Chapter Text
Prologue
- Jan 17, One Year Ago -
They looked so peaceful. Erwin remained as silent and cold as stone as he studied their faces. Their closed eyes and relaxed expressions made it seem as though they were sleeping, as though he could reach out and draw them back to wakefulness with the lightest touch. But seeing the two bodies strung up and nailed to the wall before him, the thick black ooze of what was once their lifeblood pooled below their dangling feet, Erwin knew otherwise. These two men were not sleeping peacefully. These two men, who had been two of his strongest and most skilled comrades, were dead.
He let the emotions in his heart move through him like dry sand. Thoughts of sadness, loss, despair, and guilt. Thoughts of vengeance and blame. He didn’t need them, not now after everything was said and done. Clinging to such wasteful emotions would only cloud his judgment and he had a job to do. Besides, he already knew damn well who to blame for this. The murderers, as well as the intended targets of the operation, had left their calling card on the wall space between the bodies. It was a grotesque open mouth, hideous blocky teeth poised over several tiny figures laying prone below it, as though it were about to swallow them whole. Titans. This was the result of a raid that had been planned on one of their operational bases just inside Titan home territory. The dangers of this mission had been made clear during the briefing but the two men he had entrusted to lead this task had insisted that they go alone.
Gunter and Erd were two of the company’s strongest Corps members and between then they had shared a chemistry rarely seen among the members of the team. Now they were gone and Erwin, who had come to know them as family over the last six years, could offer them nothing other than remorse and guilt. Beside him stood his right hand man and second in command Levi. Levi was a full head shorter than him but Erwin could feel the scalding intensity of his carefully withheld rage radiating from his small frame like heat from an inferno. One sidelong look and he could see the cold fury in Levi’s narrowed steel grey eyes.
Erwin knew he should say something but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. This was not the first time he had seen a scene like this and he knew against all hope that it would not be the last. He also knew that Levi would be more than capable of carrying the weight of these emotions for both of them. They both had lost comrades as dear to them as family and they both carried the silent vow to bring those responsible to a swift and merciless end, justice be damned. Despite his attempt to hide it behind a cold and unforgiving attitude, Erwin also understood how deeply these moments of loss truly affected Levi. This was a large part of why he had gone to great lengths to convince Levi to join him and lead his Survey Corps.
“If I had been here,” Levi said and trailed off without finishing the thought.
This was the other part of why Erwin had brought Levi on. Levi was a combat and tactical genius the likes of which he had not and probably would never find again. But his skills had not been taken advantage of here and Erwin now regretted that decision sorely.
“This wasn’t your fault,” Erwin replied more firmly than he truly felt, “I was the one who agreed to let them handle this alone. We couldn’t have known about the ambush and I ignored regulation. It was a gamble on my part and I chose the wrong side of the coin.”
“Don’t treat this like one of your damn lessons,” Levi ground out between clenched teeth, “You know as well as I do that I could have insisted. And you would have let me do what I wanted. We both made the wrong choice.”
Erwin glanced at Levi again to see him hanging his head and clenching his fists so tightly that there was a drop of blood forming at the curl of his middle finger. Erwin pulled out his phone and made the call for body retrieval. He didn’t bother to warn the pickup crew about the gang members that had done this. Those responsible wanted this message to be firmly received and they were happy to let as many of the company’s people see it as possible. After he finished the call, Erwin watched as Levi strode to the wall and swiped his bleeding palm across the Titan emblem spraypainted between the bodies of his Corps members. The bloody streak made a vivid red mark that crossed diagonally over the grotesque image.
“This will not happen again,” Levi said as he stepped back to survey what he’d done, “I will personally end every last one of these bastards before I allow them to take another one of my team.”
Levi then spun on his heel and walked past Erwin, stopping briefly just beyond to thump his fist against the center of Erwin’s back in silent pledge. Erwin smiled at the gesture and although Levi wouldn’t see it he knew Levi would know it was there.
“Don’t let them clean that off,” Levi said as he left the room.
When his second in command was gone, Erwin allowed himself a moment to let his stone façade fall away. His face contorted into a grimace of rage that mirrored Levi’s and he squeezed his eyes shut against a sting of angry tears. His throat clenched as though the emotions were choking him and his breath seized. He mouthed a silent apology to the two fallen men before him and vowed that they would be avenged. A few seconds later the wave had passed and he calmed once more, opening blue eyes to stare at the blood smeared Titan emblem.
Erwin slid a small folded knife out of a pocket of his suit pants and flipped the blade open. Without hesitation or flinch he drew the blade across his palm and watched the thin line well up with blood. He then approached the wall and smeared a line of blood to cross Levi’s and form an X over the emblem. As he folded the knife and put it away he heard a set of booted footsteps approach the door to the room.
“Sir,” came a low and slightly husky androgenous voice behind him, the word gentle and tinged with sadness, “we can take it from here.”
Erwin turned to face the owner of the voice and watched as Hange’s intelligent gaze moved around the room. She took in the bodies strung up on the wall with a visible flinch, then the emblem with its bloody markings, fell to Erwin’s hand as it continued to slowly dribble blood onto the floor, and finally fixed on his now emotionless face. He could see by the look in her eyes that he didn’t need to tell her to leave the emblem. He nodded once to her in acknowledgment and left the scene. He had a lot to do over the next few days, including funeral arrangements, and if he didn’t start now he worried that he might take it upon himself to go tearing off into Titan home territory on a mad killing spree for the sake of vengeance in the name of his family. He assured himself that he would not make today’s mistake again and that the Titan’s time would come soon enough. This was an unmistakable declaration of war and they would be made to know true suffering if war with Erwin and his company was what they truly wanted.
- Jan 30, One Year Ago -
Erwin was in the process of loosening his tie as he entered his condo on the twelfth floor of the company’s office building when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to screen the incoming call and picked up immediately when he saw that it was from Shiganshina District Hospital. The voice on the other end of the line informed him that he was urgently requested as the secondary emergency contact for a current patient by the name of Eren Jaeger.
“Were you unable to reach the primary contact,” he asked.
“We …” the voice hesitated and Erwin knew that could only mean bad news, “I’m afraid I can’t give you any details but it seems that the primary contact is currently deceased.”
Erwin’s blood froze as the same sensations he felt upon learning of the fate of his recent lost team members washed over him again. He had just returned from the funeral and laid his fallen comrades to rest and now it seemed that the Titans had struck again. Grisha had been a close friend of Erwin’s since before his son Eren had been born and the doctor was known to be a kind man who treated anyone regardless of race, creed, or background. But he was also known to be on friendly terms with the company and it was entirely possible that the Titans chose to kill him to send another message. If that was the case, Erwin now had even more blood on his hands and a heavy responsibility towards Grisha’s son and adopted daughter.
“How,” he asked, his voice cracking.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman on the other end replied and he could hear that she really meant it, “but I can’t divulge any sensitive information over the phone.”
“I understand,” he relented, “I’ll head that way immediately.”
The woman sighed in relief and told Erwin to make sure to check in at the front desk so she could take him to see the patient when he arrived. He hung up shortly after and considered putting his tie back on but decided that it wouldn’t matter to Eren if his new benefactor happened to look as shaken up as he felt. Erwin let his tie slide from his loose grip onto the couch and turned around to walk right back out the door.
----
Erwin mentally prepared himself to face the discussion that lay ahead as the nurse leading him through the hospital hallway stopped at the door to the room Eren was currently resting in. He had been informed by the front desk that Eren had been physically assaulted while attempting to protect his sister but had thankfully suffered no serious injuries and had managed to escape with Mikasa before he could be kidnapped or worse. According to the police report, Grisha had distracted their attackers long enough to give Eren the chance to get away and some time later Eren had returned to find both of his parents murdered and his home cordoned off as a crime scene. The police had questioned both children long enough to learn that they didn’t have any additional information than what had already been gathered and so they called for an ambulance to take them both to the hospital. There was no mention of who the culprit was but Erwin didn’t need to hunt down the police report to know exactly who was responsible for this.
The nurse ahead of him knocked twice on the door and opened it. She stepped aside to allow Erwin to enter the room and told him that visiting hours are posted on the inside of the door. Then she left him to his business and Erwin walked in. As he came into the room, a second nurse was wrapping up checking various medical equipment and monitors and once she had finished her task she excused herself.
On the hospital bed she had been attending there sat a teenage boy with dark brown hair and striking sea green eyes. At the boy’s side sat a young woman of the same age with shoulder length black hair and dark eyes that were red rimmed and puffy. She was holding one of Eren’s hands between both of hers and staring off into space. On the other side of the bed stood a blonde haired boy of slighter stature than Eren who was also of the same age and possessing of an obvious wealth of intelligence if the look in his big blue eyes was anything to go by. Erwin couldn’t help but notice how much Eren had grown since the last time he’d seen the boy. No, he supposed boy was no longer an accurate term to use. He thought back to when Eren’s last birthday had been and calculated that he and Mikasa should both be about sixteen by now. He could no longer consider them children, especially after what they had just been through.
“Erwin,” Eren said quietly as he finally registered his visitor’s presence.
“I would say it’s good to see you, Eren, but we both know that’s not the case,” Erwin said, “May I ask who this is,” Erwin asked as he glanced at the blonde boy.
“Oh, you haven’t met him yet,” Eren replied, “this is Armin. He’s our next door neighbor’s kid. We’ve been friends since grade school.”
The boy in question walked over to offer Erwin a formal greeting and he was surprised to catch a calculating and curious look in his eyes as Erwin shook his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Erwin.”
“No, the pleasure is mine. You have my sincerest gratitude for looking after Eren and Mikasa.”
“Why are you here,” Eren asked with a confused frown.
“Your father listed me as your secondary emergency contact. You already know that he and I are … were close friends,” Eren blanched at the correction and Mikasa clenched his hand harder, “and as thanks for a very generous favor that he performed for me I offered to become your benefactor in the event that something should happen to him.”
Eren clenched his free hand and grit his teeth so hard that Erwin could hear his teeth squeaking from where he stood.
“He never told me about any of that. He never told me anything. How the hell was I supposed to know when all he ever did was keep secrets. Those secrets got him killed! He just …,” Eren trailed off and for a moment seemed as though he was at a loss for words. A moment later he shook himself and continued.
“Those bastards tortured him for his damn secrets. And Mom, they … they hurt her and they killed her just to get him to talk. I know they did. I saw what they looked like before they were wheeled out.”
“Eren,” Mikasa pleaded gently.
“They did this just because he was your friend and they wanted to know whatever secrets he knew about you,” Eren snarled as he met Erwin’s eyes, “and if he’d given them what they wanted my parents would still be-“
“You’re wrong,” came a sudden cry from Armin.
Erwin had been about to say the same and was stunned into silence when Armin beat him to it. He wondered just how smart this boy really was as Armin continued.
“The Titans don’t make deals, Eren. You know they don’t. Even if your father told them everything they would still have killed him and if he hadn’t helped you escape they would have killed you and Mikasa too. Without a second thought. That’s exactly what they do. They consume everything they get their hands on. They’re pure evil,” he finished with a barely audible tremble in his voice.
Eren squeezed his eyes shut and his body trembled as he fought to control his emotions. After a long stretch he eventually calmed and opened his eyes again. Those eyes were filled with a deep burning rage that nearly made Erwin’s breath catch in his throat. It was so similar to the look he’d seen in Levi’s eyes that he almost forgot for a moment that it was Eren he was looking at. When Eren raised those eyes to him he fought the urge to smile in return.
“What do I have to do,” Eren asked.
“About?”
“The Titans,” he elaborated, “What do I have to do to make them pay?”
“Nothing,” Erwin replied and held up a hand when Eren opened his mouth angrily, “my company suffered a great loss at their hands recently and this loss will only strengthen our resolve. We have and always will be dedicated to wiping them off the face of Greater Maria. Eren, I cannot promise you personal revenge but I can give my word that we will make them suffer for what they’ve done to you and to my team. All you need to do is let us do our work.”
He knew Eren wouldn’t accept this as an answer but he had given Grisha his word that he would keep Eren safe years ago after Eren had come home for the umpteenth time with a bruised cheek and a split lip. Grisha told him then that Eren possessed an unnaturally powerful strength and harbored a scorching fire inside him that would one day get him killed if he didn’t learn to temper it properly. He made Erwin swear to protect his son from that fate if he ever disappeared from this world. Erwin, beholden to the great debt he owed Grisha, had no choice but to agree.
“Let me join,” Eren said suddenly, drawing Erwin out of his memories.
“I can’t let you do that,” Erwin replied sternly.
“Why not?! I’m old enough, right? You’ve talked about it before so I know you’ve let kids as young as fifteen join up.” Eren’s fist was tightening on the hospital sheet.
“I have my reasons and it’s not your decision to make, Eren.”
“Bullshit! You just said your company suffered losses. That means you have an opening. Just let me-“
“Enough,” Erwin barked and the anger that bled into his voice shut Eren up instantly. Erwin fought his own emotions down and managed to bleed the anger from his voice with a faint sigh as he continued, “I will not allow you to put yourself in any more danger than you’ve already experienced. That is final.”
Eren was unable to hide the ensuing look of betrayal and turned away dismissively. Erwin figured it was probably best if he take his leave at this point and so he bid his farewells to Mikasa and Armin before offering his parting words to Eren.
“I will leave my contact information for you with the hospital staff. If you have need of something, please don’t hesitate to call. I will always make time for you, Eren, even if you come to hate me for it. The same goes for your sister.”
With that he turned and left the room. He was half way down the hall when he heard someone call his name urgently from a few paces behind. He turned to see Mikasa and Armin approaching. They both wore looks of hardened resolve and he had a feeling he knew what they were going to say. He turned to give them his full attention. Mikasa was the first to speak.
“Thank you. For what you said to Eren. I know it was hard for him to hear but it was necessary. Did Grisha ask you to do the same for me?”
Erwin crossed his arms and shook his head. Grisha had never asked him to look after Mikasa because Mikasa was more than capable of looking after herself. She was the most level headed and rational child he had ever known and down right scary when it came to fighting. She had always been the reason Eren never came home with more than a bruise or a minor cut, though Eren would never admit that aloud. Truth be told, if she was about to ask what he thought she was going to ask, he would be a fool to refuse.
“Then, instead of Eren, let me join. I want to get stronger so I can protect him and I know enough about your company to know that I can be of use to you. Especially if it means killing Eren’s enemies.”
“Very well,” Erwin said and the quickness of his reply caught her off guard, “I’ll contact you again with more information. For now, keep an eye out for my call sometime in the next day or so.”
Mikasa straightened with renewed vigor and nodded. She spun around and headed immediately back to Eren’s room. When Armin didn’t follow Erwin gave him an expectant look. Armin seemed to be considering how to broach the topic he had in mind. After a few seconds he finally spoke up.
“This was part of something bigger, wasn’t it?”
Erwin didn’t reply but something in his face must have confirmed Armin’s suspicions because he carried onwards.
“This wasn’t the first attack and it won’t be the last one. They’re declaring war. Probably on you or your company if what Eren said about their intentions is true. That means something else could happen soon. Something worse.”
“What is it exactly that you want, Armin,” Erwin said in a low and noticeably warning tone.
“I can help you,” he said quickly, swallowing nervously and raising his hands, “I’m not great with fighting but I’m smart and I know your company has a research and development team. I’d like to work for you. I promise you won’t regret it!”
“And? What do you expect in return?”
“It’s not an expectation. I’d just like you to help me pay for a college education. My family can’t afford it but it’s always been my dream to go.”
Erwin thought this over. It was true that Armin had displayed a surprising amount of insight and intellect just now and his terms were carefully calculated to seem low risk. He was intrigued enough to consider it but he had his reservations about Armin’s true motives. If he was going to bring the boy under his wing, he would need the full story.
“That’s a lot to ask for,” he said, careful not to give an outright refusal, “but I won’t make a decision until I understand why you’re really asking for this.”
Armin sagged as he realized that Erwin wasn’t falling for his surface level excuse. He sighed and seemed to make up his mind, straightening unconsciously and looking Erwin in the eyes.
“Eren has always protected me. The fights he always got in were mostly for that reason. I wouldn’t have made it through grade school and most of high school without him. And all that time he spent taking punches for me and acting as my shield he never once asked me for anything in return. He never complained. Not once. I’ve seen him so bruised and beaten that he could barely stand up and he still managed to smile at me and tell me that he’d get them next time. But now, he’s been hurt in a way that can’t be fixed and I may not be physically strong but I know I can do something to help this time. This time, I can finally pay him back for all the times he’s saved me. That’s why I want to do this.”
Erwin waited patiently until Armin finished. He held the boy’s gaze for a long minute and then slowly unfolded his arms to offer Armin his hand. Armin’s face lit up and he shook Erwin’s hand so enthusiastically that he was afraid the boy might lose his balance and topple over.
“Armin, know that when you join my team I will expect that level of honesty going forward. I can tell you have talent and I welcome bringing that to my table but I will not tolerate deception.”
“Of course, I understand.”
“Very well then. You should keep an eye out for my call within the next day as well.”
“I will! Thank you, Mr. Erwin!”
“Just Erwin.”
Armin flashed a brilliant smile and turned to run back to the hospital room. For a moment, upon seeing that smile, Erwin felt the faintest ghost of a flutter in his chest. It was no stronger than the caress of a gentle breeze and was gone in half a second but somewhere in the back of his sharp mind it registered. Erwin brushed the moment aside and pulled out his phone as he continued on his way towards the exit. He had just given a final sending off for two of his family members and had welcomed two new ones in one day and he now had a lot of plans to make. He could feel a headache coming on despite the new recent prospects and knew that it was going to be another long sleepless night.