3rd POV
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Slowly, Colith cracked one eye open after a long well-deserved rest before noticing the stone ceiling above her which seemed quite old because of the cracks and mold on it. Stirring a bit, she straightened up to observe her surroundings, noticing the few torches on the walls which thankfully gave a semblance of light to the corridor of the ce-
Ah.
She was in a cell.
The hell? Oh that rhymed—
"This is the thanks I get?! Are they for real? I should be in a five-star hotel! But I doubt they got this kind of shit here tho—", she quietly fumed, not wanting to alert the dead asleep guard...who was supposed to keep an eye on them.
'hm...must be nighttime if he's asleep like that...or he's just lazy, Meh.'
She hummed while looking around before noticing the second bed AND person she was sharing a cell with—
'Oh! It's Ereh! Sweet!!', she brightened at the sight of her bean while holding herself back from giving the poor boy a bone-crushing hug that would obviously disrupt his slumber. 'hm... better let him rest after the shit he pulled yesterday...or today? Whatever I dunno.'
The black woman scrunched up her nose in annoyance the moment she caught sight of the rusty cuffs around her wrists and ankles which had chains attached on them. They were long enough to reach the Jaeger's bed but not the bars in front of them. Scoffing at the lack of blanket on both beds, she swiftly snapped her fingers, not loud enough of course, which made two warm blankets appear out of nowhere. She then covered her slumber party buddy with one of them, hearing him sigh in bliss before wrapping herself with the other one and plopping in the jaeger's bed to cuddle. She did all this in silence to not alert the MP guard who was seriously failing at his job.
'Bold of them to assume that this shit's gon be enough to keep TWO shifters in check...but I should probably lay low since it'll be kinda annoying if it became a disadvantage...OR I could scare the shit out of them during the trial, yeh it'll be fun!' a mischievous grin stretched her lips upwards while a shit ton of idea popped in her brain.
'I ain't gonna let Levi lay a toe on my baby even if it was the reason their plan worked, hell naw am I gonna let them pull it off'
The teen unconsciously nuzzled toward her breasts in seek of warmth which made Colith chuckle quietly, already used to it. She had taken a habit of sleeping next to the three when they were younger as sometimes one of them would get a nightmare about that day, in shiganshina. Eren was the one who suffered the most from it to the point of talking about night terrors because of the trauma he unfortunately endured. Colith's heart would immediately ache whenever she found the boy tossing and turning in his bed with wild tears slipping through his tightly closed eyes and she'd rapidly find herself at his side and cuddle the distressed boy to calm him down. It happened almost every night of the 1st year after the fall that it became an occurrence to sleep next to him, Mikasa or Armin or to end up in a dogpile in her bed which did not bother her.
"I'll keep you safe, Eren..." she gently kissed his forehead while looking at his peaceful face in thoughts.
'And I won't let you become a genocidal lil shit and ruin your life...'
she stroked brown hair, finger brushing through it which made the teen hum in his sleep.
'I'll do my best to get a better outcome for all of you, be sure of it...'
She then closed her eyes while pulling the boy closer, arms wrapped around his smaller figure in a semblance of protection before falling into a light sleep.
Eren finally awoke from the long sleep he needed, feeling something soft and mellow pressed against his face as the familiar scent of vanilla entered his nostrils. The teen shifted a bit but felt someone's arms securely holding him, which was weird...since he didn't remember going to be—
"Hey, you. You're finally awake ?"
A groan escaped his lips when he heard that annoying sentence he had unfortunately gotten used to hear when he lived in Trost with Colith and the others.
"By the walls, Colith shut uuuup." he drowsily said, hearing her chuckle before freezing.
'wai- COLITH?!', the teen snapped his eyes open and sat up, quickly disregarding his sleep just to be met by amused golden hues.
"Yo."
Colith made a mock salute while watching the teen's brain court-circuit in live as he began struggling with his words.
"I-... I thought-... I-I saw you die...!" a bewildered expression which soon turns into sorrow came across his face as he desperately held back some tears that threatened to fall out of teal eyes. "...how did you- is t-this real?", the poor boy's voice cracked as his body shook with sobs. He didn't know if he was still in a dream, imagining her next to him, or if it was just her ghost? Seeing the distraught Jaeger's reaction, Colith felt guilt crept in her before she rushed to hug the hell of the boy.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry.." she whispered while massaging his quivering back, "I'm real, I won't go away I promise..." she reassured him, holding him tightly in her arms as she released her motherly warm aura to calm him, which worked since his shoulders sagged a bit.
A cough interrupted them, catching both their attention as they looked at the two familiar men, Erwin and Levi, in front of them. Colith knew they were here the moment she heard footsteps approach their cell but was too comfortable cuddling the Jaeger to care. However, the latter was startled the instant he saw the two men he looked up to before wildly wiping his tears away, already embarrassed for being caught crying! What a first impression was he giving to them!
"Any questions?"
The commander asked, feeling a bit awkward because of their intimate predicament but the man kept a poker face. They did look like a young couple since they were holding each other in the same bed, which was something only married or engaged people did to his knowledge. The clueless teen looked around, finally noticing the place he was in.
"Where...are we..?", His confused face made the woman chuckle quietly as she ruffled his head.
"We're in a dungeon...I think, I dunno never been in one." Colith shrugged, getting up before stretching to the brunette's horror.
"Colith!", He hissed in alarm while throwing worried glances toward the surprised commander and scowling corporal. "A-are you crazy..? I'm sorry sir! She can be...weird sometimes.." poor Jaeger wanted to die in a pit now.
"Hello Commander, long time no see!", Colith executed the salute with a smile, startling the teen. She then looked at the Corporal who was now looking at her in mild interest. "Captain Levi."
The blond nodded while the raven-haired male grunted in response.
"May I ask why we are in a dungeon? I do not recall committing any crimes or infractions to be here..?" she tilted her head in curiosity while sitting back on the bed, which irritated the corporal who threw her a nasty look.
"Tch, we're the ones asking questions here, brat. You better keep quiet before I give you a lesson.", Levi glared and her which made her raise a brow, not at all fazed while Eren got scared for her life.
"That's enough Levi. I believe she has a right to know why they're held here," Erwin threw him a disapproving look before focusing back on the two cadets. "Cadet Jaeger and Tobe, it has come to us that the two of you can turn into titans, is that correct?" The two looked at each other for a second before nodding, with Eren hesitating in his movements while Colith was nonchalant. Erwin noted this before continuing, "You're currently in the custody of the Military police. We were granted permission to see you two only just now."
The black woman hummed while Eren elbowed her harshly to prevent her from angering the already annoyed corporal further which didn't faze her since she snorted.
Erwin watched them interact with a raised bushy brow before swiftly pulling out something that immediately got the only teenager's attention as he gaped.
"Where did you get that?!"
"off of you." He calmly said before being interrupted by the wide-eyed woman.
"D-DOES THAT MEAN SOMEONE SEARCHED ME?" she screeched startling all the men present when she suddenly hid her chest with a look of horror on her face.
-OK pause-
She already knew that a female MP was the one who changed her outfit since she stealthily peeked one eye open to look at the person who had the AUDACITY to touch her without her permission before seeing a spooked blushing woman. Well, it was better than a male because she would've thrown those hands the second the dude laid a finger on her...and she kinda wanted to mess with them a bit.
-Resume-
"p-please tell me it was a woman at least..." her golden pupils blurred as her body began trembling in fright. "please tell me..."
Eren started freaking out when he noticed tears escaping her eyes and quickly tried to calm her down while Erwin and Levi snapped their heads toward the two MP guards who received a disgusted glare from the corporal. They started panicking when they heard sobs coming from the cell before quickly stuttering:
"A F-Female s-soldier was t-the one to search her, sir!! W-we would n-never-!" One succeeded sputtering while the other madly nodded, completely mortified.
"i-is it true...?"
"YES!/WE SWEAR!!", They screeched at the same time, forgetting the two higher-ups' presences.
"Oh okay." Colith put a stop to her act before deadpanning, as if she wasn't just crying. Eren and the two guards gaped at the scene while Erwin stifled a laugh. Levi simply rolled his eyes and scoffed, but he did appreciate the scare these MP pigs got. "Sorry for interrupting you commander, you can keep going."
Erwin swiftly continued his interrogation since Eren was the only one to have something on him since they didn't find anything on her. They only knew she could shift too and that she was, peculiar.
"Let's talk home, specifically the good doctor's seller back in Shiganshina, a pretty big secret in there right? About the titans."
Eren perked up at this while Colith scratched her cheek before sighing, not really interested in the matter.
"yes, I think so. That's what dad said anyway..."
"Must suck having your dad and your memory m.i.a at the same time. Unless of course, that's just a cover story." Levi blankly stated, startling the teen while the golden-eyed woman groaned.
"Enough. We've been over this already. We know he has no reason to lie." Erwin said looking specifically at Eren. "and that's all we know. How about you both shed a little light on things for me by telling us your intentions?"
"our...intentions...?", Eren muttered as Colith tilted her head like a puppy, waiting to see how they'd include her this time.
She could've easily revealed the entire plot, effectively ruining the main story's course but that'd be too easy, plus she knew the MPs were closely listening to get more data on them which would prove to be a disadvantage for the two shifters if she starts spilling facts so no.
She wanted to take them by surprise little by little with each new arc in order to change some events without getting too far from the main story. The end, on the other hand...yeah she'll GLADLY avoid this depressing shit.
"if we want to pay your dad's seller a visit we have to venture back into Shiganshina. Sealing the breach there as we did in Trost would be the smart way to go about it, don't you think? Naturally, we'll need both your special powers. Any way you slice, it tightens, deciding our fate. It's been conjectured that the colossal and armored titan...are more or less the same as you two."
'lol guessed right, nigga.'
he paused his speech to carefully look at the shifters, gauging their reaction on his words. He definitely lingered his gaze on Colith who did not seem at all surprised...strange.
"it's why I ask your intentions—"
'I'm bout to destroy the plot and marry Levi.'
"—they could be the key to turning the tide forever. You could save us."
Silence lingered for a moment as the teen was getting flashbacks from his traumatic past. Colith could only watch him in sorrow before looking at the two males who were staring right back at her in anticipation.
"Come on, it's an easy question, what the hell is it you want to do." the tiny Ackerman asked, urging the two to respond.
"...for my part, I only wish to protect the ones I hold dear to me and free you all from the titans." she held a determined look, purposely staring into the commander's blue eyes. " I must join the survey corps for this to happen and I won't let anyone get into my way." her golden eyes became fierce as she easily held the two surprised males' gaze.
"like she said...I want to become a member of the scouts too, and slaughter every titan that crosses my path!" Eren said in a disturbing tone which made Colith inches away from a little bit, quite weirded out by him.
"geez calm down child, you're spooky—"
"Oh? Not bad...Erwin, I'll take responsibility for them." the corporal walked slowly toward the bars before gripping them and staring at the two cadets. One flinched while the other struggled not to squeal, "convey that to the brass. It's not that I trust them of course, if they betray us, I'll kill them on the spot."
'How surprised will y'all be at the trial, just you wait-' an amused look twinkled in her eyes which she changed for something more blank to not raise suspicions while poor Eren jolted in fright at the threat toward his life.
"They shouldn't complain, because only I can do it. I accept your requests, you can join the survey Corps."
"Yeeey! You'see that Eren? We're scouts now! Knew we'd make it", Colith glomped the teen whose soul almost left his body when the tension broke because of her cheers. "Don't worry Cap'n, Commander! I got this!" she did the salute while a bright smile illuminated her features.
Levi scowled, "It's 'Captain' to you, cadet, learn some respects if you don't wish to end up with stable duties for the next 6 months, am I clear?"
"hai!"
Erwin looked at the female quite intrigued by her, she was so...unique, was it? He already knew of her from the amazing records and astonishing skills, never witnessed in all the training camp's history. She was even nicknamed the Monster due to the frightening strength she displayed during training or the strongest cadet of all time. Currently, she and Cadet Jaeger were the only ones known to have titans powers at their disposal, hence absolutely needed to be secured to the Survey Corps. However, the blond male had some suspicions about Tobe since he had taken the time to carefully observe her reactions to the situations, witnessing her odd...or lack of reaction toward specific subjects.
'Cadet Tobe...she's definitely hiding something...', the blond male thought.
"All right, we will go now. Your trial is in three days. Rest assured, we will do our best to secure you both in our ranks. Levi.", Erwin said standing up which prompted the two guards to immediately salute as they were still sweating bullets.
The raven-haired male looked one last time at the two in the cell, noticing the wink the dark-skinned woman threw at him before scowling at her.
"Take care Commander, Cap'n-" Eren smacked her arm, "I mean Captain."
"Tch, brat.", he walked out behind Erwin, as they were escorted by the two guards, leaving the two alone in the cell thinking that they couldn't be able to escape. Lol.
"What the hell Colith!! Are you trying to get us killed?! Stop messing with the Corporal!", Poor Eren was sick of the emotional roller-coaster he was having since he woke up.
"Don't worry honey, I won't let anything happen to you and the others, I am the strongest-ah shit this ain't my line- I mean I got plenty of tricks up my sleeves!" she looked at her mustard-colored tank top, "okay I don't have sleeves right now but you get the point."
Eren sweatdropped before a thought entered his mind.
"...Colith how did you know...you could become a titan..?" He shifted a bit, uncomfortable about the matter, and stiffened when he met her serious expression. She kept silent for a sec then looked at her laps, seeming to think about something before finally nodding and meeting his curious gaze
"Eren, I understand that you're currently confused about everything happening and it's your right to, but I promise..." she placed her warm hand on his before giving him a soft smile, "...to tell you, Armin and Mikasa more about me, after the trial."
Her warm touch soothed the teal-eyed boy who slowly nodded. He was aware of the love she had for them with how well she treated them when they came to Trost. She had become a precious person he was willing to fight for, even if he didn't know a lot about her family and life before meeting them. His guts told him to just...trust her. She had this...motherly thing that pushed him to yearn her presence.
'like mom...'
"...Okay"
She smiled at his answer before fondly patting his head.
"Since we're stuck here for the next three days, let's ask the guards when they come back to lend us a deck of cards!"
"I don't think it's a good idea after the stunt you pulled earlier—"
"GUARDS!!"
'Oh boi.'