BLOODSPORT

Episode Unknown [I]

Year 853

It had been months since she's seen the sun in the sky or felt a breeze on her skin. She had become accustomed to the dull lighting of her cell followed along by the cool dampness of the dirt floor. Glancing up at the stone wall, Rhea observed how she used to count the days when she first arrived in the prison. Soon enough the marks began to fade away after she lost track and eventually gave up hope. Rhea scratched her head in frustration, trying to remember if she had remained in solitude for weeks or even months at this point in time.

The food was her only way of telling whether or not it was morning or evening depending on the trays the warriors brought. In the mornings her meal would contain a clumpy portage like substance, while in the evenings she would get the leftover scraps of meat the military didn't eat. There was often no taste to the food which left Rhea feeling even more homesick than ever. Her mouth practically drooled at the thought of Niccolo's lobster of which both her and Sasha devoured.

Huddled in the corner of her cell, Rhea wiped her nose on the sleeve of her shirt before sighing. What she wouldn't give to be with her friends right then. To be getting lectured by Hange about some new scientific discovery on trains. To be sitting in silence, drinking tea with Captain Levi in the late afternoons. To be pulling pranks with Sasha and Connie on Eren while Mikasa and Armin watched from the side. To be with Jean and have him hold her close in the night. To feel his touch against her skin and the warmth it ignited in the pit of her stomach. To look into his honey eyes and knowing that she was safe by his side.

Rhea grimaced. Now she was alone, with no one but her thoughts to drive her mad. Solitary was a punishment enforced onto officers who disobeyed orders. She remembered how when Eren and Mikasa caused a mutiny against Captain Levi, persisting to let Armin become the Colossal Titan and not Erwin.

If only she hadn't left the group whilst infiltrating Marley. If only she hadn't seeked revenge on Reiner for killing her brother. She would be at home on Paradise Island with her friends. With her family.

Suddenly Rhea was blinded by harsh lighting as the steel door of her prison creaked open. She shielded her eyes with her dirty hands, attempting to focus on what was happening. For however long she had been contained in her cell, no one ever entered.

Rhea heard the thuds of bootsteps approach her. Finally her eyes somewhat adjusted to the light from the hall as she took in the stranger before her. "This is the one you were talking about?" His head was buzzed to the scalp like Connie's but his face was much less kind. Rhea could tell this man had witnessed many years of battle from the dark spots lingering beneath his eyes, and the determined look on his face.

Another person stood beside the first man. "Yes sir." Rhea glanced up, the voice eerily familiar. Her eyes widened in shock and despair as she came face to face with Zeke Yeagar. He crouched down to observe the pathetic girl. Taking her face in his hand, Zeke scanned Rhea up and down. "Six weeks of solitary has not been good to you, has it Rhea Bodt?"

Rhea forced her head away from his grasp as she spat at his chest. She wanted to back up further into the corner, but it was no use. "Don't worry. We're not going to kill you. No, Rhea. You can be the key to everything if this plan works out."

"What plan?! What are you talking about?" her voice was raw as she spoke. Rhea realized it had been the first time she talked out loud since she was brought to her cell.

The other man in the room took a step forward, peering down. "I'm Commander Magath. I've been told that when we tested your blood, the results showed great promise for bone marrow manipulation. Something about you Island Devils and the environment you grew up in."

Commander Magath reached into his pocket and took out a pair of restraints. He helped Rhea to her feet while tying her wrists behind her back. She was forced to walk down the muted hallway, trailing behind Zeke nervously. Rhea huffed in annoyance as she was too weak to fight against the two men.

"What are you going to do to me?" she questioned, glancing back and forth between Zeke and the warriors stationed beside other cells.

Zeke didn't turn as he spoke indirectly to her. "The Ackerman bloodline is a fascinating one, isn't it? Years ago, their blood had been manipulated so that they couldn't be controlled by King Fritz and his orders. They became such a threat that almost all but your beloved Captain and comrade were wiped out to extinction. Of course, not only did this mean they posed a threat to the King, but rather a solution for mankind." Zeke paused and glanced back to Rhea. She could see through his glasses the slight glint in his eyes. "Ackermans cannot turn into titans."

Commander Magath maneuvered through the hall until he finally found the door he was looking for. "In here you will be bathed and dressed in proper clothing in order to perform the experiments better. After that you will be taken to the operating room where we will conduct certain tests before fully moving on with the bone marrow procedure."

Rhea stared at the room she was placed in. Magath and Zeke had left her alone with nothing but the new clothes which rested on a chair beside the door. She stared at the tub as a pool of tears puddled in her eyes. Her knees buckled as Rhea dropped to the floor sobbing.

How could this be happening to her? Why had she gone after Reiner? Why couldn't she listen to her friends and let go over her vengeance?

After a few minutes of crying, Rhea used the last of her strength to strip off her filthy rags before submerging in the warm water. During all the time she spent cleaning her body and ridding it from any sort of dirt and grim, all Rhea could think about was Jean and how he was right.

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