Chapter Text
845
Shiganshina District
Wall Maria South
"Mama, when are Eren and Mikasa getting back?" The voice of a young girl rang out in a mid-sized family home.
The voice belonged to Faye Jaeger, a young, excitable nine year-old girl, who lives blissfully unaware of how horrifying the beings beyond the wall are. Faye was sat at the table with her father, who is reading a medical book.
"They're getting firewood Faye. They'll be back soon" The girl's mother, Carla, responded to her daughter.
I know the Survey Corps are supposed to be returning today, I hope Eren doesn't run off to watch them. Carla worried for her son, Eren.
If there is one word that can describe Eren, it's Passionate. Carla's family was always known to have a short temper, though Eren's seemed to be worse than anyone in her family ever. Eren's passion stems from a desire to see the outside world, but it leads to him going into an outright frenzy when truly enraged.
But if there is one thing Eren's anger does right, it gives him a protective instinct of his family and friends, often leading him into fights with some of the children in town in defence of his best friend Armin Arlert. Armin is a very good friend of the Jaeger family, and was the one who ignited Eren's burning desire for freedom, Armin had also shown the book to Faye, piquing her interest.
"I hope they're back soon, I'm so bored!" Faye lacks the temper of Eren and Carla. She's a kind, sweet soul, if not mischievous, but has a lot of trouble making friends, not that it matters to her, Eren, Mikasa and Armin are more than enough for Faye as friends. She and Eren are attached at the hip most times, except for when Eren and Mikasa go for firewood.
"We're back." A tired, boy-ish voice echoed through the room. The sound of logs rolling was heard as Eren placed some logs on the ground with Mikasa walking in behind him.
"Eren!" Faye yelled out happily as she ran towards her big brother and hugged him from the side.
"Hey Faye." Eren smiled and slings an arm over her shoulders and gave her a small side-hug and ruffling her hair slightly.
"Wow Eren, that's a lot of firewood, You've been working really hard haven't you." Carla said walking over to her son. Eren let out a small grunt of recognition, before suddenly giving out a loud yelp as Carla tugs on his ear.
"Ow, what was that for?!" Eren shouted, temper beginning to flair. Carla's mouth became a knowing smirk.
"Your ears are red again, which means you've got something to hide, Mikasa helped you out again didn't she?" Eren made no response, but didn't deny it.
Faye made a small giggle at her brother's antics, Eren always lazed around when it came to chores. Luckily Mikasa was there to pick up the slack, not that Eren got away with it, Carla somehow knew when he and Faye were lying, apparently Eren's tell was his ears turning red.
Eren and Mikasa sat at the table, Eren next to Faye, Mikasa next to Eren. Carla continued to wash dishes while the kids ate and Grisha, who was silently sat at the table, read a medical book. Eren wolfed down his food, while Mikasa and Faye ate at a normal pace. They were eating like a normal family, until-
"Eren wants to join the Survey Corps"
That was the straw that broke the camel's back, or in this case, set the Jaeger's temper off.
"WHAT THE HELL MIKASA?!"
"Absolutely not! Do you have any idea how many people die going outside those walls?!"
"Of course!"
"Well then why d-"
"Eren," Grisha said with a sigh. "Why do you want to go outside the walls?"
"I want to know what it's like out there. I don't want to spend my life inside the walls, not knowing anything! Also... If no one carries on their work, all the casualties till now will have been in vain!" Eren vents, tears beginning to gather in the corner of his eyes as his temper flares. Faye stares in awe of her brother's surprisingly noble reasoning, Mikasa's eyes widen slightly too.
"I see..." Grisha looked at his pocket watch. "The ship is waiting. I'd best be going now."
"Wait... You need to talk to Eren about this!" Carla insisted.
"Carla," Grisha sighs. "Mere words won't hold back human curiosity. Eren," He says, turning to his son. "If you behave, when I get back I'll show you what's in the basement."
Eren's eyes widen with curiosity and excitement "Really?!" He'd always wanted to know what his Dad had been doing down there.
Grisha exited the door and began to walk down the street towards the dock, hearing his kids shouting goodbyes to him.
"I won't let you." Eren stopped waving and turned to his mother. "Joining the Survey Corps? Don't be stupid."
"Huh? Stupid?! I think people who're fine being cattle are way more stupid!" He shouted before running off.
"Eren!" Faye and Carla shouted at the same time, before the former ran after her brother. Carla turned to Mikasa. "Mikasa that boy is looking for trouble, I need you to promise me you'll look after him." The oriental girl nods and runs after the Jaeger siblings.
After finding Armin and (Mikasa) scaring off the bullies. The Jaeger siblings, Mikasa and Armin sat by the Shiganshina riverbank.
"So I said that humanity should go out into the world someday. And they hit me and called me a heretic." Armin said with a tired voice from years of hearing the same thing from them.
"Damnit," Eren said throwing a rock. "Why the hell does everyone act like you're crazy if you want to go outside?"
Faye threw a rock at the river after Eren's, skipping a few skips less. "I just wish they'd be less of a jerk about it. They're so mean."
Armin looked to Eren "Because staying within the walls has brought peace for a hundred years. They're afraid that if many of us venture out, we'll risk letting them in. So the royal government declared any interest in the outside world taboo."
Eren scowled "It's our lives we're risking, so it's our business what we do!"
Mikasa looked to Eren "You can't"
Eren looked at Mikasa with an incredulous look "Hang on you're the one who ratted me out, you promised you wouldn't!"
"I never promised that."
"W-well how'd it go?"
"Well... They weren't happy."
Armin looked down with had a pessimistic look on his face. "No surprise there. "But you're right. I wonder about those who think staying inside the walls will protect us forever." Armin heard a child calling for their mother. "Just because the walls haven't been breached in a hundred years doesn't mean they won't be breached today..."
Silence overcame the quadrio, the wind died down.
Lightning struck outside Wall Maria.
An earthquake shook the grounds of Shiganshina district. People in the district ran towards the commotion, confusion rampant.
Armin stands up quickly and runs over to get a view of the wall. Eren, Faye and Mikasa stand and follow him.
"Hey, Armin! What's going on?" Eren says as he catches up, Faye and Mikasa standing close by him. "Talk to me! What was that some kind of explosion or-" Eren was cut off with a gasp.
A red hand gripped Wall Maria. A skinless head appears with steam rising from it, seeping out of it's mouth. The head stared over the district.
Faye hid behind her brother in fear.
Armin's voice shook as he spoke "T-that's impossible, that wall is 50 metres high."
"It's one of them" Eren said in shock. "It's a Titan!"
The Titan in question reared it's foot back before kicking with incredible force, creating a sizable hole around 20m high, allowing even the tallest of normal titans to enter. Debris and rubble flies and crashes all over the Shiganshina District, crushing anyone who doesn't get out of the way.
Titans begin to pour into the city as the residents run in fear.
"TITANS!"
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
"THEY'VE BREACHED THE WALL!"
Armin turns while keeping his eyes on the breach "We have to go..." He gasps, laying eyes on his best friend. "Eren no!"
The elder Jaeger stumbles forward as his sister stares in confusion. "Our house is in that direction..."
Faye's eyes widen in recognition and horror "Mom's all by herself!" She said before her and Eren ran off.
"Mikasa-!" Armin tried to reach for her as she ran off, before grabbing his arm and pulling it down, tears swelling. "This is it, this is the end. We- OUR ENTIRE CITY IS GOING TO BE DEVOURED!"
Eren, Faye and Mikasa run through the rubble-ridden streets, tears freely flowing from their eyes and being caught in the wind.
It's gonna be fine, it's gonna be fine. Nothing hit my house! Once I turn that corner, my house will still be there just like always! Eren turned the corner and let out a tear filled scream "MOM!"
Faye and Mikasa turned the corner shortly after him, Mikasa sped up and ran parallel to the Jaegers. Faye let out an anguished screech "MAMA!"
Of all of the houses on the street, the only one that had been hit was the Jaeger household and, pinned under a beam, was Carla.
"Eren..."
Eren ran up to the house and grabbed one end of the beam "Mikasa, grab that side and lift as hard as you can!"
Mikasa grabbed the other side of the beam, while Faye grabbed Eren's side of the beam, the three began to hoist the beam with everything they had.
"The Titans are inside, aren't they? Eren, take Faye and Mikasa and run!"
"I WANT TO, BUT NOT WITHOUT YOU DAMNIT" Eren screamed back, letting out a grunt of pain as he lifted, he let out a gasp of shock as he noticed the titans from over the rooftop. Faye let out a scream of fright as she spotted a titan with a malicious grin on it's face approaching them.
"Eren my legs were crushed by the rubble. Even if I get out, I can't run. You understand, don't you?"
"THEN I'LL JUST CARRY YOU!"
"WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, PLEASE!" Carla shouted, much like a dying animal hoping for her kin to survive, she turned to her foster daughter. "Mikasa..."
"No..." Mikasa said, trying desperately to lift.
Faye continued to struggle, but to no avail, the beam just wouldn't shift.
"If you don't get out of here now all four of us will..." She stopped and looked up at the sound of ODM wires "Hannes!".
The Garrison soldier ran up to the house and assessed the situation.
"Take the children and run."
Hannes looked at Carla with a smile. "That's not our only option, Carla. Hell I'm a trained soldier, my job's is killing titans and saving lives!" He said, drawing his blades as he began to run at the titan.
"HANNES NO!" He heard Carla scream behind him.
She's right. If it were just the kids, I could save them. But it's nothin' fancy, just take it out. Make good on the debt you owe!
Hannes stopped running as fear washed over him. The titan gazed down upon him with a horrifying grin on it's face. He let out a grunt as he put his blades back in his scabbards, running back and grabbing the kids.
"WAIT NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Eren screamed in surprise as Hannes picked him up "PUT ME DOWN YOU BASTARD!"
Faye screamed in panic "WAIT MR. HANNES, PLEA- MAMA!" The titan continued to approach the house and it's gaze turned to the crushed house.
Carla had a sad smile on her face "Thank you Hannes."
"HANNES, WE CAN STILL SAVE HER!" Eren yelled reaching a hand out, Faye and Mikasa were facing away from the house, but Eren was unlucky enough to be facing the house.
"EREN! FAYE! MIKASA! STAY ALIVE!" She screamed, reaching a hand out as if to meet her son's hand. When they were out of earshot, she covered her mouth with her hand. "Don't leave me..." She said with a scared voice.
The titan's foot came crashing down behind her as it foraged through the rubble and picked up Carla.
"STOOOOOOOOP" Eren yelled, tears falling off of his face as Carla struggled in the titan's hand. The titan reached it's other arm to grab Carla's upper torso and yanked, breaking her spine.
Mikasa looked away from the scene while Eren stared, horrified. Faye turned her head to look at the disaster, barely missing the breaking of her mother's spine. The titan lifted Carla's limp body to it's mouth and opened it's mouth slowly, as if to taunt the traumatised kids.
The titan finally bit down, blood from Carla's body sprinkling throughout the air like petals in the wind, some landing on the Jaeger sibling's faces.
That day, humanity received a grim reminder.
Home was a pen.
And humanity, Cattle.