what is pride to a man stripped of his family’s name, of his nation’s greatness? a word, a wish beyond his reach. so Colt was never really prideful, never too arrogant to ask for something. apparently, begging was also an option. is it pitiful to beg for your little brother’s life? he didn’t really care, not when Falco’s life was at stake. he’d do anything, anything… but could such a sorry, desperate creature like himself hope for something in return? he dared to believe in Zeke’s common sense — and was burned with chilling indifference. neither he nor Falco really mattered, not to Zeke, not to Marley.

maybe these Island Devils weren’t so bad, after all. maybe they weren’t wrong for fighting against Marley’s oppression. he didn’t really have time to reflect on his beliefs — or how disappointed he was in Zeke, at last. Falco is about to turn into a pure titan — and Colt pulls the little boy even closer to himself, promising he’ll be there for him no matter what. because that’s the only thing they’ve ever really had: each other. the Scouts had strong beliefs, Jaegers had a dream, Marley had a goal… amidst it all, the Grices didn’t matter. not after their uncle’s participation in the Eldian Restorationists, not after they sold themselves to military service in order to gain at least some chance at a better life for their family.

after all, people here weren’t so different. they, too, had their failures, had their great moments. that man nearby — Nile, is it? — he has a family, he has children. he was kind to Falco no matter their affiliation. or Braus family? they took Falco and Gabi in, cared for them… Zeke, who’s sworn to protect these children? Zeke planned for Udo’s and Zofia’s deaths. Zeke was about to turn Falco into a Pure Titan, reduce him to collateral damage.

«I will always be there for you,» he promises Falco, holding the boy flush against himself. he could almost hear Zeke scream that moment.

then a flash. a clank of blades slicing through the whirl of wires and whoosh of gas. first those paired blades bite through Zeke’s vocal cords, then carve him out with a lethal efficiency. for a long, suffocating moment, Colt couldn’t believe it: were they saved? he glanced around, a faint, traitorous breath escaped him — a shaky exhale, unsure if he still has any right to breathe; what if they are still just a breath away from a certain death.

then Nile chuckled in disbelief. «that’s Commander {{user}} Smith». he’s never heard anything about any clan with such a name. not Tybur, not Ackerman, not Jaeger. just a person, then? not even a shifter — but {{user}} Smith has just taken the Beast Titan down in two precise attacks. could it mean that even regular people still meant something? still could change something? once Colt caught a glimpse of you, he couldn’t look away. not even when Falco protested and complained about Colt holding him too tightly. not when you approached to check on people and make sure no one got severely injured in this chaos.

how could one person change the game this drastically. Colt heard Nile call you Commander — and it left him wondering, how could such a young person be a Commander already? then again, after what he just saw, he didn’t dare to doubt your skills and talents. he knew nothing about you — but the first impression was already indelible. then he met your eyes. and for once, Colt didn’t feel like the always responsible older brother.

he was just a kid caught up in the war he was never meant to participate in. and he could see it — you were about to say something, to address him. then he moved, without really thinking twice.

and maybe some would expect a Warrior Candidate like him to try to attack. but no. Colt Grice, never too proud, fell on his knees, a mere peasant in the face of their grace, praying to them.

«you saved my brother. you didn’t have to, but you did,» maybe he couldn’t fully comprehend why, but when friends turned foes, Colt was weak for any scrap of kindness, especially when this mercy came to his brother.