ruminations | what’s the gravity upon your face

[For any of their plans to take off without a hitch would be a true miracle.

Eren isn't even supposed to be part of this recon mission. The risk outweighs the reward, apparently. Having come so close to sealing off wall Maria, keeping Eren safely tucked away until that time came had been a priority.

...To nobody except Levi, Hanji, Mikasa -- okay, a few people, but there's absolutely no way Eren could sit around idly while Jean -- Jean and a few other miscellaneous comrades, were snatched out from beneath their noses just before they were to retreat and begin preparations for the next mission. The culprits were easy to identify, not on a personal level, and not without the assistance of Levi and company. MP stragglers; rebels, if the title fits. It took a span of a few days to locate their base. Somewhat isolated, surrounded by trees, for the most part. A building that could have easily been written off as abandoned, which is why it made for the perfect hideaway. Spies were placed, and were quickly able to deduce what the fortress was being used for. Crawling with MP residue -- if this weren't where the prisoners were being held, surely these individuals would be able to provide some insight, or be a liable exchange in the future.

It was only after a long -- several long arguments that Eren was allowed onboard. Tactics were devised and the use of smokescreens would be employed for this mission, much like the last. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The idea was to head below ground where the prisoners would theoretically be being kept. Cellars are ideal for such things, as they tend to be the most secure spot of any fortress.

Beyond the building, conditions were less than ideal to start with. It was raining, but not in a way that would hamper communication or sight. Not yet, anyway. Eren's poised to the side of the castle, propped high in a tree with his hood up, meant to conceal his identity for the most part. Part A of the plan's already been initiated, as the first string of the recon team's entered the building through windows and chimney-like cavities. He's meant to wait just a bit longer...long enough for the smoke to do it's job and disperse. It sucks, but waiting a little longer won't kill him at this point.]

[How did he get into this situation? Jean hardly considered himself a rookie anymore but somehow he'd managed to get kidnapped along with a few others from the Survey Corps, snatched up like they were helpless children. It was kind of embarrassing and infuriating, especially when he realized who their captives were. The MP used to be his ideal and now he could hardly look at them with any shred of respect, even if this group happened to be isolated from the actual military.

He had no sense of time locked up in the cellar of the musky, old fortress, though Jean supposed at least their captors were "kind" enough to give them water every once in a while. Apparently, they didn't actually want to kill them. Yet. There had been plenty of struggle and frustration at first, Jean even attempting to rile up the others enough to fight back, but they were simply too unarmed and outnumbered to make a difference. It didn't mean Jean didn't try though, even if all on his own. A few poorly executed plans eventually led to him sporting many fresh cuts and bruises of his own. Assholes.

It was soon obvious that lack of sleep and proper nutrition were taking its toll on all of them. Jean couldn't find the fight in him after, what, two or three days? He had no idea. He wouldn't give up hope that they'd be found though. How many times had he gone on rescue missions to find others, especially Eren?

Eren... He hoped the idiot would keep his cool.

He was trying his hardest to ignore the snoring of one of his fellow Corps members - how the hell was he asleep? - because Jean could have sworn he heard... movement. It wasn't odd for some of the MP traitors to come down and check that they were all "behaving" but this was different. It almost sounded like a struggle. Shaking the annoying kid next to him awake, Jean rudely shushed him before standing up and pressing his ear to the nearest stone wall, despite his feet being chained to a ring in the wall. He could just barely make out frantic voices and the telltale thuds of fighting, hoping to all gods that it was people fighting people and not titans.]

[Waiting to be implemented feels like eons. Eren has to keep reminding himself he's lucky to even be involved, lucky they're not treating him like an indispensable porcelain doll. Yes, he's aware of how significant he is for the next step of the plan, but his other abilities shouldn't be undermined for it. Especially where he absolutely can't fuck this up. Naturally, he's still the only one who's aware of just how important Jean is to him, which likely works in his favor. For whatever reason, he can only imagine the reveal of their status together -- their relationship will only garner a negative reaction...

But yeah, he's past that. And when the time finally comes, Eren enters from one of the windows -- smashing through it with the toe of his boots, shielding his face from the shattering glass with crossed arms. His landing is somewhat clumsy, swinging backward on his ass before he can get his wits about him.

Which is fantastic, after internalizing just how serious and on the ball he's gotta be here.

But it's fine. There doesn't look to be anyone in the immediate area. There's a definite panic within the fortress, though. Nearby footfalls rushing past, indiscriminate shouting about a breach. Eren gathers himself up and presses himself to the wall adjacent to the room's only apparent exit, attempting to eavesdrop rather than hide...but he quickly decides there's not a thing worth listening for, just more shouting. Shouting about gathering soldiers by the main entrance, not allowing the intruders to infiltrate the first floor.

...Which he supposes is something after all. They're either hiding prisoners beneath there or something just as important. He tugs the collar of his shirt up over his mouth and nose as a precaution, then pops the door open. The act doesn't amass much attention at all, so from there he plunges into the chaos, seeking out a stairwell of sorts. It's a pain in the ass, considering the mess of fog they've created, but stairs tend to be located along the outer perimeter of these places -- exactly where Eren's treading.]

[Jean tries to keep his cool and not be so damn frustrated that none of them know what's going on, but it's difficult. He hates being in the dark about his own fate and while he trusts the others to come find them... he feels restless.

He's oblivious to most of what is happening on the outside. Renegade MP clamber about in a panic to prevent the others from finding the prisoners. One young man is on his way to the cellar right then and there, not knowing Eren has found his way to the staircase as well, so when they run into one another...

Well. What else can he do but defend himself? He may be a soldier but it's no secret that the Military Police hardly ever practices what they learned in training. That doesn't stop him from pursuing Eren anyway, running down to his level in a panic, completely intend on aiming a punch square in the shifter's jaw.]

[Welcome to the Damsel in Distress life, Jean.

Eren hadn't planned on coming so far undetected. He was anticipating something from the getgo. The Military Police were a sloppy bunch, but not to be underestimated. Hell, they managed to capture some of their guys. It's a definite pain in the ass, though, trying to keep his identity under wraps while keeping his wits about him.

When a sole figure comes up on him -- practically in his face, the blinders of his cloak aren't much of an issue at all, fortunately enough. He's too late to try and catch the guy's wrist, but he manages to sway just out of that punches trajectory, bounding forward instead to...tackle the guy...down the stairs, which is a dumb fucking idea in immediate hindsight.

But fighting on the stairs??? There's no way either of them would come out of this unscathed. Eren didn't have to tackle the guy, but it's what came to mind.]

[This guy didn't realize how fucked he was fighting Eren of all people. Hell, he didn't even know he was fighting him until the topple down the stairs, landing with Eren pinning him and finally seeing his face. His ribs ached, dizzy, and a bit scared, yet like the idiot he was he pursued.]

How did you find us?! [He practically shrieks, grabbing Eren by the shoulder and aiming to shove him off, scrambling to get away now.]

[Eren ends up ontop of the poor kid in the end, just as planned, but it's not complete without a bit of a tumble and some scraped knuckles. It's dizzying for all of a second, and Eren's quick to seize the dude by his wrists.]

Where'd you put them?!

[He barks the question out, answering questions with more questions as per progressive order. He squeezes probably-too-firmly, trying to piece a few things together; there's likely a door that leads to the basement, especially if it's just used to keep prisoners or documents safe. The staircase ends where they've landed, after all. There could also be a trapdoor of sorts somewhere...]

As if I'd tell you, you monster!

[Okay, maybe it's a low blow but the kid is barely older than Eren and full of his own rage (and fear). He struggles beneath Eren's advantageous efforts, feeling the ache where he presses too hard.]

You'll have to kill me before I let you find them. The Corps is nothing but trouble!

[With that, he pulls up a leg and knees Eren sharp in the side, hoping to surprise him enough to loosen his grip.]

[Fact: Eren's fairly good at killing people, but he's not about to Levi-out on this kid just because he's opposition. He doesn't feel as if his life's in danger right now, nor does it feel this kid's even capable of anything like that. The comment does catch him off guard -- just a bit. He's had his own qualms over his existence and at this point, if he hadn't come to terms with being a monster, he'd have been slacking in more than a few ways.

When he's kicked, he's kicked. The reacton's instantaneous and Eren essentially rolls off the kid with a groan. God dammit, he doesn't need a cheat sheet to find his boyfriend, then.

In any case, his foe's free to take off now, or attack him?! Eren's just sitting there on his knees, looking awfully heated and clutching his side.]

[Ignoring the aches and sharp pains from that tumble, the MP gets up and holds his side, ribs surely bruised if not fractured. He's about to run away but looks at Eren as he is... kneeling and taken aback for that moment, weak and vulnerable.

And oh look, the MP is an asshole, because rather than just make a break for it he attacks Eren again, kicking him hard across the middle before Eren can even see it coming.]

[Clearly he lingered a moment too long. Attribute it to the fact that he's got his 3dmg as well as his blades (which were only there as a precaution) still attached to his body or any other convenient excuse, but Eren ends up very easily kicked and topples over as a result. A couple of blades slip out from their sheath, and rather than making a motion to retrieve them, Eren uses the nearest wall as a means of regaining his posture.]

My bad, I thought I could smell piss, but I guess that's just how you guys smell nowadays.

[His chest and side still ache some -- nothing can be broken, though...titan #lifehacks, but he's not immune to feeling pain. He releases his blades from his hips, then, their containers making a loud clanking noise as they collide with the ground and from there, he moves to clear the distance between himself and the MP, looking as though he's about to nail him in the jaw, but he swings a leg out to knock him off his feet instead.

After consistently having your ass handed to you during training and thensome, recovery time becomes swifter.]

[For a brief, foolish moment the MP contemplates going for the blades and using them to his advantage somehow, but before he can even formulate a way to get around Eren... the shifter is up and giving him the scariest glare the MP has seen from a teenager his age.

Still, he tries to act like he's not scared, even though he's about to pee his pants, raising his fists in a lame attempt to defend himself. The bluff works and as the teen swings out to knock Eren in the face once more, he loses his balance with a painful hit to his legs, knocked over in an instant. In the stairwell, the small space comes to Eren's advantage, though unfortunate for the MP as he hits his head on the stone wall and is effectively knocked out.

Too easy.

Meanwhile, Jean's still stuck in the cellar with no one coming to check on them, though he's sure there's at least one "soldier" stationed outside the door. He curses as he hears more frantic voices but can't do anything about it, helplessly looking around as if he can figure out a way to at least get these damn chains off their feet... like he's been doing since they were captured.]

[That poor motherfucker.

He's lucky he ran into Eren and not someone more hellbent on revenge. Once Eren confirms a full knock out, he searches the MP for keys of any sort, but isn't able to locate anything worthwhile at all. No keys, no traces of evidence, nada. He mumbles something unpleasant to himself before taking off; there's only one adjoining hallway, reinforcing the idea of basements being used for prisoners as they're rather compact. He should have retrieved his blades, probably, but he's beyond that now and fast approaching guard numero two, negligent in pulling his hood up again as he nears the spot.

It's a shitty disguise in the first place, dangit.]

[The guard doesn't seem to notice Eren at first, zoning out oh-so-responsibly, but when his footsteps get closer she looks his way, does a double-take, and then pulls out a blade from her own 3dmg... which definitely should not belong to her anymore.]

Hold it! What are you doing down here, soldier?

[Ah... she doesn't recognize him in the dark. Even the rebel MP are useless, aren't they?]

[To that...he doesn't answer. There's no point in giving away his location when he's suddenly found an unfair advantage. Even ahead of her talking, the sound of her blade was enough to clue him in on her location. He goes as far as to hold his breath, taking several decisive, quick steps ahead to shove an arm across her chest as a way of immobilizing her -- it's a piss-poor idea but it's only meant to last a second.

...Because he dips in further to headbutt her in the same motion, just about. He just didn't want to accidentally skewer himself in the process of trying to knock guard #2 out.]

You- [Before she can even finish she's attacked, screaming in surprise, only to be headbutted and thoroughly disoriented. She holds her head, blade dropping, and leans against the nearby wall, her vision spinning even in the dim lighting.

If Eren keeps going, he'd headed in the right direction. You'd think there would be more security near the prisoners, wouldn't you?]

[Should he even bother taking it a step further? He squints through the darkness, trying his damnedest to have a looksee at her, but he hasn't quite developed catlike nightvision. He just proceeds onward, confident he's been on the right path. Worst case scenario: he'll hit a dead end and have to retrace his steps.

He's moving -- running, trying to make space between himself and the last guard.]

Jean?! Hey, Jean-?!

[Partially so that he can be reckless and shout out like that, revealing his location in favor of a short cut; this is how echolocation works.]

[She's still in a daze and her head is pounding as Eren runs off, though once she regains most of her balance, she's chasing him down the hall.]

You! Stop! [She isn't as fast though, far behind, the echo of his voice confusing in the dark, but she still takes chase.

At the end of the hall is a door, heavily latched and guarded, and on the other side, Jean can swear he hears someone who sounds eerily like his boyfriend. Although he's hungry, dehydrated, and exhausted, he perks up at the sound, heart racing as he gets on his feet again and extends as close as he can to the door.]

In here! We're in here! [He can hardly yell, his voice strained, but he tries his damnest to be loud, some of the others chiming in.

Please tell me he isn't the only one who came to save our asses.]

[That distant You! Stop! -- no thanks. He'll ignore that and continue on his way, squinting at what he assumes to be doors on either side of him; he pauses to knock on them, but the depth of the resulting echo doesnt connote a large space. He progresses on until he hears...

Jean? Definitely Jean. He may've hit his head, but he refuses to believe that this is a figment of impatience. He dashes ahead to yet another door, wasting no time in simultaneously trying the knob while slamming into it.]

Jean?!

[He shouts into the small crevice between the doorframe. Listen to him playing favorites...]

Is there a key?!

[They may have problems otherwise...]

[Relief and panic hit him at once, wondering how Eren will manage to get them out of there. He can't hear any other voices or feet...]

Probably on the guard outside. How'd you get past them?!

Which one?!

[It's an automatic response, though he's already searched the first one he ran into. Must've been the second one...

Just his luck. Jean's question goes unanswered as he decides to employ the use of his 3dmg, swinging directly into the ceiling above like some spiderman shit. He's just gonna bide his time and wait for the guard to come strolling along -- she must be trying to get here anyway. How else does she intend on stopping him from saving Jean & co without eventually coming onto the scene?]

How should I know?!

[It's out of frustration that he yells back, feeling an adrenaline rush at the thought of getting out at last. When Eren goes silent again though Jean curses, running a hand through his hair and wincing at the pain in his scalp from where he was manhandled just a day ago.

He was about to yell out something else when he heard frantic footsteps quickly running closer to the door. That wasn't Eren, was it? Sounded lighter, someone with shorter legs than him, the telltale jingling of 3dmg paired with her footsteps.

It was the guard from before, head throbbing and dizzy but determined. She knows Eren came down this way but he's nowhere to be seen, and with a frustrated curse she goes to unlock the door and check on the prisoners. They're being too quiet.]

[Eren's like a fucking bat in wait. He'll have to high five Jean later on about knowing when to shut up.

He was tempted to jump the guard upon her arrival, but her taking the initiative to unlock the door? That's one less step for him. He waits, counting out the seconds in his mind. It's only after the door's been opened a crack that he decides to dismount from his ceiling of a perch, purposefully landing with a heavy foot...meant to grab her attention, of course. Sneak attacks from behind are especially rude.

But since she knows he's there now, or should, he has no qualms about slamming the door shut and using it to his advantage..wherein he grabs her by her hair and slams her face right into it.]

[When the door begins to unlock Jean's in complete guarded mode. He almost thinks it's Eren but doesn't try to be too hopeful. Before he can think on it too hard though, he hears the loud thump and crack, the door shutting again with force. He panics, fists up (as if he can do anything from there) but the others follow suit with their wariness, heart pounding as he waits to see who will emerge.

Eren better be okay or he's going to really go mental.]

[It's not until he's certain he's knocked this guard out that he decides to move onward with the plan. By the time he emerges, alone, from behind that door..he's got some keys in hand and looks relatively unharmed. His knuckles were bloody moments ago, but that's long-since healed. Jean may not have been the only captive in the room, but his eyes naturally fall to him first and foremost.

...And shit, while he looks prepared to fight, he also looks like he's been manhandled quite a bit. Maybe its the piss-poor lighting, but only so much can be attributed to something like that.

He clenches the keys in a fist and shakes his head. He'll...he'll fuss about it later. Right now he should get to freeing his comrades...which is something he's doing indiscriminately.

Meaning, he's not starting with Jean at all. After fumbling with the keys/trying to figure out which goes where, he's totally freeing the others first.]

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