Rogue

Wrath

Hello All! Hope you are enjoying so far! This is the last chapter of Part 1 before we head into the four bonus chapters. After that, will be the start of Part two of this fic!

"Rogue, no you have to wear it."

"NNOOO."

"Come on! It's not bad Rogue!" Hange continued with eyes sparkling in excitement and nearly squealing as usual. "It's actually quite cute!"

"EEIII NNOO IIKKEE." The titan put bluntly, neck straining and chin buried in his clavicle as he tried to look upon the thing that was now around his neck. Growling like an irritated feline, Rogue reached up to bat at the thick leather band around his neck. He wanted it off. "NOOO."

Armin sighed; frowning with his shoulders slumped as the titan continued to project his displeasure in short hisses and disapproving grunts. "Rogue, you're going to have to get used to the collar. You can't go to Stohess without it."

Rogue groaned, fingers still pushing themselves behind the band with strong disapproval. His misfortune began nearly fifteen minutes ago. He had been practicing Hange's teachings in the courtyard with his little ones when Molbit and the mad scientist herself had approached him with what she said was a 'present' in a wooden crate that had just arrived at the castle. Knowing that the word 'present' was a good word that meant gratification, Rogue had been elated to see what he was getting. When Hange opened the box and held up a big leather strip that was stitched neatly with a metal loop and buckle, the titan instantly recognized what the object was. From his times roaming in his forest, he knew the object to be a collar - something that a canine wore when it was owned by a man and walked on a rope. Normally, he didn't mind when his family messed with his hair and styled it into ridiculous ties and braids -it served as amusement for lots of stressed soldiers and he liked making people laugh. However, the collar was unsettling to him. A seeded instinct told him to refuse and be weary, so when Hange, Molbit, and his little ones attempted to bestow it upon him, Rogue had given in to his own nature and ran in avoidance - pitifully hiding around the castle grounds before being cornered in his nest. It was then that he had no choice but to submit - his friends constantly saying that it was only a temporary thing and he needed it for their trek to Sina the coming day.

That was another thing that Rogue didn't understand fully. The morning after his brief disappearance, Levi had approached him to deliver the news that they had to go to the inner wall of Sina to see Zackley and Nile again to stand trial. According to the Corporal, the Government didn't like him and was on the constant edge that he himself, for any reason, would turn against humanity. They would do anything to get him out of the picture. Since the mission had failed, they had to go and explain why and he was supposed to state his reasons for acting as he did with the exception of a few statements that Levi had warned him not to disclose. But was the collar really needed? Everyone, to his knowledge, knew that he had no intent to prey on him or her whatsoever. So why? Wanting the infernal thing off, Rogue pled his case with a sad sounding whine, lowered ears, and beseeching eyes - a trick that always worked on Hange, usually. "OOFF EEAASSEE."

Unfortunately, Hange shook her head teasingly. "No! No! You're going to have to wear it Rogue! We need you to get used to it!"

The titan snorted, he was going to have to take matters into his own hands. Rogue quickly reached up to run his fingers along the buckle, pulling and tugging in an attempt to remove it. How on earth had the others put it on him!

"Rogue!" A voice shouted through the barrage of troubling sounds that had left his throat. "Rogue!"

"AAKKEEE OOFFF!"