Contemptuous Arrest [ Erwin x OC ]

Prologue: Humble Beginnings

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin, nor do I own the art used for the cover. I only own my OCs and the entirety of the plot line concerning this fanfiction (well, aside from the usage of a demon au, that's been around for a while). However, this story takes place in an original fictional universe, but retains a limited modern day vibe.

P.S: Criticism is greatly appreciated as well.

. . .

Snow. 

The white flurries had embraced the world in a nurturing blanket, creating a facade that spoke of peace and neutrality. It rested on rooftops, retail establishments, carriages and pathways. The weather always seemed to coddle Earth in such a gorgeous light.

Snow is endless, endless purity.

It was supposed to drown the world in quietude and affection, so where were those comforting feelings now? Where was the warmth of a welcoming home, or the consoling whispers of a loved one? Why had the world been encircled in beauty, yet remained so cruel?

Humans.

The constant trudging of oxfords against a cobblestone street. The distressed wailing of a woman who witnessed her husband butchered before her eyes. The screaming of children, followed by the silent sobbing of mothers and fathers who were too afraid to lose the last valuable item they possessed.

Humans are ignorant, mindless swine inhabiting Earth.

Razor-sharp nails listlessly dripping with blood. A right arm stinging from a deep gash on the bicep. The peculiar, oozing liquid, a liquid that was thicker and slower than water. How could a lesion be so tormenting when one wasn't as fragile as the humans?

Monster.

Jagged teeth aligned in their according spaces when a jaw was clenched. Gritting together, chattering from the brisk gale, but perfectly beside another. Pearly whites just like a shark's, but also spotted with burgundy patches from a recent dining of an individual's innards.

Yes, I am a monster; a ravenous monster.

The speckles of ice plastered to a face. A scarlet trail winding behind a haggard, hefty frame. Hitched breaths escaping from freezing, parted lips, causing the heated expiration to appear in front of a blurry vision. Steam, it resembled steam, like when water boils, or the stunning sight of a hot spring. This was not water, the quenching liquid humans consumed; no, it was just the chilling night air blending with moist respiration, creating a visible array of transparent fog.

The figure's knees buckled with each wavering step. The polar flakes had melted on their forehead, strands of their daffodil-blond tresses sticking to the mixture of filthy sweat and water particles. Unable to march any further, the figure toppled against an alley made entirely of brick and mortar, exhaling ragged puffs as they slid down the supporting object until their bottom nestled into a cushion of frigid snow.

One hand still clutching the injury, the ambiguous being tilted their head back and pressed it to the hard surface, emitting groans of both excruciating pain and venomous hatred. The ashy button-down shirt they had adorned was coated in coagulated gore, along with their chocolate trench coat, both items of clothing torn near the throbbing wound. They cursed themselves within their mind, since nothing was escaping their raspy throat, not even a muted phrase, or a coherent sentence.

Eyesight faltering, with a body struggling to keep itself from succumbing to an eternal slumber. However, if only that was the case. The suffocating feeling was only temporary considering the figure's strength and endurance. Chuckling hoarsely, the figure casually gazed at the smokey, cloudy heavens above them, relishing in the monochromatic colors that were painted in the ether. Much like a charcoal portrait, the cotton ball wisps floating by were eerily calming, almost therapeutic to the being.

Simplicity. The word, the thought, every masterpiece that whispered simplicity struck a chord with the figure. Their sapphire hues blankly fixated themselves to the atmosphere, numbing the being's aching arm tremendously. Subtly, the figure was poked and prodded on their backside, causing them to relinquish a gruff moan as they shuffled further into the darkness of the passageway. Consumed by the abyssal pigment of two building's shadows combined with the everlasting midnight, the individual rolled onto their pristine side, the shredded articles of fabric facing the gloomy sky.

Gradually, a pair of raven wings sprouted near the being's shoulder blades, cloaking their heaving frame from further damage. Like a cocoon, the feathers swaddled them with the utmost care and compassion, a soothing temperature protecting the figure from the biting winds of the polar storm. It was as if their main purpose was to act as a guardian, a shelter, or even pose as the kindness of a mother. Whatever it was, the being was grateful for them and their multiple uses, the immediate reflexes being crucial in regards to their exasperation.

Fluttering their eyelids shut, reality soon became void of sound. Not even the familiar b-bump, b-bump, b-bump of a heartbeat, or the mild movements associated with sleep were noticeable. Internally, and externally, the figure was still, not even stirring as they slipped into a comatose state similar to hibernation. Their inky wings encased the being gently, and eventually shrouded the figure from the peering eyes of the world.

After all, they were already in tune with the relationship they shared with endless disdain, so it was for the best if they became invisible until they recovered. On the plus side, it also gave the being more time to plot their comeback, or perhaps, their revenge against the creatures known as humans; those rotten, selfish, ill-willed humans.

Yes, cackled the figure as they dozed, a malicious smirk curling their chapped lips, they shall rue the day when their pitiful minds decided to mutilate me  . . . Such a glorious moment that will be . . . Yes, let them live in bliss for now . . . Because when I conquer, they will all be whimpering under my reign of chaos!