"Are you sure you want to do this?"

I met Eren's gaze when captain Hanji had first come to me and undid my cuffs to the bed. Hanji's brown eyes flitted between us. "Tell me, Eren, you're not getting too fond of this girl, are you?" she asked curiously, her eyes alight with curiosity behind her glasses.

"Nothing like that, Miss Hanji," Eren muttered, a light pink hue tinting his cheeks as he turned away. "I just don't want her to go through anything unnecessary."

I sighed and shook my head as Hanji put the new shackles on my wrists. "Want to," I whispered. "Have to."

"You don't have to!" Eren exclaimed, his gaze finally returning to mine. "You don't have to do a damn thing!"

"Have to, Eren," I replied softly, my words becoming stronger. "Or I…go away." I met Hanji's eyes and gave her a nod to let her know that I was ready to go to my trial. Hanji returned my nod with a smile. "Don't worry. You'll do fine," she assured me as she lead me out. I could hear Eren follow, his sullenness growing like a balloon over the incident. What would be my fate once I go through this trial?

As soon as we reached the courtroom doors, Hanji beamed another reassuring smile my way. "Don't worry. You'll be just fine," she said. I nodded as she turned to Eren. "You go inside first, then she'll go in."

Eren nodded before meeting my gaze for a brief second before walking inside of the courtroom. Hanji let out a laugh. "That boy, in complete denial," she sighed. "Well, go on in, Damara. It's time."

The courtroom had a high ceiling. I couldn't help but look at it as they shackled me to a pole in the middle of the room. My eyes flew to the Survey Corps on my right side, the Military Police on my left side. Why were they here? Nervousness wormed its way into my heart, biting my insides like a parasite.

Zackly entered the courtroom and sat on what I could only describe as a pedestal for judges: towering, looking down on those who were brought here.

Some of those like me.

"All right. Let's begin this trial," Zackly said before he looked down at me. "It seems this is similar to Eren Jaeger's case. This cadet—Damara, surname unknown—is brought here for the same reason: being a Titan shifter. According to the reports, the only witnesses are the Survey Corps. Why is the Military Police getting involved?"

Nile Dok, a member of the Military Police, spoke. "The Survey Corps already guaranteed on one monster. What possible reason could they give to hide this one? That creature should be given to us to dissect so if there are any more like her, we will know exactly how to deal with them."

I heard a low growl from the Survey Corps side of the room and turned to look. I could see Eren chewing on his lower lip, his eyes glowing with rage. Mikasa and Armin, who stood on either side of him, had two different reactions. Mikasa had grabbed Eren by his arm in an attempt to calm him and Armin whispered frantically to him, his eyes flickering between Eren and I. I turned my eyes back to Zackly. It was he, after all, who decided where I would be placed.

I could see the Commander raising his hand out of the corner of my eye. Zackly looked at him. "Commander Erwin," he spoke in a low voice, granting permission for him to speak.

"The young lady—Damara—she has done nothing to harm us since prior to this incident. I believe the trauma of seeing her comrades slaughtered before her eyes triggered the transformation, making her not responsible for her actions. This fact that this is nothing more than to discredit the girl for a simple fact—just as the case with Eren, whom I'm sure would speak on Damara's behalf," Erwin said.

Eren's eyes flickered to me, about to speak, before someone from the Military Police spoke loudly. "He'll be more biased than anyone! Of course he'll speak in her defense, being a monster as well!"

I flinched at the word. Monster. I was one now, wasn't I? If the shoe fits and I attacked my comrades in a fit of primal rampage, then that was what I was. But…

"No," I whispered.

"What was that?!" The same voice was raised now, angry. Scared.

"He…is not…monster," I ground out as clearly as I possibly could. "Eren…is not…"

"Do you see? Monsters protect their own!" Another voice rang out. "I say we just kill the creature while we can!"

I tensed, the shackles on my wrists becoming an unbearable weight. I wanted to run. To flee as quickly as I possibly could, over the wall, into that forest where my comrades were killed. Fear was getting to me, holding me fast.

I didn't want to die. Not like this.

I heard Mikasa speak then. "Damara isn't a threat. She shouldn't be persecuted for something like reacting to trauma. I'm sure she'll have her use just like Eren—having two people holding the hope for humanity," she said in a clear voice. "At least take that into consideration."

"Put our faith in a creature like that!" Someone from the Military Police stabbed a finger in my direction. I kept my eyes on them. They were the dangerous ones. "Someone without a family, if she is executed no one will miss her!"

Those words. The growing pain in my heart proved true. Hannah did take care of me, but…she wasn't my blood. I had no one waiting for me inside of the walls.

I joined the Survey Corps to find out what I was, where I belonged, and to whom I belonged. But this changed everything. Of course it does. I was going to be taken into custody by the Military Police. I knew it.

I heard something click and sucked in a breath through my teeth, as my lungs became ice. My heart stopped.

They were aiming a weapon at me, a musket. My muscles locked, my blood ran cold, awaiting the bullet to pierce my heart.

"Leave her alone!" Eren roared and I jerked, startled. My eyes flew to him and I could see the rage twisting his expression. "For fuck's sake, you're scaring her and you're acting like she'll kill you first chance she gets!"

No, my mind whispered, don't interfere. You're letting your feelings cloud your judgment…

"You damned monster! You may have proved your worth, but this monster hasn't!" yelled an opposing voice violently.

"She's not a monster!" Eren retaliated, his eyes burning with a violent anger. "Don't put a damn scratch on her!"

Stop it. My throat was burning again. "Don't…" I whispered.

I could see Mikasa restraining Eren as though knowing he'd jump over the rails to react as viciously as possible. The words were dulled as I watched him.

Emotions welled up inside me, meshed together in a murky mess, and I let out a scream. "Don't interfere!"

Eren's eyes flew to me. "What are you saying-?!" he roared.

"See how he tries to keep that monster alive? We have to get rid of her now!" Those words were the last thing I heard before a deafening bang rang in my ears. A pain seared into my arm and I looked at it.

Red was soaking through my sleeve and the pain magnified.

"Damara!" Eren's shout was just as deafening and I could see him trying to vault over the stands from where he stood with the others, held back by Mikasa and Armin.

"Stay there!" I screamed at him, shaking my head furiously before feeling lightheaded as my blood began to drip on the floor. My vision was becoming hazy but I pushed through to him. It felt as if my mind finally remembered how to vocalize my thoughts. "Don't…interfere…or won't…forgive Eren."

An uneasy calm settled over everyone in the courtroom. The different emotions in me—grief, guilt, and pain—were coiled in a messy way. My vision was blurring with tears now. I didn't want to die, but if this was how I was going to go, I wasn't dragging anyone with me.

Least of all the one who saved my life.

"Damara." Zackly's voice was impartial. "You were willing to lay your life on the line for humanity? Like Jaeger, will you control your ability for that purpose?" he asked me.

I raised my eyes to him and took a pained breath. "Y..Yes, s-sir," I whispered.

Levi spoke now. "You know, the brat is under the jurisdiction of the Survey Corps. We should be the ones who decide what happens to her." His words were cold, monotonous, but I understood what he meant. I joined the Survey Corps before this incident. The Military Police, unless under Zackly's duress, had no right to my fate.

Zackly sighed. "This will ultimately be similar to Eren Jaeger's trial. If the Survey Corps believes this child has similar worth, then she will their ward," he ordered. I shifted uncomfortably, my shoulders cracking, before the relief settled in.

"At least Levi didn't beat on you," Hanji said once we were back at HQ. I was sitting on the sofa, Hanji nursing my wound while I was confused on what she said. She must have noticed because she laughed. "At Eren's trial, Levi beat Eren to a pulp. Kicked out a tooth too!"

My eyes widened and I turned to look between Levi, who was against the wall with arms crossed, and Eren who occupied the seat next to me. Eren rubbed the back on his neck. "He did what he had to," he muttered. "At least you're not…"

"Don't start talking like that, Eren," Armin chided him. "The last thing Damara wants to hear is that."

"What, that the MPs would have dissected her without a second thought of her feelings or her pain?" asked Hanji, her glasses glinting. "Because it's true and that's what would have awaited you if Zackly put you in their hands," she addressed me as she tightening the bandages on my arm. The bullet was deep in my arm, making it difficult for Hanji to remove it and it was healing slowly. From what she had told me before, Eren's Titan ability would have him heal at an abnormal pace. Because I also have the ability, I should have healed already. However, something about my ability was different. My healing was too slow.

"Just like your wound on your neck. You got it in the same place Levi put on your Titan form and it wasn't healing. I wonder how that happened." Hanji seemed to have gotten a familiar glint in her eye because Eren grabbed at my wrist to pull me out of Hanji's line of sight.

"Shitty Glasses," Levi ground out a warning. "Last thing that brat needs is you treating her like your pet Titans. Besides, Eren wouldn't let you anywhere near her."

I blinked in confusion, but winced when I made a motion to move away from Eren, pain lancing through my arm. Eren, noticing the discomfort on my face, released my wrist. "Ah, sorry. You're still hurt," he muttered. I shook my head to ward off his apology, rubbing my hand on my bandaged wound. I looked at my jacket in dismay, the sleeve damp with my blood.

While I understood, I was still in disbelief about the fact that they shot me. It hurt emotionally. It hurt that they saw me as a monster like those Titans. It hurt that I had gone on a rampage after…

Drip…

"Damara? Why are you crying?" asked Hanji curiously and I felt Eren jolt from beside me as his face appeared in my line of sight. I raised a hand to touch my eyes, jolting again when I felt moisture against my fingertips. Tears again...

My body started to shake and I registered what was happening. Shock. Grief. It was hitting me like a brick wall. I started rocking back and forth as I jam my hand against my mouth to stifle any sobs that would escape.

"D-Damara? Hey! What's wrong?!" Eren asked, his hand on my shoulder. I pushed his hand off of me, shivering.

Kosmina and Seamus. Ian and Milo. My comrades. They were dead. They were gone and I was…

I could sense someone was about to move, but Levi cut in coldly. "Let her grieve."

No. I didn't need to grieve. I wanted to fight. I sucked in a breath and felt my body ceased its shaking. "Damara?" murmured Eren. "You okay?"

I was about to nod, but I wanted to speak. "Fine," I replied shakily. "I…I'm fine."

Eren opened his mouth of speak but Hanji cut in enthusiastically. "Eren, she's fine!" she exclaimed. "The lovely young lady next to you is made of tougher stuff than you think. Quit babying her!"

I flushed at Hanji's praise. I never thought Eren babied me, but it was true how he fussed over me was a little excessive. Hanji grabbed my hand. "Damara, if you would, I'd like to know what makes you so different!" she told me.

I nodded slowly. I'd like to know why I was so different too, even as a Titan-shifter. If Hanji had theories, then she could test them on me. The grin Hanji beamed my way made me feel like I probably should have refused.

But then, I probably was always curious.

~Eren's POV~

It had been almost a week since Damara's trial and Hanji had been doing experiments on her. She was trying to get Damara to transform into a Titan, but I guess the norm didn't apply to her. She couldn't transform from a self-inflicted wound or even with a goal in mind. She seemed to only transform when she was in deep distress. Or at least that was Hanji's theory.

It bothered me. Damara being subjected to experiments just bothered me. It was like I wasn't protecting her even though she wasn't being hurt. Was Hanji right? Was I babying her too much?

"You're thinking too much again, Eren," Mikasa's voice was low. She was on standby with me as Hanji tried to test Damara's threshold of pain bit by bit, to see if that would stimulate a transformation. I was confused by the strong reaction I felt when Hanji stabbed her finger against Damara's wound and Damara flinched, tears pricking at her eyes. "Sorry," I muttered. "I don't know why I'm reacting like this."

"It's because of how she looks at you, Eren. She looks at you with admiration." Mikasa, being blunt as always, continued. "She also looks at you like you're her idol. You're someone very important to her. I think the last thing she wants is to drag you down. I think," She paused for just a second, studying Damara before finishing her train of thought, "I think you're her hero."

I looked at Mikasa in surprise, but I always knew she was sharp. She caught on to Damara's behavior and why she does what she does? On why she looks at me the way she does? I looked back at Damara, who reacted to Jean who-on Hanji's demand-was advancing on her in a threatening manner by flipping him like she did with me when I was in her face.

At least Horse Face's going to know that he can't move in on her.

When Hanji finally decided to call the experiments quits, Damara sat on the ground, rubbing at her eyes. I made a move to go to her, until Mikasa muttered, "You're about to baby her, Eren. She's a big girl."

I ignored her and walked over to Damara and she looked up at me. I knelt down to eye level with her to see that her eyes were becoming rimmed with red. "Tired?" I asked and she nodded. I held out a hand to her and she tilted her head, confusion clear on her face. "I'll take you to your room," I said.

She reached out and took my hand, her fingers curling around mine, and I pulled her to her feet. "Sorry about Hanji. She gets a little…excited," I told her as we started to walk to HQ.

"It…is okay," she whispered, so soft I could barely hear her. This was probably why Mikasa said I babied Damara—she's too tenderhearted. Soft. I felt a squeeze on my hand before we walked inside and I blushed, realizing that I haven't let go of her hand. Quickly I dropped it. "S-Sorry."

I felt a tug on the sleeve of my jacket and looked back at her. Her fingers were clamped gently against the fabric. Her eyes were lifted toward mine and I could see what Mikasa was saying earlier. Some still looked at me like I was a monster, a time bomb.

Damara didn't. Her eyes were piercing mine with admiration.

Admiration for an idol.

"Eren…thank you," she whispered before she let go and went inside.

Holy crap, too much fluff bunnies.

I swear, the action is going to come back. Unless some of you are exploding from the fluff. -