Attack on Titan: A Blacksmith's Tale

Chapter 33: Sins of the Son

With Levi Squad selected to retrieve Carolyn, Eren was more than willing to help. On one hand, he was upset that Dillon's parents purposefully kept humanity in the dark about the truth. On the other hand, Carolyn did not hesitate to help Eren when he was put on trial. The least he could do was rescue her from this prison she was being held in. As an added bonus, he could steer clear of Annie for just a little while longer. He knew he'd have to face her eventually but delaying the inevitable would work for now.

As Eren traveled with Levi Squad and Hanji, who was selected to lead the team, he couldn't help but be distracted by the sights. He had heard rumors about the horrible conditions of the Underground, but they paled in comparison to what he saw. "I can't believe how many of them are so..."

"Sick? Dying? Starving?" Eld finished, looking over his shoulder. "Trust me, Eren. You're lucky that you didn't grow up here."

"And the King does nothing about it?" he asked angrily.

"Not a thing," Hanji replied in a serious tone. "It may be a struggle to survive on the surface, but down here, there's even less hope."

And Captain Levi grew up here. Eren reminded himself. What did he have to do to make it out of here alive? I don't think I want to know.

"Petra, you look worried," Gunther noted.

"Oh, come on, Gunther. We're just trying to get inside a prison and retrieve Carolyn while dealing with whatever Elise has in store for us in the hopes we can complete our mission before she or Matthew return. Nothing to worry about." Sarcasm helped Petra cope with the situation.

"Could be worse," Eld reasoned. "We could be part of the team that's fighting them directly."

"I wouldn't have minded," Eren said, his voice darkening at the thought of what he'd do.

"If you were up there, you'd level more of the district," Gunther replied.

The group got uncomfortably silent as his words hung over the Shifter.

Realizing his mistake, Gunther tried to correct it. "Eren, wait, that was low. I shouldn't have—"

"Don't be sorry," Eren interrupted quietly. "I know what I did."

The more he transformed into a Titan, the more he was able to remember. His most vivid memory was when he focused solely on Annie in Stohess, desperate to kill her. He remembered the panicked screams of the civilians as they were crushed by debris or underfoot. None of that mattered to him as long as he killed her.

"Good job, Gunther," Petra growled.

"There it is," Hanji announced suddenly, pointing ahead.

Before them seemingly attached to the wall of the Underground was a massive prison. The cracks in the building itself was a dead giveaway that it was old and rundown, but it still carried an ominous look, almost as if it was haunted. There weren't many windows in the stone prison, making them wonder if what little light the Underground had was barred off for the inmates.

"Is it just me or is anyone else getting a little nervous?" Eld asked, a shiver running down his spine.

"Hate to say it, but it's not just you," Gunther said.

"We'll need to be careful, then," Hanji told them. "From what I've learned about Elise, she doesn't seem like the type of person to leave Carolyn behind without leaving behind any surprises along with her."

"We'll get her out of there," Eren swore.

The others sounded off their agreement as they continued towards their destination.