"Captain... Captain Levi..." The door slammed open, a gust of cold air sweeping into the room, along with the ragged breaths of the scout who stood in the doorway, eyes wide and wild with terror.
His skin was pale, sweat beading down his forehead, teeth clenched as if holding back the panic. His voice trembled, echoing off the wooden walls. "The Titans... they... they've breached Wall Rose!"
The room fell into a stunned silence. The weight of his words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Eren could feel the temperature of the room drop, as if the walls themselves recoiled at the news.
"What?!" Armin gasped, his voice barely above a whisper, disbelief spreading across his face. The sound of his breath seemed too loud in the otherwise still air, the faint sunlight casting long, eerie shadows across the floor.
Levi's eyes sharpened, his gaze piercing through the fear. "Oi... Do you have any idea what you're saying?" His voice, usually calm and composed, now had an edge of cold steel to it.
The scout's chest heaved, desperately trying to steady his breathing, but all he could do was nod—terror etched in every line of his face.
"Tch." Levi clicked his tongue, the noise slicing through the tense air like a blade. "Those damn Titans won't let us rest." He stood swiftly, his shadow looming over the floor as Petra followed without a word, her face set with grim determination.
"Wait...I'm coming too," Eren rasped, his voice still hoarse from disuse. Throwing off the blanket, he stumbled forward, the memory of his unconsciousness still clinging to him like a heavy fog. "We should meet with Erwin first. There's alot of stuff I need to catch up on."
Mikasa hesitated, her eyes flickering with worry as she stood by, tense. Her fingers twitched at her sides, resisting the urge to grab Eren and force him back to bed. But this was Eren—the relentless force she knew all too well.
"You sure, old man? Can you even walk?" Levi's words were sharp but held a teasing undertone as he stared Eren down.
"Says the guy who's already in his late twenties," Eren shot back with a grin, gritting his teeth as he fought to stand, his legs wobbling beneath him.
Mikasa and Armin immediately moved to support him, their hands firm on his arms, the warmth of their touch a stark contrast to the icy fear that had gripped the room.
Levi's lip curled slightly. "Fuck off," he muttered, but there was a trace of a smirk hiding beneath the stern exterior..
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Karanes District ( Night )
Scout regiment headquarters
The headquarters had descended into chaos. Scouts from the 104th had already been dispatched that evening, racing to warn nearby towns and districts about the breach.
Among them were Connie, Sasha, Krista, Ymir, Reiner, and Bertholdt, all led by Section Commander Miche and his squad. The weight of responsibility was heavy in the air.
When Eren and Levi arrived at Karanes, the entire regiment was struck silent. The sight of Eren Yeager—legendary in their eyes as a savior and symbol of hope—filled them with confidence.
Surely, with Eren and Levi present, the breach could be handled swiftly. But little did they know, Eren was barely holding himself together.
Exhaustion clung to him like a shadow, and the mere thought of using ODM gear seemed daunting, let alone transforming into the Attack Titan, which could push him to the brink of collapse.
"Eren..." A familiar voice drifted from the shadows. A hand rested on Eren's shoulder, and as he turned, his breath caught.
"Hannes!" Eren gasped, shocked but relieved.
It was Captain Hannes of the Garrison—the man who had been a silent protector during Eren's time as the owl. Hannes, the one who used to let him pass through the gates without question whenever he was alone, knowing the weight of Eren's secret.
Without a word, Hannes pulled Eren into a tight hug, his relief palpable. The stress of his role as captain had been eating at him. Day and night, he stood vigil over the walls, monitoring for any changes in Titan numbers or potential threats.
In the era of constant uncertainty, he barely had time for himself, let alone to check on Eren. Yet here he was, gripping the young man like a father would his lost son, grateful beyond words to see him alive.
After a brief but heartfelt reunion, Eren—despite the tug of nostalgia in his chest—knew the urgency of the situation. He swallowed his emotions and spoke, though his voice was laced with reluctance.
"Hannes... we'll talk once this is over. I don't have the enough time right now. Okay?"
Hannes nodded, his smile warm and understanding. "Yeah, me too gotta go check the walls... let's talk later." With that, he turned back to his squad, setting off to inspect Wall Rose for the breach.
His footsteps faded into the background, but the weight of their unspoken bond lingered.
Eren shifted his focus, turning toward Erwin's office. "Let's go," he whispered. His eyes were heavy with determination as he walked with the others. The door creaked open, and the air inside was thick with tension.
Erwin's piercing sapphire eyes met Eren's the moment they stepped inside. "Welcome back, my dear vice commander. It's been a while." Erwin said, rising from his chair. His voice carried its usual calm authority, but there was an undercurrent of relief beneath the surface.
Eren's gaze trailed past him, landing on Hange, who flashed him an all-too-enthusiastic grin. Then his eyes fell on the battered form of Wall Priest Pastor Nick.
The man was barely recognizable—his nails torn, his eyes swollen shut, and his body covered in bruises. It was clear that he had been on the receiving end of Hange's infamous "interrogations."
After exchanging greetings, curiosity burned in Eren's chest as he glanced between Hange and the priest. "What... what's going on here? The last thing I remember is that even resenting a Wall Priest was considered a great sin amongst people let alone torturing him like this."
Hange, ever the eccentric, draped an arm over Eren's shoulders and leaned in with a mischievous grin. Twirling a peculiar-looking tool between her fingers, she chuckled. "Oh, darling... but what if the very people turn against these liars preaching made up religions?"
"What?" Eren muttered, still struggling to grasp the situation fully.
Levi approached the priest, his cold gaze locking onto the man's pitiful form. "Looks like you spilled your guts after all, huh? Good thing we left you with Hange and her... toys," he said with an edge of amusement, though the situation was anything but funny.
(Note. In this AU, Eren lay unconscious for nearly a month, a span during which the world around him had shifted dramatically. The discovery of the Wall Titans sent shockwaves through society, revealing secrets long buried beneath layers of deception. In the wake of this revelation, an uprising erupted against the priests, who had propagated a fabricated religion for past hundreds of years to maintain control over the populace. Fueled by the desire for truth, the people rose up against the king, demanding to uncover everything that had been hidden from them for so long.)
Eren pieced together fragments of what was happening, recalling Levi's conversation with him earlier in the afternoon. Levi had told him about the Wall Titans —the good titans, supposedly protecting humanity by standing frozen within the walls.
These Titans had hardened their bodies, similar to Annie's crystal armor, creating the vast structures of Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina. For centuries, Eldians had worshiped the walls as gods.
But now, the truth was surfacing—the very walls they prayed to were filled with sleeping monsters, and the priests, like Niko, had known all along.
"So, how did you convince him, huh?" Levi asked, his gaze shifting to Hange, whose smirk sent chills down everyone's spines, even Erwin's. Hange paused twirling the metallic object around her fingers. "Oh God..." Eren muttered, his eyes widening with disgust and sympathy. "You didn't... did you?" Levi asked, equally shocked as their gaze darted to Mikasa and Petra, who were blushing like crazy.
Armin, both his hands instinctively fell protectively over his crotch, a wave of insecurity washing over him. Erwin couldn't help but chuckle at Hange's antics.
It turned out that after exhausting all her usual torturing methods, Hange had resorted to her last weapon— she dubbed nutcracker.
It was a hollow, rectangular frame designed for the most delicate of areas. By using a screw, she could dramatically squash testicles like a grape.
"Well, he was a real pain in the ass—principles this, principles that..." Hange started, but Eren, feeling sympathetic, gently removed her arm from around him and instead hugged the weeping priest.
"It's okay, buddy let it out. I can't say I feel your pain... I've never experienced the agony of shattered balls. But trust me, the misery of torn and broken limbs can't hold a candle to what you're going through! As a guy, I can say..." He glanced at Levi and Armin for backup.
Levi, utterly disappointed, shook his head, his hand pressed to his forehead. "Unbelievable," he muttered. Before Hange continued,"I was thinking of hammering them instead, but—"
"Idiot! That doesn't matter right now!" Levi cut her off sharply.
Eren, a hint of tears in his eyes, chimed in, "C'mon, don't be heartless Levi! She's stolen the manhood of our priest here! Our sterile priest! Oh man... I don't know what to say. What... What about the poor kids at the church...."
"Idiot, stop! You're embarrassing yourself," Levi said, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "Whatever, did you get any useful information out of him?"
Hange's expression shifted from playful to serious as she took a seat, signaling everyone to settle down. "I'm afraid I've uncovered the true king of the walls…" she declared, her voice steady but heavy with gravity.
The air thickened, and an uneasy silence fell over the room, shocking everyone into stillness. It felt as if the very walls were holding their breath, waiting for the revelation that could change everything.