The Hunt For Truth Begins

[Old Man Leonard]

19:03:27 [Old_Man_Leonard] The city had seen better days. Leonard couldn't help but wish he was a younger man. He couldn't help but wish that age had won out over his will. He had hidden in his basement, which contained all the essentials for a disaster happening, and had waited out the battle that had sounded like the world was ending with his shotgun in hand. The old man now drove his pick up truck through the rubble that was the streets of Nexxian City with a grimace on his face. It had been quite a while, weeks, since the devastation had happened. He had been quick to lock up his food supply before leaving. He was one of the few farms in the desert area. That meant he was likely to be a target. And since those monsters had attacked and stolen his soil and crops, he had upped the security with dogs. Big dogs that he kept fed and made sure knew how to attack and defend. The truck finally pulled up to the compound that belonged to none other than Angelo Zerephan. His brow furrowed at the.....emptiness of it. The rubble that was the --

19:03:34 [Old_Man_Leonard] -- street around the area was worse. It was like a giant monster had stepped through here and ruined the street. But the building itsef was left untouched. Leonard parked the car and, having his pistol holstered in his coat pocket, would step out to head for the entrance. "Hello?" He called out distantly as he entered the office area of the first and only available building of the gated community. His brow continuing to furrow as he regarded everything in the place. It was dusty and, most of all, empty. "What the fuck?" He needed a smoke. It looked like the Detective Agency had up and left the joint for good.

19:34:36 [Jaeger] I should not have left. I should have stayed and if I had, I could have helped! I could have saved more lives that ended up lost! He had no way of knowing if that were true, but Eren could not help but feel like he had let the city and its people down. He felt like he had let the Agency down. In a hurry, Eren sprinted across roof tops along the city, or what was left of it. There were a handful of buildings that were still standing fairly high, though they were smashed to hell upon the top, and Eren used their standing portions to sink the hooks of his 3D maneuver gear into them before shooting past them through the air. Eren's emotions were running high and in his mad rush to get to the Agency's building, the brunet was most likely using up more fuel than he should. But finally it was in sight. Eren's itching trigger finger pulled the trigger once more and gave him another boost of fuel to fly himself over to the building. "Captain!" He called out, not knowing if anyone would possibly still +

19:34:39 [Jaeger] + be here. The building looked untouched, surely someone could be in there. Whether it was to wait for their people to come back, such as Eren, or to pack things up to move shop, there was a chance someone could be still here. "Sune`ere!" Eren touched down onto the ground finally and ran towards the building's entrance. Outside the building was a truck and not one Eren recognized. The young soldier made his way through the main entrance of the Detective Agency, the gear's trigger handles with their blades attached still drawn by his sides. Inside the building he didn't find either of the two he called out for, but instead he found an old man. "Who are you?"

19:44:38 Old_Man_Leonard found himself at a loss of what to do. He had hoped to find out more about what had happened to the city and what had lead to this devastation. The last bit of information he had, had involved him giving details to the Agency about a possible threat in the mountains. Thieves who had stolen his soil and crops he was growing. Had this been his fault? Had he brought this devastation down on the city? Unlikely. The two events might not even have been connected. Leonard paused in his step as he had been moving around the front counter of the Agency office as he heard something in the distance. A scream. A yell for someone of rank. His head turned and he looked back at the doorway now as it was practicaully kicked open in haste. Leonard's eyebrows rose as he brought his hand up into his open coat to grip the holstered pistol he had tucked away. "Could ask you the same thing." He spoke in that gravelly tone. His voice was deep and sounded like gears grinding underneath a car. There was a growl to the way --

19:44:43 [Old_Man_Leonard] -- he spoke. His eyes just regarded the young man with something akin to caution. "What's with the get up? That doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before." He nods to the 3D gear that the boy wore. Leonard was an old man and he may have been out of touch but the gear that this boy had looked more advanced than anything he had seen in his time in the war. Or even present day. "The name's Leonard. I was looking for Zerephan or one of his mook friends to see what all the big hubbub was with the city."

20:45:46 [Jaeger] While the defensive old man stared Eren down, the brunet himself couldn't help but glance around inside the main room they both stood in, trying to get a read on if anyone had been here at all since the attack. From what he could see, most of if not everything was still here. Except for the people. "Jaeger." Carefully, to show he was of no threat to this man, Eren began to put away his blades first, unlatching them from their handles, and then he'd holster the handles away on his person. "Eren Jaeger, Agent of the Detective Agency." He'd look up at the man. "I do not know where everyone is... or what exactly happened here. I was hoping to find that out as well." When his gear was questioned, Eren glanced down at himself for a brief moment before staring back at the old man in front of him. "It's not from this area, no. It helps me get around much faster than by foot and I can fight with it." He'd move a bit closer. "Sir," He'd remember to be respectful, he was dealing with +

20:45:48 [Jaeger] + an elder after all. "You don't have any idea who did this to the city?" There was a small bit of hopefulness in his eyes, but in the back of Eren's mind, he knew the chances were high that he'd get an answer that would help him.

21:05:56 Old_Man_Leonard regarded that boy with the same uncertainty as before. Those blades were a big indicator that this boy was no mere boy. He was a fighter alright but Leonard was always quick on the draw. He had a feeling he could take the punk if need be. But....something also told Leonard that he might not have too. "Agent? But you don't look any older than a kid!" He found it hard to believe that the Agency had used child soldiers for their "cases" but then again who didn't in the Nexxus? He grumbled but, when the boy holstered his blades, Leonard would release the grip of his pistol and relax his posture some. Leonard shook his head as he moved around that front desk until he was at the front of the room by the window. He only nodded along as the other spoke of the gear helping the boy get around much faster than walking or running ever could. He bet his old pick up could beat him in a race. But that wasn't the point of today. "You mean you aint heard?" His head turned and he looked down at the boy with a--

21:06:01 [Old_Man_Leonard] -- look of disbelief on his face. And then, it gave way to something else. Regret and so much more. "I don't know the specifics of what started the battle. But there was a battle here. Thank God you weren't around or you might have ended up like the rest of the dead ones." He moves once again to go around that desk and find a chair to sit in. The old man had a cigarette out and was lighting it up by the time he sat down. "I've heard so many different things. Maybe they're different versions. Maybe they're all the same. I'm not sure. But I know the city burned for it." And he points a finger at Eren. "From what I put together, the city was attacked during the night. Some artillery that just went above our walls and started to burn us from the inside out. Our Nexxian forces weren't at all prepared for whatever army was out there. I heard it was some metal men or what not. There were plenty of armors all along the road. Lots of scraps of metal." He winces before he takes a big-

21:06:06 [Old_Man_Leonard] -- puff on that bud. The nicotine overtakes him for a moment as he goes back to what he had heard. "Luckily the Grand Duchess had friends in high places. They brought their army and smashed the forces out there but.....ain't did no good for one reason." He lowers the cigarette and looks the boy with a dead stare. Those eyes of his harder than ever before. This was not a man who smiled often. He was gruff and stern to the point. And he was about to shatter Eren's whole world. "Some of those enemies got inside the city. Set off some bomb or whatever on the West end. I know it was some blast. But I heard it was from one source. It tore through three of the walls and made a big ass hole. I guess it was part of their plan after all cause when that hole got made......the giants came in. More than fifty or probably seventy of them. The people lost count. But they were giants. And they came smashing in to kill everyone."

21:55:38 [Jaeger] The kid remark forced a small smile to appear on Eren's face. It wasn't the first nor the last he'd hear a comment like that from anyone. But the man could tell for himself if Eren seemed strong enough to hold his own or not. "Where I come from, the starting age of fifteen is a common number to begin training to save humanity." Eren moved himself across the room, stopping not too far from the front of the main desk, next to a wall while the man began to tell him what he knew. The young male licked his lips and swallowed, knowing that the story would not be a good one. But he still wasn't prepared to hear what was told. He had seen something in passing of some case files where it mentioned "metal men". His eyes furrowed as he continued to listen, somewhat staring off into the distance after his eyes landing on a spot on the desk. But he was listening to the man. But those eyes would grow a bit in size and his head snapped up so he could stare at the man when he heard the word "giants". +

21:55:52 [Jaeger] + "Giants... ?" No. No, it couldn't be possible. Fifty? Seventy? Possibly more? But how could there be that many of them here... ? He knew... He knew that him getting here was by some weird science of this place, that he had seen some of the Titans here too. But that had only been a handful, not seventy or more. "The giants... were they... large humanoid giants?" Eren could feel his blood starting to boil and his hands hanging by his sides would ball up real tight. With gritted teeth and a loud "GRAAAH!", Eren turned to punch the wall he was near. It appeared his time here helped him become stronger in his normal form. There in the wall, Eren had left a decent sized hole and his hand was now decorated in several open cuts. But the cuts did not matter to him because within the minute, small smokes of steam began to appear from where his cuts where. Annie... you were here weren't you? You did this, didn't you? A snarl escaped Eren before he finally pulled his hand out from +

21:55:55 [Jaeger] + the hole he made and brought it back to his side, the small steam still rising while the cuts healed. "I should have been here."

22:12:22 Old_Man_Leonard had looked amused when he heard the explanation of why fifteen year olds were allowed to train and fight where he came from. He wondered what Nexxian might be like if they had adopted more extreme measures. Enlisting every fifteen year old, and by extension every teenager past that age, would certainly boost military numbers wouldn't it? Leonard's head shook as he just inhaled the nicotine once more. The boy seemed angry, maybe even more so about the giants than the army that had attacked, and Leonard couldn't blame him one bit. The old man just watched as the boy let loose a rage unlike any other on that wall. A single punch had broken through and it looked like the hand was going to be messed up pretty bad. But what was most concerning was the steam coming from the wound. "That don't look natural." He gestured to the hand with his cigarette some. Some grim amusement coming over his tone as he realized just why this kid had been an agent of Zerephan's Agency. Once more, his head would shake and he--

22:12:27 [Old_Man_Leonard] -- would look just sigh as he finished the cigarette off. The bud was flicked away just under that dusty desk now. "Yeah and we should have had better protection. Nexxian never went underneath no attack before. Not on that scale. A good many people died but it ain't no one's fault. Certainly not some kid's." And he nods to Eren once more, hoping the point got across, before he sighed. "And yeah. They were humanoid. And freaky. Some had big ass heads and they ate a ton of people. But they were dealt with by....something. Our own defenders I guess. Not sure if any got away though."

22:31:18 [Jaeger] "It's... fine." He'd mutter softly, knowing the man very well meant his hand. Within a few minutes, Eren's hand would be as good as new. Bringing his hand up closer to his face, Eren carefully plucked out any pieces of the wall that stuck into him. His fist began to ball up again not too soon after he finished tending to it, listening to the man's voice again. "Damnit." He had heard the man, but Eren's own guilt still lingered and it would not go away. "So it was the Titans..." Eren's jaw clenched as he looked up, angrily staring at the hole he made in the wall. "I know who it could've been then that led them here... But she's probably long gone from here by now." But why would she do this? Was she still bent on ridding all of humanity, even in another world? Another low snarl escaped him. Suddenly, Eren was turning his back to the wall he had assaulted and made his way to where he knew case files were kept. He was probably going against Agency code by doing this but, he was the +

22:31:22 [Jaeger] + only Agent here and he did not see the harm in letting this man know. Within a matter of minutes, Eren walked back to the desk the old man sat behind. Two manilla folders were presented to the man upon the desk's surface. One held information that they had learned about the "metal men", done by two agents Eren never got to know nor did he see around often. The other? Titans. It required a long rubber band to keep all of the papers from spilling out. There were pictures, reports, and notes in each folder but it was obvious the topic of Titans was pretty well covered and anyone could learn everything they needed from this file. Most of the notes, along with one detailed report, all ended with Eren's signature.

22:48:09 Old_Man_Leonard just stared with those inquisitive eyes once more. He was looking for something that was clearly hidden. He opened his mouth as though to say something, to confirm or deny, but only shut it once more. Nothing he said would make the kid feel better. But it did help when the boy started to tend to his own hand. That was good. That was progress and not some self destructive behavior that was gonna end with the kid brooding or doing something worse to himself. Leonard only grumbled as he heard the name. Titans sounded cliche but who was he to judge? "Don't know about any 'she' but I do know at least one of those things got out of the city. Don't know how far though. But it did get out. Probably killed a few good people too." He watched the boy move for those case files as he just sat there. His eyes were cautious as ever but that gave way to the curiosity as he saw the case files that were pulled up. His brow furrowed and he moved over to that desk as he opened up the files. "Heh." He looked more-

22:48:16 [Old_Man_Leonard] -- than amused by the quick read through of the metal man case. "They found them bastards because of me. Damn army growing couple miles away from my farm. Son of a bitch. Gonna have to move now." It was ironic. The metal army had been in the mountains some miles away from his homestead. And the Titans had come from Eren's world. Perhaps it was fate that they met now. The file on the Titans though was concerning as he opened it up. Pictures and reports came through and Leonard just gazed at it all with an inquisitive eye. He went over the necessary details. "Healing huh.....and you seem to know a lot about them....." His gaze flickered for just a moment to the boy's hand before, just as quickly, going back to the file. Perhaps it was nothing. Perhaps it was everything. Who knew though? "Well we know one thing for certain. It was a coordinated attack. Whoever brought down the walls did it with the sole intention of letting those Titans into the city. They planned it perfectly." He --

22:48:21 [Old_Man_Leonard] -- let out a huff as he leaned back into his seat. "That means they must have met up. Whoever this girl was, she teamed up with that army and made her own with those monsters." It wasn't much to go on but it was something. "If she got away, think there's a chance she went back to find them in the mountains? That was where the army was posted. At the edge of the mountain. It's likely their base was also back there."

(Jun 4) 18:08:06 [Jaeger] Eren watched the man as the other started to read all of the information he had been given. All the while, Eren was thinking to himself, wondering where Annie was and why he hadn't been here to stop her. I need to find her and... And? Eren didn't know what he'd do once he found her. Would he arrest her? Kill her? Could he kill her? ". . . . ." Eyes closed for a solid minute as the man finished up his reading, then they'd open to land on the man once more. "How far out is your farm from here?" Eren was feeling eager to go out and check the area out where these people were hiding out at. It most likely wasn't the most wisest of ideas the boy had had in his life. He could turn into his Titan form, sure. But he could still be out numbered and over powered. And as much as she didn't to underestimate the man with him, but he did not know what he could do for combat. "It could be dangerous but, I'd like to go out there and see if there's anything or anyone left." At the question, Eren frowned softly and thought for a moment. "I don't think she'd go back there." Eren balled her fists up. "They most likely don't know that we have their base's location on file, but I don't believe she'd go back there. But where ever she is, she's most certainly hiding."

(Jun 4) 18:17:40 Old_Man_Leonard had pondered a great many things as of late. The army that had been developed at this mountain had been defeated from the looks of things. He hadn't explored that much but the city was a ruin, the land was a ruin, and there hadn't been anything left but scraps of metal for miles and miles outside of the city. The Celesin and Dorian soldiers had done their work but they had neglected to fully save the city from near collapse. In truth, Nexxian was a pile of rock and shit at this point. And Leonard was thinking of finally doing what his own kids had done and move out of this desert. Maybe find a city where the temperature was less hot and more chilly. "My farm?" His brow furrows and he eyes the Titan shifter with a scruntinizing look. "About ten or so miles out of the city." He replied finally as he turned his attention back to the paperwork that was in front of them. All of this was dusty and abandoned. This whole place was abandoned. Was Zerephan dead? What about the others? This seemed like a nightmare scenario for the entire city state. Their own police force had been shot to shit thanks to those giants and now they were without an Agency to defend them. "That a risk you really want to take, kid? What if she's out there? What if she has more of those monsters with her? What if there's more troops?"

(Jun 4) 18:36:51 [Jaeger] Ten miles? That wasn't very far, regardless of which direction the farm was in. But Eren could tell the man was not ready to give that kind of information out just yet to him. Eren didn't blame him, nor did he blame him for not jumping on the suggestion that was just given. "You're right." He sighed softly and moved to lean his back up against the wall right in front of the desk with his arms crossed and making sure to avoid the hole he had created moments ago. "It is too dangerous, especially when it'd just be the two of us going in." If they had more numbers then they could possibly make a move. If they had the Captain, Angelo, and Sune`ere, perhaps they could do something. But even then... "I also don't want to put your land at risk of destruction." The city was already sitting in ruin, they did not need any more damage to pile on top of that. "What are you thinking?" The brunet's eyes landed back on Leonard. "What do you think the next move should be?"

(Jun 4) 18:46:16 Old_Man_Leonard wasn't exactly fond of the idea of going into unknown territory where enemy forces could lay. But.....the brunt of that army had likely been destroyed right? Leonard wasn't too certain on the details. It had been a long time since he had been in the Nexxian military. However, from what he could gather, that army had been pushing in for all or nothing. But the details had claimed that the giant had fled into the desert. Would it have been possible to snake her way back into the mountains? Again, there was no for sure certainty. "If we do nothing, we could just let the Nexxian authorities handle it. Whatever is left of the authorities here." He snorts at that thought. Them doing nothing and wiping their hands of it. "But.....we won't know unless we go out there ourselves to inspect. All your friends are gone it looks like. There's no one left to send.....except us." And he grimaces once more as the realization hits him where this was going to have to go. They would need to go into the forest and mountain area of Nexxian to inspect where this army could have been located. His eyes peer at the map and the intel that had been gathered. The base's exact location had been written down. Every day they waited, an enemy force could be regaining strength. "We'll go. Just the two of us." He decides with finality in his tone. His weathered face forming into a grimace as he thinks of the possible consequences of this course of action. They had nothing left to lose however. The city was halfway destroyed. All they could do was risk their lives in a vain attempt for some answers.

(Jun 4) 19:04:22 [Jaeger] Eren frowned at the thought of the city's police. The station looked like it had been wiped out and he too doubted that many policemen had been saved. He had no idea where anyone from the Agency were, if any of them were even... No. I'm sure they're all fine. They were all strong fighters, especially his Captain. Eren had fallen to Edward's strength before as a Titan, he could take down several Titans if he had to. "Ah," Eren was surprised to hear Leonard's answer. "Are you sure?" The younger of the two did not want to risk this man's home nor get him in danger but, if he was sure about this... "Alright. We'll go." And he assumed right now. Uncrossing his arms and pushing away from the wall, Eren checked to make sure he had enough fuel for his maneuvering gear. His blades were still all intact and well conditioned for fighting. Before they'd leave, Eren moved to find hismelf some sort of bag or a backpack that was left hanging around in the Agency's building. With that, Eren closed up the files when he was sure Leonard was done with them and packed them carefully away in the bag so they could take them.

(Jun 4) 19:17:20 Old_Man_Leonard could only nod his head as the question was asked. Yes. They would go. They would find the answers that this young man sought and leave just as quickly. They needed to understand what had happened. Why had Leonard's country gone to hell? Why were foreign invaders now in place to take what did not belong to them? Leonard thought a move might be in order. And if he lost his land? So be it. A risk worth taking if he could get one shot at this iron army. Leonard once more nodded and would get up from his seat and move for the door. The office connected to the front of the complex. The place looked abandoned. Left to rot in fact. "If there's anything else you need here, now's the time to get it." He informed Eren quietly before he stepped out of the office to head for his parked truck. The truck was an old pick up. With his pistol holstered in his coat, along with the extra pistol and rifle in the truck, Leonard knew that he was as prepared as he could be for this adventure. The truck would be started up and when Eren was out of the complex, the passenger door would be unlocked for him to open and slide into the passenger seat. With that done, they'd depart the Agency complex and head outwards from the city.

(Jun 4) 19:46:40 [Jaeger] There wasn't much Eren would need for this trip, especially when there was barely anything left. Any food left was probably soiled by now and any water was probably all gone. Ah, but there was one thing. Eren was quick about it, but he'd hurry towards the complex where he lived in one of the building's there. Inside, he'd move to the main closet he had by the door in the hallway and open it to grab something inside. Something he had paid to be made for himself not too long ago. Removing his usual brown jacket, he'd fold and stuff it inside the backpack where it'd keep the files cushioned. Soon, Eren was back outside and walking up to Leonard's packed truck and he'd get in. The man would see the boy had a slight change of outfit. Where he had been wearing the much smaller brown jacket before, Eren now wore a longer blood red jacket with brown belted wrist wraps and black gloves. It was a slight change that he had been meaning to do sooner, but now seemed like a good time to do it. He had no idea if he was going to even have another day after today to do it later.

(Jun 4) 20:10:45 Old_Man_Leonard was sat quietly in his truck while the engine hummed. His eyes flickered to the right where the entrance opened up and out would emerge Eren Jaeger once more. His right eyebrow rose up at the sight of the kid who was now wearing a longer coat that was red. "Felt like a change huh?" He inquired to the boy when he got into the truck and closed the door. Leonard wouldn't even wait for the other to put his belt on before he put his foot on the brake and would switch the truck to reverse and start to back out of the complex. He would switch gears and put the truck in drive as he started to go forward then down the road with a turn of his steering wheel to straighten it out. "So whatever is out there....whoever is out there.....it might be best to take them alive. We can't fuck this up at all or we'll both wind up dead." They were going through the rubble and craters made in the city. The fires had finally died out. The devastation had been clear. The truck was, sadly, slower than Eren's 3D gear. The boy's attention was hopefully on Leonard as he spoke of a strategy. "I'm a pretty good shot. If need be, I'll taking a position with my rifle and scope whoever I can if we run into enemies. You know how to use a gun?"

(Jun 4) 20:48:22 [Jaeger] A small smirk that he could not hold back found it's way onto Eren's face. "Yeah. My Captain wears red." As much as he still held his honor and respect for Captain Levi Ackerman, he was not in his world anymore. And Levi had not crossed over into this world, as far as Eren knew. The brunet wanted to show his honor and respect to his new Captain while living here now. Vehicles were still a bit foreign to the younger male and it was good thing Leonard didn't wait for Eren to put on his seatbelt. It took him a good minute or two before finally remembering to do so. Eren placed the bag he brought along down on the floor of the truck, between his feet. "Right." Winding up dead was not on Eren's list of things to do. With the mention of guns, Eren nodded his head to the man next to him. "Yes, a rifle. But... it was no where near as advanced to the guns I've seen around here." Eren wondered if Leonard knew anything about where and how people came here, just like himself, or if the man would think he was crazy. But he'd speak up again. "Where I come from, things like your truck and all the electric gadgets I've seen here don't exist there."