Chapter Text
She ran, racing for the edge of the forest and the plains that lay just beyond, offering freedom and safety. She could hear her pursuers edging ever closer, hot breath and the snap of fangs on her heel. With a low growl she kicked back, sending a spray of dirt up into the other wolf’s face. He yelped in surprise and fell back, shaking and snorting, before returning to the chase with renewed vigor. The rest of the pack wasn’t far behind- their howls and barks only growing louder as she broke through the final line of brambles and stumbled out into the open.
The sun was bright, shining directly overhead, and the wind sent waves across the long grass. In the distance stood the Wall, an out-of-place grey stripe in an otherwise wild world. She could smell the stink of Titans already, and could see their lumbering shapes ahead, feel the ground trembling with their footsteps. She hesitated, apprehensive to approach, and as she slowed she lost her balance. Paw caught in a gopher hole she tumbled, hurrying back upright, but it was too late. The heavy body of a wolf crashed into her, and they tumbled into the flowing grass, snarling and snapping at one another. He had her pinned, his fangs clacking together dangerously close to her throat. In a panic, she jerked to the side and caught his ear between her teeth, latching on even as he pulled back, yowling. There was blood on her tongue and, as he jerked and shook his head from side to side, she felt the tear of flesh and she was free, the scrap of his ear still in her mouth. She spat it out, wrinkling her nose, and began running again, sprinting away from the whining wolf as his pack gathered around him, howling their want for revenge. Keeping low, she raced towards the Wall, taking care to give the Titans a wide berth. Being eaten wasn’t her concern- they only went after humans, but being crushed didn’t sound like a pleasant way to go. The grass was taller here, and with the unbearable smell of Titan, she knew that the Pack wouldn’t be able to track her as easily. Her left hind paw was throbbing with every step- she had undoubtedly injured it when she fell, but that was something she could worry about later. A quick glance back revealed several deep punctures. One of them had bitten her. A Titan’s enormous heel came down a bit too close for comfort, and she quickly ducked alongside the Wall, pressing close to the rough concrete. Getting here had been one thing, but now came the difficult part. Finding a way inside.
The Wall towered over the heads of even the tallest of the Titans, and the wolf found herself edging along the concrete hem, keeping close to the stone so as not to be trod on. Most of the giant creatures seemed wholly focused on the structure, clawing at it, as if they could see the humans going about their business inside. She had to admit- they had done an excellent job in keeping the Titans out, as well as other unwelcome guests. She knew that there were gates in the Wall- the humans who ventured out on occasion had to come from somewhere. But no human would allow a wolf inside. She would be shot on sight. It could be just as dangerous in there as taking her chances out in the forest, where the Outer Pack was waiting with sharp fangs and a taste for blood. At least once she was inside, she had a chance to hide.
Snuffling along the ground, she noticed an out-of-place, rusted scrap of metal lying in the grass. The wolf glanced up, and hope welled in her chest. There was an opening, likely some kind of drain, about a foot and a half tall and the same width. The bars had long since rusted away- all that remained was a smear of coppery dust and a few jagged stumps still embedded in the concrete. Pawing at the jagged metal proved that it was, for the most part, fragile, and she could see light coming from the other side. This was her way out- or rather, her way in, depending on how she looked at it. For a moment, she hesitated, but a loud chorus of howls from out in the plains gave her the final push she needed. With one last regretful look at the forest, she bent down and pushed her head into the opening.
Six inches of muddy, stagnant water covered the sloped floor of the pipe. It soaked through the fur of her belly and made her shiver, but she kept on crawling. The Pack was growing closer- she could hear them growling and barking outside of the tunnel, although she knew that they wouldn’t follow her. No Outer Pack wolf would ever set paw inside the Walls- partly out of disgust and partly out of fear. If hiding wasn’t possible, being around so many humans was a death sentence for them- they would likely leave her to her fate. She reached the halfway point, and caught her first glimpse of the other side. There were no bars there, either, and she huffed in relief. It felt like she was being crushed, like the full weight of the Wall could come tumbling down on her all at once. Taking another deep breath she hurried forward, keeping as low as she could until she reached the other side. Cautiously, she stuck her nose out and inhaled. The scent of human was everywhere, all smoke and cobblestone and garbage. She could hear voices, the clatter of cart wheels, footsteps. Inching forward, she got her first glimpse at the inside of the Wall.
Her little entrance let out behind a line of stone and wooden houses, into a dark alley lined with barrels. A few drooping laundry lines were strung between the buildings, weighed down with clothing, and there were large sacks of leaking garbage piled in a corner. As she pulled herself onto the Inside she shook the water from her fur, giving her injured paw a stretch. It burned, and she instead turned her attention to the garbage. It looked awful, but she hadn’t eaten properly in a couple of days. A few small bones seemed palatable enough, and she made quick work of them, crunching them to splinters and lapping up what little marrow she could. The smell turned her stomach, but she needed the food so badly that the slightly rotten taste didn’t bother her. Hunger slightly abated, she could now focus on where exactly she was. Beyond the small courtyard she had emerged in, she could see the street, and the crowds of humans going about their business. This was dangerous- if any of them spotted her, she would be dead in a matter of minutes. No human would ever mistake her for a dog, and she was trapped here, with nowhere to go but back to the other side. As a gaggle of children ran past, screeching in a way that made her ears twitch, she considered taking her chances Outside. But at least in here, survival was possible. Out there, she had no doubts that the Outer Pack would turn her to bones in a matter of minutes.
A gust of wind plucked one of the shirts from the laundry line above and sent it fluttering down to the cobbles, where she sniffed at it. It reeked of human, but it would have to do. Ignoring the pain in her hind leg, the wolf crept into the alleyway and snatched one of the pairs of trousers hanging low on the line, hastily retreating into the shadows. For a moment she stood, frozen, panting and praying that no one had spotted her. There were no screams, no hurried footsteps- it seemed that she was safe. But she wouldn’t be, not for long. Dropping the clothing on the ground, she shook her head and stretched her front legs out in front of her. Biting back a wince, she closed her eyes as her fur began to recede, claws and paws shrinking into hands, toes, and nails. As her hind legs rotated about and her knees clicked in protest, she got to her feet, wobbling slightly. The wind blowing down the narrow tunnel of the alley made her shiver, raising goosebumps on her now-bare skin. She missed the warmth of her thick pelt already- but wearing that here was as good as laying her own head on the chopping block. Struggling into the trousers, she found them far too large for her and the shirt was more like a sack. But it put a layer between her flesh and the chill, for which she was grateful.
After a few minutes stumbling around her hiding place, she felt confident enough on her two feet to venture out into the streets. It had been so long since she last walked like this… And she had never been so close to so many people before. As she made her way out of the alley, she realized how strange she must look- wide eyes, holding her clothing to herself, with no shoes or sense of direction to speak of. Even if she did look human, she would still stand out like a sore thumb. Still. Her chances were better in here, amongst these people, than out there. Surely there must be others like her, wolves within the Walls, who could help. She couldn’t be the only one who chose this place as their haven when the Outer Pack came calling.
Lost in thought as she was, she didn’t realize that she had wandered out of the alley, and she was instantly swept up by the crowd. People glared at her as she bounced off them, eyes whipping this way and that, searching for anywhere to hide, to run. It was too much, too much sound and sight. One older man shoved her, cursing as she trod on his shoes and stumbled away with inaudible apologies. She fell back onto a stoop, arms wrapped around her knees, shivering. She couldn’t do this- they were going to find out, and then she would be dead. Her ankle was throbbing, maybe even broken. Sudden, sharp footsteps made her heart leap into her throat, and she curled into a tighter ball as a shadow fell over her.
“Are you alright?” There was a hand on her shoulder, and the girl stared up into a pair of concerned, brown eyes behind fingerprint dusted spectacles. She recoiled. The woman looking down at her was wearing the same tan jacket and riding boots that the soldiers wore- the ones who dared to venture beyond the Walls. “Are you lost? Have you hurt yourself?”
“I… I’m f-fine.” She managed a response. The woman seemed very unconvinced, and she glanced at her ankle, which was starting to swell and bruise. “Just t-tripped.” Two more soldiers jogged up behind the woman, both of them men.
“What’s going on, Hanji?” One of them, a blonde with intense hazel eyes asked. Hanji waved him away.
“I’ll handle this. Why don’t you head on back, Mike? I won’t be long.” He shrugged, but wandered off, casting curious glances over his shoulder. Hanji crouched down in front of the girl, one eyebrow raised. “You can’t just leave that. It’ll get infected. Besides…” she grabbed her ankle, lifting it to expose the punctures in her calf. The girl winced- it was obvious that those didn’t come from a fall. “You should get these cleaned up.”
“It’s fine!” she jerked her foot away, biting back a whimper as hot pain shot up her leg. Hanji frowned and edged closer, backing the girl up against the wall.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” she asked. The girl’s breath caught in her throat. She knew.“It’s alright! I can help you.” Hanji dropped her glasses down her nose, and her brown eyes momentarily winked a bright amber. “You aren’t safe out here. Come with me.” Straightening up, she offered a hand. She hesitated, but Hanji just smiled and waited until she gingerly got to her feet and accepted the support.
“Who are you?” she whispered as they began to make their way down the street, only slightly hampered by her limited movement.
“The name’s Zoe Hanji. I’m a soldier in the Survey Corps… And I have a feeling we’re more alike than you would think.” She practically lifted the girl off the ground and walked faster. “What’s your name?”
“Shira.”
“Well, it’s a pleasure, Shira. You got anywhere to go?” The way that Hanji was looking at her told Shira that she already knew the answer.
“No. I’m… I’m on my own.” An understanding nod, and Hanji gave her shoulder a squeeze.
“Well then, come with me.” She said. “The Corps is rough, and not everyone is cut out to be a soldier… But something tells me that you’ll fit right in.” They had caught up with the other soldiers, and the one named Mike gave Hanji a quizzical look as she lifted Shira into the wagon and hopped up beside her. “Don’t worry about them. I’m not the only one. If you want to… You can join my Pack.”