In the Attack on Titan world?

Chapter 23- silence and shame

Erens point of view

Layla lumbered over to us, and she refused to meet my eyes.
She just sat and stared at the backs of Reiner, Ymir and Bertholdt. Just sitting there. Not moving from the now Titan form that encased her.
She just sat.
"Layla?" I said walking to her. I was about to put my hand on her arm when she moved.
She wouldn't let me touch her? Why?
"Layla. Please." I begged. But she just shook her head and walked away, the huge shoulders hunched, her head lowered and looking very untitan like.
"She looks...so sad." I added. "Why?"
"She thinks she's a monster Eren." Mikasa said. A hand went to his shoulder. "She turned and instead of being in the nape, she's encased near the heart."
"But."
"It's true Eren." Armin added. He looked sad too. "We went to get reinforcements to come and get you, she begged with Commander Erwin to be put in chains."
"No."
Armin nodded. "But the worst thing is none of us defended her, none of us said she shouldn't." He looked ashamed, "we were afraid of her."
"Afraid of her?" I looked at my big sister- the woman who had taken in three kids and looked after them, joined their little family and trained beside them.
"I'll bet she's feeling a lot worse than you all are." I said. "And by the look of her." The others turned to look. The back. The arms and the head all low to the ground. "She probably not going to want to come out."
"But she has to!" Armin said this time panicked.
"Not if she thinks that we all hate her." Mikasa said. "And fear her."
I just nodded.
We moved before the titans began to notice we were there. And met up with Layla in her Titan form, who had met up with the scouts.
She had sat on the floor, not moving arms outstretched as if praying.
"She wants to be chained." Armin said.
"Erwin won't agree will he?" I asked eyes wide.
Armin shook his head. "Not unless she refuses to come out of the Titan body unless she is as a human." He said. "Then he will have no choice."

I just stared at her. I was shocked but not afraid of her. I wasn't alone. We could help each other. But my guess is Layla wouldn't even be thinking of that.

With Layla.

I wish I could communicate with them!
Why couldn't they see I wanted to be chained up when I became human!
My head was almost touching the floor, but they were ignoring me almost.
"Transform back." Levi eventually said.
I shook my head and waved my joined hands at him.
"We are not chaining you up Brat." He added "So transform back!"
I just shook my head. And waved my hands again.
"Layla, come on." Hanje added attempting to touch me but I moved away. "Transform back and we can talk about this."
"I am not chaining you Cadet." Erwin added. "Not when you and Yeager are the keys to humanity's success."
I shook my head, tears pooling from my eyes and falling like puddles from the sky. They had to move to avoid behind drenched.
"Cadet transform back!" Levi shouted. I flinched but continued to sit there. "I will come over there and drag you out!" He threatened. I lowered my torso to the ground so I was lying down. They wouldn't dare risk the back, for fear of killing me too. Which I wanted.
Levi growled and walked away. I didn't watch him go. Good it means that there is one less person.
Then a quiet voice sounded nearby.
"Layla?" I looked out of the corner of my eye. Then looked away. It was Eren. "Please." He begged. "Come back to us. Your family."
I shook my head, my nose grazing the floor.
"We need you."
I moved my nose the floor again. Pointed to myself and then them.
"You don't need us." He said. "We need you. Come back to us our sister, our friend our comrade." He paused. "Our suicidal maniac." He tried to joke but failed.
I didn't want to listen, instead began to use my head as a spade to dig it into a hole.

They watched her. Their friend.
Connie, who Layla had helped in many ways, from training to saving his mother.
Sasha, who Layla had snuck her rations too when the others weren't looking and was always there for her.
Jean, who she had helped mourn Marco, had been his rock since.
They couldn't believe this was that strong woman.
But even strong women can break.

Hanje and Erwin just watched. Erwin sighed.
"I see no other choice." He said quietly to Hanje.
"Neither do I." Hanje replied sadly. "Shorty won't like this."
"If it is the only way. He won't have to." Erwin replied.
He walked over to Layla and spoke in her ear.
She moved her head up and nodded.

I had heard Erwin. If I transformed I would be chained, but only at his discretion. If I was chained it wouldn't be fully. I would take what I would get.
Hanje came forward and sliced my torso. Showing my human body inside. She carefully cut me out and pulled me from the now steaming carcass.
There I silently stood, waiting for chains to go around my wrist.
Slight ones happened and they weren't chains. It was a rope.

I didn't say a word as they tightened it.
I didn't speak as they led me to a horse. Levi just scoffed at me and pulled me onto his, if my hands were tied then I couldn't control a horse.

I said nothing as we rode back.
I said nothing as they tried to speak to me when we got back to base.
I said nothing as I went to the cellar where Eren lodged.

With the others.
"I've never heard her this quiet." Mikasa said to no one in particular.
"It's unsettling." Armin added.
Jean banged his hand on the table. "We all have been stupid." He said. "We all show her nothing but fear. But she has been there for everyone of us!"
Eren nodded. "I knew that she was special talking to me, this is all my fault."
"No Eren." Sasha said. "It's ours."
"We showed fear to someone who had just transformed, who had no idea. Of course she thinks she a monster- the way we treated her just makes her feel that way."
"We need to get her out of this." Jean said. "Before something happens and we can't take it back."