I live, I die, I live again [Eren J.]

8: Threatening Murder asserts Dominance

Block the canon shells!

—

Mikoto blinked rapidly. Her eyes watered from being irritated by the cloud of dust, steam and smoke that wafted around them. She wasn't exactly sure where they were but it was kind of dark and... and...

Is that a fucking rib bone?!

" I remember hearing the cannon... " Armin mumbled to himself " ... There was an awful noise, then that impact, and this heat. Now, we're inside a gigantic skeleton... "

" Eren protected us. That's all we need to know for now, " Mikasa stated plainly, pushing herself up to her feet. Mikoto had to admire her for her unwavering, stalwart nature because, honestly, what the fuck.

" Hey! " Eren was frantic as he made his way into the Titan chest cavity. " Are you guys okay? "

" You're fucking asking us?! " Mikoto snapped shrilly.

She hadn't been 'okay' since breakfast before the whole day went to shit. Then proceeded to get progressively shitty in increasing stages of shittiness! Obviously everyone else— the Shiganshina Trio, who'd obviously seen more weird shit— was a-okay because Armin had the presence of mind to ask what they were currently encased in.

Oh, I don't know, Mikoto groused internally, maybe a fucking Titan ribcage?!

If they got out of this alive, she was going to take a week-long nap. 

" I don't know? I think... it's like one of those Titan carcasses. " Eren, bless his poor soul, wobbled a little as he paced the floor.

Mikoto kept half a ear out for his ramblings— something about a basement, his dad, and Shiganshina?— but she was more preoccupied with studying the crumbling interior of the ribcage. At one point, Eren swung a punch at the Titan's bone some of it fractured off expelling a little hiss of steam. It was then that she realized that their temporary shelter was coming down in bits; sending tendrils of short-lived smoke every time a piece hit the ground.

" Hey, what's our plan of attack? We're going to be out in the open the moment this fully disintegrates, " Mikoto called over her shoulder, squinting as she tried to make out the Garrison troops through the smoke.

There was a bit of exchange among the Shiganshina trio before a pause when Eren muttered lowly—

" I'm... going to go away. "

Bitch said what?

Mikoto's head whipped around so fast she almost gave herself whiplash.

" And where, pray tell, do you plan on fucking off to?! " The redhead hissed, advancing on the brunet an eye twitching and her jaw aching from gritting her teeth so violently. Her blood pressure was going straight through the roof.

" For now, anywhere will do, " Eren answered looking from Mikoto to Mikasa to Armin. " Then I have to get over the wall and find my old basement. Before that, I'll need to become a Titan again. "

" You can do that? " Armin questioned doubtfully. The green eyed boy eyed his hand tensely.

" I don't know how myself... But I think I can. Just like you can't explain how you make your arms move," he reasoned. " Earlier, I just focused on blocking the cannon fire. That's why my body had no real functionality or durability... This time, I'll try something stronger: the fifteen meter class form I used to kick the shit out of all those Titans! "

There was a moment as his words hung in the air where Eren was convinced that he could do it. But that was clearly up until—

" Eren, your nose is bleeding, " Mikasa pointed out.