Said man froze mid-step as he gulped in fear. Of all people to call him out, it had to be the short midget that he couldn't do a single thing to.

Dawk clicked his tongue and glared at Levi, who stood with a rather smug and amused expression on his face. He was clearly enjoying calling him out.

"Get back to the titan!" someone yelled, and suddenly all attention was back to Eren who sighed deeply.

"I may be a monster," Eren suddenly said, gaining the attention that you had created for him. "But, those three over there╴" he nodded towards you, Mikasa and Armin. "╴have absolutely nothing to do with this."

"We don't know that!"

"No!" Eren yanked at his chains, shutting everyone up. He regained himself and took a few deep breaths. "I mean... you are wrong. But you're simply coming up with theories that fit whatever it suits you to think."

"What did you say?" a salesman sneered.

"Besides, all of you people╴"

Is this smart? Eren wondered to himself.

"You've never even seen a titan! What are you so afraid?"

Should I just keep my mouth shut? No... I'll tell them everything I'm thinking!

"What is the point if those with the means and power do not fight? If you're afraid to fight for survival, then help me! You... cowards!"

"What?!"

"Just shut up! And bet everything you have on me!"

Everyone was shocked, except those few ones who knew Eren. And dammit, if you weren't absolutely proud right now.

"Weapons ready!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Military Police aimed their weapons at Eren, ready to shoot at the given signal from Nile Dawk.

Your heart sped up as you jumped over the rail in one swift moment, landing in front of Eren with a glare directed towards the asshole.

"Dare to shoot," you sneered. "And I will kill you."

Suddenly, someone grabbed the collar of your jacket, shoving you gently into the direction of Mikasa, who caught you with ease and a sigh of relief.

But that was quickly replaced with tenseness, as you both heard a sickening crunch coming from behind you, and in front of Mikasa.

You whipped around, both scared and soon disappointed to find Lance-Corporal Levi torturing Eren in every way possible, beating him, kicking him and ripping his hair out of his skull.

"What the fuck are you doing, you midget?!" Mikasa roared, shoving you gently away as she took a step towards the rail that held the crowd in place.

"Mikasa! Wait!" Armin shouted, panic in his voice as he grabbed Mikasa's arm, holding onto her jacket as if his life depended on it.

You watched with shaky eyes as the Corporal kept going.

"This is a personal opinion," you heard him say, nice and loud for people to hear him. "But I believe pain to be the best way to train someone. What you need is to be trained like a dog, not a man. It's easier to kick you while you're kneeling, too." another sickening crunch came as Levi kicked Eren square in the face with the heel on his foot.

You couldn't believe that the man who was torturing your little brother was the same man who let you cry on his shoulder while he embraced you tightly.

Was this the real Corporal? A man who had a sickening, twisted personality?

"Wait, Levi..." Nile stuttered, clearly afraid of something.

"What is it?" Levi questioned, letting his foot slide off of Eren's face.

"That's dangerous," Nile confessed. "What if he gets angry and turns into a titan?"

Another kick to Eren's face.

"What are you saying? Aren't you going to dissect him?"

The Commander of the Military Police gasped, only egging Levi to continue and rub his patheticness in his face.

"When he turned into a titan last time, he killed twenty other titans before collapsing. If he is an enemy, his intelligence makes him an even more formidable foe. Still no match for me, of course."

This midget sure is confident in himself, you thought bitterly, watching with anger in your hear as he beat Eren.

"But what will you do? Anyone persecuting him should also consider that fact. Do you really think you can kill him?"

The Commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith, raised his hand with a stoic expression. "Sir, I have a proposal."

"What is it?"

"The details of Eren's titan power remain uncertain, making it dangerous. Thus, I propose to have a Squad Leader or Lance-Corporal Levi take responsibility for Eren's control, and embark on an expedition outside the walls."

"With Eren in tow?" the judge asked, slightly baffled that Erwin had even suggested the idea.

"Yes, sir. Based on the expedition's results, I'd like you to judge whether Eren can control his titan power and whether he is boon or bane to humanity."

"Control Eren Jaeger..." the judge pondered for a second before looking up at Levi with a watchful eye. "Can you do it, Levi?"

Levi snorted in amusement. "I'm certain I can kill him. The only problem is I doubt I can do any less."

"Fucking midget," you snarled, the feeling of betrayal making you grip the rail in anger, causing dents and cracks to form.

Levi watched you, unbothered, uninterested but definitely not amused in the slightest.

"Then my decision is made."

Bang