Rin hesitated for less than a second. Cato had barely been able to react before she'd whipped her hand into her pocket and was poised to hurl a blade towards the trio.

"Rin, wait!" Cato grabbed her arm, pulling it towards him, and the knife embedded itself into the tree, inches from Reiner's (what was his name now?) face.

"Holy shit," Reiner whispered, staring at the knife.

"What are you doing, Cato?" Rin snarled, reaching for another one. "Let go!"

"Rin, stop!" Cato wrapped his arms around Rin's – it wouldn't be much, as, even without her supernatural strength, Rin was still stronger than average. But it would be enough to risk him getting his stomach ripped open, therefore stopping the girl.

Rin stopped, falling limp, glaring fiercely up at the tree.

"I can't believe it," Annie muttered. "It's really them."

"Better believe it, bitch," Rin snarled, tugging her arm away from Cato. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Trying not to die," Reiner called down. "You know, as you do."

Rin sneered. "Doesn't feel so nice once you're being chased, huh?"

"Mikasa –" Bertolt began.

Rin let out a dry laugh, turning away. "You handle this, Cato," she said, arm shaking as she gripped her machete. She shot the zombies a look. "Should've left them alive," she muttered. "They don't deserve to live."

Cato watched as Rin stalked to another tree, twirling her knife angrily. He looked back up to where the three people huddled. For a moment, their faces flashed, changing from the terrified looks of a trio trapped and defenseless to the cold expressions of blood-soaked Titans. He saw a massive red fist crushing the top of a fifty-meter wall, and he saw a plated giant crashing through the gates of another. He saw a massive pink hand reaching towards him, fingers of bone lifting his hood, angular jaw and defined nose, sky-blue eyes sparkling with cold glee.

He turned his face away, clenching his fists. "Are you all right?" he finally called up. Bertolt blinked in surprise.

"Bert lost a boot," Reiner called. "And Cam – Annie's got a scratch. Nobody's infected."

"Okay," Cato frowned at the tree branches. "Can you get down?"

Rin watched from the corner of her eye as Reiner – Louis – let Bertolt – Ailbert – lean on his shoulder, unbooted foot in the air as Cato checked Annie – Cameron's cut.

"Doesn't look bad," he said. "A band-aid should be fine." She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

Rin scowled, walking forwards. The other three flinched back, Bertolt raising a hand, seemingly instinctively. He lowered it from his mouth almost immediately, looking guilty, but Rin didn't care. She glowered at them darkly before turning to Cato.

"Let's go. We're late."

Cato turned to her, surprised. "Rin," he said. "We can't just leave them here."

"Yes, we can, and we will," she snapped. "Our supplies are already stretched, with –" she stopped herself with another scowl. "Come on."

"Rin –!"

"It's okay, Cato," Cameron said quietly. "You've already helped us. We can go back to the city, now."

Cato turned around, eyes wide. "What? Are you insane? The city's a death trap! There's gotta be thousands of zombies walking around there!"

"What do you care?" Rin spat. "As far as I'm concerned, they deserve nothing less than to get torn apart – again," she added, glaring venomously at Bertolt.

"Mikasa," he tried again, looking pained.

"Save it," she snarled. "Cato!"

"Rin!"

"Cato," Cameron said again. "We'll be fine."

"Nobody asked you, Titan bitch," Rin hissed, and Cameron flinched, as if struck. "I might as well be doing you a favor, leaving you to get torn limb to limb. You'd get worse if you came back with us – there's nobody there who'd treat you kindly."

"Rin, they'll die!" Cato said.

"Does it look like I care?"

"It's fine, Cato," Ailbert said. "She's right. We shouldn't go with you."

Cato frowned, and Rin huffed. "Looks like beanpole finally got a mind of his own," she growled, whirling around. "Come on, Cato."

"But –"

"Why do you even want to help?" Rin hissed. "Remember what they did? How can you even stand to know that they'll walk away scot-free?"

"Remember what Eren did?" Cato shot back, and the dark-hair girl scowled, grip tightening on her knife. "But you're fine with him being in camp! Why are they different?"

"They killed so many –"

"So did Eren!" Cato said. "So did we! How are they different?"

"Cato, stop!" Cameron said. Both Rin and Cato turned to look at her. "We'll be fine," she said quietly. "Just. . . we'll go."

Cato watched Rin as the trio walked away, Ailbert still hopping on one foot. "Mikasa," he said suddenly, and Rin reached for the handle of her blade. "I – we're sorry. We didn't mean. . . well, we never thought that –" he lowered his head, turning away and following Cameron, who stood a few feet away.

Rin ground her teeth. "Oh, what the hell," she hissed, and the trio froze.

Cato turned to look at her, eyes wide. "Rin?"

Her eyes were squeezed shut, lips pursed. "Come on," she growled, and the trio looked at her. "Well?" she snapped. "What are you waiting for?"

"Rin, wait," Cato whispered as they approached camp. "Rin!"

Rin glanced at him. "What?"

Cato held his arm out, stopping Cameron, Ailbert, and Louis. "Them," he said. "Remember who's in camp?"

Rin frowned. "Oh, shit."

"What?" Louis asked, looking between them. "Who's in camp?"

Rin cleared her throat as Cato coughed into his fist. "Well," he said. "Uh. . . everyone?"

Cameron paled and Ailbert squeaked. "Everyone?"

"Jean, Sasha, Connie, Krista, Ymir, Marco, Erwin, Levi, Hange, us, and a dog," Rin monotoned. Cameron looked ready to pass out.

"Okay," Cato rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Okay, here's the plan. We'll go in first, and they can stand behind us."

Louis raised an eyebrow. "And then. . ?"

"If things go to shit, run for your motherfucking lives."

"Oh. Okay."

Cato steeled himself as he moved the curtain of needles. Charles glanced up from where he stood at the foot of a tree, talking to Alex. "Hey, Cato," he said. "You're late. Did you run into any trouble –" he paled, eyes widening as Ailbert, Louis, and Cameron walked in behind him. "Oh, my god," he whispered.

Alex glanced up, then jumped to her feet, eyes wide. "Fucking hell."

"Oh," Cameron said quietly, and Cato glanced at her.

"No," Louis hissed.

"Wait, hold on!" Cato said, waving his hands frantically. "Calm down!"

"Holy shit," Alex scrambled to her feet, fumbling for her rifle. "Holy shit. Holy, motherfucking, flying shit."

"Sina's tits," Charles whispered.

Rin sighed, shooting Cato a pointed look. Alex's jaw was opening and closing wordlessly, and Charles looked ready to pass out. "Told you."

"Marco?" Cameron's eyes were bright with unshed tears, and her hand shook on Louis' arm. "I – oh, shit."

"What the hell's going on?" Elvy had poked his head out of the Command Tent, frowning. "Rin, what's happen –" his eyes widened as they fell on Cameron. She paled.

She knew who he was. Of course she knew.

"Elvy, no!" Cato dove in front of Cameron as Elvy dove towards them, whipping a hunting knife out of the sheath on his belt, holding his crossbow out in front of him. "Wait –

!" He was thrown to the side, tumbling through the snow as Elvy shoved him out of the way, blade raised, arrow leveled, eyes wild with fury.

"No!"

Episode 52: *exists*

Me: (இ﹏இ`｡)