Chapter II: I'm Tired

Blood seeps down Eren's left eye down to his cheek. His mouth is agape as he stares above, meeting gunmetal eyes glaring down at him. Eren can't stop here, he just can't and won't, not yet. He lets himself fall with the younger boy in his arms, cloak brushing with the wind as he falls further.

Click!

His wires zip into the air, way past the captain, launching Eren fully into the air, above the wall. He switches positions, sliding down the opposite side now, landing unsteadily on the ground. Eren was outside the walls now, leaving him with the fifteen-year-old now. There was only a certain amount of time before the scouts would follow him.

Eren grunts, finding a horse not far behind that was outside the gates. He jumps on, holding the younger boy in his arms tightly while tsking at the horse to move. He wipes the blood that continues to drip through his eyelashes, hissing at the pain when he touches it. There isn't any time to heal when Eren is running away from everyone that he cares about, again.

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It's nightfall by the time Eren reaches the titan forest, the horse trembling on its legs to stay put. This is ridiculous, Eren groans to himself, hauling his younger self over his back like a sack of potatoes. As frustrating as it is, Eren was happy to finally have some actual peace and quiet, or at least until the Survey Corps came.

He takes off his gear slowly while wincing at the throbbing pain that's in his left eye. Eren was so busy from before that he forgot to heal this part of his body. But it just reminds him of what he went through when he arrived in Marley, stabbing his own eye out and cutting his leg off.

"Nrhrgh…" he could hear the younger boy slowly stirring in his arms, hands flailing. "Let me go!"

"No, brat," Eren deadpans, tossing the young fifteen-year-old onto a thick branch. Groaning, he slinks down next to the other boy, muscles aching once again. Pretty soon Eren would start sounding like the captain if his younger self kept going at it.

Bits of steam rise into the air as Eren closes his eyes, not noticing his hood was starting to slide down. But then there's another body on top of him, trying to wrestle him. He doesn't care anymore though because suddenly they're fighting it out on a tree branch in the vicinity of titans. It ends too soon though because suddenly Eren is being held by a tiny branch while looking down into the open mouth of a titan. Must be one of those abnormals that don't go to sleep.

"Oi, if you want to get back to your corps, help me, otherwise we both die." That's probably not true but Eren was never one for technicalities. The boy pulls on Eren's wrist, using all of his strength to pull Eren up before teeth are mashing on his skull. He schools his expression into an empty look as the other glares at him, waiting to hear what he has to say.

All Eren can do is offer him his hand, in a peace offering of sorts. He's not really sure what to do now but he knows he has to eat Eren before anyone tries to come to rescue him.

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The sun is shining directly on them, the rays heating Eren uncomfortably. Sitting up, he squints, gingerly touching his left eye, feeling a healed scar there. No, it was supposed to heal! Frowning, he gets up, turning to see that his young self didn't make any rash decisions in the night. "Eren, get up, we have to keep moving."

The boy stirs, eyes blinking sleepily as he adjusts to the sun shining down. "Where are we?"

"Outside the wall, titan forest."

"Oh," the boy looks so timid as he realizes that he's been taken again. Eren remembers all the times he was kidnapped, by Reiss and Kenny Ackerman, and so many others. "Here, try not to eat it all in one piece." It was dried strips of meat, something Eren had bought in the market before he was ambushed. There was even a small loaf of bread he got his hands on, having to fight a mother and her kid over it. Any other time, he would've gladly given it to them but Eren was practically starving, titan-starving to be exact.

Don't worry, no one was harmed in the process of getting the bread though. Whatever makes one sleep at night though.

"Why did you take me?"

"For certain reasons that I wish I didn't have to explain."

"Aren't you the one who got my friend, Annie?" Eren sighs in defeat, he has a feeling that there are more questions the boy has swirling around in his head. You idiot, don't make this more complicated than it already is. Fingers gently touch Eren's face, causing him to startle for a moment before relaxing. He lets the younger boy trace his face, noting the way that his young self recognizes who he is. They both gasp when a sudden flash of the Paths comes into view, blue sky, and the lines of each person connect to the Paths and Ymir. When they part, Eren stares at the fifteen-year-old, eyes widening by the minute like the other.

"Wait---!"

Suddenly there are arms circling Eren and tightening tightly, almost squeezing the life out of him. The sudden comfort brings tears to Eren's eyes, sobbing loudly into his past self's shoulder. His legs give out completely, collapsing to the ground in defeat while the other still holds him. His sobs echo through the entire forest, hands trembling while his breathing becomes erratic.

"Hey, focus on my breathing, it's okay. It's okay, just breathe, breathe Eren."

"Eren! Help Mikasa with the firewood! And remember to not get into any more fights!" Carla smiles at her son, seeing him miffed over her words, mumbling to himself. Mikasa waits at the door for him, her scarf wrapped tightly around her, only showing her eyes. "Come back soon, my darlings!"

"It's okay that you miss her, I miss her too."

"I should make another scarf for you Eren, winter is coming and I can't bear for you to be cold. Your father warned me that this winter might be harsher than most too. So come back in as soon as possible, mein Kleiner Junge, alright?"

"Eren, listen to me, I know why you're here now. I understand too," why does this Eren sound so mature all of a sudden? He knows that the young boy still doesn't understand everything but by Maria, does he sound like it.

"I know you can't live with what you did, that's what Ymir told me. I'm willing to sacrifice myself in order for you to save us properly this time." By Maria! Why was his past self making this so difficult for Eren? But it's not like his words weren't wrong, Eren can still feel the blood on his hands, and there was nothing to be done about it.

"You have to eat me, Eren, Ymir spoke to me in the Paths. It felt like I was there for ages but it probably wasn't."

"But---"

"You and I have both been burdened with this, being Humanity's Last Hope until the end. I couldn't recall any of my memories until I touched your face. I know what our father is, and what he's done. You have to stop Zeke this time and make peace with Marley. Do this so we don't have to die again in order to save all the ones we care about."

"Okay, Jaeger, I trust you."

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In the distance, once again, the Survey Corps is on horseback, trying to get to the titan forest as fast as humanly possible. Levi grits his teeth, a permanent scowl replacing his usual stoic expression, causing everyone to back away.

Erwin can kiss his ass right now if it means killing the bastard that took Eren away. Would he admit that he may have developed feelings for the teenager over the past few months that he's had him? No, Levi would rather die than admit anything out loud, especially to Hange. Only the goddesses know that Hange would have a field day with the information. They'd go tell their little boyfriend, Moblit, about it too, and bless Moblit for loving them so much, too much.

"Captain, look!"

There's a flash of yellow sparks in the air before a loud rumbling. If only the brat waited a little longer but Levi can scold him later. "Send a flare now!" Petra nods, pulling out a flare gun while Levi tightens his grip on his reins, determined to get Eren back. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he chants it over and over again in his head because he can't help it.

Before they know it, they enter the forest, hooves pounding against the cobblestone while searching for Eren's titan form. "Head to the trees, we'll have a better view from there!"

He can see Erwin up ahead, already devising a plan from the looks of it. Levi may have grown up in the Underground but he couldn't understand how the commander was willing to gamble life or death so easily. There's roaring in the distance and it snaps Levi out of his thoughts, jumping from his horse to the trees quickly. "Find Eren and bring him back!"

____________

He did it, he actually did it.

Eren's still in his titan form but what now? There's nowhere to run, nowhere to go now that he's completed his task. He followed what Ymir wanted so why was Eren feeling confused on what to do now? Bone-deep exhaustion is set in place now as Eren stares at the ground in defeat because now he doesn't know what to do.

"Eren!"

Without thought, Eren activates his hardening abilities, encasing himself completely in crystal. It's not the same as Annie but now he's trapped in his own titan form. But he can hear the vibrations of the tapping from the blades and feet thudding on top of his form.

On the outside, Hange and Armin try to figure out why Eren suddenly crystallized. They haven't even experimented with any new abilities Eren might have. This may be another stroke of luck on the teen's part. Hange watches as Levi lands on the titan's head, tapping his blades against the hardened crystal. "Oi, Eren, it's safe now, you can come out now."

"Ms. Hange, does this seem a bit suspicious to you?" Armin frowns in thought, as he waits for Hange to answer. They can't say that the boy is wrong though, Armin has a point but they can't quite put a finger on it.

Their questions are answered when the titan starts to crumble, causing Levi to jump in order to not follow the chaos. All that's left is the stranger that had taken Eren, encased in a ball of crystal, eyes closed. The scouts raise their weapons but there is no movement. Levi lands near Hange, eyes widening before returning to a neutral expression.

No.

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"When I gave you this chance, I thought you would have a plan like the first time, Eren. Why do you hesitate now?"

"Because…." Eren stops, falling to his knees in front of the Founder, long hair hiding his face.

"You are afraid, afraid to ruin what is. Stop thinking about what will be, focus on what is."

Ymir stares at the boy, she always saw him as another child to care for. If only the world wasn't so cruel for someone like Eren Jaeger to prosper in. His life was full of death and sadness, the struggle to hold so much expectation from others. He was a slave to what the future would hold in order to save the people he cared for.

"You probably noticed that the scar on your face hasn't disappeared. I believe that every time you get hurt, this is a reminder, a reminder of what you are changing, Eren. Don't stop now, just keep moving forward."

____________

The crystallized form of the stranger has been in the cellar for the past few weeks. Every time Hange goes down there, they can't help but feel familiar with the stranger. He seems so familiar to them, they just can't put their finger on it. But it frustrates them that they can't figure out the answer for why. So instead, they talk to the stranger, regardless of whether or not he can hear them.

Placing their hand on the hardened form, Hange sighs, closing their eyes in thought, "if only you were here with us, Eren. If only we had the answers from the basement."

"Oi, four eyes, get a move on, Erwin wants you in his office now." The Squad leader rolls their eyes, leaving the cellar while grumbling about how old Levi was.

When it's just Levi, he sighs in defeat, arms cross as he stares down the crystallized form. Maybe if he stares hard enough, it will shatter and then they can question whoever this guy is. Despite there being so much dirt on the floor, he'd have to get the squad to do some cleaning, Levi sits down. He leans on the crystal, once again sighing as he tries to search the stranger for answers. But is this guy really a stranger? If he was, why did Levi feel some familiarity with him? He's sure that he's not the only one that has that question swirling around, Hange asked themselves that during one of their late nights in the lab.

"If only you could wake up, brat. Then maybe we could finally get some answers from you. Although shitty glasses will probably ask a thousand because they're like that. Erwin will have a field day with this, along with those shitty bastards that call themselves Military Police."

Levi doesn't hear the cracks forming in the crystal, or how Eren's eyes start to move. What he does hear is a loud sound of crystal colliding with the floor, showing a long-haired boy. But when the boy looks up, Levi's heart stops because those eyes, those teal and honey-colored eyes are Eren's. He stands quickly, ready to call for help from the others when the boy raises his hand, hand trembling. "No, please, please don't call for Hange or anyone else. Not yet, please," the boy swallows thickly, tears starting to form.

The captain stands stock still for a moment, eyes widening as the boy collapses to the ground. He can see him struggling to get back up though and after a few colorful curses, Levi offers him some help. "Oi, brat, I'll give you a hand since you look like a newborn deer right now."

"Captain---I---" the boy stops, hesitant to take Levi's offered hand right away. The captain raises an eyebrow, waiting for the brat to finish his sentence.

The moment the boy takes his hand, Levi's reflexes kick in as the boy's eyes roll into the back of his head. He lands in the captain's waiting arms, hand wrapping around his neck already. "Hey brat, stay with me, I'll take us to my room for now but you have to answer some questions, got it?" A weak nod is the only answer that Levi gets.

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Eren ends up being tied to a chair while he watches the captain pace back and forth for a good five minutes.

"What did you do with Eren, eh? I know you took him for a reason, brat" being called a brat again was nostalgic to Eren. After coming back from Marley, he never got to see the captain again, not for a while at least.

"Oi brat, I'm talking to you," Levi kicks his knee, glare starting to form on his face as Eren bites his lip.

"I ate him."

Shit, that's not how this was meant to go!

Levi stops and suddenly it makes sense because Eren wasn't there when they found this guy. But then why did his titan look so familiar to Eren's? "What did you say your name was?"

"Eren---"

Wait a goddamn minute here, by Sina!

"Uh-huh and your last name?"

"Jaeger, Eren Jaeger."

This is definitely not how Eren saw this conversation going but Levi started it. The captain squints, lowering himself to Eren's eyes, staring at him to a point of making him uncomfortable. "I remember when you hit me countless times to save me from the Military Police. You're in charge of me, sir, if I am a danger to anyone including myself, you have to kill me."

"That's impossible, how can you---"

"Sir, I need you to sit down and listen to me, please. I can explain but---"

"What did you do to Eren? Er, your younger self if you insist?" Levi squints again, dragging a chair over as Eren struggles to find the right words. Shitty glasses would have a field day with this, and Levi is sure that there's more to the boy than meets the eye. The scar running down the left side of his face makes him ten times more frightening to see, going from his eyebrow down to his chin. The captain internally winces at the fact that his blades got caught in finding Eren.

"I had to eat him because there can't be two Erens existing."

"How do I know for sure that you're telling the truth." Eren groans in frustration, his patience is wearing thin with all these questions. He knows the captain has his reasons though but he can only be patient for so long.

He doesn't know where the tears come from but Eren is suddenly out of his seat, falling at Levi's feet. Eren knows that the captain will complain about his boots getting dirty and getting snot on himself. Right now though, this was home, this is where Eren yearned to be for the past few years. "I came back because I was given a second chance, a second chance to start over."

Levi looks down to meet Eren's eyes, noticing the teal color fading with the scar.

"We are Humanity's Hope, sir. That's all I ever was meant to be. I'm not the same boy you have seen over the past few months. I've made mistakes, and I've killed millions of people to get what I wanted--which was freedom--at a cost. I did it so I could save everyone that I cared about, including you, sir. But there were so many people that died, and when I knew there was finally peace, I was killed."

Tears fall down his face silently, biting his lip to stop the sobs from escaping. Levi crouches down to Eren, eyes wide as he hangs onto every word the boy says. No one there was a familiarity to this boy, it was Eren all along. Levi isn't sure how it's quite possible but now he knows that it's not too late.

He'll make sure to hold Eren tightly, to hold him as long as he can from the dangerous grips of the world.

"Would you like some tea, Eren?"

"Yes, please, captain."