but some brave ones would follow her during her entire shift, she was someone new to them after all. The children weren’t anywhere near as annoying as Ymir . Annie could see her from out the corner of her vision, talking to a group of kids and making them laugh. Annie’s mental nickname for her was freckled menace .

“Oi, Annie!” Fuck . Annie dropped the crate into the back of the wagon, nodding to the older man who stood a few meters away. He gave her a bright smile, pen in hand as he checked another item off of the list in his hand. Annie could hear Ymir jogging up to her, and felt the hand on her shoulder.

“What is it, Ymir?”

“Ah, ya don’t have to be so cold , Annie. Is ya heart frozen or somethin’?” Annie scoffed, shrugging Ymir’s hand off her shoulder.

“I’d prefer it was crystalised instead.” Ymir laughed, too loud for Annie’s ears. She gave the taller girl a cold glare, but Ymir didn’t wipe the smirk off her face.

“That’d be an odd way to use Hardenin’ .” Ymir whispered in Annie’s ear, causing the blonde to jump and back away.

“Are you insane?! Don’t talk about things like that in the open!” Ymir laughed again, a blush starting to form on her face. Annie picked up a small lantern, staring her down.

“What? It’s normal, people get a little hard every now and then.” Ymir gave Annie a wink, quickly turning on her heel to evade the lantern being tossed. The glass shattered on impact with the ground. “Aw look, ya went and broke somethin’. Guess that means more work for you .” Annie cursed under her breath, stomping as she walked off for the next crate she’d have to move.

Ymir couldn’t stop giggling to herself, almost skipping as she walked away to find her beloved little Krista. Krista was in the kitchen with Eren, helping a few older ladies with preparing lunch for the children. Krista looked up from where she was kneading dough, giving Ymir a bright smile.

“Hey,” Ymir ignored the older woman’s scolding over her hair, dancing through the kitchen to give Krista a kiss.

“Relax, I ain’t gettin’ hair in ya food. Besides, it’s just bread . Wait, no, it’s not even bread yet.” Ymir raised a brow at the annoyed glare the chef gave her, before the woman huffed and looked away. Krista dusted the flour off her hands and onto her apron, pulling a hair tie from one of the pockets. Ymir bent down for Krista to put her hair up, still looking at the angry lady making some kind of stew. “Happy now?” Krista flicked her on the nose, then chuckled at the flour.

“Ah, Ymir, you’ve got-” Ymir scrubbed her face with her hands, shaking her head. “There you go.” Eren sighed, dusting his hands of flour.

“By the way, you two are awful. Loudmouth motherfuckers .” Ymir and Krista gave him innocent looks, which he didn’t buy for a second. “ The announcement? ”

“Technically, I’m the only mother-fucker here.” Ymir placed a hand on her chest, grinning. Krista quickly shut her down by smacking Ymir’s arm.

“I’m sorry Eren, I thought your friends knew.” Eren quickly turned away, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind his ear.

“The trio don’t know much, but… Mikasa was there, Hist- Krista , and if she finds out…” Krista touched his sleeve, her eyes full of sympathy.

“I’m sure she would understand,” her voice was as soft as her touch.

“I think Mikasa is… upset with me. Which is understandable, I’ve been avoidant for years and then with everything that’s happened, I just… I don’t know how to talk to her again.” Ymir circled them, placing an arm over Eren’s shoulder and dragging him close.

“Everybody knows Mikasa’s ya ride or die since ya were… eight?” Ymir placed a small kiss on his temple, while Krista rubbed his shoulder.

“Mikasa might think you’re acting suspicious, Eren. You avoid her for years, show up to say goodbye, then disappear, again . Not to mention the Fall of Wall Maria , she likely thought you were dead.” Eren sighed, running a hand through his hair. While Ymir and Krista’s warmth was welcome, he felt smothered at that moment.

“I had things I had to do. I couldn’t get Mikasa involved for her safety,” Eren bit his lip, not believing himself. “Although, she’d always think the other way around.”

“Ya are a bit careless. And bit is puttin’ it lightly.” Ymir flicked his nose, removing her arm to give him some space.

“We should meet up again later today. I have a few concerns.” Eren and Ymir turned to Krista, seeing the focus evident on her features. “Mainly about the girl Mikasa brought with her, Sasha .”

…

Bertholdt wanted to cry. He couldn’t, he’d sweat all his tears out. Being put to work in the fields from sunrise to sunset with very few breaks in between meant long hours of digging, sticking his hands in mud, and doing it all over again. He wasn’t able to see Annie or Reiner all day, until their own work shifts ended and they met up back at the cabin. Truly, he should have seen this coming. He was responsible for causing the Paradis Eldians to have to retreat to an inner wall, but fuck , if he wasn’t tired of this.

Bertholdt had been working everyday for three weeks. Twenty-two days and counting, but Bertholdt didn’t want to count any longer. The people had been cutting down forests to make room for more farmland, and Bertholdt was unwillingly drafted by Eren to be one of the farmhands. Good way to build a positive reputation, he said. Good way to gather information, he said.

“Fuck you, Jaeger.” Bertholdt hoped he muttered under his breath, but the cough from one of the other workers that came to his left clearly said otherwise. He looked to the older man, who had a heavy bag of seeds in his arms. “Uh, I- I- I’m sorry. Thinking without speaking. Wait, no-”

“It’s fine, kid. Just get back to work.” Bertholdt sighed, wiping the sweat off his face with his sleeve. Granted, he may have just gotten dirt on his face, which will become mud in a matter of minutes, but it was a temporary relief. The shovel in his hands was beginning to feel unbearingly heavy, as were his eyelids. Bertholdt hadn’t even noticed he’d stopped shoveling until he felt the weight of someone’s hand upon his shoulder.

“Alright boy, I think that’s enough fer today. If ya get any more sunburnt, ya could call a tomato yer brother.” Bertholdt looked up from where he was sitting on the ground, blinking away the blindness that the afternoon sun decided to grace him with.

“I-I’m fine, really. I can keep going.” The older man fixed his straw sunhat, spitting onto the ground.

“That wasn’t a question.” Bertholdt sighed, looking at the man with an outstretched hand. Taking the hand, Bertholdt was pulled to his feet- the shovel removed from his other hand. Bertholdt dusted himself off, bowing slightly to his boss before turning on his heel and bolting. Several refugees stopped working and watched him run past, most in shock as they’d never seen him run before.

…

Bertholdt knew he couldn’t visit Reiner, he was too easily distracted. Well, both of them were. And considering what Reiner’s job was, he’d likely be shirtless as he chopped trees down, or lifting the light shirt he’d wear to wipe his face of sweat… A tingle traveled up Bertholdt’s spine, which he decided to ignore. 

Bertholdt felt awkward walking into the city covered in dirt, sweat, and a good amount of tears, but given the state of the refugees, he didn’t look too different from them. He tried at least cleaning his face off, with his shirt. Nothing about him was in good condition, the sunburn reaching all the way to his collarbones feeling like absolute hell. Bertholdt couldn’t regenerate in the open, but he could find some water to clean up with.

Once he deemed his hands and his face clean enough to see Annie, Bertholdt ran his hands through his hair a few times until most of it was slicked back. He was lucky to have a few pins in his pocket to keep his hair in place. If Bertholdt made it in time, he could catch Annie on her lunch break. So, he ran like a lunatic through the streets, hightailing it and running into several people on his way.

…

“Miss Leonhardt, someone is here to see you.” Annie’s hand hovered just a breath away from her mouth, spoon in hand. She looked up to the elderly groundskeeper, a smiling old woman who wrung her hands together and looked worried every time she had to bother Annie.

“Does this ‘someone’ have a name?” Annie slowly set her spoon down, back into the bowl. Her freshly baked bread was untouched, as was her appetite. The woman nodded, her form slightly trembling.

“Ah, yes, the nice young man said his name was Bertholdt.” Annie sighed, then nodded.

“Alright. Tell him I’ll be out in a few.” The old woman quickly scurried away, which was impressive for her age. Annie sat back in her chair, sighing. Ymir poked her in the rib, earning a glare.

“Thought ya would be happy to see yer fuckin’ tree .” Annie groaned, slouching in her chair.

“He can’t see Reiner. Reiner’s a depressed sack of shit who would jump at any opportunity to do absolutely nothing at all. Which means, Bertholdt wants something .” She grabbed her two slices of bread, shoving them into her mouth.

“Shouldn’t Bertholdt be busy?” Eren idly stirred his stew with his spoon, eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, he should be busy.” Annie threw her hands up into the air, huffing out of exasperation. Eren and Ymir couldn’t hide their chuckles, but Krista was polite enough to cover her laugh with her hand.

“Might as well see what he wants.” Annie was quick to her feet, ruffling Eren’s hair as she passed by. The faintest frown was set on his features as his mind ran circles, watching Annie walk off.

…

Annie found Bertholdt idly messing with his sleeves, unable to decide to have them rolled up or not. She almost didn’t recognize him with the sunburn and his hair slicked back, but with that height it’s near impossible to confuse Bertholdt for anyone else. As if his face could get any redder, his spine went straight once Annie came into view. She stopped in front of him, hands on her hips.

“What do you want, tomato ?” Bertholdt avoided eye contact, looking to the left as he thickly swallowed.

“Company,” Annie narrowed her eyes incredulously, which Bertholdt looked to her just in time to catch. “Uh, I- I- I wanted someone to talk to. Yeah, talk . Let’s talk, Annie.” She blew a puff of air at her bangs, huffing before tucking the hairs behind her ear.

“You want to… talk . Isn’t Reiner better suited to talk ?” Bertholdt shook his head, skin barely beginning to steam. “Alright then, I have sorting to do in the warehouse. We can ‘talk’ there.” She grabbed Bertholdt’s wrist, feeling the scorching heat there as she led him into the warehouse. She set the wooden locking mechanism into place, watching him tug at his shirt in an attempt to cool off. She was aware of Bertholdt’s eyes following her every move, even as she lifted an old wooden chair over her shoulder, placing it in the middle of the room.

“A-ah-” she cut him off with a glare, running her fingers along the back of the chair.

“Sit.” Bertholdt did as he was told, taking a seat. He sat stiffly, fingers dug into his pants as more steam began emitting from his flesh. Annie’s hand moved from the back of the chair, dragging her palm along his chest. “You’re pretty worked up,” she pulled a whimper from him as she grabbed his throat.

“Just a little.” Bertholdt’s eyes were soft as he looked up to her, a stark contradiction to the heat of his flesh that was beginning to burn her hand. Annie hummed, feeling his pulse with her thumb. She could feel when his breath hitched as she leaned close to him, her lips ghosting his.

“I’d say this is more than ‘ a little ’, wouldn’t you?” Her hums had lowered to growls as her body moved, sliding onto his lap with little resistance. She forced him to tilt his head, baring his neck to her. Annie pressed herself against him, nipping at his ear. “I was beginning to think you didn’t miss me .” A shiver ran up Bertholdt’s spine as his hands found a way to her hips, not daring to travel any further without permission.

“I-I-I… yes ,” Annie chuckled in his ear, her mouth traveling to his neck where she sucked the tanned skin until a dark purple mark was left there. His regeneration would have it gone within minutes, but to her, that just meant she could do it again. Bertholdt’s small, shaky sighs were music to Annie’s ears as her hands wandered up his shirt, popping the buttons open as she went.

“That’s not an answer, Bertholdt. Did you miss me ?” Annie wasn’t above denying Bertholdt what he needed, pinching a perky bud between her fingertips as her hips rocked once, twice, then stopped. A breathy moan left his lips, his legs beginning to shake.

“Y-yes. Yes , I missed you.” Bertholdt nodded senselessly, slumping in the chair. He hung his head back, while squirming from Annie’s touch. She liked to explore the planes of his abs, feeling every breath of his with her fingers. Another sigh left him, light and dreamy. “Annie… please …”

“Please what?” Annie paused, right at his navel before she dug her nails into his skin. Bertholdt lifted his head to give her a pleading, half-lidded gaze. “Words.”

“You.” A sigh left Annie’s lips as she removed her hands from him, relishing in the surprise that followed. His distraction continued as she began the process of removing her shirt, pulling the fabric over her head. His gaze went to her breasts, then back up to her face.

“Take it off.” Annie kept her hands in her lap, waiting for Bertholdt to follow orders. Her back arched as she felt his warm hands creep up her spine, the way their bodies pressed together as he leaned forwards to unhook her bra. Unlatching took Bertholdt several tries as he kept fumbling with the fabric, hands beginning to shake as Annie slipped her hands into his shirt to pull it the rest of the way off.

“Th-there, it’s off.” He huffed, leaning back in the chair, looking away as if he was unsure what he had permission to look at. Annie tilted her head, grabbing his chin to force Bertholdt to look at her.

“Now, what do you want?” She used her free hand to guide Bertholdt’s right hand to her chest, placing her hand over his. Annie felt his fingers twitch multiple times before he gave a gentle squeeze.

“What do you want?” Bertholdt threw her question back at her, pulling a condescending laugh from Annie. She leaned forward, biting his jaw. Bertholdt was pliable to anything she wanted, leaning his head back to give her access to his neck. She left a row of hickies from his right ear to his collarbone, smirking as she could hear him purring.

“I want you to use me.” Bertholdt gasped as she bit his shoulder, shifting their weight on his legs. He removed his hand from her hip, reaching for the back of her head. With his fingers tangled in Annie’s long blonde hair, he tugged at the strands, pulling her head back. Annie didn’t stop the breathy moan that left her lips, nor did she pull away when Bertholdt captured her lips with his.

Annie’s hands frantically unbuttoned her pants, breathless as Bertholdt lifted her so she could tug them down. Her dress slacks and underwear were tossed to the floor. She’d have to remove herself from him temporarily so he could shrug his own pants off, his boxers discarded somewhere near their growing pile of clothes.

The feeling of Annie’s exposed body against his was almost too much for Bertholdt to handle. He bit his lip to stifle a whimper as Annie’s warmth encompassed his senses, sinking to the base with a groan. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him into a kiss, full of tongue and teeth. Bertholdt was patient, waiting for Annie to move.

He followed the pace she set, the slow rocking of their hips quickly becoming a frantic rhythm. Annie was all claws and fangs, her nails scratching the back of his neck as she tugged at his hair. Her lips found purchase following his jawline, nibbling her way down his neck. Bertholdt knew he wasn’t going to last long, gritting his teeth as his fingers dug into her hips.

Bertholdt whined, the sound caught in the back of his throat as Annie’s legs wrapped around his waist. She pulled back, the two of them collapsing to the floor. Every breath Bertholdt took burned, steam pouring from his mouth. Annie hissed, a wordless command for him to continue. The chair behind them fell to the ground, while his nails dug into the floorboards, leaving grooves in the wood. Annie’s hair splayed on the ground, a beautiful golden halo Bertholdt only had a few seconds to look at before she pulled him into another kiss. The soft moment they shared was fleeting.

Annie’s body began to tremble, as her arms and legs locked Bertholdt in place. Her beautifully flushed face and skin glistened with sweat, but Bertholdt knew better than to stop. Annie’s moans echoed in his ears, her back arching imprinted into his memory. She was warm, pliant beneath him. Surely, she was done with him. He tried to move away, leaving her in her moment of temporary bliss. Annie snapped out of her daze just as fast as she had entered it, once again rigid to the touch as she shifted her weight.

“Don’t… hah… you dare … stop.” Bertholdt continued to tremble, pushing himself from the ground with his hands. He lifted Annie’s lower body with him, panting as he chased his own release. Her eyes never left him, watching every move with fascination. With him in control, Bertholdt set a ruthless pace that left Annie breathless.

Annie had reached her climax several more times before Bertholdt found his own, losing her words and left to nothing more than mindless babbling and quiet moans. Once his pace began to stutter, he began to beg. Annie welcomed him with praise, stroking his cheeks and wiping away his tears. His limbs had been reduced to jelly by the time he was done, collapsing on top of her with a shaky sigh.

…

Annie was finished sorting boxes by nightfall. Bertholdt stayed to keep her company, since his legs weren’t quite working well enough for her to give him a mop and bucket. He’d ridden the high of his release for several hours, dozing off occasionally. His body had cooled off considerably, which unfortunately left the entire warehouse full of steam. They were drenched in sweat by the time they left, and Annie watched Bertholdt hide from the corner of her eye when she had to give the completed checklist to her boss.

They walked ‘home’ together, if they could call it that. Annie had to glue herself to Bertholdt’s side, as he was ready to fall over at any given moment. The two stumbled into the cabin once the front door swung open, Bertholdt falling to the floor which earned more than a few startled looks from the people inside. Something came over Annie’s senses, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up as she sniffed the air. People she didn’t quite recognize were there, sitting at the table and giving both of them odd looks.

“Oh, hello! You must be Annie.” Hange crossed one of their legs over the other as their gaze flickered between Annie and Bertholdt. Annie slowly shut the door, staring at the Squad Leader with an incredulous glare.

“Yes.” Hange readjusted their glasses with a smirk, looking at Bertholdt which had Annie growling.

“Ah, no need to be so aggressive! We’re just here to talk.” Annie didn’t know what to do or where to go, seeing Reiner move from the corner of her eye. She reluctantly moved out of his way, as he scooped Bertholdt’s unconscious body from the ground. Annie followed Reiner, hovering as he placed Bertholdt on the couch. He gave Bertholdt’s head a few pats before returning to the table, sitting between Eren and Ymir.

Annie was on autopilot, silent as she crossed the distance from the couch to the dining table. She took a seat next to Eren, leaning on him slightly. She breathed in his sweet smell that reminded her of a raspberry cobbler. Hange tapped their fingers on the table, drawing attention to them.

“Well, now that everyone’s here, we should get to the serious stuff. I doubt any of you want to hear anymore of my bad jokes.” Hange straightened in their chair, fingers laced together under their chin. Annie couldn’t breathe.

“Yes, I believe you owe me an explanation.” Eren’s gaze was toxic, but his tone remained steady and calm. Underneath his skin his Titan itched for release.

“Why would I owe you an explanation? Ah, you mean for barging in like we did… Well, I suppose you could say my curiosity saved your hides.” Hange’s small smile was a strained one, but the unspoken threat had Eren’s eyes widening. His hands were on the table, like Hange had instructed earlier. He went to move, but Hange’s eyes honed in on the movement and he was forced to lay his palms flat once more.

“We haven’t done anything to provoke you.”

“No, but I’ve had your three friends followed. And I believe we know who, or what , they are. You have a few options, most of them unpleasant.” Hange waved a hand through the air, speaking casually like they were simply having a coffee date. Eren was on the edge of his seat, hands still on the table. He sharply inhaled, glancing at Bertholdt. Annie and Reiner were a constant, slowly getting closer and pressing their shoulders into his.

“And?”

“If their identities were made public, I assure you most of the military wouldn’t hesitate to have them beheaded. I’ve made a deal, however, with my Commander. If you four agree to come with me, I can guarantee you won’t die . It says nothing on how you’re treated, however.” Hange remained unphased even as Reiner growled, wisps of stream flowing from the corners of his mouth.

“I’ve heard how your Scout Regiment deals with Titans .” Hange readjusted their glasses, head tilted slightly.

“I’ve experimented on Titans, yes. But you’re different, are you not? We can make this a mutual transaction, you know. You teach me what you know about Titans, and I’ll see what I can do so you four aren’t executed.” Eren removed his right hand from the table, aware of Hange following the movement. He placed his hand on Reiner’s thigh, giving it a squeeze.

“Relax, this is what we wanted.” Reiner shied away from his touch and his gaze, looking anywhere but Eren. “We get protection while we continue looking.”

“Looking? For what?” Eren faced Hange once more, blinking slowly as he sighed.

“The true King of the Walls. Your ‘King’, the one on the throne, is a fake. We’re looking for the real royal family.” Hange’s eyes widened, almost sparkling with excitement.

“Well, that’s certainly been one of my theories… I didn’t think some Doctor’s kid and people from beyond the walls would be looking for the truth too.” Reiner growled, still refusing to look at anyone. Ymir shouldered him, garnering his attention long enough for the two of them to snarl at each other. Hange watched the scene unfold, a dark glint in their eye that sent shivers up Annie’s spine.

“We can talk about your theories all you like once we’re at your headquarters.”

“So you’ll come with us then? Not even trying to put up a fight?” Eren shook his head, looking to the table. He traced the grain of the wood with his mind.

“No, we need you to cooperate. For the sake of both sides.” Hange hummed, tapping their feet impatiently.

“But that’s the question, Eren. Who’s side are you on?” Eren looked back up, resolve burning in his eyes.

“I’m not on anyone’s side. I’m going to stop the war you don’t even know you’re involved in.” Hange spared Moblit a glance, who was already scribbling away in his small notepad.

“There’s a wagon outside to transfer you and your… friends.” Eren nodded, looking at Krista and Ymir. Krista managed to get Ymir’s attention by elbowing her in the rib.

“We’re coming with you.” Krista’s voice caught Hange’s attention, the Scout giving her an odd stare. “It’s for our protection. I’m hunted by certain… individuals of Wall Sina. I’d rather not stay out in the open, like the city, any longer.” Hange sighed, running a hand through their hair.

“I suppose we can accommodate two more girls than we’d anticipated.”

…

Hange’s night continued to be stressful. Although they’d accomplished what they came to the cabin to do, they were almost involved in a full on brawl between Reiner and Ymir. Hange wasn’t sure who got the blond’s underwear in a twist, but he was on edge and lashing out. It took Eren restraining him and Annie choking him for the blond to finally lose consciousness, finally giving Hange some peace of mind.

The Titan-shifters and Krista were loaded into the wagon, two of them down for the count. Ymir’s nerves were all over the place, her temper ready to explode at any moment. Krista tried calming her mate, but something about Hange and the Scouts rubbed Ymir the wrong way. Hange wasn’t privy to the information that an older Scout could potentially recognize Ymir, but they did know of Ymir’s connection to Eren’s father.

Hange rubbed the bridge of their nose as the headache hit them full-force, thinking of all the potential disappointing stares they were about to receive from Levi and Erwin.

…

Bertholdt awoke in the wagon later than expected. The ride to the Scout’s headquarters was going to take several hours, and the constant bouncing of the carriage had him nauseous. The sun had long set, and according to Eren they had two more hours before they’d arrive. He slept through the entire packing process, and nobody brought any of his mushrooms.

Annie was a savior more than once that day, presenting him the leather satchel full of his rubber ducks. Wherever they were going couldn’t be that bad.

Chapter Text

Reiner ran a hand through his hair as he inspected his appearance in the mirror. He looked like shit as always, but a little cleaner with his beard trimmed down. He could still feel stubble along his jaw, but there wasn’t much he could do about it with the ‘razors’ the Scout Regiment had. There was a possibility he might die today, so he’d better look his best if he were to meet Marcel in hell.

Reiner’s best was in fact, not the greatest to look at. He’d tried fixing his hair multiple times, but didn’t trust himself with a pair of scissors to trim his own bangs. No matter how much he slept, which was quite a lot , Reiner couldn’t get rid of his eyebags. He looked like a blond raccoon. With a sigh he squinted at the mirror, wondering if he stared long enough something would change. He braced his arms on the sink, leaning forwards.

His eyes were different. The gold hues caught light differently, specks of blue floating in his irises. Something was hypnotic about those streaks of electric blue, until Reiner saw them move. Tiny, blue glowing insects crawling around in his eyes.

Reiner punched the mirror, his breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t noticed them before, but now he could feel them. Blood oozed from the open cuts on his knuckles, too thick for Reiner’s liking. He brought his hand to his face, watching, waiting. Tendrils of blue colored steam emitted from his hand, intertwined with the off-white steam. His regeneration was tainted by the blue, tiny insect-like creatures expediting his regeneration process. He’d healed faster than he ever did before, within seconds no trace of what he had done remained. A choked scream almost left him, caught by horror alone.

Reiner viciously scrubbed his hands clean of his own blood. Something tugged at his subconscious, a silent command that made him turn on his heel and leave the bathroom. 

He made his way down several flights of stairs, to a dining hall that housed several Scouts already dressed and prepared for the day. Reiner could only recognize a few of them, the majority of faces unknown to him, or their names. He knew who Sasha and Mikasa were, Hange as well, although they weren’t currently present.

Reiner took a seat at an empty table, arms on the table as he slouched in his chair. If he was lucky, he could fall asleep at the table. To dream of the simpler times, like tasting samples of different foods at a culture festival in Marley. Reiner could almost fondly remember the first time he’d ever had ice cream, it had been strawberry flavored.

A sigh left his lips as his vision slowly faded, his mind drifting from the realm of consciousness. Sleep evaded Reiner just as quickly as it beckoned him, a hand shaking his shoulder snapping him back to reality. He didn’t have the strength to lift his head, only turn it to glare at the offender of his peace.

“Excuse me, but I need you to come with me, Mr. Braun.” Reiner’s gold eyes met doe brown, wide and shining from the sunlight. Sasha was bathed in the golden sunlight, her stance reserved and her expression apologetic. “The meeting’s about to begin and I was sent to retrieve you.” Ah, the meeting. The meeting Reiner was completely unprepared for, the meeting that could potentially spell in death in bright, bold letters. He groaned as he stood up, his aching bones protesting anymore movement. Sasha thankfully kept her mouth shut as the sound of cracking joints reached her ears, already turning away to lead him through the maze that was the Scout Regiment’s headquarters.

They were heading towards the conference room, Reiner realized. He could hear muffled conversations from the other side of the door, one he recognized as Eren’s voice. Sasha knocked on the heavy wooden door, the room going silent. Reiner swore his heart leapt to his throat in those few seconds of silence before Sasha opened the door and ushered him inside.

The occupants of the room stared at Reiner, all varying degrees of mixed expressions. Captain Levi’s gaze was a particular hard stare, sunlight catching the dark gray and engulfing him in a miniature storm. If looks could kill, Reiner would finally have his wish of dropping dead.

“Oh, right on time Sasha! Reiner, sit down. We were just talking about you.” Somehow being the topic of Eren’s conversation filled Reiner with dread, yet he did as he was told. There was an empty seat directly to Eren’s left, which Reiner sat in, his spine stiff as a board. He briefly noticed the other Shifters all had their hands on the table, palms down. Reiner copied them silently.

“What’s this sack of nervous shit supposed to be?” Levi’s cold indifference sliced through Reiner like their crystalline blades.

“The Armored Titan.” Eren answered for him, leaning back in his seat with one leg crossed over the other. So informal, so casually , Eren batted his eyelashes as he tilted his head and grinned. “He’s trained like a perfect little dog , befitting with how Marley treats Eldians.” Reiner opened his mouth to retort, no sound coming from him as he sat there awkwardly with his mouth hung open. Eren’s side-eyed glance had Reiner snapping his mouth shut, looking to the side to avoid his gaze. Reiner hated that Eren was right.

“Back to the previous topic… You were talking about the outside .” Eren’s amusement could be felt in droves, even with Erwin’s steel blue gaze focused on him. Searching, picking apart every one of Eren’s mannerisms he could find.

“Oh, right. I was saying we need to get to the shoreline to prevent Marley from deploying Pure Titans against you.” Armin and Hange’s excitement was evident, but they held their tongues as Levi shifted in his seat.

“You do realize how difficult it’s become to travel outside of Wall Rose? Are you an idiot on purpose?” Eren pointedly ignored Levi’s comment, tapping three fingers on the table twice.

“You’d be able to use them . Doesn’t that sound fun, Hange ?” Eren’s dual-colored eyes bore straight into them, watching their curiosity grow. Hange held themself together, inhaling sharply through their nose.

“What about the public? What do we tell the people? We can’t flat out tell them the truth.” Erwin glanced to Hange, already running the implications in his mind. This was for humanity, not public opinion.

“Then we lie , and push forward like we always have.” Eren’s giggles broke the older Scouts out of their moment, only gaining volume when they looked at him.

“Ah, apologies, I just… find your dedication to humanity almost… adorable. And I’m sure one of you has the intelligence on how we can delicately spread rumors that’ll drag the King of the Walls out of hiding.” Reiner exhaled shakily when he could feel eyes on him again. He doesn’t know why they were looking at him.

“If these three are from a nation that wants ‘Paradis’ wiped from the face of the earth, why are you traveling with them? Like you’re friends with them?” Levi, succinct as always, spoke for all of Scouts with his words. The question that burned in their minds, always at the tip of their tongues. After a beat of silence, Reiner began to wonder the answer to that question. Eren’s chuckle drew him from his thoughts.

“Honestly… at first they were nothing more than my prisoners. Pets I kept around because I found them cute… overwhelmingly pathetic. No more important than the dirt on my boots. Yet… I’ve discovered they’re not that different from us. Liberio’s internment zone- the living conditions there are no better than the Underground here. They’re nothing more than caged animals. They step outside those walls, and have to wear armbands. To let the rest of Liberio know they’re no better than devils . They’re used as cannon fodder in war. They’re not credited… they’re beaten and killed while the rest of the world takes no repercussions, just for something our ancestors did over two thousand years ago.

To be a ‘Warrior’ is something I pity them for. To train children for war and to be loyal to a nation that treats them worse than garbage, and to be cursed to die within thirteen years. Besides, these three don’t exactly have a ‘home’ to return to.” Eren’s words seemed to scratch at their minds, urging one of them to speak.

“My father stripped me of my childhood and put me through a ruthless combat training regiment to get the Female Titan’s power. It took me many years to realize being used isn’t the same as a parent’s ‘love’.” Annie wrung her hands together, breaking their agreement. She couldn’t get her hands to stop shaking no matter how much she tried.

“They send children to war?” Hange’s voice broke through her thoughts, Annie meeting their gaze.

“Being an Honorary Marleyan is a sick joke.” Their words seemed to move the wheels of Erwin’s mind, the Commander once again drawing the attention in the room.

“Then where do your loyalties lie?” Annie glanced at Eren only briefly, the adoration oozing off of him clouding her senses.

“With Eren. He has something Marley wants- and that Paradis needs. He has something we need. He’s given a means to an end, a way to survive and negate the Curse of Ymir . I want to live , Commander. If it means living longer than only for the next few years, then… I suppose we’ve already betrayed Marley.” Annie was right, she’d supplied the answer Reiner was waiting for. While faint, the spark he felt was real . The weight of her words relieved him of the weight on his shoulders, his relief was real .

“What does this brat have that you’re so interested in?” Levi’s tea had gone cold, left untouched. Reiner finally spoke.

“The Founder .” Eren’s chuckle sent shivers up his spine. The tension that hung in the air was thick enough to choke him.

“I can control the Titans. I can help you get to the shoreline, and we can work on bringing Paradis up to date.” Something about Eren’s words struck Armin’s nerves.

“Eren, doesn’t that mean that you’re one of them ? A Shifter?” Eren focused his gaze on Armin, the blond feeling sweat beginning to trickle down his brow.

“Yeah, why?”

“When? How ?” The question made the three Shifters uncomfortable, as they knew how one became a Titan.

“My father. He was an Eldian Restorationist, sent here by Marley. He gained the Attack Titan from an undercover agent that went by the codename ‘The Owl’, and I received the Titan from my father. That was of course, after he’d taken the Founder from the true royal family within the Walls.” While Eren knew his pets were uncomfortable with that implication, he ignored them.

“How does someone become a Titan-Shifter, anyway?” Hange was speaking under the falsehoods of the calm before the storm, their leg rapidly bouncing beneath the table showing their true excitement.

“Spinal fluid can be extracted from a Shifter or a Pure Titan, and injected into any Eldian. They’ll become a Pure Titan, and it requires them to consume the spinal fluid of a Titan-Shifter to gain their power.” The silence that followed Eren’s words was deafening. Surely, the Scouts must be feeling some type of way as the realization came to mind. All this time, Titans were…

“That would require the previous Shifter being eaten, right? Then… how the hell is your father alive ?” Armin’s tone may have wavered, and his body shook, but his words remained true. Eren’s mouth gaped open for a few seconds before he covered his mouth and coughed.

“I’ve learned a few things since inheriting the Founder . The first thing was how to repair bodies and share the power.” Share ? Reiner couldn’t wrap his mind around it. Nobody could share the powers of a Titan, the previous must die, surely, there’s no- “My father has limited access to the Attack Titan. He retains regenerative abilities, can transform, and… there’s no longer a time limit on how long he can live. There hasn’t been for some time.”

“That’s impossible ,” Reiner finally snapped, turning to Eren. While the brunet held no malice, Reiner was only confused and cautious. His words meant something, didn’t they?

“Well, I’m nineteen. My parents married a year after Grisha was sent to the island. What does that tell you, Reiner ?” Eren leaned forward, his elbow on the table as he had his chin in his palm. He was so relaxed it drove spikes into Reiner’s mind.

“But-”

“But what? Would you like to know another trick? We don’t age as long as we stay in our Titan forms. Isn’t that something? True immortality has been at Marley’s fingertips and they never stopped to think about it.” Eren was so positive in his theories, Hange nearly leapt from their seat.

“What’s the extent of your regenerative capabilities? Can you regrow limbs like a Titan? Organs? Teeth ?” Levi sneered at Hange in disgust, but let the other Captain continue. Hange’s invasive rant lasted at least two minutes, the four- no, five Shifters looking uncomfortable, all except for Eren.

“Yes to most of that. Organs, limbs, our heads… essentially our entire bodies are replaceable . Would you like a demonstration?” Eren tilted his head like a cat, his long black hair falling in front of his face and obscuring his green eye. 

“I- uh- not here .” Hange quickly wiped the drool from their mouth with their sleeve, sitting back down after Erwin’s incredulous stare was redirected at them. Erwin never judged, he was just… used to it. Levi was open about his disgust.

“What about your plan to reunite the island?” Eren gave Erwin a small smile, relaxing into his chair.

“We’re going to have to make the true royal family aware of us. The Scouts are also going to have to do something they haven’t done before, in our… hundred years of being trapped in a glorified cage. We need to retake Wall Maria, while making it publicly known that the Founder is within the walls and not under royal control. They’ll likely try to kidnap me, so I’ll… put myself into your capable hands for protection. Of course, you have these four, but I recommend leaving Ymir out of this.” Ymir sank lower in her seat, avoiding the sudden glances from the Scouts within the room.

“Which one is she?” Levi crossed his arms, looking at the tall woman who was practically beneath the table.

“The Jaw. She’s small, fast, and can… bite things. Yeah, that’s pretty much what the Jaw is about. She’s like… a shark, or an alligator, but if they could climb trees.” Eren gave Ymir an apologetic smile, but the brunette still grumbled as she sat back up.

“You wouldn’t mind if we introduced the other Scouts to them, would you?” While Erwin sounded polite, everyone in the room knew refusing him wasn’t an option, except for Eren of course.

“I doubt many of your Scouts are from Shiganshina, so it shouldn’t be an issue. I just don’t recommend Bertholdt transforming since he’d… be difficult to hide.” Bertholdt grabbed Annie’s hand from under the table, the blonde giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Is he the Colossal?”

“Yes.” Eren answered for him, seeing Bertholdt shaking from the corner of his eye. The Scouts’ reactions were a mixed bag, but from the look in Erwin’s eyes, Eren knew the Commander was already plotting.

The meeting was adjourned after another half hour of questions, and Reiner couldn’t wait to escape. Only, he couldn’t escape, as he and the others were led outside alongside a handful of Scouts. Levi’s squad, he realized- the squad that held the most experience for eliminating Titans. One wrong move, and Reiner would be dead.

…

Eren left the Shifting to Annie and Reiner, standing on the sidelines and explaining bits and pieces of the process to Hange, Levi, and the other Scouts present. Bertholdt was off somewhere else in headquarters, something Reiner wished he could do. Annie and Reiner were waiting for orders from their new superiors , a title Reiner didn’t think he’d be calling anytime soon except for in Marley. Except now, he saw the Scouts drawing their blades and Eren disconnecting from the group.

Hange’s nod was their signal, Annie drawing blood from the hidden hook in her ring. She stepped away from Reiner, golden lightning dancing around her body. The Female Titan’s transformation was contained as much as Annie could will it, the force only knocking a handful of Scouts from their feet.

The Female Titan exhaled slowly, crouched down as she looked to Hange. The mad scientist was in awe, a loud squeal causing many Scouts- and the Shifters- to cover their ears.

“That was awesome! Lightning and steam and… whoosh! A Titan! Stand up, I want to see how tall you are!” The Female Titan slowly stood, her height capping at fourteen meters. Hange ignored Levi’s protests, circling the Titan, poking and prodding at the skinless form. Reiner hoped he’d be free of Hange’s scrutiny for a longer span of time, freezing in place as the Section Commander’s gaze was suddenly drawn to him. Reiner took a few steps back, but Hange met every step with several of their own. They looked up to him with a wild excitement shining in their eyes.

“Uh- I.. I…” Reiner’s words were caught in his throat as an arm was placed over his shoulders. He looked to his left, seeing Eren’s bright dual-colored irises boring into him. Eren grinned, his body flush against Reiner’s as he stood on the tips of his toes, mouth against his neck. Eren lapped and bit at his pulse, sighing before he bared his fangs. Eren bit into the side of Reiner’s neck, pulling away as blood trickled down his neck. Eren licked his lips of the blood, smirking.

“A knife takes too long, you should try biting instead.” Reiner slapped a hand over the open wound, ignoring the way the Female Titan lifted Hange to move out of the blast zone. Eren’s eyes were all he could focus on, even as the command was implanted in his mind. “Go on then, transform .”

The lightning hit before Reiner had the chance to blink. His field of vision was lifted higher, as the Armored Titan stood and exhaled a plume of thick white steam. His mind was hazy and he was hot, too hot. His eyes burned from the sunlight, even as he lifted a hand to shield himself from the sun.

The Female Titan placed Hange on her shoulder, bringing her arms up as she entered a defensive stance. She growled loud and low, reminding the Armored Titan of her presence. He turned slowly, his faceplate dropping as he roared. His teeth snapped on the air, a challenge the Female Titan returned with a scream. Hange held onto the long blonde locks with awe, not bothering to cover their ears.

“Captain, please get down!” Hange looked to the source of the voice, seeing Eren waving at them. The other Scouts looked like a mix of terror and worry, all bundles of nerves waiting for their Section Commander to move. While Hange thought against it, they met Levi’s gaze. The brunette used their ODM to connect to a tree, and then tumbled to the ground with a roll.

The Armored Titan and Female Titan began circling each other, their heavy footfalls rumbling through the earth and sending tremors up the Scouts’ spines. Annie noticed something different about Reiner, his Titan was taller, roughly around sixteen meters now. Every piece of exposed flesh emitted steam, condensation trickling through the cracks of his armor. The glint in his glowing eyes bordered on feral, and Annie let out a surprised grunt as he charged at her.

The Scouts watched with trepidation as the Armored Titan was set on trading furious blows with the Female Titan, her skin hardening just in time to block his attacks. The contact sent blue sparks flying, a shockwave rippling through the air seconds before the Armored Titan roared again. He dug his claws into the Female Titan’s shoulder, running down the length of her arm before he pulled it clean off.

“Woah… he’s pretty aggressive, huh?” Hange couldn’t take their eyes off of the duo, as the Armored Titan led the assault and the Female Titan dodged the best she could, rarely taking the offensive to scratch at his face plate.

“I honestly don’t know what he’s usually like, but I assumed with all that armor he’d be slower and more… defensive.” Eren had a finger on his chin, watching the Titans inquisitively.

“He’s fighting like an animal.” Levi socketed a blade into the pommel, preparing to take a step forward. Eren’s arm blocked him, the brunette looking at him and biting his lip.

“Let me do it. Your blades can’t get through his armor.” Levi gave Eren a suspicious glance, his arm now hanging to his side. Eren scanned the crowd of Scouts, humming as he nodded to himself. “Can I borrow someone’s ODM gear?” The first one who caught Eren’s gaze was Jean , the tall man sneering as Eren approached him.

Jean made quick work to half-heartedly strip, helping Eren into the various straps and gear. Eren bounced on his feet, feeling the weight of the canister on his back. He’d foregone the extra blades, only taking a single pair.

A shrill scream broke through the hushed silence, drawing the crowd’s attention back to the Titans. The Female Titan was stumbling back, knocking over a small tree. The Armored Titan had broken through her defenses, her nose breaking with a sickening crack. Eren huffed as he started jogging to them. The Scouts didn’t ask how he knew how to use ODM gear, merely watching as Eren hooked onto the Female Titan’s shoulder.

“Annie, get him to the ground.” The Female Titan’s bright blue eyes flickered briefly, between fear and determination. The Armored Titan hadn’t noticed Eren yet, charging at the Female Titan once again. She moved to the right, grabbing his arm and hauling his weight over her shoulder to the ground. She pulled the arm as far back as she could, hearing the bones shifting out of place until she had the Armored Titan’s left arm pinned behind his back.

With his free hand, the Armored Titan crawled a few meters, face planted into the dirt and roared. Eren knew Annie couldn’t hold him down long, despite her full weight planted on the Armored Titan’s legs. The Titan was already beginning to push himself from the ground with one arm, the bone plates of his armor cracking. Eren threw a quick glance at the Scouts, who were hesitant to approach. He threw caution to the wind, jumping from Annie’s shoulder.

The Armored Titan surely knew he was there now, he stopped moving. Eren ran up the spine as fast as he could, sliding off the Titan’s shoulder and onto the ground below. He took a few steps back, bringing himself into the Armored Titan’s line of sight. The beast looked down slightly, deeply inhaling. A long exhale blew a large plume of steam into Eren’s face, not deterring him from coming closer. He knocked on the Titan’s faceplate, the lower jaw slowly unlatching to reveal the thick strands of saliva the Titan had been keeping in his mouth. A thick glob of saliva fell to the ground next to Eren, confirming his thoughts.

“Hey baby… you’re not doing too well, are you? How about you stop trying to eat Annie for a bit… you can have one of my arms if you want.” The Armored Titan slowly lowered himself to the ground, shivering. His mouth was open enough for Eren to stick his right arm inside after he dropped the blade, running his hand in circles on the Titan’s tongue.

Annie leaned forwards, trying to see what was happening. She couldn’t see past Reiner’s head, but she could feel the low rumbling that came from deep within his chest, it traveled up her legs and left her with an odd feeling.

The Armored Titan’s jaw snapped shut without warning, Eren’s arm being bitten off from the elbow down. He bit his tongue to prevent himself from screaming, but grinned as the Armored Titan made a low sound of satisfaction.

“Feel better?” The Armored Titan growled quietly, causing Eren’s head to tilt to the side. “Greedy, aren’t you? I need the other arm, but you can have my legs.” Eren backed away, ignoring how the Armored Titan pulled himself through the dirt to try to close the distance between them. Eren made quick work of unlacing his boots with one hand, tossing them to the side. His right arm began to rapidly regenerate, allowing him to use both hands to roll his pant legs up. Eren sat in the grass, kicking a leg tauntingly.

The Armored Titan’s body was completely flush with the grass, his tongue lolling out like a dog. His hot, steaming pants tussling Eren’s hair in the breeze. Eren didn’t move as the Armored Titan pulled him closer with his tongue. Eren braced his arms on the Titan’s jaw, jolting as the teeth tore his legs off from mid-thigh down. So much for rolling up his pants …

Eren could see the moment clarity came back to Reiner, drawing him from his frenzy. He made a loud apologetic whine, shaking his head. Eren gave him a pat, grinning cheekily. Something about a giant tongue and being slowly eaten alive had shivers of excitement traveling up his spine.

“Annie! You can release him now!” Eren felt a twinge of pain from the volume of his own voice, but called out to the Female Titan regardless. He knew Reiner was released when his other hand made contact with the grass, the arm limp and steaming. The Female Titan circled them, squatting to poke at Eren. He looked up to her, giving a thumbs up. “I think they forgot to feed him.” The Female Titan made a low grunt of acknowledgement, occasionally looking at the Armored Titan with a blood-smeared jaw.

Reiner pushed himself from the ground with a huff once his arm healed, shaking his head. He avoided looking at Eren, wringing his hands together as he also refused to look at Annie and the state of the Female Titan. She was absolutely wrecked, covered in bites, scratches, and steam pouring from her form as she continued to painfully breathe.

Annie closed the distance between them, smashing her head into Reiner’s face, knocking him back. While the Female Titan’s jaw broke from the force of their impact, she continued her assault with her newly discovered aggravation. Eren tired himself out by gently encouraging his regeneration to go faster, standing on new legs by the time the Scouts could see him again.

Of course, they had mixed reactions seeing pieces of his clothes missing. Eren couldn’t blame them, though.

…

Eren didn’t feel like answering questions, demanding a set of Thunder Spears to use against the Armored Titan. Annie and Reiner continued sparring, blissfully unaware of Eren’s plotting. Hange was easy to sway in his favor, handing a pair of Thunder Spears and briefly explaining how to use them before watching Eren jog off… again . Some of the Scouts had gone to the mess hall to retrieve their lunches, returning with bowls and watching the two Titans fight. Some of them found it amusing.

Watching the Armored Titan crumple to the ground as a steaming heap was particularly satisfactory. Eren had hooked onto the Female Titan’s nose, taking the opportunity when the Armored Titan had his mouth open and shot one of the spears into his mouth. It looked as painful as it felt, and Eren didn’t stop even as the Titan began to sway on his feet, his jaw clattering to the ground covered in steaming blood. Eren aimed for his left eye, and Annie had to block the shards of the Armored Titan’s faceplate as it shattered from the explosion. She was concerned with the way the Titan fell to the ground, unmoving.

Eren peeked through the cracks between Annie’s fingers, watching the way the nape of the Armored Titan began to split open. Reiner emerged, and immediately puked, a pool of blood forming at his hands. Eren thought it was kinda hot.

…

Having shrapnel to the face already wasn’t a pleasant experience, but Eren and the others quickly learned that setting off a Thunder Spear inside a Titan’s mouth was enough to send shrapnel to the nape, and unfortunately for Reiner he took a majority of the blast to the face. He’d been hacking up pieces of metal for hours following the explosion. Worse, he wasn’t getting a break anytime soon.

Commander Erwin and the other Section Commanders had come to a conclusion, after brainstorming the afternoon away. Eren was brimming with excitement, especially when his trio of Shifters were presented with Scout uniforms to wear for the expedition to Wall Maria. They would be leaving first thing in the morning, which meant a long ride to Trost, and then they’d have to fall into formation, something Erwin had come up with several months prior, but was now going to use.

The Titan-shifters were going to be utilized as bait , integrated into the formation by Erwin and Hange’s hands that night. Annie would be taking the far left of the formation, Reiner the far right. Eren would be kept in the middle of the formation with the Special Operations Unit- led by Captain Levi. Ymir would guard the rear, and was briefed on the different flares. She was the fastest of the Titans- and could easily cross the distances between the Scouts to dispose of Titans.

Reiner’s week couldn’t get any worse. His shot from Marleyan command was wearing off, his instincts slowly returning to him with every passing hour. He was a sweaty, moody mess, begrudgingly agreeing to the metaphorical terms and conditions that came with pledging to defend these humans.

…

Morning came faster than Reiner expected. He spent most of the night tossing and turning, drenched in sweat as he felt himself burning from the inside out. Once headquarters came alive with Scouts running up and down the halls to pack and prepare the wagons, Reiner took an ice cold bath to alleviate some of his discomfort. He wasn’t surprised when the bath didn’t help, and simply continued with his morning routine.

He started with brushing his teeth, spitting out specks of blood with blue mixed in them. He wasn’t sure why the blue kept appearing in everything , his tears, his blood, his sweat. Brushing his hair was simple enough, a comb and his hand was all he needed to look presentable. Reiner sighed as he put on the ODM gear, the weight of the metal at his hips and the pressure at his back an uncomfortable sensation. He sat on his bed as he waited, listening to the sounds of discourse outside of his room.

Reiner waited for what seemed to be an eternity, or at least long enough for him to start drifting back to sleep. The voices in the background faded away, the Scouts likely downstairs eating their meager breakfast. Reiner was content in his peace and solitude, daydreaming of a life that didn’t exist. The fact that the carnage wasn’t currently present was like a balm to his troubled mind, a scene of Liberio being trampled and crushed beneath the feet of thousands of Colossal Titans sending a spike of blinding pain through his skull. Reiner slowly opened his eyes, regrounding himself as he blinked away the pain.

A knock on his door drew him from his thoughts, as did the sickly sweet smell in the air that made him salivate. His body was on autopilot as Reiner stood to unlock the door, letting Bertholdt inside.

Bertholdt sighed as he stepped into Reiner’s room, shutting the door behind him. Reiner had no doubt Bertholdt caught the gossip floating around the Scouts’ headquarters, and his recent troubles with controlling his Titan. Of course, Annie likely couldn’t keep her mouth shut either. Of the two times Reiner’s transformed within the walls, he’s lost control both times.

“Reiner, I… I’m worried about you.” Bertholdt was dusting off his sleeves, another one of his nervous tics he’d picked up recently. Bertholdt’s dark gray eyes were filled with concern, and he took a small glance at Reiner, waiting for the blond to defend himself with lies as he always did.

“I know. I am too.” Bertholdt reeled back in surprise, eyes wide as he watched Reiner bring a hand to his chest. He gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly, looking to the floor. “Something’s wrong with the Armored Titan, Bert. I don’t know what’s different, but… it just feels wrong. Something’s wrong with it. It’s always been angry, hungry , but… now it’s… ravenous. It’s starting to affect me even when I haven’t shifted.”

“Have you talked to anyone else who might know something?” Bertholdt supplied the suggestion, despite knowing Reiner’s answer before he spoke.

“No. I don’t know who I would talk to, anyone who’s had Titans longer than us… they’d be in Marley. And as far as I know, the previous Armored Titans never had this problem.” Bertholdt crossed his arms, leaning against the wall.

“I’ve heard in rare circumstances, it’s like the Titans develop a mind of their own.. And they want something. Maybe that’s what happened to you.”

“I don’t know what he wants.” Reiner sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. Bertholdt looked like he wanted to fuss over it, but closed his mouth before he could say anything as he saw Reiner ready to speak again. “I’ve seen… visions . I don’t know if they’ve been warnings, or… something he doesn’t want happening. Anytime I get them, I feel like I’m standing on an edge and I just… I get so angry . I want to snap at anyone and everything.”

“What are the visions like?” Reiner swallowed the saliva collecting in his mouth, looking up from to the floor to take in Bertholdt’s expression. Someone so soft and caring shouldn’t be worried about him .

“Death. Mostly yours and Annie’s. Those are the worst ones, I’m upset for days after it. Other times it’s a revenge fantasy against Marley. And uh… the weirdest one is… mating, honestly.” Reiner coughed as he turned to the side, staring at the wall. He couldn’t bring himself to look Bertholdt in the eyes any longer as his face turned a bright shade of red.

“Titans don’t have any way to reproduce, that might just be your instincts kicking back in. They shouldn’t be, the shot you got from Marley should keep everything suppressed for at least another year.” Reiner let out a quiet, humorless chuckle.

“That’s another problem. It’s not working anymore.” Bertholdt tilted his head in confusion, brows knitting together as he shakily exhaled.  “I know it’s too soon. But it’s unfortunately the truth.”

“... What does it look like?” Reiner couldn’t discern the look in Bertholdt’s eyes, with the way his pupils expanded and a shiver crept up his spine.

“ That’s what you’re interested in? Ugh, fine. The Female Titan getting it from behind, there’s a lot of steam like a censor… there’s another Titan, looks pretty ugly in my opinion. Long black hair, serrated rows of teeth and a body of pure muscle. And then there’s you… but we’re in these forms.” Bertholdt snorted, the corners of his lips tugging upwards at Reiner’s mortified expression, the way he shriveled where he stood.

“I’ve never heard of a Titan being horny before.” Reiner lightly punched Bertholdt’s arm, earning a giggle from the taller man. “Maybe you should give into one of those things, it might be less bitchy to deal with.”

“Sex is one thing, marking someone is another. We’re not allowed to mark anyone as Marleyan Warriors, remember ?” Reiner couldn’t help his voice wavering, sounding so small and broken. Bertholdt was undeterred, tugging at the collar of his dark blue shirt as he exposed his neck.

“We’re not in Marley right now, what could possibly happen? It’s what you want, isn’t it?” Bertholdt’s half-lidded gaze was almost predatory, the sunlight filtering in through the windows illuminating him with a glow that was bordering on angelic to Reiner. Reiner’s mouth fell open, and a plume of steam left him with a ragged exhale.

“We don’t know what that can do to you- it’s- it’s too risky , Bert. I can’t. I- I can’t do that to you.” Bertholdt wasn’t being swayed by Reiner’s stuttering, enjoying the way those golden eyes couldn’t peel away from his exposed neck. “It’d hurt .”

“What, you think I can’t take a little pain, Braun ? I doubt I’d even feel you.” Bertholdt’s playful mocking nearly sent Reiner over the edge, nails digging into his palms as he balled his hands into fists. Another cloud of steam came from his mouth, as a growl crawled up his throat.

“Please, don’t make me do this.”

“If it’s something you want to do, then do it . If it’d help you… I’m okay with it.” Bertholdt’s breath hitched as Reiner’s arms snaked around his waist, the blond breathing deeply to savor every second of Bertholdt’s exposed flesh. Bertholdt always smelled like an apple pie to Reiner, extra cinnamon. After inheriting the Colossal Titan, the sickly sweet smell of decay always clung to him, a forbidden snack that always wormed its way into Reiner’s senses.

“I’m sorry ,” Reiner’s voice was barely a whisper before he sunk his teeth into Bertholdt’s shoulder, feeling the way his body froze, his back arch ever so slightly at his touch. Something in Reiner’s subconscious stirred, rumbling in satisfaction. Yes, this, him , was what it wanted. What he wanted.

…

Bertholdt and Reiner were understandably late to the meeting point. While the Section Commanders were going over the formation one last time with their respective squads, the duo split up to go to their own respective groups. Eren gave Bertholdt an odd look, tiling his head as those dual-colored eyes flicked up and down his body.

“What the hell happened to you? You look like you got run over by a train.” Bertholdt shrugged, sweaty hands in his pockets.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” Bertholdt quickly mounted a horse, the animal huffing at its sudden passenger. “Maybe when we’re outside?” Bertholdt sounded both worried and hopeful, something that had Eren raising his hands in surrender.

“Okay,” Eren turned away, wandering off to find Ymir before they set out. Bertholdt mentally went over the Scouts’ plans, entering Wall Maria from Trost’s gate. It’d take roughly two days to reach Shiganshina, with all their stops in between. That’s only if the Scouts survived entering Titan territory.

Eren returned a few minutes later, a red mark in the shape of a handprint on his left cheek. He rolled his eyes as Bertholdt raised a brow, neither of them speaking of it.

…

The ride to Trost only took a few hours, and the large crowd had Reiner’s nerves on fire. This would be the Scout Regiment’s first expedition past Wall Rose since the Breach , which had Reiner feeling more than a little guilt y. The crowd was muttering, screaming, cheering, and some throwing rocks at the Scouts. They were mainly seen as a waste of tax money, after all. Some thought the Scouts were a beacon of hope, that this time they’d reclaim Wall Maria for humanity .

 Reiner looked over his shoulder, seeing the many faces of the Scouts he’d come to recognize over the past week. If he played his cards right, they’d ride home victorious with little casualties.

Erwin caught his gaze, nodding. The Commander had faith in their new weapons, both the Thunder Spears and the Titan-Shifters. It’d been years since Reiner felt this nervous, even as he focused on what was in front of him as Trost’s gate rose. The Commander led the Scouts with his signature charge, something that irked Reiner to the core. They dedicated their everything to what should have been a lost cause. When’s the last time Reiner dedicated his heart to anything?

Roughly ten minutes of full speed passed, before the Scouts fell into formation. A long-distance formation that was optimal for avoiding Titans, keeping cargo secure and the Scouts dispersed to reduce casualties. Reiner felt alone, given that moment. Less than five minutes since the Scouts fell into formation, there had already been sightings of several Pure Titans. Reiner knew what the red and green flares meant.

Red was a Pure Titan, green was for redirecting the formation. A single black flare came into view that had Reiner cursing, they’d only just begun . As the violet flare shot into the sky, he briefly wondered how Annie was. She was in the left wing, fighting on her own.

The Female Titan’s screams just barely reached his ears, which had the hairs on Reiner’s neck standing up. Annie was drawing Titans to her, that wasn’t a distress call. Reiner was distressed all the same.

Chapter Text

Annie had been running on fumes for several hours. Acting as a spearhead for the Scouts meant that she was going to encounter Titans, the left wing drowning in Pure Titans that craved human flesh. She could only attract so many of them with her scream, the Female Titan’s command echoing through the open plains. The Horde of Titans that descended upon her was reminiscent of their days beyond the walls, lifeless eyes boring into hers as they scrambled to find purchase on every piece of her exposed flesh.

Pure Titans didn’t know a lick of melee combat, luckily for her. Unluckily for Annie, whenever a black flare was shot into the sky on the left wing, she’d have to navigate her way to find the Abnormal, bringing the Pure Titans with her. They ignored the humans, chasing the Female Titan after hearing her scream. She had Titans both metaphorically and literally nipping at her heels, trying to bring her down with every minute that passed. Some of the Scouts tried assisting her, easing her burden long enough for her to see the Abnormal that was causing an issue.

A fourteen meter crawled on all fours, unblinking eyes trained on a Scout that was trying to escape via horseback. The wind had blown their hood down, and Annie recognized who it was. Someone she had a very strong inkling that Eren would be upset if they died. Of course , she thought bitterly, swerving on her heel in the grass, kicking up dirt as she blocked the Scout from the Titan’s view.

The Pure Titan slowly lifted its head, teeth clacking together as it chattered. There were no legible words from its unmoving mouth, but there was a feeling . The Female Titan brought her arms to protect her face, crystallizing the skin seconds before the Titan leaped. The Scout abandoned their horse, and Annie could feel the hook of an anchor in her leg.

The blond Scout used their momentum and the Titan’s momentary distraction to swoop behind it, blades drawn. He spun in the air as he retracted his grapples, slicing through the Titan’s nape with a single clean motion. The Female Titan caught him from midair as the Titan let go of her arms, steam pouring from her mouth. Armin gave her a friendly wave, hooking onto her shoulder with a small burst of gas from his gear.

Annie turned around, preparing to fall back in line with the formation. She wasn’t bothered with an extra passenger, she wasn’t , she was bothered by her duty. Humans are delicate, easily breakable creatures, overwhelmingly so. She wasn’t sure how she was going to fight the Titans with a human on her shoulder, what if the ones behind her got him? The ones that go for her shoulders? She can’t take a large group on her own. Armin, being the angel he was, seemed to notice her discomfort and sought to alleviate her inner turmoil.

“Hey, Annie… you don’t have to worry about me. Just keep fighting like you normally do. I got your back, okay?” He believed Annie was incapable of giving a verbal answer, but the way her bright blue eyes flickered in his direction was enough. The Female Titan was fast on her feet following the lightening technique, which had the duo back in position in record time. With the Titan’s weight reduced, she was pure speed.

A Pure Titan was spotted to the East, which had Annie redirecting herself to the direction of the first flare. She didn’t have to verbally communicate with Armin, somehow he understood her. Annie’s signals were displayed for Armin to read like an open book, similar to Mikasa’s temperaments. Annie supposed Armin would be familiar with cold, deadly women.

The chorus of red flares tainting the sky turned to black within minutes. The Pure Titan that came into view was odd, even for an Abnormal. Long, gangly limbs with a massive rib cage that made up most of the Titan’s torso, and a head too large for its body. The Titan’s neck couldn’t support the weight of its head, dragging on the ground as the Titan crawled on all fours.

The Female Titan roared as a challenge, the Abnormal pausing from where it lay prone. The Abnormal let out a low groan, and the sound of breaking bones and flaying flesh could be heard from far away. In a burst of steam and blood, the Titan revealed another set of disproportionate arms, finally able to push itself from the ground. Armin took a double take, confirming that yes , the Abnormal in front of them grew another set of arms.

The Female Titan screamed, stumbling back a few steps as she stretched and entered her preferred stance. The Abnormal began to crawl on all six, scrambling across the plains and catching up to the two of them. Every limb on the Pure Titan’s body strained with each pull, muscles bulging beneath the creature’s pale flesh. New limbs were prepared to burst forth from the sparse flesh. It was a sickening sight, one that had the Female Titan turning on her heel and beginning to run from the Abnormal. Armin cursed from atop her shoulder, gaze glued to the Abnormal that was quickly closing the distance between them. He rifled through his satchel hastily, reaching for the flare gun and a black striped round.

“Annie, cover your ears.” The Female Titan’s piercing blue gaze was drawn to Armin, watching as he covered one ear and had his other hand pointed to the sky, flare gun in hand. She listened, bringing her hands to her ears. The motion would have thrown Armin from her shoulder had he not been anchored. As the steady stream of black smoke reached for the sky, Armin looked to the horizon for other flares. He sighed as a violet flare was seen, meaning their help would be on the way.

Things could have been looking up for them, if it wasn’t for an entire horde of Titans emerging from the thick brush on the edge of a small forest, running full-speed for the Female Titan. Accompanied by the spider-like Abnormal, Annie wouldn’t be capable of holding off over a dozen Pure Titans. She focused on continuously jogging towards the front of the formation, occasionally glancing to her right.

Armin was focused on dispatching any Pure Titans that drew too close to Annie, mostly smaller class Titans that were reaching for her legs. His first set of paring blades were already growing dull, which left Armin groaning as he discarded the chipped blades. His vision blurred for a few moments as a blast of steam escaped the Female Titan’s mouth. She had already been panting for awhile now from exertion, now every breath was a painful one. She hissed as one of the ten meter Titans caught up to them, closing in on her right side.

An earth-shattering roar echoed through the plains, giving Armin an instantaneous migraine. He squinted in the direction of the sound, seeing the Armored Titan charging directly at them. In most circumstances, Armin would normally be terrified of a Titan coming straight for him, but today all he felt was an unnatural calm. Of course, behind the Armored Titan was a large horde of Pure Titans, a group larger than the one chasing Annie- which had dread slowly creeping up Armin’s spine.

The Armored Titan was close to breathing fire as every step had a burst of steam leaving him, his face plate lowered just so he could breathe . His armor was cracking after only a few hours, and the blood that decorated him like warpaint before evaporating had his mental turmoil rolling something fierce . As he collided with the ten meter that was too close to the Female Titan for his comfort, he unknowingly knocked her and Armin over at the same time. Annie scrambled to get out from underneath them, the ten meter snapping its teeth close to her neck. While the skin there was hardened, the same couldn’t be said for her human passenger. She plucked Armin from the ground, the blond man groaning as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“You two… are terrible at dodging.” Annie huffed in response, as she turned on her heel to head in the direction Reiner had come running from. Armin hooked into the Female Titan’s shoulder again, holding onto her hair to steady himself. “I can’t blame you, though. It must be difficult steering bodies several times the size of your normal ones.”

“ IT’S… NOT THAT… HARD. BUT TODAY HAS… BEEN… STRANGE. ” Armin’s eyes widened as he turned to her, seeing his reflection in the Titan’s bright blue eyes. His mind wandered briefly to the spider , returning as he spotted another strange Titan in the distance.

“The Abnormals? I’ll be honest, I’ve never seen anything like that before. I’ve been on expeditions from time to time, and… that was… I can’t describe it.” He received a grunt from Annie as her fist connected with the cheek of a pale, bloated Pure Titan- the poor creature’s jaw sent flying from its body.

“ THIS HAS NEVER… HAPPENED BEFORE. I’VE… NEVER SEEN… IT. ” Annie huffed as she continued towards the right wing, catching several soldiers in the corner of her eye. She needed to change her trajectory if they were already this far inside the formation.

“Titans, they’re not supposed to… change like that, are they?” Armin’s eyes wandered to the plains, frowning at the sudden suspicious lack of Titans. “Where did they go?” The sun still shone brightly in the sky, the time was no later than a few hours after noon. Most expeditions Armin would be grateful for the lack of Titans.

“ THIS… ISN’T… GOOD. ” Annie’s voice had grown scratchy, her Titan exhaling a thick plume of steam as she swallowed her saliva, trying to ease the growing pain in her throat. The both of them knew better than to rely on luck, especially in Titan territory.

“Something must have drawn the Horde’s attention.”

…

Upon signal from command, the Scouts slowly changed their trajectory to enter a forest of giant trees. They could boast they had their lowest recorded mortality rate, although they couldn’t put to paper just yet that it was due to Titan-shifters. By the time horse-drawn carts had arrived and taken shelter within the thick line of giant redwoods, the humans were holding their breath.

The death toll was already being counted, as was the number of missing persons- a routine the Scouts were used to. The lack of appearance from their new Titan comrades weighed on their minds, as a sense of unease began to fill the air. Eren watched the little ants- humans from a distance, sitting on a low-hanging branch of one of the trees. His legs swayed idly as he hummed in thought. His precious, corrupted little thoughts were interrupted by a blur of strikingly familiar red and black darting past him, the whir of ODM gear right next to his head, to his right.

“Has anyone seen Armin?!” Mikasa stood on the branch next to him, not even noticing him as the click of the blade in her hand fully drew Eren’s attention. Mikasa’s presence next to him only lasted a few seconds before she was off again, beginning to pester other squads.

Had Eren known how to focus beyond the several dozen heartbeats he could hear, maybe he’d have been able to answer Mikasa. He could still smell her in the air, an inhuman power thrumming in her veins with only a vague familiarity he couldn’t place. The distant thrum of his kin reminded Eren of the trio’s existence once more, their lives which were held by precarious hands.

Eren already could feel Annie’s unease from afar, something that was curling, twisting, molding into fear. A visceral kind of terror that could only have been described as primal , a fear he knew he’d likely have to alleviate himself. Reaching deep enough meant he could feel Reiner , a cocoon of rage and confusion . Fear was sprinkled in there, too, but overshadowed by concern and an annoyingly natural instinct to protect.

He had to do something . His humans were counting on him. The Titans… they had mixed feelings. Their consciousnesses had long stopped resisting his influence, the false sense of security, their training as mindless soldiers following orders wrapped in a neat, traumatic bow. Eren treated them better than Marley ever did, and that was enough to give the wayward souls hope.

Eren believed he was nervous . He didn’t know how his transformation would go, not this time. He’d shifted only once before, dabbled in cannibalism a few too many times, and unleashed generational rage from within the Founder’s memories upon Pure Titans. Offering release to decades of suffering, being caught in an endless nightmare. Eren wasn’t a miracle worker yet , but without his trio, he won’t become one. He won’t let himself become a genocidal maniac. He won’t let them die.

Eren dropped from the tree branch, crashing to the ground unceremoniously. His lack of ODM gear was an embarrassing one, but easily ignored. Eren wouldn’t be needing the gear after all. He wasn’t worried . They hadn’t been fighting for hours , potentially running into the horrors that have begun to spawn on Paradis. Annie’s screams hadn’t been causing Eren’s anxiety to spike the entire expedition.

Eren Jaeger is a liar . A liar with his hand close to his mouth, his tongue swiping along his upper row of teeth, cleaning them of the cheap ale he’d stolen. Discomfort swirled in his body, while the overly confident voice in his head told him he’d be fine. Everything will be okay, you’ll do great! Eren couldn’t question why Armin was his mental cheerleader, not as he bit into his hand and drew blood.

Golden lightning turned the forest into a scorching summer day, several Scouts falling from the canopy as steam dislodged the anchors to their gear. Humans buzzed around him like an eclipse of moths. Watching in equal parts horror and curiosity as the Attack Titan’s body began to form, a towering skeleton that was cradled by a lean muscled frame. Standing to his full height of fifteen meters was nowhere near as disorienting as the first time Eren transformed, he could control himself, there was clarity in his actions.

Silence was the barrier he was going to break. He needed his chess pieces to remake the world. The first step forward was the most difficult, but the sunlight did not yet wane. His roar shook the giant redwoods, scattered the birds and the deer. His second step was lacking hesitance, as the Attack Titan prepared to break into a jog.

He could outlast them. He hoped he could outlast them. Breaking free of the tree line and stepping into the sunlight, blinking away temporary blindness, gave Eren the faintest grasp of the situation.

Fields of steaming corpses, and his shifters nowhere to be found. The smell of decaying, burning flesh drifted through the air, dampening his senses. The Attack Titan’s sharp, tapered ears swiveled and turned, listening for the distant thud of heavy footsteps. Breaking armor, ODM gear, anyone, anything . A sign of life amidst the growing heaps of bodies. The Attack Titan was light on his feet, a jog easily breaking into a sprint, no plumes of steam leaving his mouth. New, fresh, unmarred flesh, long black hair that reached past his shoulders. Hair that whipped wildly in the wind.

He ran, he searched. Eren thought things would have been easier with the Attack Titan’s enhanced senses, but the only thing the Titan could sense was danger. He swerved to the left, unfeeling as his heels scraped the ground clean of grass. There it was, an Abnormal with a dubious amount of limbs and an emaciated body, remnant of a corpse. A head too large for its body, and a broken jaw. It must have come into contact with either the Female Titan or the Armored Titan, but the apparent lack of the duo was concerning for Eren. Claw marks littered the Abnormal’s body, distinct slashes that were clearly Ymir’s. This thing , a tangled mass of limbs, had encountered his shifters.

Where were they ? Eren couldn’t think anymore, not clearly. The Attack Titan’s penchant for rampages was beginning to overflow, already he could feel the beast’s sharp claws unsheathed from their nail beds, his mouth opening, a warning. Saliva heavy on his tongue, every muscle in his body wired taut and ready to spring.

The Attack Titan lunged first, meeting the Abnormal close to head-on, before he ducked and ripped an arm of the Titan off, feeling the grinding of bone between his teeth. The force had the Abnormal scrambling on the ground, uneven on its footing, moaning in pain. Something snapped at the first taste of blood.

He roared , coming close to cowing the Abnormal into submission, but the creature still had fight left in it, or was too dim witted to understand the threat. The Abnormal’s ears bled. Surely, the Attack Titan’s roar could be heard for several kilometers, the challenge issued to all Titans in the proximity. The horde would descend upon Eren soon, but he was too far gone to give a shit about the Pure Titans.

No, he could smell their blood on this puny spider. The hunter had his prey, with a single leap forwards, he grabbed the Abnormal by it’s front upper left arm, dislocating it from the socket before ripping the arm off. He wasn’t done with it, his claws sinking into the skull as he smashed its face into the ground, once twice, thrice.

He stomped on its spine several times, leaning down to pry its arms off one by one. The wailing cries of the Titan were like music to his ears, the smell of its blood stirring his hunger, but his disgust was stronger than his instinct to feed. Whether they had lived or died was inconsequential at that moment, only revenge had consumed his every thought. His claws found purchase on the nearly translucent flesh of the Titan, sinking between the ribs, peeling away the skin like an orange.

The Attack Titan pulled apart his prey, piece by piece, limb by limb, until nothing remained except for the head and the skinless torso. Satisfaction was a fleeting emotion, diminishing quickly even as he plunged his right hand into the back of the Titan, ripping out it’s spine.

He wasn’t satisfied, not quite. Punching the nape until nothing remained except a bloody, squishy mound hadn’t been enough. The blood was already beginning to evaporate, and the flesh was already dissolving. Nothing of his kill would soon remain visible on his body.

The horde had found him, some walking, others running in his direction. There were no trees to hide them, and he needed no armor, he had his claws, his teeth, this body . The Attack Titan roared once more, challenging the Pure Titans to come crawling to their demise. Be freed from the nightmare, return to the tree that holds them in memory. 

…

Armin wasn’t sure if he was dreaming. He felt like he was a walking corpse, wading through waist high water that was clouded by rotting bodies and decaying plant matter. The smell was already revolting, reminding him he was alive , despite every bone in his body groaning in protest. He could hear the crows above, but he could not see them. His vision was clouded from steam, sweat, and blood. He had hit his head on the way down from falling from Annie’s shoulder once more- but there was a distressing lack of the skinless Titan shifting duo.

Reiner and Annie were nowhere to be seen, but they could be heard. The crunching of bones from the Female Titan’s crystalized fists. The Armored Titan’s body creaking under pressure. The inhuman cries of pure Titans, and their occasional offended gasps of surprise at the duo’s attacks. Armin didn’t need to see them to know their conditions- their healing factors had been slowing down several hours ago. They sounded sluggish, too slow, vulnerable. One of them was favoring a leg. One of them was close to breathing fire.

They needed help. There shouldn’t have been this many Titans behind Wall Maria. Not so soon . Armin scrambled for a canister for his flare gun, reaching blindly at his hip. He didn’t care what color he fired into the sky, only hoping it wasn’t a dud or a bird bomb round. He couldn’t draw attention to himself or Ymir, not now. The cover she had found was already sparse enough, pressed up against the cut bank of a river. Silt and river reeds provided some cover, but the water wasn’t deep enough to stop some of the larger Titans. Ymir soaked in the water, steam rolling off of her body in waves. Perhaps she was washing the stench of Titans off of her, despite being in the Jaw Titan’s form herself. 

Armin fired the smoke flare, a deep purple rising into the graying sky. He was close to being too sluggish to even lift his arm, but his will to live was strong enough to fight through the pain. Hope , is what some would call it. The irony tasted strange on his tongue, Titan shifters needing to be rescued. His conscience formed a lead pit in his stomach, weighing him firmly to the ground. His mind stubbornly replayed the events of the day, even as the sky still showed no signs of turning to orange. No, it was only afternoon, and they were a shy few hours away from sunset, and even further from nightfall. The expedition had begun in the morning. The few hours they’d been inside of Wall Maria felt like a months-long nightmare.

Reality itself was a nightmare . An island that functioned as a prison. Belong to a race seen as trash, lesser than the rest of the world. Titans once being humans, the wars across the sea. Armin remembered the carefree days of his childhood, the dream he held on to all this time. He wanted to see the ocean, he wanted to see the glaciers and volcanoes. There was more than just being livestock, trapped in a gilded cage with a false history and false past.

Armin feared reality, what was truly out there. Disappointment was always a single breath away, as reality was often disappointing . But as he grew older, he held on tightly to the hope his grandfather’s book had given him. From enlisting in Scouts to his first expedition- Armin had hope . Even with Eren turning away from him, a broken, bloody mess, a murderer, there was something about him that still sparked hope. If there was anyone who could deliver Armin to the ocean, it would have been Eren.

Armin couldn’t help but wonder what happened to Eren over the years, what changed a homicidal child that wanted to eradicate all Titans into one. What caused him to shift into the perfect example of a mentally unstable individual. Eren was a playful, but scheming person. Armin saw right through him, but couldn’t bring himself to say it to his face. I see right through you. You’re worried about something.

Slumber’s embrace was creeping up on Armin too quickly for his liking. His position wasn’t fully exposed, but during the daytime a Titan could appear at any given moment. He wasn’t safe, nor was he comfortable. The wind carried the scents of fear and desperation, weeping softly with collected dew from the plains. Ymir sat so still Armin wasn’t positive she was awake or even alive.

Armin heard the Female Titan’s scream, but this one was different from the others he’d heard during the day. His trance had quickly been broken, just as Ymir’s had been. The Jaw Titan sat up quickly, standing at attention. Her body screamed to lie down, but her eyes spoke of panic.

A crash was heard behind them. Loud, too close. Armin groaned as he forced himself to turn, only to be met with the empty eye sockets of the Female Titan. Blood poured down her face from the gash that had gone across her eyes, the wound that had taken them. The ground beneath her burned as her slowly evaporating blood dripped upon the grass. Her nose was crooked, and her jaw dislocated.

The Female Titan’s right arm was completely missing, teeth marks gouging deep into her shoulder. Her breathing was wet and ragged, occasionally choking on blood. Annie met her limit for the day, for the week, maybe even the month . Fighting Titans was different from missions in the Far East against humans.

The ground shook once more, this time with the Armored Titan’s roar. A death rattle of unbridled rage, a cornered animal’s last stand. Armin struggled to pull himself to his feet, every step closer to the F- Annie full of concern. He touched the bridge of her nose, closing his eyes to not look at her lack of strikingly icy blue eyes.

“Annie…” His thoughts sputtered like a dying street lamp, flickering into silence. He only hoped Mikasa was safe, that the Scouts were safe. He hoped Eren was safe. “Rest now.” The clouds began to softly cry, the rain falling upon them like a cleansing shower. Annie’s body trembled, holding in her frustrations and her fears.

“ I… TRIED. ”  The Female Titan slumped to the ground, the nape opening to reveal Annie, a tired, broken mess with an overly stubborn nosebleed. Armin’s feet found their urgency then, as he scrambled atop the Titan to collect Annie in his arms. She was heavier than he expected for her height, but the taut muscle underneath her thin ragged hoodie was enough of an answer.

“You were amazing.” Annie cracked an eye open to look at him, but from the haze in her eyes Armin knew she wasn’t seeing him, not anymore.

The world became eerily silent for a moment, still, only the breeze playing with her hair. The hair on the back of Armin’s neck rose. Ymir clacked her teeth together, an animalistic growl trapped in the back of her throat. The horde was approaching, running past them. They were fleeing, panicking like a herd of cattle. 

A deafening roar cut through the haze, the Pure Titans paused their approach, frozen in place. A Titan unlike any other Armin had ever seen came into view, fifteen meters of pure lean muscle, long flowing black hair, and a set of mismatched eyes bordered by darkened skin like a bird of prey. A nictitating membrane slid over the mismatched eyes, as the Titan turned to look down at the trio. There was intelligence behind those striking eyes, ones Armin couldn’t tear his gaze from. The serrated maw of teeth was already terrifying.

The Titan moved like a bullet, mouth open and claws extended as he shredded apart the Pure Titans by tooth and claw. Armin couldn’t follow the movements with his exhaustion, but something had him still standing and staring in awe. He couldn’t move, that roar had locked his joints. Something in his mind nagged him, a command that had flooded his senses. 

Ymir hadn’t emerged from the Jaw Titan, but was slowly regaining her ability to move. Always resisting, always fighting, but in this situation, she didn’t struggle. The strange Titan came closer to the group once more, leaning down with a hand held out for Ymir. Armin watched in confusion as she scampered to his shoulder, and he scooped down to pick them up.

Armin felt oddly secure in the Titan’s warm palm, and Annie hadn’t moved from where she slept in his arms. Ymir’s claws were hooked into the Titan’s shoulder for stability, but one hand was free to point in Reiner’s direction. The rogue nodded , of all things. Something scratched at Armin’s mind. This wasn’t a random Abnormal.

Eren came for them. Came for him . Somewhere beyond the void left in Eren’s heart, the person Armin once knew still existed. He hoped his mind’s illegible rambles were true.

…

Collecting Reiner was easier said than done. The Armored Titan had collapsed on its back, and it took the Attack Titan and Jaw Titan prying its head off then having the Jaw Titan tearing into the hardened plates to get to the human within.

With the Jaw Titan on his shoulder and three precious humans in his hands, Eren was on his way back to the forest. The plains had been relatively cleared of Titans, and the storm that had fully hit would certainly slow them down. They’d be safe once nightfall came, surrounded by the Scouts. The Titans were valuable assets, after all.

…

Armin wanted to sleep the moment they passed the entrance to the forest.  He reluctantly stayed awake until Mikasa collected him like a damsel in distress and he was met with a warm bowl of mystery soup, a blanket, a skin of water, and an eventual comfy pile of leaves to sleep on.

Sleep was not kind to him.

His dreams remained haunted by spiders.

Chapter Text

Bertholdt didn’t remember waking in the middle of the night. The bedroll he fell asleep in wasn’t exactly uncomfortable , especially once Annie and Reiner had plastered to either side of him at some point in the night. Curiously, Reiner was absent from his left. Bertholdt often slept through the night, ignoring mostly any shifts or changes. Through their shared secret, their taboo marks , he could feel Reiner not too far away. A mix of concern and fear coiled into a tight spring through their bond, although none of it was directed Bertholdt’s direction. Reiner was worried about something else, and if he strained, Bertholdt could barely make out Reiner’s voice in the distance.

Hidden by the giant redwoods, Reiner was lurking closer to the treeline, overlooking the plains, kneeling as he spoke to someone. Bertholdt tried to slide out of the bedroll, as quietly as possible, but once Annie’s fingers gripped his shirt, he knew he’d woken her.

“Where… do you think… you’re going?” Annie’s dull bluish gray eyes were locked with his, still hazed by sleep.

“Finding out where Reiner went.” Bertholdt kept his voice quiet and tone clipped, resisting his urge to bite his lip. The way Annie’s eyes narrowed meant one thing- she’d be coming with, despite Bertholdt’s insistence of her staying in bed.

“He probably just got up to take a piss,” despite her own words, Annie was already shrugging off one of the blankets that had been provided by the Scouts. “But let’s drag him back to bed anyways.”

Bertholdt held out his arm for Annie to take, grinning like the idiot in love he was once  Annie linked her arm with his. The two of them walked barefoot through the grass, following the sound of Reiner’s voice.

“... it wasn’t my choice. ” Eren’s soft-spoken voice cut through the night, his half-lidded gaze upon Reiner who finally sat down. Reiner huffed, pulling his knees close to his chest.

“You did it anyway. I… I don’t blame you. I would’ve done the same.” Reiner looked as sleepless and tired as he sounded, but he turned to face Annie and Bertholdt upon their arrival. “Oh… did I wake you two?”

“You woke Bert. Him getting up to look for you woke me up. So by proxy, yes , you did.” Annie removed her arm from Bertholdt’s, placing both hands on her hips. Her icy glare was not reserved for Reiner alone, as she shot Eren quick glances and her brows only furrowed further. “I’m going to pummel all of you.”

“My entire body already hurts, please don’t.” Eren’s eyebrows lifted as a small smile came to his face, albeit sheepish and teasing. The red lines on his cheeks from his shifting experience were still prominent, a lingering reminder of his earlier rampage.

“And you think mine doesn’t?” Annie’s usual ice was lacking from her tone, mirroring her exhaustion. Her hands fell from her hips and remained by her sides as she looked to the plains momentarily. “I haven’t been this ragged since… one of the wars with the Far East .” She ran a hand through her hair, sighing. Annie walked closer, taking a seat on the grass next to Eren. Her shoulder bumped with his, only momentarily, before she laid her head on his shoulder.

Bertholdt looked between them, his eyes darting to Annie several times, before he sat next to her, posture stiff. Reiner snorted, finally sitting down and putting an arm over Eren and Annie’s shoulders. His fingers could just barely reach Bertholdt, to the longer hairs by the back of his neck.

“I was… I was telling a story. If you’d like… like to hear it, I can continue.” Eren shirked away from Annie and Bertholdt’s gaze, despite the four of them being in such close quarters, with no space between him and Annie. “It’s not a good one, though. Most stories I have don’t have happy endings.” Eren bit one of his fingers, chewing at the nail to file it. He continued even after he drew blood.

“I don’t think any of us have any happy stories. There’s always been fear and death lingering right over our shoulders.” Bertholdt spoke quietly, glancing to his hands as he wrung them together. Sleep had been completely wiped from his form, replaced by a tightly wound spring of apprehension. He could still feel Reiner’s anxiety, which only added to his own.

“When I… first turned , I guess, I didn’t want to learn about Marley. I wanted to shut out Father’s memories. But… for some fucking reason, he wasn’t dead . The bastard, cut in half by my pure titan form, started regenerating. He was just as confused as I was. Until we figured out I’m the one who did it.” Eren tugged at a strand of his hair, while one hand still hovered close to his mouth. Any more chewing and he’d bite one of his fingers clean off.

Annie and Reiner worked in sync, each taking one of Eren’s hands to prevent him from further harming himself.

“Dogs ate my aunt. My grandparents were pieces of shit. Went mad, it seems. And… he had another son. Before me. With some blonde lady, a descendant of royal lineage. I didn’t think much of the memory fragments, until I snuck outside the walls. I connected with her . You’ve met her , Dina. That’s his first wife. Unlike him she didn’t eat one of the nine. Never got the chance.” They all had memories of the smiling Titan . From her pale silver eyes, bordering on white, and her platinum hair. And her grin , full of anguish, not one of joy. There was no gentle release when she’d been turned by the Marleyan soldiers.

“It seems like your entire family has a pretty bad history.” Bertholdt leaned into Reiner’s touch, effectively sandwiching Annie between Eren and himself. Eren’s dual-colored eyes focused on Bertholdt for only a moment, but it was long enough Bertholdt felt a shiver crawl up his spine. Eren’s expression was one of disgust and disdain, quickly covered by a pained smile.

“ Grisha Jaeger . What a man. Horrible husband, horrible father. Secretive and criminally insane. I’m sure, you three, as Warriors , know who his amazing parenting affected..” Recognition flashed over Annie’s features, soon overshadowed by discomfort. 

“Our War Chief, the Beast Titan. Zeke Jaeger .” Annie shifted, curling closer to Eren, a futile attempt at offering comfort.

“On one hand, I’m grateful Father was finally honest with me. Not that he could lie, after I gained access to the memories the Attack Titan was holding. Flashes of his previous life. All of his rage and regret. On the other hand… It means I have to face broken children all over again, molded by their environment into brainwashed little soldiers. Only, this one’s going to have a lot of pent up frustration and disgust.” Eren squeezed Reiner’s hand, offering him an accusatory glance from the side. Reiner stubbornly avoided eye contact, knowing Eren was talking about them.

“We can tell you more about the War Chief, if you’d like. He’s… not as bad as he was when he was younger. He’s really grown as a person, and has come far as… a Warrior.” Annie was once again the voice of reason, a source of comfort for her trio of idiotic boys. Eren’s laugh was no more than a simple huff of air, but she could understand the gratitude.

So began into the early hours of the morning the Titan-shifting trio telling their “captor” about their days as trainees, and about a curious upperclassman, with the name Zeke Jaeger .

oOo

As the sun began to rise, so did the Scouts. An exhausted, defensive lot, but prepared regardless. Morale was the highest it's ever been, as the death toll was the lowest since they first started expeditions beyond the walls. At the center of the swarming mass under green cloaks, was a singular ray of sunshine disguised as The Founder , Eren Jaeger. Unnaturally chipper for the morning, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, an unnatural blue shine to his silver eye. He danced around his friends, occasionally draping himself over them as he teased them, showing the Scouts a softness they never knew existed from Mikasa.

Oddly enough, Annie hovered near someone other than her boys- Armin . The two were locked in a debate of the prior day’s horrors- one they had dubbed as the spider incident . They couldn’t be bothered with anyone else, interested in comparing science, history, and mythology to the potential mutations.

Eren pointedly ignored them while breaking a sweat.

Bertholdt and Reiner kept Ymir company, the latter speaking happily about her wife, teasing the duo even as they prepared to move to the frontlines. The same routine as the day before, once the Scouts were in order for formation.

Eren also pointedly ignored them, grinning to himself as light caught his golden eye, seeming to glow with the rising dawn as the rays of sunlight hit him directly in the face.

It wasn’t until the Scouts were preparing to get into formation to leave the forest that Eren announced a non-engage strategy. With his Titans on the frontlines, he could deter all Pure Titans from the formation, which would have to be revised- to something closer-knit. He awaited complaints, but was only met with confused silence for several moments.

Armin’s hand raised, wearing an expression of determination, as the gears in his head turned mercilessly, already having several concerns ready to dispute Eren’s proposal.

“How will you ensure the safety of the sidelines?” Heads turned from Armin, to Eren, who held his composure well despite many eyes on him.

“That’s what the other Shifters are for.” Eren’s head tilted only a fraction, as his left eye began to twitch. Armin mirrored Eren, tilting his head as his pale golden bangs fell in his face.

“Can they contain the Hordes?” Armin said little, but his questions were enough for doubt to spread among the Scouts like wildfire.

“There won’t be any Hordes.” Eren’s grin was quickly becoming strained, his annoyance obvious to those who knew him. To the Scouts, he still seemed over-confident, unfaltering. “You trust me, don’t you, Armin? I’ll keep them safe.” The disparity between the two friends was staggering, as their tensions slowly began to come to the front. Armin said nothing else, neither confirming or denying Eren’s taunts and his claim.

It was unclear if Armin’s silence further provoked Eren.

oOo

With the revised formation discussed between the captains and lieutenants, the Scouts quickly fell into their new places. Hange understood Erwin’s distrust of the newest additions to the Scouts, but they had more hope in Eren than some of their peers. After an early chat with the Shifter trio, Hange understood a few of Eren’s abilities- even without his Titan form. Hange had the mind to pass the information to both Erwin and Levi, unfortunately backfiring. As Erwin saw Eren as a potential pawn for humanity’s comeback, Levi only saw a troublemaker with far too much power.

Said chess piece was currently hounding Ymir, away from sight and hidden behind one of the trees. Hange’s curiosity was not something to be contained, so they followed the duo, hidden from sight.

“Just don’t kill me with this new plan of yours.” Ymir poked Eren’s nose, grinning as his eyes crossed from following her finger. He returned her grin with one of his own, his head tilted to the right and a feline glint to his eyes.

“It’s not going to kill you. It’s just going to hurt. But I need that form.” Ymir placed a hand on her hip, while idly flicking Eren’s forehead repetitively. He knew what was on her mind, Historia , a silent plea to return her to her wife. “I’m not going to let you die.”

“Can you at least make my Titan… less ugly?” Ymir was passive as Eren took her left hand, the one abusing his forehead, and left a kiss on her knuckles. Her grin fell, as she saw the veins in her hand light up for only a few seconds, the light traveling up her arm and fading.

“Do you want the skeletal jaw? Instead of just teeth harder than iron?” Eren looked up to her from behind his lashes and stray hairs that had come out of the bun. As Ymir’s brows furrowed seconds before she nodded, Eren hummed in thought. “I can do that. I can reshape you.”

“We don’t even call… the Titans ‘it’ anymore. You’ve corrupted me, kid. Any further and the line between the Jaw and I will be too blurred to tell us apart.” Her tone had dropped, her voice barely a whisper.

Hange strained to block out the chatter of the Scouts, desperate to listen.

“That was the goal, all along. You signed up for my plan long ago. The Titans aren’t monsters. They’re people- they always have been.” Eren slowly let go of Ymir’s hand, moving to brush her hair off her neck. Ymir slowly turned, tilting her head to bare her neck for him. Her pulse raced, both in fear and anticipation. Eren would be sharing her curse, and just like before- they’d temporarily be connected once again.

Eren was never gentle. His teeth sunk deep into the nape of her neck, and Ymir would have screamed had it not been for Eren’s hand covering her mouth. It was only some of her blood and spinal fluid, she’d heal in no time given Eren didn’t sever her spine with the force behind his bite.

Hange covered their own mouth, slipping away silently and hastily dusting themself off. Composing quickly, Hange’s mind ran. Hange didn’t wait to see if Ymir survived. Hange knew one thing was certain, that wasn’t a mating mark, it was something else. The last thing Hange saw was a blue glow in Ymir’s usually dark brown eyes, fading quickly as steam left her mouth. Whatever Eren had done, it had changed her, changed him.

oOo

Eren was surprisingly charismatic and adept at taking charge. He moved as if he was a dancer, flitting between the Scouts and the Shifters. Ymir was surprisingly whole, but wearing her hair down. Hange could see something else in Ymir’s eyes as they passed by, just like how Hange had seen lights in Reiner’s eyes. If Ymir was in pain, she didn’t show it. Rather, she was more attentive than before, her attention hanging off of Eren’s every word. She’d become a perfect soldier in a matter of minutes, a flawless imitation down to her breathing. If Hange could hear heartbeats, they had no doubt that even Ymir’s heartbeat was synced to Eren’s. 

The new formation was bordering on uncomfortable, overly crowded, yet supplies were still protected. It was the same formation, only compacted, made to easily exit the forest. They’d still spread some once they broke from the line of the forest, yet stay within sight. Their signal would be Eren’s transformation, a thing of beauty and interest to Hange. Titans were already Hange’s main subject of study, their hyperfixation. Titan Shifters were quickly becoming a subject of interest, a scientific and mythological wonder to Hange.

Eren began to change with a strike of golden lightning, the skeleton of his Titan beginning to tower over the scouts, to his full fifteen meters, as organs and muscle quickly covered the skeleton to hold it aloft. A body of rippling muscles and power now stood before the Scouts, any differences barely registerable to the Scouts’ undiscerning eyes.

Hange could see the differences, from the sharpness of the Titan’s teeth to the glint of his nails, which were now black-tipped claws. Eren wasted no time, breaking into a sprint into the rising sun, the beautiful dawn that only promised them danger.

The formation was in motion with the Attack Titan as their spearhead. Hange didn’t pay attention to the extra flashes of lightning, they knew it was only the Armored and the Female Titans. No- Hange’s interest would be on their backline, the Jaw Titan. Hange was patient, until they heard the third and final strike of lightning- turning their head to inspect the ‘new’ Jaw Titan.

Ymir’s Titan form was strikingly different from before. Larger, at least by two meters- with longer hair, and elven ears just like Eren. Their face was no longer mutilated and compacted, rather covered by a skeletal plate with hollowed sockets for their eyes. The Jaw Titan’s ears swiveled with every leap, just like the Attack Titan’s as they ran. They were both listening for Pure Titans.

Ymir’s skeletal plates were also on their hands, which tapered into long, sharp talons. On their elbows and knees were sparse patches of dark brown fur, along with fur along their spine. Hange speculated if the Jaw Titan had a tail, Ymir’s would have a long swaying, thrashing tail.

Moblit snapping in front of Hange’s face forced them to face forwards once again. Ymir’s new Titan form constantly flashed through their mind, running circles over every detail that differed from before.

The Female Titan looked like they had seen a ghost, constantly glancing in the Jaw’s direction.

The Armored Titan never noticed.

oOo

A full hour had passed before one of the Pure Titans grew too confident to approach the Scouts. Every second that ticked by, every Pure Titan they passed by, had shirked away from a single glare from Eren’s Titan. His growl reverberated in the ground beneath him, shaking the very bones of the Scouts closest to him. He had yet to roar as a challenge, or a warning. His plan was working, the Scouts had no reason to doubt Eren now. He couldn’t fully control the Pure Titans, but he could deter them.

The one with the confidence of a deadly predator was like Annie and Armin shared a nightmare once more brought to life. A grotesque horror skittering along the ground, drenched in sweat that quickly evaporated. Eren’s patience snapped, a wire wound taut by diligence. A low sweep of his leg had him pivot out of formation, sliding to a stop and facing the Abnormal that approached from the east.

Only a few seconds of staring had the Abnormal skittering away, groaning, as if its vocal cords couldn’t replicate a scream of terror. Eren didn’t have the time to collide with the Armored Titan, falling back into formation with a flip of his hair.

The next several hours only grew eerie. The Scouts and the Shifters were weary, a heated sweaty mess only continuously scorched by the scalding steam that left the Armored Titan’s mouth. Pure Titans were always in sight, but never approaching. Abnormals always moved irregularly, pacing back and forth, but stopping before they came too close.

The Attack Titan’s growl had become a constant, consistently rattling the Scouts behind them. The legs of their horses shook, but never faltered. As if the animals understood this sound was to protect them, not a predator waiting for any sign of weakness to devour them in the broad daylight.

Wall Maria had come within view, and with it, Hordes of Pure Titans around the hole made in the gate to the Shiganshina District. The Attack Titan pivoted, heading straight for the gate, and with it, the Pure Titans. Some Scouts shook in fear, others said their prayers.

Yet like a tidal wave, the ocean of Pure Titans parted, some with outstretched hands for the Scouts, before they backed away like they’d been burned. Their empty eyes followed the Scouts passing by, some maintaining eye contact despite a lack of cognitive function behind their hollow gazes. The humans collectively held their breath, a single thought drifting through their minds- fear .

Entering Shiganshina District was uneventful. The Pure Titans lingered, their eyes now focused on Eren. He swayed as he moved, unsteady on his feet, before collapsing to his knees. Like a lightswitch, the Armored Titan’s demeanor changed, now focused on the backline, pacing- a wall between the Scouts, and the Pure Titans at the gate. Every breath the Attack Titan took was labored, close to gagging.

Hange’s awe turned to horror as blood spilled forth from the Attack Titan’s maw, splattering on the stone pavement and several Scouts that still lingered too close. Several curses could be heard, even before the blood evaporated. The Attack Titan became unresponsive, simply sitting there with blood dripping from its mouth.

Armin was the first to act, an anchor from his 3DM gear latching to the Attack Titan’s shoulder. Some wondered where he had come from- but the Shifters already knew. Armin was hanging around Annie the entire day. Armin stood next to the Titan’s ear, holding onto it with one hand as he leaned forward. The two must have come to an understanding despite the Attack Titan’s inability to speak, as Armin moved to pull Eren from the Titan’s nape.

As Armin descended from the quickly disintegrating Titan corpse with Eren in his arms, the Female Titan slowly walked over, avoiding the Scouts on the ground by stepping between the large groups. A sudden wave washed over them, snapping the humans from their trance and moving to allow the Female Titan to continue unhindered. She knelt down and stretched out an arm, hand splayed for Eren.

Armin handed Eren over, carefully laying him down in the Female Titan’s palm. He could tell by her eyes that Annie had concerns, but was keeping them to herself. She curled her fingers around Eren’s body, standing as she cradled him to her chest like something precious.

A few shouts of orders being passed around was all it took for the Scouts to once again return to order, from tying the horses to securing the supplies, and taking to the stable rooftops.

Annie brought Eren to Reiner, holding him out like one would to a tiny kitten. This motion was enough to pause the Armored Titan’s relentless pacing, catching their attention and having the two draw close and inspect Eren. The Armored Titan drew close enough to take a sniff, before turning their head and sneezing. This startled the horses and the Scouts, before the commotion ceased.

The Female Titan poked Eren several times, jostling him until he awoke. Eren was looking up at them, dazed, with both pupils blown and the same blue light dancing in them. He then brought his hands up, using both pointer fingers to pull his lips upwards into a sharp smile. A single giggle left him, as he stared at the Armored Titan.

“Hey… princess, did you know… you look like this?” Eren was mocking him, which meant he was fine. The Armored Titan’s face plates shifted, enough for him to blow a blast of steam in Eren’s direction. Eren yelped, waving a hand through the air and coughing. He sat up, already beginning to fix his hair which had come out of his hair tie, draping over his shoulders.

“ ARE… YOU… OKAY? ” The Female Titan kept their voice as quiet as they could, glimpses of Annie found in their crystal clear blue eyes. Eren remained disheveled, having lost his hair tie in a futile attempt to fix his own hair. He pouted like a petulant child, trying to move his bangs from his face by tucking the hair behind his ear. Any movement had his hair once again in his face, resulting in further annoyance, until the Armored Titan gently pulled at Eren’s hair to keep it from his face.

The Female Titan bit their bottom lip, the flesh of their cheeks splitting as they struggled to fight a smile. A low rumble from the Armored sounded suspiciously like a chuckle, which had Eren’s eyebrows now battling each other in a furrow.

“I’m fine, just tired.” Eren kept his gaze locked on Annie- if he looked to Reiner behind him, he’d only be reminded of who currently held his hair from his face. “Do you think… do they trust me now?” The pale blue lights continued to dance in Eren’s eyes, as he searched the Female Titan’s expression for underlying doubt. Annie offered none, only a soft smile.

“ I THINK… YOU DID GREAT. BUT… HAD US… WORRIED. ” Eren’s demeanor changed like the rising sun, expression replaced with a cocky grin and a single raised brow.

“I’ve never tried that on so many at once before. I’m impressed with myself.” Eren beamed from praise, which he got in the form of the Armored Titan releasing his hair and nuzzling him with their cheek. Annie said nothing, merely watched the way Eren’s face turned red in a heartbeat. “Usually- uh- Abnormals, they don’t like to listen… but I think- uh- they got the message! This…. Ah- time!” A few seconds later and Eren was trying to push the Armored Titan away, the humidity causing his hair to frizz, which had Eren leaning away and desperately trying to smooth his hair. Neither was working.

“ REINER. ” Annie’s voice remained quiet, although undertones of a growl clung to the single word, a hiss following her warning. The Armored Titan, despite facial expressions hidden behind their face plates, spoke volumes in their silence. Every unspoken word was laced with sass, followed by another set of grumbly sounds that sounded like chuckling. Reiner gave in once Annie threatened him with a fist, coated in light blue hardened skin, shimmering under the sunlight.

“You can put me down now.” Capturing Annie’s attention had never come as fast as hearing the Female Titan’s neck creak from whiplash, but the narrowed gaze that held suspicion had Eren doubting his own statement. Eren was knocked over as the Female Titan brought him to their nose, a deep sniff rustling his hair. He didn’t know Annie could look angrier than she already did.

“ NO. YOU… SMELL LIKE… BER… BERT… HIM. ” Eren tilted his head, a lack of understanding easily conveyed. Annie struggled with her words, steam leaving her Titan’s mouth as she struggled with the Female Titan’s limited speech capabilities. “ SWEET… AND… DECAY. ” Eren’s confusion only grew, as he tried once again to smooth his hair.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Eren shifted in discomfort, trying to ignore the way every breath was painful to take, the way the scents of the humans and the Titans brought a visceral, starving sensation directly from his core, causing his mouth to water. Annie didn’t want to answer him, if her look full of pity that was quickly wiped away by concern meant anything.

“ YOU’LL… UNDERSTAND… SOMEDAY. ”

Eren wasn’t so sure he would.

Chapter Text

Eren wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, sighing. He couldn’t tell where his mind began and the Pure Titans’ ended. Followed by rubbing at his nose, wiping away the blood that occasionally dripped from his right nostril. Memories , agony and regret, fear and hatred, all swirled in his mind, not all his own. Without his Titan’s form, it was growing more difficult every second to control the Pure Titans. Their thoughts became the static in his head, drowning out his own thoughts. 

He continued to make them work.

The Scouts were in awe seeing Pure Titans clearing rubble from the city, but Eren felt none of it. He couldn’t feel or hear the humans anymore. He sometimes saw through the eyes of the Titans, feeling the way their bodies strained under great weights of several boulders. Eren wouldn’t let them attempt picking one up on their own, they’d crumble under the weight.

Eren tried to ignore the bile rising in his throat, and how loud his surroundings had become. Covering his ears only made his own heartbeat all the more noticeable, despite muffling everything else. With a groan he lowered his hands, and continued to focus on the task before him.

From the markings on his face left by his transformation, Eren wouldn’t be able to change forms for another few hours- despite the Founder and the Attack Titan being the loudest voices in his head. The Founder , in all of her wisdom, continued to question Eren’s methods. Warnings that history would continue to repeat itself, that he could not escape fate.

Eren continued to defy, and change fate.

The Attack Titan had a low, gravelly voice, every word accompanied by a growl- as if a wolf had learned to speak. He had been the Devil on Eren’s shoulders for at least ten years now, always spurring him on, demanding that he continued to move forward. Despite appearances, the Attack Titan- to Eren, wasn’t… unwelcome . He was smarter than he appeared, always calculating, always thinking ahead, and by proxy, looking out for Eren.

“ YOU CAN’T KEEP DOING THIS. LET ME. ” The Attack Titan’s voice bordered on a gentle tone, like one would reprimand a child. Eren desperately tried to block the throbbing of his golden eye from his mind, the pain flooding his senses and causing a migraine. The right side of his face was near unresponsive, the only expression he could wear was pain. The Attack Titan continued to nag him, his words becoming a repetitive mantra. The Founder cut through the Attack Titan’s insistence, her motherly tone sounding eerily familiar to Carla. Perhaps, she had changed her own voice to sound like Eren’s mother, in an attempt to soothe and keep Eren under control.

“ Eren, listen to him. Your human body cannot take this. We cannot continue fighting the curse if you do this. It is an abuse of power that only a Titan can handle. ” His left eye followed the right, and Eren could feel traces of the Founder’s power dancing in both of his eyes. The Attack Titan’s nictitating membrane would keep Eren’s vision clear despite the sensation. They were offering him very little choice.

Eren shook his head, standing abruptly. The world around him felt off-kilter, spinning like he was intoxicated. He would have fallen if it weren’t for strong arms catching him, and Eren had no complaints as he was lifted into the man’s arms and whisked from sight.

Eren could smell him, lavender and something sugary sweet, with the slightest hint of decay lying underneath. Almost every Titan shifter had decay lingering in their scent, but this one- Eren easily recognized through the haze of many voices dancing in his head. Bertholdt carried Eren behind one of the more structurally sound buildings, a shop Eren could recognize that he frequented with his mother during his childhood. His heart stung just as the Founder’s voice grew louder.

“Eren… you’re not… are you… are you okay?” Bertholdt stumbling over his words with the faintest hint of a blush tinting his ears had Eren grinning, all fangs and deceit. He reached up, shifting in Bertholdt’s grasp to wrap his arms around Bertholdt’s neck. The Omega was stunned by this, but Bertholdt quickly recovered by shifting Eren’s weight in his grasp. Eren shifted again, wrapping his legs around Bertholdt’s waist, forcing the other Omega to hold onto his thighs to carry him.

“I’m fine~” Eren’s words were slurred, and his tone too lilted, his demeanor already dipping into teasing territory. Bertholdt was painfully aware of the way Eren ground against him, but his thoughts remained firmly planted elsewhere. Concern overrode whatever Eren was trying to get out of him.

“You don’t- ah- seem fine.” Eren was nuzzling him now, trying to drown out the cacophony of voices in his head. The cries from the horrors the Pure Titans experienced, to the Founder’s insistent scolding. Eren kept working, and used Bertholdt as a distraction.

“There are hundreds of voices in my head. It’s too loud in here,” Eren tapped a finger on his temple, struggling to get his eyes to focus on Bertholdt. He gave up within seconds, emphasizing by nibbling along Bertholdt’s jaw. “I need a distraction.”

“You’re… you’re bleeding.” Despite his protests, Bertholdt continued to hold him, offering a source of comfort. Eren wiped his nose on the collar of Bertholdt’s shirt, earning a disappointed sigh. The deep red of his blood was a stark contrast to the dark blue of Bertholdt’s shirt. Bertholdt readjusted him again, as he slowly sat down. Eren remained glued to Bertholdt, sprawling on him like a lazy cat.

Bertholdt adamantly remained stubborn, unwilling to give in to Eren’s advances. Somewhere along the line, Eren was jostled and placed into Bertholdt’s lap, his head against Bertholdt’s chest. He tried to focus on the heart beating within, and his natural scent- along with the lingering traces of Annie and Reiner’s scents. Eren felt secure laying there, warm arms cradling his body, with a decent pillow for his head. The Founder and the Attack Titan’s voices seemed distant now, and Eren was finally once again able to focus on his work. Sleep was enveloping him quickly, but with his consciousness split between so many individuals, his body rejected the notion of rest. Bertholdt’s fingers slowly combing through his hair kept him grounded, reminding Eren where his body resided.

Perhaps once the quietest of purrs began from Bertholdt, Eren felt the tiniest snap back to reality. Not many would dare to do such around him, not many would feel comfortable enough. Despite his anxiety, Bertholdt felt comfortable around Eren. Often worried, but never feeling threatened. Eren was desperate to repay him, to focus enough past the voices in his head to connect, barely able to replicate a low rumble in his chest.

“You do too much. The Scouts have the supplies to fix the gate, you don’t have to work the Titans like you are.” Bertholdt spoke barely above a whisper, only loud enough for Eren to hear. Eren tried once again focusing on him, momentarily blinded by the sunlight as Bertholdt tucked some of Eren’s hair behind his ear. Amidst the spinning world, nausea, and overbearing disorientation, Eren still managed to grin mindlessly, baring his fangs as his eyes darted to Bertholdt’s neck.

“Hi.” Such a simple greeting had Bertholdt smiling, head tilted slightly.

“Hi there.” Bertholdt cupped Eren’s cheek gently, wiping away blood with his thumb. His hand lingered for a few moments, the two unable to take their eyes off of each other. Finally, Eren’s mind was silenced, and clarity returned to his eyes. Minimal effort was needed to control the Pure Titans, while his attention remained on the person before him. The sunlight haloed Bertholdt’s shaggy black hair, a few stray curls a chestnut brown from the light. Eren shifted, sitting up, and straddling Bertholdt’s lap. He took Bertholdt’s face in his hands, ensuring the other shifter could only see one thing. Eren was going to be the only thing he could see in that moment, and Bertholdt showed no signs of protesting.

“Can you share?” Eren looked unnaturally calm despite holding Bertholdt in his hands, practically putty from his unstable pheromones. Bertholdt could feel a thousand insects crawling on his skin, leaving tingling sensations from head to toe. Eren’s touch was electric, just like the heated blood flowing through their veins. Bertholdt didn’t know what Eren was asking, but he’d give whatever Eren wanted willingly.

“I can share.” Bertholdt remained steady, hands on Eren’s hips as he waited. Eren’s gaze darted to his lips, eyes narrowing. He hummed in thought, touching their foreheads together, Eren’s long hair blocking out the sun. Bertholdt could feel something odd rising from his core, shifting, slithering, and unbearably hot. A wildfire burned along his spine, just as his mouth was set on fire as Eren pressed their lips together.

He’d taken something, the way steam rose from the two, and Bertholdt became shockingly aware of another presence in his own body. Someone at the back of his mind, someone who’d been there most of his life but never made themselves known. He didn’t have time to process his own realization, feeling Eren’s tongue swipe his bottom lip. The Colossal in the back of his mind begged him to give in, a gentle voice for the god of destruction , one that shocked Bertholdt from his trance. It had recognized Eren as something else , lighting a fire in Bertholdt’s veins. One of his hands traveled up the back of Eren’s shirt, his fingers tracing along Eren’s spine. A vaguely familiar power thrummed beneath Eren’s skin- one Bertholdt hadn’t noticed before.

The Colossal had noticed long ago, from the moment they had met. Bertholdt just couldn’t hear before.

Eren bit his tongue, just as Bertholdt opened his mouth, letting the blood flow freely. Eren’s blood on his tongue was somehow the most exquisite thing Bertholdt had ever tasted, awakening a hunger he never knew he had. The beast within him stirred, awaiting at the forefront of his mind. His senses were completely overwhelmed by Eren, waters deep enough he could have drowned.

The blue lights danced in Bertholdt’s eyes for only a few seconds, fading as Eren pulled away. He had his tongue sticking out, healing within seconds with a plume of steam. Bertholdt could feel the connection, barely hanging by a single thread, but unmistakingly there . A part of him was now inexplicably drawn to Eren unlike before, while his senses were undoubtedly changed. Clarity beyond typical human perception, even if it only lasted a few moments.

Eren’s sad smile brought Bertholdt back to reality.

“That was… not how I expected my first kiss to go, but I didn’t think you wanted me to… wake him up via a bite.” Eren wore a sheepish expression, as his cheeks and his ears quickly turned red. Bertholdt blinked away his disorientation, his earlier concern returning once again.

“That’s not how first kisses are supposed to go.” Eren tilted his head, the catlike glint returning to his eyes, along with a fanged grin. Somehow Bertholdt amused him, a beacon of innocence amongst the destruction surrounding them.

oOo

It had taken several days for the Pure Titans to finish moving the rubble from the city to the outer gate of the district, but Shiganshina was already looking cleaner than before. Armin took charge of identifying the location of Eren’s old house, which had piqued Command’s interest. The truth of the outside world had always been what Erwin was searching for since childhood, and something Hange had wanted to know beyond the study of Titans. The Scouts all had their doubts, their concerns and their questions, and as the high-strung thrum of energy continued to cycle, anticipation was the main thing encompassing their minds.

As the final wooden beam was lifted, and the dusty stairwell leading to the basement was unearthed, rumors broke out and spread like wildfire amongst the humans. Decades of history locked away, hovering just out of reach.

Levi kicked down the door, as Hange followed, key from Eren in hand. He’d directed Hange to use the key on a hidden compartment in his Father’s desk- from there, the Captains and the Commander would learn the truth.

They were allowed to enter privately, as the rest of the Scouts focused on extermination in the district, easily dispatching the inactive Titans.

oOo

Eren hanging around his Shifters was nothing new, but being practically attached to Bertholdt by the hip was new. His arm linked with Bertholdt’s, soft spoken conversation easily coming to them, along with sparse laughter. Eren occasionally rubbed his cheek on Bertholdt’s sleeve, scenting him, the latter blissfully unaware. To some, it looked like Bertholdt was helping to hold Eren up, as controlling the Pure Titans was exhausting for him. To Reiner, it meant something different, and he disliked every second of it.

He already knew there was something going on with Eren, Historia, and Ymir. Reiner knew Annie and Bertholdt had some connection- the three of them discussed such long ago, and Annie was important to Reiner as well. A part of his mind protested Eren’s interference, while something deep within was welcoming, yet still dissatisfied. The echoing voice in his head had become more prevalent as of late, from the moment he’d consumed human flesh as the Armored Titan during Wall Maria’s invasion.

The voice only continued to grow louder after Reiner had marked Bertholdt, and now was overbearingly loud in his head, bringing a sharp pain behind his eyes. Reiner didn’t dare cover his ears, he wanted to know what Bertholdt and Eren were talking about, to be a part of their conversation. The other , deep within, primal in their ramblings, remained unappeased. They only wanted to claim, complete the circuit that Bertholdt had opened.

Eren had never been a constant, despite a part of Reiner’s mind arguing otherwise. They hadn’t known Eren for all those years, Reiner knew this. He covered his ears, desperate to silence his own mind. It’s wrong, all of it. The coy smiles, the shared glances, the heat in his core that brought with it starvation.

“ YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS. ” Reiner sighed, letting his hands drop from his head, bringing his knees close to his chest and hugging his own legs. To become as small as he possibly could, bury his emotions and drown out the Armored Titan’s voice from his head. The Armored Titan was supposed to be a protector, a defensive creature, not the bloodthirsty monster Reiner had let him become. The Armored’s feelings had become his own, a writhing mass of apprehension and hatred.

Reiner hated his father, Reiner hated Marley, and Reiner wanted Eren, just as he wanted Annie and Bertholdt. The Armored had been telling him something was missing, that Eren could make the three of them whole , and Bertholdt was the closest to being whole .

“ REINER, ” Annie’s voice echoing from the Female Titan brought him from his daze. The Armored’s presence in his mind reacted positively to the Female Titan, his longing and begging silenced long enough by his own desire. Reiner knew his face was red, and that tears were gathered at the corners of his eyes, but he faced her nonetheless. The Female Titan tilted her head slightly, lips parted like she wanted to say more. Reiner shoved the bitter taste in his mouth, reaching upward for Annie. The Female Titan’s eyebrows creased as she squatted, one hand reaching out for Reiner.

The Female Titan’s palm never felt more comforting, even with fingers curled around his body, easily able to crush him at any moment. Reiner avoided eye contact, even as Annie brought him to her face, closer to her mouth. They wouldn’t eat them , but leave a lingering kiss on his hair. Annie’s been chasing away his demons for years, even if the demons had mostly been himself. Even if their silent moments were far and few between, Reiner cherished every one.

oOo

The truth was full of horrors, from the true nature of Titans to Marley’s existence. The Scouts previously had limited information on Marley from Eren and the Shifters, the trio uncomfortable speaking of it- while Eren would only ever emphasize the secrets his Father held would make more sense than his own fragmented memories.

Levi didn’t want to be a murderer.

Hange wondered if they were saving their kin from a living nightmare.

Erwin wanted to see Marley for himself.

Mike kept his composure, unlike Ian and Mitabi.

The Captains of the Survey Corps discussed amongst themselves, deciding which key information would be kept from the rest of the Scouts temporarily- and what they could use against the government, which had become the seed of corruption keeping them from the outside. Just like before, Eren had spoken the truth.

They didn’t want confirmation of Marley’s existence, or the truth behind the Titans. They’d spoken of it before, when Eren had seemed so cold and calculating, treating the Shifter trio like his pets.

Exactly how Eren described and presented them, but it was clear they meant more to him than he originally spoke of. The truth had been hidden behind lock and key, which Eren so precariously kept barely hidden. Their focus would have to turn inward, to the chain of command, and the false king sitting atop the throne.

oOo

Reiner felt considerably more stable after venting his frustrations to Annie, high in the air where the Scouts wouldn’t overhear. The Female Titan didn’t have to speak, only listen. Bertholdt and Eren were missing from where they had previously hovered nearby, Eren doing flips and tricks in the air using stolen 3DM gear he’d ‘acquired’. He was being reckless, Reiner knew this, but felt a sense of relief seeing Armin take to the skies to snatch Eren from the air as one of the anchors for his gear missed a wall.

Surely, such a fall could prove dangerous, but Eren only laughed as Armin carried him like a princess to safety. He was acting carefree again, as if his mind wasn’t cluttered with hundreds of voices and hundreds of heartbeats infiltrating his ears. Eren potentially carried the weight of a new world, but ignored it in lieu of being in his best friend’s arms.

Reiner hissed as he watched Eren wrap his arms around Armin’s neck, one hand on his forehead like he was pretending to be a damsel in distress. Armin’s reddened cheeks could be seen from a distance, as was his surprise.

oOo

Armin dropped Eren from his arms onto a rooftop, away from potentially prying eyes, the Scouts, the Shifters. Eren kept his legs under him, one hand bracing on a tile as he looked up to Armin through his long hair. A devilish grin on his features and an unnatural glint in his eyes, Eren teased Armin just like he had in the air.

Armin wiped his frustrations away the same time he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, sighing.

“We need to talk.” Eren crawled closer to Armin on all fours, mimicking the Jaw and Cart Titans as he tilted his head. His hair touched the rooftop tiles, sweeping away dust. Armin pursed his lips, unamused by Eren’s antics. “You’re not avoiding this by acting all creepy.” With a huff, Eren laid down, his legs kicking behind him. He was willing to listen to Armin, that was a start.

“What is it, Armin?” Armin’s sudden urge to take charge shriveled away, replaced by antics Eren remembered from when they were younger. Armin was nervous , but also livid. He gathered his courage carefully, mumbling to himself as he stumbled over his words. Armin’s hands balled into fists at his sides, a wave of determination washing over his features as he stared directly into Eren’s dual-colored eyes. He was looking past Eren, looking for the beasts hiding within.

“Make me one.” Armin’s demand was a shock, as Eren stopped kicking his legs and began to scramble to his feet. He loomed over Armin, searching for the lies hidden beneath the fear, only to find none. Armin was baring his demands plainly, unwilling to waver under Eren’s gaze.

“You don’t want that, Armin.” Eren’s voice held a growl, his words slurred together and almost intelligible. Armin clearly understood.

“You don’t know what I want, Eren . So I’m telling you. Make me one.” Armin sneered as Eren bared his fangs, a futile attempt of intimidation from an Omega to a Beta . Eren held the power of the world, but could never threaten Armin. Eren continued searching his eyes, desperate to find a sense of humor left in Armin’s words. He found none.

“Which one?” Eren gave in to Armin’s request easily, backing off as his demeanor changed. He seemed reluctant to share, a sudden shyness taking over him.

“Which Titans can you offer?” Eren sucked in air through his front teeth, looking away from Armin’s unwavering stare. His voice remained monotone, as if the world was dead to them.

“The Jaw and the Colossal.” Eren’s dishonesty made Armin glare, the blond grabbing Eren’s shirt and forcing them closer until their foreheads touched. Eren could not escape Armin’s eyes.

“What about your Founder ? Your Attack Titan? Do you not share them?” Armin had lethal poison laced with his words, struggling to keep his composure as tears gathered at the corners of Eren’s eyes.

“No, I can’t. They’re not willing to share. The… others are.” Eren could hear the Founder in his head again, a pitiful copy of his mother’s voice, but one that was surprisingly in agreement. The more they had in their army , the higher chances of success Eren would have. Together, they could reshape the world. “The Colossal might be willing… or is at least, the most likely.”

“What do I have to do?” Armin released Eren’s shirt, idly dusting him off before clasping his hands behind his back. Eren said nothing, only bit his hand to draw blood. Armin’s gaze was directed to the droplets of red and blue, the tiniest specimens of pale blue luminescent creatures in Eren’s blood. Armin grabbed Eren’s wrist, biting into the same placement Eren had bitten seconds before, tasting electrified blood on his tongue.

Within seconds, Armin could feel something different about himself. The faintest connection to Bertholdt, to the god of destruction that slept soundly within his body. A stronger connection to Eren, and the demons that were shockingly active within. He heard the Founder’s voice for only a fleeting moment, but she welcomed Armin with open arms. Greeted him the same as a mother would greet their child after a long day, playing amidst the fields of flowers.

The Attack Titan regarded Armin the same as one who would see their sibling, a fleeting presence that curled around him protectively. A piece of Eren now resided with Armin, a distant glimpse into his over cluttered mind. He could feel the shared heat of their bodies, a constant fever deadly to normal humans. Armin was aware of the other in his body, a soft voice cluttering his own mind.

Armin greeted him.

oOo

Armin and Eren returned, eerily silent just as the Scouts had been worked into a fervor. Documenting and working themselves into a tizzy, unaware of Armin and Eren’s return. Reiner noticed, as did Bertholdt. Reiner’s attention was drawn to Bertholdt, who gaped at Armin like he’d seen a ghost.

“Bert, what is it?” Reiner questioned his taller, and yet strikingly beautiful mate, shaking his arm. Bertholdt snapped from his trance, tucking some of his hair behind his ear as he looked down to Reiner.

“Armin, he… it’s not possible . None of this should be possible.” Reiner’s confusion only grew, even with Bertholdt whispering to him.

“I have no idea what you’re trying to say, Bert.” Bertholdt sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair and slicking it back.

“He’s one of us. A Shifter . I don’t know how, but I’m sure Eren did it. I… I can hear the Colossal , Reiner. He recognizes Armin as kin .” Reiner could feel Bertholdt’s distress as clearly as he could see it, leaning into the taller Shifter to offer comfort. He understood, in a way, as Bertholdt leaned into the touch, quickly composing himself before the Female Titan could see. Annie was always lurking nearby, keeping an eye on her boys like a hawk.

Electricity in the air snapped Bertholdt from his thoughts, and as he turned his head, so did Reiner. Something was off , the charge in the air suffocating with tension. Eren’s activation of his stolen 3DM gear gained their attention momentarily, the duo watching their Founder soar through the air at breakneck speeds, towards the outer wall. Towards the recently closed gate, only he aimed upwards. Reiner could barely make out a shadow on the wall, something that looked too familiar. Someone that looked too familiar.

A burst of golden lightning followed by the quickly formed body of the Attack Titan deafened the soldiers below, as did the echoing burst following an armor piercing round.

The Cart Titan darted from Eren’s grasp, but moved a fraction too late, shock overtaking them despite being covered in metal armor with a mounted cannon.

In Eren’s hand was the supposed inheritor of the Jaw Titan , his newest target. Porco struggled in the Attack Titan’s grasp, his gun long forgotten. The last thing he saw was the Attack Titan’s maw closing around his form, biting him in half.

The silence following the crunch was nearly as shocking as the blinding light that followed, as Porco changed in front of their very eyes. Eren had shared a gift with him, a curse that had changed his body, which resulted in the Jaw Titan lashing out and clawing at his eyes. The Attack Titan recovered quickly, covering their face with an imitation of the Jaw Titan’s skeletal plate.

The Attack Titan roared in challenge, which the Jaw responded with a quieter roar of their own. Pacing along the top of the wall, feral and untamed, and just as disoriented.

Chapter Text

The Jaw Titan had planted themself firmly between the Cart and Attack Titans, adamant on being Pieck’s first line of defense. Feral and untamed, with a tail thrashing behind them, the Jaw growled in warning. Their claws dug into the stone atop the wall, the Attack Titan being the subject of their wrath.

First transformations are uncontrollable. But with the Cart Titan’s presence behind him, Porco held onto his shreds of humanity- his thoughts of Pieck steady and grounding in his mind. He knew he had to protect her, from the other Titan several times their own size, with claws rivalling his own and several skeletal plates protecting his spine. The Attack Titan mimicked his stance, dropping to all fours with black-tipped claws digging into the wall. From within the hollowed sockets of the mask, two glowing eyes could be seen, silver and gold.

The Jaw Titan moved first, his hind claws digging into the wall as he leaped, aiming for the Attack Titan’s throat. The Jaw latched on, kicking his back legs with enough force to send both Titans spinning, directly off the wall to the district below. The Attack Titan let loose a bellowing laugh, maw open in an imitation of a grin.

The Jaw Titan wasted no time to take advantage of the lack of distance between them, scratching and scraping at the Attack Titan’s flesh wherever they could reach. Their fangs dug deeper, until they found purchase on their prize.

Pulling back, the Jaw Titan ripped the Attack Titan’s spine from his throat, and dealt the final blow by severing his head with a swipe of his claws. Eren was exposed and ecstatic, smiling at Porco in awe.

“You’re even better than I expected!” He pulled himself free of the Attack Titan’s body just as the Jaw Titan’s claws came closer, the tip of a single nail barely reaching Eren’s hair. Eren let himself freefall, biting into his hand once again.

Another flash of lightning, and another transformation later, Eren maneuvered a different Titan form- one that was a striking copy of the Jaw Titan, yet with shadowed markings on the face plate that copied the dark band of flesh on his Attack Titan, a lack of a tail, and long dark brown bordering on black hair.

The Jaw Titan leapt from the corpse of the Attack Titan, following Eren’s new form and colliding just as the two hit the ground. They tumbled in a mass of snarls and claws, each ferociously swiping at the other as they scrambled to their paws. Porco’s claws left three gaping scratches on Eren’s face, to which the latter growled in displeasure.

They began to circle one another, the Jaw Titan’s tail thrashing wildly behind him, the point that tapered into a spade cutting cleanly through one of the surrounding buildings. Eren retaliated by dropping his body low to the ground, prowling like a wildcat, ignoring the clear warnings from the new Jaw Titan.

Eren leaped, forearms raised as he swept down, his long claws hooking into the sockets of the Jaw Titan’s faceplate, his claws barely reaching the Jaw Titan’s eyes, effectively blinding the feral Titan.

Eren was fast on his feet, but Porco was faster. He didn’t need his eyes to tell where Eren was, he could hear every click of the other Jaw Titan’s claws on the pavement. Eren weaved between fallen buildings, with the Jaw nipping at his heels, until the other Jaw’s pace was quicker than his own, causing him to skid and crash into one of the ruined shops.

The Jaw Titan turned, baring their flank, eyes still steaming and recovering. Their furry little ears listened for every movement Eren made, and as Eren attempted an ambush, the Jaw Titan’s tail quickly blocked his attack, the Jaw hiding behind his own lethal-tipped tail.

As Eren pulled himself from the rubble, he could see more steam from the Jaw Titan’s right eye- they had already mastered focusing their own regeneration. With their vision partially restored, the Jaw Titan continued his assault, kicking up gravel with every step, their fangs closing over Eren’s right ankle. The taste of his Titan’s blood had the Jaw growl low in their chest, prowling closer as they scraped their teeth along the flesh of the other Titan’s inner thigh. A single movement had the leg ripped clean off, and the Jaw Titan’s tail now lazily swaying behind them.

Eren internally chuckled to himself as the Jaw reached their claws towards Eren’s face, seeing the cat-like paw pads on the undersection of their lightly furred paws. The Jaw reached for the other Titan’s hair, pulling it back, as Eren scrambled desperately beneath the feral Jaw.

Porco’s jaws snapped on his shoulder, ripping his right arm from the Titan’s body, and the Jaw savored the blood running down its throat. Blue glistened on the tip of their tail, something Eren registered seconds before the Jaw stung him with the aforementioned barb. A potent neurotoxin spread through his Titan’s form, and Eren only had a split second to remove himself from the Titan’s body as the Jaw Titan’s fangs enclosed on the nape, ripping flesh and sinew from the bone.

Eren scrambled to his feet, watching the new Jaw Titan tear apart the place he had been seconds before. The Jaw Titan remained oblivious of Eren’s absence, devouring the steaming corpse in record time. Eren quietly shuffled to the left, out of the Jaw Titan’s field of view. His 3DM gear had been lost to his two transformations, which meant he’d have to remove Porco manually.

Eren also wasn’t watching where he stepped, and kicked a small rock, cringing as the stone clattered down the walkway. The Jaw Titan’s attention honed in on him almost instantly, a snarling, starving mess. Eren didn’t have time to breathe as the Jaw Titan’s mouth closed over his body, just like he had done to Porco only a handful of minutes prior. He awaited the feeling of his own body being split in half, yet it never came. The Jaw Titan’s mouth still hovered over him, and every breath they took Eren could feel.

The ground beneath them shook with another Titan’s approach, and from the lightness of the steps, Eren could already identify the Female Titan. She must have drawn too close, because one second Eren was enveloped in darkness, the next blinded by sunlight and only seeing the Jaw Titan move as a blur.

The Jaw Titan clawed the back of the Female Titan’s ankles, quickly climbing her calves before dealing a severing blow to the back of her knees, pausing for only a second to relish in their triumph as the Female Titan’s legs gave out from beneath her. The Female Titan screamed as the Jaw went for her eyes, their claws causing temporary blindness seconds before they bit her nose off.

Eren hissed in empathy, watching as the Female Titan covered her nape as the Jaw Titan began to eat her alive. Annie exited the Female Titan, dry heaving as she slid down the Titan’s back to tumble on the pavement from a roll. She searched for Eren, quickly running to his side, grabbing his arm to pull him away. Eren stubbornly resisted, pushing Annie behind him.

“It’s okay, just wait.” Eren kept Annie behind him with an arm, and he desperately ignored the way her fingers latched onto his shirt. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down with such an obvious lie, especially once the Female Titan’s rapidly decaying body had the Jaw Titan’s attention once again drawn to them. Only unfortunately for Eren, the Jaw Titan was no longer interested in him, and began to circle them as their eyes were glued to Annie.

The blonde pressed her body closer to Eren’s, ducking beneath his arm to glare at the Jaw Titan. Annie wasn’t afraid, despite their helplessness given the current situation. No 3DM gear, and both unable to shift again for an unspecified amount of time. Eren could tell the way the Jaw Titan prowled wasn’t laced with the intention to attack, rather confusion. They continued to sniff the air, their growl reverberating into the ground below.

A flash of inspiration struck Eren, as he forcibly moved Annie in front of him and directly into the Jaw Titan’s view. It ceased from circling them, tilting its head so far it was against the ground. The Jaw Titan continued to stare at Annie from upside down, recognition flashing in its eyes. The growling stopped, just as the Jaw Titan began lowering its body closer to the ground. It awkwardly continued to shuffle on all fours, closer to Annie and Eren, until they were face to face.

Eren kept a tight grip on Annie’s biceps to prevent her from moving, despite her labored breathing as she bordered on panicking. His order don’t move was hissed into her right ear, which Annie’s body obeyed despite her mental protests. With the Jaw just an arm’s length away from them, Annie’s breath continued to stutter.

The Jaw Titan must have finally recognized her, a sound shockingly similar to a wildcat’s meow leaving its mouth. It spun in place a few times, to which Eren could hardly contain his laughter that his body shook with. The Jaw Titan rolled on the ground twice, quickly circling Annie and Eren before shoving its face directly into Annie’s body with enough force that she and Eren were knocked over.

Annie broke free of Eren’s control and immediately slapped the Jaw Titan, her right hand breaking upon contact, which she quickly healed in a burst of steam and resumed repetitively punching the Jaw Titan.

Eren could see Porco behind the Jaw Titan’s eyes, shining with amusement as Annie’s assault only damaged herself. She cursed Galliard several times, yelling an unintelligible string of curses in a language Eren didn’t understand. Using Annie as a distraction, he moved behind the Jaw Titan and used its hair to quickly climb up its back, pulling his military grade combat knife from the holster on his thigh. Made of the same special metal as the Survey Corps’ paring blades, Eren cut through the tough hide at the Jaw Titan’s nape, reaching for the human within. The Jaw Titan fell to the ground as Eren pulled Porco from the Titan’s body, the blond reduced to a drooling, sweaty mess. Eren looked down to Annie, who had her arms outstretched in a simple request- and Eren wordlessly jumped down and handed Porco to her.

Annie held Porco in her arms bridal-style, eyes glued to his bright yellow armband. Eren cut the fabric with his knife, huffing at Annie’s shock. He knew what the armbands meant, and to Eren- as long as they were on Eldian soil, Marley’s cheap imitation of identification and suppression was to be removed.

Eren looked to the outer wall, where he had seen the Cart Titan last, only to find both the Cart Titan and their Panzer Unit absent.

oOo

Porco came to his senses after some water, and unfortunately the first person he saw was Reiner. Porco only took a few seconds for recognition to finally hit, and in those seconds Reiner’s expression quickly changed the moment Porco jumped at him. The two wrestled on the ground, with Reiner completely on the defensive as Porco clawed at his face. Their rolling ended with Reiner pinned on his back, Porco straddling his hips and unleashing the fury of several years in the form of ferocious blows directly to Reiner’s face.

The Scouts didn’t dare intervene with the two Shifters. Annie and Bertholdt were off elsewhere, helping recount information on the Jaw Titan.

Reiner didn’t fight back, either- he knew exactly where Porco was coming from, his fear of abandonment once again laid bare, along with his hatred of Reiner. The tears dripping down Porco’s cheeks made Reiner only feel worse, made the onslaught justified-

“You fucking bastard! I hate- I hate you!” He emphasized every word, a pained smile taking to his features as he listened to the satisfying crunch of Reiner’s nose breaking from his fist. Porco finally stopped, resorting to weakly hitting Reiner’s chest as the other Shifter’s face regenerated. “First, you disappear… and then you’re here, consorting with Devils ? You fuckin f-”

Porco was silenced by fangs at his throat, his words dying on his tongue as he choked on his own blood. He should have been dead , if it were not for the curse so generously shared with him earlier, but the sensation flooding his senses had him hyperventilating.

Eren knew what Porco was going to say, and no one calls his Shifters failures . Another broken child before him, one he’d have to break out of Marley’s brainwashed mindset.

Eren’s fury was barely restrained, his mind half-torn between tearing Porco’s jugular between his teeth and slamming his face into the pavement. He gripped Porco by his hair, tossing him to the ground as the blond quickly tried to cover the hole left in his neck. Reiner sat up slowly, blinking away his confusion, looking from Eren to Porco.

Eren with blood dripping from his mouth evoked a sense of discomfort Reiner wasn’t sure to do with, but his heart went out to Porco, who was merely lashing out as he was known for occasionally. Porco recovered quickly, looking to Eren in a daze. Within seconds Reiner realized what Eren had done to him-

oOo

Porco was quietly simmering in his rage, wearing the new scar on his neck in annoyance. He kept his distance from Eren, lingering by Annie and Bertholdt. Porco was aware he wouldn’t be able to resist the Founder’s commands now, with the sway Eren now held over him. He’d let himself become a pawn for the enemy, even if his environment had become leagues better than before.

Annie and Bertholdt’s arms linked with his made his suffering that much sweeter, with Reiner’s scent constantly lingering on the duo. Porco hated Reiner, but Porco also didn’t . He’d never forgive Reiner for Marcel’s death and the loss of the Jaw Titan, but he also couldn’t blame Reiner either. Had Reiner died, his brother would still be alive- but it was such a Marcel thing to do , which was to save the original group’s weakest mental link.

Reiner had come far from being a suck-up to Marleyan command, grown as a person and a Warrior . Porco admired him, truly, and he enjoyed teasing him. Only, Reiner was kept out of reach, and everytime Eren glanced over his shoulder to sneer at Porco he could only feel worse.

Reiner wasn’t a failure, Reiner wasn’t a traitor , his views had only changed. Annie had explained some of the past few months to Porco, even as he struggled to focus with his splitting migraine. Eren was in his head , a constant presence and threat in one. The overhanging gloom had nearly reduced Porco to a sniveling mess more than once, as his body struggled to adjust to the two sudden additives.

It hadn’t taken Porco very long to realize he’d become more catlike, just like his Titan. Enhanced sense of smell, hearing, and sight, and all the glory of a territorial feline. Baring his fangs at any minor inconvenience, along with constant hissing in displeasure. Annie jostling him as they walked earned her a poorly timed growl, to which the Alpha in her responded in kind. Her annoyance fell from her features, replaced by a sad smile, concern visible in her eyes. Porco hated every second of it, forcing himself to look away.

“I fuckin’ hate that little bastard.” Porco cursed under his breath as Annie’s grip on his arm tightened, his bones creaking under pressure. When did she become so strong-

“You’ll learn to like him. He’s a brat sometimes, but he’s been a great help.” His disbelief was stronger than his current hatred, Porco once again returning his attention to Annie and looking down at her. He raised a brow, lifting his upper lip to bare his fangs.

“Help what? Brainwash you? Control you?” He scoffed as a light blush came to Annie’s cheeks, her gaze half-lidded as she looked to Eren who walked several paces in front of them. She looked genuinely happy to see Eren.

“The opposite, actually. He helped remind us we’re people, unlike what Marley raised us to be. With Eren, we can be free.” Annie looked to him once again, trying to keep her composure as Porco rolled his eyes. To him, Eren was merely another Devil of Paradis.

“She’s right, you know.” Bertholdt broke his silence, taking a moment to ruffle Porco’s hair. The latter couldn’t slick his own hair back with both arms occupied, which resulted in Porco’s teeth snapping at the air. “You’ll learn.”

“He bit me.” As if on cue, Eren looked back again, glaring in Porco’s direction until Bertholdt gave him a small wave. It took only a moment for Eren’s demeanor to change, the frozen glacier easily becoming a thriving field of flowers. His eyes lit up and a bright smile took over his features, as he returned Bertholdt’s wave with enthusiasm.

“He has a biting problem.” Bertholdt chuckled as Reiner turned to wave back, pink dusting his cheeks as Bertholdt blew him a kiss. Reiner indulged in dramatics, acting like he caught the kiss from the air, bringing his hand to his lips. Porco looked away. It should have been me-

“I don’t see a claim on your neck or shoulder.” Annie and Bertholdt worked in sync, their steps coming to an abrupt stop and pulling Porco back. The two had sudden interest in him, with betrayal reflected in Bertholdt’s eyes. Porco could smell the jealousy on them, and he hated it. He hated everything. The look in their eyes, to their arms linked in his yet their attention always divided.

“ What? ” Annie released his arm, grabbing Porco by the jaw and forcibly turning his head. The collar of Porco’s uniform was already ruined with his own blood, just below the scar on the right side of his neck, only three fingers’ width below his ear. The bite mark hadn’t healed, just like the one on Bertholdt’s shoulder hadn’t healed. Which meant something Annie didn’t want to come to terms with. “Why?”

“I don’t fuckin’ know. I don’t want to know.” Annie released her grip on Porco’s jaw, turning her attention to Eren as Porco rubbed his jaw. Bertholdt still kept him contained, but there was a silent inferno churning in his mind. Steam rose from his hairline, as did his lips to bare his fangs. The sharp sting of jealousy burned Porco’s nostrils, flooding his senses with an emotion very unlike Bertholdt.

“I’m gonna kill the little bastard.” Annie looked to the sky as she sighed, her voice quiet and promising pain. Her expression was unreadable, falsely cool and composed. Porco shifted in discomfort, unable to escape Bertholdt’s hold or Annie’s wrath. She covered her anger with a tight-lipped smile, her teeth on display. She stared at Porco like he was her prey, causing a shiver to crawl up his spine.

“Maybe it was an accident?” Porco didn’t know who he was trying to defend- himself, or Eren ?

“Mating marks aren’t accidents.” There was that word again, one of the many words Porco had learned to despise. Warriors and Warrior candidates weren’t allowed to have mates . If he was ever allowed to return to Marley, he’d be facing a dishonorable discharge. His life’s work would completely go down the drain- Porco would mean nothing in the end . Bertholdt traced the imprint of Eren’s teeth at Porco’s neck, leaning down to inspect it closer. Accident or not, it still meant the end of Porco’s career.

“Relax.” Annie’s attempt of comforting him just barely reached Porco’s ears, beyond the sound of his own breathing and his pulse in his throat. He hadn’t realized he’d been hyperventilating until she cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look her in the eye. “ Galliard , breathe.”

“I can’t go back. It’s over, it’s all over .” Porco shook his head, burying his face in Bertholdt’s sleeve as the taller Shifter’s arms wrapped around him. Annie’s arms snaked around his waist, her cheek pressed against Bertholdt’s arm. The duo embraced Porco, drowning him in soothing pheromones. He barely registered them, from touch or smell, but crumpled under pressure.

“Honey, look at me. Nothing’s over.” Porco inhaled shakily, shaking his head and refusing to meet Annie’s gaze. He knew he was overreacting, but with the flood of new and familiar scents and emotions, Porco couldn’t tell where he ended and the others began. They were all distantly connected, one way or another, down to the lingering essence of the very real, very tangible other Jaw Titan.

“It’s so loud.” A whimper left Porco as he finally gave in, returning Annie’s embrace and allowing Bertholdt to hover over the two without interference. Every trace of jealousy had already been wiped from them, replaced by lingering warmth, almost welcome by Porco. He’d never admit to them how lonely he had been, unless he was dying. He felt like at that moment, he’d die of embarrassment. “I… I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.” He could already tell his will was ready to shatter at any given moment, the new voice in his head just as lost as he was.

In a tidal wave of tears, Porco Galliard broke in someone else’s embrace.

oOo

Eren didn’t return to the Scouts empty handed. He knew from afar they had seen his short, scrappy battle with a new Shifter, and they had likely seen the Female Titan’s fall. As to why none of the Scouts rushed to their aid, Reiner had identified the Female Titan’s scream as one that wasn’t a call for help.

Eren returned with one of the Warrior Candidates, another abled body they could use for gathering information on Marley . Hange was excited to learn he had become a Titan Shifter- although, Hange was always excited when Titans were involved. Despite earlier revelations, Titans remained a subject of beauty and wonder.

Porco introduced himself with reddened eyes and prominent eye bags, but remained polite and greeted the chain of command with a bow. He was considerably calmer than before, only looking to Annie and Bertholdt for approval once the Captains were distracted by discussing amongst themselves. Bertholdt’s thumbs up must have been all the approval he needed, which had been enough for Porco to refocus his attention on the Scouts. 

His attention was quickly diverted with someone’s arm slung over his shoulder, and a cheek pressed to his own. A tongue traced his earlobe, before the body against his leaned down, mouth hot and unbearably wet against the mark on his neck. Porco hadn’t even known Eren for an hour , and he already wanted to strangle the man.

“Good job, Porky .” Eren was taunting him, and easily able to ignore the outbreak of rumors that spread among the Scouts. Porco maintained eye contact, his body shaking with restrained fury. He knew he couldn’t attack Eren in the open, not with so many blades seconds away from severing his head if he tried anything. “You should thank them for having you.” Porco was painfully aware that the hand on his shoulder had moved to the back of his hair.

Eren tugged at his hair, pulling Porco’s head back and drawing the quietest of moans from him. His face now tinted red with embarrassment, Porco elbowed Eren in the ribs. He played along and did as he was told, despite the Captain’s relative silence- seemingly in shock by Eren’s actions.

Naturally, they’d never actually seen the ways he’d interacted with the other Shifters, aside from Hange. They had only recently seen the other side of Eren, beyond treating the Shifters like his toys. Hange cleared their throat with a cough, breaking the awkward silence, hiding their thought process behind a smile.

“Welcome aboard, Mister… Uh, Galliard ?” Hange would always welcome a new potential test subject- ally to their cause, just as Erwin was already speculating what they could do with another Jaw Titan in their forces, aside from Ymir.

Porco regretted ever setting foot on the island of devils.

oOo

Eren was too exhausted to utilize the Founder’s powers to drive away the Pure Titans, rather having to rely on the Scouts and his Shifters for protection. Setting Porco loose on the Pure Titans seemed to appease some of his pent up anger and frustrations, yet watching the carnage the Jaw Titan left in their wake had Eren feeling entirely different. He lost count of how many times he’d been showered in a Titan’s steaming blood.

The persistent stench of decay accompanied by the constant jostling of the cart had Eren feeling nauseous and irritable, so he escaped to the only place he knew- his mind. The Founder and the Attack Titan awaited him in his consciousness, as did the sand and the darkness. Eren always had a sense that this wasn’t truly his mind, rather the Paths that the Founder had mentioned many years before.

Within the Paths , Eren was present as himself. He looked to the sky full of shining constellations, and to the massive tree made of pure light looming in the distance. The Founder stepped into view, in all of her ethereal beauty.

Long black hair that reached her waist, and bright blue eyes that held the stars within them and an unnatural glow. She may have copied his mother’s voice, but her appearance was strikingly similar to Frida Reiss’ Founding Titan’s form. Freckles had been painted on her pale skin, differing shades that reflected the varying skin tones of the Eldian people, with a face that changed with every movement she made. She cycled through the faces of the previous Founders , from Uri’s face to becoming a mirror of Eren.

She settled on wearing Eren’s face as her own, as together, the three of them were one. Eren swayed on his feet, being swept up by the Attack Titan before he could fall. Blood poured from his mouth and his nose, in this sacred place where he could afford to be vulnerable. Here, he was free from keeping appearances, playing the villain. The Attack Titan’s palm was warm, and felt like home. For the first time in years, Eren allowed himself to simply feel , to bask in the many lives connected to his own. The tree in the distance resonated with his thoughts, branches that reached towards the sky glowing brighter. Eren listened to the sounds of life across the ocean. Their suffering struck every chord of his heart, their silent pleas for mercy. Mothers telling their children that Marley’s version of mercy was what they must dedicate themselves to, that they must atone for the sins of their ancestors.

The Founder frowned, sighing as she closed her eyes. She heard their voices every second of every day, the cries of her children from so far away. She had never stopped caring for them, and yearned to reunite with her children across the sea. Her dream was a simple and lovely one, twisted by the cruelty of humanity and the original Founding Titan’s fate. Ymir was always within the Paths , wandering aimlessly, with hollow eyes and unresponsive. She had left her power in Eren’s hands, which meant more to him than he could say. She was the first believer in his cause. She had helped him build the needed pathways to form connections with the other Shifters, just as the Founder helped combat the original’s curse.

Eren refocused, drowning out the chorus of prayers. The Founder had become aware once again, reflecting her children’s sorrow in her eyes. To Eren, she awaited his request.

“Can it be done?” Eren’s voice sounded small in that moment, as the direction of the wind changed, carried away from the Paths . The Founder smiled softly, and for the first time, Eren saw hope in her eyes.

“ You’ve collected enough to do so. It will be painful, but we can do it. ” She looked to the Attack Titan, who nodded. He had agreed months ago, as they all knew Eren attempting to use the Founder’s form was currently beyond his reach. The Mother was just out of reach, but her gifts were not. She had already spoken with Ymir, who had been replicating a certain Titan’s form with the same sand beneath their feet.

“ IT SHOULD WORK… EREN, I’M PROUD OF YOU. ” Eren beamed with the Attack Titan’s praise, standing up to place a hand on his nose. The Attack Titan continued to be his lighthouse, the beacon in the darkness they navigated together.

Ymir had approached, waiting for the Attack Titan to follow her. Together, they would recreate someone precious. Someone his Shifters deserved to have returned to them. The Attack Titan set Eren down in the sand, ruffling his hair before standing.

The Founder had catalogued the memories from the Jaw and Ymir, documenting the previous holder’s life. From Porco’s blood, she was able to extract what they needed to find that someone in the Paths , and recall his very soul. Within a few weeks, the Attack Titan would be able to pull life from the Paths itself, and for the first time, together the four of them would bear life where the world only saw destruction and ruin.

Eren wondered where the sense of dread looming over them came from.

oOo

Eren awoke to the Trost District in the distance. The last few hours most have gone relatively smooth, given the quiet and lack of flares in the sky. He could feel warmth at either side of him, and wondered if Annie and Bertholdt were once again at his sides. Eren was surprised to see Mikasa’s head on his shoulder, her breathing slow and calm. She had fallen asleep next to him, just as Armin had.

Eren couldn’t remember the last time he had slept next to his closest friends. Months, years, close to a decade. He couldn’t piece together why they had originally begun to drift apart, yet the gentle voice in his mind reminded him he had become absorbed in his studies. The years following his mother’s death was a darkened, faded blur, warped beyond his current comprehension.

Exhaustion had once again begun to settle into Eren’s bones. He wrapped his arms over Armin and Mikasa’s shoulders, pulling them closer. Armin’s soft snores and Mikasa rubbing her cheek on his shoulder reminded them that they were here , next to him and not a mere fleeting dream. He rested his chin atop Mikasa’s head, letting himself feel real happiness for the first time in years. He wasn’t sure he could keep lying to them, how long his acting skills would continue to fool them.

Eren couldn’t stop the purr that started in his chest as he curled into Mikasa’s body heat, dragging Armin with him until the three of them resembled a pile. Neither stirred, allowing Eren to look to the stars in peace. He looked for the constellations reflected in the Paths , and wondered if they had names.

He let sleep claim him for the first time in days.