[ 1 ] – Isla Merrick, The Girl Who Lived (Beyond the Walls)
in which everyone thought she was dead
TYING YOUR SHOES IS SOMETHING simple. Running a mile or jogging for two minutes is simple. Sleeping soundly for one night is simple. Living outside the well-protected Walls for a whole month is definitely not simple, not in the least. But for Isla Merrick, living outside of the Walls for a whole month was, indeed, very simple—much simpler than tying your shoes or running a mile or jogging for two minutes and definitely simpler than getting a good night's sleep. But Isla wasn't simple, not in the least. In fact, one could that she is quite the opposite. She was complex, like that of a difficult equation. Nothing was simple about her; she wasn't rational, she says the things she thinks she should, she doesn't act the way she should, which completely explains her grand entry into Trost District.
It had already been a hectic week for nearly everyone after reclaiming Trost, and Isla's sudden return caused that of a riot within the districts of Wall Rose once news reached that the soldier everyone thought to be dead was very alive. Not only had she flown in with what was left of her 3DMG's gas, but she had also scaled along the Wall, collapsed onto the ground in a half-conscious stupor, and nearly gained the attention of half of the people nearby. Of course, everyone nearby was in frenzy, and in Isla's half-conscious state, she wondered why everyone was so tense. She didn't even get the chance to give an explanation before she was escorted (more like dragged) off into the dungeons of the jail in Wall Sina, waiting to be interrogated by the Military Police. Slipping in and out of consciousness, Isla was barely able to hear the soft voices outside of her jail cell, discussing what mattes lay ahead. Isla squinted, barely getting the glimpse of the all-familiar Wings of Freedom before her head fell back and everything went black.
She is awakened by the sound of her cell door opening. She sits up, eyes still blinking the exhaustion that seemed to ghost her expression as she is quickly pulled to her feet. She blinks numbly, still attempting to register what exactly was going on as she feels cold metal wrap around both her wrists—handcuffs. She blinks again, looking at the person who had done this. She stares, not knowing what to say when the familiar dark-hair and once bright, smiling face of Hanji Zoë greets her. The two stare at each other momentarily, neither not knowing what in the world they should say. The moment is broken when a Garrison soldier grabs Isla roughly by her left arm, continuing to drag her forward. Isla remains silent as Hanji walks to her right, looking straight ahead as she grabs onto her free arm, her grip gentler than the other. Isla licks her dry lips as she continues to stare at her old friend, not sure of what to say.
"Hanji." Her voice cracks and she clears her throat, grimacing at the dry, rawness of her throat—she hadn't spoken to another person in an entire month; a full 30 days (Isla kept count with scratch marks she made into the trees, ticking off each passing day). Hanji glances Isla's way at the sound of her name but says nothing, the mere flash of the candlelight in the dungeon shining off her glasses, preventing Isla from seeing her expression. Isla licks her chapped lips once more as she numbly stumbles over the ground; the other Garrison soldier hardly paying her any attention as he roughly pushes her forward. Sharp pain shoots through her right leg like the swiftness of a lightning bolt and Isla bites the inside of her cheek, willing herself not to cry out.
"Isla," Hanji finally says as they round the corner. Isla glances her way, hope bubbling in her chest but the feeling immediately subsides when she meets Hanji's gaze—the woman's expression appears to be indifferent, but the sad look in her dark eyes was all that Isla needed to see: something was terribly wrong. Isla stumbles once again, the Garrison soldier clearing his throat as his grip tightens on her arm. Isla continues to bite the inside of her cheek, nearly drawing blood, her right leg throbbing painfully as she wills herself not to show her weakness. Isla blinks again, her vision becoming spotty—she was beginning to feel lightheaded. Hanji says something again, but this time her voice sounds faint, almost like she is far, far away. She shakes Isla's right arm gently, gaining Isla's attention as the weak, dark-haired girl glances her way. She meets Hanji's gaze and inhales sharply.
"Hanji, what's going on? What's happening?" Isla manages to croak out. Hanji opens her mouth to say something but is cut off as the Garrison soldier hisses at her to stay quiet. Isla glances his way, catching his eye for a moment before he looks away quickly, muttering something incoherent under his breath. Isla feels as if she is swaying as she glances back at her friend, tugging against the handcuff that holds her arms to her back. "Hanji, please…"
"I'm sorry, Isla," Hanji finally says. Isla frowns, her brow furrowing in confusion. She opens her mouth to ask what exactly Hanji was sorry for, but is stopped when she realizes they had ceased walking. Isla's frown remains prominent as she looks up warily, noticing that they were standing in front of two, tall oak wood doors. Isla continues to scrutinize the doors but her attention is broken off when the Garrison soldier lets go of her arm, tossing her to the right. Isla stumbles, her legs shaking from lack of energy as she stumbles into Hanji. The Squad Leader steadies Isla, her hands resting on the shorter girl's shoulders but Isla doesn't bother to look back. She watches the Garrison soldier carefully as he steps towards the doors, grabbing the golden handle as he pulls, stepping backwards. The doors open and Isla immediately cringes from the bright light that suddenly brightens the corridor. She looks back at Hanji but the woman is just giving Isla the same, sympathetic look. Isla opens her mouth to say something but isn't able to form words as Hanji whispers a quick "good luck" before the Garrison soldier steps forward, pushing Isla into the room.
The girl stumbles from the sudden shove, crying out in alarm as her right leg finally gives way, pain searing throughout her entire body as she harshly collides to the ground. She hears a few collective gasps echo throughout the room but doesn't have the time to stand up herself when two soldiers approach her, roughly pulling her to her feet as they drag her across the room. Isla attempts to stand but is merely forced onto her knees as they grab her hands, linking her handcuffs with the silver pole sitting behind her, locking her in place. She blinks, eyes burning from the sudden bright light as she squints, looking around the room warily. White light blinds her vision as she attempts to make out the balcony section where the main desk was. She blinks again, looking down at the floor, the bright light becoming too much to bear as she breathes heavily, her leg seeming to cry in agony as the hot, white pain continues to claw unnervingly.
The man at the front desk clears his throat, gaining Isla's attention. She lifts her head, her dark hair a mess as it hangs loosely down her back. Half of her hair is blocking her left vision but she doesn't bother to shake it out of her face as she continues to squint, wary-eyed at the man sitting before her. Her eyes widen slightly when she finally recognizes the powerful human sitting before her. He sighs exasperatedly and Isla can hear the rustling of papers as he straightens them, adjusting his glasses. He reads for a moment before lowering the papers, looking down at Isla.
"You are Isla Merrick, previous member of the Scout Regiment, right?" his voice is gruff and he clears his throat once more. Isla's mouth remains open, no words seeming to spill out before she lowers her head, nodding slowly. A painful sharp pain begins to nag near her left temple and pounds persistently, giving Isla the sensation that her head could explode right then and there. She barely hears the voice of Darius Zackly echo faintly before a silent follows. Isla blinks, lifting her head slightly. Darius' eyes flash as he shifts in his seat, lifting the papers up once more as he scans them. "You have been accused of treason, abandoning the Scout Regiment during an attempt of retaking Wall Maria during year 855—do you object to this statement?" He lowers the paper, his sunken dark eyes watching Isla cautiously. Isla hesitates before lowering her head once more.
"No," she breathes out, eyes closing. She bites her lip, fists clenching behind her as she wills herself not to remember that day. The all-familiar screams still seem to echo in her head before she opens her eyes once more. She notices that Zackly is still watching her, a now suspicious look present on his face before he clears his throat once more.
"You have reported M.I.A. since then for an entire month." He flips through the papers, squinting at one before looking to Isla's right. "It has been reported by Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps that you were pronounced dead, effective just a few weeks ago." He waits for a moment, as if he were expecting some sort of commotion but the only thing Isla can hear is the sound of whispers as the crowd shifts uncomfortably in their seats. Isla remains staring at the wooden platform she was kneeling on, her arms aching. The blinding pain that had been emitting from her leg had stopped—Isla assumes that her nerves had now numbed from the pain. As she glances at her right leg, she notices that the white pants of her uniform is stained with blood: fresh. Isla's mouth remains a thin line as she curses silently; the wound had been reopened.
"Isla Merrick," Zackly's voice echoes throughout the hearing room. Isla lifts her head as his glasses flare, preventing her from seeing his expression. He leans back in his chair, paper still in hand, "Do you know what the punishment for treason is?"
Isla remains silent, staring at the Commander-in-Chief. She studies him for a moment—she notices the way that he carries his voice makes it sound as if he could care less about this hearing. She could hear whispering from her left and Isla bites her lip, willing herself to hold down her temper, as her fists remain clenched. She shifts uncomfortably, causing the metal handcuffs to hit the metal pole, the sound ringing out through the room.
"You had made a vow since the day you started your training," Zackly continues, paying no mind to the anxious whispers that swirled throughout the room. "Do you remember what that vow is?"
Isla bites her lip, unsure if she should answer. She can hear the displeased sneers from the crowd watching her as she lifts glances their way. They immediately stop, staring wide eyed at Isla. The girl watches them for a moment before turning away, looking back at Zackly, her expression impassive.
"Give your life for humanity," Isla manages to say. Her voice sounds weak and she immediately regrets speaking as the people in the crowd continue to chatter on, their voices becoming useless ringing in Isla's ears. "Any running away or treason can, and will, be punishable by something far worse than death."
"Hmm," Zackly nods, shifting through the papers. He squints at them for a moment, shaking them so they stand upright before he sets them back down on the table, leaning forward in his chair as he claps his two hands together, resting his elbows on the table. "From the report of this mission, it says that many casualties were ensued—one of them being your brother, Major Isaac Merrick."
At the mention of Isaac's name, Isla inhales sharply, her jaw trembling as she stares down at the podium, not wanting to meet anyone's gaze. She can feel her whole body shake as she continues to stare at the wooden floor, the suspicious stares of everyone watching burning into her back. The whispers start again but this time it's out of remorse, sorrow: Isaac was a well-respected soldier of the Scout Regiment and his loss was a hard blow on humanity. Isla's fists are clenched so tight she can feel her nails dig into the skin of her palm, and she had bitten off most of her nails to the numb.
"Sir, if you don't mind me stating," a voice to Isla's right spoke suddenly. Isla lifted her head, frowning in confusion as she looked in the direction of Commander Erwin Smith. His expression remains emotionless as he meets the Commander-in-Chief's gaze evenly. "Major Isaac was the last of what Isla had left of family. You must take this into consideration—she is unstable from her grief; she is incapable of thinking through her actions."
Isla narrows her eyes angrily but she lets her hands relax as they hang limply behind her. Immediately Commander Dox of the Military Police steps forward, scoffing.
"It's stated that Major Isaac isn't the only one who died—there were many other casualties." He crosses his arms over his chest defiantly, adding, "She defied the vow she took."
"She lost her brother," retorts Colette Durand angrily, stepping forward to the gate. Isla glances towards her old friend—the petite girl remains leaning over the gate blocking her from Isla as she grips it tightly, her blue eyes narrowed and hostile.
"She's a traitor," spits someone from the crowd. Isla turns away, staring at the podium as the commotion of angered conversation echoes throughout the room once again. "How is she even alive? She lived outside of the Walls!" Isla lifts her head, glancing towards her left. She watches carefully as a Pastor steps forward, his expression ruthless as he glares accusingly at Isla. "For all we know, she could be one of them! Another Titan!"
Isla rolls her eyes as the crowd gasps, believing what the Pastor had to say. She glances back at Zackly who is watching the commotion with more interest than previously held. His gaze flickers to Isla, causing the girl to look away quickly as she stares at the podium as the Pastor continues to yell angrily.
"No one has ever lived outside of the Walls! And even if they have, they aren't alive to tell the story!" He slams his hands against the gate, causing Isla to jump up in alarm, senses still heightened. She glances his way to see his eyes sunken and wide, staring at her as if she were complete and utter filth. He sneers but the fear is evident in his face as he points a long finger at Isla, his hand shaking slightly as he exclaims, "We can hardly protect ourselves inside the Walls as is—how is she able to protect herself outside? She's something—a witch!"
Isla scoffs, feeling slightly amused by the Pastor's sudden accusations. The people of Wall Sina seem to believe what he was spitting out of his pathetic mouth as he continues to belittle Isla, turning to face the crowd. "We should kill her now while we have the chance. Who in their right mind is sane enough to leave the protection of the Walls that our Lord and Savior had left behind for us? Carelessly throwing that away is—"
"You're right," Isla interrupts. The Pastor stops mid sentence, swiftly turning around as he stares wide eyed at Isla. She notices his legs shaking as she sighs loudly, glancing back at the Commander-in-Chief. "Yes, I abandoned my fellow soldiers in need and yes, I did live outside of the Walls, but don't you want to know how I did that?"
Zackly leans back, remaining silent as he contemplates the thought. Isla's breathing begins to slow down as she crosses her fingers behind her, hoping that this may work. The Pastor, however, wanted to make her trial a living Hell as he points another accusing finger her direction.
"Don't listen to her—she's poisoning our minds with her sins! Her acts are punishable by death," he spits, glaring maliciously at Isla as he leans against the gate once more. Isla looks back at him, narrowing her eyes accusingly at the Military Police who stood nearby, not bothering to stop the religious-invested man as he continued to scream prayers and accusations. Isla felt her nerves snap as she struggled against the metal pole, the metal of her handcuffs clanging against the silver pole as she glared dangerously in the direction of the Pastor; he had exceeded her irritability levels. She opens her mouth to say something but stops at the sound of a gun clicking. Turning around, she spots the soldiers of the Military Police standing behind her, rifles aimed. She bites her lip, unsure of what to do but smirks at the sight.
"Go ahead, kill me," she encourages. Her gaze flickers towards the Scout Regiment to see Commander Erwin's eyes widen—Captain Levi Ackerman remained standing beside him, his expression indifferent. Isla's jaw clenches at the sight before scanning the rest of the soldiers: she spots Colette, still standing near the gate, Ryssa now standing beside her, their eyes wide with horror, mouth agape. The rest of the Survey Corps stand around Isla turns away, looking back at Commander Dox who had his hand raised, eyes narrowed. "What do I have to lose? My life?" She laughs bitterly as she adds with a sneer; "My life was over the minute Isaac jumped from that building and sacrificed his life for mine."
What followed after that happened so quickly it was almost a blur to Isla. Before she has time to think, someone moves swiftly in front of her, lifting their leg as they swung it across her face. Isla lets out a startled exclamation of pain as the heel of a shoe collides into her jaw, forcing her backwards. She grunts as she falls back, slamming against the metal pole, the clatter of her handcuffs echoing throughout the room. Complete silence follows the attack and Isla is almost certain of it is. Lifting her head slightly, she remains slouched on her knees, her cheek throbbing violently. She wasn't shocked to see the familiar narrowed, cold grey eyes of Captain Levi Ackerman glaring down at her. He starts forward again, about to lay another punch but Isla is quicker as she spits down at the ground, causing him to jump back in alarm as her blood splatters against the podium. She coughs, more blood dripping from her mouth as she finally lifts her head. The rest of the people present in the room seemed to be frozen in time, almost as if they couldn't fully register that Captain Levi of the Scout Regiment had even dared to attack a woman, no matter what she was accused of.
"C-Captain Levi," stammered Dox. He stares wide eyed at the shorter, dark-haired man as he remains standing on the podium, looking up to glare, disinterested, at the Military Police Commander. "Physically assaulting the prisoner—"
"—is a waste of time," Levi finishes, cutting Commander Dox off. The room remained silently as everyone watches, awed, as Captain Levi looks back at Isla kneeling pitifully before him. (Not like she had the choice). She lowers her head, staring at the floor, the taste of iron raw in mouth. "Like Cadet Merrick said—what does she have to lose?" He steps forward, hardly giving Isla the chance to think before she's forced to look him in the eye as he grabs her by her shirt collar. Her posture was straightened forward, her knees nearly being lifted off the floor as Levi's eyes remained narrowed. "Answer this one question and I'll decide whether or not your death will be painful or quick." His grip tightens as his dark eyes examine Isla closely (his gaze seems to rest on something on her left cheek, faltering slightly before turning cold once more). "Why did you join the Scout Regiment?"
Isla merely smirks, ignoring his question. "It's nice to see you again, Captain—missed me?"
Levi's expression remained unchanged but his grip on her collar tightened. Isla winced as she leans towards the right, pressure being put on her leg. She takes a breath, meeting Levi's gaze once more to see he had glanced in the direction of her leg as well. He frowns for a moment before looking up once more. "Don't make me repeat myself a second time," he finally says. Isla's jaw clenches as she avoids Levi's deadly gaze before she taking a deep breath.
"Because I deserve humanity deserves the chance to fight back."
Silence follows her response as Levi's expression remains the same. He studies Isla for a moment longer, as if testing her to break, or as if he knew the real reason why she had joined the military. Isla lifts her head, trying to show she meant what she said as she meets Levi's gaze evenly. He hesitates for a moment before the look of knowing crosses his face as he releases Isla's collar, allowing her to sink closer to her knees. She remains silent, not saying anything as she stares straight ahead, unsure of what to say or do.
"Put Cadet Merrick on probation," Levi mutters, turning around as he faces the Commander-in-Chief. He ignores the protests from the other Commanders and crowd as he adds, "I will personally overlook her charges and take fully responsibility—she remains a soldier of the Scout Regiment."
Tension follows his statement in uncomfortable silence—Isla barely had time to register what was going on before Darius Zackly nods slowly, clearing his throat. "Very well, then." He then glances at his guards standing beside him before they exit to the right, the trial over. Isla remains kneeling on the platform, still unsure of what had happened until Colette and Ryssa came racing towards her, as they both jump over the gate, running towards the platform. Isla looks up just in time to have Ryssa barrel into her, hugging her tightly. Isla winces, her muscles sore but Ryssa ignores her cry of pain as she hugs even tighter, sniffling. Isla swallows, taking a moment to realize what was going on before she shut her eyes, allowing her tears to stream down her face as well. She hadn't cried for a whole month; that is, until now.
"Isla, stay back!" Levi snaps, shoving the taller, dark-haired girl backwards as they collide into the rooftop. Isla stumbles slightly, glaring in Levi's direction as her grip tightens on her weapons grasped firmly in her hands.
"No, Levi, that's my brother!" She looks back at her older, highly skilled brother as he fumbles hurriedly with his Three Dimensional Maneuvering Gear. Isla steps forward, eyes narrowed in confusion as she watches him on the ground—was his device broken? At a time like this? Isla's breathing hitches as she looks back at Levi. He meets her gaze but doesn't say anything as he looks the other way. Isla follows his gaze, her eyes resting on a 10 meter Titan—although it wasn't even close to Isaac, it would be soon enough. It dumbly trudges forward, long blond hair reaching its shoulders and dull grey eyes. A wide smile stretched across its face, expression unnerving, as it continues to stomp towards the two. Isla's grip remains tight against her swords' handles as she takes a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down. "Captain, there's a 10 meter Titan approaching from our left."
"I'll handle it," Levi states, stepping forward. He wields his swords, looking back at Isla. "You stay here—that's an order." Before Isla had the chance to retort, Levi had already soared through the air, making his way towards the Titan that threatens Isaac's life. Isla glances back at her brother who was still on the ground. She curses under her breath, aiming her grappling hook as she soars through the air, landing on her feet as she rushes towards her brother. He looks up, shocked as he continues to frantically mess around with his 3DMG device, he curses loudly, angrily hitting the machine as he meets Isla's gaze once more.
"What the hell are you doing down here?" he asks under his breath, his hands still fiddling around with the damned machine. Isla bites her lip.
"I'm not leaving you here to die," she says. Isaac looks up, smirking slightly as his blue eyes sparkle slightly.
"Who says I'm dying today?" Isla raises an eyebrow, huffing irritably at her brother's egotistical comment. He looks again, meeting her gaze evenly before a kind smile spreads across his face. He's cut off as blonde-haired Lilian lands beside them, her green eyes wide as she gasps.
"You need to get out of here!" she exclaims, breathless. Isla and Isaac glance at her, barely having time to ask what was going on before the threat appeared. Lilian glanced back, eyes wide with horror at the sight standing before them—a 15-meter Titan—probably the tallest from this whole expedition—was looking down at them with a sickening smile. Lilian is the first to start as she aims her grappling hook to the side of the building. Isla follows after her quickly, racing past her as she spins around the Titan, stunning it before she flies towards the nape of its neck, swinging at the nape of the neck. Blood splatters and burns against her cloak and skin but Isla ignores it as the Titan collapses to the ground in a heap, just a few feet away from Isaac.
When Isla jumps back to the ground, a broad grin is plastered across Isaac's handsome face as he gives Isla a quick thumbs up, pride seeming to shine in his eyes. Isla scoffs but smiles good naturedly as Isaac holds out his arms, pulling his younger sister into a tight hug. Isla smiles, holding him close before pulling away quickly. She frowns as Isaac hesitates for a moment before quickly reaching up, attempting to undo the grey bandana cloth that was wrapped around his head, but stops at the sound of Lilian screaming.
"Run!"
Isla and Isaac frown, both turning around to see a 5-meter Titan run towards them—a variant. Before anyone had the chance to move, it grabs Lilian, causing the blonde girl to screech loudly. Isaac starts forward but stops when Isla grabs a hold of his arm, aiming her grappling hook at the side of the building as they soar into the air and onto the roof. Lilian struggles helplessly against the Titan's grip, kicking and squirming in its tight grasp.
"Let me go!" she cries, tears staining her cheeks and glistening off her face in the evening light. Isla took a deep breath, trying to calm her shaking hands, as she tries to work the muscles in her body that seem to have shut down.
"Isla, move! We can help her!" Isaac exclaims, snapping Isla out of her trance. She blinks, glancing in the direction of Lilian once more before her eyes narrow with determination. Before starting forward, Isla looks around—Levi was nowhere to be seen. She feels the heavy weight of disappointment but quickly ignores it as she looks back at Isaac, giving him a quick smile before she soars towards Lilian and the Titan, weapons ready.
"Let her go, you son of a bitch!" Isla exclaims as she braces her swords. She flies towards the nape of the neck but the Titan quickly dodges her attack. Isla's eyes widen in shock before she collides with the other rooftop. She jumps back to her feet, her entire body shaking—she has never missed an attack before; her kills had always been fatal.
Lilian's sobbing was as loud as ever as Isla looks back at the scene. Her struggles against the Titan had become weaker, her blonde hair spilling out of her ponytail in waves as the Titan stares at her, its wide grin taunting the poor girl. Isla glances back down at her blades feeling distraught. She felt her jaw clench as her grip on the blades tighten, as she aims her grappling hook once more. She's flying through the air about to attack once more, but a hand grabs hold of the wire, yanking Isla backwards. She lets out a startled scream before spinning around, pulling her grappling hook backwards as she slashes angrily at the Titan's hand. Its three fingers fall off as Isla quickly aims her grappling hook once more, landing harshly on the rooftop.
"Lilian!" Isaac screams, gaining Isla's attention. She felt her blood run cold as she turns around just in time to see the Titan throw Lilian in its mouth, swallowing her whole. Tingles run up and down Isla's body in a rush as she screams angrily.
"No!" She feels her legs shaking but wills herself to stand tall as the Titan closes its eyes, as if savoring the moment of bloodlust. Isla clenches her weapons tightly, the need for revenge coursing through her veins as she aims her grappling hook at the building across from her, soaring through the air as she makes it towards the Titan, readying her swords as she quickly slashes at its neck. She glances back at the other Titan that had attempted to attack her, landing on the roof where Isaac was standing. He starts towards his sister, about to question her, but stops at the sight of the other Titan.
"Give me your 3DMG," Isaac says. Isla blinks, staring at him as he nods towards the other Titan as it begins to make its way towards them. "I can get rid of that one."
"Isaac," Isla starts, but her voice falters. She can't seem to forget how she had so carelessly missed the nape of the neck, allowing Lilian to get eaten. Isla feels herself shaking once more as her grip remains tight on her swords. Isaac is silent before he clears his throat, looking back at the other Titan. He looks back at Isla, smiling slightly before he reaches up and unties his bandana, quickly reaching forward as he ties it around Isla's head. She frowns, looking up at him but is cut off as the Titan swings its hand, attempting to grab them. Isla grabs a hold of Isaac's arm on impact as she uses her 3DMG device, flying up in the air as they soared to the other building. Hearing the sounds of spears slashing in the distance, Isla glances farther down and sees Hanji, Levi and Petra battling four Titans. Isla watches as Levi skillfully cuts through the air, using his signature spin as he quickly kills two of the Titans, the giant beasts collapsing to the ground.
Isla's grip remains sturdy on her weapons as she looks back at the other Titan. Without saying anything, she aims her grappling hook. She dodges the Titan's grip, about to maneuver past it, only to stop as it grabs a hold of her wire once more, this time squishing Isla in its grasp. The girl lets out a startled scream as she feels her swords dig into her thighs. Isla stops struggling, realizing that one wrong move could cause her death as she glances over her shoulder. Isaac was nowhere to be seen.
The Titan merely grins wickedly as it brings Isla closer, causing the girl to wrinkle her nose in disgust at the sight of its mouth: absolutely putrid. Isla's mind is racing as she tries to think through a strategy to get her out of this mess, but her mind was blank.
"Get your hands off my little sister, you bitch!" Isla hears the statement before she feels the impact. She turns her head just in time to see Isaac soar through the air, his blades ready as he threw them down onto the Titan's wrist, severing it completely. Isla lets out a short scream as she falls to the ground, on her right side, crying out in pain as her blade dug in deeply to her right leg. She quickly entangles herself from the fingers, crawling out as she rolls onto the pavement, examining her legs. Blood begins to stain her white pants a dark crimson. She looks back up, her eyes widening in horror at the sight of her brother dangling like a ragdoll from the ledge of the roof. She opens her mouth to say something, only to cut off as the same Titan reaches forward with ease, quickly plucking Isaac off the roof. Isla wants to scream, she wants to stand, but she can't seem to move. She closes her eyes, attempting to calm down her panic as her heart continues to race like mad. She opens her eyes, inhaling sharply before she attempts to stand, only to collapse to the ground. Her eyes widen in horror as she stares at her legs—despite they had both been cut off by the fall, she couldn't even feel her right leg. She stares at her legs her entire body shaking. Isla bites the inside of her cheek, forcing herself to stand despite the white, hot searing pain that courses through her legs as she aims her grappling hook at the building.
Nothing happens.
"No, no, no!" Isla stares at her machine, baffled as she continuously presses the button, cursing when she notices how smashed and torn apart her machine now looks. She glares in the direction of the hand (which was already deteriorating), which had caused this, then looks back at her brother. Her heart is beating so loud she's almost certain everyone could hear it back in Wall Rose. Her brother meets her gaze, his eyes clouding with grief.
"You're gonna miss me when I'm gone, Isla."
Isla's breathing hitches as she looks back down at her machine in panic. She continues to slam the buttons like a madwoman, cursing and praying and doing everything to will that her machine would start again—she prays to whatever God was out there that she could save her brother. She looks up again, just in time, as Isaac's blood splatters, watching in horror as the Titan rips him in half.
The sound that escaped Isla didn't even sound remotely human. She falls to her knees, eyes wide with horror as she stares at the sight before her. The Titan closes its own eyes, as if savoring the moment, before it throws the other half of Isaac's body aside. Isla continues to scream, feeling her stomach turn as her body threatens for her to vomit right then and there. Isla ignores this and continues screaming until her throat begins to feel raw. She continues to scream until she is certain that nothing other than her pained cries were the only thing that anyone could hear in the abandoned city.
She stops screaming when the Titan steps forward, approaching her. She looks up, staring at it—tall, dull eyed and blatant smile stretched across its face—as she blinks, numb. She swallows, looking down at her swords before letting them clatter to the floor as she takes a deep breath, closing her eyes, one thought running through her head: Isaac is dead, Isaac is dead, Isaac is dead.
Isla embraces herself for death, but frowns when the pain never comes. A loud thud sounds before her and she opens her eyes, hot tears still streaming down her cheeks as she stares at the Titan lying before her: it was dead.
"Isla!" a voice calls. Isla blinks, staring ahead blankly as someone rushes forward. Only when she is being forced to look does Isla notice it's Petra. The girl's golden eyes look at her with concern as she pushes loose strands of hair out of Isla's face. "You're covered in blood!" she exclaims, her gaze traveling down until it rests on Isla's stained pants. She grabs a hold of Isla's arms, attempting to haul her upwards, but stops when she realizes that Isla was too numb to move. "Are you alright?" she asks. "What happened?"
Isla opens her mouth to say something, and then widens her eyes in horror as she remembers the sight of half of Isaac's body being thrown across the town, his guts spilling everywhere. She remembers the blood staining his face and turns around quickly, vomiting on the spot. She hears Petra gasp as she quickly rubs Isla's back in attempts to comfort her. Isla sputters, lifting her head as she wipes away at her mouth, looking forward once more. She stares at the ground stained with blood—whether or not it was Isaac's or hers, she didn't care. Footsteps sound as another person stood before Isla. He leans down, his all-familiar grey eyes scanning her face for a moment before he reaches forward, pushing her hair out of her face. Isla remains silent, staring ahead of him. Was she still shaking? What was going on? Everything around her felt numb.
"Cadet Isla," Levi said, his voice soft. Isla blinks, glancing his way before her gaze returns to staring blankly at the pavement. A silence follows her actions as Petra continues to rub her back soothingly, exchanging a worried look with Levi. Despite Petra's kind attempts of comfort, Isla felt numb.
"Isla," Levi repeated, his voice harsh. Isla blinks again, looking up as she meets Levi's cold stare blankly. His expression falters slightly as he notices the dead, empty look that graced the girl's once pretty, bright face. Isla remains silent for a moment before she stares ahead.
"I…Isaac," she manages to say. Her voice is hoarse—broken. She clears her throat as Petra continues to rub her back, gaze sympathetic. "Isaac…" Isla sniffles, her eyes wide as she continues to stare at the pavement, "Isaac is…" Her hand flies up to cover her mouth as she willed herself not to vomit again. She wheezes before beginning to hyperventilate, hot fat tears streaming down her cheeks as she still stares wide eyed at the ground.
Levi remains silent for a moment before questioning quietly, "So were you going to die as well?"
At his words, Isla looks up at him, lowering her hand as she stares, slightly confused. Sure, of course she considered the thought in the moment of the aftermath, but at this moment, she wasn't so sure she would have lived up to them: or maybe she still would have if Levi and the others hadn't appeared in time. Isla inhales a shaky breath, feeling her hands shake in a panic; either from the shock of losing what was left of her small family or from Levi's deadly stare—either was valid.
"Well?" Levi presses. Isla sniffles pathetically in response. She knows the rules: give your life to protect humankind. Bailing out or any form of treason could result in a punishment even worse than death. Isla remains silent, staring blankly at the ground as she avoids Levi's stare.
"Captain," Petra started, "Her brother…Maybe you should—"
"I'll handle this, Petra," Levi snaps suddenly, cutting her off. Petra immediately clamps her mouth shut, glancing the other way as she removes her hand from Isla's back. She suddenly feels exposed from the loss of the touch as she looks up, meeting Levi's gaze evenly. He hesitates for a moment, searching Isla's face for a moment before rising to his feet, arms crossed over his chest. "Don't make me repeat myself, Cadet."
Isla doesn't answer. She just blinks, staring dully back at her Captain. How is she supposed to react, anyway? He already knows the truth.
Levi scoffs, looking the other way. "Brat." Before Petra or Isla had the chance to say something, he flies back up to the rooftops. Glancing at Petra, who forced a small smile, Isla took her hand as they flew onto the roof as well. Most of the Titans were slaughtered, but more enter through the hole in the Wall. Isla's breathing hitches once more as she looks away—they would have to leave: now. Looking around a little more, Isla spots Hanji standing on the roof across from them. She meets Isla's gaze before looking down quickly, the light flaring against her glasses, preventing Isla from seeing her expression.
"Your brother isn't the only one who died today," Levi starts, gaining Isla's attention. She glances his way as he turns around, his grey eyes narrowing dangerously. "You're irrational and let your personal feelings get the best of you. Maybe if you finally learned how to control your temper, maybe your precious brother would still be alive."
His words are like a slap across the face. Isla remains silent, staring ahead blankly while Petra steps forward, opening her mouth to say something in defense, but shuts it once more. Isla blinks again—Levi was right; he was always right. She takes a quick breath, glancing down at the ground where the Titan had started to deteriorate. She glances back at Levi to see he was starting to walk forward, about to meet up with the other Survey Corps standing a few feet away on the rooftops. Some sort of anger rushes through Isla as she clenches her fists angrily—was he really going to walk away now?
"Maybe I should just leave, then."
Levi stops, not even bothering to look back. "Maybe you should."
Isla closes her eyes, inhaling slowly before she jumps down to the ground. Petra calls after her but she doesn't bother to look back as she starts towards the closest corpse—he still has his 3DMG device on, and from Isla could tell, it looks to be in perfect condition. She kneels down beside the corpse, trying her hardest not to vomit again as she attempts to untie the device from her fellow teammate. Peering at his face, Isla recognizes him to be Andrew Hopp. Isla bites her lip, fiddling around with the straps a bit longer before she quickly exchanges gear. She looks around quickly—no Titans near by.
Isla rises to her feet, grateful that Andrew hardly ever uses the gas on his machine as she turns to look at Petra and Levi. Petra is kneeling on the roof, staring down at Isla with wide eyes—she assumes that the poor girl was deciding between whether or not she should fly down and convince Isla to say, or not move from her spot at all. Looking at Levi, Isla notices how his expression remains indifferent. She frowns, thinking that a regret had flashed in his eyes, but it was there as quick as it came.
Turning around, Isla takes a deep breath before shooting the grappling hook onto the opposite building, flying through the air until she lands on the rooftop. Hanji stands a few ways away from her, her gaze boring into Isla's back. Isla inhales quickly once more before looking over her shoulder, glaring angrily at Levi.
"Just don't miss me while I'm gone, Captain." She turns swiftly on her heel, racing off in the opposite direction. She aims her grappling hook as she soars through the air. The dismantled, broken Wall was in view. Through the hole that had been made by the Colossal Titan, Isla notices that no Titans were in sight—it was odd, but she wasn't really ready to question why: it was now or never. She aims her grappling hook once more as it hits the rock of the Wall and she scales upward, climbing up until she was standing on top. She scans the scenery before her—so lush, green, and full of life (aside from a few Titans that were more than likely to be roaming around farther down the road). Isla closes her eyes, taking in another deep breath as she remembers Isaac. She clenches her fists before reaching up, grabbing a hold of the long ends of the grey bandana before wrapping it tighter. She looks over her shoulder, squinting as she spots blurs in the distance—she assumes they were the Scout Regiment, but no one was chasing after her. Looking back over the Wall, Isla closes her eyes before jumping down.
She was outside.
/
you probably have seen this story before by me! i've rewritten this countless times, hoping that it'll be better than the last, & i can say i'm pretty proud with this version - it won't be very different from the first few chapters, but i have so much planned & i've studied a lot more about AoT/SnK, so hopefully things will be more accurate. :-) please don't forget to leave your reviews! i love seeing that someone has left a nice comment about this story, so please tell me what you think! don't forget to fav & follow as well, & i'll talk to you guys later! (also, i've changed isla's last name to merrick, for reasons i don't really know, but because i like it a bit better? it fits her more, i think)