1st POV
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When we got here yesterday, I was surprised to find more soldiers relocated in the old Survey corps HQ while we were out. I mean that was...kind of to be expected since we'll depart from Karaness, this HQ being closer to the district, although, some of them stayed in the main base. I think. Eh, I dunno. At least there are more scouts this time compared to their anime/manga counterpart, something like 500- I'd have to ask Erwin someday. Their number didn't really matter, I wouldn't be able to name them all anyway, but I still recognized some, like that guy whose horse liked chewing his hair to the point of rendering him bald. Poor lad.
Their reaction to the garden was indeed priceless! I was proud to introduce the new fruits and vegetables, even encouraging them to taste some of them. Still, had to show them how to eat Sounsoun/Atis 'cause I almost choked with laughter when someone almost bit into it. It was hilarious. Levi squad expressed awe at it, like everyone, with Eld asking how that was even possible since the place was barren just yesterday, to which I calmly replied that my titan allowed me to, hence the question about the garden the day before. I was pleased to witness Levi's attention on the new plants, pleasure that left place to dismay as he left for his office, probably to do paperwork, though his aura flowed with wonder, which left me in a good mood nonetheless.
Eren almost immediately recognized some of the fruits and excitedly informed the soldiers of how good they were, having priorly eaten some back at home which pushed the more reluctant ones to try. Between explanations, I gave the cooks recipes of 'new' dishes, informing them that I'll help once I'm allowed to, which they quickly accepted. Turns out I was kinda...popular among the scouts ever since I defended them at the trial. Oh well. That's good I guess?
I kinda went and begged Levi to let me in the kitchens, and after five minutes of suspenseful silence with him staring at me, probably realizing I wouldn't budge no matter what he said, he reluctantly agreed. After all, I've been giving useful information, he could indulge on this one, right? I'm not proud of the whoop of joy I released after that, probably startled him before chirping a "THANK YOU CAP-" and bolted out before he could dismiss me to inform the cooks.
When I told the kid I'd be in charge of diner, he literally glowed in exhilaration, he had missed my cooking. Kid has good tastes.
That night, I introduced the scouts to my hometown yam stew some sweet potatoes.
A dish I particularly affectionate since Ma tended to make it for special occasions and it was fucking delicious.
The numerous 'whoa' of astonishment and cry of "THIS IS GOOD" inflated my ego to an unfathomable level that I held my chin high all night! Sure I wasn't near Ma's cooking mastery but hey, they liked it! Even Levi squad enjoyed it. They unsurprisingly had never tasted salt before but were too busy inhaling the food that they barely questioned it. Though I heard a "BE MY WIFE" among the sea of praises and had to restrain Eren from mauling the unfortunate fellow. Damn, kid better chill.
The scouts were so satisfied with the meal that they begged me to cook again. In the end, I got assigned with cooking duties, not full time of course, not that I minded it. The diner was going relatively well with both Eren and I receiving questions about our shifting abilities-Eren barely responded to those to my surprise-, my complexion and of course the food. That is until I felt sharp eyes on me and looked up just to meet steely blue while I was in the middle of refilling Eren's plate. I couldn't help but notice Levi's empty plate, confirming that he ate since I was the one who served the squad's table and truth be told, I nearly screamed in delight, alright.
WHO CAN SAY THAT LEVI ACKERMAN ATE THEIR FOOD?!
other Y/N maybe-
We eventually made eye contact again and I was surprised to see that his eyes lacked their usual distrust. It got replaced by something I couldn't pinpoint exactly, though that wasn't important 'cause he ATE MY COOKING, which was enough to boost my mood even more, so I flashed him with a bright, warm smile, honestly glad that he was on his way to trust me. Levi must've not expected me to just smile out of nowhere because his eyes showed befuddlement right after.
Yeah, it was a cool night.
Until I started panickin-
Anyway, today we're heading towards the nearest forest, that's to say, 6 kilometers from HQ to start training. By training I mean titan training, something that was supposed to start yesterday, however with the incident and the revelations that followed, they postponed it to today since Hanji stayed at Trost. And today is the day the recruits arrive. Great. Not that I couldn't sleep 'cause of the anxiety of potentially losing my family because of a damn lie I invented five years ago, no no everything's fine...Okay, everything's not fine.
'Fuck I'm scared. I hope they won't hate me. Will they? Oh fuck, they will- I mean if it was me I would. Not reassuring at all. Maybe they'll understand? FUCK WHAT WILL I SAY THO-'
"Colith?"
I flinch, "Hm?" then blink back to focus just to see that everyone except me had dismounted their horses and were now staring at me in concern, annoyance in Oluo's case.
"We're...here," Petra informs helpfully, a frown on her soft features.
"Oh" right. I quickly dismount mine- her name was Plume...That's it- and laughed awkwardly. "sorry, got lost in thoughts"
I was so distracted that I didn't notice that we arrived. Yikeees.
Sure, they knew the theory but we needed to make sure that the kid doesn't lose control by starting training asap, also Hanji was here-of course she is, can feel her thrilled presence from here, a big contrast to her yesterday's glumness.
"Be sure it doesn't become a habit, got it?" Levi says sternly as he affectionately pats his dark stallion-how tf did he even manage to dismount it?! Also, my man showing more love to his horse than actual people lmao-, before beginning the walk to the cliff where Hanji and her squad were waiting, with us quickly following him. We made sure to leave the horses a good distance away and tightened their ties so they don't disperse in panic from the noise of the explosions.
"Sorry, I'll be more careful, sir!" I chirp happily with a dumb grin, mood lifted up just because he spoke to me again. He just grunted in response. God, I love this little man.
"you sure you're alright? You've been spacing out for a while ." Eld inquired, frowning in concern which was something I found curious. He's been a lot more...caring than I expected. Not that I mind it, he's cute.
"Me? Psssh, nonsense! I'm totally fine!"
"you bumped into three people without noticing while muttering "p-poussez vous, excusez moi" whatever that meant." Eren scrunched up his nose at his poorly French attempt.
"gee...it happens?" I chuckle with a sweat drop, having not meant to revert to it before glancing at the trees.
"...and crashed into the mess hall's door before apologizing to it." perplexed, the kid deadpans as he walks next to me. His response got amused snorts out of Gunther and Eld, Petra giggling along while Oluo smirked. Levi remained neutral, though his aura flickered in leisure which kinda baffled me.
"Oï, defend me at least?" I playfully shoved him. He stumbled a little, pouted, before replying with a shove of his own that merely made me move.
"not a chance!" he said without missing a beat. That rascal.
"OH you lil-" before the boy could even think of escaping, I caught him and gave him a noogie much to his protest while cackling menacingly at his escape attempts. Our childish banter didn't go unnoticed by the five soldiers since they threw us dumbfounded looks, a slight frown in Levi's case but he didn't bother to stop us.
"Will you two punks shut up? What are you, kids? You're soldiers for fuck's sake! Act like it!" Bootleg finally snapped in irritation, causing us to stop and look at him like Sasha after she got caught sneaking in the kitchens at night.
Eren's hands were gripping my locks while mines were pulling his cheeks. Yeah, we looked goofy as hell. The kid quickly apologized while I gave an eye roll, my arm still around his shoulders. Despite his embarrassment for being called out, he didn't see fit to push me away. As he should because it would've hurt my feelings.
"bro you need to chill a bit, damn." I say as I yawn while playing with Eren's hair who pursed his lips, "can't have fun here apparently...pissy pants, right Eren? Unbelievable!"
Bootleg glared and hissed like a cat, "You better watch your tongue brat!"
"so I don't inadvertently bite it like you," I fake a gasp, "that's so nice and thoughtful! Thank you!"
Gunther made a sound similar to a plastic bottle being pressed that he tried covering with a cough. It didn't work. Bootleg chose to not acknowledge it, opting for bristling at me.
"you think you're funny?!"
"Oui"
"What the fuck does that mean?!"
"Candice."
I quickly clamped Eren's mouth before he could warn the fool of the trap I just set.
"Who the hell is Candice?" he spat. And this, ladies and gentlemen, was my cue.
I looked at him with one of the sweetest smiles I could muster despite Eren's struggles in my hold. He was sending me pleading looks not to continue while he received questioning looks from the four, though despite that, I dropped the bomb with one of the most honeyed tone rivaling Shinobu's, "Candice dick fit in yo mouth?"
There was a silence following the joke and it took them exactly five seconds to register what I just said before Eld choked on air while Petra and Gunther threw me dumbfounded looks. Eren slumped, letting out a desperate sigh.
Aye, even Levi was appalled, not expecting a vulgar sense of humor from me. Well, it's not like he was a child at heart either, knowing where he's from but it still caught him off guard.
Bootleg's face immediately flushed red from embarrassment and most of all, anger. Gunther had to hold him back.
"W-WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"
"Yo mama."
"Colith oh my god please-"
Eren punched my shoulder to stop before sighing in defeat as I laughed, uncaring of the angered man in front of us. Bro was 19 but damn did he look old, which was a point I decided to point out, which pissed him off more. This went on until the original shot us a glare to shut up, which we ended up doing. We eventually got to the spot where Hanji was and the way her eyes brightened at our sight almost rendered me blind.
"HELLO LEVI SQUAD! TOOK YOU GUYS LONG ENOUGH! I WAS STARTING TO THINK YOU'D DITCH US!" She laughs loudly.
"Stop yelling." the corporal sighed, already exhausted by the minute as he walks past her toward the...picnics tables Hanji's squad brought earlier, receiving salutes he dismissed with a huff.
"NOPE!" she then whirls to us. "Anyway, hello Eren, Colith, I've been expecting you!!" and made a beeline for us, leaving her squad behind who looked more relieved at her departure. I spotted Ilse in the bunch and greeted her with a wave she mirrored with a sweat drop as she noticed our squad's offbeat mood, deducting it was my doing since I was the only one smiling.
Hanji's excitement intensifies at our sight. Oh well, I thought she'd be down for a while but that's Hanji I guess.
"Hey! /hello, Hanji-san!" we both greeted, causing her to grin from ear to ear in joy.
"You ready for today? Because I am! God, I can't believe I'm gonna witness you two shift! This is so exciting-" She gushed happily, babbling about farfetched theories as she led us to the empty space downward, leaving the others up the cliff. Everyone was equipped except the kid and I for obvious reasons, and in case he loses control, which will...probably not happen since he isn't exhausted but hey if they feel safe up there, who am I to stop them? Initially, Eren was to shift in a well but I quickly interjected with that idea, saying that I had this under control. I wasn't even surprised when Hanji just rolled with it, knowing she simply wanted to see us shift.
Eren's sudden silence caught my attention. He's been a little off since yesterday...which left me worried. I frowned before giving him headpats, pulling him out of whatever thoughts he was in, "you okay there, lil bird? Don't worry, I'll go easy on you!"
"Huh?" he blinks, looking up at me, surprise written on his features, 'go easy on me?', until it morphed to confusion.
"What do you mean "Huh"? We'll start with some hand-to-hand combat, it'll help build your stamina up. Also, see how long you can keep your transformation on before exhaustion." I explained casually as we resumed our walk, Hanji nodding along, "you won't feel as much pain in titan form tough, so don't worry about busting a limb or two, they'll regenerate-oh remind me to teach you how to control that too." I ended with a nod, already formulating plans for next time.
Eren's eyes widened in horror. "I- I'm gonna f-fight you...?" his pace faltered, causing Hanji and I to glance at him in question.
"...Yep?"
"b-but, I-I thought you were gonna help me control it or something?! We never talked about fighting!", He looked mortified now, having stopped walking altogether.
"what's the problem?" Hanji rose a curious eyebrow at the teen then at me, to which I shrugged and tilted my head to the side, though I had a vague idea of what that was about.
The teen didn't respond, dreading the mere idea of facing me, fully aware that I held back during most spars, even against Mikasa who, though he hated to admit It, was hundreds of times stronger than him. Still, the girl had trouble overpowering me, so yeah, he was within his rights to be nervous.
"Aw lil bird, don't look at me like that!" I squished his cheeks playfully, knowing full well it'll annoy him, "You might get a chance to win, who knows? Your titan might be stronger than mine!"
"Why do you feel the need to lie this way?" He grumbles in slight aggravation, not convinced the slightest before slapping my hands away with a huff. "stop doing that!"
Cackles flooded out of my mouth at his distraught countenance before giving an OK sign to Hanji, "You might need to get away and plug your ears because ça va péter !" and finished the sentence by mimicking a 'boom!'.
"???" By the way she titled her head to the side, Hanji didn't outright understand what I meant, though the 'boom' was a giveaway, so she grinned, gave me thumbs-up, and shot off to a safe distance on the highest tree branch to get a better view of the situation and, hopefully, not be blasted away.
I turned to Eren with a smile, about to remind him how to shift only for my smile to fade the second I noticed his trembling hands. "h-hey, you okay buddy?" I quickly grabbed them, startling him in the process.
"Huh?- oh! Hum yeah, I'm good!" he shot me a smile that seemed too strained for my taste. "l-let's go!" Yeah, buddy's gotta do better than this 'cause it ain't fooling me.
"ARE YOU TWO GOING TO START OR WHAT??" Hanji had cupped her mouth to shout impatiently, the others standing on the cliffs mirrored her sentiment as well, though Eren's well being was more important so I shouted back:
"IN A MINUTE!!", before refocusing on the Jaeger who attempted to jog away but I caught his wrist before he could, "What's wrong? Do you want to talk about it? I was serious earlier! I'll go easy on you, no cap!"
"it's not that.." he muttered, glancing at his feet, increasing my concerns for him. This isn't normal...
I frowned, "Then what? You don't feel well? It's okay, I can tell them to wait a bit if you want?-"
"NO!-I mean, no it's not that! I'm okay! Can we go now?" He tried again.
I wasn't convinced and he knew it.
"Eren."
"..." he didn't move.
"Ereeeen..."
"...!" he squirmed a little.
"Eren, I will tickle the heck out of you if you don't answer me."
I narrow my eyes on him, raising my hands to his sides which he definitely noticed because he flinched and promptly looked at me with a mortified expression, realizing I was serious.
"I'm scared alright!" He blurted out before producing a miserable sound from his throat once he realized what he said and adamantly avoided making eye contact with me.
"What?" A faint gasp bypassed my lips, having not seen that one coming.
Eren bit his lip in discomfort then quietly uttered since nobody was near, "I-I'm scared okay! I don't know h-how...I got this power, what it means...," his breath shuddered as panic took hold of him, "I-I don't know if I can master it! What if I fail and lose control again? What if I get us both killed? How did you manage it...? I don't-" his eyes blurred and I panicked.
"Hey hey hey, it's alright !" I quickly cupped his cheeks to keep eye contact, the teen was on the verge of a panic attack and I mentally cursed myself for not noticing sooner, what a way to go Colith! "Come on look at me, breathe in...breathe out...that's it...breathe in..." after repeating the process a few more times, Eren managed to regain a regular breathing pattern, though he kept his gaze down. "Eren..." I utter in concern while wiping a tear from his eye.
He sighs, "... I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..."
"Hey don't apologize... It's okay," I shook my head, "I didn't know you felt that way. I should've noticed sooner...Why didn't you tell me?"
"..."
I sigh at his silence before patting his cheek to get his attention. Teal irises hesitantly met gold, "You know..., I panicked too the first time I shifted, it wasn't one of my proudest moments." I chuckled, reminiscent of the day I got here.
"you did...?" He seemed taken aback by that.
"uh-huh, thought I went crazy the second I saw a tiny deer!" this got a snort out of the kid, success ! "but more seriously Eren," my lips twitches upward in a patient smile, "it's okay to feel scared, that's what makes you human first and foremost! Sure, this power may sound scary, but I'm here to help you understand it, so don't ever hesitate to ask me for help, ight? " I grinned, "plus you did a great job at Trost! How many people can boast about retaking a whole district?"
Embarrassed, a ruddy hue coated his cheeks at the praise. He weakly mumbled, "Y-You were here too...! You did most o-of the job-"
"Yeah but tis about you, not me, capiche?" I boop his nose, earning a whine out of him. He glared, though it immediately wanned once he noticed my soft smile. "just know that this power, this ability..." releasing his face, I bumped his chest with my fist. He looked down then at me with wide eyes, "is yours and no one else's!... And that's where I realize you and Shoto have the same VA..."
"who's Shoto?" 'Crap, he heard me-'
I laughed nervously, swiftly looking away, "no one important, anyway there's no need to fear it, kid! I know, and I'm sure you'll accomplish great things, with or without my help because you're Eren Jaeger! The most determined...and stubborn kid I know." I finished with a smile before reaching for his hands, holding them gently as I let out a heavy sigh, head downcast "I...don't like seeing you like this, so, next time, if you don't understand something...please tell me? I'm here for you, don't ever forget that..!" And I meant it!
Eren remained silent for a while as he integrated my words into his mind and heart. I had no idea of how important this was for him.
The first few times, he didn't have time to doubt himself before shifting because Trost's dire situation prevented him from doing so. That followed by the trial where he thought he was gonna die if I hadn't been there, even though he almost lost his mind when he saw me di-it's best to bury that in a far corner of his brain- left almost no room for him to ponder about it. But now that he got time to sit down and reflect on it, the prospect of shifting actually sickened him so much that he didn't actively ask me about it. Sure knowing more would help greatly but this felt so...surreal and wrong, it was an affront toward, his beliefs!
He loathed titans, therefore anything titans related. And now he was one...one just like me. Now...what?
"this power, this ability is yours and no one's else!"
If this power was indeed his, then...
His hand unconsciously found the key underneath his shirt, clutching it tightly.
"You'll learn the truth when you reach the basement!"
His father's words brought a sharp intake of breath out of him.
Mistaking this for him getting another panic attack, my heart skipped a beat as I quickly tried to reassure him.
"Eren-"
But the kid suddenly grabbed my wrist, startling me.
"Eh-"
"I'm sorry for worrying you!" he exclaimed, wildly wiping away his tears, "I understand now, I won't back down anymore, that was pathetic of me!" he looked up at me with a fierce gaze, his countenance screaming pure, unadulterated determination typical of a shonen protagonist, "You're right! This power is mine, and no matter what I think, I will fight for the truth even if it scares me!", He ends up breathless, waiting for an answer from me as I stood there blinking in surprise at his declaration.
"you sure?"
"Yeah! Let's start!" He replied without missing a beat, balling his hands into fists.
After scrutinizing him for several seconds, searching his aura for any signs of problems, finding none, I determined that he was indeed okay. "All right," I pat him on the shoulder before smiling. "remember what to do?"
"Yeah! Just need to bite into my hand! Is that it?"
I shudder, "Yep! There's no way I'm leaving you with a knife", this got an offended squawk out of him.
"You know we've been using swords for the past three years right?"
"Yeah, well this ain't the same thing! Don't question me, now shoo before I change my mind and tell them to postpone it! Don't forget the goal okay! I'll transform just after."
Eren rolled his eyes fondly, loving the way I cared for him, on his way to jog away, "Whatever you say, mom."
It took him exactly 3 seconds for his brain to register what he just said before his eyes widened in mortification. 'Oh shi-' his head slowly turned toward me, "Wait-Colith, I know what I sai-please don't-"
Too late he was in my arms now.
"What are they waiting for? Hasn't it started yet?"
"Seems like they've encountered a little problem down there" Gunther muttered as he squinted to see better before thanking Eld for giving him the binoculars, "I think it's the kid, he's shaking like a leaf."
"Eh? What's wrong with him?" Petra inquires as she walks to him. He passed them to her. The strawberry blond gasps once getting a visual of the situation. "You're right! He doesn't look well. She seems to be trying to reassure him of something, I wonder what's going on..."
"Hmpf, brat must be scared out of his wits." Oluo grunts, "want me to go and tell those punks to hurry their asses up, sir?" He asks dutifully, whirling to his idol who was silently observing the scene. Though Eld interjected before Levi could speak with a chuckle.
"You want more? What she did earlier wasn't enough? You sure you wanna mess with her?"
"Shut up! That caught me off guard! I can't believe you guys did nothing!" He sneers with a red face.
"We told you, 'stop behaving like a jerk' and maybe she'll be nicer to you." Gunther shook his head, before smirking, "by the way, weren't you wolfing down her food like nobody's business last night? Don't think I didn't see you oh so eagerly clean your plate."
He spluttered before coughing into his fist to keep a good front, "T-that was obviously to make sure that wench didn't poison you fools! You should be thanking me for this noble sacrifice! I could've died!" He huffed, looking away.
Petra rolled her eyes, unconvinced "...Yeah sure. You know she's actually really polite and high-spirited! Plus she keeps helping you out even when you continue being an asshole to her."
"I can't beli-Whose fucking side are you guys on for Rose's sake!?"
"No one's gonna talk about the fact that it looks like she's suffocating the kid?" Gunther ignored Oluo's outcry.
"OÏ!"
"Huh- Oh." A pink tint crept up the blond's cheeks. "with her..."
"What kind of woman does that in public?! How shameless!" Bootleg spat.
"Oh look, now he's running away." Petra points out, not acknowledging his "Stop ignoring me!". "Whoa, I can hardly see him from here!" She hums before frowning, "What's Hanji doing?"
At that, they all perk up and glance toward the scientist who was wildly gesturing something at them.
"PLUG YOUR EARS!" They hear her shout as she did just that with an ecstatic grin.
Oluo scrunches up his nose in confusion, crossing his arms, "the hell? Why should we-"
The world turned yellow as a lightning bolt struck all of a sudden. The soldiers barely had time to comprehend the situation that a resounding thunderclap shook the whole area, causing some of them to stumble.
"What the-"
Though what came next shook everyone to their core.
"GROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAH!!"
A mighty roar originating from Eren's previous location echoed, scaring birds and every animal in the vicinity away before decreasing in volume. Everyone's eyes widened in shock, shaken by the sudden roar that they found themselves trembling on the ground. What the- That wasn't something they were expecting! They watched with bated breath as the steam cleared out, and had to fight those fight-or-flight instincts from kicking in because of the gargantuan and muscular figure standing 200 meters from them.
"Holy..." Eld involuntary took a step back while Gunther and Petra both stiffened in fright. Oluo was shaking on the ground alongside three members of Hanji's squad, the rest frozen on their spot.
Ilse's frightened eyes were fixated on the titan, though she couldn't help but express awe at it. 'This is what happens when someone shifts...' And quickly began recording alongside an aghast Moblit.
"WHOOOOO-" the only one unafraid though delighted was of course Hanji who was hysterically jumping up and down and almost slipped from the branch she was on, grabbed the tree for dear life before letting another whoop of joy.
"So that's what the brat looks like in titan form huh? Tch." Levi utters as he remains unwavering, watching the newly turned titan with narrowed eyes. His right hand on his gear's handle as if waiting for things to go south, gaze going back and forth between the unpredictable 15-meter class and I.
Though his worries were for naught as the titan just...stood there, looking more lost than anything.
'What are you planning, Colith?' He thought.
"C-Captain, s-shouldn't we do s-something?!" Petra manages to squeak, getting nods of agreement from the others. The fear had taken over logic at the sight of this titan who looked far more threatening than those they were used to fight. They might be the special operations squad but this...was on a whole new level.
"Calm down," the Ackerman's placid tone brought them out of their terror as he turned to all of them with a look, Hanji's squad included, "do not intervene under any circumstances, is that clear?"
"WHAT?! BUT CAPTAIN?!" They cried out in disbelief.
"This is insane!"
"WHAT IF HE HAS A CHANGE OF HEART AND DECIDES TO CHOMP HER DOWN?! SHE HAS NO WAY TO ESCA-" For once, Oluo felt scared for my safety.
"He won't." He sighed then glanced at me, noticing the way I held myself, my figure oozing confidence before giving them a side look, "Do I need to remind you all that she's like him?" He deadpans as looks of realization came across their faces, "so relax, stay put and watch. She knows what she's doing, otherwise, she wouldn't be standing there, grinning like an idiot."
At this, they quickly whipped their head toward me and I was indeed okay...? What the-
"EREN! YOU HEAR ME IN HERE??" I yelled out, a wide grin plastered on my lips at his success.
Said boy-Titan who was busy staring at his hands with a baffled expression snapped out of it and glanced toward me with wide eyes that brightened at my tiny size, proof that it worked!
"I did it!" He attempted to voice but a guttural croak was all that came out, surprising him, 'W-what?' he quickly made another attempt only for it to fail. 'Huh?! What the fu-'
"YOU'VE GOT NO LIPS, SILLY!"
This statement was proven correct as he heard a 'tick' after he brought a finger to his mouth. 'TEETH?!'
I snickered in amusement, pulling a pocket knife out. It was honestly funny to see Eren's titan face go through many emotions at once, a face that usually held a menacing frown and turned downright monstrous in season 4. Yep, that ain't happening, not on my watch.
He produced a whine from his throat, shoulders slumping, realizing that communication wouldn't be possible for him any time soon before his ears perked up at what I shouted next,
"Would you look at that? First shot right out of the box! I knew you'd ace it, sweetie! Good job! I'm proud of you!"
He got startled for a second before his eyes creased into a bashful smile as he scratched his cheek, a pink hue apparent on them from the praise.
I chuckled heartily, then brought the knife to my palm. "Alright kid, I'm gonna transform now! Don't chicken out, okay?" I laughed at the glare he threw at me, a sight that would've made anyone cower in fear though I found it adorable so it was ineffective. He responded with a gruff huff, taking a fighting stance that got an elated squeal out of the scientist. We sweatdropped at her before he gave me a challenging look screaming 'bring it on!'.
I rose an eyebrow.
'Oh well.'
I shook my head, apologizing to Ymir for Eren's transformation since I, apparently didn't count as her brethren, therefore didn't mold mine, before slicing my palm open.
Lightning and thunderclap followed instantly, causing tremors in the area once more as I transformed.
Eren like everyone else shielded his eyes from the blast's brightness and the wind caused by it with an arm. Once it receded, his ears picked up heavy steps and a long exhale, as if someone stood up from a crouch. He brought his arm down, blinking quickly before freezing at what he saw next. The small bits of confidence he had managed to gather promptly crumbled at the sight in front of him.
'You've gotta be kidding me'
This is what he's going to fight?! An 18-meter class?! 3 meters taller than his measly 15?! Even as a titan I was taller! And what's with that horn?! Am I going to impale him? 'Go easy' I said?! He's gonna be destroyed!
"Now now, kid, why're you backing away?"
For the first time in his life, Eren considered making a run for it.
HEEEEEEY!
Whose interlude do you guys wish to read next?
-Eren
-Armin
-Jean
-Sasha
-Connie
-Ymir
-Christa/Historia
-Reiner
-Bertholdt
-Annie
Oooor The three names with the most comments will do!