Someone shouted her name.  Usually, nobody had any reason to, that they left her to her own devices and got results.  It was only when they wanted a change that someone said anything to her, or because she wasn't paying attention.  Back in training, when she had still been new to everything, someone had disturbed her concentration while she was writing in her diary...and she just snapped and bit him.  Not many altercations like that since.  Not many people were dumb enough to startle her, anymore.  Sara called her and her hand whipped out, thinking there was a Titan nearby or something.  When nothing presented itself, she looked and saw who was talking.

[color=f7941d][i]She wants me to follow?  To wh...?  Ohhh...[/i][/color]

To the big one, the shouter, the raging Titan.  Ignoring blood that had gotten all over her - Titan blood [i]mostly[/i] evaporates over time, right? - she launched her own hooks to reel in and follow.  Notably, Katherine operated conservatively with her ODM Gear's steam pressure.  She seemed to know the limits and the necessities for good control and acceleration, so she lasted longer on a supply than most others.  Of course, you can't argue with the results of people who moved at breakneck speed and had a ton of Titan kills to their name for having perfected a number of techniques in taking them down, but that was [i]their[/i] way.  Kate saw the entire thing as simple logistics.  You have a limited amount of steam-pressure, so you use it in the most efficient way...unless it's an emergency.  Then, you worry about what comes later when you [i]have[/i] a later.

When they came to the open area, though...where was it?  He'd been here!  He was RIGHT HERE!  You could hear him bellowing all over town!  He had more bellows in him - if you'll excuse the pun - than Kate did!  The only thing around appeared to be three soldiers, apart from Sara and herself.  Wait...  No, they couldn't have killed it.  Not when Mikasa was standing right there, the one who told her [i]not to[/i].  Kate could see Sara trying to help them get an unconscious soldier up to his feet...and it all clicked together.  The roaring Titan possessed of an anger for other Titans than humanly possible, the warning from Mikasa when she approached it, and then this wild talk she heard from others about [i]using[/i] the Titan to help them seal up Trost...  It all added up to...

[color=f7941d]"Eren..."[/color]

Eren was a Titan...  [i]Eren[/i] was a Titan, and he'd decapitated like a dozen other Titans that she'd seen alone!  Why was this...?  What was going on?  A surge of possibilities, theories, potential answers went through her as she tried to catch up to the situation at hand.  Others would think it shock, and maybe part of it was, but that was when she retreated in herself when she was just a girl.  Now, her mind was just chugging away like crazy, trying to make sense of it all.  Were Titans always people?  Were people always Titans?  What did all of this [i]mean?[/i]  No no no, not [i]now![/i]  Mikasa had a bad look in her eye.  She knew that look.  They'd [i]shared[/i] that look and made a bunch of bullies just start running.

Kate approached and Armin must've caught sight of her first.  She hadn't even thought about how she looked right now, like some kind of buttcher.  Frankly, the whole idea of cutting up giants made of flesh never appealed to Armin anymore than doing that to people or even butchers carving up meat.  He was such a fragile sort of guy.  Smart, but possessed of none of the rage or talent that Mikasa or Eren had.  He was the cooler head of the three.  Good lord, when she thought of how knowing these people pulled her out of her shell before the attack...  You would almost say that they saved her life.  Still, Mikasa was stubborn in regards to anything about Eren.  Kate now crouched to meet her at eye-level, the shredders giving her balance, but posing no threat.

[color=f7941d]"We won't let anything happen.  [i]I[/i] won't.  I promise."[/color]

If she was going to listen to [i]anyone[/i]...

Well, okay, she'd listen to [i]Armin[/i], as well, but really...who better than your own friends?