Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ATTACK ON TITAN, I ONLY OC CHARACTERS

Marcus's POV

Despite looking for half an hour I found no boulder big enough to cover the entrance of the cave and holding Ilse while searching seems to be taxing on the poor girl. So, I decided on a compromise. From what I remember in the manga there was a panel in which they used Eren's titan to easily build log cabins and I thought if he could do it then why can't I?

It gave me some ideas for some plans but none of them are viable right now since I still have a feisty soldier wrapped in my hand.

In the end I decided to risk it and place her back into the cave and wait for sunrise before trying to begin my lumber project. I placed Ilse back into the ground as gently as I could and immediately blocked the entrance with my body but this time with me facing towards her to keep an eye on her. She seems to be able to read my intentions because she let out a huff before walking deeper into the cave.

"I get it big guy, I stay no safe outside" She said in a mocking manner as she sat down near a wall so she could lean into it and glare at me at same time "Walls this is so stupid, being hostage to a talking titan, how wonderful."

She seemed to mutter the last part, but the acoustics of the cave let me hear clearly causing me to let out a snort.

"No hostage, involuntary guest" I said, messing up the word involuntary thanks to my fucked-up voice box.

She let out a shocked snort but the glare she gave me didn't lessen one bit.

"Involuntary guest still means hostage, you dumb titan!" She snarled at me. It seems that proof that I was not going to eat or harm her immediately gave her some sort of backbone to start yelling at me, so different from that girl back then that looked ready to pass out (and did) when I punted that other talking titan when we first met. They grow up so fast.

Ilse Lagnar's POV

Even though the titan has no visible facial expressions, the look in its eyes shows an unbearable feeling of smugness and it infuriates me. I thought that my plan to run away was going to work for a moment and that I was finally able to escape but it seems that I've underestimated the titan.

And so, with be back on the blasted cave and conversing with a Titan of all things I was already running out patience for this whole thing and its barely morning at the latest. A grunt from the big guy bought me out of the rant that I was about to start, and I looked over to it and found it looking at me with an uncharacteristic look in its eyes, as though it is trying to decide whether I'm worth eating right now or for later.

It seemed to be satisfied in our impromptu staring contest because it started speaking again.

"You not safe outside, wait friends safety" while gesturing to me then outside while miming a chomping motion.

Was it trying to protect me?

I look into its eyes, and I remember my squad falling to his kin, almost be eaten by the first talking titan, the hundreds of years of humanity being nothing more that cattle to them and this titan has the nerve to try to protect me?!

I was already moving before I even understood what I was doing, I was screaming and crying as I charged towards the titan which thanks to its sitting position was quite easy to reach, yet despite that, I knew what I was doing was useless, deep down I knew all I was doing was potentially running towards my death. I had no weapons, no gear and no plan but to charge the bastard but despite that I just kept running, plans be damned.

As I was nearing the titan it raised a hand as if to grab and I tried to cut to the right but too much momentum carried me towards despite my wishes leading me to crash straight into its open hands making me fall on my back.

I just continued to lay there sobbing as the past few days finally hit me mentally and left me incapacitated, with a titan looming at me surely ready to devour me at any moment but instead I felt something scoop me gently from the ground and I looked at it and there seemed to be a sombre expression on the titan's face. It placed me against the cave wall and my eyes widened in surprise when I felt something rubbing the top of my head?

I looked up to see the titan using its finger to give me a head pat. It was so bizarre that I barely managed to choke down a snort while sobbing.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked despite not really expecting an answer, because who knows what happens inside a titan's mind much less a talking one, I was content to just continue sitting there when the sound of rumbling emanated from the titan. It opened its mouth before closing them again and adopted a thinking expression, how this titan seemed to be so expressive I do not know.

Finally, it seemed to have decided what it wanted to say and the words that came forth were ones that would not forget for as long as I lived.

"Lost friend reminded" it answered, and it seemed to be all it would say for now because it turned away and closed it eyes. I didn't even know what to think, a titan with a friend? A friend that reminded it due to me? It couldn't have been a coincidence that the two talking titans that I have met both have mistaken me for somebody else, could it?

With my involuntary stay within this cave and no way out all I was left with were these thoughts about my jailer and the friend that reminded it of them. Who were they? Were they also a soldier of the survey corps? Where are they now? What happened to them?

All these thoughts kept me awake till morning when the titan finally moved once more.

It looked at me with serious eyes and only said three words. "Stay, safe, shelter".

I nodded to convey that I understood but it looked at me suspiciously like I was a cadet that was just waiting for their CO to turn around so they could mess with their gear which was fair since I did try to run away last night.

It turned away and when it reached the mouth of the cave it drew a line outside of the cave, something to mark territory perhaps? I tried to follow it outside but the moment I stepped over the line I was picked up again and placed behind the line once more with another command of "Stay" as though I was something like a misbehaving puppy. The look of amusement in its eyes also didn't help matters but it also held a sliver of nostalgia, must be that friend of it again. And so, with nothing better to do I just sat there at the mouth of the cave as the titan that held me started breaking down trees. Huh. Now what the walls is that thing doing now.

A/N: I AM ALIVE!

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