A few days later, a MP soldier stepped in and called Mikasa, Armin, and myself gave us the order to attend and act as witness to what I could assumed was Eren's deliberation. I gave a nervous glance to Reiner and Bertholdt, the latter rubbing my knuckles as I stood quietly. Both whispered 'good luck' and I left with the MP soldier and the other two.
Once we were inside the courthouse, I stood beside Mikasa and Armin, no expression on my face as I watched Eren be pushed forward by a gun and chained to a pillar.
What I wasn't expecting, was to suddenly be sniffed by one of the survey corps section commanders.
I jolted towards Mikasa in shock, biting my lips together to hide the shocked yet amused laughter and smile that wanted to come out. This was definitely not the time nor place to laugh out.
The man, who the person next to him introduced as Mike Zacharias (and they introduced themselves as Hanji Zoe), apparently had a tendency to sniff new people. They said that typically Mike wouldn't have done so in a place like this, he obviously had respect and self restraint, so I must have caught the man's interest.
I quietly introduced myself to them both, but Mike eyed me as if I had three heads. That definitely caught Hanji's attention and they looked at me curiously, as if trying to visually find what had made Mike look at me so oddly.
Before they could say anything though, the premier walked in and we went silent out of respect.
Almost immediately, I felt bored. Court stuff was never fun. I noticed Mike and Hanji both walked away, and a few moments later came out on the balcony where nine other MPs stood.
I hated Nile Dawk the moment he spoke.
He spoke of Eren like he was an object rather than a person. And by association, he'd think the same of Reiner and Bertholdt. That pissed me off.
I was tempted to speak up, but also very much didn't want to have to deal with the legal trouble nor the suspicion it would raise for me, as welll as Bertholdt and Reiner. With a few words I could ruin their mission and I desperately didn't want to do that.
Completely the opposite of Dawk, when Commander Erwin spoke he spoke of Eren as if he were simply a dangerous human (which he was). The blonde commander earned my respect as he spoke, and I hope that showed in my eyes.
The struggle not to speak against the MP side got significantly harder when one of them, who didn't even look like he was soldier at all, interrupted Erwin.
I enjoyed the insults Levi threw their way, only to glare at Rico when the premiere spoke of the report.
Mikasa spoke truthfully, and as gossip broke out I took the chance to speak myself.
"However, premiere, he saved Mikasa's life twice before in titan form, as well as saving the lives of dozens of cadets during the original Trost incident." I spoke, and my voice was full of authority. I made way for Mikasa to speak again, nodding at her. I placed a hand on her shoulder as well, reassuring her.
"Shortly after Trost fell, I was nearly killed by a titan but then Eren came. He stepped in and protected me. The second time, he transformed to shield Armin and me from cannon fire." She spoke.
"On the third occasion, back during Trost, he only targeted other titans and was lead towards headquaters. There, he took down titan after titan while we were able to retake headquarters and refuel. Not once during that incident did he cause the casualty of a soldier. We emplore you to take into consideration both sides of this." I take the reigns once more, only speaking truth.
Not two seconds went by before Dawk called for an objection. Immediately my brow twitched. I was so close to shoving my boot in this man's mouth.
"I have reason to believe that personal feelings play a large part in their testimony. Let the records show that Mikasa Ackerman was orphaned at a young age and was subsequently taken in by the Jeager family." He spoke, and every word made me more irritated.
"What's more, our own internal investigation into this matter led to a few most shocking discoveries. Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman, at the tender age of nine, dealt with three adult kidnappers by stabbing all of them to death." Gasps rang out in the courtroom. "Granted, this was done in self defense. All the same, one cannot help but question the violent nature of the act." He paused, as if to break away from them.
He and I locked eye contact. "In addition, we have found that Shigaku Takatsuji has no record of ever existing before he arrived in Trost following the fall of wall Maria. Not a birth record, nor any form of identification." As he spoke, eyes turned to me. Even Eren, Mikasa, and Armin gave me uncertain looks.
While my face gave no hint towards emotion, my eyes swirled with a danger Dawk could see all the way across the courtroom.
"Knowing all of this, should we really invest in Eren Jeager? Money, manpower, perhaps the very fate of us all."
"Maybe Mikasa and Shigaku are titans! I bet they're not human either!"
"Yeah, you're right! Dissect them too just to be safe!"
I was caught off guard by the sudden accusations, and covered my mouth. To most it'd look like an unnerved gasp, but I was using my hand to hide the amused smile that I couldn't stop from coming.
Eren immediately began protecting us, and the yells only increased until the sudden yanking of the metal pole that held Eren reverberated around the room.
My smile was quick to fall and so did my hand, and I looked at the premiere. Why the hell was he not doing anything? Was he trying to see how it played out?
"What does it even matter? None of you have even seen a titan, so why are you so afraid huh? There's no sense in having power if you're not going to use it to fight! If you're too scared to fight for your lives, fine! Let me do it! You! You're all cowards! Just shut up and put all your faith in me!!" Eren yelled out.
My eyebrow irked up. This dramatic little shit.
"Take aim damnit!" Dawk yelled. I gave him the most 'wtf' look I could make as the MP beside him aimed his gun at Eren.
Only for my mouth to drop open as I watched Levi's boot slam against Eren's face.
The beginnings of a laugh slipped from my mouth so I quickly shut my mouth and fought to keep it shut. I looked down at the floor, feeling eyes on me again. The noise of my laugh had stood out amongst the gasps, and my face was turning red as I shook with silent laughter, still standing at rest.
I couldn't even look up as I knew Eren was getting the shit kicked out of him. I'd laugh. I'd laugh so loud.
I heard Mikasa 'tch' beside me and harshly grabbed her shoulder, stopping her from moving forward. She was just as pissed at me for laughing as she was at Levi for acting though so her fist was quick to fly at my face, thank god for Armin grabbing her arm first.
I breath out, calming myself and looking back up and getting back into position. I felt Mikasa's glare but ignored it, curious now about Levi talking.
Nevermind I was not calm, the several following kicks made me have to close my eyes. I let out a shaky breath, trying not to laugh again.
I listened as several kicks once again rang out in the room. I knew Eren would heal from them so I didn't really care all that much abut the injuries.
Watching him get recked by a 5'3" man was hilarious, and so was the borderline traumatized looks from the MPs, the man beside Dawk clutching onto his gun like Levi was some horror game villain that'd come after him next.
"No-now hold on Levi" Dawk spoke, fear on his face.
"What is it." Levi sounded like he couldn't care less about any of this.
"It's dangerous, what if he gets angry? Turns into a titan?" Dawk made me want to slam my head into the wood railing in front of me.
Levi kicked Eren again, seemingly for shits and giggles, before grabbing Eren by his hair and speaking. "Don't be silly. After all, you guys just want to dissect him, don't you?"
Silence came in a response.
"During the time that he was transformed, they say that Jeager was able to kill twenty titans befire he finally ran out of strength. As an enemy, his intelligence makes him all the more dangerous. But I could still take him down without a problem. How many of you can say the same? Before you tourment the beast, you better think can you actually kill him?" Levi was damn good at this, I was even a bit impressed.
Erwin spoke after with a proposition.
When the court ended, Eren in survey corps possession, I was shocked to be led away from Mikasa and Armin by none other than Hanji themself.
They excitedly pulled me in a room with Eren, Mike, Erwin, Levi, and themself. To say I was confused was an understatement.
I awkwardly stood by the door until Mike waved me over, and I stood beside him as he continued sniffing me from before. As if I had a scent on me he couldn't place and needed more of to figure it out.
I didn't judge his sniffs, and even pushed up my cadet corps jacket sleeves to reveal and offer my wrists (a place Mina had told me was a good place for scent oils because it naturally got warm and released natural scent). Mike gave me a very quite 'thank you' and took the hand closest to him, sniffing more.
He looked confused, and I wondered if I smelled like the outside, or if I carried a smell from my other worlds.
I watched as the others spoke, quiet as I watched. I heard Hanji gasp when Eren opened his mouth, and spoke up before they could.
"The tooth back already? That was fast." I spoke, getting curious looks. I added on quickly. "Armin said, before all the titan stuff happened, that Eren lost his leg and arm. But he has them now obviously. He has some sort of regeneration like the titans, even as a human." I explain, and Hanji grins as I speak, looking back at Eren. While they looked at Eren, I noticed Mike and Erwin share a look I couldn't figure the meaning of. And then Erwin turned to me.
"Takatsuji, do you have a plan on where you want to go? You were second in the 104th, correct?" Erwin speaks, and I smile and nod.
"I plan to go to the Survey Corps, sir." I speak respectfully, and Erwin nods before turning and giving Levi a glance that spoke for itself.
"How would you feel about being part of the Survey Corps early, under Levi's command." Erwin spoke. My eyes went a bit wide and I glanced back at Eren who was looking at me hopeful.
"I'd like to accept sir, but I would like to ask when the 104th who decided to join the scouts will be arriving?" I ask and Erwin nods, not minding my question.
After a vague answer, we left on horseback. I felt at peace as we rode to the old scout regiment headquarters, quietly listening to one of the scouts haze Eren basically the entire way there. When he wasn't mocking the titan shifter though, his words were interesting and I listened much more actively.
I scowled at the term 'toy' and was about to mention something when Olou bit his own tongue roughly. I snickered at the karma, and rode ahead.
When we arrived I immediately offered my help to Eld and Gunther, and they happily accepted.
As soon as Levi told us to grab a broom and get to work, I looked back at the large fortress and sweat dropped. Oh Saiki give me your strength this is going to take forever-
I was tasked with Eld and Gunter on using odm gear to clean the outside of the building. I didn't mind that as much as I thought I would, for the most part it kept me moving and I bonded with the two I was tasked with. They had a nice sense of humour and reminded me a little of Reiner and Bertholdt.
I missed them already, and it hadn't been but half a day. Would I actually be able to stay sane not seeing them for a while? I wouldn't know if their safe, or even alive. I couldn't protect them from here either.
"Shigaku, you alright?" Eld's voice cut through my thoughts and I looked up at him wordlessly for a moment.
"Yeah just.. think of a couple someones." I sigh with a loving smile as I look back at the window I'd been cleaning.
- - 3rd PoV, Erwin's office in Trost - -
"We're thirty days out from an expedition to set up a logistics base beyond the wall. And now you're saying we'll have a crop of green recruits along for the ride?" Mike spoke, arms crossed as he watched through a window as garrison soldiers make repairs to the titan damage.
"Assuming any sign up, yes." Erwin spoke shortly as he solidified a dotted line onto a formation chart. Mike turned to eye the commander.
"Not to be a naysayer, but doesn't that seem rash to you? Honestly, what are their odds." He didn't intend to underestimate, but on the same balance overestimating could end up with significant deaths.
"Our custody of Eren is conditional on the results of this mission. Right now the first order of business is persuading the brass we have him under control. That he's an asset, and not a threat. The last thing we want is for the military police to throw in their lot. Or someone else." Before Erwin got the chance to continue, Mike spoke milliseconds after he finished.
"And you don't want to give me a straight answer. Is that it?" He asked, mildly frustrated with how Erwin danced around the topic. Erwin held a small smile when he responded again.
"Your nose is as sharp as ever, eh? Not bad." Erwin's statement was confirmed by a small sniff from Mike.
"Yeah well, not as sharp as yours on a good day." Mike knew that was the end of that, that he wasn't in the position to push for more information.
"You'll have the facts soon enough" Erwin turned back to the chart on his desk, and Mike turned back to the window. For a moment, it was quiet. Atleast until Erwin decided to take a friendly route and tease the section commander who stood behind him. "Although, you seem more against the cadets coming than you were about that boy Takatsuji. Is there a certain reason why?" Erwin spoke, still smiling as he made more marks and short notes on the page.
He heard a sharp breath from Mike, and his smile grew to reach his eyes.
"He has a smell on him," Mike's voice was more serious than Erwin had respected in response to the tease. "He smells like outside the walls. But that isn't all." The first statement caught Erwin's attention, and the short conversation that followed only led them to having a few big questions for the mysterious boy.
The boy who, according to Mike, smelled like even less human than Eren, if human at all.
- - 1st PoV - -
I sat beside Eren, closer to Petra, as we sat at the candle lit table with tea.
I was visibly tired, leaned back in my chair with half lidded eyes as I hardly listened to the words spoken.
All I could really care about was that we were rumoured to be going forward with a big mission a month from now. That caught my interest enough for me to look up at Eld who'd been the one to speak.
As he mentioned that the graduates would be the backup, a fond smile spread across my face. "I wouldn't call them wet behind the ears" I speak, no hostility in my voice as I smile at Eld. "Their the same graduates who faced the trost incident twice." My words are met with a short hum of acknowledgement from the blonde.
"That can't be right, why do that? The cadets have been through enough with the last titan attack, why subject them to that kind of danger again?" Gunther's words were kind and worried, and my smile didn't falter as I leaned back into my seat.
"You have to wonder how many of those snivel drop runts peed themselves" Oulu's comment earned an annoyed sigh from me, but was ignored by the others for a moment.
"Surely this can't be the case." Petra looked to Levi for a response.
"Mission planning isn't my responsibility. But, it is Erwin's. And you can bet the man's obsessed over every angle." Levi's words were reassuring. The more intently Erwin sealed this plan, the safer it'd be for Reiner and Bertholdt. That made me happy.
"That's the truth. Especially given how unique the situation is. Consider how many people died on the path to taking back wall Maria. Then hope comes in a form no one expected, one that we're not even entirely sure how to deal with." At Eld's words, Eren flinched and I gave Eld a sleep half-assed glare.
My glare quickly flicked to the others. The were all staring at Eren as if inspecting him. I wanted to remain neutral, so I turned my gaze back down with a tired scowl and let my eyes shut. I hardly felt my face relax but I knew it had. I was nearly asleep in my seat.
"Most of us still find it hard to believe. So how does it work, this whole changing into a titan trick, really?" Eld asked.
"Wish I could tell you, but the fact is my memory's not clear. Guess it's kinda like being in a trance. I do know the trigger seems to be hurting myself in some way, like biting my hand." Eren speaks, and I raise my voice without moving at all.
"Not sure how it works, but his human body doesn't just disappear. He's vertical in the nape of the titan and basically fused with it's muscle. It's possible to cut him out if you slice a bit wider than you would to kill any other titan. And no worries if you nick him because his human body heals like a titan's." I speak, glancing up. I felt Petra pat my shoulder, mouthing 'you can get some rest' to me once I was obviously done. I gave her an appreciative nod and let myself fully fall asleep in my seat.
- - 3rd person - -
"You're not going to get anything out of him. Apart from what the scribblers have laid out in the reports. Not that you know who wont have a go at it." Levi spoke, grabbing his cup from around the rim. It was a habit from the broken and handle-less teacups he'd 'owned' in the underground that he hadn't bothered to try to break. "You'll be lucky to come out of it alive if that one lays into you. 'Course it's only a matter of time." Levi spoke, still holding his cup nearly at his lips after taking the sip.
"Who are you talking about?" Eren spoke fearfully, only for the noise of someone slamming into the locked door to elicit flinches from the entire Levi squad (aside from Levi himself) and waking up Shigaku who'd hardly slept for a few minutes.
Poor boy looked like he was going to cry dramatic crocodile tears.
- - 1st person - -
I look up at where Hanji was allowed in by Petra, rubbing their head for a moment as they apologized.
"Good evening team levi!" Their voice was so loud and I slumped over the back of my seat with a pout on my face. "How is castle life treating everyone?"
At that I suddenly landed a harsh kick on Eren's shin. In his reaction to cup the kick, he hit his head on the table. "Told you it was a castle, idiot. Fortress my ass." I grumbled and sat up straight, giving Hanji a wave and receiving an excited one in return.
"You're too early. Am I? Suppose I couldn't help myself!" Hanji spoke with a smile, walking around the table.
"Section commander Hanji?" Eren spoke, confused by their sudden appearance. Hanji stopped beside Gunther, and all eyes were on the section commander.
"Hello Eren. In the event you haven't pieced it together yet, it's my job to spearhead the scout regiment's research efforts. Essentially I poke and prod our captive titan specimens. I'd very much like your help." Their request had a double meaning, making me snicker a little.
"My help? In what way? Like what would I have to do?" Eren spoke uneasily.
"Join me of course!" Hanji blushed excitedly as they imagined the research they could do. An odd but endearing sight. At least they were enjoying themself. "On a quest of scientific discovery!"
"Well uh.. I'm happy to help except I'm afraid it's not up to me. I'm on close restrictions by orders of the higher ups, you see-"
"Levi. What's on the docket for him tomorrow?" Hanji suddenly turned to the unamused captain
"Clearing out weeds." Levi knew it was pointless to tell them.
"Excellent then! It's settled! Young man, tomorrow will be grand." They grabbed Eren's hand and I watched curiously, too much ruckus for me to fall back asleep right now anyway.
"Uh- 'kay? But uh, just so I'm clear, what exactly will I be doing-"
"Hm?" Hanji's sharp response made Eren flinch and earned an amused huff from me.
"Are you- running experiments or something?" Eren spoke, and I heard Oulu speak under his breath. Karma time ♡
"Yes yes please tell us, Hanji! Although out of all of us I think Oulu is the most interested" I speak with an innocent smile that made the section commander gasp happily while Oulu gave me a look like he was going to wring my neck.
"Ahhh I knew it. You possess a singularly curious mind, don't you?" Hanji's glasses glinted and a smiled as I watched Eren and Hanji speak, unaware of the eyes that glanced at me.
As the others got up, I briefly stopped Hanji from talking. "Apologies. May I join you two tomorrow? I want to learn more but I'm very tired" I speak sincerely and Hanji smiles at me.
"Of course! Rest well!" They say, and Eren echoes the second statement.
"I hope you both rest well" I smile before taking my leave with the rest of squad Levi.
As soon as I left the room, Oulu grabbed me by the hair and I wheeze out a laugh rather than a yelp of pain.
"You little-" he growled.
"You looked like you were gonna kill me right there!" I laughed out, earning chuckles from Eld, Gunther, and Petra.
Oulu scoffed and let go of my hair and I smiled, ruffling his.
"Sorry sorry, just a little payback for the mocks earlier. Can't help that he's kinda like a little brother to me and some of the other graduates. Only we're allowed to bully him" I snicker. Oulu rolled his eyes but didn't get snappy. I let out a happy sigh and stretched my arms, yawning.
After that, we headed to bed and I finally had my own room. Contently, I stripped down to just night pants and flopped into the bed. I glanced out the window that, as if cliché, gave me a perfect view of the moon. That also meant the moon's light had a perfect aim at me and lit me up the same way it had three years ago the night me, Reiner, and Bertholdt took Eren and Armin out to the odm training and taught Eren how to use it.
The memory made me smile, and I held it close as I fell asleep.