Caught

So I owe you guys an explanations s to why I haven't been updating this book, as well as a few others. I've been swamped with assignments and family dramas over the last two months in particular. Yes my excuses sound lame and over used, but after next week (as I won't be home) I will be updating more now that exams and stuff will be over.

Anyways, enjoy this chapter!

Third Person POV:

Eren quirks a smile at their synchronisation before remembering, much to Kaminari's dismay, what he had to say. "Why are we in the forest?! We won't see a titain until it's right on top of us! And the centre rank's completely cut off." He pauses, taking a large and much needed breath as he stares directly into Kaminari's blank emerald eyes. "Something's coming up on the right isn't it? Then what are we suppose to do? Protect the wagons?!"

"Quiet whining you suicudal bastard, it's obvious that neither of those are options any longer."

"What are you talking about?" Eren asks exasperated, annoyed that Kaminari nor Levi had felt the need to inform him of anything. And it greatly confused him as to why Kaminari was acting so aloof compared to her days as a trainee, although he should've expected it. She had a completely different upbringing than most before being thrown into the scouts. If Eren had to guess, this is what she's like when shes with the Scouts.

Over the years he had seen a more playful of Kaminari, a side that is hidden beneath an aloof facade. A facade so well crafted, that given the circumstances, she would fall back into it without so much as a second thought. Eren sighs as Kaminari breaks eyes contact and stares into the ominous shadows around them, alert as always. 

Eren's wasn't satisfied with the girl's lack of response, growling as the feeling of dread begins to rise, but a steely pair of eyes catch him off guard. The eyes belonged to Captain Levi, ones that watched the blonde's every move and interaction with Jaeger with an annoyed expression. "Kaminari's right. Haven't you noticed what's around you? Take a look at these big ass trees. Perfect environment for 3DM gear, wouldn't you say? Take our advice Eren and use your head. The best survival tool is your brain."

Eren's panic morphs into reasurrance from Levi's words, thinking how it's just his inexperience that was throwing him off and not Kaminari's cold shoulde. Finally content with his thoughts, Eren turns to see Oluo whispering incoherently to himself, Petra and Gunther looking utterly terrified and unsure of the events taking place.

And that is when Eren truly panics.

He mentally runs through every possible solution but all he comes up with is one last haunting thought, 'does this mean that Captain Levi and Kaminari are also clueless?' Suddenly another black flare is shot into the sky, alerting them of the presence of the looming abnormal.

"Black smoke!"

Eld grunts in annoyance, not willing to look back as the footfalls if the Titan grow louder with every thundering step. "Damn thing's been on our ass for a while now." The rest of the group watch as the Captains nod towards eachother, the ravenette being the one to give out the orders. "Blades drawn, now!" The group does so without question, and for the first time in a while Kaminari speaks up. "Be prepared. It will happen in a blink of an eye and be over before you know it."

The blonde doesn't even look back as she speaks, flinching at the hauntingly familiar sound of a person being slapped out of mid air is heard behind her. The loud foot falls of the abnormal is finally upon them. "GO! MOVE IT!" Levi shouts, desperately wanting his team out of harms way as the beast closes the distance between them at a rapid pace.

"Holy shit!"

"How the hell are we suppose to pull basic maneuvers in here!" Gunther shouts, as the booming foot falls intensify with every step the blasted abnormal takes. Petra looks to Levi and Kaminari in desperation, "Captains! Engage the ODM gear?!" Charcoal orbs meet scarily calm green ones for a split second before looking past Petra's frightened figure and towards two people zooming through the trees. "Reinforcements, tch. What a waste." Was all that he said before the female titan also takes them out.

"CAPTAINS, YOUR ORDERS?!" Petra screams, but Levi and Kaminari face the front, both not willing to look back once again. Kaminari remembering how the Titans swatted humans like flies, there being nothing she could do about it the first time one her first recon mission. The rest of the special operations squad continue to shout for Levi and Kaminari to give orers until the former finally does.

"Okay, everyone cover your ears." Kaminari pulls out another smoke gun thing, but this one was a little different. She lifts it high above her head before firing. A loud ringing reverberates throughout the otherwise silent forest.

"Tell me, what is our mission?" Levi asks, finally facing the group who remain silent. "Is it to react impulsively in the moment? Let me answer that question for you, it's not. This squad's mission is to keep this brat alive. Whatever the cost."

"What ever the cost," Kaminari echoes, almost as if she wasn't fully conscious of what she had just done. She was distracted, but not in a bad way. More than anything, Kaminari wanted to shed some blood, to feel the bodies of the wretched beasts falling beneath her blade and to watch the blood, bone and innards disintegrate into smoke.

But Erwin nor Levi hadn't given her the word, knowing that she wouldn't screw the mission up either way, but Levi protested the fact that she should be allowed to drift off and kill any Titan that crosses her path. It set his mind at ease knowing where she was at all times, meaning that the three years she was away were some of the worst of his life.

A dark shadow encases Levi's face as he turns back to the front, "don't forget it." And just like that, Oluo, Petra, Gunther and Eld refocus in on the task at hand - protecting Eren Jaeger. "Yes Sir!" Eren again begins to protest, yelling about how all those reinforcements that keep coming were all going to die.

And he wasn't wrong in the slightest.

Kaminari stopped the body count after it hit double digits, but the sound of the bodies being slammed, cracked and slapped played like a broken record, over and over again, in her mind. "Stop looking behind us!" Gunther scolded the boy, who became aware of Kaminari's glare now burning in holes in his forehead. He didn't dare return her gaze.

Slap.

"Another one,"

Crunch.

"We can help them, we can save them before it's too late!"

"Enough Eren! Just focus and keep your eyes forward!" Petra yells back at him, but Eren wasn't giving up so easy. His inexperience made him weak and reckless, pissing Kaminari off greatly. She had forgotten from all his suicidal tendencies that he truly was inexperienced. "How can all of you just ignore what's happening back there? Are you telling me abandon my comrades, is that it?!"

Petra's glare intinsifies much like Kaminari's white hot anger, ready to be unleashed on the stupid boy if he didn't shut his goddamn mouth. "Yes! Stop whining and do what your Captain tells you."

Kaminari desperatley tries to block out Eren's screams of protest, her knuckles turning white from her grip on her mare's reigns. But she's snapped back in by a familiar line that Levi had once said to herself, "- we don't agree because our experience brings us to opposing views, that's life. At the end of the day there's no way to go against it. The choice is yours; you can trust yourself or you can trust the people willing to put their lives on the line for you. I don't know what's best decision, I never have. Do I rely on my own instincts or trust the heads of my comrades? Either way there's no guarentee. You choose what you choose. If you regret it later than that's too bad."

Eren takes one look back, truly torn until he sees another reinforcement get crushed by the hand of the female titan. His hand makes it centimeters from his mouth, until a blonde's sharp voice catches his attention. "Eren, trust us."

He looks into the eyes of his green eyed comrade. Kaminari never asked him for anything. She never asked for payment for all the assistance she had given him over the years, and now, she asked him for something invaluable. Somthing he wasn't sure he'd be able to give until that moment.

Trust.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Flashback -_--_-_--_-__-_-_-_-_-

Eren, Eld, Gunther, Mike, Petra and Kaminari sit idly around an outside wooden table, nibbling bits of food from their plates as conversation of Eren's lack of success arose when Levi approaches. "You tell me that the bite marks on your hand show no signs of healing?" The tiny man asks.

Eren nods stiffly, "none Sir." He solemnly replies, rubbing his hand over the crisp white bandages. Levi holds the rim of his cup, staring down at Eren from his elevated position. "No offence, but you're no good to us in this form. If you can't change, then our plans for Wall Maria go up in smoke." Kaminari represses a snort as the short man pauses for effect, "pull it together. And yes, that is an order."

Eren mutters a quiet yes sir as Eld turns to him with a small smile. "Don't worry kid, you'll get it." Eren sighs, unsure about the whols fiasco but it was Gunther's comment that really struck a nerve. "Well that's one hell of a way to show you're more human than suspected." Kaminari bristles slightly before flicking some peas at the brunet, making Gunther scowl playfully before flicking some back.

Eren notices how they all look so calm about his transformation not happening. He sighs, picking up a spoon, making pain flare in his injured hand. The spoon goes flying off to the table and onto the grassy ground. Silently and lazily, he stretches out to pick up the spoon without getting up.

Suddenly, Eren's shifting ability ignites. Electricity hits the ground and smoke engulfs the entire area. The table is torn to pieces and the five scouts are sent flying. Adrenalin courses through the scouts veins, weapons drawn as the steam cleared, allowing them to sight Eren, whom desperately tries to pull his arm out of the Titan partial transformation.

"Dammit! Why now?" He exclaims hysterically, a little more than horrified of how things played out. He thought his abilities were a total fluke until just now, but unfortunately he didn't want to find out they weren't, like this. "Calm down." Levi's calm voice calls out, Eren turning with a string of apologies rolling off his tongue until he sees that Levi isn't talking to him.

Both Levi and Kaminari standing in front of him, the latter with blades raised. "Calm down, we know this situation is complicated." The blonde states in a eerily clam tone. Eren couldn't believe how quickly the rest of the special operations squad, bar Levi and Kaminari, had turned on him. All were poised to pounce, ready to eradicate the threat at a moment's notice.

A cheering Hanji erupts from the bushes as Eld Jin yells at the brunet. "What do you think you're doing?!" Eren feebly tries to defend himself but Eld wasn't listening. "No one gave you permission to transform, did they?!" He shouts out, aware of both Levi and Kaminari's glares being sent his way. The former turns his steely glare to the blond, "I said calm down."

Olou cuts off his superiour with terror filled eyes, "what's gotten into you?" Gunther approaches only to be held back by Kaminari, "explanations later. First things first, you need to persuade us you're not hostile like your life depends on it. Prove it or we kill you!" He screams.

"If you want him then you're going to have to get through me." Kaminari growls lifting her blades threateningly, ready to fight Gunther if necessary.

Oluo pushes Gunther aside with a scoff, "of course you're defending him, you monster!" Kaminari grits her teeth without responding, knowing that Oluo's too blinded by fear to understand her reasoning on a normal day.

"Captains, I need you both to step away, you're too close." Petra states, aware of the disappointment and anger radiating off of her tiny blonde Captain who just scowls as Levi replies. "No. I believe you're the ones who need to step away, Kaminari and I are perfectly fine just here." The blonde nods, sending a meek smile over her shoulder at Eren, who just stares back flabbergasted.

"Why?"

"Gut feeling." Is all that Kaminari responds with, turning her gaze on her friend. "You trust me don't you, Petra?" The auburn haired girl nods slowly and begins to lower her weapons. "Yeah, I do." A quiet sigh escapes the blonde at one of her friends not threatening Eren, whilst the others continue until a wild Hanji appears.

Hanji had bursted through the bushes and screamed about touching the arm, no matter how much of a bad idea that was, she did it anyway. "OW! SON OF A BITCH! THAT MOTHER IS HOT WHEN THERE'S NO SKIN! THIS DAY IS THE BEST DAY IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE!" Her cackling continues manically until Eren pulls his arm out of the Titan shifted thing.

Hanji begins to scream and scold Eren for pulling his arm out, as the rest of the Special Operations Sqaud have their weapons taken away from them by Kaminari as she directs them inside to cool off.

The next time she saw Eren and Levi was when night had fallen. Eren sits on the step of the old scout headquarters with Kaminari sitting by his side and Levi leaning against the wall. "It was quiet a wake up call," Eren began, "until their blades were drawn I had no idea how little they trusted me." Kaminari doesn't respond nor try to comfort him, this was something he had to experience.

The cold hard truth. Kaminari, not needing to hear this again, stands and goes back to the dining room where the rest of the group sits. Upon entering, Oluo sends a glare her way which she returns ten fold as she takes her seat well away from the rest of the group. She doesn't even react when Levi and Eren enter and begin talking with Hanji about the spoon in the Titan shifted hand.

Kaminari had already suspected that, like hers, Eren's transformation required a focal point. The rest of the squad bit their hands as a sign of respect for Eren. Whilst Kaminari just chuckled, greatly amused at their loyalty, whilst at the same time admiring it.

-_--_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Flashback Over -_-_--_--_-_-_-_-_-_-

"I'M WITH YOU!" Eren shouts, making Kaminari crack a smirk as they pass through her new favourite part of this Titan infested forest. "FIRE!" Erwin yells, catching most of the special operations squad off guard. After a few seconds they realise what the hell had just happened, and seeing Kaminari's smirk, realising that she knew the entire time.

Eren gives her a playful shove which she returns without a second thought, as all the nervous energy disperses, for better or for worse. "Okay guys, tie your horses off up here and use your ODM gear. I need to break away for a bit, Kaminari's in charge. Make sure to Eren out of sight until I get back." Levi states, turning to Kaminari who pulls him into an unexpected embrace. "Be careful, asshole."

"You too, shit head."

And just like that, Levi turns his back in his Special Operations Squad, leaving behind his favourite smiling blonde as she leads her group deep into the forest.

A/N: Not edited.