"P-Please don't hurt me!"

Armin sighed as he restrained his victim. "Shut up," he muttered as he attempted to manhandle her to the car. It was odd—they were in the middle of nowhere, and he would normally be giggling insanely by now, relishing in her begs for mercy and screams of pain.

Now he just felt irritated.

"H-help!" she screamed in his ear, "Someone help me!"

"Oh my—," he grunted as he caught an elbow to the ribs, "I—you're in the middle of nowhere! Nobody's going to fucking hear you! Now just get into the car so I can kill you!"

"H-help!" she continued to shout, oblivious of his statement.

"You know what?" he asked, dropping the woman on the ground. "You're more trouble than it's worth. Go away."

The woman stared at him, looking shocked and still afraid. "Y-you're not going to—"

"Run before I change my mind."

That got her moving. With a yelp she stumbled to her feet and ran off, tripping twice on her heels.

"Pathetic," Armin muttered to himself as he sat in his car. This was the third time he let a victim go, and he didn't understand why.

He had broken out of prison easily, but ever since he killed DD he just hasn't felt bloodthirsty anymore. He did succeed in killing someone, but he got bored way too quickly. It literally got to the point where he snapped his victim's neck to get them to stop screaming because it was grating on his ears.

He's never felt that way before.

Sighing, he started the car and got back on the road. He was still Sina County, a long ways away from Trost.

Maybe it's time to pay some old friends a visit.

Annie found a surprise waiting on her couch.

"What is this?" She asked herself as she lifted the wrapped gift and inspected it. It had ocean blue wrapping and a white bow, reminding her of a certain blonde she knew.

When she unwrapped it, she realized it was a book. When she opened it, a note slipped from between its pages.

Turn around.

The girl swiftly spun around to see another blonde staring down at her.

"R-Reiner!?" Annie exclaimed, wide-eyed and confused. "W-what the hell are you doing here?!"

The bulky blonde laughed and sat down on her couch. "Is that any way to greet your best friends?"

Friends…? "Bertoldt's here too!?"

Suddenly the toilet flushed and said brunette stepped out of the bathroom, looking relieved.

"Why the hell are you two here!?" Annie demanded.

Bertoldt jumped, noticing her presence for the first time. "O-oh! Hi!"

"Don't 'hi' me," the blonde girl growled, "what are you guys doing here!?"

Before Bertoldt can buckle under her cold, withering stare Reiner spoke up. "We're worried about you," he said, "I mean, you've been acting different ever since Armin had first broke out—and even more different when he was locked up again."

Realization hit her like a truck. She had changed.

When Armin was with her she was happy—or terrified, but she was willing to live with it—but when he was incarcerated again she had become pretty miserable. It was the little things—like actually having to do chores around the house—to the big, life changing things—seeing his smiling face every day, coming home to a husband-like figure, and not being forever alone.

However a voice in her head said that that was where he belonged—after he brutally murdered DD, she had become quite scared of him, but she knew without a doubt that he wouldn't lay a finger on her.

I don't give a damn about anyone else in your life.

And then there's that.

"You know I'm right," Reiner declared, "it's showing on your face."

"W-we care about you," Bertoldt piped up, "and we're here to help."

Wait a second…

"No," Annie said sternly, "you are not moving in here!"

"You didn't come to Connie's house," Reiner countered, "Bertoldt and I can handle ourselves, and so can you, but…"

Annie began to panic. She was certain Armin was capable of breaking out of high-security prisons, and the last she she wanted was for him to come home to two other males in her house.

Now you'll see what happens when you touch my Annie.

She involuntarily shuddered.

There's no doubt in her mind that he'd try to kill them. Despite how annoying they can be, she doesn't want them to die—and especially not in such a graphic, gruesome way. Even if Armin lets them off with some sort of warning, it would be catastrophic.

"Annie," Reiner said in a very serious tone, "do…do you care about Armin at all?"

Annie froze.

Her blonde friend sighed. "Annie," he said sternly, "he's a killer—"

"He saved me!" Annie snapped, "He wasn't the one who stabbed me—in fact, he was the one who made the 911 call and stayed back to make sure I was okay!"

"B-but why?" Bertoldt asked timidly, "N-not like we don't believe you—"

"I don't buy it," Reiner muttered.

Bertoldt sighed. "What if he just wants to kill you for himself?"

Annie let out frustrated sigh. "Why did he bother to make sure I was okay!?" she demanded, "Why did he comfort me until the medics arrive? Why did he fucking go with the police willingly!?"

After her outburst, Annie flopped down on the couch next to Reiner and put her face in her hands. She knew exactly why—he loved her.

And she loved him back.

But she can't tell them that.

"So what!?" Reiner retorted, "Annie if this little psychopath has an interest in you then there's no way in hell Bert and I are going to leave you alone—especially if you're gaining an interest in him!"

She couldn't help it.

She sobbed.

Normally she does a really good job of keeping her emotions in check, but the thought of Armin coupled with the only two sane people who care about her having conflicted interests all for her own good made it impossible to hold it in any longer.

"A-Annie…" Bert said, sitting beside her. "W-we're sorry," Reiner apologized, rubbing a soothing hand on her back. "We're just trying to look out for you, that's all…"

"B-but…" she couldn't believe how pathetic she was being right now, and it was taking all of her willpower to not blurt out why she had suddenly been reduced to a mess of snot and tears.

"Don't worry," Reiner said, "We'll always be there for you."

She didn't know whether that was good or bad.