Evan Cross froze.
The boy waving desperately at him wasn't just anyone
He was the protagonist of the entire story.
The inheritor of the Attack Titan.
Eren Yeager.
And only now did it click for Evan.
No wonder this street looked familiar.
No wonder the boy's cries felt déjà vu.
He had run straight into the iconic scene
the path where Eren's mother is eaten by a Titan.
Wait…
Evan slowly turned his head toward the black-haired female Titan chasing from behind.
"…Eren, I don't know if I should say this, but technically… that female Titan is your step-mom."
If Eren ever learned his father had an ex-wife Titan, who knew how he'd react.
But
This was NOT the time to be thinking about lore jokes!
Evan shook his head hard, snapping back to reality.
Meanwhile, Eren continued shouting for help.
He and Mikasa struggled desperately to lift the impossibly heavy beam pinning Carla underneath.
Eren's hopeful gaze turned toward Evan, who had stopped a few meters away.
"Please… please, you have to help us! Mom can't die here! She can't !"
Before Eren even finished, his eyes lit up.
The boy his age, the clean, sharp-faced Evan had stopped running.
Did that mean… he was willing to help?
One more pair of hands might be enough to lift the beam!
"Eren! Mikasa! You must leave! Don't drag others into this! I can't get out run while you still can!"
Carla Yeager, trapped under the rubble, had also noticed Evan.
Seeing that he was just a child no older than her son, she quickly understood that three kids together still weren't enough to lift the beam.
Better they run than die with her.
She would rather sacrifice herself than doom another child.
"Mom! Don't say that! I can get you out I can! I WILL!"
Eren strained against the beam again.
Mikasa did the same, her small face flushed red from exertion.
But Evan still hadn't moved.
Eren finally snapped:
"Hey! What are you waiting for?! We don't have time, hey! What are you "
His words froze.
Because Evan… turned and ran away again.
No hesitation.
No hesitation at all.
Just sprinted straight toward the inner wall.
Eren's hope shattered.
Compared to losing his mother…
this moment of human cruelty hurt even more.
Two large tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared in disbelief.
"How… how could he… how could he do this…"
He had thought fate had sent them a miracle.
Only to twist the knife deeper.
The Titan's footsteps drew closer.
Eren's face turned ashen. His very soul felt crushed.
"Eren! Take Mikasa and GO! RUN !!"
Carla pushed the children toward safety, tears mixing with fear and desperation.
Mikasa still refused to leave.
If Eren stayed, she stayed.
"Someone… please… please… someone… anyone… help my mom…"
And then
"Move!"
A voice thundered from behind them
a voice that sounded like salvation itself to Eren.
He spun around.
It was the boy who had run away Evan.
But now he carried a metallic tool shaped like a portable kettle.
"You…"
"This is a jack! Even with all three of us, we can't lift that beam! But THIS can! Now move!"
Evan shoved Eren aside, found a gap under the rubble, and cranked the jack.
The beam hundreds of pounds heavy began rising.
Of course he hadn't abandoned them.
When he'd first run past Eren, he'd spotted a blacksmith's workshop nearby.
A place mining tools should exist.
And sure enough, he'd found a small hydraulic jack.
This was the only reason Carla was now freed from the rubble.
"Hurry! The Titan's almost here! We need to get to the inner wall NOW!"
Evan turned to flee; he had zero intention of being Titan food.
Stepmother Titan was getting too close!
"No… my leg's hurt… you kids go… leave me…"
"Mom! Don't say that! I'll carry you!"
Carla's leg had been crushed; she couldn't walk at all.
Evan saw this and nearly panicked.
Eren struggled to lift her onto his back but at his age, there was no way he could run with that weight.
"Tch!"
Evan gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and hoisted Carla onto his own back with ease.
"Stop spacing out, both of you! MOVE!"
Eren and Mikasa stood stunned.
Evan wasn't even breathing hard.
And yet he carried Carla as if she weighed nothing.