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vesuvian-american-fics · 4 years ago

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better with time. Ch 1

a century of hell.

You are a titan shifting 25 year old woman who had been trapped in her titan body wandering Paradis Island for 107 years. Over the decades you finally grew the strength to break free of your weakened titan form, just as Captain Levi happened upon you during an expedition. (AO3)

Words: 1,953

How long has it been?

How many years?

Where am I again?

How did I get here?

These questions racked through your mind every day without fail. You were confused, scared, and tired. There weren’t many things you remembered from your life before, it wasn’t the happiest that’s for sure. The year was 743, you remember a vast body of water, that seemed to continue on infinitely, you got off of a ship, and in the next moment you were falling. Before you hit the sand below you were different, much larger than before, and you couldn’t control your movements.

You ran ahead along with the other titans watching in horror as humans were mauled and eaten whole. You couldn’t stop yourself, your body seemed to be under a sort of spell or compulsion that forced you to act violently. It tasted horrible, you wanted nothing more than to wake up from this nightmarish hell. But you were stuck, stuck for so many years you lost count of how long you’d been trapped and all shreds left of your humanity faded away into the darkness, along with any other precious memories.

60 years passed in this hell before you began to gain control over your new titan body. With this revelation came a wave of determination washing over you. You ran far away from civilization, far away where you came into contact with little to no humans. When you did see any you avoided them like the plague and they avoided you just the same, you were thankful. Little did they know you were a human just like them, fighting to survive.

The remaining years or torture were spent with you hiding away in a dense forest where you gladly starved yourself. Hidden away, safe from harm, your titan form weakened day by day. Every day was the same, you lay face down on the forest floor as the seasons changed above you. Dead leaves fell atop your body, later came the snow but your body stayed warm. When the snow melting flowers bloomed around you, spring time was one of the few things you enjoyed while in hell, daisy’s, wild flowers, and other weeds springing up all around you, blowing in the wind. The summer rains were harsh but soothing never the less, that is until they turned raging storms overhead. The thunder was frightening, but not as frightening as your titanic circumstances.

You counted the seasons as they passed but as the decades drew on you gave up on trying. You felt your body grow thin and frail, your bones shown clearly through the skin, you couldn’t lift your body now if you wanted to. It was summer now; you could tell by the sweltering heat on your nape. The heat was almost too much to bear, and in your efforts to move to the shadows you felt your real body twitch.

Your real body... twitched.

You gasped; your titan body must have become so thin that your human body was free to move. Maybe you could even break free and try to find some help. New found hope bubbled in your chest as you fought to free yourself from the titan’s flesh. Natural light began to filter into the cavity you were confined in for so many years.

Freedom, after so long its within reach.

♥

The 58th Scouting Mission to the Forest of Giant Trees.

Scouts, in their haste to flee the forest in the 57th Scouting Mission left behind many valuable harpoon canons that were used to trap the Female Titan. This mission is to retrieve them. Led by Captain Levi the scouts set out to complete their mission, hopefully without incident. As the Scout Regimen reached the borders of the forest a peculiar sight caught their eye.

“I don’t think that titans moved an inch since the last time we were here.” Eren Jeager, commented. Armin noticed it too, it looked even thinner than it did a few weeks ago.

“Don’t get too close Eren.” Mikasa chided, pulling her horse in between his and the titan before them.

“Oi. Brats.” Levi barked gaining the younger scouts’ attention.

“Stop wasting time staring at that thing. We have a mission to complete.” He said, a bored look in his eyes. He wanted to be in and out of that horrid forest as quickly as possible and the sun was already set high in the sky.

Without another word, the scouts continued their trek into the forest to retrieve anything left from their last expedition. The work was tiresome, hours had passed and the sun was making its descent towards the horizon by the time they left the forest. No one died today, but a few titans did cause a bit of trouble for them. There was never a mission that went completely smooth no matter how much Levi wished for it.

On the way back to base, the Scouts took another look at your titan form. Steam now emanating from the flesh. Levi made sure to keep everyone at a distance, he was sure the titan couldn’t move but whatever was happening he had a bad feeling about it.

Levi drew his blades, sliding off of his stallion to saunter over to your weak titan, he stood atop its head as he watched something move beneath the skin. His eyes widened a fraction as he watched in shock as the flesh at the nape began to split on its own accord. Plumes of steam bellowed from the wound obscuring the scouts’ vision, Levi’s close vicinity aided him. He was the only one to see what happened next.

Something was inside, or rather, something was breaking free from the titan. More hot steam rose from the flesh wound as you lifted your head from the gash. Gasping for breath you opened your eyes and a trembling sigh spilled past your lips. Thick hot tears rolled down your cheeks, a look of pure bliss on your face. A man with onyx hair stood before you, a sharp blade pressed to your throat. Levi pressed forward, his blade causing a small nick on your flesh. The sting of pain made it all the more real for you. You were free at last.

Levi berated you with questions as your vision began to fade. His voice sounded muffled in your mind; you couldn’t quite make out anything he said before you were out cold. You were engulfed in a darkness once again, but this time, it was welcome. You fell limply backwards and as you did, Levi sliced the rest of the titan’s muscular attachments from your face and arms.

Noticing you were unconscious and thus, no longer a threat for the time being Levi came back to his senses. It finally registered to him the worried shouts from Armin on the other side of this wall of fog. Levi picked up your limp body, hoping down from the decaying corpse and walking slowly to the carts brought along for the expedition.

Emerging from the steam came Captain Levi, carrying you with an irritated scowl on his face. He handed you off to Reiner, a tall built man better equipped to carry someone bridal style.

“Put her on the cart, we’re heading back. Full speed.” Levi said and without another word the Captain was on his horse and riding away towards the base. Reiner and Bertolt gave each other confused looks before the remaining scouts hopped aboard their horses after having a look at you. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin caught up with their Captain quickly to bombard the man with questions.

Who are they?

They came out of the titan?

Are they from the walls?

“Oi! All I know is that she’s going straight to the holding cell in the basement when we get back. Erwin will ask questions later.” Levi barked, a headache forming in the back of his head. He wanted nothing more than to not ended up in this predicament today, but you were an unknown titan shifter. Thus, you were extremely dangerous and couldn’t go ignored.

In record time the Scouts arrived back at the base, and luckily just as Commander Erwin happened to be paying a visit, hoping to discuss reports with Hange Zoe.

“Commander. Shitty Glasses. You need to take a look at this.” Levi said, an unusually unnerving stare in his eyes. Without a word the two followed Levi to where you slept peacefully in the cart filled with equipment.

“Who’s this?” Erwin asked, his blue eyes scanning over your face with immense focus. Hange repositioned their glasses as they leaned over the cart to get a closer look.

“Get back. They’re a titan shifter we found in the Forest of Giant Trees.” Levi said as he pulled Hange back from your sleeping form.

“REALLY!?” Hange was just about vibrating with excitement and anticipation. They made quick work of scooping you up into their arms to take you inside, and in their haste, they knocked your head on the door frame. Levi rolled his eyes at Hange’s impatience and followed suite after dismissing the scouts to clean the base.

Erwin led them down to a cell in the basement of the base, handing off the key to Levi.

“She’ll stay here until she wakes up and explains herself. We’ll figure out the rest of the details then. I have business in the capitol, I’ll return as soon as you send word.” With a firm nod, Erwin excused himself from the base and on horseback he made his way to Wall Sina.

Levi explained to Hange your condition, and how he found you. He decided to watch you until you woke up from your sleep. Hange made sure to being drafting up a report on you in the meantime, trying and failing to have patience and wait for you to awaken before discussing any experiments they wished to try.

Three days later, you finally opened your eyes. You made a silent gasp as you sat up abruptly in your hard bed, your overgrown hair messy and falling into your face. You swiped the hair out of your way a felt over your face. You withdrew your hands from your face as you flexed your fingers flipped your hands over and over again, examining them. Normal human hands.

You snatched the rough sheets from your legs as your bent your knees and curled your toes. It’s been so long since you’ve seen yourself like this. You looked around your surroundings in the cell, and noticed a small hand mirror on the desk. You fell out of the bed in your haste to reach the desk and get a look at yourself. With trembling hands, you grabbed the mirror and held it up to your face. Slowly, you opened your eyes to look at yourself. Thick tears of joy rolled down the apples of your cheeks. You looked the same as the last time you saw yourself. You continued to poke and prod at your face, making sure this wasn’t some cruel dream when suddenly a deep grunt rang out in the darkness. A man clearing his throat sat cross legged outside of your cell with a thick book in hand and a small tea cup on the small table next to him. He marked his place in his book and uncrossed his legs before stepping closer to the bars that separated you both.

You gently placed the mirror down onto the desk before standing on your weak legs, backing yourself into the damp corner. You had your guard up, wary of the strange man and his icy stare.

Levi Ackerman finally broke the silence once again.

“Who are you?”

♥

#levi ackerman #levi #levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #titan shifting reader #better with time.#attack on titan #aot

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laurens-lil-fics · 6 years ago

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Hallucinate - Matt Murdock x Powered! Reader Part 1

Series Summary: When members of a criminal organization start flooding precincts all over New York, turning themselves in, Daredevil must investigate to see what new player has them running for the hills.

Chapter Summary: Matt, Foggy and Karen are among a group of lawyers called to the 15th precinct police station when a wave of baddies show up to turn themselves in. But what’s sent them scattering in the wind?

Word Count: 1936

Warnings: Violence, kidnapping

Author’s note: I’ve been wanting to do a powered! reader series for a while with Daredevil and I think I finally have a good way to execute that. I hope y'all enjoy!

The call came around 1:30.

Matt was about halfway down with the takeout Karen had brought him when he heard Foggy cheerfully answering a call from Brett. His tone completely changed once Brett started speaking. He heard everything, but still bothered to ask what had happened once Foggy ended the call.

“It’s the 15th... Hell, not just the 15th, stations all over Hell’s Kitchen are getting tons of perps just walking in and asking to be processed.” Foggy said, repackaging his noodles and quickly doing the same to Matt’s and Karen’s lunches.

“Wait a minute, so Brett wants us to go down there why?” Karen asked, glancing between the two.

“Every perp is entitled to a lawyer, I can’t imagine we’re the only ones he called...” Matt said, standing and quickly putting on his suit jacket.

Karen quickly called them a cab, and the three were on their way to the 15th.

It was Hell pushing through the crowd of people just outside the entrance. News reporters, lawyers, investigators, even some people waiting to turn themselves in. If it wasn’t for Brett, the three would have probably been stuck outside.

“You guys got a preference? Take your pick, not a lot of em are very talkative...” Brett said, leading them towards the interrogation rooms.

“I thought you said they were turning themselves in, how are they doing that if they’re giving you the silent treatment?” Foggy asked.

“A lot of em are parole violations, some of em are guys we’ve been trying to find on petty charges. I think it goes a lot deeper than that, though.” Brett explained.

Matt could feel a headache coming on from all the commotion, people shouting they stole this or defaced that, all trying to get locked up as quickly as possible. Despite the sensory overload, he tried focusing his hearing for anyone in an interrogation room who seemed the most on edge. Someone who would give up information easily.

He found his target. He could smell the pit sweat from 5 rooms away where they stood. Once they stood in front of the door, Matt tapped Foggy’s hand, prompting Foggy to ask Brett to let them in that room.

The man’s heart sounded like it was about to thump out of his chest and into oncoming traffic just from the sound of the door opening.

Matt, Karen and Foggy took their seats on the opposite end of the table from him, making their introductions.

“So, Mr. Mackie, says here you turned yourself in because of a parole violation?” Karen asked, glancing between the man and his file.

He quickly nodded his head glancing between the three. “Look, just have them send me back to prison. I only got like a year on my sentence, just get them to send me back for the year.” He sputtered.

“Mr. Mackie, it says you had a 10 year sentence, you’ve been spending the past 6 on parole. Why give up 9 years of good behavior? And so suddenly?” Foggy asked.

“Does it really matter?!” Mackie snapped, his heart rate spiking. “I broke my parole, I broke the law, I should be locked up! I want a different lawyer, you two ask too many questions!”

Foggy and Karen sighed softly, getting up to leave only to stop when they saw Matt planted in his seat. “Mr. Mackie, lemme have a moment alone with you, without my partners. I want to get this sorted out just as much as you do... the sooner you and I can cooperate the sooner we can get your court date scheduled.”

Mr. Mackie considered the offer for a moment before quickly nodding, sending Foggy and Karen out into the hall.

“Mr. Mackie...” Matt began, motioning to the door. “It doesn’t take a genius to know something else is going on here, what with all the other people outside, trying to get in here...”

He shook slightly, shutting his eyes before giving a frustrated sigh. “We were supposed to all come in separate... go to different precincts all over the city, make it look in...incon... not suspicious, yknow?”

“So you know all those people?” Matt asked, leaning in closer as Mr. Mackie glanced at the two way mirror. Mr. Mackie leaned in as well.

“We...we work together...” he mumbled.

“For someone... dangerous? Someone who threatened you?” Matt asked, his tone gentle so not as to scare his client into kicking him out of the room.

“It’s not the boss...” he whispered. “It’s the person after the boss...” Without warning, he pulled away from Matt, looking wildly around the room as if someone had caught the two of them.

“Easy, Mr. Mackie, easy. Let me help you, do you know who it is?” Matt asked, keeping his voice level despite his obvious confusion. He didn’t hear anything suspicious nearby, nothing that could have alarmed Mr. Mackie.

“No! I don’t know what you’re talking about, I just violated my parole! That’s all I did is violate my parole!” He shouted, refusing to meet Matt’s gaze.

Defeated, Matt stood up before setting his card down in front of his client. “Well... if any other details about your parole come up... give me a call. I’ll come down here as soon as possible.”

Before Matt could leave, Mr. Mackie spoke up. “My parole... I broke it at the docks... the ones by West 57th...”

It wasn’t much of a lead, but that’s all Matt had to go off of. He told Foggy and Karen what he had learned, assuring them he’d be careful when he got to the docks.

He was perched on the roof of a warehouse, one close enough where he could get a view of the docks and be able to run to them incase he saw anything suspicious.

2 AM and no activity so far, save for some teens skateboarding by on their way to a bodega.

A part of him worried Mr. Mackie had given him a false lead, something to satisfy him to stop asking questions about whatever his “job” was. Those fears were quickly discarded at the sound of several vans approaching the docks. 30 minutes passed without any movement, until Matt focused on the sound of a boat engine slowly approaching.

It sounded too big to be a speedboat, maybe a yacht, but what would a yacht be doing at 2 AM in the Hudson in the middle of Winter?

Once the yacht was close enough, he could hear the sounds of people sobbing below deck, about 10 or 12.

“Holy shit...” Matt mumbled, sprinting down the fire escape and towards a cluster of shipping containers right beside the dock. Just as he climbed atop a container, the people were being taken from the ship and dragged towards the vans.

Armed guards waited outside the vehicles, looking around for any intruders.

“Looks like tonight’s going off without a hitch.” One spoke up.

“Yeah, right when all those guys up and quit with their tails between their legs. More money for us.” another snickered, adjusting his hold on his rifle.

Another spoke up, this one sounding like he was ready to jump out of his skin. “You don’t think she’s really gonna show, do you?”

The first guard scoffed, it sounded like he nudged the other with his elbow. “Don’t be such a chicken shit. She would have gotten here by now. And if she does decide to show up,” he cocked his shotgun, “she’ll be getting a face full of this.”

Matt stood from his crouching position as the people were dragged closer to the vans, preparing to leap into action.

Before he could move, and just as a guard caught sight of him, he heard someone’s heart beating somewhere nearby. It was different, irregular almost. And hovering just above him.

“It’s Daredev-” before the goon could finish, he was sent flying into one of the vans, screaming until he made impact. The rifles the others were holding began to slowly twist and contort before flying out of the guard’s hands.

Matt could hear the wind whipping against the person’s clothing, their joints creaking as they twisted their hands and flicked their fingers this way and that. Vans went flying into the river, guards were sent this way and that. Those who had hold of the people they were attempting to kidnap began to clutch at their heads, screaming in pain and giving the people enough time to sprint away and hide.

The person slowly descended, glancing at Daredevil as they went. Once their boots hit the cement, they slowly made their way towards one of the men writhing on the ground.

Matt ran to the hostages who watched the scene in horror, only becoming more scared when they saw a man in a devil costume standing before them. “There’s a police patrol nearby, if you run you can make it to them in time and get to safety. Tell them to send back up to the docks as soon as possible.”

Some of them nodded, others looked like he had just spoken a made up language to them. Nonetheless, they all took off running in the same direction.

Matt leaned against the wall of the shipping container, listening as the person kneeled beside one of the guards.

“This can all stop... this can all be over.” She spoke, her voice muffled by the mask that covered the lower half of her face. “You just have to tell me where Blum is. And I’ll let it end.”

“Fuck you!” he spat, earning a sigh from the woman.

“You never make it easy, do you?” she lamented. She raised a hand to his head, tilting it from side to side.

Matt wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, he had no idea who this woman was, if she was willing to kill these men or what. Just that she was after someone named Blum.

His train of thought was interrupted when she sighed disappointingly. “You really don’t know anything, do you?”

One of the more tenacious goons slowly stood up, trying to sneak up on her with his pistol at the ready.

Matt emerged from his hiding spot, throwing one of his batons at the man just as he fired. The impact made him miss, but still alerted the woman in front of them.

She flung her hand in their direction, causing the two to freeze in place. It was almost as if there was an energy around Matt feeding off of him, making him stay still.

The woman stood up and approached Daredevil, her eyes trailing over his figure. “Daredevil... big fan. I’ll have to get your autograph later.”

Next thing he knew, he was sent flying towards a shipping container, smacking into the side of it. Upon impact, she kept his body planted against the metal.

She turned to the guard that tried to fire at her, only to be interrupted by the echo of numerous police sirens headed their way.

She turned back to Daredevil and released her hold on him, letting him fall to the ground. He felt absolutely drained, he could have fallen asleep then and there on the docks if she had kept her hold on him for just a second longer. At least that’s what it felt like.

“Next time don’t get in my way, Daredevil. This isn’t your fight.” With that, he heard her boots leave the pavement, and the wind whip past her until she had flown out of his hearing range.

Matt forced himself to stand up and run from the docks, just as the police arrived.

#Matt Murdock #Matthew Murdock #matthew murdock x reader #matt murdock x reader #Daredevil #daredevil x reader #Daredevil series #Matt Murdock Series #Hallucinate series

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catsundercherryblossoms · 6 years ago

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|Ch. 12: Thunderstorms| Her Forgotten Past //Attack on Titan Fanfic//

"What’s happening?" I asked. My voice was surprisingly delicate and high. Not to mention terrified.

We were in a... house? No, a loft. It was dim, poor, and bare with little to no furniture.

Violent threats were being shouted from outside. The door trembled from all the pounds it was receiving.

"Open the door!"

"Daddy, I'm scared!" I said, tears rushing down my cheeks.

A man hurriedly picked me up in his arms. His face was blurry... I couldn't distinguish any features whatsoever. All I could pinpoint was the deep, gravelly voice that issued from him as he held me tight to his chest. We rushed towards the only window in the loft.

"You're going to be okay. I promise. Dadda promises." He said, positioning himself on the edge of the open window. The street below was a landing we could never survive. "Now, hold on tight!"

Crash! The door broke down.

"There he is! Kill him!"

We jumped out the window.

I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the ceiling of my bedroom. My heart thumped like I had received a burst of adrenaline, even though I knew full well that I had been in bed sleeping this whole time.

Did I have that dream again? It must've been the same one as always. There were many similarities. Except, in greater detail.

I rolled over in bed. I hugged the pillow, not really awake but not really asleep either. I kept thinking about the dream.

'Daddy, I'm scared...' I remembered with a pang.

Dad? In the dream, I said that? Was that man my father?

What if this dream... this dream that's haunted my sleep for years... what if it's not a dream at all? What if it's a memory?

This whole time... has my subconscious been showing me my past?

BANG! The door to my room flew open.

"Wake up!"

I was already sitting up, rubbing the tiredness out of my eyes. "What is it? What's going on?"

Petra stood by the door, her face ashen and her eyes frantic. "Come quickly."

I didn't even bother putting on my uniform. All I knew was that something terrible had happened. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. Petra led me down the many corridors of the castle headquarters, going down several staircases until we arrived at the first floor. I kept looking this way and that way, trying to find any disturbance. But there was none. That's when I noticed she was leading me outside to the courtyard. Huh... isn't this where Hanji runs her experiments?

The problem was big. Big enough for anyone to see.

It was Titan-sized.

I joined the accumulating crowd. Through the steam, we all watched as Hanji made a complete meltdown of herself, screaming and crying in front of two Titan carcasses. All that was left were the large bones, and those were disintegrating also.

I spotted Eren and approached him.

"It's too early for this shit." I sighed, rubbing my arms due to the early morning cold. I was still in my pajamas.

A tender look donned Eren's face. He chuckled softly. "Here," he took off his cloak and held it out for me.

I looked at it up and down. Was he serious? "Gee... thanks." I smiled appreciatively. A warm sensation flooded my cheeks, and I hoped to hell that I wasn't blushing. Lately that's all I ever do when he's around.... it's stupid and I didn't understand it, but it had to stop.

I mean... it's not like I....

'Impossible, Johanna', I shook the theory away.

I immediately felt warmer the second I threw on the cloak. Without meaning to, I noticed it smelled... nice. Like boy. But good, clean-smelling boy.

Smells are hard to register, okay?

'I must be out of my fucking mind to be thinking of stupid shit like this... Get a grip!' I berated myself.

"So, what happened here?" I asked, trying to occupy my thoughts with something else.

"Those were her Titan subjects, Sawney and Bean. She talked to me about them endlessly last night. I didn't get a wink of sleep." Eren said, stifling a yawn. He held a troubled gaze as he watched Hanji continue to wail. "But they were like her children... and whoever killed them didn't exactly benefit humanity. Sure, maybe they had a craving for vengeance after what happened in Trost. But now all of Hanji's research has gone down the drain. Not to mention, it'll probably be years until the Survey Corps can replace them. They're not easily captured."

What he said enlightened me. It's certainly not what I expected to hear from him. I looked at the barely-there, steaming carcasses. "Hm... You're right. I guess I never thought of it that way." I then smirked. "She really did a number on you, didn't she?"

He sighed tiredly. "She wouldn't shut up. It's good to see things from her point of view, though. But, fascinating species or not, I still hate these bastards." He glared at nothing in particular.

"Same here." I said softly. Soldiers were now trying to calm Hanji, to no avail.

Who could've done this? Who could've deliberately punched the Survey Corps in the gut like this? Well, whoever the culprit is... it was a dirty move on their part. And I have a feeling an act like this won't go unpunished.

A hand gripped my shoulder and I jumped. It was Commander Erwin, the last person I expected to see. He was leaning between us, and I saw he had his other hand on Eren's shoulder too, creating a huddle.

"Take a look around..." he said lowly. "Who do you think the real enemy is?"

My pupils sharpened at such a staggering question. What the hell did he mean? Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps, the brilliant mind always working to fight the titans, and he was asking us... who the real enemy is?

There was something unsettling about the way he said it. It made me uneasy. But most importantly, it made me question my worldview. It was such a ridiculous and obvious question. But maybe... that's the point.

Could he be implying that after all these years, we were wrong? The Titans aren't the real enemy? If so, then who is?

"My bad. Loaded question." He muttered, and with that, he walked off.

But Eren and I shared equally suspicious looks. We both knew the Commander was being perfectly intentional.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent learning the formation for the 57th expedition. It was a shock to everyone when Erwin announced that it would be very soon. Tomorrow, to be exact. Everyone was nervous, including me. I wasn't necessarily wary for myself, but instead other people. Seeing a couple deaths was a guarantee. There was no such thing as an expedition without casualties.

I needed to mentally prepare myself for the gore. Especially since I was placed in one of the most dangerous flanks. I would be seeing a lot slobbery, glassy-eyed titans. But I believe in my skills, so I should be fine. If worse comes, I'll defend the other soldiers too.

I was on my way to meet Eren at the stables when Hanji approached me out of nowhere.

"Hey!" She said cheerfully.

"Oh, hi. Sorry about your loss." I told her, although she didn't look mournful in the least. Not anymore. But then again, people have different methods of dealing with grief. So who am I to judge?

"Yeah, pretty tough. But I'll always carry their memory right in here..." She patted her chest wistfully, right over her heart. "Ah... I'm gonna miss seeing Sawney's foaming smile every morning as I sip my coffee. But anyways!" She suddenly exclaimed, making me jump. "I'm here because I need something from you."

That can't be good. I narrowed my eyes. "What do you need?"

"A blood sample, of course!" She took a needle and a small vial out of her pocket.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, don't worry too much about it. It's just for your registration file. I had to take a sample of Eren's blood, too!" She said. "Now, give me your hand."

I hesitated, but figured the quicker I get this over with, the quicker I get to meet Eren to do stable work. I extended my hand and she pricked my index finger with the sharp needle. It barely hurt, surprisingly. She collected a red drop or two inside the vial and hurried off, practically running back inside HQ without saying so much as a goodbye. I shook my head and didn't think much of it.

"Hey," I greeted Eren in the stables. "Thanks for helping me. Just make sure Corporal Levi doesn't find out, or he'll be pissed."

"It's no problem. A whole month of stable work is too much for one person to handle." He said, shoveling manure into a trash bag.

I began replacing the old, weather-beaten hay in the stalls with new fresh loads for the horses to eat. These were the faithful animals that would be taking us on the expedition tomorrow. They needed to be well nurtured. As I worked diligently, I soon became lost in thought. Mainly about the dream- or memory- from this morning. It was still a mystery to me. And I don't like mysteries.

"Hey, Eren... this might seem weird and personal." I said, "but... what do you know about your Dad?"

He tilted his head, puzzled, and shoveled more manure. "You mean, what do I remember? Well, he was always very private. But besides the fact that he hid the secret to saving humanity in our basement, he was a good father. Most of the time he was on the road curing sick patients. He was the best doctor in Shiganshina, after all. But I was always happy when he came home. In those private moments, he wasn't Doctor Jaeger anymore... to me he was just Dad." He wore a sad smile. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. It- It was a dumb question..." I shook my head lightly and focused on the work at hand. I've only ever talked about the dreams with Jean. I don't know if I'm ready to share them with another person.

"It's okay, you can tell me."

"I'm fine, I prom-"

"Johanna." He said pointedly. I could already sense the concern building up inside him, so strong that it made him frustrated when people didn't explain themselves right on the spot. I've seen it happen with Mikasa and I was seeing it happen now with me. It was a unique mix of emotions that only Eren could possess. But I knew it was cause he cared.

I sighed and gave in. "Well, you know I can't remember much of my past. Or anything at all, actually. The first memory I have is from when I was... nine years old, I think? I woke up under a bridge in Trost not knowing who I was or who my parents were, or what the hell I was doing there. I was mindless. The only thing I owned was a blanket with my name on it and the clothes I was wearing at that time. It was a dark period in my life. I was very lonely..." I petted a spotted, caramel horse's mane. "Then Jean found me and he took care of me. If it wasn't for him, I don't know what would've become of me..." my gaze hardened. "But I've always had this dream. It comes to me at random, usually when I'm in a deep sleep. And in the dream... there's this man. And he's promising me that everything will be okay. Then there's shouting and all sorts of noise, and people trying to break into our home- but the point is, Eren... I think that man is my father. And I think this so-called dream is actually a memory."

He seemed genuinely interested. "Do you ever see the man's face? The man you think is your father?"

I smacked my lips, irritated with myself. All the frustration and hopelessness that I've accumulated for years suddenly came back. "No. The memory is always too blurry. Dammit, if I could just remember!" Without thinking, I kicked over an empty bucket.

"Woah, woah! Relax. Hey... it's okay." Eren assured me, gently placing his hands on my shoulders. "Stuff like this has happened before. There have been many cases where people suffer an accident, hit their heads, and wake up with amnesia. Then there's also me... when I Titan shift and lose control I can't really remember- but anyways, we know you're not a Titan. You don't steam up when you get physically hurt." He let out an embarrassed chuckle, but quickly returned to being serious. "What I'm trying to say is... the fact that you're remembering fragments of memory in your sleep is good. That's progress. So don't beat yourself up about it. And if you ever need someone to talk to... I-I know we haven't been friends that long. But I'm always here if you need someone to listen."

Perhaps it was a trick of the shadows, but Eren's irises seemed even more breathtaking than usual. Anyone who's met Eren knows that a wildfire inhabits him, forever burning anything and anyone that comes within sight. But what everyone doesn't know is that whenever he looks at me, that fire seems to cool down significantly. Almost like he doesn't want to burn me.

Like he sees me differently from the rest.

I noticed it the time he hugged me on top of the wall. I noticed it when he caught me in his arms yesterday. And I noticed it this morning when he gave me his cloak.

And now, as we stood face-to-face, completely alone except for the horses, it was happening again.

Perhaps it was just my imagination... but Eren's face appeared to be getting closer to mine with each passing second...

"WOOO! GET SOME, EREN!"

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Connie." But quickly realized... "Wait, Connie?!"

Apparently, we weren't completely alone. We turned and saw, to my surprise and mild embarrassment, our 104th comrades standing at the entrance to the stables. What were they doing here? I vaguely remember the Commander mentioning that new recruits would be joining today, but never in a million years did I think this many would show up...

Eren and I hurried to greet everyone.

"Reiner!" I gave the tall and buff blonde a hug. Then I hugged Bertholdt. Or more like his stomach. Geez, the man seemed to only be getting taller and taller... "I thought you two were joining the MPs? What happened?"

Reiner took the lead and answered, as usual. "The MPs are overrated. A true soldier does his best to help humanity, right Bert?" He nudged his friend in the ribs.

Bertholdt shrunk a little, rubbing his side as though it hurt more than intended. Once again, Reiner had underestimated his own strength. "Y-Yeah," He sounded rather unsure, "a soldier..."

Its probably just anxiety... this is the Survey Corps, after all. Its not exactly a fun-fest... I thought. "So... Annie left, I suppose?"

Reiner nodded a little sadly. "Yeah... there's no convincing her. She's been a lone-wolf ever since day one. Always doing her own thing."

Of course. I was stupid for thinking she could've had a change of heart. Annie's one and only wish was to join the MPs. I'm not disappointed... or at least, I'm trying not to be. We could still write and send each other letters. But I would definitely miss her. That emotionless bitch... who knew I'd grow so attached to her?

I guess its just Reiner, Bert, and me now.

"Hey, um..." Reiner said lowly. His expression suddenly darkened. "What were you and Eren doing here together?"

I took a quick glance over at Eren, currently talking to Mikasa and Armin. "I got into trouble so I was assigned stable work. Eren was nice enough to help me." I said casually.

He watched Eren intensely. "Really? Funny, it seems he was trying to clean your face more than anything else."

"What do you-"

I felt a tap on my shoulder, interrupting me. I turned to meet the person and almost gasped. "Jean!"

It felt like ages since I last saw him. In reality, that wasn't the case. But still, it felt wonderful to hug him tightly again.

Except something was wrong.

Call it intuition or whatever... but the hug was lacking something. Yes, he was here. But something was troubling him. I just knew it.

I parted- practically pushed him away. I stared at him and waited for him to explain himself. Where was Jean? The overweening, bláse Jean that I knew wasn't the one hugging me back. No... That look he had on his face... was frighteningly mournful.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I was already one step ahead of him. It had to be bad news. Nothing could convince me otherwise.

"Oh, hey Jean." A voice came from behind me. It was Eren, and he was walking up to us. "So you joined too, huh?"

But Jean cut right to the chase. "Marco's dead."

Those two words grabbed everyone's attention. But I had a feeling they all had received the news already, and Eren and I were the only ones shocked at the moment.

Marco... his kind, freckled face popped into my mind, and it was hard to believe none of us would witness his gentle-hearted smile again.

"I'm so sorry, Jean." I said solemnly. "You knew him better than any of us, I can't imagine the pain you-"

"What are you saying? Marco's not dead..." Eren said rather harshly. That's when I saw the denial spreading across his face.

I sighed. "Eren-"

"You're just kidding around. Its just a sick joke, right?"

"I wish I could tell you he died heroically or nobely. But the truth is, we don't know how he went out. Nobody was there to see it." Jean said. "But how about you, Eren? I heard that when you Titan-shifted, you tried to kill Mikasa. Do you mind telling us what that's all about?"

"You're wrong!" Mikasa stepped in. "He was swatting away a fly, nothing ha-"

"I wasn't asking you." Jean said as gently as he could. But clearly, there was a grudge building up inside of him.

Eren lowered his head, disgraced. "Apparently, its true. I tried to kill Mikasa." He admitted.

"Apparently?" Jean said indignantly. "As in, you don't remember? So what you're telling me is you can transform into a fifteen-meter Titan at will, but when you do, you don't actually have full control over it?"

I expected Eren to stand up for himself, but it seemed he planned to take the criticism without argument. "Thats right." He said honestly.

Jean sighed through his nose, the vein in his forehead bulging. He then turned towards everyone else. "You see that, guys? What a fine situation this is. Our lives and the fate of all mankind rests on his shoulders. I'm guessing we'll probably end up like Marco, dead before Eren even knows it."

"Stop it. Whats the point in chastising him now? Just give it a rest." Mikasa piped up again..

Jean eased a little. It appeared he was growing tired of hearing the same old story coming from her. "Listen, Mikasa... Unlike you, the rest of us aren't willing to throw our lives away for him on a whim. We need a reason. The truth. We need to know what we're laying our lives down for. What we want is a guarantee from Eren. Show us what you're worth. Prove it to us. We're asking you to make us believe you're worth dying for." He turned to Eren sharply. For a moment there I could've sworn he was going to throw a punch, but I was pleasantly surprised to see him putting his hands on his shoulders, gripping them firmly. "Do you think you can do that? If you can, then we're with you. All the way."

Ah... there it was again. The courageous fire blazing in Eren's eyes was enough of an answer.

* * *

Later that night

Funny how nature's loud, booming sound can put a person on edge.

Another bolt of lighting struck down, its white light flashing against my bedroom curtains. I turned over in bed, quickly pressing my pillow against one ear, and awaited the thunder.

BOOM!

I trembled a little. I wish I could say it was from cold, but its better to face facts and admit... the weather has got me quite shaken.

It was midnight, and the thunderstorm didn't look like it would be stopping soon. I wondered how anyone else could sleep through this. Especially when it so closely resembled...

'No, don't think that way... thats just your mind playing tricks on you.' I sighed and turned onto my back again, staring up at the ceiling. I clutched the blanket I've had since childhood, the one with my name knitted beautifully in purple. I still sleep with it at night out of habit. But tonight, I doubt I would ever get some sleep.

'I guess it wouldn't hurt to explore...' I thought, knowing full well that this wouldn't help my case at all. There's an expedition tomorrow in which my life and other's might hang on the balance, and yet, I already knew the possibility of sleep was nonexistent. Not in this weather.

I got out of bed and took the blanket with me, leaving my room behind as I stepped out into the dark hallways, going nowhere in particular, simply where my feet would take me. Speaking of feet... I was barefoot. The floorboards were cold and hard against my every step. Strangely enough, the feeling of being barefoot was nostalgic. Which didn't make sense, since I don't know from where or what time. Perhaps it was just another one of those vague deja-vu's buried in the untapped parts of my brain, deep where the memories of my past struggle to surface...

I'm sick of living this way. I feel like I barely know myself. My true self. But I also don't see anything I can do about it. Maybe it'll get easier as I age. That is... if I don't die at the hands of a Titan first.

I stopped in the middle of a staircase heading down, and I looked around. Thunder continued rumbling outside, and lightning flashed against the nearest window. It seemed to be getting louder and more violent. Another crack of thunder echoed throughout the castle and I jumped. Crap... Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I should've stayed in bed after all.

Dammit... where am I? I couldn't recognize my surroundings. Wonderful. Thats what I get for being too immersed in my thoughts... now I'm lost. Oh well, when in doubt, keep going down?

I arrived at the first floor, but not any area that I recognized. Was I in the east wing, or the north wing? Or maybe the south wing... I truly had no idea. I wandered the open space, the chilly draft raising goosebumps on my arms, and after what seemed like hours, I finally encountered a door.

About time... I thought exasperatedly. But when I opened it, all I felt was disappointment as a set of spiraling stairs heading downwards was revealed. Ugh, great... more stairs. Just what I needed. I descended two steps, but not before I realized something critical. Wait a minute... does this lead to the basement? Isn't that where Eren sleeps?

Ten minutes later...

I must be crazy. I must out of my damn mind... I thought once I reached the last step, finally standing on flat ground again. The hallway ahead of me was straight and narrow. There were also, to my misfortune, many doors. Maybe he's just as chicken as I am and he can't sleep either... I looked for Eren's room, which was technically a dungeon. This proved to be easier than I originally thought. I came to a stop at an oak-wood door. It had a tiny, medieval look-through window, the perfect size for a pair of eyes to peer through. And inside, I could see the faint glow of candlelight.

I leaned into the door too much. It creaked open and I jumped back. What, no lock?

I debated going in or not. He's the only person I know well enough to talk to. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here in the first place. Besides... this was Eren. Why was I so fidgety?

The floor was even colder now when I entered. I tiptoed around the dark. The candle burning in the corner struggled to keep its flame alive, barely allowing me to see where I was going. Worst comes to worst, I'd ram straight into his bed and fall on top of him. And then... Well, then I would have some serious explaining to do.

I stubbed my toe on something and felt a sharp pain. "FUCK!"

"Wha- Who's there?" Eren's alert voice called out into the darkness.

Seconds of awkwardness, which I'm sure must’ve been full of confusion and fright for him, settled between us as he struggled to light a new candle. When the wick blazed with a bright, newborn flame, the room was still dimly lit. But good enough to see.

Eren was in his bed, disheveled and wearing a set of plain white pajamas. "Johanna?" He said, beyond surprised. He watched as I hopped around on one foot, grimacing. "What are- What time- I have so many questions..."

"Sorry, sorry. I know this is stupid. I didn't mean to wake you," I sighed and shook my head. "Don't get the wrong idea. I never meant to- You know what? I should just go." I turned towards the door, clutching my blanket in my hands tighter than ever now.

"Wait! Are you having trouble sleeping? Is that why you're here?" He asked.

I stopped defeatedly. I'm already in too deep... why lie myself out of this one? I didn't see the point anymore.

"Yeah." I admitted, and turning slowly, I stood at the end of his bed. I kept my eyes focused on everything in the room except him, embarrassed. "The thunder kept me awake. It, um... It sounded too much like titan footsteps. But down here is nicer, I guess. Its not as loud." I finished just as another boom of thunder announced itself. It crackled and echoed, but the sound was slightly muffled now, thanks to the depth of the basement. And yet... it still scared me anyway.

He rubbed his bloodshot eyes sleepily, a smile tugging the corner of his mouth. "Well, you can always sleep with me, if that'll make you feel be- Wait, no! Sorry let me rephrase that..." He laughed nervously. "You can sleep next to me. There's space here. Anyway, given how small you are, I'm sure this'll be enough room..." He shifted to the side.

Despite that last part, I raised a brow interestedly. "Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

Hesitant, I approached the side of the bed and sat down. Stupidly, I felt as if I were testing rough waters. I carefully laid down and turned onto my side facing him, getting comfortable. He threw the sheets over both of us and laid down.

Another rupture of thunder. I flinched a little.

"Hey, its okay." His voice was smooth as silk. "I'm here."

My head sunk into the pillow and all the tension in my muscles relaxed. Weirdly enough, the thunder didn't seem so scary anymore.

"Hey, Eren?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

* * *

"Congratulations. Its a match."

End of chapter 12

#Eren Jaeger #eren yeager #eren x oc #levi ackerman #levi heichou #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #snk #aot #anime #herforgottenpast #aot fanfiction

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