Chapter 15- Horse Boy, Freckles, and Crazy Girl, Welcome Back

"So if every decapitated body part was light, doesn't that mean it's like a spider, they pulled muscle that is part of their body until their blood stops pumping, which caused them to freeze," You told Hanji, leaning against your arms.
"That could be it! But maybe it's like another animal, for all we know, they could be the same as us but with more on the feral side!!" Hanji sipped their tea.

You and Hanji have been talking since the rise of the sun, and Tenko laid against the table, sleeping soundly and Eren looking like he was going to pass out.
"You haven't been around here, yet you know as much as I do! What an amazing mind you have! I hope we could share more interests!" They grinned.

"A possibility," You nodded.
"Alright Eren!" The boy jumped and tiredly looked over.
"Let review on your studies back at training! Now then-" The conversation was interrupted by a soldier bursting through the doors, which made Tenko wake up with a jolt. You recognized him as the right hand man of Hanji, Moblit.

"Squad Leader Hanji! The test subject, they're both dead!"

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Tenko hugged you tightly as you both heard the cries and despair of Hanji. The skeletons of Sony and Bean slowly evaporates into steam as the squad leader cries.
"They're such valuable specimens, is this a soldier's work?" You heard Gunther wonder.

"Yeah, but they haven't pegged the one responsible yet. They were killed just before dawn apparently. By the time the guards got here, the bastard got cleared out on ODM gear," Eld explained.
"Whoever it was must have had a lookout to warn him about the guards," Gunther sighed.
"Cannibal?" Tenko questioned as you placed a hand on his head.

"Looks like they got a traitor in these walls, and for the first time it wasn't me," You hummed, tapping the metal muzzle and pulled your cloak higher.
"How did this happen?" Eren asked shocked.
"Let it go, this is a matter for the military police," Levi simply said and walked away.

"The Military Regiment can stick their justice up their asses," You hissed, but then stopped as you get hands on your shoulders.
"What is it you think you see?" You heard the unmistakable voice of the one who wanted custody of you, Erwin Smith.
'This guy better back off! Don't hurt my baby!' The voice shouted.

'Love, no-' The second voice sighed.
"Who do you think the real enemy is here?" He asked while staring at the scene. Eren watched as he stood up and walked off to Levi.
"Ignore me, a mindless question," He said.
"The fuck?" You asked while sweeping imaginary dust off your shoulders.
"What do you think?" You asked the voices.

'I think we have someone in mind,'

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"Nice horse," Tenko smiled at the horses he was feeding. You petted the gentle creature, preferring that you would spend your days with horses instead of humans.
"I love creatures like you. Unlike humans, you don't shun me," You whispered to the horse, who neighed in response.
'Horses are really nice,' The voice cooed.

Eren didn't seemed to have his hatred for you go away, he watched every movement you make and everything you do.
'Why in hell are they here? I still don't understand why we have a killer in our watch? And why this kid is so comfortable with them, even when they tried to kill him!' He hissed in his thoughts.

"Fall in!" You heard Eld say as Levi rode up on his horse.
"Get ready people, we're going on patrol," He said to the two soldiers, and they saluted.
"Good morning captain! Reporting for duty!" Eren said as he saluted too, but you just stood there with Tenko trying to salute too.

"You three, you will stay within 10 meters of me at all times. The only reason you're out of your cell is because I'm keeping an eye on you, understood?" He sternly said.
"Yes sir," Eren said.
"So, when do I get my bag back? I do need to take care of him," You asked the leader, who simply stared at you, you giving the same expression.

"I doubt he would need more of those bars," He bluntly answered.
"I wasn't referring to Tenko," Your eyes shined with a knowing look, but Levi simply glared and pulled his horse.
"Let's ride, and do know whatever happens to the brat is on you," And the others opened the horses gates to get on.
"Who were you referring to Cannibal?" Tenko asked, already getting used to you not caring.

"Never take toys away from a hyper focused inventing murderer,"

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"Our special op squad will be positioned here on standby behind the center rank," Gunther pointed down on the map laying on the ground.
"So we'll be pretty far back then," Eren said.
"It's the safest posting the formation. The supply wagon don't even get such fine treatment," Gunther told everyone.
"Safest, yet still a possibility to get killed," You muttered to yourself.

'Not quite,' The second voice piped in.
"Our goal this time around is to simply leave them come back. Today's expedition will serve as sort of a test run, to see if we got a shot at getting both of you all the way to Shigashina," He looked up to you.
"Yeah," You nodded.
"Understood, but either way I still don't really know how to use my ability if I can even control it," Eren answered truthfully.

Gunther told him that leaving and coming back is the only important thing to do, and you all stood up.
"That was tedious," You sighed as you lifted Tenko back up on the horse.

"I half expected there to be blood,"

"Cannibal please..."

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"Cannibal, look!" Tenko pulled your cloak as you finished with the horses. You grunted as followed him outside where you saw the imp cadets that were back in the walls out here. You saw Eren talking his his friends and you spotted familiar brown hair.

"Sasha!" You heard Tenko shout and run after them. You groan slightly as you realized there's going to be more human interaction.
"Hey! Tenko! Mysterious stranger, you're here too! And you're... wearing a muzzle?" Sasha said in slight shock and happiness that you're here. More people you recognized walked up to you and Eren.
"Unfortunately, just call me (Y/N)," You simply said.

"Wait, if you're all here, then does that mean you joined the scouts? All of you?" Eren asked.
"Why else would we be here?" Buzz cut, Connie grinned.
"So then, Jean, Annie, and Marco went to the Military police then?" Eren guessed, but you heard people behind you.

You turn to see Jean, and Marco, and he was now sporting a black eyepatch over his right eye.
"Jean! Marco! You joined too? What happened to your eye?" Eren asked Marco.
"A simply blade accident, but the killer, they saved me," Marco smiled brightly and motioned to you. You noticed a emotion in his eyes, but you can't put your finger on it.

"I'm glad you're okay!" Tenko ran and hugged him, and he got patted on the head by Marco.
"We were going to join the Military police, but we had second thoughts," Jean simply said as you heard a soldier shout for the cadets that the uniforms have arrived.

"One step closer, possibly saving this wall Shiganshina, or maybe closer to death,"

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"So you'll be part of this mission too," You said to Marco as you all sat around in HQ, although you still had chains around your wrists, and the muzzle still remain around your mouth. You heard Jean and Eren argue in the background, but you simply ignored it. For some reason, you had no reason to talk to these imps, but anyone else you shut down.

"Yeah, a scary experience," Connie rubbed his neck.
"By the way, why aren't you wearing a uniform?" Sasha pondered pointing at your attire.
"I may be in custody of this Scout regiment, but I'm never part of this squad, or anything else," You answered, wanting to caress your scar, but of course, it was covered by metal.

Tenko laid against your side, tired and yawing quietly while sitting on a box.
"Cannibal, I want to sleep on a bed," He mumbled out.
"Yeah," You got up and picked up the boy and had him in your arms.
"You all continue to talk," You said to them, still ignoring the glares of Eren, but now the glares of Mikasa.

"We have a death march tomorrow, prepare yourself,"