Levi's Daughter

8

Despite her words, the HE Projectile was still launched.

Before it could hit, Eren pulled Sakura back as he wrapped his arms around Armin and Mikasa before biting into his hand.

When he made contact with his skin, a flash of light and smoke appeared around them.

Covering the trio were the bones of a Titan.

Sakura and Armin looked up, hearing a rumbling sound.

"It's too dangerous to get close!" Kitz yelled. "Maintain your position and remain on high alert! Maintain your position! Have the gunners load another round!"

"I remember hearing the cannon fire." Armin's voice trembled. "And then there was a horrible sound, a shock wave, and heat. Are we inside a huge skeleton -"

"Eren protected us." Mikasa cut him off. "That's all we need to know for now."

"Hey!" Eren ran up to the trio. "Are you guys okay?"

"Eren!" Armin exclaimed. "What is this?"

"No idea." Eren paused, looking at Sakura. "Sakura, thank you for jumping in front of us, to try to protect us. It was very brave of you."

"I'd do anything for my friends." Sakura shrugged.

"This thing will soon dissipate like any other Titan corpse." Eren continued. "Let's get away from it! Are they in shock, or just waiting to see what we'll do? The Garrison isn't doing anything right now, but they'll attack again before long."

Armin stood up, joining Eren.

"After showing them this, I doubt we'll be able to talk our way out." Eren spoke. "But I do remember one thing. The basement. The basement of my house. Dad said that if I go there, I'll learn everything. This happened to me because of him, too. If I go to the basement, I'll probably learn what the Titans really are. Damn it! Then why did he hide it? Isn't that information what thousands of Survey Corps soldiers died for? Isn't it humanity's last hope? And he's been keeping it locked in the basement of our house? What the hell was he thinking? Where the hell has he been for the past five years, anyway?"

"Eren." Mikasa put her hand on his shoulder. "Right now, we have other priorities."

"Yeah." Eren agreed, running with his three friends out of the bones of the Titan. Once they had did that, the four crouched in a circle. "I'm getting out of here."

"Where will you go?" Armin asked. "And how?"

"For now, I don't care where." Eren answered. "But from there, over the walls, to the basement. Once I become a Titan again."

"Can you do that?" Armin questioned.

"I don't know how I do it myself." Eren truthfully told them. "But I still think I can! It's similar to the way you can't explain how you move your own arm. Back there, my only thought was stopping that shell. So that body had no other function and rotted away after having served its purpose. This time, I'll turn into something stronger. A 15-meter class, like the one that tore apart those Titans."

"Eren." Mikasa's voice brought him out of his rage. "Your nose is bleeding."

Eren wiped at his nose, the blood staining his finger.

"You look pale, and your breaths are ragged." Armin commented. "Your body is in bad shape!"

"You've probably changed into a Titan too many times." Sakura added. "Or the other Titans that fought you wore you down."

"How I feel doesn't matter." Eren argued. "I've come up with two options. First, if you don't try to protect me, at least they won't kill you. Although I've already caused you trouble. Especially you, Sakura. I'm thinking of leaving here alone."