Chapter Text
The ocean and its flattery expands through powerful waves and unseen currents, claiming anything that falls into its clutches. Various sea creatures and ocean life reside beneath the deep green waves, carrying out their lives as the natural order would have it. The large creatures feed on the small, they reproduce, they live, and then eventually they die. It's a simple cycle, but one that contains much importance.
Beautiful coral reefs and seaweed forests provide shelter for the diverse ecosystems and its inhabitants, while other creatures thrive in open, bottomless waters. However, one of these inhabitants is horribly, painfully out of place.
Deep at the bottom of a kelp forest untouched by man lies a gargantuan of a being. He lies lifelessly nearly sixty meters below the ocean's surface, partially hidden by a layer of sediment that is to be expected after staying dormant for two hundred years. Long, green kelp stems that contrast against the teals of the ocean sway left and right above his head, acting as direct lines to the aggressive waves above.
Emerald eyes flicker open, face emotionless for mere moments. The saltiness of the water doesn't seem to irritate his corneas, either that or he's too drowsy to care for the sting. His head feels clouded as if blanketed with a layer of seafoam, and he's unsure if he has slept for two hours or two thousand years. Before the being can assess his surroundings, a small, silver scaled creature flits across his vision, completely capturing his attention. His greens follow every movement of the small fish as it innocently swims in quick, fluent movements above the complexion of the fifteen-meter titan. He strains his head back as the fish begins swimming through his brunette locks, mistaking them for reeds.
When the small fish doesn't abandon his hair, assumingly having taken shelter in it, Rogue averts his gaze towards the warm rays of sunlight sifting through the water's surface far above. Despite being asleep for two hundred years, his body is drained and weak. His skin desperately absorbs the small amount of sunlight that's able to reach him. Quite a few things are apparent from the moment he woke up. He's underwater for some unknown reason. Because of that, he can't breathe. However, titans don't necessarily need to breathe to survive. His body feels murky, the soupy layers of sediment surrounding him making him desperately want to clean himself.
His eyes observe the swaying Kelp reeds in wonder, watching as their color eventually morphs to yellow as they get closer to the sunlight. Small colonies of similar fish and colorful seahorses dart in between the seaweed beds that surround his body.
He notices that his normally heated body is cooler than usual. Due to not breathing (which acts as temperature regulation for his species) and being in the depths of rather cold body of water, it's not much of a surprise. He'd sigh if he was able to. Rogue tries to recall how he got here and where he was last. However, his memory is in shambles. He doesn't remember even being near the ocean's edge, let alone drowning. He isn't sure how long he's been down here, but he knows luck isn't necessarily on his side.
knowing what has to be done, Rogue tenses his abdomen and upper muscles, slowly maneuvering his body into a sitting position. At the sudden movement, the small silver fish from earlier darts from his hair and swims off to an unknown destination. Multiple sea horses around him that resided in the seaweed beds flitter away as well. Rogue then crosses his aching legs and places his arms in his lap, taking his time to observe the peaceful scenery around him.
As much as he'd like to admire the unknown kelp forest, he knows that he's been down here for far too long. With one last glance at the rippling surface of the water, he extends his legs and stands upward, the pressure of the water slightly throwing him off balance. He then pushes off the sediment with his feet, a titan-sized crater being left in his midst. His massive form disturbs the currents and kelp colonies around him. He kicks his legs, propelling himself upward while shaking his head to rid his hair of sand and soil.
It doesn't take him very long to reach the surface. He claws upwards with outstretched arms until his head breaches the water. He's a coughing, choking fit when he manages to finally rid his lungs of ocean. It pours out of his mouth like a waterfall, leaving a salty flavor on his tongue. He struggles to tread water, not having done it very much in his past, but manages to get a steady grasp on the action.
Tendrils of kelp brush across his limbs as he maneuvers them back and forth. Breathing heavily with irritated lungs, he takes time to properly observe his surroundings. Judging by the position of the sun, it's late afternoon. As unideal as that is, Rogue's thankful to have gotten some sunlight before nightfall, even if it wasn't much. Various seagulls soar elegantly above him and the ocean's waves. A light, frothy foam coats the top of the soft waves around his figure, the water tinted green with the sunlight's angle and the high amount of plankton in the kelp forest below.
However, none of these beautiful factors fully catch his attention. What does, is something completely different. Off in the far distance, the very, very, far distance, he catches sight of land. Not only land, but a beach. One that is populated by tiny specs he can only assume are humans.
Rogue is familiar with humans, after all, he'd interacted with them in his past. Although he isn't sure how long he's been hidden beneath the ocean, humans are always humans, right? They can't have changed that much... He remembers having a considerably good reputation with the humans of his time, as he joined forces with them to eliminate titans and whatnot. He had gained the trust of nearly the entire population of the humans living within the walls and had made quite a name for himself, too. They would call him 'The Rogue Titan,' a name he had become familiar with.
A slight guilt and remorse pools in his gut at the comrades he'd left behind. He had vowed and successfully eliminated the majority of the titan population with them, only to abandon them at the bottom of the ocean. They had been left alone, with what Rogue assumed was no trace of where he had gone. He hoped it didn't look like he abandoned them. Perhaps it wasn't too late? For all he knows, he could have only been asleep for a few years. They could still be alive!
If Rogue were to be fully honest, he doesn't remember the full extent of their situation before he fell unconscious. He can't be certain whether or not they had succeeded in getting rid of the titans, most of it's completely a blur. Nonetheless, that's no reason to stay treading water in the ocean for longer than one must.
His garish features light up in relief at the sight of humans in the distance. They don't seem to have noticed him yet, but he's glad to have some available company. He's sure that if he'd ask them what year it was and their current location. By the looks of the unfamiliar palm trees and plant life, he doesn't seem to be anywhere near home. Speaking of unfamiliarity-
Rogue nearly chokes when he sees the area behind the beachline. Although he isn't close enough to make out details, the man-made buildings are certainly nothing like what he's used to. Instead of one, two, or three-story buildings crafted from stone, brick, and wood, there are minimalistically structured buildings made from what appears to be steel and glass. They practically sparkle beneath the sun, and he's sure that if he were to stand in between the buildings they would undoubtedly tower stories above him. At the sight, Rogue realizes that a lot has changed while he had last been conscious, and his hopes suddenly falter.
If it's been long enough for humans to develop impressive architecture like this, how will they react to him? He knows that humans would of course be frightened if a fifteen-meter titan with elf-like ears, exposed lipless teeth and a serrated jaw rose out of the ocean without warning. He was banking on the idea that they would at least recognize him or his name, but judging by the extreme difference in landscapes, that chance is slim.
Unsure of what to do, Rogue decides to begin swimming towards the shore. Approaching the humans is worth a try, right? After all, he has nowhere else to go.
Holding his breath and diving back beneath the waves, he begins maneuvering through the water with powerful strokes and strides. The water and kelp reeds around him ripple at the exerted force, making his presence fairly obvious to an underwater bystander. At the continued movement, Rogue realizes that his limbs are far more tired than he had previously thought from treading water for such a long time. He concludes that it would simply be easier to walk along the ocean floor.
Letting his body go slack, Rogue gradually begins to sink to the bottom of the kelp forest. His vibrant eyes wander left and right as he sinks, his curiosity not allowing anything unfamiliar or foreign that crosses his vision to escape without a thorough examination.
It's not long before Rogue hits the sandy floor, his figure stirring up a cloud of sandy water. He then plants his feet firmly, digging his clawed toes into the earth before walking forward. He'll admit that walking underwater is much more difficult than walking on land, but his arms no longer feel strained and overused. Besides, he doesn't mind the excuse to observe every type of fish, sea horse, or seal that he comes across, the latter of which hesitantly approaching his large frame to rub against him curiously.
He hadn't gotten the chance to observe the ocean this thoroughly when he was associated with the scouts. Even when they did finally reach the ocean, he never swam this far away from the nearest shore. To say he was intrigued would be an understatement.
Suddenly, a flicker of bright red crosses his vision, painfully sticking out from the green and teal background. Excitement bubbles in Rogue's chest as the thought of finding yet another vibrant sea creature comes to mind. Not wasting a second, he crouches down to the ocean floor before extending his legs in a powerful kick, propelling him towards where he last saw the burst of color.
His eyes eagerly scan his surroundings, efficiently peaking around every wild kelp cluster he passes. When he finally sees the flicker of red cross his vision for a second time, he nearly misses it due to how fast he's swimming. Placing his feet in front of him as a way to gain friction against the sandy floor, he stirs up an aggressive cloud of sediment. Turning around as fast as he can underwater, he comes in contact with the red sea creature. In fact, the creature isn't just red, it's red and black.
In fact- something about this sea creature doesn't feel right.
The delayed realization that the creature floating in the water before him is in fact not a sea creature at all hits him full force. This, no- this human, dressed in a black and red body-suit that seems to be equipped with two large tanks and extended webbed feet is somehow this deep underwater. If Rogue could remember properly, humans need to breathe to live, and they certainly cannot breathe underwater. He's also never seen a human wear this vibrant of a color or such gear like the one before him.
It also seems that he's not the only one in shock at the encounter.
The diver finds himself frozen in place, his muscles and ligaments refusing to move an inch at the sight of the unimaginable being standing mere feet from him. The fifteen-meter, oddly humanoid, green-eyed and horrifying giant before him stares with wide eyes as if he's the one who should be struck with fear. Or- perhaps the eyes are wide with something else. Possibly hunger. He doesn’t want to stay and find out. The diver can hardly conjure up the force to breathe the oxygen from his tank as he makes eye contact with the behemoth through his goggles.
The emerald eyes are so intimidating that they seem to be tearing through his very form. The diver, on pure instinct, turns and bolts away as fast as his flippers allow him. At the sight of the retreating human, Rogue blinks from his genuine surprise and begins following in pursuit, wanting the human to understand that he's a friend. This might not have been the best idea, because as soon as the human peers over his shoulder a large amount of bubbles leaves his mask and he releases a muffled scream, legs pumping harder than ever.
Rogue desperately wants to call out to him and show him that he can speak, to prove that he means no harm. However, the fact that he's underwater prevents him from doing so. He contemplates simply leaving the human be, but for a titan whose been alone for two hundred years, he's extremely lonely. Due to Rogue's massive form and powerful muscles, he gains on the human within a few seconds. Carefully opening his palm and sweeping it beneath the smaller creature, he cradles the being in his hand. He cups his hands and holds them at a reasonable distance from his face just so the human doesn't get the wrong message.
However, his attempt to be submissive and unprovoking seems to go unnoticed as the human in his palm suddenly stills. Blinking in confusion, Rogue observes the human's slacked head and limp arms, raising a finger to poke at the minuscule body to get its attention.
Sudden fear strikes into Rogue's heart. Did he accidentally kill the human? Nearing his face closer to the male, he catches sight of a fair amount of bubbles escaping the mask on the human's face, indicating that he's still breathing. In addition, a steady rise and fall can be seen on the human's chest.
Rogue would exhale a relieved sigh if he could, however, he's still underwater. To express his relief, his gaze softens and his shoulders relax.
His stability is short-lived as he hears yet another muffled scream originating from his left. His gaze is quickly pulled to a similarly dressed human, with the exception of the red pattern now swapped for lime green. The second human male reacts in a similar fashion as the first, except this time, it's gaze is focused on the limp red human in his palm. Rogue looks at the unconscious body and then back at the human, a nervous expression on his face.
As expected, the human is terrified by the display of his life-long friend in the grasp of the giant being, and turns on his heels, swimming at full speed towards where he came from. The beach.
This isn't good. Rogue scolds himself, wishing he had just left the human alone after first coming across him. Now, to the bystander, it looks as though he killed the small being or something repulsive, and the lime green human is probably heading off to the shore to warn the other humans about him.
It wouldn't do much help to try to stop the human, either. With a regretful glance in the direction that the human disappeared to, Rogue hesitantly follows him, this time keeping a steady pace. During his long, eventless walk across the ocean floor Rogue makes sure to keep his eyes on the small human in his palm, checking every few seconds to see if he's still breathing. To him, the most important thing at the moment is getting the human male safely to shore- somewhere where other humans can help him.
It's not highly noticeable at first, but ever so slowly the ocean floor begins to tilt upwards while the amount of kelp surrounding him begins to decrease. Of course, Rogue rightfully takes this as a sign that he's nearing the shore.
He internally comforts the small life-form in his palm, wishing he had a way of telling him he'll be alright in a few minutes. The brunette titan keeps his gaze fixated on the nearing surface, the teal water glistening with sunlight. He knows that once he breaches the water's line, there's most likely going to be an uproar of shock from the population on the beach. All he can do is try to present himself as unthreatening as possible- which admittedly is difficult for a fifteen-meter titan.
By now there is no kelp in sight. All that remains is a blurry, sandy floor, a blue background surrounding him, and a salty tang in his mouth. That, and the unconscious diver in the titan's hand. Anxiety pricks in Rogue's chest as the surface of the water gets closer and closer, his legs refusing to stop even once while walking up the slope. Small, striped fish of the yellow, blue and white variety dance around his feet.
He feels sluggish, the force of the water pushing against him making him feel even weaker than he already is. The sooner he comes intact with direct sunlight, the better.
There a small moment, just before the tip of Rogues hair touches the surface of the ocean, when Rogue stops. He stands just an inch beneath the water's surface, and the outside world that he knows virtually nothing about. Anything could be waiting for him out there. However, as he realized before, he doesn't exactly have a choice. Staying buried beneath the sands of the ocean would do him no good.
Move. He commands himself. And he does.
Taking another step up the soft slope of underwater sand, he feels the top of his head breach the waterline. He takes yet another step and doesn't stop until nearly his entire head is above the surface. Warm, tropical air hits his skin feverishly, a light salty scent enveloping his senses. His eyes dilate at the sight before him. Although he's far closer to the beach than he was before, the shoreline is still a considerable distance away. Of course, he's close enough for a human to notice him if they were to look closely.
Not wanting to waste any more time and risk the wellbeing of the helpless diver, he continues his journey forward. He takes powerful stride, his body slowly rising from the depths of the ocean. It doesn't take more than a second for someone to notice him, of course.
"No- you have to believe me! It was huge! And it took my friend, he could be dead right now! We have to call someone-" A diver in a lime-green and black suit exclaims to a lifeguard, his oxygen mask hanging limply at his side and his chest heaving from swimming as fast as he could. His voice wavers sporadically, clearly in a state of panic as if he were about to cry.
"Kid, if you think we're going to believe that crap for more than a second then-"
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" The lifeguard is abruptly interrupted by a civilian on the beach, pointing toward a figure a distance arising from the ocean.
To the horror of many bystanders, a gargantuan of a being emerges from the water, large waves being created from his form. Water cascades down impressive and terrifying muscles that are clearly evident on his body as more and more of him is revealed.
Rogue watches intently, curious to see how the general population of his surroundings reacts to his presence. His ears prick back and forth, detecting the uproar of panic from the beach. His frowns with his eyes (considering that his mouth isn't exactly the best way to show emotion) as the comments spewed from the humans confirm his suspicions.
"Shit! I don't- what!?"
"Oh my GOD-"
"W-what is that!?"
"Jesus Christ! Fucking run!"
And just like that, the calm and sandy landscape is enveloped in panic. Humans scatter left and right, grabbing hold of their children or friends, some not even bothering to grab their personal items and leaving them to waste away in the sand.
"There! See- I told you! That's the thing I saw in the water! Oh my god, it's bigger than I remember-"
"Holy shit- Who fucking cares if what you said was true! What the hell do you think we can do about it! Just-" The blonde lifeguard pushes the panicked diver away from him forcefully and pulls out a walkie-talkie before holding it close to his mouth. "We need- fuck! I- we really need help! Send the entire army, hell, special forces and tanks! We're at Alson beach and there's this like- giant! A giant came out of the ocean and-" The man is cut off for a brief moment before raising his voice to whoever's on the other side of the conversation. "No, I'm not fucking joking! Why would I lie about this, just- we really need help!" He shouts, before releasing the button on the walkie talkie.
"I can't just leave! W-what happened to my friend!? We have to find him, I can't-"
"Son, at this point it would be smart to assume he was eaten, considering the size of that thing! We don't have time for this, just get the hell out of here before whatever happened to your friend happens to you!" And with that, the lifeguard runs for his life towards the end of the beach, leaving the poor diver in his tracks.
The diver's terrified gaze hesitantly shifts towards the towering figure that is now wading through the water that rests below his hips. The being holds his palm in front of him and cradles something within his grasp, which unfortunately is blocked from the view of any bystanders.
Rogue ears droop at the sight of the panic he has brought upon the humans by simply showing up. He wishes that his mere presence didn't cause such reactions. If only the humans didn't make assumptions, there wouldn't be this much chaos. However, he can't exactly blame them. He isn't a sight you'd see every day, and not a friendly one at that.
Rogue forces himself to continue walking towards the beach until he's fully relieved from the water and at his full height. He ignores the overwhelming urge to turn back toward the ocean and hide from the commotion before him. His toes curl into the soft sand, digging craters in their wake. Before he has a chance to determine his next course of action, he is interrupted by a voice from below.
"Give me back my friend!" The green-suited diver screams below him in a fit of rage and courage. "What the hell did you do to him!!" In a rush of adrenaline, the young male aggressively claws a handful of white sand from the beneath him and chucks it at the titan, sand particles spraying everywhere. Although Rogue is surprised by his courage, especially considering how every other member of his species reacted, he can't help but feel upset.
Suppressing the urge to whine, he connects his gaze to the smaller being before him, the latter of which seemingly frozen under his gaze. The diver suddenly realizes his mistake and assumes that he made the giant hostile towards him. Silently cursing himself, he pleads for his body to move, for his legs to run before he's snatched up by a giant hand and shoveled into an oversized jaw. However, his legs don't seem to listen to him, and all he can do it stand still like a deer caught in headlights. His physical form seems to be pinned by the giant's eyes.
To the diver's terror and dismay, the colossal being bends his knees to a crouch, his fleshy leg mere meters away from him. A strangled gasp forces its way from the human's throat as the green-eyed terror places one of its palms in the sand to balance its weight, and leans closer to him. His free palm is held at an odd angle, most likely curled around an object. However, it's contents are hidden from the much shorter human.
He suddenly loses control of his mouth as words begin to spill from him without his consent. "P-please... Please don't- I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean what I said! I didn't mean it! J-just please d-don't... hurt me!" He cries timidly, beginning to feel completely powerless in the close proximity of such a being. At the sorry sight of the green human begging for his life and beginning to hyperventilate, Rogue sighs.
Desperate to get the interaction over with, the brunette titan lowers his palm towards the ground, effectively causing the small human to flinch. He places his curled fist containing the red diver at a reasonable distance from the other, afraid to scare him further. Finally, Rogue opens his palm and gently slides the unconscious diver onto the sand, the minuscule body landing softly with a 'thump'.
At the sight, the human looks as if he's about to faint. However, Rogue can still sense the change in mood. The way the diver's eyes widen. The way his mouth drops and his shoulders relax in complete awe. He stares at the scene playing out before him as if he can't believe it's real. Rogue makes eye contact with the diver for a brief moment before petting the unconscious human lightly with his index finger.
Content with his own actions, Rogue wills himself to stand upright, once again reaching his full height of fifteen meters. From the corner of his eye, he notices the green human fall backward and land on his backside in the sand, staring up at him with his mouth still agape. To Rogue, it's almost amusing, however, he can't afford to stay and conversate- as the humans would call it. He's not sure how advanced human technology has come, but he's willing to try and gain their trust. If this is an entirely new generation, especially one free of titans, he has to be sure that they know he means no harm.
Observing his surroundings, Rogue notes the amazingly tall buildings before him. His eyes dart back and forth in wonder, amazed that such tiny creatures could build this by themselves. Perhaps intelligent titans weren't extinct after all and decided to help the humans build such structures? Rogue pushes the thought away, remembering how the humans had reacted to him. If they were familiar to intelligent titans of any sort, they wouldn't have been so terrified of him... right?
"No! Andy get away from it!" He hears a panicked scream from somewhere on the beach. He averts his eyes to see a preteen girl with her hands cupped around her mouth, a terrified expression plastered on her face. He then notices the golden canine running towards his leg across the sand and barking aggressively. The hairy, yet lean dog sprints towards his foot and leans it's muzzle downward to sniff lightly at his warm skin.
Nearly cooing, an awestruck gaze crosses Rogue's complexion, and his eyes brighten at the unexpected sight. Not bothering to contemplate whether it's a bad idea or not, Rogue crouches down once more to observe the small animal. The dog continues barking, but once it realizes that the titan isn't affected by its yaps, it halts the noises coming from its mouth. Instead, the dog's tail wags vigorously, lifting its muzzle up to meet Rogue's fingertip. Perhaps it's the warmth emanating from his skin, but whatever the reason, the dog begins lapping at his fingertip with its tongue.
A delighted trill leaves Rogue at the dog's quick acceptance. A sudden urge to praise and play with the dog overcomes him, however, he's reminded of where he is by a voice that startles him from his thoughts. "Andy!" Rogue's attention is snatched away by the same girl who had previously called for the golden retriever. She looks frightened as if she doesn't know what to do. It's obvious that she sees the way Rogue is being gentle with the canine, but evident that she still feels threatened for her dog's life.
Sighing, Rogue decides not to stay and waste more time. Looking longingly at the lovely dog by his palm (who is currently wagging its whole body in a means to get Rogue to playfully tussle with him of all things) he strokes one finger along the dogs back, careful to not accidentally hurt it, and then stands up reluctantly. Looking briefly behind him at the ocean, he notices the green diver still staring at him alongside his friend, who is now conscious as well. The two of them seem to be watching for his next move, eyes chained to his form.
After contemplating how oddly the divers seem to be staring at him, he decides that he doesn't blame them. He raises a brow in mock confusion before turning back toward the monstrous city. The dog has now become bored of him and bounded back towards his owner, who hugs him with teary eyes and shaky hands.
The city of tall, glass buildings and concrete pathways with glittering lights awaits before him. It would take a short walk to reach the end of the beach, but he's sure that it'll only be a few steps for his size. He can hear commotion from the beaches edge, no doubt that the general population is already aware of his presence. In the distance, he can hear a loud, wailing, siren-like noise. He isn't sure where it's coming from, but then again, everything is unfamiliar.
If there was a forest nearby, or even a less populated area, Rogue would certainly take that route instead. Swimming back into the ocean and searching for another landmass is out of the question, there's no other landmasses in sight along the blue horizon. He truly has no choice but to venture through the human city and try to find somewhere he can get privacy that isn't sixty meters underwater. Of course, he knows that he'll attract plenty of unwanted attention, and he most certainly won't be welcome there. On the other hand, he is quite curious to see what humans are up to and just what those shiny buildings are made out of.
He decides then and there that his only choice is to go straight through the human city.