Hi again, I would just like to say thank you for all the reviews! And now for the next chapter: Trial!

Disclaimer: I do not own either Shingeki no kyojin or Naruto.

Updated: March 18, 2014

Allowing my eyes some time for adjustment I could finally see that I was in what appeared to be a prison cell. I was lying on my back on a bed with a course blanket on top. Glancing down at my hands I noticed that rusty shackles encircled my wrists. Testing them I could tell that, though corrugated, they still held me firmly in place.

The only lighting in the place came from lit torches located on the walls, giving me just enough light to see a women sitting in a chair outside of my cell. She had shoulder length chestnut-colored hair and hazel eyes. Her clothing choice would be considered quite odd upon closer inspection. She wore a shirt, which was perfectly normal, had I not noticed the many leather straps that crisscrossed over various parts of her body including her chest and her thighs. The leather straps were complete with buckles which would allow them to be tightened or loosened at will. Over tight white leggings she wore a short leather skirt along with matching knee-high brown leather boots. To complete the ensemble she wore a jacket that ended at mid-torso length. The jacket had a coat of arms over one of the breast pockets which appeared to be intersecting blue and white wings. She appeared to be gazing off into the distance until she heard the slight movement of my chains.

"Oh, you're finally awake. We were skeptical as to when you were going to wake up." She replied in a voice that was concerned yet cautious.

I couldn't blame her after what she must have seen. I knew that I had probably looked more monstrous then those giants out there in the forest. It was surprising to me that I could understand everything that she was saying. It seemed like Midori's technique still worked.

"Um, yes," I replied in a low tone. I knew I had to be cautious in this situation. A wrong move could be seen as a threat and an ample cause for them to end my life. And trust me, at sixteen, I was much too young to die. "Could you tell me where I am?"

She looked a bit surprised that I was able to communicate in her language, but to give her credit she recovered quickly. "You are currently in possession of the scouting legion. You are contained here for your own protection. There are many who want to eliminate you as you pose a threat to us and to this city but through the combined efforts of Lance Corporal Levi and Commander Erwin you have been spared, at least for now."

As I digested this information I realized the precarious position that I currently held. I was hanging by a thread of fate which would decide if I lived or died at the hands of the so called scouting legion. "So, what's next?"

"Lance corporal Levi has to finish up a meeting but he should be down shortly. I'm here to guard you for the time being." She explained in a soft tone.

"What's your name?" I asked hesitantly.

"Petra Ral, you were the one that saved me, you know," she added with a small smile on her face. "I may have had something to do with convincing the scouting legion to keep you. Without your intervention I wouldn't be here right now." She said with a full smile.

So you were the one I saved. Well at least some good came out my rage. I just wonder what ever happened with that female monster.

"Could you tell me what happened after I, uh, blacked out? Did you capture the giant?" I asked.

"The giant?" she questioned. "Oh you mean the titan. Unfortunately she managed to escape."

"Damn," I whispered to myself. It was devastating to know that I had failed in doing the one thing that I had used Kurama's power for.

"Hey don't look so down. You prevented the deaths of me and my comrades. You may be a stranger and a potential threat but what you did cannot be thought of as evil. You acted selflessly. You didn't even know us and yet you risked your life to save complete strangers." She looked at me as if gauging for a reaction.

"I suppose but I still lost control," realizing much too late that I shouldn't have said that, not if I wanted to live to see another day. But Petra simply gazed back at me before she opened her mouth to inquire further.

"About that, if you don't mind me asking why did you look like that? Everyone was scared out of their minds with fear. No one wanted to go near you but I convinced them to spare your life. You have the potential to help us as long as they decide you're not a threat."

Help them? Isn't that what Midori wants me to do? And besides, they may decide that I'm not worth the risk. They might end my life out of fear for the unknown. How could I convince them that I only wanted to help? Pondering this to myself and how I could possibly answer her I noticed that another person had entered into my view.

She wore glasses over eyes which contained abundant amounts of curiosity as she stared at me through the prison bars. Her short brown hair was tied back in a ponytail with long bangs framing the sides of her thin face. She also wore an outfit which was similar to Petra's except that she wore a short green cloak over hers.

"So this is what you found in the woods," said the women who had a manic glee tone in her voice. "It's too bad I missed the fun. Most of the scouting legion soldiers looked as if they'd drop in fear when I ask about what they saw." She continued to gaze at me as I uncomfortably looked back into those crazed eyes.

"Hello?" I said not really knowing what this strange woman wanted from me.

"Ah," she gasped jumping back in amazement. "It speaks!"

"Of course I speak, do I look like a wild animal to you?" I replied snarkily.

"According to some of the eyewitness reports I thought you might be. You may look human but that doesn't mean you are. Look at the titans, very humanoid in appearance but not quite the same species as us." She explained with a loving look in her eyes. "Perhaps, if they do kill you, they'll allow me to dissect your body. With the accounts I've heard you can't be entirely human either."

I gulped nervously at this. I may not have known much, but I knew for certain that I did not want to be a test subject for this particular human.

"I thought I told you to stay away from here Hanji." barked a voice down the hallway.

"Lance corporal Levi!" shouted both Petra and Hanji as they turned to salute their commanding officer.

"Fools, stop conversing with our prisoner." said the corporal with little emotion. With this accusation Petra looked ashamed while Hanji looked steadily back at the officer. It became clear that Petra was more subordinate then Hanji.

"Tch" was all Levi said in response. He looked at me while maintaining an emotionless visage. His eyes appeared calculating. He had black hair that was longer in the front and shaved close to his scalp in the back. It was combed down the middle which gave me the impression that he might be a perfectionist. His face was constructed from sharp angles completed with gray eyes that showed little interest.

He turned his back on me to whisper to Petra. Nodding in affirmative he approached my cell.

"Before I let you out let me warn you. If you try to escape or make any sudden movements I will kill you." The look in his eyes showed me that they held no mercy and that he would keep his promise.

I stayed stock still as he unlocked and entered my cell. He quickly placed another set of shackles, these being of a stronger caliber, on my wrists as he unlocked the ones that had previously held me captive on the bed. He watched as I slowly got up from the bed not wanting to provoke him in any way. Now at my full height I noticed how short the corporal really was. His head barely made it up to my chest.

Levi noticed my stare and expressed this by asking me "What are you looking at?" with a look that dared me to comment on his small stature.

"Nothing" I answered hastily not wanting to offend the person who held my life in their hand. "I was just wondering where we're going."

Levi continued to look at me before turning his back to lead me down the hallway with Hanji and Petra following in pursuit. "We need to decide if we should allow you to live or die," he said as if it were the most casual of situations. "Many would like you dead but I can see potential in having two monsters on our side. All you need to do is keep your mouth closed and only answer when spoken to and even then you only have a small chance of surviving this meeting."

Wait a second, I thought to myself, two monsters? This was the last thought I had before I was led into a chamber room where the decision to possibly execute me would be held.

The chamber room was quite immense. The main construction material was granite blocks which surrounded windows that were constructed from multicolored pieces of stained glass. There were plenty of seats for the spectators of my trial. Many of which were filled with people who gazed at me with a look of either anger or fear. One particular section was filled with people who wore outfits similar to what Petra, Hanji and Levi wore. They seemed much calmer then the majority or the crowd but before I had a chance for closer examination I roughly made to kneel by Levi while my chains were attached to a pole in the middle of the auditorium.

Glancing backs towards the group of people, who I could only assume were part of the military, I noticed one particular person looked back at me with something that bordered on sympathy. He had dark brown hair and glowing turquoise eyes which showed a fierce determination. The girl next to him noticed me looking in their direction and whispered in his ear. Looking back at her the boy quickly nodded and the averted his gaze with quick glances, every so often, in my direction.

Finally the hall quieted down as the judge came in. The name plate on the podium declared that he was Darius Zackley and that he was the commander and chief of the military. He had gray hair that was slicked back with along with a beard. Glasses were set in front of intelligent eyes. The man held an aura of dignity and authority which earned him the respect of those in the crowd. It seemed like he would ultimately decide my fate.

"All right let's get this over with," he stated impatiently.

"Your honor, that boy is nothing but a monster and will end life as we know it! He might even have been sent here on a mission from outside to destroy the walls!" exclaimed a bystander who succeeded in creating panic among many of the bystanders. There was an explosion of noise as hysterics rose within the audience.

"Silence!" shouted Zackley. "I will make the final decision here. If any more of you feel the need to speak out again you will be escorted from this hall. Am I clear?" The auditorium fell to silence which he took as an affirmative that his words had been heard. "Very well, now we will hear the side of the military first and then the scouting legion."

"Your honor," began a man who had a sharp nose, short black hair and sparse facial hair, "we believe that the threat he poses is even greater than the one that Eren posed. His power is an unknown to us which allows us to believe that he will hinder our attempt to fend off the titan threat. We cannot allow anything that dangerous to live within our walls. If it were left to us, we would have the beast put down once and for all."

This was met with quiet mutters from the crowed. With one look by Zackley they were silenced. "Is that so? Now we will hear from the scouting legion. Commander Erwin you may speak" he said looking towards the side of the room that held the military force.

"Yes sir," began the commander of the scouting legion. He had blond hair parted to the side with thick eyebrows suspended above light blue eyes. His eyes shined with a fierce light as he spoke to the commander in chief. "We believe that this young man could assist us in our struggle against the titans. Though we know little about his powers we do have several eyewitnesses who saw him destroy over thirty titans during our last mission. If control is granted to the scouting legion, we would use him to take back Wall Maria using the combined forces of Eren's titan powers and his own mysterious power."

There were several exclamations at this point. Many people were astounded at the number of titans I had supposedly killed. I couldn't believe it myself. Heck, I couldn't even remember doing it. That was when the judge turned towards me.

"Young man can you speak?"

"Yes, sir." I replied in a careful voice.

This further encouraged people to talk. They were probably amazed that I could even talk after the rumors of my deadly power had spread. Maybe they were even amazed that I was even human.

"So you can speak." He said this in a voice that hinted very little surprise. "Do you believe that we should allow you to live? Could you assist us in bringing back our wall?"

I looked around at everyone else. They were all looking back at me with expectant eyes. I knew there was only one true answer to the question, at least if I was to be allowed to live, but I also knew that I couldn't afford to lie. Therefore I replied with a solemn tone of voice, "If I was in your position I would not allow something unknown to reside in my city."

This was met with many gasps and startled looks as surprise filled everyone's face at my declaration. Even I was momentarily shocked by what had just come out of my mouth. Before everything dissolved into complete chaos I continued to speak.

"But if I'm allowed to live I will hunt down every one of those titans. I have seen what they can do and I will do everything in my power to stop them before they destroy any more lives!" I shouted above the noise created by the audience.

"Hmm, you have given me something to think about." And with that he left the room.

Glancing around, I could tell that this was well beyond the norm. The room became filled with nervous mutterings as people looked between their neighbors and me. I reviewed what had happened knowing that the trail could go against me just as easily as fall in my favor.

The minutes seemed like hours to me before Zackley came back with a solemn look in his eyes. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes briefly before he spoke. "I have decided that the threat you pose upon us is too great. We already have one unknown among us, we cannot afford another."

I stared at the ground in mute disbelief. This shocked me to my very core. I couldn't believe that I was to die here. I couldn't even remember who I had been before. Now I couldn't believe that this was to happen to me in this cold place filled with unfamiliar people.

Zackley stated that I was to be executed immediately. A man came towards me and released me from my pole. I numbly stood and rubbed my hands as they led me down a long and narrow hallway. Many of the participants from my trial followed behind at a safe distance in case I tried anything.

While walking I ran the trial through my head on repeat. I knew that I shouldn't have said that I posed a danger, but I couldn't deny the truth. I couldn't even control my own powers, how on earth was I supposed to save people when I had control issues? I knew that I had but one resort left.

"Kurama?" I hesitantly asked the fox only to receive no reply. Then I remembered that he was sleeping.

What am I supposed to do now? I can't allow myself to die here, not before completing my mission. When had destroying those titans become so important? I knew that I didn't belong here but I couldn't afford to die here at the hands of these people before I stopped the threat.

As I reached the end of the hallway I was made to stop as the giant mahogany doors were opened. Sunlight blazed through the entrance, temporarily, blinding me. What I saw waiting for me took my breath away and allowed my already raging heart to beat at an accelerated pace.

As I glanced around I saw a large courtyard that held a large guillotine in the center. Looking at the large blade I felt a spike of fear roll through my body as I stumbled towards the machine of death. I felt the sharp pull of Kurama chakra begin to flow through my body in response to my predicament. I pushed it back knowing that I would harm the innocent civilians if I allowed the chakra to control me.

I was made to kneel again as I was placed before a stone block that stood directly under the deadly blade. It gleamed in response as if knowing that it would once again feast on the blood of the convicted.

With the crowd gathered I noticed that there were quite a few people missing. The entirety of the scouting legion could not be found among those who waited in expectation to my imminent demise. I appreciated that they had solely opposed my destruction but it seemed like it had been in vain.

Zackley slowly appeared from the crowd. "Do you have any last words before you go?"

Knowing that nothing could save me now, I shook my head. I was still stunned by the turn of events but I had accepted my fate.

Signaling to my executioner I saw someone in my peripheral vision move towards the side of the guillotine. I closed my eyes as I heard the slither of the blade as it made its deadly descent towards the back on my neck. I only had the chance for one deep breath as I tried to calm my heart as it tried to escape from my chest. Even my body knew that the end was coming, though it tried to reject it with every fiber of its being.

As soon as it had started the slithering sound of the blade stopped. That's odd I didn't feel any pain. Opening my eyes I glanced around. I heard screams from the crowd before I noticed the person who stood in front of me.

He wore a black cloak which covered his whole body. Though I could only see his back I noticed that he had vibrant red hair that stood up on his head in spikes. While the crowd protested the intervention Zackley looked very pale as he stood in front of the man. The mysterious figure slowly approached the commander, moving gracefully as he did so.

He spoke quickly to Zackley who nodded his head, turning even paler as the conversation continued. With one glance at me the commander in chief opened his mouth to give an announcement that shocked everyone.

"Due to evidence that has recently become known to me this young man shall be spared. He will be sentenced to work under the supervision of the scouting legion until he has either fulfilled his task or died trying." He said this with a stoic tone before he turned and walked away. Glancing back towards me he went to the nearest guard and whispered in his ear. He continued to walk away but not before proclaiming that everyone was to disperse and if they refused, they would be taken into custody by the military police. His words were met with a mad scramble as the remaining spectators fled from the scene.

Wondering what had been said I glanced around to look for my savior but it was to no avail, he had vanished. I did, however, have a sneaking suspicion as to the possible identity of the man. Thinking about this I remember that I was still held captive under a weapon that was fully capable decapitating me. Glancing to the side I noticed that a sword, positioned upright, held the guillotine's blade mere inches above my head. Gulping aloud I felt movement around my wrists as I was freed from my perilous position.

After I was freed the sword that held the guillotine's blade at a standstill was removed. I watched as it made its final decent, whining all the while, as if it knew its feast had been denied. Looking back once more I shuddered knowing that my head could have just as easily been the one that had been sliced instead of the air.

The soldier who Zackley had spoken to lead me back into the building and through a narrow hallway. He then proceeded to knock on a door to the right which was answered with a soft "come in." I took a deep breath and entered the room.

(End)

That's all for now! I'll try to post a new chapter every week as my time allow, most likely on Fridays, so stay tuned!

~Strix