The land of Maria

What's with Eren?

Mikasa sat down beside Eren. Levi was off checking on food choices for them as well as the 'prisoners'. Mikasa glanced at Eren. Her gray eyes racked over the knight. Eren was wearing green leggings that were warm hugging his legs. His white tunic hung down over his butt. On the tunic he had the white and blue feathers in the shield. He felt nervous under the steely gaze.

"You're his knight." She stated. "Last time I saw you, you couldn't even fight, what have you improved with?" she demanded. Eren's eyes widened.

"Well, uh..." He rubbed at his cheek. As he did this he gathered his concentration. The hand he was using was on the opposite side from her. Levi turned when he saw the flash.

"Eren!" He yelled but was too late. The boy already shot the finger at the girl as if it were a gun. Mikasa, for her part was quick. She deflected most of the blast with her wine goblet, it shattered and she was doused in the red sticky mess. Levi rushed forward. Eren and Armin giggled.

"Mika..." Levi began. The girl was looking down. When she raised her eyes she stared at the teen. To everyone's shock she too began to laugh. Levi looked startled at this. He even backed a few steps away.

"Well, I did ask for that." Mikasa ruffled Eren's hair.

"You're going to do great, kid." She stated. "Now I need a bath." She walked away her knight glanced at Eren, then at Mikasa's retreating form, then back at Eren.

"For a little shit, you've got balls." Annie shook her head. She followed after her shifter.

"Did I do something wrong?" Eren asked. Levi smirked.

"No, you did everything right." He kissed the top of his head.

"What's the plan now?" Erwin announced as he walked in. "You promised you weren't going to do this!" He thundered.

"It's only temporary. Mikasa is going to get King fat ass to agree with us..." Levi waved his hand in the air "let us be his army, shall we say. I don't want this kingdom." Levi wrinkled his nose. "I just need to surround Kenny and keep him in place."

"You cant fight three wars!" Erwin slumped down in a seat looking thoroughly exhausted.

"I'm not. Mikasa has this one. Kenny will hide for a while until I can figure out what to do with Niledok." Levi sighed. The servants brought their food.

"Do you seriously think he will wait?" Erwin pinched his nose.

"Not for long, but he will stop and think. I have his regent..."Levi was saying as Eren was about to take a bite of his food. He slowly lowered the fork back down.

"Father." The teen whispered. Eren stared into his plate. The last time he saw his father he had beaten him. Eren recalled the day. It started like any other. He awoke in his cage. Bertolt was working on the computer. Eren reached his thin arm out to tickle the man's leg. There was bare skin between his sock and pant leg. Bertolt laughed kicking his chair back from the cage.

"Bright eyes, you're awake." The tall man beamed. He slipped from the chair to kneel beside Eren's cage. He held out a small cake. "Happy Birthday, Eren." He had smiled brightly. Bertolt made him eat the cake quickly. It was pretty good.

Father came in to unlock the cage. He snatched Eren's arm without a word to the boy. Dragging him deeper into the lab, he flung Eren into the wall. There he strapped him to it with chains. "Test time." Father said. This was Eren's birthday gift every year. He was forced to go through laborious tests before he was allowed to eat.

Eren climbed to his bare feet. He was filthy wearing only an old tee shirt. He moved to the moving machine. Stepping on the still platform, it began to move. Eren clutched the bars on either side as it went faster and faster. He ran as fast as he could. It got harder and harder to run as it felt like he was going uphill. Soon sweat poured from him. He could hardly breathe, but Father wouldn't shut the machine off. Only when Eren couldn't go any faster would it be stopped. Eren did his best, but in the end, he collapsed. The machine threw him one way as the chain yanked him another. He cried out in pain.