AN: Hello, everyone! Welcome to the first AU of my story. I had a feeling this one would be the most popular out of all the selections. Honestly, it's the one that has the most promise in shaking everything up in an interesting way. Either that, or I like making my OC suffer too much. It's highly likely this story will be shorter, but I hope that you will enjoy it nonetheless.
There will be anime, manga, and main story spoilers ahead. I will be assuming that my readers are up to date on my story, so expect me to make several references to them in my Author's Notes.
Also, I want to take this moment to give a shout-out to not just one, but TWO, co-writers. St33lStrif3, of course, and GodzillaFollower1998. The latter, I recommend you check out his story in the crossover section Attack on Titan: The Warriors of Light and Darkness. Even if you are not familiar with the other universe that is being merged with AoT, it is very newcomer friendly. Thank you both so much for helping me with this.
With that, let us take a journey down a different path where we ask ourselves "What if Annie kidnapped Dillon during the Expedition?" Takes place after Chapter 18 of Blacksmith's Tale.
A Blacksmith's Tale AU: The Kidnapping
Chapter 1: Prisoner of the Female Titan
The earth shook violently as Annie Leonhart dashed through the forest in a hurry, keeping her hand on her nape in case the Scouts tried to give chase. Her mind was in turmoil thanks to her recent actions. She couldn't believe that after everything she went through, after everything she caused, she just gave up. She had Eren Yeager, humanity's last hope, right where she wanted him... and she let him go. Her mission failed because she lost the nerve to finish it. Five years of living in these damn walls, three of them undercover in their military, all the loose ends she and her cohorts had to frantically tie up. All wasted.
Letting out a frustrated growl, she focused on the most important question: what was she supposed to do now? Her first instinct was to just run back home, but there was no way the Marleyans would let her live after failing the mission. They would just execute her and give the Female Titan power to someone else, someone who was better suited to the task. She considered returning to the Walls and go into hiding, but that was too risky. It would only be a matter of time before they figured out what she was. Her Titan form was too recognizable. Armin would be able to identify her, and Dillon would be able to confirm it.
Dillon. Every time she thought of him, she felt pangs of guilt and sorrow in her heart. The way he looked at her, the way he broke down, the way he begged her not to continue her mission. Everything regarding those moments reminded her what a horrible person she was and how much he deserved better than her. He didn't need someone like her destroying his life any more than she already had.
But... at the end of the day, she needed him. He was the only one who had taken the time to get to know her, the only one she let get close. His smile, his hit-and-miss humor, and his love that he had given to her unconditionally. There was so much to love about him... and she had thrown it away.
For a moment, the Female Titan skidded to a stop, panting heavily. She needed to rest after the exhausting day, but she had to keep moving. She had to get out. She had to leave.
"Promise me, no matter what happens, that you'll come home."
Her father's words echoed in her mind once again, reminding her of the other person that she loved. No matter what he put her through, she still cared about him and didn't want to let him down. For a while, she thought that she would have to choose between her father and Dillon, but then an idea started to take hold into her mind.
No doubt, once the Marleyans discovered her failure to complete the mission, they would have her father executed as punishment. The only way to prevent that was get her father out of Liberio somehow, and go into hiding. From there, she could spend the last of her remaining years away from the war. Away from the pain.
As for Dillon, she knew that he would never be the same after this. She only had herself to blame for that, but... she wasn't ready to say goodbye. Not yet. She needed him to remain a part of her life. Unfortunately, at this point, he would never go willingly with her, but it didn't matter. She would make it up to him later somehow.
Taking a deep breath, Annie continued her run. Her mind was made up. She was going to have Dillon one way or another.
The sun was setting in the distance as the day was gradually coming to an end. What started as a drive to finally learn the truth about the Titans turned into a day of terror and death. The bodies continued to decay, blood seeping into and staining the ground. Despite the rancid smell that only flies could love, Dillon Amsdale didn't move from his spot. He continued to stare at the corpses of his squad, almost as if he was entranced. To think that the person he loved the most was responsible for this horrible act of murder. They didn't deserve to die. None of them did. How could Annie- no. The Female Titan. Annie was just a cover, a mask to hide that skinless face.
His thoughts continuously drifted to the time they shared together, cursing how gullible he was. She had played him. Played all of them. Just so that she could ensure humanity's demise at the hands of the Titans. He was forced to realize that she was nothing more than an evil beast, hellbent on killing everyone here. And that he was the ultimate fool for falling into her trap.
Then, he felt it. Vibrations getting louder and louder. His eyes widened, snapping him out of his shocked state. She was back! She was coming for him! Grabbing his swords, he dove through a window into the nearest house, taking shelter under a table. If she found him, he would not go quietly. He quickly realized that this was the worst house to hide in. Chunks of the roof were missing, and some of the walls were caved in. Almost no cover to be had.
"Dillon?!" the Female Titan called frantically in his mind, skidding to a stop in the village. "Dillon, where are you?!"
He heard her sniffing. He had forgotten about a Titan's keen sense of smell. Dillon remained silent, praying that she would leave. As long as he stayed hidden, it would be okay. And then, he noticed that he was bleeding, glass embedded in his shoulder from jumping through the window. Not good.
Sure enough, she was getting closer to him. "Please be alive," she begged quietly.
So concerned. So caring. He wasn't going to fall for it. Never again. Whatever she had planned for him would fail. Just stay quiet, and she'll go away. He coached himself.
Instantly, that mental coaching cost him.
"Dillon!" the Female Titan suddenly exclaimed, sounding relieved. "Thank God you're alive."
Dillon swore under his breath, angry at his carelessness. "What do you want with me?" he demanded, trying to look for a way out of this mess before it could get worse as he mentally cursed himself for not severing the link when he had the chance.
"I'm not going to hurt you. I promise," she said slowly and calmly.
"Bullshit!" he snarled, backing further into the house.
"If I wanted to hurt you, why would I bother talking?" she pointed out.
"Just leave me alone!" he implored her, trying to appeal to her humanity if she had any of it left.
"I can't, Dillon. You know who I am. You've seen my face. I'm not going to hurt you or kill you, but I can't let you tell them who I am."
Dillon's eyes widened, realizing why she was here. This wasn't an assassination. It was a kidnapping. "No... you can't..." Then, her large shadow loomed over the wrecked home. Moving quickly and quietly, he took shelter underneath the staircase, swords at the ready.
"Dillon, please," she said, looking over and through the ruined house. "Just come out."
"You killed my friends," he replied, begging that someone would save him from her.
"I told you: they attacked me! I acted in self-defense!" she responded.
"You could've found another way!" he shot back, digging himself deeper into the corner. She was so close.
"Maybe," the Female Titan admitted,"but what's done is done." With that finality, her hand busted through one of the walls and yanked away the staircase he was hiding under.
Seeing that familiar, skinless hand nearly threw him into absolute panic. With a yelp, he sliced at her hand, though she pulled it back quickly, having learned from the last time. Looking up, he could see that giant face gazing down at him with those silver-blue eyes. "Stay away! Don't come any closer!"
"Dillon, I told you: I'm not going to hurt you," she repeated calmly, looking at him with pleading eyes.
"I don't believe you!" he exclaimed fearfully, backing up against what was left of the wall.
"If I wanted to kill you, wouldn't I have done it already?"
"Or maybe you want to toy with me first, like you did to Jensen!" he snarled, though his grip was wavering out of fear.
The Female Titan flinched at that reminder. "...I'll admit, I screwed up then. I could have just killed him quickly. Probably should have." She shook her head. "But you know very well that if I wanted you dead, you would be."
Dillon clenched his eyes shut, trying to fight back the emotions building up in him again. "Then what are you going to do with me?"
"...Run," she answered, moving to grab him while he was distracted.
He tried diving out of the way, but it was too late as the Female Titan's hand wrapped around him quickly and pulled him out of the house. Frantically, he attempted to stab her, but a couple of flicks from her other hand send the blades flying. "No!" he exclaimed, struggling to break out of her hand. Now, he was unarmed and at her mercy.
She brought him close to her face, slightly tightening her grip. "I'm sorry about this, Dillon."
To his absolute horror, her mouth began to open, the strands keeping her jaw together snapping until it was completely unhinged. "NO!" he screamed, his eyes flashing intensely out of sheer panic. He attempted desperately to drive mental spikes right into her brain. "Let me GO!"
The Female Titan flinched with a grunt at his attack and decided to move quickly before he could get a leg up on her. She shoved him into her mouth and slammed it shut before taking off running.
Dillon was hyperventilating as he landed on her tongue. He was in a Titan's mouth. He was in her mouth. He was on her slimy, disgusting tongue! Getting up as best he could, he started banging against her teeth to no avail. "Let me out! Let! Me! OUT!"
"You're going to be fine, Dillon!" she promised, running south rather than towards the walls.
"Please, I won't tell anyone!" he begged as he felt his body slowly become covered in saliva. "I won't say anything!"
"I can't take that chance!" she yelled. "I already feel bad enough about all of this! Please don't make it worse!"
Letting out a pitiful whine, Dillon looked for another way to escape. He couldn't break through her teeth, and his boot knife wasn't big enough to do any REAL damage. Then, it occurred to him. Her jaw came loose to put him in her mouth. Closing his eyes, he focused on the sides of her jaw. Letting out a yell as he delivered a massive psychokinetic blast, he was awarded with a roar in pain as he felt himself sliding down her tongue and into the air. However, he was quickly caught by her hand before he could make any more progress.
"Damn it, Dillon!" the Female Titan exclaimed in frustration. "Stop fighting me!"
With a snarl, Dillon took out his boot knife and pulled his arm loose, throwing it at her eye. While she moved to dodge that, his eyes flashed as he struck various areas of her mind in an effort to get free. He wasn't going to be taken prisoner, much less her prisoner. He was awarded with grunts of pain and blood dripping down from her nose.
Before he could do anything debilitating, however, a crystallized finger slammed into his forehead, knocking him out instantly.
Captain Levi surveyed the village, grimacing at the sight of the bodies. This was where the bloodshed seemed to end at, but as to why, he didn't know. The answer was eluding him, and that made him more irritated than he was at almost failing. What the hell happened here that caused the Female Titan to start letting people live?
Thinking about that giant bitch made his blood boil. He knew this Expedition was a ruse to lure the traitor out in the open, but they had severely underestimated the tenacity of the enemy. As a result, the Scout Regiment suffered heavy losses despite her sudden acts of restraint, the Female Titan got away, his squad was humiliated and short a good man, Oluo Bozado, and they were going to lose Eren to the MPs due to this catastrophic failure. Next time he saw her, he was going to destroy her Titan body, and dice up her real one, come hell or highwater.
"Captain, we found another body just outside the village," one of the Scouts announced, riding up to him. "It's Darius."
It was subtle, but Levi's expression changed to concern. "Are you sure that it was him?"
The Scout nodded. "Positive, sir. His body was mostly intact... and there's something else."
"Spit it out."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a boot knife. "We found this near some recent Titan tracks that match the Female Titan's. Judging by its appearance, it was used."
Levi snatched the knife out of his hands, examining it. He had seen this craftsmanship before. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw an engraving on the hilt: D.A.
"...Get Darius's body prepped for transport." He ordered after a moment. "He's coming home."
"Yes, sir!"
Once the Scout left him alone, Levi's mind began racing as he continued to stare at the knife. This was the same squad that he assigned Dillon in, and the kid was nowhere to be found. If he was anything like his parents, he wouldn't have gone down without a fight, and he doubted he would run even if ordered to. Two possibilities came to mind: he was dead, and his body was nowhere to be found, or... he was taken. Something in his gut told him the last one seemed more likely, but for what reason, he didn't know. What would a Titan Shifter want with Amsdale, of all people? Either way, he dreaded the conversation that he would eventually have with Carolyn and Matthew. They did so much for the scouts, and in return, he couldn't even keep their only child safe.
Sighing, he pocketed the knife. There was nothing he, or anyone else, could do for him now. If Dillon was kidnapped, he was on his own. Letting out a growl, Levi took off to rejoin the others. Should've killed her when I had the chance.
If there was one thing that Jean Kirstein would never get used to, it would be gathering the bodies of the fallen. Trost was an experience that he never wanted to revisit, and now here he was, doing the same thing. At least a third, possibly more, of the Scouts had died, no doubt because of the Female Titan, and they had to retreat with their tails between their legs. All that hope of possibly getting a better leg-up on the monsters was crushed before their very eyes.
"Careful, Jean," Armin warned as he almost dropped one of the bodies that they had been carrying.
Coming back to the present, he let out a grunt as he placed it in the wagon with the others. "I don't know what's worse. The fact that we just suffered a devastating blow, or the fact that there's someone actually working with the Titans to kill us all."
"It doesn't make sense," he agreed sadly. "And yet, the evidence was right there."
"... . How many, Armin? How many did we lose here?"
"I don't know, Jean. Dozens of bodies, at least. And we don't know how many are missing."
Missing... And then it struck Jean, his eyes widening in horror. How could he have forgotten? How could he not have seen it sooner? He was too focused on how badly things were screwed up that he completely missed it. "Where's Dillon?"
Armin froze, coming to the same realization. "I... I haven't seen him."
The brown-haired teen shook his head, gripping his hair as panic began to build in his body. "No, no, no. Not him!"
"...Jean, you don't think he's-?"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Jean exclaimed, a fire in his eyes that threatened to burn Armin to a crisp. "You hear me!?"
His loud voice was getting the attention of the other Scouts, including Connie and Sasha, but he didn't care... at least until Captain Levi approached him.
"The hell are you shouting about?" he demanded.
Hoping that he was wrong, Jean quickly jumped out of the wagon and asked, "Sir, have you seen a fellow cadet? Dillon Amsdale? Uh, brown hair, brown eyes-!"
"I know who Dillon Amsdale is. Keep it down," Levi interrupted, his expression not betraying the grief he felt. "He's among the six that are listed as missing in action."
"Missing in... what?" This is not happening. Not again!
"...Dillon's gone?" Sasha asked quietly once she got close enough.
Connie was too stunned to speak, unable to comprehend the loss of another friend.
The captain let out a sigh. "We couldn't find his body. He was either swallowed whole, or wandering somewhere that we haven't checked. Either way, there's nothing we can do."
Jean clenched his fist, trying to contain his anger. He already lost Marco in Trost, and now he lost Dillon because of this damned Expedition. "...You mean to tell me that he might still be alive... and we're just gonna leave him to die?"
"What do you want me to say, Kirstein?" Levi questioned, his voice low and intimidating. "We're going to send another search party into Titan-infested territory, get them all killed while those monsters kill the rest of us because we decided to wait? Don't be so stupid as to believe either myself or Commander Erwin would give that order. All it would do is waste time and lives. Nothing more." It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but there was a twinge of sympathy that crept into his tone. "Sorry... but unless miracles suddenly exist, he's as good as dead out there."
Jean struggled to not lose it as Levi walked away from him to finish up. "It was her," he growled with a clenched fist. "That bitch did this."
"Jean-." Connie started, not getting the chance to finish.
With a frustrated yell, Jean slammed his fist into the side of the wagon, panting heavily. His hand stung from the impact, but he ignored it. A bruise was insignificant compared to the loss.
"That's another life that she will pay for," a familiar voice stated.
The cadets glanced over at Mikasa, who had overheard Jean, approaching them.
"Until then, we can grieve once we're behind the Walls." Her eyes landed on Jean, who had a couple of tears streaming down his face. "Dillon was a good soldier, Jean. For what it's worth, I'm sorry he's gone."
It took every ounce of willpower and then some for Jean to be contained as he brushed off the tears. His body begged for an outlet to release all the pain within him, but it would do more harm than good in the grand scheme of things. Judging by the looks on his comrades' faces, they felt some of the pain he did. Dillon was an integral part of their lives for better and for worse, and to have him gone was like losing a part of themselves.
And then, a mortifying thought occurred to him. Someone was going to have to tell Annie about his fate. He could only imagine how much the news would break her. And he really didn't want to be there when she did…
It wasn't easy, avoiding Titans with her energy nearly giving out. It had been a terribly long day for her, with the damage her Titan form suffered, having to get it eaten in order to escape before transforming almost immediately after, and, of course, fighting an enraged Eren Yeager on top of everything. Despite all of that, she managed to escape the mindless beasts while keeping Dillon safe.
At long last, nightfall came soon after Annie cleared the sightlines of Trost, the moon being the only source of light in the darkness. She extracted an unconscious Dillon from her mouth to prevent herself from dropping him as she panted heavily. The hellish day was finally over, though she had a distinct feeling that things would not be getting easier, especially once he was awake. With a tenderness to her touch and a sadness in her eyes, she brushed the saliva that coated his entire body off his face. It was the least she could do for him. She couldn't help but wince at the sight of the bruised welt forming on his forehead. She didn't want to hurt him, but it was the only way to keep him from escaping and getting himself killed.
Cupping both hands around him, she began walking towards a small village in the distance. There was no shortage of villages throughout Wall Maria, so finding shelter wouldn't be too much of a problem. Hopefully, finding water would be just as simple. If memory served, this was eastern area, meaning that getting to the Wall itself wouldn't take long. It was just a matter of making sure they survived whatever Titans roamed the District.
She found the most intact house she could and carefully placed Dillon into it through a hole in the roof. It wasn't clear as to how long he would remain like that, but she couldn't take any chances. Backing away and keeling down, Annie's finger hardened as she reached for her nape. With a sickening slicing sound, she quickly tore it open completely, exposing her real body to the world. She pulled her body out of the strands of flesh that kept her attached before stumbling to the ground. Free at last.
Ignoring the red marks on her face, she entered the house and got to work. She removed the Scout cloak and jacket she stole, revealing a pack that she had brought with her. Inside were some rations that would be enough for the journey home, a canteen, a spare knife, and quite a bit of rope. This was supposed to be for Eren, but now, it would restrain Dillon.
Carefully, she prodded him with her foot to make sure that he wasn't playing possum, but it was clear that he wasn't going to wake up soon. She took off his cloak and jacket and tossing those saliva-covered garments aside before grabbing a chair from the dining room. With what remained of her strength, which was thankfully enhanced due to her abilities, she hoisted him into the chair before tying his hands around it. Her conscience screamed at her to stop this, but her pragmatic side won over. Comfort was going to be an unaffordable luxury for a while.
Once she tightened the bonds, Annie sighed as she silently went to the nearby bed and laid down. If she wasn't so exhausted, she would've let loose her emotions, but she really didn't have the energy anymore. She knew a peaceful sleep would be out of the question, and she welcomed whatever nightmares that came her way. No matter what pain they caused her, they would do nothing to fix the irreparable damage she caused on humanity, to her friends... to Dillon. At the very least she managed a single tear to fall from her face. There was apparently a part of her that was still human after all.