"Why is he so small?"
You were staring down at the courtyard, watching three people who you weren't familiar with standing in a salute.
One was a young woman with green eyes and red-brown hair which she kept in two pigtails. The other, a young man with light gray eyes and ash blond hair. They both wore the traditional Scouts uniform, but again, you couldn't place them. They must be new recruits, but from what your Uncle Erwin said during one of your many lessons, the latest cadet corps had yet to even graduate. So that can't be it.
But even then your attention wasn't on the two, it was on the one shorter man, his eyes were so defiant and fiery, yet his face was empty. Not like Mike or Erwin's expressions, this one is was completely blank.
He has short and straight black hair, as well as narrow, intimidating dull gray eyes with dark circles under them and a youthful face.
You let your gaze wander further down slightly, catching sight of your family all lined up and watching the new arrivals like you were. Mother, Moblit, Uncle Erwin, Brother Mike and the rest.
As your eyes landed on Mike, your mind drifted to the day, weeks ago, that you got back to base and he proceeded to explain what had happened. Needless to say, Mother was seething with rage and worry, you lost count of how many times she slapped him while screaming that what he did was reckless and stupid. The whole time just standing there and taking it.
Shaking your head you looked back up to the small stage where the three stood, being all but ordered to state their names to the rest of the Corps.
The small man leaned away, if only an inch or two, as he lifted his head towards Uncle Erwin before he spoke in a even and almost practiced tone.
"The names Levi."
This was met with many curious whispers and sounds from within the ranks of the Survey Corps, especially from your Mother you noticed as she leaned forward slightly.
"Levi...the first thing you'll need is some goddamn discipline! Next!"
"Hmm...Levi..."
The name sounded a little strange rolling off your tongue, but there was also something else. An static charge that was carried along with that name and made your tail twitch. This man was dangerous, no two ways about it, but there was something else.
Next up to the stand was the girl, bouncing forward in barely contained excitement with a grin to match, which was always refreshing to see but again it was weird considering the fact their even here at all.
"I'm Isabel Magnolia! Nice to meetcha!"
The other young man seemed rather relaxed, seemingly aloof about this all and even letting a smile show.
"My name is, Farlan Church."
With everyone hawking it took a moment for the Scout introducing them to gather their attention once more, looking down at another man in the crowd. He had short blonde hair that was parted in the middle, a beard patch on his chin and looking surprised as he was singled out.
"Flagon, these three will be assigned to your squad. Look after them."
"M-my Squad sir?"
Flagon, you knew of him, like you know of everyone in the Survey Corps but he always kept his distance from you as best he could. That isn't to say he completely avoided you, but the two of you held no strong feelings to each other's one way or another, like two people who were aquatinted with each other but didn't interact beyond a greeting every now and then.
Though, this Levi was giving him the same look you'd give a lesser being, one that screams that your superior without outwardly stating it.
Then, the introduction to the others started, only the important people like Uncle Erwin, Brother Mike and Mother were formally introduced to the three. Though the end of this little induction ceremony was cut short when you saw your parent suddenly jumping and look around like the strange woman she is, before her eyes gazed up and began eagerly waving to you from the window you sat in.
"(Y/N)! Come down here sweetheart, Mama wants to introduce you to the new recruits!"
For once you felt warm to the face, a strange feeling to sink further way from the ecstatic woman crossed your mind before you began your descent down the stone wall.
It was expected of the three to audibly gasp at your sudden appearance, who wouldn't? A large and strange creature was climbing down from the shadows of the wall and towards them, you can't think of one person who wouldn't be caught off guard from it. Even nowadays your still startling Moblit, Gelgar or some other unlucky Scout by just appearing out of seemingly nowhere.
They watched you climbing down, claws expertly gripping the stone under your feet while Farlan gritted his teeth and Levi deepened his frown. Even in the Underground he's never seen something like you before.
The girl though, Isabel, looked almost as excited as Hange, immediately taking a step froward and letting her gaping mouth close and form into a wide smile. A soft squeal escaping her as you jumped from the wall and began walking towards them. She guessed that you're head would be at around her lower stomach, but that wasn't even accounting for how long you were.
"Oh wow! I've never seen an animal like that before! What is it?!"
"We actually have no idea."
Moblit answered for her, seeing as Hange had already closed the distance between you and the group before wrapping you in a suffocating hug and dragging you back into the centre of attention.
"This is (Y/N)!"
"Their amazing. What store did you get them from? I want a pet like that!"
"Excuse you?!"
This made Isabel flinch and look around as the Scouts before her but they all just shook their head in response and gesture down to you, sitting held in your Mother's death hug.
"I am not a pet!"
"Yep! Their my amazing mystery child!"
"M-mother! Don't say it like that dammit!"
She ignored you, cuddling you deeper into her embrace and nuzzling your neck as you were forced to let it happen, groaning at the sheer embarrassment. Whatever fear or weariness they had was now long gone, replaced with amusement, laughter or in Levi's case. Contempt.
"Right...Anyway, this is (Y/N), so far we don't know what they are but we found their egg on an our last expedition a while ago. Since hatching they've imprinted on our lead Titan researcher, Hange Zoe."
"That's me!"
Erwin sighed through his nose, but he allowed the smirk upon seeing you still struggling to escape your mother.
"Alright Hange, I think that's enough coddling."
Your Mother pouted at Erwin's words but reluctantly let you go, giving you some breathing room and sighing as you mouthed a quick thank you to you Uncle before climbing up on a crate that Moblit had fetched for you just a moment before.
"Now that that's over with...It's nice to meet you, and I hope I'll get to know you with the time coming."
Isabel smiled, followed by a shrug from Farlan but Levi merely stared at you like one would a bug. It made you feel...angry? That's an emotion you haven't had in a while, not since you hatched form the egg and had a tantrum when Mother left you in Moblit's care.
Though, maybe that's just how he is to strangers?
>...One Week Later...<
He's like that to everyone.
You've been trying to socialise and get to know the three new recruits, but with little success. Farlan was willing to chat and hang around with you, but he often stalled certain conversation topics or just had walls that he wouldn't let you breach. Still though, he shows he's a very nice person though other things like the odd favour or chore around the HQ, rather then be direct with it.
Isabel was completely different, she was more then willing to talk and have fun with you, even some days seeking you out just to hang out if she ever got bored. You were a complete mystery to her, a creature she had never seen more heard of before but then again neither have any of the others. She didn't have any walls up like Farlan, but she was pretty good at changing the subject rather then stop the conversation.
Then there was Levi, getting him to talk to you was about as hard as cleaning your wings. It was a slow, laborious task that made you frustrated beyond belief. Another very rare emotion he managed to tug out of you, which was interesting but not what you were concerned about.
Sometimes it felt like you were talking to a brick wall, others, you managed a sentence or two before he went back to ignoring you. Mostly calling you a 'brat', 'annoying' or just a 'fucking nuisance' when you were following him all day.
Yet all nuts crack, and eventually so did Levi. One night over a book you had actually recommended to him, you asked about the place you heard he was from, The Underground.
"Uncle Erwin described that it was a city under the city, is that true?"
"More or less, though unlike the surface, it was a gangs law against the people."
"Not the Military Police?"
"Hmph, you'd either have to be rich or have luck to get a genuine one. Even then it's a miracle getting them to do anything."
You were no stranger to the groans and scoffs at the Military Police, they apparently lived in the interiors where they didn't so much as have to lift a finger. Which always puzzled you. If you scored the best of your class, why wouldn't you put your skills to protect others?
"...What's your deal?"
"Hm?"
"Your deal, what is it? Why call everyone family, with all the friends and the brothers, uncles, aunts. And your 'Mother'. Why?"
You paused to consider it, truthfully you never had to think about it before, it was just something you accepted as apart of normal life and you assumed that nobody would question it otherwise so this caught you off guard.
"Well...that's just how it is, and Mother was there when I was born. So I'm her child."
"Yet you didn't question why she was different?"
A beat skipped, silence ensured as your gaze drifted up to Levi's sitting form across from you, a weary look in your eyes appearing as you and him entered a staring contest.
"...Should I?"
"Well, your not human."
Despite yourself you broke the stare with the man, looking back down to your body and not even noticing the frown creeping on over your features as you drunk in your form. Occasionally glancing at Levi.
Two legs...four legs.
Wings...arms.
No tail...a tail.
Scales...skin.
Hair...horns.
"Your not...normal."
You looked down at your claws, glancing over to Levi's hands to see smooth skin and nails that didn't end in a sharp point.
"I don't need to be your normal."
"Maybe, but it makes things easier. You don't have to hide from the world, you don't need to solve an unsolvable mystery about your past and you don't need to learn how to use your body."
A glance to your useless wings told you exactly what he was referring to, as Isabel would often help Hange and Moblit trying to train you to fly with them. They were large and have grown out since the first attempt but nothing seemed to work. You couldn't even glide.
"As humans we know ourselves and what we are...do you know what you are (Y/N)?"
You were now openly glaring at Levi, a growl building up force in the back of your throat as your purple eyes glowed a much brighter shade for a moment, the temperature in the room rapidly dropping around your form. Then the door opened, with with a blink it was like nothing happened, and your snarls fade away.
Farlan and Isabel were on the other side, walking in and smiling to each other before pausing at the sight and the raw tension in the room between you and Levi.
"Uh...Hey Levi, (Y/N) is everything alright here?"
You and the shorter man didn't say or move a muscle which made the two people closest to Levi very uncomfortable.
"We can, go, it yo-"
"It's fine Farlan...I was just leaving."
You jumped down from the chair, your expression sure and steady yet your feet were not as they buckled and you almost tripped on your way past the animal loving girl before vanishing into the corridor. The door closing behind you.
"What happened? What'd you say to them-?"
You didn't bother listening into the conversation now being held behind closed doors, your mind was racing over a million thoughts a second. None of them good.
Was Levi right? Are you that out of place? Did you really not belong? Sure, you mightn't know what you really are, your past is a mystery and the pedestal you were found on was deep into Titan territory so even if there was a clue there it would be nearly impossible to get it.
You paused in the hallway, shaking your head and taking a deep breath to try and clear your thoughts that were rushing through your head. You knew he was a dangerous man, a hidden physical edge to him but maybe he's adept in hurting people mentally and emotionally too? It seems like it.
Though this wasn't as troubling as when you were in that hollowed out room with Mike, it still made you feel uncomfortable and second guess yourself, even if it was just small stupid things.
But you'll get over it, it's easy, just need to find an outlet. And you know exactly how to do that. You spread your wings and hurry on outside, more then content to distract yourself with your attempts to train yourself to fly.
Unknowing of the seed of doubt planted in your young heart.
>...Meanwhile...<
Hange was pouring over the items Mike had retrieved from the strange room that scared her baby so much, she was furious with her fellow comrade but once that passed over it was replaced with her dotting on her child before the curiosity was to much and she absorbed herself into what was found.
First, the yellowed and ageing scrap of paper. Mike wasn't kidding when he said it was writing in a language he didn't know, Hange certainly didn't. It looked like it was written by a child in all honesty but she couldn't just toss it away. She took another look at it, sighing as her eyes traced over the curves and dots on the paper.
T⍑ᒷ w╎ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷ ╎ᓭ
That was it.
She grabbed the thick book next, feeling it's leather spine and for a moment admiring how well looked after it was, opening it revealed soft white pages with no damage whatsoever and a more of that strange language. But this time there was some pictures to accompany the words, and they didn't ease her in the slightest.
She flicked through a few of them, a human, a man presumably, wearing ragged blue clothes and jeans with deep green skin and bits of bone exposed with arms forward and outstretch at something. Eyes sunken and hollow black pits.
A tall mottled green creature, no arms visible but it had four stubby legs that held its weight, the same black sunken eyes as the first but with a jagged and perpetually open mouth on it.
A spider, Hange had a feeling this wasn't the small creatures that make webs in the corner of the room and catch flys.
Then a skeleton, and only that was next, it's white bones bare and clean for all to see with what looked like a rough and worn quiver on its back and a rickety looking boy held in its skeletal hand.
The scientist closed the book, blinking rapidly as she swallowed some spit to wet her suddenly dry throat, fingers tracing the embroidery on the front of the book that she presumed was the title.
T⍑ᒷ m𝙹ʖᒷᓭℸ ̣ ╎ᔑ∷||
She pushed the paper and the book aside, not keen on getting a headache deciphering their words just yet and moving onto two of the more distressing items Mike had gathered.
Hange picked up the three bottles, carefully placing them down in front of her and staring at them for a while like it'd give her the answer. Her face full of concentration and slowly turning frustration as she sighed, not able to even deduce what it could be from inside its glass container.
She grabbed one and dragged it closer, using her opposite hand to grab the cork in the top and pull it out with an easy and satisfying pop. Though that wasn't as interesting as the mixture inside the bottle, now reacting to the air and violently bubbling up but never spilling over the rim of the glass.
Taking a pencil, Hange slowly stuck the top into the bubbling froth, immediately met with a hissing sound and the item warming up almost uncomfortably fast.
Quickly taking it out, she was met with the pencil of hers now melting away at the tip. That had her attention, it seemed like a corrosive metal of some kind yet it couldn't be that easy. She looked around before her eyes settled on a pair of metal pliers, and after dropping the pencil that was now stubbed, she grabbed them instead.
With the other hand still on the bottle, she tilted it ever so slightly, letting a few drops drip down onto the pliers where she was immediately met with the sounds of hissing like the pencil. And again, like the writing instrument, Hange watched the pliers slowly melting away and dissolving into nothing but a smoking pile of embers on the stone floor.
This needed to be saved, more testing needed to be done before she could even hope to figure out that it was and if it was even remotely safe to handle. So far, the answer seemed to be a big fat no.
Then came the last piece, it made the scientist pause for the longest time and simply stare at the picture before you. A clearly designed and even illustrated, with that unknown language, Diagram of this strange creature before her and its uncanny similarities to her child.
That was the first thing she thought of upon seeing this, about how similar it was to (Y/N), everything from their bodies to their eyes reminded Hange of her child.
It wasn't a stretch of the imagination to think that if she somehow solves this, it might be a stepping stone to figuring out what her baby really is.
T⍑ᒷ eリ↸ᒷ∷ᒲᔑリ
What she can only assume is the title, seeing as it written at the very top, and underlines but moving on from that she looked at the picture that dominated the whole page.
The creature was thin, thin enough that she could see the ribs against its chest, the spine through its back, it's joints showing through the black skin and it's almost skeletal face. Its eyes were a glittering purple, almost empty and lifeless despite its glow with a smaller side view portrait showing its mouth open to reveal horrendous teeth that grew from nothing. She couldn't see teeth or gums, just the mouth and it's infinite blackness.
It was tall too, thankfully there was a size comparisons a human coming up to its hip at the very best.
Tapping the desk in thought, Hange's mind wandered to how she could even hope to learn what to do with what she was given. Something that hasn't happened in a long time, in her many years. Even her Titan's didn't give her this much trouble, yet she'd never resort to experiments and the like with her own child.
Looking on the back of the diagram revealed nothing, it was just on this one side but there was still nothing that she could do to solve this unsolvable mystery.
That's when she heard sounds coming from the courtyard, the Mother of (Y/N) standing up from her desk and walking over to the window which she promptly opened up to look down, smiling faintly at the sight.
You were training your wings again, standing atop stacked crates with supplies and such before jumping off and spreading your wings even wider. Of course this didn't work as you fell and his your stomach with a thud and a hiss.
Hange's first instinct was to run down and check if you were ok but she restrained herself, taking a deep breath and keeping her eyes trained on your from as you effortlessly got up and climbed the stack yet again.
The sight made her proud, that no matter how much you failed you alway kept getting back up with renewed resolve.
You jumped once again off the stack, this tile flapping your large midnight black wings with heavy beats. Only to again fail as you hit the dirt. Hange watched you claw at the ground in frustration, wings flinging out as you beat them furiously against the air.
And you gasped as your form lifted up off the ground by a few inches. The absence of ground under your feet shocking you into frozen state where you were brought back to the ground, stock still and running that through your head again. Only to smile.
Hange watched with a wide smile and a giddy giggle as she witness her child slowly synchronising their wings to beat against the air in unison.
"That's it (Y/N), slow down...not too fast."
As if you were following her words, she watched you slow the furious and quickened pace of your wings into a more calculated flap that allowed you to think better get your body to work together.
"Now a little harder..."
Your started using your muscles now, not with your whole body like you had been doing the whole time, with with the tense muscle in your leathery additions. Your wings coming down and clearing away any dirt, straw and loose rocks as you once again felt the ground vanish from beneath you.
"That's it...hold it...!"
Hange was vibrating, bouncing on the balls of her feet at your progress and having to actively cover her mouth to avoid yelling out in cheer. Not just yet anyway.
You felt your entire body relaxing slowly, no longer tensing up apart from your wings which were pushing hard against the air and lifting yourself higher and higher, until finally you were eye level with the boxes that had been helping you previously.
Hange couldn't contain herself anymore, yelling out with a cheer as she watched you land heavily on top of the boxes, out of breath but clearly satisfied and even proud of yourself.
"Ahahahah! That's my baby! Woooooo!"
And there goes your Mother with the over the top drama, immediately waking up many of the other Scouts. And you could proudly name each and every one of them that told Hange to shut up and get to sleep.
Though when you looked up, you were more proud of the look on your Mothers face.
>...The Next Morning...<
"Certainly a lot of buzz going around..."
Farlan, Isabel and Levi were walking in the cafeteria, taking a seat the the end of one of the less occupied tables and proceeding to begin their breakfast.
"Yeah! I heard a few of the other Scout's mentioning that apparently (Y/N) was flying a bit last night! How cool is that?!"
"Really? Well good for them, I was wondering when it'd happen. They've apparently been trying for a month or so."
Farlan smiled slightly, nodding along with the excitable Isabel before the both turned to Levi when he was quiet on the matter. The stone faced man was unresponsive, though his eyes were trained on the groups of Scouts all talking about the same thing. You.
It was baffling, how each and everyone of them cared about you enough that this was apparently some big news and achievement.
"Levi?"
"Hm?"
"Got something on your mind?"
The man scoffed at the looks of his friends, casting one more glance around and then to the door of the cafeteria as it opened before resuming to eat his breakfast like nothing happened.
"Not really."
>...Meanwhile...<
"So what everyone is saying is true, is that right (Y/N)? You flew?!"
You had just walked into the cafeteria with your Mother, who wouldn't stop going on and on about how proud she is, when you and her were swarmed by the others, every one of your massive family grinning and basking you in the admiration and pride. Though they mentioned how upset they were that they missed such an important event, even when you tried to assure everyone that it wasn't that big of a deal.
"(Y/N), you've been trying for a month and a few weeks now, it's a major achievement that you took off. Don't downplay it."
Uncle Erwin smirked widely, appearing behind you and Hange and rubbing your slender neck which made you purr against the smooth touch, turning you all warm and fuzzy inside at his words, though it didn't take much more convincing then that to nod and accept all the praise that came with it.
"But please don't feel too bad, I might have taken off, but I haven't flown yet. I promise, you all will be there to see me soaring high in the sky!"
Your promise was met with laughter and more then one hand rubbing your head, your Survey Corps family nodding along with your words.
"Alright (Y/N), we'll all be there to cheer you on. So when the day comes, fly as high as you can for us!"