3rd POV

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"What on earth is that?!"

Isabel cried out, wide disbelieving eyes glued on the giant on their trail. It was her first time witnessing such a phenomenon, same with her companion who couldn't help but outright gape at the thing chasing them. Despite living nearly six unbelievable years of peaceful coexistence with men-eating giants who suddenly showed disinterest in snacking on them, seeing this new...monstrosity was quite...off-putting to say the least.

Levi squad shared an alarmed look. It seemed as though the two new additions didn't know what shifters were if their puzzled faces were any indication. This was enough to clear any suspicions of their involvement with the enemy currently chasing them.

"You don't know what that is?" Petra expressed in genuine surprise, causing the duo to quickly shake their heads which prompted her to quickly explain, seeing as they were lost. "that's the enemy shifter who attacked us. It's basically a human controlling a titan. It had been captured, however, I don't know how it managed to escape!" she gritted her teeth, "I thought commander Erwin had her. How on earth did she escape?!"

The dirty blond male frowned in confusion, "A shifter?", a calculating expression swiftly adorned his face as a thought came to mind.

'Could it be that...'

"No time to explain, we need to eliminate her as soon as possible! Looks like she's after you, Eren!" the teen in question's eyes snapped to Eld who addressed his comrades, "We'll get rid of her while the kid gets to safety! We can't afford to let her snatch him!" he ordered then turned to the two, "I don't know how you guys got those but you should hightail out of here! This is scouts matters so don't interfere!"

"What?!" Both Eren and Isabel squawked in indignation. One because he wasn't allowed to fight and the other because she wasn't even considered an option, though only Eren received an earful.

"You heard him brat! Just get the hell outta here and fast! Leave it to us! Don't forget whose squad you're in, got it?! " Oluo barked, stealing a wary glance behind him.

"No, please I can help! I don't know what happened back there but I can transform and fight! I'm not running away this time!" Eren yelled in protest.

"Yeah! Whatever the hell he said! We're not leaving you guys to deal with that thing!" Isabel shouted in agreement even though the 'transform' part puzzled the heck out of her.

'Transform...?' meanwhile her companion had a contemplating frown on his face, 'what does he mean by that?'

"This is an order Eren and you, stay out of this! You're not even a scout!" Gunther snapped at Isabel who let out a scandalized gasp, followed by a 'I saved your ass, bastard!' the chestnut-haired male wisely ignored with a wince.

"The captain told us to protect you and that's final! So don't make things difficult and just follow orders goddammit!" Eld grunted, fed up with the teen's stubbornness.

"Huh...guys?"

"Then what was the point of training if I'm not even allowed to fight?! What if you guys died because she's too strong for you?!" Eren defended.

"Fuckin-WILL YOU QUIT BEING A PAIN IN THE ASS AND LISTEN TO YOUR SUPERIORS?!" Oluo bellowed in agitation.

"Guys!"

Eld's gaze hardened. "Then we'll die upholding our du-"

"GUYS!"

"WHAT?!" they all snapped at the bewildered dirty blond man whose finger was pointing behind them.

Confused, Levi squad glanced at the subject of his shock only to match his bewilderment upon catching sight of the giant dark fist currently barreling toward the female titan's face who barely had time to react before it slammed onto her cheek, sending her flying further into the woods like a rag doll, effectively cutting the chase short. The impact of her body echoing a kilometer away from their position was the only thing that disturbed the sudden silence that befell them.

It was safe to say that surprise would be an understatement to what they felt upon seeing the familiar giant figure of Colith emerge from behind a tree. She sported an annoyed grimace on her face as small puffs of steam left her lips, seemingly annoyed. Her body was still emitting steam, an indication that she had just shifted.

Levi squad immediately skid to a stop and watched with wide eyes Colith's titan form release a low grumble. She looked...displeased.

Recognition immediately flashed through the duo's eyes, though it went unnoticed by the scouts who were too busy feeling relief at their comrade's arrival. At least now, their chance of survival rose to a hundred percent!

Her gaze shifted to them, landing on each of them as though she was making sure nobody was missing, a frown of worry marring her features before her eyes widened upon landing on the two new addition. Her lips slightly parted in surprise, about to speak when-

"LITH!!" the scouts' eyes bugged out when the redhead zoomed right past them like a bullet, causing the giant to release a startled yelp when the human slammed onto her face and began babbling a million miles a minute. Her companion sighed, eyes narrowing slightly before he followed right after her, leaving a confounded Levi squad behind.

"Isabel, Furlan ?" Colith managed to say after plucking the bubbly girl from her face and held her like a kitten, "What are you two doing here?" she frowned in confusion.

"What are you doing here! I thought you weren't supposed to approach the scouts!" Isabel said before gasping suddenly in realization. Dread immediately twisted her gut, causing her to slowly glance at said scouts, a sudden caution oozing out of her, "Quick! Get away before they attack you!" she whisper yelled, making the titan blink in surprise, "Furlan and I will slow them while you run, okay? Don't look ba-why aren't you saying anything jackass!? Come on! We can't let them capture her!" she snapped at Furlan who stood silent on a branch, watching them.

"I don't think that's going to be an issue."

"What do you mean 'that's not going to be an issue'?! They're scouts, she's a titan! They'll attack her if we do nothing-"

"You're not really a titan, are you?" Furlan said as he folded his arms, leveling the giant with a pointed stare that made her slightly flinch.

"Huh?! Did you hit your head, Furball?!" she was interrupted by a sigh which caused her to whip her head toward her giant friend in confusion. Isabel was about to add something when a squawk left her lips instead as she was gently deposited in a palm.

The giant plucked the hooks from her collar before answering, "You're right."

"What?!" Isabel's mouth fell open as she looked between the two, "EH?!"

"Why didn't you tell us?" the male's frown deepened though he was able to hide the shock from his face, contrary to his friend who was outright gaping like a fish.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to hide it forever from you guys, it's just..." she sighed, shaking her head wearily before placing the frozen girl right next to Furlan, "look, I promise i'll explain everything later but right now," she glanced toward the female titan's general location with a squint before her attention returned to the duo. Her gaze softened, "I know this doesn't make any sense to you yet but I need to take care of a few things so, will you please wait a little?" she smiled, causing a slight blush to bloom on Furlan's cheeks which made him reluctantly relent.

"I guess..."

"HOLD ON HOLD ON HOLD ON!! YOU'RE A HUMAN?!" Isabel shouted suddenly, seemingly snapping out of her frozen state to gawk at the titan who chuckled.

"I'll explain later, Bel," She brushed off much to the girl's disappointment before glancing at the flabbergasted scouts, "For now, I want you guys to join them." a smirk appeared on her lips, "I wasn't planning for you guys to meet like this but this is your aniki's new squad," Furlan and Isabel's eyes comically widened at the news as they followed her gaze, "So make sure that nothing happens to them, wouldn't want to make him sad now, do we?"

At the mention of her Aniki, Isabel perked up, rightfully fired up. she quickly rose to her feet with a determined look, "I dunno what's going on but you sure as hell can count on us!" she affirmed with a bright grin.

The titan nodded, smiling tiredly, "hm, Make sure that none of them follows after me, especially the kid. Do not let him rush after me, okay?"

Isabel tilted her head to the side, about to ask why she didn't want that particular boy to go after her but refrained from doing so. She was about to go when the titan handed them something, which they took in confusion. With a quick explanation, they both nodded before Isabel shot the titan a bright smile and then grabbed Furlan's cloak. She did a mock salute then jumped, causing the male to release an undignified yelp before he had the reflex to use his gear before he could plummet to the ground.

Furlan was not amused.

Levi squad watched the duo return, a million questions at the tip of their tongue though it was quickly pushed aside as their attention returned to Colith's titan. They watched as she gave them an 'ok' sigh then bolted away, precisely where she sent the female titan flying, thunderous footsteps fading into the distance.

Naturally, they were about to follow to assist her in any way possible but halted when the duo informed them of her wishes to retreat. Of course, that didn't sit well with them, yet they realized that they might only become a hindrance in the case that they were to interfere.

After all, this was their first time dealing with an enemy shifter, and god knows that being overconfident when your only experience with shifters was friendly spars with an ally that wasn't actively trying to kill you whereas an enemy didn't have such qualms, and wouldn't hesitate to turn you into paste wasn't the brightest idea. Even Oluo grudgingly saw the point, although that did not stop him from expressing his displeasure out loud. Plus the sight of the same black gems around their necks was enough to further lower their guards.

Nevertheless, the news made Levi squad wary of the remaining shifter's reaction knowing how determined and eager he had been to jump and fight the female titan earlier. They were expecting him to strongly protest and immediately rush after Colith or throw a fit that would've resulted in them having to knock him out before the kid could transform and follow her. However, to their utter shock, the teen merely nodded in resigned acceptance after a few seconds of tense silence. It was easy to see that the situation frustrated him to no end, yet it seems like he took it upon himself not to be difficult, his trust in the woman's capability to win was enough to make him comply.

With that out of the way, the scouts swiftly went in search of their horses with the duo closely flanking them.

"So, how did you guys meet Colith?" Gunther asked tentatively, breaking the awkward silence. He received a withering glare from the redhead who huffed in response then glanced up ahead, seemingly still miffed by his dismissal earlier.

Seeing that Isabel wasn't about to reply, Furlan sighed, "So her name's Colith huh? She's only introduced herself as Lith, so I suppose it wasn't that far." he muttered before shaking his head, "We met six years ago—" Eren stilled momentarily, eyes wide though he kept his mouth shu and listened intently, "— if that's what you're wondering. It happened on our first expedition where Isabel and I were facing one of those deviants." A scowl came across his face at the memory, "Stuff happened and we somehow found ourselves in the hands of another titan."

"And you were screaming like a little bitch."

Furlan sent a withering glare toward the snickering redhead. The comment elicited a few chuckles from the scouts.

"you guys were scouts? That explains the ODM gears then." Eld commented, earning nods from the duo.

"So..you never knew she was a human controlling a titan?" inquired Petra, curious about the apparently ex-scouts.

"Nope, each time she visits, she's a titan! Till now at least. I always thought she was some clever and kind titan, guess we were wrong." Isabel paused before her eyes twinkled, "So, what's she like? Is she tall? Short? Does she have long hair too? Oh-oh! Is she part of the scouts too? I thought you guys were after her so I freaked out, haha!"

Awkwardly, Eld and the others chuckled, "tall, I guess she is..." he mumbled.

They exchanged a few more words before the blond noticed something

"You good kid? I know you're worried about Colith but I'm sure she'll be fine! Otherwise, she wouldn't tell us to go."

They all turned to the teenager with inquiring looks. The boy adorned a frown as he stared forward.

"He's right, Eren! Colith's strong! She'll be back before you can even blink!" Petra tried to reassure him.

"Ha? What ar-" Gunther silenced whatever nonsense Oluo was about to spout.

Isabel and Furlan spared each other a glance, seems like this boy was close to their friend.

Disgruntled, the boy clicked his tongue. "Of course, she'll win! It's just..."

Eren knew that she'd prevail, though that wasn't enough to prevent the seed of worry from sprouting inside his gut. His frown deepened as his eyes flashed with concern.

"...didn't you notice how her titan looked smaller than usual?"

There was a beat as they processed his words before realization finally dawned on them, though surprisingly it was Oluo who cursed this time.

"Shit."

Heavy footsteps immediately alerted the female titan of an approach. Blinking quickly, she regained her bearings enough to roll away when a foot crashed where her head had been.

"Oh? So you're awake? Didn't think you'd be able to dodge it that quick." Colith's titan voice crooned.

The female titan's eyes narrowed as she cautiously rose to her feet. Fortunately for her, the steam was dissipating from her jaw, announcing the end of the regeneration. It had been shattered from the punch earlier and she couldn't help but stumble slightly from the dizziness she felt. That was enough to keep her distance from her opponent. Blue eyes quickly darted around. It seemed like she was looking for an escape route, a way to avoid any confrontation from occurring.

"What? Gonna run away? Wasn't the goal of all this fiasco to kidnap Eren and I? Well, I'm here!" with arms wide open, Colith smiled at her, "Come on, now that I think about it, we've never actually spared before, don't you think we should remedy that,

Annie dear?"

Upon hearing the name, the female titan's gaze sharpened. Her head slowly turned toward her opponent. She was met with an amused look.

Gritting her teeth, she took a fighting stance, throwing away any intent to flee in the wind. This sudden change caused a soft chuckle to slip past the dark titan's lips.

"Heh, that's what I'm talking ab-Wow! Easy there!" She whistled, narrowly dodging the vicious kick aimed at her head by leaning back. Even in titan form, flexibility was easy. The trunk she was next to broke down from the kick. Colith grinned, "hardening, huh? Don't mind me if I return the favor!"

The female titan's eyes widened in surprise when Colith enhanced both arms with crystals.

In retaliation, she graciously whirled and went for a backhanded punch the female titan managed to evade by jumping back. However, the blonde realized a bit too late the feint when the air was suddenly knocked out of her lungs, the impact so brutal that she was lifted off the ground momentarily. She dry heaved loudly more out of shock than pain as she spat blood. Glancing down, she saw the fist buried dip in her guts, threatening to rupture it. Had she been a human, it would've been fatal.

She stumbled back when Colith retracted her arm, leaving her to hold her stomach as steam erupted quickly from it. Her vision momentarily swayed but she shook her head quickly to regain her bearings.

"Huh, you're sloppy." Colith remarked idly, amusement present in her eyes

With a snarl, the blonde hardened her fists in response, adopting a stance the other easily recognized if the knowing glint in her eyes was anything to go by.

Colith didn't wait and lunged.

They began trading blows which grew heavier and more vicious as the seconds passed. However, the blond was having difficulties retaliating since each time she ducked under a punch and found an opening, she didn't have time to exploit it when a hardened uppercut was what met her so she had to evade it less it rearrange her face. This situation pushed her to the defensive side for she had less strength than her opponent, preventing her from dealing successful blows.

In addition to that, the shit-eating grin she could see on Colith's face was enough to make her realize that the other was barely trying.

"come on, Annie! You can do better than that! Show me what you've got!"

Colith saw that the other was having trouble and therefore decided to lower her level a little which allowed the blonde to switch to the offensive. Unfortunately for her, the strikes were growing slopier and out of focus, certainly due to fatigue which made Colith see through the punches, easily weaving and blocking the blonde's opponent's strikes. It was as if battling a beginner which she knew Annie was anything but.

Successfully throwing the blonde over her shoulder the moment she grabbed her arm, Annie roughly landed on the ground with a gasp. Though to Colith's surprise, the blonde rapidly recovered with a glare, yet she knew the impact had done a number on her seeing as the blonde staggered as she breathed heavily.

A smile bloomed on her lips in response then she resumed her assault.

As for Annie, It was clear that she was being toyed with but could do nothing about it. Using her opponent's strength against themselves was useless! None of her techniques worked, so she had to resort to more evasive tactics. However, her stamina was running low so she couldn't keep this for long. And the more she kept the hardening to sustain and deal blows, the more she grew tired.

She needed to put an end to this and quick!

In a desperate attempt to turn the tide, the female titan formulated a quick plan and waited for an occasion. And after many attempts to protect herself, when one presented itself in the form of a destructive sidekick, she promptly jumped on it. Concentrating the hardening on the targeted area, she almost cried in pain when it landed. She felt herself slide a bit from the kick's force, though she quickly ignored it by securing the leg in a vice hold.

Caught off guard, Colith didn't react fast enough when a hardened shop struck her knee, breaking it with a deafening crack. She let out a curse, realizing her carelessness, and glanced up. Her eyes met smug icy blue eyes for a brief moment but then...she smirked.

The female titan's eyes narrowed immediately when her opponent's response to a broken leg was a mere smirk. No cry of pain, no hiss, just a simple smirk. She wondered if she shouldn't just rip it before the other tried to free the broken appendage.

Seeing as her leg wasn't budging any time soon, Colith abruptly twisted around and used the ground, palms digging into the dirt to rotate fast enough for a roundhouse kick. It knocked the female titan on the head, effectively sending her crashing headfirst into the ground with a loud crack. Even though the sudden move aggravated her wound to no end, she barely gave it any mind as she managed to regain balance in a crouch with a now freed leg, albeit twisted like a mop, the female titan had released from the surprise attack. Regardless, the injury was already mending itself, albeit slowly.

Still stunned, the blonde didn't register when arms trapped her in a side headlock. Blue eyes blinked quickly into focus upon realizing her predicament which immediately drove her to try and free herself. However, it was too late.

She couldn't break through it.

With a groan, she attempted to once more escape the lock by repeatedly striking her ribs. The hits grew desperate upon realizing that Colith wasn't even reacting to it.

Colith could feel the panic rising from her opponent as her movements grew erratic which, in response, made her tighten her hold.

"Now now, calm down. Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

Thinking quickly, the female titan came to a quick decision. Since she couldn't overpower Colith, she took a deep breath, about to, once again, release a scream to summon titans when a hand swiftly clamped her mouth, cutting her off.

"Ah. Ah. Ah. Don't think I didn't see what you were doing! You really think I'm gonna let you do that little act of yours again? Come on, I'm better than that!" she laughed before a contemplative look crossed her face.

The female titan was doing her best to shake the hand off when she heard a curious hum and slowly glanced up. She momentarily froze at the next words.

"Tell me, what do you think would happen if I was the one screaming this time? Because I have no idea, for lack of trying of course. Do you think I'll summon them too? Will they eat me like you? Or will something entirely new happen? Hm...You know what? Why not find out? I'm sure you're dying to know too!"

Incredulous blue eyes met curious gold sclera. A look at her face was all it took for her stomach to drop as a sense of dread suddenly filled her guts.

She didn't want to know, in fact, she didn't want to be here anymore! And before the blonde could even think of a way to stop this-

"GHOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARG!!!"

She screamed.

"Damn! This again? What is it with these otherworldly screeches?!" Connie startled, eyes blown wide in bewilderment as the scream went on before gradually fading. He shuddered, "Can't wait to get out of these woods 'cause this is bullshit!" He was suddenly cut off by faraway crashing sounds and promptly glanced toward them only to do a double take, mouth agape. "Um...guys? Is it me or are these titans collapsing?"

And true to his words, in the distance, nearby titans were dropping like flies.

What the- sure, Connie wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but even he knew titans didn't just drop like that! Was this because of that scream earlier?! Weren't they gonna run wild like before? What the hell is going on?! A grunt of pain caught his attention and quickly made him glance at the Ackerman on his left.

"Mikasa! You alright?" concern immediately replaced the earlier displeasure in his tone as he addressed the Ackerman.

She was holding her head and seemed on the verge of passing out. He had to grab her arm before she could fall off her horse, which was enough to send the teen into a frenzy because he had never seen Mikasa this pale!

"Mikasa!" worried, Sasha and Mina called as they neared their friend, having both noticed her faltering.

"what's wrong, Ackerman? Not feeling well?" one of the squad leaders queried, slowing down the pace. They were currently heading to the main force, having seen the retreat signals earlier.

"...I'm fine." the girl managed to utter softly, blinking a few times to regain focus before shaking her head. She thanked Connie who hesitantly released her arm.

"what happened?" the boy asked.

"I don't know...?" she mumbled, not so sure herself. It felt as though her mind almost shut down the moment she heard that scream...

Jean cursed, uncovering his ears after the scream gradually faded.

'Another scream?! Damn!'

Was he right to believe that this expedition was utter bullshit? Yes. He did not want to be here anymore, heck, he wasn't loitering on the ground for that matter when he knew that titans will probably scramble toward them, effectively trampling whoever was dumb enough to stay down there since that's exactly what happened the first time whatever that was screeched.

He was about to soar up to a tree when he saw his tallest friend drop.

"Oi! Bertholdt, Bertholdt! Shit- Oi wake up man!" Jean cursed, attempting to steady his unconscious friend, "Crap! He's heavy!"

"What happened?" Marco rushed to him in panic.

"I-I don't know? He just froze then fell to the ground!"

"Huh? Was he inju-"

"Reiner!" they both sharply turned toward a distressed Armin who was doing his best to wake the burly blonde. Their eyes widened. If that wasn't weird enough, titans in the distance were dropping one after the other and it did not look like they were about to move for a while. Strange.

Before any of them could react, a groan caught their attention which caused them to glance at their stirring friend.

"...what happened..? Why am I on the ground..?" Bertholdt mumbled, slowly sitting up with Jean's help. He caught sight of Reiner who looked as confused as he was under Armin's fretting.

Marco and Jean shared puzzled looks before the latter spoke with a hesitant smirk, "man, I knew you were a coward, but to faint just because of a scream, you had to do it!" He will not admit that he was ready to flee just a moment ago.

"Jean, that's not nice! He could've hurt himself! Hey Bert, is everything alright? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"Uh no...I g-guess? H-how long was I out for..?" he gulped, feeling uneasy all of a sudden. This wasn't good.

"I didn't really pay attention but I'd say no more than 10 seconds." Jean shrugged, calmer now that he realized that titans weren't about to dart into the forest because that would've been a disaster since they weren't done yet.

Although, a tiny part of him found it odd that Bertholdt and Reiner fainted at the exact same time as those titans. Unfortunately, the boy, at the time, had not made the connection until later.

"Wha...?"

"Oh my god, Ymir! Are you alright?!" came out Christa's muffled voice.

"Christa...?" Ymir blinked, regaining consciousness. She wondered why the blonde's voice sounded like this when she realized that she was leaning heavily on the poor girl who was struggling to keep them upright. Ymir grimaced, quickly relieving the blonde of her weight who let out a huff of relief at the action, "What happened?"

"I don't know? There was that scream and then you just slumped on me! I didn't know what to do so I tried to wake you up but you weren't responding so I got scared! Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere? Will you be able to ride back? Of course not! You just fainted-eep!" she placed a hand on her forehead Ymir just flicked to silence her.

"jeez calm down Christa! I'm not dying or anything! Not unless I marry you first, be sure of that." A smirk bloomed on her lips upon seeing the flush on Christa's cheeks before the blonde quickly shook her head.

"D-don't change the subject!" she returned the flick, "Are you okay? We can ask if you can sit on the wagons-"

"Tempting, but no. Plus I'm sure they won't let me since they're loading the corpses."

"Ymir, they're alive."

"Which is fu-freaking weird! Don't you think?! Why aren't they waking up then?"

The blonde sighed, shoulder slumping. "just...be more careful okay? I don't want you hurt..."

"Aaw! My Christa's worried!" Ymir caught the smaller girl in a hug, repeatedly kissing her cheek to Christa's flustered dismay, "I'll marry you right now and make you the happiest woman on earth! Just say yes!"

"Oi you two, when you're done flirting hurry up and rejoin your squads! We'll be leaving soon!" Nanaba called.

Christa went ramrod straight as she pushed the taller girl away. She did a hasty salute "w-we're not f-f-flirting!"

"Sure, and I'm the colossal titan, just focus alright?" the woman had an amused look in her eyes as she walked away, leaving a cackling Ymir and a flustered Christa behind.

She shook her head.

Ah, young love.

"Damn kid, you okay?! Had me scared for a second!"

"H-huh?" was Eren's eloquent reply. Blinking quickly, he realized that someone was currently carrying him on their back while they used their gear. That someone being Eld. "H-how? W-what?" he glanced around, profusely lost. Wasn't he on his horse just now?

"Tch, you just had to choose your time to pass out, brat!" Oluo barked in annoyance which caused the teen to gawk at him in shock.

"What Oluo here is trying to say is that you nearlybroke your neck by fainting and falling off your horse.." Petra helpfully supplied, leveling the teen with a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"Huh...I huh...guess?"

At his bewildered expression, Eld went on, "So? What could've caused such a reaction? You haven't transformed since last week so I'm a bit confused—"

"hold on," Isabel interrupted, "what do you mean by transform exactly? You guys have been mentioning it earlier!"

"Oh, Eren can shift into a titan." the blond clarified then casually returned to the subject at hand, "So?"

"WHAT?!"

"Maybe it has something to do with that scream from earlier?" Furlan suggested—ignoring Isabel's 'Holy shit, there's more?!'—after pondering Eld's words. He guessed the boy must've been like Li-Colith earlier, so he wasn't that surprised. Still, it was mind boggling to learn that humans could change into titans.

Does that mean humans and titans have a much closer connection than he thinks?

"Impossible," Gunther shook his head, cutting off Furlan's musings "besides scaring the shit out of us, the first scream didn't make Eren react like this so that's out."

"No wait, I'm sure there's a connection because, from what I understand, after the first scream titans started rushing to the source. However, we have yet to see any of them heading towards this one."

If Furlan was honest, coming to this kind of conclusion was a bit farfetched, though he knew himself to be analytical enough to put two and two together faster than normal. He was in no way a genius, but having spent a fair share of his life surviving like a street rat does that to someone, forcefully causing them to sharpen and second-guess everything. And if it happens that a scream doesn't have the same result as what he's currently seeing, then, in this case, everything suggests that it did not come from the same entity.

His explanation made the scouts consider his words.

"OH! And it was much deeper than the first one! Less, shrill and creepy too!" Isabel added, realization lacing her tone.

And if the doubt persists, having someone like Isabel with a rather acute hearing confirm his far-fetched claims means that he was correct.

Eren's breath caught in his throat, "C-Could it be Colith..?"

"No doubt, that scream must've been her, though I didn't think it was going to make you react that way." Furlan frowned in thought.

"T-then we—"

Eld shook his head, cutting Eren off, "No, we're not going back, and before you start complaining, we've already arrived!"

With that being said, he swiftly landed on the ground, still carrying the teen, while the others came to a halt. Their sudden arrival caught many eyes.

"The special operation squad under Eld Jin's provisional command has returned!" The blond announced, "Could someone tell us where Commander Erwin and Captain Levi are?"

"Over there." a cadet informed helpfully, pointing across the field. Eld nodded in gratitude then started heading to the Commander's location, his squad closely behind.

"Hum Eld, can I get down?"

"So you can run back to the wench? No chance!"

"Oluo be nice! He's just worried about her!" Petra berated, "Besides, Eren, we don't know if you're going to fall again, so it might be best if Eld keeps carrying you, alright?"

Grudgingly, the teen nodded as they kept on, noticing a few things on their way.

"Tsk look at all these bodies," Oluo grumbled, anger seeping out, eying the various carts filled with 'corpses' as they walked, "I should've dealt with that bitch myself!"

The others mirrored the sentiment, clenching their fists at the sight of their dead comrades.

Furlan and Isabel stayed silent, opting instead to look around. The former out of caution since suddenly being surrounded by strangers was making him a bit apprehensive while the latter was mostly curious about the new faces, though she was more subdued, given the heavy atmosphere lingering. They had pulled up their hoods, not wanting to attract attention but it seems like it was for naught as some scouts threw them quizzical looks as they walked past them. Probably due to their garb.

Until now, they weren't recognizing anyone.

"OH?! Do you see that, Erwin?! These titans just collapsed on the ground! And here I thought they were going to rush like earlier!"

Hanji bounced gleefully, finding the situation more and more interesting while the others let out relieved sighs upon understanding that no titans were about to sprint toward them. After all, they were all positioned at the forest's entrance which means that they would've ended up crushed before they could even move the wagons.

If the astounding discovery of their comrades' survival wasn't enough, the result of this second scream nearly gave everyone whiplashes.

"Moblit! Ilse! Quick, sketch this down pronto! And you Abel, I want you to time how long it takes for them to regain consciousness! Rose, this is the most exciting expedition so far!!"

"But squad leader Hanji, how do we know if they're even still alive?" Nifa queried, still a bit shaken by the scream earlier.

Erwin blinked, "I believe the lack of steam so far must mean that they're alive."

The commander's rather nonplussed tone did not escape those who heard him. Then again, who wouldn't be flabbergasted in front of the almost impossible, if not surreal scene they had the chance/misfortune (?) to stumble upon? Hearing that all those from the right wing were alive is one thing. But seeing it with their own eyes was something else altogether.

On the other hand, they weren't waking up despite confirmation that they were alive and unharmed, which was mind boggling in itself.

And then there was that scream which, of course, alarmed every scout for it was a grim reminder of the first one which summoned a swarm of titans. Although, to their utter bewilderment none came but instead—

*Crash*

*Thump*

*Boom*

The few titans in the distance had fallen to the ground like flies.

"What the fuck." had someone said after a long stunned silence, though everyone mirrored the sentiment.

Oh and the missing horses all returned, unharmed as well.

This expedition was truly bizarre.

"Commander Erwin!"

Said man perked up and whirled around to face the special operations squad, sans Levi, as they approached. He acknowledged them the moment they came to a stop and did the salute, although he couldn't help but raise a curious eyebrow at Eren's predicament. His questioning gaze must've been obvious since the one carrying the boy, Eld, cleared his throat and promptly proceeded to give his report.

As Erwin listened, his gaze fell on the two hooded figures accompanying the squad the moment Eld mentioned them and quickly understood that they weren't scouts by their lack of uniform even before the blond mentioned it. Frowning and wondering where they had obtained those gears, he was about to question their affiliations when one of them, a woman by the looks of it, stalked forward with conviction in each step while ignoring the squad's puzzled looks. However the other, a man this time, seemed to know what was going on as he attempted to grab her but she easily evaded him and continued her march towards the Commander who could do nothing but blink in surprise at the sheer confidence she exuded.

And before he could open his mouth to address her, a punch to the gut cut him off, startling him enough to widen his eyes before the pain set in. He let out a grunt and took a few steps back, still stunned as he reflexively held his stomach.

Everyone's eyes bugged out in utter shock at the scene as everything stilled. Ilse and Moblit dropped their sketchbooks while their squad leader's mouth fell agape. Mike's eyebrows had reached his hairline as he stood a few meters away, his squad mirroring his shock. Levi squad wasn't much better for they were all gaping in horror.

Eren listlessly rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating.

"HA! I've always wanted to do that! Told ya I was gonna punch him when I see him!" the girl cackled in victory as her hood fell, allowing a mop of awfully familiar—to those still here after six years ago— short hair to bounce as she laughed, "That felt good! Hey Erwin, long time no see! Heard you became a commander, I knew a first-rate son of a bitch like you couldn't stay subordinate to that creepy—huh...what was his name again...?"

"Shadis, his name was Shadis... " the other supplied lamely.

"Mah, whatever, where's Aniki anyway?" she shrugged, casually looking around as though she hadn't just punched the Commander of the Survey Corps in the gut.

Meanwhile, her companion dragged his hands down his face both in exasperation and dismay.

"Why do I even bother?" he bemoaned.

Levi was not having a good day.

No really, he'd rather be back, enjoying a warm cup of tea after finishing cleaning. But no, he had to nearly crash into a tree because he momentarily blacked out right after that second scream. And the icing on the cake was that he had the misfortune to sprain his ankle wanting to avoid crashing entirely which made him release a loud curse, snapping him out of the dizziness he had felt. Talk about shitty luck!

Ignoring his throbbing left leg, he sped up ahead. At least he knew he was getting closer to her if the loud thud in the distance was any indication. He had to make sure that fool hadn't been kidnapped even though that was highly unlikely. Yet he couldn't shake off the vague feeling of uneasiness he felt as he closed in on her location.

Coming to a halt, the Ackerman's eyes widened upon seeing the scene in front of him. His arrival seemed to have drawn the titan's attention as she slowly turned her head his way.

"Ah, Captain, what brings you here?"

Sitting on the ground and leaning on a tree was Colith's titan form which seemed smaller than usual, Levi noted. Next to her, were the steaming remains of the female titan. He noticed its missing arm and leg, the appendages having likely vanished before he got here. The corporal's sharp gaze flickered between the two for a moment before he leveled the remaining titan with a frown.

"Where's the shifter?"

There was a beat or two as they stared at each other. Colith blinked slowly, seemingly regaining focus, a reaction that made Levi's frown deepen.

"Oh, she escaped."

Levi was taken aback, "She what."

He hadn't expected that. His eyes returned to the steaming carcass, wondering how the fuck she managed to let the fucker escape when he was confident of her capture. Why wasn't she going after her? Why the fuck was she sitting there, staring into nothing like a moron? He was about to demand explanations when he caught sight of her attempting to get up, failing royally as she clumsily slipped back to the ground, landing on her elbows, seemingly disoriented. Levi was gobsmacked until he understood.

Exhaustion.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance—mostly aimed at himself—, realization dawning on him.

Dammit.

"Oi! Get out of here before I have to rip you out myself!"

She sluggishly lifted her head then gave another slow blink, "Ah," before obliging to the Ackerman's relief. After zipping to her side to prevent her from breaking her neck by falling, Levi clicked his tongue as he proceeded to piggyback her, ignoring the throbbing pain in his leg and the steam following her exit.

She did try and say that she could handle herself but Levi had none of it and didn't mince his words when pointing out that she looked like shit, making her sigh in defeat.

They shortly took off, abandoning the scene and he felt her further slump on him, a clear sign of her fatigue. Carrying someone taller than him wasn't new, having had to do so more than a few times with wounded comrades, all taller than him in his early years as a cadet. Another feat that further cemented his title of Humanity's strongest given his ease when handling loads heavier than normal, especially for someone his size.

"...what happened to your leg?" Levi stiffened ever so slightly as he felt her mutter right next to his ear, making him suppress a shiver at the closeness.

He kept his mouth shut though, not inclined to divulge what led to the injury. Talk about embarrassing. He wondered how she found out seeing as she looked on the verge of passing out and could in no way see his face. Plus he was good at masking his emotions.

She must have guessed his reluctance to answer because she hummed softly, however, he could hear the displeasure in her voice as she mumbled; "Huh...so I wasn't able to prevent that. Bummer."

Levi had half a mind to ask her what the hell she was talking about before realizing that she wasn't exactly in the right state of mind as she began babbling nonsense. He rolled his eyes, speeding up while making sure the idiot didn't fall.

"That scream earlier, was it you?"

She hummed before he felt her nod.

He didn't exactly understand how that worked but he had a feeling that it must've been the cause of his brief black out. Otherwise he couldn't explain it. He clicked his tongue in frustration before heaving out a breath, calming down. He'll have to bring it up when she's lucid enough not to randomly sing at weird intervals.

"...your necklace, where is it...?" she asked suddenly, causing him to perk up.

"What are they for exactly?" he recalls her simply handing them to everyone without any explanation, so he was quite curious as to why she troubled herself with it.

"'s a precaution." she slurred, nuzzling her head in his cloak, having lost hers in the transformation. His entire body tensed at the action, but remained quiet, putting it on the count of fatigue. Her words registered.

"A precaution?"

"...Yeh, so people don't die..."

Levi blinked.

"What." He was utterly baffled. That...that explains everything actually...

"yep. 's long as you have it, won't die but shhh! 's a secret!" she began giggling, her hold on him tightening then loosening as she leaned back to look around, "Whaa, you were right, these are big ass trees!"

"Oi, cut that out or you'll fall!"

" 'm not." he could hear the pout in her voice.

"Yes you will if you don't stop that right now!"

Fortunately, she was aware enough to listen as she stopped leaning back, returning to her initial position. "mouh...you're no fun, Cap'n! Oh oops! You told me not to call you that! S'rry!"

If Levi could, he would face-palm right now.

"Hey hey, Levi!" she starts again, drawing a long suffering sigh out of him. He was debating whether or not to knock her out. How she was still awake was beyond him, though a small part of him was fond. Beats him

"What?"

"What do you think about surprises?"

"...what?"

Maybe he should reconsider his fondness for her.

.

.

.

They shortly arrived, Colith blinking one eye at a time as they landed. Their arrival caught many eyes, notably those of the 104th who all huddled around them, though the corporal's glare was enough to deter some, not that it worked on everyone seeing as he was currently being followed by two worried teenagers who were assailing him with questions he himself had no answer to.

Guess his intimidating front was in the end, useless at the sight of an enervated relative. Not that he could relate actually. Kenny was a first-rate asshole he'd rather see dead in a ditch. Granted he had no idea what tied them together exactly— why was he even wasting energy thinking about that dead beat anyway?

Ignoring the girl—Mikasa's stubborn demands to hand her Colith, and that boy—Armin's distressed questions, he soon came across his squad with Eren and placed Colith in the cart the boy was occupying. If he overlooked the two cadets' unwillingness to leave her side then none was the wiser.

With a grunt, he instructed them on keeping an eye on the shifters, not that it was necessary seeing as the kids were already huddled around her protectively. Shaking his head, he turned around and left in search of Erwin.

Apparently, someone had the gall to punch the guy in the stomach from what Eld told him.

Heh.

His eyebrows had shot up to his hairline while Colith let out a hysterical cackle upon hearing the news, startling them before she mumbled something about crazy redhead he decided not to dwell on for his own sanity.

Attacking a superior could result in the death sentence, depending on the nature of the attack or you'll just end up locked up for years and banished from the military. He wondered who was crazy enough to doom themselves, though, knowing Erwin, the hapless bastard might just wind up with light punishment since being a scout was already a punishment in itself.

Or a few days in a cell at most.

He couldn't help but snort at the thought of someone snapping and lunging at the blond for his nonsense. God knows how much he wanted to throttle that lofty bastard during his first expedition so he could understand the sentiment.

Not that he encourages it, no, of course not. Sure he might or might not give them a pat on the back, then kick their asses later.

Let's not exaggerate either.

He stills when gloved hands suddenly covered his eyes as a cheerful voice chirped, "Guess wh—OH SHIT?!"

Levi's eyebrow quirked up when his elbow met empty air, not expecting the moron to actually be able to dodge.

"DAMN! I ALMOST THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DIE!"

"Serves you right! What were you thinking trying to surprise Levi of all people?"

That made him freeze in his spot as his eyes widened, breath catching in his throat.

These voices.

No...that couldn't be—

He twisted around to confirm his suspicions. Surely he was hallucinating and was simply imagining seeing these two because there's no way they were alive and standing right in front of him.

Yeah, he was—

"WAAAH ANIKI I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" the girl once again threw herself on him, wrapping him in a tight hug.

What.

"Oi Isabel! You know he doesn't like physical contact!"

"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!"

What.

He could vaguely recall something about 'surprises' and snapped out of his flummoxed state.

"Isabel...Furlan ?" there was a slight quiver in his voice as those bright–hers–verdant eyes brimmed with tears and warmth, so much warmth and steely blue eyes also filled with emotions met him. "...How?"

Surprises indeed.

"Ah...f'got to do this..."

"H-huh?"

There was a finger snap, which was followed by a few startled screams when those asleep abruptly woke up with bamboozled and disoriented expressions.

"My job here's done..."

Colith promptly passed out before anyone could question her, leaving a dumbstruck squad and beans to stare at her snoozing form.

"What." They all said in unison

Surprises indeed.

Words count : 8142

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