Chapter 21- what am i?

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I was inconsolable.
When it had come down to it, the ability didn't control them. I was useless.
They were discussing what to do and I let it wash over me.
It was my fault. My fault.
My hands shook.
For the most part they left me there. Someone who had called thunder with just a word. I understood they feared me now too.
When I had outlived my usefulness I knew I would be killed.
I wasn't the only one inconsolable. Historia was too. She was shouting, that I could hear. That they had to rescue Eren and Ymir.
But the question I had, was where were they taking them?
Ymir was wounded and needed time to regenerate. Eren now too was wounded and I would wager they couldn't keep Titan form for long. Then it hit me.
"The trees." I whispered. "Those goddamn trees."
Silence met me as everyone turned.
"Trees?" Hanje asked. "What trees?"
"They would want to go where they have an advantage. See everything. Also be high enough out of the way of titans when they tire. Reiner can't keep up a Titan form for long." I kept my gaze down. I was too ashamed to meet them in the eyes. "They will want to go to the forest of giant trees, where we fought the Female Titan. From there-it's not too far from the walls."
"What makes you say that?" I heard Levi ask.
"They always talk about their homes. But never specified where. Just somewhere south." Armin answered for me. "What if it's on the other side of wall Maria?"
"So they would take Eren and Ymir that way, but for what purpose?" Hanje said thoughtfully.
My hands clenched. Anger surged through my veins, boiling my blood. They took my brother. They took my friend. They had been the reason so many were dead. Traitors.
Heat seared my skull and I gasped, eyes blinded.
"Layla!"

I blacked out.

When my eyes cleared again, I saw over the wall.
Huh? Where were? Then I looked down, fatefully meeting terrified gazes.
I looked down at my body- a Titan body. And my ginormous hands shook. How?
Why?
I looked back at them. The ones who were my friends. Saw the fear aimed at me.
My eyes filled with shame filled tears.
"Layla?" Armin asked tentatively, swords drawn. "Can you understand me?"
I nodded. My head felt like it weighed a tonne.
"Did you know?" He asked again. I shook my head no.
He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, as did the others.
"It must have been anger." Armin said. "Eren, Mikasa and I have been Layla's family since Wall Maria fell. She was clearly angry, more angry than she has ever been before. Thus triggering her Titan form." He concluded. "It makes sense. Her ability to control titans is clearly a part of this. And if they hadn't have revealed themselves, this." He pointed to my Titan body. "Would have never have happened."
The tears fell. I was a monster.
I knew that now.
"She's crying." Jeans voice came. "She's..."
"She probably thinks she's a monster." Sasha jutted in. "It's what any person would think. And we all were ready to attack her."
I turned, facing away. I couldn't face them anymore.
"She's showing us her nape." Levi added. "Her weak spot."
"Does she trust us?" Jean said. "That much?"
"Layla trusts anyone who she feels is family." Armin interjected. "But I don't think that's it."
He was right.
I couldn't, not anymore. I would put myself in chains when I regained human form. I wasn't to be trusted.
"Layla?" Hanje called and I nodded my head. "Turn around." I did as I was ordered, my eyes lowered to the floor. "Astounding. She's coherent." Hanje said, using her ODM gear to jump onto my shoulder. "Layla. This is amazing."
"Alright shitty glasses, that's enough." Levi said sternly. "She is not one of your experiments. She is one of the Scouts. Let's get her out of there. They won't know about her yet. Unless they heard this. But unlike Yeager's it was silent. The only indication we have is the light. And with them too far away now, they won't have seen it." That to be one of the longest speeches he had ever given.
Hanje looked dejected but she agreed.
"Let me open your nape and get you out?" She asked me. I nodded and moved my hair aside, closing my eyes, baring my nape to them.
Slice.
A gasp.
"She's not there!" Hanje shouted. I stopped dead, eyes wide. If I wasn't in the nape then where was I?
This was echoed.
I closed my eyes and listened.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump. I picked Hanje up, who shouted like I was going to hurt her and brought her to my chest. And pointed with my free hand.
"The chest?" She gasped. Then shouted louder. "Layla is near it's heart!"
Gasps followed.
"I'll do it." Levi said. "I have more precision than you shitty glasses. I won't kill her by accident." I placed Hanje on the wall and closed my eyes.
Slice.

I blacked out.

When I came too, the light seemed brighter and I was in front of a warm body, rocking on what seemed to be a horse.
"Good your awake." Levi's voice came from behind me.
"Where are we?" I asked hoarsely.
"Travelling to Erwin." He replied. "He needs to know of this development and then we can go after Yeager."
I couldn't help but lower my head.
"Drake." He said tonelessly. "This is not your fault. And we will get him back. That I promise you."
I just nodded.

I was so very tired. But I tried to protest about riding my own horse. Levi refused, said I was too weak to stay upright by myself. It felt weird being on the same horse as him. I felt the hard planes of his chest through the uniform and could feel my heat rise to my cheeks.
Levi was handsome man, that was for sure, I would never deny it. But this felt too intimate to me.

Arriving and telling Erwin what happened took longer than I wanted.
But granted he soon got us swiftly moving after Eren and Ymir. He also refused to put me in chains. No one asked why I wanted this and yet no one defended me either.

I thought to myself, still riding with Levi, still apparently too weak to ride by myself. 'We are coming Eren. I promise'.

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