AOT SI-Ch.1 (Patreon)

Chapter 2

ERWIN SMITH

It had been quite some time since Erwin Smith had been back to his hometown. The years had done little to change the place, the houses were the same, so were the people, yet he was not the same Erwin who had left this place all those years ago.

Around ten years ago an angry ignorant child had left this place in search of answers, he had joined the basic training and excelled in it, finally joining the Survey Corps to satiate his hunger for answers, doing just as that man had told him to.

In doing so, he got a few answers and theories about what had happened to his father. Realized just who had killed his father and just who Icarus Smith was.

“Are you sure he is here, Captain?” questioned Mike. He was the second in command, a soldier second only to Levi in his abilities.

There had been many who had wished that he be the one to replace Keith Shadis, yet  Mike had never truly ever had much interest in leading and so Erwin Smith had become the new commander of the Survey Corps, and now he believed himself to be ready.

“Yes, he will be here. He promised me as much,” he answered, before he stopped himself infront of a house, one in which he had spent much of his life.

“Why are we stopping Captain?” Nanaba questioned.

“Because this is my House,” he answered as he walked into the room; the two of them, his second and third in command, had accompanied him for one reason: to confirm their own suspicions on just who Icarus Smith was.

They entered the house, and it was as desolate as he had left it, with broken floors and cracked doors. It showed that no one had lived inside it for years, that was until he finally reached a certain room and opened the door.

It was his father’s room, the very room in which Erwin had learned of his suspicion, the very room from where it had all begun.

And there he was.

Standing beside the wall, clad in full military garbs, with a sigil similar to what he himself wore as a member of the Survey Corps.

“I have been waiting for you, Erwin,” he spoke, his voice soft and indulgent as it would be in his youth when he seemed to finally notice the other two beside him.

“You seem to have brought company?” he asked as he looked at the two, and Erwin did not miss how his red eye widened at the sight.

“Yo...” he was speechless, much like the two behind him, who seemed awestruck before.

“You...You were alive...” Nanabe stuttered as her eyes teared up.

And for the first time since he had known him Icarus Smith seemed abashed at the reaction as he rustled his hair.

“..Bu..t..we..thought you died. You stayed behind....stayed to give us all enough time..” she stuttered as Icarus shook his head and gave him a small glare.

“Well, I did tell you, didn’t I,” he began as he looked at Nanaba.

“I am not so easy to kill,” he answered.

“You...You bastard!” Mike uttered from behind him as the two wiped their eyes, and he looked into that red eye.

“So, you seemed to have figured something out, Erwin,” Icarus began, and Erwin smiled.

“I have yet I believe I have grasped nothing but the surface, yet I am the Commander of the Survey Corp, and I believe it is time I have my answers, Icarus,” he began.

“...Or should I call you Orion?” he ventured a guess and saw him still at that word as both Mike and Nanaba turned towards him with curious gazes as well.

“So, you figured that out as well. I must say, you have grown up to be the man I had hoped you would,” and with that, he turned away from him and began to push away the dresser, and it revealed a hidden door.

“Come now, it is time you learn the truth. The truth about who the real enemy is,” and then they began to walk down the stairs, as he felt his heart race.

They walked down a staircase leading up to a small room illuminated by an obscure glinting stone, the likes of which he had not yet seen.

Icarus, or whatever his real name was, then stopped infront of a door, a small trap door behind which he presumed lay a small enough room.

“Be proud, for you are amongst the very few people on this island who are about to learn the truth of this world,” and with the door opened, leading into a small room. And he stepped into it, barely able to contain his curiosity as he stared at the wall laden with books, maps, and trinkets of all sorts.

The room was larger than he had expected and filled with things he had never seen before or some he had only seen in the last few years.

Yet beyond them, at the wall, infront was carved out a map laden with symbols and lines that would make sense to one only trained in the art of topography. Yet this map was not like the ones shown to them in their schools or their plans.

No. This was much larger, much grander, and with much more detail.

“I give you the map of this world,” he began before he pointed towards a small island near the edge of the map.

“And of this grand land mass filled with people of all sorts, we occupy a small portion of this small island,” and he gasped out as he found himself staring at the very truth that had gotten his father killed.

“He was right,” the words left his mouth as he gazed at the map. He saw Icarus meet his gaze as the older man nodded.

“Your father was one of the most intelligent and astute men I have ever had the opportunity to meet,” he told him, sadness evident in his tone.

“I am sorry that I could not stop what became of him, yet do know this, Erwin,” he suddenly added.

“He never blamed you for what happened, not in the slightest. He embraced his end as a loving father...” and Erwin found himself rooted in the ground, the years of guilt and self-loathing gone as Icarus continued.

“...and a man with the full knowledge that his little observation was nothing but the truth.”

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