angelic | jean kirstein

chapter three

Jade eyes stared up at the sky as they walked, watching as the clouds cleared from the sky, birds scattering in every direction. With a deep breath of fresh air she sighed softly in contempt, her eyes fluttered shut as she hummed quietly to herself. She was thinking of joining the MPs, being able to see Annie and Marco everyday, having to put up with Jean but she figured if they were to work together then maybe they could put their differences aside, the pride her father might feel that his daughter was an MP. Then the sickening feeling of not being able to see him all the time, being separated once more. Not being able to work for her freedom, not being able to fight for humanity.

Her eyes snapped open at the loud sound of a lightning strike, the sky tinted green and yellow before it faded back to blue. "What was that?" Floch asked as he looked at the two girls. Isabel didn't move a muscle as she stared up at the wall, a large head was peering down at the city, no flesh, just muscle.

"Oh, God," Nina whispered. "It's him, it's the colossal."

Isabel's eyes widened with fear as she stared at the titan, her blood ran cold. Is that what they look like, she thought to herself, goose bumps rising on her skin as she stared up, the MPs were starting to sound more appealing to her with every second that ticked by.

The ground rumbled and knocked her off her feet, she kneeled on the floor, hands supporting her upper body. It was almost as if everything had been slowed down, chunks of rock from the wall began to fly through the sky, she couldn't do anything, she couldn't move.

"Move!" Floch yelled as a large piece of the wall soared towards them, but Isabel couldn't move, she stared as it grew closer and closer. Nina grabbed Isabel's arm and yanked her towards the building they were taking shelter under, her body jolted towards the duo seconds before the rock landed just where she had been.

"Snap out of it, Isabel, we have to go!" Nina yelled as she shook her shoulders, eyes staring in desperation at her petrified face. "We have to evacuate everyone!"

The words Nina had spoken had managed to yank Isabel out of her panicked state. She shakily stood to her feet, her face so pale it looked as if all the blood in her body had been drained. Screams surrounded the city as Isabel, Floch and Nina began to run and get people evacuated.

Her heart beat hard against her chest as she ran towards the crowd of panicked civilians, her ears rang hard, bile rising in her throat, eyes blurred from tears that threatened to spill. How did I ever think I would make it as a Scout, she thought as she guided people silently towards the inner gate with her partners, I can't even speak!

The ground began to shake, loud footsteps getting slightly louder, screams becoming more deafening. Isabel looked over her shoulder, eyes widening even more than she thought they could. A titan was walking towards the crowd slowly, eyes half-closed with a horrifying frown on its face.

"Isabel!" Nina yelled loudly, "We need to get to HQ to refill our supplies!" The silver-haired girl nodded her head and allowed the girl to drag her by the wrist. How's she so calm, we're all going to die! Isabel thought as she attached her ODM gear to a nearby building.

Isabel took a shaky breath and flew over the rooftops, her eyes not leaving her destination, she knew if she spared a single glance to the titans whilst she was in flight, she would crumble and surely be eaten.

The trio reached HQ quicker than they had anticipated but they ran through the doors, running towards the gas canisters along with the many other Cadets. The building was full of panicked cadets, some throwing up their lunch, some crying that they were going to die, some so petrified that they stared blankly.

She ran to where some Cadets were filling up their gas tanks, tripping as she ran. Her hands shook as she tried to fill her gas tanks, she simply could not do it. She let out a pained cry and shook her head violently as the tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Isabel?"

Isabel turned quickly, tears still streaming down her cheeks as she faced him. His eyes widened in shock at the state of the usually composed cadet. She shook her head and turned back around, her hands still fumbling with the gear.

"Why are you crying?! You knew you were going to have to face them at some point!"

He yanked the gear out of her hands and began to fill up her canisters for her, his eyebrows furrowed together, eyes scrunched in annoyance. "I didn't expect to see them so soon. . . They're terrifying."

"I'm aware." He snapped.

Isabel shook her head in stupidity, completely forgetting that he had witnessed what they could do. "Eren, I'm sorry -"

"Save it." He huffed as he moved onto her second canister. "Pull yourself together, Isabel, you're a soldier, you're trained to fight them. If you're going to sit there and cry about it then you may as well join the MPs like a coward, you'll just slow us down."

His words struck her like a poisonous stinger. The tears stopped immediately and all that was left was a terrifying rage that boiled her blood. She wasn't angry at Eren, she was angry at herself. "You're right. You're absolutely right." She scoffed as he finished filling up her gas. "What use am I going to be if I can't even fight?"

Eren stood for a moment and stared down at her, watching as her fists balled at her sides. She stared straight into his eyes, a look in them he'd never seen before. "Hit me."

"What?"

"You heard me," She stated, jaw clenched.

Eren scoffed and shook her head. "I am not going to hit you. Are you crazy?!"

"Why not? Will your mother be mad?" She taunted, a smirk on her face. "Oh wait. . . she's dead."

Eren's eyebrow twitched. "That isn't going to work. Besides, have you forgot where yours -"

"Silly of me to ask you." She responded. "You're not strong, that's it. Couldn't even save your mother from the titans and now-"

Isabel's head jerked to the side violently and she almost lost her balance, almost. Her right hand came up to hold her cheek, a soft smile on her face. Eren's arm still hung in the air from the swing, his fists balled in anger. "Thank you, I needed that. I hope you know I didn't mean it, I -"

"I know."