It was morning, and the sun had not yet risen on the city of Stohess. But a large number of people were already awake and getting ready for the long day ahead.
Gathered in one of the military owned courtyards not too far from the outer gate of the city was the Scouts. A mixture of new recruits and veterans were lined up, most of them confused about what was going on.
Erwin looked over them all seriously. "Listen up. Yesterday, some of the newest members of the Military Police were almost killed by several unknown assassins. One of our own, Armin Arlert, also got caught up in it. Armin Arlert, Jean Kirstein, Marco Bott, Bertolt Hoover, and Annie Leonhart have not been seen since the attacks. We believe that they have fled the city and are somewhere within Wall Rose. Our mission is simple. We must search through the lands between Stohess and Karanes and try to find them before the assassins do."
He glanced to his right, where several of his officers were standing. "As for why we are doing this, that is on a strictly need to know basis. However, I will admit that there are unknown variables at play here. But no matter what happens, I want you to trust your squad leaders and obey their orders. That is all. We depart in an hour. Be ready."
All the Scouts saluted. "Sir!"
With that, they all dispersed and began to prepare for the expedition, gathering supplies and organizing horses and squads.
Connie grimaced. "Damn. Why the hell would assassins be after them?"
Sasha responded seriously. "I heard that they were trying to fight back against the rampant corruption in the Military Police."
She absently ran her fingers through her horse's mane. "Maybe they pissed off the wrong person."
Mina frowned. "But still, what could they have done that someone would want them dead?"
A few yards away, Mikasa was looking at Eren in concern. He hadn't touched his breakfast, and he looked like he was trying to not throw up.
Mikasa gently touched his shoulder. "Eren, are you okay?"
Eren bowed his head. "No. I...I just hope Armin's okay."
Mikasa lowered her gaze. "Me too."
Mikasa looked up as she heard a commotion near the edge of the courtyard.
Hange raised her voice. "Excuse me! You two aren't supposed to be here!"
Erwin walked over. "What's going on?"
Two members of the Military Police had entered the courtyard. One of them looked determined, while the other just looked bored.
Marlowe looked at the Scouts eagerly. "Commander Erwin. Please, allow us to join the search party. The ones missing are friends of ours, and we'd like to help."
Erwin considered this. "Are you sure? We don't know the full extent of what's going on, and it could be dangerous."
Marlowe grimaced. "I'm aware of that. But we're willing to face those dangers if it means protecting our comrades."
He elbowed his partner. "Right Hitch?"
Hitch nodded unenthusiastically. "Yeah…"
Erwin nodded. "Very well. But only for this mission. And you are to obey your squad leader's orders without question, understood?"
Marlowe saluted. "Understood."
After Marlowe and Hitch were allowed in, Erwin began interrogating the newest recruits about where they were from, and which areas of Wall Rose they were most familiar with. After taking this into account, Erwin started sorting them into groups.
Erwin looked them over. "Alright. Eren and Krista, you are the leaders of squad 7 and 8 respectively. Mikasa, Connie, Sasha, and Marlowe will make up squad 7. Ymir, Mylieus, Mina, and Hitch will make up squad 8."
After being assigned into squads, the young soldiers began readying their horses and gear for the upcoming mission.
Connie looked at the two newcomers curiously. "So you guys are Military Police, huh?"
Marlowe nodded. "Yeah."
Hitch also looked mildly curious. "Weren't some of you in the top ten for the Southern division?"
Connie nodded. "Yeah."
Hitch tilted her head. "How come you guys didn't join the Military Police?"
Connie chuckled nervously. "Believe me, I was definitely thinking about it, but in the end I changed my mind."
Sasha smiled. "A lot of us did, thanks to this guy."
She gestured at Eren.
Marlowe looked interested. "Are you Eren Yeager?"
Eren's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly nodded. "Yes."
Marlowe smiled. "Annie and Jean spoke highly of you."
Eren glanced away. "Did they."
Marlowe's smile faded. "You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."
Eren forced a smile. "I'm fine."
Without another word Eren walked away.
Marlowe frowned. "What's with him?"
Mina shrugged. "I don't know. Normally he's pretty friendly, but there are times where he gets all quiet like that."
She lowered her gaze. "Though it's understandable. One of the people who got caught up in the assassination attempts was his best friend, Armin, so I'm sure he's worried sick."
Marlowe nodded. "Ah. Still, it's strange. Why are the Scouts getting involved in this?"
Mikasa shook her head. "No idea. Commander Erwin said that it was on a need to know basis. But based on what he implied, it sounds like all of the squad leaders have a better idea of what's going on, and have been entrusted with information he's not yet willing to share with the normal soldiers."
Hitch frowned. "But since Eren and Krista are squad leaders, doesn't that mean that they know what's going on?"
They glanced over, and could see Erwin speaking quietly with Eren and Krista, all three of them looking grim.
Marlowe looked slightly suspicious. "But why are they allowed in on this when everyone else is being kept in the dark?"
Mikasa watched Eren uncertainly. "I don't know. For now we have no choice but to trust them, and hope that we get the answers we want soon."
Connie nodded. "I hope those answers come soon."
Ymir shook her head. "Be careful what you wish for. Something tells me that we may not like the answers."
Sasha glanced at Ymir. "What do you mean?"
Ymir sighed. "Let's just say I've got a bad feeling. They're making it sound like this is a simple search and rescue mission, but given all the effort that's being put into preparation, I think it's safe to assume that there's something more going on."
Marlowe frowned. "Like what?"
Ymir grimaced. "I don't know. As Mikasa said, for now we need to trust our commanding officers. At the same time, though, be on guard. Things aren't what they seem."
Connie smiled uncertainly. "They're probably just using this as a chance to give us some practice before we have to actually go out into Titan territory."
Ymir looked like she was going to make a disdainful remark, but refrained from doing so, opting to get back to work instead.
As Mikasa got her gear ready, she found her thoughts turning from Eren to their missing friend.
Armin, please be safe.
Annie rubbed her neck, feeling a little sore after an uncomfortable night of sleep.
Thanks to Armin's quick thinking they'd managed to sneak onto a supply cart that was leaving Stohess, and by good luck it also happened to be headed for Trost. After taking them most of the way there, and putting a comfortable distance between them and Stohess, the five deserters had discreetly left the cart in the evening, and tried to get some rest in a nearby patch of woods.
After 'borrowing' some clothes from a nearby village, they'd abandoned their uniforms, as they would make them stand out too much, and had changed into more casual clothing.
It was the following morning, and now they had to decide what they were going to do next.
Jean looked at Annie and Bertolt. "So, where to now?"
Annie glanced down. "For now, we need to lay low, as far away from the interior as we can get."
Marco looked thoughtful. "Then how about we head West? I've heard there's an abandoned castle a little ways past Ragako village that's right near the wall. You can't get any farther from the interior than that. Unless you're planning to go into Titan territory."
Bertolt laughed nervously. "No. Of course not."
Jean shook his head. "That would be downright stupid."
He looked around. "Alright, does that sound like a plan?"
Annie frowned. "It'll be slow going just on foot."
Armin spoke up. "Yes. But that cart managed to save us a lot of time, and if we try to steal some horses we'll probably just draw more attention to ourselves."
Jean grimaced. "Annie's right though. Having some horses would greatly increase how far we could travel in a day, which should outweigh the risks of being noticed."
Armin looked uncomfortable. "Yeah...but…"
Marco looked at Armin sympathetically. "What? Do you not like the idea of stealing?"
Armin sighed. "Well, no. But...I understand that it's necessary."
Annie stepped forward. "Let's go."
It was still early in the morning, and not many people were up yet, so it wasn't too difficult for them to acquire three horses, and before long they were on the move again. Annie and Bertolt were on one horse, Marco and Armin were on another, and Jean was on a third one alone, leading the way.
Annie quickly filled Bertolt in on everything she knew, and everything she suspected, as she wasn't sure when they would next get a chance to talk without risking the others overhearing them.
With that done, the two of them fell into a grim silence, pondering whether they should try to rescue Reiner, or if they should just cut their losses and leave the Walls while they still could.
Annie glanced at their three companions, feeling slightly guilty for deceiving them and accepting their help.
The day was long, traveling on lesser known roads and avoiding major villages and settlements. But by the evening they had finally arrived at the castle Marco had described.
It was an impressive sight, Annie had to admit, even though it was clearly in ruins.
Jean eyed it. "So, this is the place, huh? Definitely looks abandoned, but we'd better check it out first."
After checking the area around the castle, they led the horses into a long abandoned stable.
Jean climbed off his horse. "Marco, you watch the horses. The rest of us will investigate the interior."
Marco nodded. "Right."
The four of them approached the base of the main tower, and slowly pushed the door open. As with the outside, the interior was mildly impressive, but had clearly been abandoned long ago.
Armin coughed. "This place is dusty."
Jean nodded. "I'll say. But it'll do as a hideout."
Jean pulled out a torch, and after verifying there was no one there on the ground floor they began ascending the stairs.
Annie glanced around. "We can't stay here for too long, though. Maybe a night or two at the most."
Bertolt nodded absently, then abruptly froze.
A second later, the others also froze as they heard a series of steps echoing down from above them.
Before long a figure emerged from the doorway that was at the top of the stairs. It was a man, who looked to be in his 20s, with a pair of glasses and a full beard.
He looked at them in astonishment. "Annie?"
Jean looked at the man suspiciously. "Who are you?"
Annie's eyes were wide. "Zeke?"
Armin looked at her in shock. "You guys know each other?"
Annie glanced at him. "Y-yes, we were from the same village."
Armin frowned. "You were? But I thought you said-"
Annie cut him off. "Would you excuse us for a moment?"
Annie ran up to Zeke, grabbed him by the ear, and pulled him up through the doorway he had come through and around the corner, where they couldn't be seen by the others.
Zeke looked at her in bewilderment. "What is-?"
Annie whispered harshly. "Listen to me carefully. Play along, and play dumb. They don't know anything about the outside world, they think the rest of humanity has fallen to the Titans. We've infiltrated their military, but were forced to go on the run, and these guys are helping us. They don't know who we really are. We can talk in front of them, but not frankly. Do you understand?"
After processing everything she had said, Zeke nodded. "Yes."
The two of them stepped back through the doorway, where Bertolt was looking fearful, and Armin and Jean's expressions were a mixture of curious and cautious.
Annie forced a smile. "Um, this is my uncle Zeke. I thought he'd perished along with the rest of our village, but he actually managed to survive. Isn't that wonderful Bertolt?"
Bertolt also forced a smile. "Y-yeah. That's great."
Annie gestured down the stairs. "These are our fellow graduates. That's Jean Kirstein, and that's Armin Arlert. We have another friend outside named Marco Bott."
Zeke slowly descended the stairs, and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you."
Armin accepted the hand, visibly more relaxed. "Likewise."
Jean still looked suspicious. "Are you the only one here?"
Zeke chuckled. "Yes. I've... I've been surveying the nearby lands, and as far as I can tell I'm the only one who's been staying inside this castle."
Jean still appeared cautious, but decided to let it go for the moment, and left to retrieve Marco.
Zeke looked at Bertolt and Annie softly. "It's good to see you two again. But where are Reiner and Marcel? They were with you when you left, weren't they?"
Annie felt the familiar drop in her stomach whenever Marcel was mentioned, but tried not to show it.
She found herself unable to meet Zeke's eyes, though. "Yes. You see…"
Armin piped up. "Reiner's at a Scouting base. As for Marcel…"
Annie glanced away. "He...didn't make it. He was attacked by an abnormal."
Zeke frowned. "Ah. I'm sorry to hear it."
Bertolt looked at Annie sharply. "Wait a minute. You told him about it?"
Annie shook her head. "I didn't go into detail, but yes. I told him...how Marcel died."
Bertolt scowled. "He didn't need to know that."
Annie glared at him. "Well it's not like it matters if he does know."
They stared at each other for a few moments, to the confusion of Zeke and Armin.
Fortunately, the unpleasantness came to an end as Jean returned with Marco in tow.
Marco smiled. "Hello! You must be Zeke?"
Zeke returned the smile. "Yes. Marco, right?"
Marco nodded. "Yes, that's me."
Zeke cleared his throat. "Well, I wasn't expecting any guests, but luckily I have enough supplies for everyone. Annie, Bertolt, could you give me a hand with dinner?"
Most of the afternoon was gone, and Eren was becoming more and more anxious.
The various scout squads had spread out far and wide to try to cover as much ground as possible, and to locate the lost soldiers as quickly as possible. After hearing some reports of a supply cart that appeared to have several suspicious looking people on it, they had begun shifting their search toward the southern sector.
But the cart had been tracked down in Trost, and no trace of the suspicious persons had been found, nor had anyone seen when or where they might have abandoned the cart.
With the trail going cold, Eren began to despair.
No sign of them. Where could they be?
After searching through the lands directly north of Trost, however, his squad managed to find another possible clue.
Eren looked at the farmer urgently. "What seems to be the problem?"
The farmer scowled angrily. "Some thieves made off with three of my horses this morning!"
Mikasa spoke up. "Which way did they go?"
The farmer pointed. "They were heading west last I saw. But by the time I saw them they were already too far away for me to do anything."
Eren looked at him carefully. "How many thieves were there?"
The farmer frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. I think...maybe four or five? I'm not sure. Do you think you could get the horses back?"
Eren nodded. "We'll see what we can do."
He looked at the others sharply. "This way!"
The others seemed surprised, but followed his orders.
As they began to head west, Eren glanced back to see how everyone was doing. Mikasa appeared to be the only one who was remaining calm. Connie, Sasha, and Marlowe all looked slightly confused and anxious, desperately wanting to know what was really going on.
Eren faced forward again. You'll find out soon enough. I just hope we're not too late.
Jean eyed Zeke warily from across the fire they'd made on the ground level.
Zeke, Annie, and Bertolt had put together dinner for the six of them, Zeke apparently having enough canned food for all of them. But they'd been very careful with the cans, making sure to keep them well away from Armin, Marco, and Jean, as if there was something the trio didn't want them to know about the cans.
In addition, when Jean asked Zeke what he was doing at the castle, he had given only vague answers before quickly changing the subject. All in all, Jean felt something was off, and he was sure there was something Zeke was hiding.
He knew that Annie and Bertolt trusted Zeke, which reassured him somewhat. He trusted them, and whatever secrets Zeke might have, he was confident that he could depend on them. But their interactions with Zeke, coupled with their demeanor after they had gone on the run, made Jean certain that Annie and Bertolt also had something to hide.
What it was, he didn't know, and it bothered him not knowing. He'd tried to see if there was some sort of hidden message or meaning within the words Annie and Bertolt said to Zeke or vice versa, but so far he hadn't been able to find anything. Or at least, not anything definitive.
Still, he supposed, everyone had secrets, and perhaps he was worrying himself over nothing. Armin and Marco seemed to trust Zeke immediately after seeing that he was a friend of Annie and Bertolt, and he didn't want to cause any unnecessary conflict. But he would keep his eyes open.
Toward the end of dinner, the conversation had shifted to them describing their training years to Zeke.
Zeke looked intrigued. "So you've spent the last three years in training, eh?"
Armin nodded. "Yeah. It was tough, but we made it."
Zeke set his plate to the ground. "And what was the ranking?"
Jean spoke softly. "I placed sixth."
Marco piped up. "I was seventh."
"I made fourth." Annie muttered.
"Fifth." Bertolt said.
Zeke turned to Armin. "And what about you?"
Armin smiled sheepishly. "Oh, I didn't actually make it into the top ten. But my best friends did. Mikasa ranked at number one, while Eren ranked at number two."
Zeke tilted his head. "What about Reiner?"
Annie spoke. "He was third."
Zeke nodded. "Well, that's quite impressive. And you graduated about two months ago?"
Jean grimaced. "Yeah. And the day after…"
Armin lowered his gaze. "That's when it happened."
Zeke looked puzzled. "It?"
Annie interjected. "The Colossal Titan attacked Trost, the Southern outer district."
Zeke nodded quickly. "Oh, right."
Jean eyed Zeke again. Something's off. Was he not sure what we were talking about? Or did he legitimately not know about the attack on Trost? It's been over a month, surely even the most remote region inside the walls should have heard something by now.
Marco sighed. "That thing was the stuff of nightmares. It kicked down the outer gate like it was nothing. But just when it seemed like Trost was doomed, that's when the Rogue Titan showed up."
Zeke blinked. "Rogue Titan?"
Armin smiled sadly. "I wish I could have seen it. It's incredible, a Titan actually helping humanity instead of destroying it."
Marco nodded. "That boulder it carried must have weighed as much as it did, and yet it effortlessly carried it over and sealed the breach."
Annie frowned. "I think calling it the Rogue Titan sounds a little silly. A better name might be the Attack Titan."
Zeke shifted slightly.
Jean looked at her sharply. "Attack Titan? Why?"
Annie shook her head. "I don't know, I just think it sounds cooler."
Jean glanced between her and Zeke.
That...was she trying to tell him something? It looked like it...but what could it be?
Marco spoke up. "Well, Commander Erwin made a big deal about how they were trying to track down the Rogue Titan at the speech he gave during the graduation ceremony. Hey Armin, have they made any progress with that?"
Armin shook his head. "No. At least, none that they've shared with the rest of us."
Annie glanced at him. "Although didn't you say that they were having a lot of secret meetings, and that Eren was attending them?"
Armin nodded slowly. "Well, yeah. I only know that because I noticed Eren was sometimes mysteriously absent, and he fessed up to me about the meetings, though he hasn't told me what the meetings are about."
Zeke rubbed his chin. "Eren. That name sounds vaguely familiar…"
Armin looked at him. "Eren. Eren Yeager. Have you heard of the Yeager family?"
Zeke frowned. "Yes, I have. Tell me, what was the name of his father?"
Armin responded. "Grisha Yeager."
Zeke's eyes widened for a second before quickly fading again.
Armin looked at him uncertainly. "Did you know him?"
Zeke glanced away. "...no...I'd heard of him, though."
Jean eyed him suspiciously. Okay, he's definitely hiding something.
After some more small talk, Annie filled Zeke in on the details of what was going on, why they were on the run, and why they were there. Throughout Jean got the distinct impression that there was indeed some hidden meaning behind her words for Zeke to find, but what that hidden meaning was he wasn't sure.
Armin looked at Zeke anxiously. "So, will you help us?"
Zeke nodded. "Of course. After all, if they're after Annie and Bertolt, they could very well come after me too."
Annie hesitated. "So...how is Aunt Pieck doing?"
Zeke smiled. "She's doing well, doing well. She's not too far away, she's somewhere over there."
He gestured toward the wall.
Jean raised an eyebrow. "What, are you saying she's in Titan territory?"
Zeke laughed. "No, of course not. Sorry, it's getting dark, it's hard to tell directions."
He looked at Annie and Bertolt. "But anyways, I'm sure she'll be pleased to see you both again. We'll head out tomorrow."
Annie nodded. "Right."
Bertolt nodded silently.
Jean glanced at her sharply. "Head out where?"
Annie hesitated. "...it's nothing. We'll explain tomorrow."
Jean frowned. "Okay…"
After putting the fire out and dispersing for the night, trying to find relatively comfortable places to sleep in the castle, Jean couldn't help but feel that something bad was coming the following morning.
The moon and stars shone over the lands of Wall Rose, and looked down upon a group of five soldiers.
Three of them had turned in for the night, trying to get some sleep before the early morning ahead of them. Two, however, were still awake.
Mikasa looked at Eren in concern as he stared off into the distance. His expression was terribly solemn, a look she hadn't seen on his face since the first few weeks after his mother had died. After that he had buried his sadness under a veil of anger and hatred toward the Titans, until it was replaced with the more composed, maturer attitude he'd acquired during the three years they'd spent training.
Around the others, both she and Eren were fairly serious, keeping their emotions in check. It was only when they were alone that they let their guard down, and allowed their true feelings to reveal themselves unchecked.
But lately Eren had begun keeping his walls up more and more, and though he tried to keep it from showing, Mikasa could tell that there was something he wasn't sharing.
She approached him, sat down next to him, and gently touched his shoulder.
"Eren…"
Eren glanced at her sadly before returning his gaze to the stars.
Mikasa gently rubbed his shoulder. "I'm sure Armin's fine. He's smart, and he's not alone. And we managed to pick up their trail thanks to your intuition. We should find them before the assassins do."
Eren bowed his head. "...I hope you're right."
Mikasa looked at him sadly. "Eren, what's going on? There's something you're not telling me and Armin. I don't know what it is exactly, and I'm sure you have your reasons for not confiding in us just yet. But...you do trust us...don't you?"
Eren nodded. "Yes. I'd trust you with my life."
"So…"
Eren sighed. "You're right. There is something I haven't shared. It's...it's about my father."
Mikasa frowned. "Dr. Yeager?"
Eren grimaced. "Before he died, he...gave me a task. A mission that he needed me to carry out."
She looked at him in concern. "And what mission was that?"
Eren closed his eyes. "To take back Wall Maria."
Mikasa frowned. "That's a lot to ask of someone."
Eren shrugged. "Maybe. But...he gave me the tools I need to make that happen."
Mikasa looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"
"It's hard to explain."
Eren looked at her seriously. "But when we find Armin, I promise you, I will tell you everything."
Mikasa nodded. "Okay."
She gazed at him tenderly. "But you don't have to do this all by yourself you know. You can't expect to protect everyone alone."
Eren lowered his gaze. "I know. But sometimes, it feels like I should. I know how ridiculous that sounds, thinking I should be able to protect everyone, but I can't help it. I don't want anyone else to die."
Mikasa placed both her hands on his shoulders with a smile. "If we work together, hopefully no one else will."
Eren returned the smile, and the next second closed the distance between them so that their lips met.
Mikasa felt a familiar warmth coiling within her as their kisses grew more and more heated, and before long she was laying on the ground on her back, with Eren pressing down on her.
They had moved past the awkward stages of not really knowing what they were doing, and now enjoyed a new sense of intimacy and closeness that Mikasa felt she would never get enough of. Normally she took control, but for tonight Eren seemed to want to be in control, and she allowed it, just happy to be with him once more.
Eventually their passion came to an end, and Mikasa just held him, both of them breathing slightly heavier than normal.
Eren shifted so that he was gazing into her eyes again.
Mikasa breathed. "Eren…"
Eren gently cupped her cheek. "Mikasa. I will cherish you until the day I die."
He then nuzzled his cheek against hers. His words should have sounded sweet, but Mikasa got the sinking feeling that Eren thought that day was coming before long.
She let out an involuntary tear, which slid down the side of her face and onto the ground beneath them.
Armin looked at Annie sadly.
Something was bothering her. He'd known that for years, but it had become even clearer after they'd run into Zeke. The others had settled in for the night, but Annie had walked away from the Castle and was standing near the trees just outside the Castle's boundaries, alone with her troubled thoughts.
Armin approached her. "Hey."
Annie didn't look at him. "Hi."
Armin smiled softly. "So, seeing Zeke again must be nice, huh?"
Annie didn't respond.
Armin looked at her carefully. "Does...does he know…"
"About my past?" Annie finished. "Yes, he does."
Armin stayed silent, giving her a moment to gather her thoughts.
Annie slowly turned around, though she still didn't make eye contact.
"Look...I've told you part of why the assassins are after us. But...there's something else."
Armin's eyes widened. "What? What is it?"
Annie swallowed. "Five years ago...Reiner, Bertolt, and I...we did something, something we're not proud of."
Armin frowned. "If you're talking about Marcel-"
Annie shook her head sharply. "No. It's...it's something else."
She closed her eyes. "It...we thought we were doing the right thing at the time. But…looking back...it obviously wasn't...and…"
Armin looked at her sadly. "What happened?"
Annie hesitated. "...tomorrow. I promise I'll tell you tomorrow."
Armin looked slightly disappointed, but nodded. "Okay."
Annie looked away. "I've tried to put it out of my mind...during training, it was easy to get caught up in the flow of things, and to forget the sins I bear."
Armin was shocked to see that she was crying.
She trembled slightly. "But now...it's only a matter of time before it all comes out...and I'll have to face the ramifications of what we've done. What I've done…"
Armin gently laid his hand on her shoulder. "Annie. I can tell that you're a good person at heart. I see the way you interact with others, and while you hide it, you do care about them and try to help them as best you can. No matter how bad the thing you did was, if you're genuinely sorry, if you're willing to learn from your mistakes and move past them, then ultimately they don't really matter."
Annie pulled him into a hug, tears still flowing. "You naive little idiot. If only it were that simple. Some things are too big to be solved with a simple apology."
Armin embraced her. "Maybe. But as long as you try, as far as I'm concerned, you're a good person."
Annie pulled back, still not meeting his eyes. "I wish I could believe that. I wish it were true. Maybe, in another life, it could be true. But, I can't think of myself as a good person. These past three years I've pretended to be a good person. Tomorrow, I won't be able to keep up the facade any longer."
She finally made eye contact with him, and he felt his heart begin to beat faster.
She looked at him sadly. "But you...Armin, you are a good person. The fact that you can see the good in me when I can't see it myself any more…"
Armin whispered. "Annie…"
Annie gently caressed his cheek. "Just for tonight...for one last time...I'd like to pretend to be a good person."
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. For a while they remained that way, simply enjoying the sensation and warmth of the other person's presence.
After a moment or two, however, Annie stepped back, and began to pull her clothes off.
Armin eyes widened. In all the time they'd spent together, Annie had never hinted that she was ever interested in anything beyond a kiss. And yet now…
Armin swallowed nervously. "Annie...are you sure?"
Annie looked slightly nervous herself, but nodded. "Yes."
After a moment of hesitation, Armin began to emulate her, and before long the both of them were bare.
Armin felt strange seeing Annie this way. It was embarrassing, yet also touching, that she trusted him enough to show him this side of her, and that she in turn wanted to see this side of him.
After admiring each other's forms for a little while, they kissed again, starting off slowly, savoring each moment. Before long, though, their desire for each other grew, and they could not hold back any longer.
Armin felt himself being gently pushed down onto his back, and Annie slowly lowered herself onto him until they had become one for the first time.
It was even better than he had ever imagined, and for a second Armin simply felt euphoric. But then he noticed the slightly pained expression on Annie's face, and he looked at her in concern.
"Does it hurt?"
Annie whispered. "A little."
Armin gently touched her side. "I can stop…"
Annie shook her head sharply. "No. Please...keep going."
After some hesitation, Armin nodded. They began to move together, with Annie taking the lead. They began slowly, and gradually picked up speed, until a soft moan escaped from each of them, first from Annie, and then, a few moments later, from Armin.
Their love making done, Annie wrapped her arms around Armin's body, and whispered into his ear.
"I can't ask for forgiveness. But...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Armin frowned. "For what?"
But Annie didn't answer, and Armin felt her tears touching his cheek once again. Remembering her promise to tell the truth the following morning, Armin decided to let it go and held her close.
It'll be okay Annie. I love you, no matter what you've done.
The following morning the castle's inhabitants woke up to a smell that three of them had never smelled before and that two of them had not smelled in over five years.
Zeke called to them cheerily as they descended the stairs. "Morning!"
Jean grunted sleepily. "What's that smell?"
Zeke blinked. "What, you've never seen coffee before?"
Jean frowned. "What's coffee?"
Annie interjected. "Uh, it's kind of like tea, only slightly rarer. It's normally only found in Wall Maria."
"Hmm."
Jean tried a cup, only to immediately spit it back out.
"Ugh! It's bitter."
Zeke chuckled. "It does take some getting used to. I'd offer you some sugar or cream, but I'm afraid I don't have any."
Armin and Marco also tried the coffee, and tried to be more polite about it then Jean. Zeke, Annie, and Bertolt all had some, savoring the effects of the caffeinated beverage.
After they had finished breakfast, Zeke gathered his supplies and looked at them all seriously.
"Right. We're moving out."
A few minutes later, they began walking toward the forest around the castle and headed straight for the wall. Zeke was calm, Annie and Bertolt looked solemn, Jean looked suspicious, while Armin and Marco simply looked confused.
Jean raised his voice. "Why are we heading toward the wall?"
Zeke called back. "You'll find out soon."
After they had made it most of the way to the wall, Zeke abruptly stopped and turned around.
He spoke quietly to Annie and Bertolt. "I'll give you a minute to say goodbye to your friends."
Bertolt responded sharply. "They're not our friends."
Annie remained silent.
Zeke gave a knowing smirk. "Of course."
He continued walking through the trees and toward the wall, while Annie and Bertolt faced the others, who by now were looking very puzzled.
Annie looked at them carefully. "Listen, you guys, we really appreciate everything you've done for us, but...the time has come for us to part ways."
Jean said nothing, but Marco and Armin expressed utter shock.
Armin exclaimed. "What? What are you talking about? Annie, what's really going on?"
Annie let out a shaky breath. "You see, Bertolt and I are…"
But before she could get another word out, several horses emerged behind them, their approach having been masked by the trees.
Eren leaped off his horse. "Armin! Are you alright?"
Armin's eyes widened. "Eren! Mikasa! How did you find us?"
Mikasa carefully stepped off her horse. "We've been tracking you guys."
Connie looked relieved. "Glad to see you're all still in one piece."
Sasha smiled. "Yeah, looks like we found you guys before the assassins did."
Marlowe looked at them fondly. "I'm relieved that you all are safe. Come on, the Scouts should be able to protect you guys now, you don't have to run away anymore."
Marco nodded. "That sounds great. Come on, let's go."
Marco, Jean, and Armin started to walk toward Eren's group, but Annie and Bertolt didn't move.
"No."
Everyone froze.
Jean looked at Annie incredulously. "What?"
Annie eyed him coldly. "I'm sorry, but we can't go back."
Connie looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
Sasha exclaimed. "Of course you can!"
Armin touched Annie's arm. "Annie, come on! Look, I know you're scared. I'm pretty scared too after what happened. But you can trust the Scouts. You don't have to run away."
Annie shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't go with you guys."
Marlowe shouted. "What the hell are you talking about? Bertolt, talk some sense into her!"
But Bertolt said nothing. Unlike Annie, whose expression had become cold and stoic, he looked fretful and worried.
Armin looked at Annie anxiously. "Annie!"
Eren said flatly. "Armin, get away from her."
Armin glanced at Eren in shock. "Why should I? Why are you looking at her like that? Annie and Bertolt are our friends, we can't just leave them here."
Eren stepped forward, his expression almost as blank as Annie's. "You're right. We can't. The two of you are coming back with us, by force if necessary."
Connie's eyes widened. "Whoa, hold on, isn't that a little excessive?"
Marco looked at Eren in shock. "What's gotten into you Eren?"
Armin looked at Eren angrily. "Why are you looking at them like they're criminals or something? Sure, maybe they've made some mistakes in the past, but I can tell that at heart they're good people."
Eren looked at Armin coldly. "And how do you know that?"
"Because...look, Annie has had no reason to lie to me. She may act cold and stoic most of the time, but there's more to her than that. You don't know anything about her!"
Eren shook his head. "I'm afraid you're wrong Armin. I know quite a lot about her. I know a number of things that I'm pretty sure you don't know."
Eren's eyes narrowed. "For example, I know that she's the one who broke your leg."
A moment of stunned silence followed this pronouncement.
Armin was the first to recover. "What? That's ridiculous! Annie would never do anything like that!"
He glanced at her with a smile. "Right Annie?"
Annie didn't say anything, and refused to make eye contact with Armin.
As her silence continued, Armin's smile faded. "Annie…"
Mikasa's face abruptly darkened. "It was you?"
"What?" Marco exclaimed.
"But…" Connie sputtered.
Eren interjected. "Now why would she do something like that? The way I see it, there are only two possibilities. Either she did it to hurt you, Armin, or she did it to protect you."
Everyone looked at Eren in shock, unsure of what he meant.
Eren continued. "After all, the timing of that injury was very curious. Very curious indeed. It happened a few months before graduation. By the time graduation came around, Armin's leg was most of the way healed, but not quite back to normal. The day after graduation, the Colossal Titan attacked, and the tragedies of five years ago could have very likely repeated themselves. If it hadn't been for the Rogue Titan's interference, many of the newest graduates would likely have been forced to fight, and many would have died facing the Titan onslaught. But because Armin's leg was broken, he wouldn't have been required to be on the frontlines. And since his leg was most of the way healed, he would have been able to defend himself to some extent if things went truly wrong. All in all, considering the circumstances, a broken leg was about the greatest gift someone could have given him. Isn't that right, Annie?"
Annie's fist was clenched, the nails digging so hard into her flesh that a small amount of blood was beginning to trickle down her hand.
Eren looked at Annie. "But then, how could you possibly have known about the Titan attack in advance? Unless…"
An uncomfortable silence followed as each person processed what Eren had just revealed, and the implications.
Armin was looking at Annie uncertainly, and had started shaking slightly. Marco looked confused, while Jean was tense, and looked ready to pull Armin and Marco back any second. Mikasa was staring at Annie and Bertolt cautiously, waiting to see what they would do. Connie and Sasha looked anxious and confused, while Marlowe's face was filled with disbelief. Meanwhile, Eren, Annie, and Bertolt eyed each other with new understanding.
Annie was the first to speak. "I see. So that's how it is."
Bertolt breathed. "It was you...that day…"
Eren nodded coldly. "Yes. We were very busy that day, weren't we Bertolt?"
Annie grimaced. "How long have you known?"
Eren returned her gaze. "More than a year. But I suspected you three from the very beginning. And here we are now. We kept our true intentions and natures behind carefully crafted masks during those three years, but the game is over, and the time has come for the real battle to begin."
Eren held his right hand up, where he had already left a deep cut. To the surprise of Annie and Bertolt, and to the shock of everyone else, a small amount of steam was rising from his palm.
Eren held his hand before him. "In many ways, you and I aren't so different. In some ways we're both soldiers determined to fulfill our mission to the bitter end, in other ways we're nothing but frightened children who just want to make it back home alive."
He closed his hand into a fist and his face became furious. "But there's one key difference between us. Annie. Bertolt. My home was taken from me, and I can never forgive those who trampled on it. You may have been naive children, but that doesn't matter to the people who lost their lives. Nor does it change what must be done now. I am going to take back Wall Maria, and I will destroy anyone who gets in my way, no matter who they are!"
He stepped forward, and screamed. "EVERYONE! GET BACK!"
Annie yelled. "BERTOLT!"
Then, yellow light engulfed Eren, Annie, and Bertolt. The last thing the others saw was Eren's face full of anger, Annie's face full of cold indifference, and Bertolt's face full of terror.
Then, out of nowhere, a cloud of wind and steam erupted, throwing everyone off balance and obscuring the visibility of the nearby area as dirt and debris was thrown up into the air.
Jean yanked Armin and Marco back, while the others took several paces away from the trees. A few seconds later, the cloud of steam cleared enough for them to see what had just happened.
Eren, Annie, and Bertolt were gone. In their place stood the Attack Titan, the Female Titan, and behind her the Colossal Titan, towering above the trees, standing even higher than the wall itself.
The Attack Titan let out a roar that made their ears throb, while the Female and Colossal Titan remained still, waiting for their opponent to make the first move.
Mikasa stared at the Attack Titan in astonishment, and her mind leapt back to the previous night.
I know how ridiculous that sounds, thinking I should be able to protect everyone, but I can't help it. I don't want anyone else to die.
While that was happening, Armin was staring at the Female Titan in utter disbelief. And unbidden, memories of the previous night came back to him.
I can't ask for forgiveness. But...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
"Eren…" Mikasa whispered.
"Annie…" Armin whispered.
The Attack Titan rushed forward just as another eruption of light occurred directly behind the Colossal Titan.
Author's Note: So sorry about the long delay, but hopefully the long length of the chapter at least somewhat makes up for it. And I'm sorry about the evil cliffhanger, but given that Isayama's started doing it to us again, I figured so can I.
I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, I hope everyone seemed in character. The romance scenes were a little bit fan servicey, but they do have a purpose and they do further the story, particularly in Armin's case, so hopefully they fit. Poor Armin, I'm being so cruel to him. But that's AoT for you. I just thought there were some interesting parallels and contrasts between Eren & Mikasa and Armin & Annie. There was also a little symbolism, as Eren and Annie were the ones on top who knew what was really going on, while Mikasa and Armin were the ones on the bottom who didn't know what was going on. Or was that too pretentious? I don't know, let me know what you think.
Next time, a major battle occurs, and the characters have to come to terms with the mindfuck they just experienced. Also, really hoping the manga reveals Zeke's secret plan soon, so that I'll know what his intentions are and what to do with him later in the story.
Also, quick tip, do not look up AoT hentai. I did out of curiosity, and wish I didn't. Some of it is actually fairly romantic and sweet. But a lot of it is...Jesus Christ...
Ah whatever, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Maybe.