Hi there folks! Another Friday, another chapter! I hope you enjoy!

Sidenote: I'm also updating my My Hero Academia fic today/tomorrow, I tend to update it first week of each month as it has chonkier chapters. Maybe check it out if the fandom interests you!

It was like not a day had passed. My Keza. We talked, we laughed, we shared stories and caught up as much as we could before the sun had begun to set and she needed to head for her performance. In the early days, she had been a call girl at the club I helped her move into, and as much as it had been gruelling work, it had its perks. Through that position - no pun intended - she had met her current employer, Madame Trelaine. That woman saw more than a pretty face in Keza, which I am glad to say I had always done so as well. So Keza went with Madame Trelaine, and started to perform at her establishment. Illicit dealings still occurred, but for a higher price, and one that gave a decent amount to the girls themselves. Beyond that, many of the girls were only performers, having nothing to do with the more intimate side of things. It sounded like a good set up.

These days, having built herself quite the reputation, Keza only indulged in very elite clients. The fancy elite of the inner circles, men and women alike, but all powerful. Not only did it vastly help with hygiene apparently, but it also led to an unforeseen perk. Information. When swaddled in Keza's comforting arms, or nestled between her thighs, the most elite and powerful of our little world would spill their secrets. Seeking nothing but a means to vent their frustrations. She would listen, nod, and take note of anything that might come in useful later. After all, her game was one for the young and beautiful and she knew eventually she might not pass the grade. Or want to.

All in all, my girl had soared.

I was bursting with pride by the time we managed to find somewhere to sit down and eat, and then it was my turn. And my stomach iced over. Sure, I had good grades. I had a pretty good record in terms of taking down the enemy. But of course I also had that enormous black mark against my name, and my short-lived career as a squad leader. I kept trying to dodge it, but of course she saw right through me. My explanation was brief and choked, but despite the sordid details, and perhaps predictably if I wasn't such a basket case, she simply took it in and wore a sorry smile. And then asked how I was doing. I laughed. I couldn't help myself really. She was as blunt as they came, if she felt even a morsel of judgement about it, she would have said. But no. She just wanted to know how I was fairing after my team loss. Damn. I had missed her. And then I kind of skipped over the Levi subject. It wasn't that I felt the need to hide it from her, I just didn't know what it was I would have to tell really. What even were Levi and I to each other?

Fuck Buddy.

It just didn't sit right.

I would have to talk to him about it, before I talked to anyone else.

From there we simply chatted, shared funnier stories and then spoke of the future. Stohess was her home currently and apparently it was a beautiful town. A little stuffier than we were used to, but nice enough. I described the barracks and she chuckled, glad to know I had somewhere that I was being looked after. But then I came back to the other part of my story I had skipped. Vincent.

She sensed something was amiss and reached to take my hand across the table. "C'mon love, what is it?"

"I had another blast from the past a couple months ago… though a far less pleasant one."

She frowned. "I thought he was dead."

Of course she knew exactly who I was talking about.

I snorted. "I had hoped as well, but there he was, brought in with the other convicts to get a job in the HQ base."

"Just… Just standing there? Waiting to be handed a mop and a broom?"

"As if he would have taken them." I shook my head. "Didn't take him long to try and act out. And it didn't take me long to make my stance on that very clear."

She grinned and sipped her wine. "Gave him a right taking to, eh? Thatta girl."

"Bit more than a talking to."

Slowly Keza lowered her glass and glanced around, but we weren't being listened to. The rest of the restaurant was bustling with people, clinking glasses, tinkling cutlery, laughing voices. No one knew we were even there. Our own little bubble. And within that bubble Keza grew serious. She tilted her head and I gave a small nod. When we were kids I had always talked about doing it, about fulfilling my promise to my mother, about avenging my little brother. But I don't think she had ever really considered me capable of doing it. Killing Titans, sure. Killing kids via proxy, she didn't consider my fault. But a person. Directly. No inbetween.

She sighed. "You ever dream about it?"

That… That had not been what I thought she would say. Not that I had a script ready or anything, but I admit I had expected something more along the lines of 'my god Robyn, what the hell?' or, 'you savage!' or maybe even 'please tell me you made it slow?'. But not a sense of common ground.

I sipped my wine. "Occasionally."

She nodded and ran a fingertip along the rim of her glass. "Strange isn't it? Makes you feel powerful in the moment, in the memory, and then you wake and wonder who the hell you even are anymore, for those few seconds… Then it passes and you carry on with your day."

I took a guess. "Was it a client?"

"Mm." She pinged the glass with her nail and then tilted her head. "Didn't know what the word 'no' meant. Tried to keep going, got rough, didn't understand anything along the lines of 'get the fuck off me you animal'. I knew he'd done this with other girls, he'd never stop. So I stopped him. It was that or he was going to stop me. So… Yeah, it was after that, Trelaine suggested I come work for her. She was so kind." A strange smile pulled on Keza's lips. Like she was right back there in the moment, the blood on her hands, the power in the veins.

I took her hand over the table and squeezed.

She shrugged. "Nothing came of it. His family refused to acknowledge he had been anywhere near the club, and my alibi for being there was iron-clad, so they had to drop it. Sometimes it bothers me that I wasn't punished but then… Well I remember what the shithead was trying to do at the time and I stop caring."

"Good." I patted her hand and let go. "I don't really know how I feel about Vincent to be honest, it's… It's strange. The promise is done, and that meant I had to find a new purpose for things. So now I'm just trying to focus on making it all worthwhile."

A piece of bread bounced off the end of my nose.

Keza glared. "You don't need to justify surviving, Numbnuts."

"It's just something to aim for, Keza. Nothing deeper than that."

"Sounds pretty deep already." She sighed, sipping the last of the wine and lounging back. "So, now that you've danced around the subject long enough, I'll just ask. You fucking Shorty?"

Thankfully, I didn't have any wine in my mouth, or it might have shot up and out of my nose.

She chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes."

"How the hell did you figure that out?"

"Well usually when someone shows no interest in me it's a few different factors. Married, but I saw no ring on his elegant hands. Gay, which is entirely possible of course, but considering how he would look at you, seemed unlikely, or at least not the whole story of his tastes. Or simply not interested in anyone, and I refer you to the previous conclusion. If you had said no, I'd be warning you that someone is very interested."

My cheeks couldn't have been burning any brighter if they tried. I hadn't thought my Captain was looking at me much at all. Then again it wouldn't take much to clue in Keza, she was like a hawk with these things.

"Most folks can't read him." I bit my lip and looked to the side. "Guess you're not most folks."

"Damn right I'm not. Nice catch by the way, seems like an astute guy, as long as he's good to you."

"Mm, he is. Very." I smiled impishly. "It's just a casual thing but–"

"Who decided that?"

I blinked, there had been that protective edge to her voice again. "We both did. Keep the emotions as out of it as possible, to avoid it fucking things up on the field."

She nodded slowly, looked me over and then narrowed her eyes. I knew she knew what I knew. Or something. Regardless, I had been seen, and if anyone was going to manage to read the back of my heart like the damn blurb on a book, it was Keza.

She leaned forward. "Oh honey…"

"I know." I sighed. "It's so stupid, it isn't what either of us signed up for, but it's just…"

"Lust can be pretty powerful, but you can't–"

"It's not that." I bit my lip. "It's just so easy to be with him, regardless of the sex or anything like that, it's so simple. We talk, we touch, we are just comfortable around each other. I've never really had that with someone before, not unless they were you or a platonic friend. I don't get it but… There's some kind of connection there."

For a minute or so, she was quiet. A slow nod here, a 'hmm' there. Her eyes would cast over me and she would return to thinking. The impatient part of me, clasping for an answer on any level, wanted her to just spit it out. But the part that knew she would likely be my best chance at real insight or guidance, told that other part to shut up and sit down. We had to wait. Let Keza untangle it, let her show me that path back to normality.

"You know…" She hummed. "From anyone else, I'd call bullshit and say you had your head stuck in the throws of lust, give it a couple weeks and you'll feel different. But you… Nah. I don't think that's you, Numbnuts. Connecting to people has always been your problem, be it a friendship or fucking, people are not really your area until you can trust them. And it sounds like you can trust this guy."

"Literally with my life." I chuckled and put a hand over my eyes. "I shouldn't have let it go this far but–"

"Why not? Is there some rule against soldiers having hearts now?"

"No, it's more that me caring deeply about him, or vice versa, could just lead to one of us being truly miserable when this all goes tits up."

"When." She snorted. "There's the cynical wench I know and love. Maybe it won't turn out that way for once, love. Maybe."

I smiled and took her hand again as our desserts arrived and the evening drew to a close. We hugged, she gave me her address in Stohess, and we said our goodbyes.

Walking back to where the Scouts were staying on my own, I enjoyed the sleepy wind down of the day. It was a pleasant town. A river ran nearby, and some children were laughing in one of the parks across the way. Sunlight dipped below the line of the wall and clouds skirted by, dipped in pink at the very edges.

As much as it still worried the hell out of me, having talked to Keza about how I was feeling towards Levi had made it all seem more… Possible. If that was the right word. It didn't have to be the end of the world for me to have a real connection with someone. Especially someone like Levi. A smile pulled on my lips. I had no idea how the conversation would come up, if it ever did, but maybe that wasn't the important thing right now. Right now, what made my laughter bubble up out of my throat was that I had deciphered my own feelings. And it felt bloody wonderful.

The next while for the Scouts would be intense. Between the courtroom looming over us, and that decision making everything else spin in the meantime, I wasn't sure when the last time was that the regiment was left so unsure of its trajectory. Commander Erwin didn't seem the type to enjoy being left at a loose end. But considering how important a loose end Eren was, it might well prove worthwhile. How would the trial go? How 'messy' would Levi have to get in order to prove the point of him, or the Scouts, being able to handle Eren.

My stomach churned.

I shook my head and ascended the stairs into the large stone courtyard, where I found my squad sat on the little wall, enjoying their evening tea. Petra gave a wave and I returned it, jogging over and taking my spot next to her. Regardless of what tomorrow brought, I had my family, I had my friends. I had a life worth living. And that was more than most.

The day dawned grey, the clouds pressed in on the land like they wanted to watch the court proceedings themselves. I didn't blame them. The whole building was buzzing with trepidation. It would be Hanji and Mike going to collect Eren for the court, and as much as I had suggested I go with them, both my Captain and the Commander had refused. Supposedly I might provide a false sense of comfort to the boy. They wanted him on edge. I had little knowledge on how these kinds of proceedings worked, so I let it go for the time being, but as the officials and everyone else filed into the cold courtroom, goosebumps ran up my arms. This was going to be bad. It may well get messy. But I had to hold my nerve, in order to let my Captain enact the plan as expected. It might well prove to be Eren's only chance at getting to be placed with the Scouts rather than the MPs. And I would do anything to avoid Eren being assigned that fate.

"Good morning, Robyn." Armin murmured, standing beside me in the courtroom, with Mikasa on his other side.

I dipped my head, tongue feeling sluggish that morning, my head still trying to wrap round everything I couldn't predict. Naturally, it wasn't going well.

He smiled softly and looked towards the post in the middle of the floor, where presumably Eren would be chained. Armin shivered. "How is he? Have you been able to visit him?"

"He seemed all right. Shaken, unsure, but we talked and I… Well I hope I helped."

"I'm sure you did." He nodded and carefully eyed the line of MPs, priests and other stony faced men across the way. "We have a lot of people against us, don't we?"

"The odds are always bad for the Scouts, nothing we can't handle."

Mikasa leaned towards me. "Do you know what the Commander plans in order to persuade–"

"Not really." I shook my head, well aware that the Commander would be appearing soon, and the last thing we needed was him becoming suspicious of Eren's friends. "But I know he will do all that he can to get Eren into the Scout's protection rather than being taken by the MPs."

"Those MPs just want to tear him apart." Mikasa grumbled, glaring over in that direction without any care that Dawk was looking right at her apparently.

I cleared my throat. "As much as I dislike them as well, giving them the death glare right now might not be the best idea. I'm no diplomat, but we have no idea what bullshit they plan on using against Eren, or the Scouts alike."

"Well I'm neither of those so–"

"No, but you are close to Eren, and that is well known at this point, so you could also be a target. Just withhold the eye daggers for now, okay? I'm on your side remember, and I happen to know how those fuckers tend to operate."

She nodded and cleared her expression, the knuckles on her hand going pale as she clenched her fists. So much rage, inside such a talented soldier, was rarely a good mix. But Mikasa was also someone with a tight lid, she had a knack for burying her feelings. How much that would help her or hinder her in the long run was hard to tell. I just hoped I got a chance to see how her, Armin and Eren all did in the Scouts – assuming they signed up as planned.

Soon enough, or too soon depending on how you looked at it, the room was filled with spectators and officials alike. My Captain stood beside me, and the Commander was on the other side of him. The room seemed to hold its breath. Steps approached along the corridor, some voices fluttering towards us as well; presumably Hanji, Mike and Eren. I hoped they had given him a little something to help him prepare himself, but judging from the speed at which Hanji was twittering, I highly doubted it.

The doors opened and in they came, leading Eren down the small aisle and then helping him kneel so his cuffs could be attached to the metal pole on the small podium. He looked tiny, shaken and unsure. So unlike himself. I gave a small smile when he looked over at us, but couldn't bring myself to do anything more. It was a bad situation, regardless. Moments later another door at the back of the room opened, and in came Zackley in all his finery. He nodded to the room, sat down and took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and began reading the papers in front of him. My own experience with Zackely was minimal at best, I think he had visited the HQ at some point, but I'd never spoken to the man directly. I had no way of knowing how he would proceed. Was he already on side? Was he truly neutral and open to the discussion? Or was he just an MP with more status shoved up his arse?

No time like the present to find out.

It had seemed like this moment had been led up to for weeks, even though it had only been a handful of days at the very most. Trost was a fresh wound, and a fresh victory. Folks still had bruises, stitches and bandages from taking part in the defence effort, and a general sense of unease remained amongst the populace. Whether these factors would help or hinder, I had no idea. Sure, Eren had helped save the city, but he had done so as a Titan. Wrapping anyone's head around a Titan helping humanity was difficult, let alone a courtroom full of stubborn fools like Dawk.

The formalities began, the statements were given and the arguments continued.

I tried to focus, tried to stay on top of what was occurring and what was being decided as we went, but it was difficult when all my brain wanted to do was run in panicked circles. If this did go the wrong way. If Eren was dragged to the darkness by MPs and played with, what did I actually intend to do? I wouldn't stand for it. That much I was certain of. The last thing I ever intended as a soldier was to allow injustice like that unfold when I was aware of it. And beyond that, I knew exactly how it felt to be in that position. Eren would not be a lab rat. But how could I help? The distance wasn't far, I could get over and drag Eren away from Dawk and the others easily. But then what? Some kind of military coupe? I had no plan. That was the hardest part. Of course, I fully expected my Captain and the Commander to have a plan B in case, but I hadn't been given any inside information. So how was I supposed to react?

A hand brushed mine.

I swallowed hard and looked down, watching how my Captain's finger traced along my white knuckles. My breathing was a little rushed, despite being quiet, and my hands clenched so tight my nails were biting into my palms. I hadn't even realised. With a deep breath in, I loosened my hands and glanced at him. He gave a small nod, his eyes wary though.

I nodded back and turned back in for the latest discussion.

Dawk had done his homework indeed. I knew it. Dredging up an apparent moment of madness on the part of Eren's Titan, but also something from further back. The Titan form attacking Mikasa I couldn't account for – hell who knew how much consciousness he had at that point, right? Clearly he got hold of himself afterwards, it was after that that he sealed the hole. But the shock and awe was sinking in. As for the older crime, from when Eren and Mikasa had been children, it just sickened me to have it paraded around. They had been kids, kids defending themselves as far as that story goes. Self defence, and yet Dawk treated it like a smoking gun or bloodied fingerprint. Kids had to fight to survive like anyone else, sure, if they hadn't fought back they would have retained their innocence that little bit longer, but only to see their deaths strewn across a dusty wooden floor. Or to be sold to some lecherous bastard.

I lowered my head. My personal stake in this was too high, that much was clear to me as my eyes warmed and my heart hammered. The idea of someone ever judging Keza for defending herself, or me for that matter, when we had to scrap and snarl on the streets to keep the damn wolves at bay. It was madness. Then again, it was our world. It was how it functioned.

The arguments swelled all around, discourse filled the courtroom and I felt everyone around me growing so tense, it was like a powder keg was about to erupt.

"Maybe she's one!" A pig merchant pointed his fat finger at Mikasa, and the suspicion rippled throughout the room. Someone else suggested dissecting her as well. Dammit.

Eren pulled against his chain. "Now hang on a second! Maybe I'm a monster that you want dead, but you leave her out of this, she's innocent!"

Even now, he had to try and protect her, in whatever small way he could. Damn it Eren. You can't be left to these shitheads. This was going to hell. I looked to my Captain but he was remaining stoic, as was the Commander. What the hell were they planning? Did they have this as part of that plan? Shit. Come on. Do something!

"Stop it!" Eren bellowed, his chains clanging against the post.

I swallowed hard and tried to think, tried to plan, tried to do anything useful other than simply using up oxygen. But Eren was off, ranting at them angrily, snarling at them like he had nothing else to lose. And maybe that was the point. He wanted their beady eyes on him. He cast himself as the monster, he just said it, right? Maybe I'm a monster. Dammit kid you're not. You're a hero, a soldier, a damn good kid. This isn't right. This isn't–

Wait, where was my Captain going?

Dawk barked at his sergeant. "Take aim, dammit!"

No. No, don't shoot Eren! Don't you dare!

I had one leg over the railing when the Commander grabbed my arm and pulled me back, just in time for me to hear the first strike from Levi.

Smack. Thud. Crack. Thwack.

My Captain loomed over Eren and beat the living shit out of him.

I retreated to my side of the barrier, my mouth agape and eyes unable to look away.

Hit after hit landed against Eren's body, and my Captain looked like he was barely even trying. The boy turned into pulp, blood pouring from his nose, one eye already sunken. It was brutal. No two ways about it. My hands clenched again and I began to tremble. It was for Eren, somehow. This was meant to help, somehow. And yet, my stomach churned. If the desired effect was to shock and awe, it had succeeded. Not one face wasn't horrified, other than the Commander who stood impassive and stoic. Zackley's brows had shot up. Dawk looked like he might faint or puke. And the priest looked ready to lay down an entire sermon in protest. When Armin lurched, grabbing hold of Mikasa's arm, I reached across him and did the same. She couldn't get involved. This had to play out, it was all part of the plan.

As Eren coughed and choked on bloodied spittle, my Captain placed his boot atop Eren's head and sighed. His eyes were cold when he glanced around the room. Bored. That was what my Captain looked. Totally and utterly, bored.

Then his eyes landed on Eren, barely even out of breath. "You know personally, I think nothing instils discipline like pain. You don't need a good talking to, what you're in need of, boy, is to be taught a lesson. And you happen to be in perfect kicking position."

And the onslaught continued.

I swallowed hard, hoping it would do the trick, that Eren hadn't endured that pain for nothing. Come on. React. Bite the bait you useless bunch of–

"N-Now hold on, Levi." Dawk stammered, looking paler and shiftier than usual somehow.

"What is it?" Levi removed his boot from Eren's face and titled his head at Dawk.

"It's dangerous. What if he gets angry? Turns into a Titan?"

Another kick. Another whimper from Eren.

Captain Levi reached down and hauled Eren's head up by his hair. "Don't be silly. After all, you guys just want to dissect him, dontcha?"

They had no response. I started to understand as the dust settled and my Captain stood upright again. The entire courtroom was enthralled. They couldn't look anywhere else but at him and his stance of power over Eren Jaeger, the Titan who fought for humanity. This showed without a doubt that the Scouts were willing to get in Eren's way, and able to. Just like my Captain said.

Please work.

Please.

Please.

My Captain continued. "During the time that he was transformed, they say that Jaeger was able to kill twenty Titans before he finally ran out of strength. As an enemy, his intelligence makes him all the more dangerous, but I can still take him down without a problem."

Hearing my Captain speak like that wasn't something I was used to anymore. Sure, he still ordered me about like anyone else when we were in Captain and Cadet mode. But even then, I hadn't heard his bored and detached self for a long time, possibly since that day at training when my gear jammed. I had gone past that facade. I knew the man beneath. And yet right now, without knowing better, I'd have assumed that was not a mask, that it went right to the core of him. Cold. Uncaring. Impassive. It wasn't a boy he was dealing with, but a thing to be tamed.

A shiver ran through me.

My Captain was amazing, but he was also a little terrifying.

He continued, the room hanging on his every word. "How many of you can say the same? Before you torment the beast you better think, can you actually kill him?"

And yet again, they had no response.

In the silence, the Commander made his move and their plan fell into place. Finding the information, figuring out how Eren worked, and all the while under the protection and control of the Scouts whilst on a mission. In the field.

Zackley looked over his glasses at the Commander. "And Eren Jaeger will be closely supervised during this?"

"I can definitely kill him if it comes to that." My Captain looked at Zackly impassively. "The only downside is that leaves absolutely no middle ground."

Mikasa was ready to boil over, but I just reached round Armin and squeezed her shoulder. She had to keep her cool. This could work. I could feel the scales shifting in our favour with every moment of quiet in which Zackly thought carefully. Come on old man, take the damn chance.

Take it!

"Mm…" Zackly tapped his papers together. "Then I have made my choice."

I thought my heart would explode.

But we did it.

We won.

Eren was to be placed in the custody of the Scouts.

The MPs bitched, the Priest was affronted and the Merchants continued to be useless pigs. But none of that mattered. Eren was unchained and handed over to Mike and Captain Levi, looking bruised, a little broken, and of course utterly confused, but at least he wasn't being carted off to a specimen table. As soon as I got anywhere near him, I shrugged off my coat and draped it over him, nodding to Mikasa and Armin as they were led away. No time for goodbyes, no allowance for it either. But I could at least show them I intended to look after him. Armin smiled, but Mikasa just kept her eyes fixed on Eren. Eventually she might understand, but that was a long way off, and Levi definitely had a new enemy.

We led Eren away to a side room where we could gather our thoughts.

Hanji led the way and sighed as we closed the door behind us. "Well that went better than expected."

I wasn't sure I wanted to know what the plan had been beyond a brutal beating, if that was the easier option.

She began to tend to Eren, cleaning the cuts and patching him up. It wasn't often I saw her caring for folks rather than studying them, but it was a refreshing change.

Still, she was as curious as ever. "Does it hurt?"

"Yeah." Eren muttered, pressing the cold cloth to his cheek that I'd just handed him.

Hanji leaned forward. "Yeah? Describe it to me."

"Uh…"

I patted Eren's shoulder lightly. "She's just really nosy."

"R-Right."

The Commander approached from the other side of the room, all looming and imposing as he addressed Eren, a strange light in his bright blue eyes. A possessiveness? Or was that just how the Commander looked when enjoying a victory? He didn't get them often I suppose.

"Sorry for all that. But the theatrics did get you placed in our custody."

"No, I understand." Eren shook his head, doing his best to keep his voice even. He did well in all honesty, if I wasn't sitting right next to him I might not have noticed how much he was shivering. Be it from the nerves of the trial, or the shock his body was in after that beating, I couldn't tell. But I would be glad when they stopped.

The Commander nodded. "I can assure you the pain was worth it. We played our trump card at the perfect time."

Did my Captain know that was his new nickname? I glanced towards him, stood on the far side of the room, leaning against the wall oh-so-nonchalantly, but he was hard to read right now. Perhaps for Eren's benefit, perhaps not. But the stone wall was back in place for the time being, regardless. Had he been a willing participant in all this? Or was it more a case of him following orders? The way he stood, leaning like that, reminded me of when we had been in the Commander's office after Sente's attempted fuckery. Had my Captain been holding the mask then, too? Secretly very concerned? Maybe.

The Commander knelt and offered a hand to Eren to shake. "You have my utmost respect."

Eren looked completely starstruck.

I was completely suspicious.

"Eren," the Commander smiled. "I'm glad that you're on our team."

Okay, what the hell?

Eren jolted and shook his hand firmly. "Me too, glad to be here, sir!"

My Captain approached, dawdling over before he sat heavily on the other side of Eren and casually crossed one leg over the other. He was laying it on thick for the time being, but I guess he had to give Eren the right impression, even if it did make me want to copy his posture just to show him how ridiculous it looked. Both my Captain and the Commander were acting oddly. But then again, I suppose they didn't know Eren yet, so perhaps they were playing their own parts for the time being until they did know him. Until trust had been built on both sides.

"So, Eren." Captain Levi began, giving him the classic side eye.

"S-Sir?"

Levi tilted his head. "You don't resent me now, do you?"

"Uh n-no!" Eren folded his arms, likely to hide the shakes. It almost worked. "I can see that what you did was necessary, sir."

Eren was officially a better person than me. In his shoes, as bust up and bruised as they were, I'd have been livid. No, there had been no way to spell it out to him beforehand, but some kind of a heads up would have been good. Even if only to let me brace my damn stomach for my Captain's well-aimed kicks. Having been in the hand-to-hand ring with him a few times, I knew for myself how much they hurt.

"Good, then you understand." My Captain looked a little more than smug.

Hanji scoffed. "Still, don't you think you went too far? I mean you knocked his tooth out!" She then revealed said tooth from inside a handkerchief. "Neat, huh?"

"You picked it up?" My Captain's composure slipped a little. "How disgusting."

"This is a precious sample, I'll have you know."

"Hey," Levi nudged Eren, "just be glad people like that aren't dissecting you."

"Don't you dare compare me with them. I would never even dream of killing him." Hanji glared at Levi while I tried to not laugh at the fact she hadn't disputed the idea of having a little poke around without killing him. But baby steps were essential. She leaned forward again and Eren leaned towards me. "Hey Eren, let me look inside that mouth of yours."

At this point, he just went with it. He leaned forward and opened up. I wasn't sure what she expected to find, and it seemed doubtful that Hanji had much practise with the dental side of medical work. She occasionally helped out our medics, but that was broken bones and split flesh, not cavities.

Hanji blinked and went wide-eyed. She gasped.

We all leaned in. The room went quiet. What the hell had she found?

"Your tooth…" She frowned, leaning closer again. "It… Grew back."

Well shit… that was weird.

Aaaand there we have it. The big ol' courtroom scene has OCCURRED! Hope you enjoyed reading it, I had a fair bit of run recreating it. Last time I did this story, the first time round, I started things after the Female Titan attack so this was all SKIPPED ^-^ anyway thanks for reading, faving, following and reviewing when you can! I genuinely love to hear from you guys. Thanks! See you next week!