Chapter Eleven: A Good Person Part 1
"Just let me ask you one thing," he said, head bowed and hands on my shoulders, "I want you to treat the whole world, this cruel world, as your enemy."
What makes a person "good"? Is it the heart that beats within their chest, unclogged and untarnished, or, is it the brain that resides inside their head, ever thinking and always working?
"Even if... even if the whole world will curse and resent you, remember that your father will always, always, always, be on your side."
These giants called Titans, why does one consider them "bad"? Is it that they oppose humanity, consuming flesh and bone mindlessly, without purpose, or, is it because one has become so blurred in their hatred, that all they can see is a threat to their existence?
"So please, promise me you'll come back."
/-.-.-.-\
Walking down the steps, Annie could see the other fresh recruits lined before her on the floor below, at attention, like good little soldiers, ready to serve their king. Though, as she silently looked them over, were any of them really "good"?
"Oh, you're finally up..." the girl on the far end yawned, glancing up. Lazy and rude, Annie recalled her name being Hitch. She decided to not respond, instead taking position next to her. The girl continued to talk: "Sorry, Annie, didn't want to wake you cause' your sleeping face is real scary."
"You've been slacking off too much lately," the boy next to Hitch said. From his voice, Annie could tell that it was Marlo. He reminded her of Marco, in his noble intent with duty and service. She didn't respond to him either.
"Hey?" Hitch was still talking, and she leaned in close, bending down to look up into Annie's face. She ignored her, the best option that so far was working for her. "Heeeyy?" she smiled, a mocking smile that Annie resented. "You aren't mad' at me, are you?"
"What an unsociable person," Marlo commented, the tone in his voice irritated Annie as much as Hitch's face made her want to punch it.
"Leave her alone," someone else interjected, but at that point she was already blocking them out. "She came back alive from that Trost District, after all."
She remembered Trost, the chaos that ensued. She remembered her squad, which she had left to die, and the ones she killed; the ones she resolved were "bad", disguising themselves as "good". It had been... enjoyable, ripping their throats apart and slashing their stomachs open. Watching the blood spill forth, as the Titans came to finish them off. She didn't bother fighting the Titans that were busy eating her team, her supposed friends, as she resolved to retreat, intermingling with another team in the process. Connie Springer, she saw him in the fighting, and Armin; Mikasa, Ymir, Sasha, Jean, Krista, and many others. She'd seen Fritz, wanted to reach out to him, but couldn't. Didn't at the time. Why? Why hadn't she? Her mind went briefly back to scenes of the battle: people being killed and people doing the killing; she had killed her fair share as well. That had been... enjoyable too, killing them; all of them, she resolved, were "bad". None amongst those she killed had been "good". As she listened to the recruit, she wondered, was he "good", or was he "bad". She deeply hated that side of her, the side she couldn't control. It was painful. Though, despite how many "bad" people there were in the world, she knew a few that never would be in her mind: Mina, Fritz, even Achi...
"She's the only one at our station who's had actual combat experience," he continued, keeping his voice level, "so there's no way she's recovered from that horror yet. She saw only hell recently, so don't give her anymore. Ok?"
She had her answer with that: he was "bad", and in that sense, normal. Normal like her, scum, like all of them present. Though, there were people outside this realm of "normal", as she now decided to label it, that held interest to her. People with a firm sense of righteousness, the "good" people, they intrigued her, and it was... enjoyable, learning more about them. Just as enjoyable as killing the scum of the world; a cruel world full of "normal" people like herself.
"Scum." she said under her breath, as the commander entered to brief them on their mission for the day. Fritz was scum, she was scum, they were all pieces of shit floating around in a cesspool. Yet...
/-.-.-.-\
The morning air, it was fresh and full. That was the first thing she felt as she walked outside with the rest of the recruits, in single file. Fritz would have liked it out here, she thought. She stood straight as they went along, listening to the sound of her boots on the stone steps of the Wall.
"What the heck does he think he's doing?!" Marlo complained, pacing around, hands on his hips. "Passing the whole mission onto new recruits not even a month in the force and not even bothering to give any instructions!"
"Yeah, the senior staff of this organization are rotten' beyond imagination," Hitch answered, then sighed as she leaned against a wall. "That was the reason why I chose to join it in the first' place..." she continued, proceeding to kick an empty bucket, that bounced off an adjacent wall. "But, they're dumping' their work onto us new recruits, and as long as you're still a newbie, you'll get more than your fair share, huh..." she stared at the bucket, "I didn't take that into account."
"Worthless trash!" she heard Marlo grumble. "Scum who can only think about themselves!"
"Marlo, you wanna say you're any different?" another voice chimed in, joining the discussion. It was the boy who had spoken up on her behalf earlier. "You're the same as them, since you chose to join the Military Police and all."
She heard Marlo growl at his comment, raising his voice. "I am different! Don't lump me together with scum like you!"
Scum. There was that word, scum. Annie turned to look at him now, intrigued by what he had to say. Would she need to reevaluate him?
Marlo still had his hands on his hips as he continued to talk: "I joined the Military Police to uphold justice and to do what's right!" he exclaimed, which prompted a laugh from Hitch.
"Eh? Wow, Marlo! So you're actually one of those righteous guys, huh?"
Righteous. There was that other word.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" the other boy asked, stepping forward.
"I need to stand at the top for that, and till I climb up there I'll do what I'm ordered to, even if it means I'll have to become scum in the process." Marlo explained, clenching his hand into a fist. "But, once I'm at the top, I'll make them all earn their keep, and I'll make sure to repay them all in full for pilfering taxes and misappropriating the land."
His reasons, they intrigued her somewhat now. "Does that mean you or your relatives have been put through the things you mentioned?" she interjected, her mind putting together what she was going to say based on his response.
He was quiet for a moment as he thought up his response. "No, but..."
She stared at him with unfeeling blue eyes, as her opinion slowly shifted back to her earlier evaluation of him as "normal", and therefore, scum. Just like them all.
"Everybody knows those talks about their evil doings are true," he finally said, raising his hands in emphasis. "Anyway, I won't go as far as have them die for their sins, but I'll make them taste humiliation one way or another. I'll change those mindless animals crapping everywhere they go irrespectively of time and place." He clenched his open palm back into a fist, becoming more animated with his words. "Back into normal human beings, that's all I want. To return them to what humans are supposed to be originally."
Normal. There it is. That word. Annie closed her eyes as she gathered her response into words to tell, as Hitch fell to the floor in laughter at his words.
"Oh boy!" she cried, slapping her hand on the stone steps and clutching her stomach. "You're the real' deal! Here I thought you were just another' boring dude! I gotta apologize' for that!"
Yes, Annie thought, she would have to agree to a certain extent. But that was where she drew the line, and she gathered the remainder of her thoughts as the other boy responded.
"That's a grand and high goal you have there, good luck achieving it," he said, smiling faintly.
This is it, this is where she would jump in. "You're wrong," she stepped forward, fixing Marlo with her unfeeling eyes as everyone stared at her as if noticing her presence for the first time. "If a 'good' guy like you manages to talk the helm, that's what'll be our true undoing."
"Huh...? I thought you didn't talk?" Marlo replied, glancing in her direction like everyone else. "If you have something to say, let's hear you say it."
She waited a moment before explaining herself; her thoughts. "I think that you're a 'righteous' person who says 'righteous' things." she shifted on her feet, as she looked past him at a memory. "Such people do exist, and I'm well aware of that." It was a memory of a fight between Eren and Jean three years ago, when they had first started their training. "Going against the tide requires extraordinary courage, and I respect that, even if it's probably nothing but foolishness. What is clear, is that such people are a rarity," she resolved, thinking of Armin now. "They're not common, and they're not what you call 'normal'. People like you are called 'special'. On the other hand, how people like us should be called, the people who put their personal gain over others, if those around them act unjustly, they just go with the flow," she looked towards the ground for a moment. "You called those people scum, trash, and evil; worthless. Among the trainees I knew, the majority were this same kind of scum and 'bad' people, aiming to join the Military Police."
"You sure love beating around the bush, huh?" Marlo commented. "So then, what's your point? You want to say that people like you aren't bad people?"
"No. I, too, think those people like me are scum and are, most definitely, 'bad' people," she looked up at him, "I can't consider them righteous at all, and that," she skipped a beat, "is what 'normal' people are, don't you think?" He didn't respond. In fact, nobody did, they were all silent as they listened to her go on. She continued: "You're saying that innately all people are 'good' persons, and that if they were to just assume their nature, their organization wouldn't be so rotten, correct?" she glanced up at the sky, as if searching for something in the clouds above. "But in my opinion, the structure of this organization, the way it's set up is what provides insight into what true human nature really is: that everyone is scum until proven otherwise. So, even if I'm a weakling who drifts with the steam, I'm still one of those 'normal' people you're talking about. That's all I have to say..."
"All, huh...?" Hitch's voice trailed off, sitting on her knees. She exhaled loudly, lying down on the stone steps of the Wall. "That sure was one long winded speech," she exhausted, "I mean, I'm already spent here just listening to it – bored to tears."
Annie didn't listen to the rest of the discussion, instead going back to her earlier issue of recalling the memory, and yet, she still couldn't do it. Suddenly, Marlo sprang into action, saying that they were just wasting time sitting here, and decided to move out, motioning for everyone else to follow him. As they left to begin their mission, Annie heard someone whisper her name. It came from the right; a voice that she could immediately recognize anywhere. Armin Arlert. She stopped in her tracks, turning sharply on her heel to join him in the shadow of one of the buildings. He was wearing a cloak, or perhaps some type of raincoat, as she approached and instinctively put up her guard, as much as she hated to around him. "Armin..." she called out with surprise as she came level with him; face to face.
"Hey Annie, you're really a full fledged member of the Military Police now, aren't you," he greeted, his voice calm and equally suspicious. As she looked into his eyes, she saw his true intent almost immediately.
She was sad, disappointed, but she decided to play along, despite being hurt. "What's... what's going on...?" she feigned surprise, as she pointed at his outfit. "What's with that getup?"
"Oh this?" he replied, looking down at himself. "I'm posing as a porter," he opened up his outfit, to reveal what was hidden underneath. "This raincoat is very handy for hiding 3D Gear. See?"
"Armin... what happened?"
At this, he removed his hood and took a step forward, a look of desperation on his face. Again, she instinctively put up her guard, raising it higher. "Annie..." he started, "I wonder if you could..." He looked away, at the wall to the left of them, then back to her. "I was wondering if you could help Eren escape."
Ah, I see now, she resolved, not letting her disappointment show. Though, she knew, deep down, that this would be the outcome eventually. Even so, she didn't meet his eyes, instead averting her gaze to the spot where he had looked seconds before. "Escape...huh?" She looked back at him, her unfeeling eyes showing a hint of her true emotions, for perhaps, the first time her sixteen years of living in this world. This cruel, unfair, and lonely world.
/-.-.-.-\
"The plan's simple," Eliza drew a circle in the dirt. She, Annie, Fritz, and Achi were all behind a house in the Stohess District. "This," she drew a few crude houses and a wagon next to them, "is where they've have Eren come in, but I doubt he'll be inside."
"So you're saying it's a trap?" Achi asked, pointing at another section that the other girl also drew; one stick figure. "And this is where he'll actually be, right?"
"Right."
"He'll probably have others with him," Achi noted and thought for a second. "But who would they...?"
"Armin and Mikasa." Fritz said without hesitation and Annie nodded in agreement. "If anyone's with him, it'll be those two..."
/-.-.-.-\
As Annie stared into Armin's eyes now, she noticed their determined yet pleading look; it made them somewhat beautiful in the shadow of the building, and she concentrated on them as she responded: "To where? Is there really a place inside the Walls where someone who disobeyed the King's order can escape to?"
"He'll only hide for the time being," Armin started, taking a step forward, "and it's not like we're planning to disobey the King. Although I understand that it may appear like an act of treason by some members of the Scouting Legion." He clenched his outstretched hands into fists. "But we're just trying to buy some time to collect materials that would change the opinion of the Commission of Inquiry. I swear!"
Annie spread her footing out a bit more. "Materials that would change their opinion?" she said out loud, clenching her hand into a fist. "Is there really something that influential? What do you base your claim on?"
Armin stood there for a moment, thinking of what to say, then lowered his head and stared at the stone ground. "Sorry, I can't tell you..."
With his hesitation, Annie perked up in alarm, indicated only by a shifting of her feet closer together. She studied him for a second, staring into his eyes. So that's how it is, she thought, closing her eyes before responding:
"Then, I'm sorry too..." she softly whispered, then raising her voice a little, "but this isn't going anywhere like this." She turned on her heel to leave, her guard still up as she slowly started back. "I won't tell anyone about this, so good luck trying your best on your own," she hollowly said over her shoulder, hoping that he would stop trying to coax her.
"Annie! I'm begging you! At this rate, Eren is going to be killed!" he shouted, starting after her. "By the people who don't understand anything, just for the sake of what they perceive as self-defense! The people who continue on the path leading to the destruction of the human kind without even realizing where they're going!"
Right, she agreed in her mind, people who don't understand. If only you did.
"I-I know this doesn't sound convincing, but..." he reached out, grasping her wrist. "But, there is no way left other than to resort to taking this big risky gamble!"
Don't touch me. Let go.
"It goes without saying that we'll try not to cause you too much trouble, but..." he tightened his hold, "to pass the check inside Wall Sina we need help of someone from the Military Police, and there's no other way around it!"
She tightened the muscles in her forearm. Let go already, or I'll...
"We have no other options!" he started to cry. "So please! Annie!"
She relaxed her muscles, peering from the corner of her eye at him. "Let go, Armin." she coldly commanded.
Armin did as he was told, but didn't give up. "Annie, please..."
Turning her head so she got a full view of him with her eye, she watched as a tear slowly trickled its way down his cheek. "Do I... do I really look like such a 'good' person to you?" She fixed him with an eye full of wonder and intrigue, wanting to know his answer. He hesitated again before responding:
"A good person, huh..." he whispered, looking down. "Well, I don't really this way of putting it, because you know," his eyes were focused on the wall again, "I feel like these words are simply what people use to call those who are convenient to them."
Annie opened her mouth slightly to respond, but no words came out as she listened, looking down at the ground, away from him.
"And no one can be convenient to all. You may be useful to some people, but at the same time a bad person to others..." he continued, turning his attention back to her. "That's why, Annie, if you don't help us now..."
She continued to focus her eyes on the ground, but they quickly shot back up at his next words:
"To me, you will turn into a bad person."
"Alright," she uttered softly, putting the ring her father gave her on, "I'll help you, Armin." She looked up again, staring into a smiling face that she recognized all too well.
/-.-.-.-\
"Once they're following you, they'll most likely act as normally in the situation as they can. But, they'll be passing signals to each other throughout it."
"I'm aware of that," Annie said and Eliza smirked.
"Oh, got it all figured out already? Then, what are we all here for?"
/-.-.-.-\
Walking on the stone paved ground, Annie listened to the sounds of her boots as she led her three fellow former trainees along, glancing around for any signs of danger. With the three of them looking so suspicious – raincoats in the middle of this heat that had swept through suddenly and with their hoods up – one could never be too careful, and she noticed that the number of people in the area besides themselves was getting smaller and smaller the farther they walked, and it kept her on edge. A horse pulled cart passed them by as they came under a low archway. Behind it was a woman and her child, and as Annie looked over, she remembered her own mother. A hazy blur underneath the shadow of her imposing father. All she remembered, all she took pride in, was the training her father had given her, and as she looked at the mother and her child, all she felt was contempt and, deep down, a loneliness that she disregarded for nostalgia.
Looking over at Armin, she could see the tension that he was trying to hide on his face, and she felt eyes on the back of her head. Facing straight ahead now, she smiled faintly, barely even noticeable, at the dog who was so loyal to her handler. It was intriguing, she thought, for one to have such an unwavering devotion to another, and yet, it was pathetic at the same time. It was consuming Mikasa, engulfing her in flames, and holding her down by chains so she couldn't escape it; in that, it was pathetic. The tension grew as she looked over again, a bead of sweat dropping from Armin's chin, and she felt the dog's eyes shift to the right, at her handler, and his eyes wandered; a signal.
"Surprisingly, they let us through with no problem," Eren started to say, but was shushed by Mikasa for being louder than necessary. He lowered his voice: "The whole time that I was in that carriage, they didn't even bother to check on me..." His voice sounded calm, but also fake and unsure of itself, as if he were telling a lie. Annie listened as Mikasa rebuked him.
"Don't look so shifty," she uttered in a rushed tone of voice, which quickly reverted back to its usual darker undertones. "That's the Military Police for you. Their infamous lack of diligence in performing their routine duties really shows."
Annie slowed her pace as she felt a slight stab of insult at the dog's comment. She agreed with her, but also disagreed because not all of them were like that, certainly not herself, and it hurt a little to hear that.
"I only hope they don't discover Jean is posing as you."
"They're gonna find out soon enough." Annie heard Eren grunt in frustration. "To begin with, him and me look nothing alike..."
"It's ok, you two have similar build and that same vicious look in your eyes, so," Armin interjected, analytical as always, "your typical bad guy mugs look similar."
"But I don't have a horse face like him!"
As Annie listened, there was a few things she needed to confirm. She looked over she shoulder, focusing her eyes on Armin. "Say, if I hadn't agreed to help you, how did you plan to get past the Wall?"
Armin hesitated for a second, forming his words. "We were ready to use the 3D Gear to break through."
"Reckless, aren't you?" she commented, turning her head slightly to the front to hide her smile; hair obscuring any noticeable reaction. "Why didn't you just organize the escape before entering the Stohess District? You could've ended it fast and easy instead of going through all the trouble," she continued, her voice taking a harder tone; her smile gone. "Why does it have to be here and now?" She finally asked, fixing her eye back on Armin.
"I decided that we needed to make use of the complicated layout of this town for our plan with switching Eren for a double succeed," he answered immediately, as if he already had an excuse planned. "I thought that instead of opposing the order head on and escaping, we could buy more time to prepare Eren's escape if we obediently went with it for a while, making them loosen their guard."
Silence.
They kept walking, at a slow pace, and Annie noticed that the streets were getting narrower and more devoid of people. This outcome was inevitable, she thought, given that Armin was involved. She waited a moment more before responding, watching out of the corner of her eye the last person besides themselves visible in the area.
"I see..." she turned forward again, her features giving away nothing of her suspicion except for a small frown that was quickly replaced with indifference. "Convincing enough."
The three behind her didn't respond as they continued down the street. There was a side street that split from the main one, and as they approached it...
"Ah! Here it is!" Armin exclaimed, as they came up to an underground passage.
"Here...?" Annie asked, looking at the steps leading down as they gathered around it.
"Yep, we'll take this passage," he replied. "Some ruins of the underground city planned long ago still remain," he explained as he, Mikasa, and Eren started down it. "This passage connects to an exit close to the outer gate."
"Really? Wow!" Eren exclaimed aloud, taking the lead.
"Taking the underground pathway is much safer than the streets above."
Annie watched as they went further down, listening to the sounds as the people all around them were trying to mask their presences. Too bad, she thought, for it to come to this. The pain she felt was all too real though, despite how much she tried to deny feeling any at all. She continued to watch them:
Armin made a sound as he looked up at her. "Annie?" he said as the other two turned around. Mikasa showed no visible emotion on her face, but Eren was scowling with frustration.
"What's wrong with you?" he called up to her. "Don't tell me you're scared of dark, confined spaces!"
Annie looked at him, strengthening her guard as she responded with more emotion than she would have liked. "Yes, I am. I'm scared. I'm not like you..." she started to say, clenching the hand with her father's ring tightly at her side. "I'm not a brave, reckless guy who's in a hurry to die." She put a hand to her chest, indicating at herself. "There is no way someone like you," her eyes shifted Armin, filling with more emotion as she saw the accusing look in his eyes; it hurt. "Can understand the feelings of a frail, weak girl like me!"
Eren turned back to the passage, not wanting to hear it. "A girl who can send big burly men flying with a single kick is not weak," he growled, obviously frustrated. "Cut the nonsense and let's get going!"
"No. I won't go. It's scary down there..." she replied, continuing to stare into Armin's eyes; ashamed. Fritz... what do I...? "If you're not going to take the surface route, then I won't help you." There was a beat of silence as Eren stopped walking, Mikasa and Armin still staring at her. She waited.
"Wh-!"Eren spun around, clenching his teeth. "What the hell are you saying?! Get down here, now!"
Annie fixed him with unfeeling eyes. I'm sorry I can't. She wanted to say, but she couldn't deny the real truth, and as she glanced back at Armin, she realized that he knew that as well. She began to open her mouth to say it, but nothing came out.
"Don't fuck with me!" Eren roared, stepping forward.
Mikasa halted him by putting an outstretched arm in front, barring his way. "Eren! Don't shout!"
Annie turned her eyes toward Mikasa now; the dog. "Why not, Mikasa?" she asked, full of contempt, seeing a hint of surprise on the other girl's face. That was all the confirmation she needed now: "For some reason," she questioned, turning her head to look at the narrow side street around them; the lack of people. "There's been no one around us for a while now."
She heard grunts and shuffling as the ones in hiding were still trying to mask their presences. Turning on her heel, she took note of all the places were she heard the sounds. Tightening her muscles, she clenched her fists, proceeding to look at the stone ground beneath her boots.
"Geez..." she sighed, "I'm hurt, you know?" She turned her attention to Armin, who was still looking up at her and biting his lip. Her eyes, seemingly unfeeling, hinted more of her true emotions. "Armin..." she called out, watching one his hands move further behind his back and tighten. She had noticed the signal flare firearm earlier. "Since when did you start looking at me with those eyes?" she asked, as she saw him shake a little. Those eyes, full of warmth and trust, were now full of suspicious and disbelief; determination, and, buried underneath, hate.
/-.-.-.-\
What makes a person "good"? Is it the heart that beats within their chest, unclogged and untarnished, or, is it thebrain that resides inside their head, ever thinking and always working?
"Makes a person good?" Fritz had repeated, looking away briefly as he scratched the back of his head in thought. It was... cute... in an innocent kind of way... "Well, I don't really get what you're saying, but to me, what makes a person good is not what's in their heart or mind, but what they believe in and keep within themselves to live on. Everyone has their own idea of what a person should strive to be – or at least that's what my dad used to say." Smiling, he looked upon her with a friendly face. "I think, if you are doing what you have to survive, that's all that matters."
/-.-.-.-\
Annie smiled sadly this time, as she looked into those eyes with empathy, taking a small step back. She wanted to believe his words... even now...
"Annie..." he started to say, stepping forward as the other two stood still. "How come... you were in possession of Marco's 3D Gear?" he asked, his voice shaky, still not wanting to believe what he already suspected.
Annie averted her eyes, turning her head to the side as if something else had caught her eye down the street. She chose not to respond, not wanting to see the mixed looks of contempt and hurt on their faces.
"I remembered the little scratches and dents," Armin continued, his mind flashing back to memories of Marco, "because him and me performed routine maintenance on our Gears together. From that, I knew it was his." He stared into the side of her face for an answer, anything at all. Evidence that ruled against his suspicion was what he hoped she'd provide, but as it stood now that would be impossible. Yet, he could always hope, couldn't he?
"I-I see," Annie replied quietly, listening to the sounds around her. The movement of hidden persons and the combined breathing of everyone close. "I just..." The words drifted from her throat as she eased back more into the street, spreading her feet further apart, but only enough so it looked as if she were buckling under guilt and not having switched her stance to a more defensive one. Taking a quick glance at Armin, she finished her sentence: "... found it." She watched as his eyes widened in some revelation.
"Then-! The one who killed those two Titans the Scouting Legion captured alive... was you, Annie?"
Annie lowered her gaze at the ground. "Maybe, maybe not, but," she looked up, towards the sky, "if you came to all these conclusions a month ago..." This time, she turned her gaze to Armin, staring into his eyes. "Why? Why didn't you take action right then?"
Armin just stood with his mouth agape, and seconds passed before he stumbled an answer. "I still..." a tear filled his eye, "can't believe it, even now. I had thought there was a mistake somewhere in my train of thought! I wanted to think there was...!" He looked down, not wanting her to see his tears. "That's why... that's why I didn't-! But-!" his voice was hoarse as his mind traveled back to the first time he had realized it was her, "it's because you didn't kill me when you had the chance that things turned out the way they are now!"
Averting her gaze again, Annie looked down the street again, not wanting to see his tears. She didn't like to see him cry, and especially not for someone like herself. It was then that she remembered the first time she'd seen him cry. The truth behind why she'd reacted so harshly to Armin's crying the first time wasn't that it had annoyed her, but that it had upset her, and she realized this back then, but only acknowledged it now, as she skipped a beat before responding to him.
"Yeah..." she started to say, her voice trailing off as she looked at the ground again. "From the bottom of my heart I agree. I couldn't have even imagined that you would track me down and corner me here." No, of course she had thought of the possibility. She tried preventing a smile from forming on her face, making it come out as a crooked grin. Tilting her head to take a side glance at his face, she continued, her crooked grin turning into a blank expression, masking her sadness, and, the sudden tinge of appraisal she felt for him. "That time, why didn't I kill you, I wonder..." She questioned aloud, clenching one of her hands into a fist.
"Hey! Annie! There's still a chance!" Eren yelled. "That you're just an unfortunate idiot who thoughtlessly backed up some asswipe's shitty joke!" He stepped forward, reaching out his hand for her to take. "Anyway, come down here already!" Removing his hood, he reached further. "You can prove it to us just by entering this passage! So just come down here and prove it! Come on!"
"I can't go there," Annie said, raising a hand to halt him, then proceeding to stare down at it as she pulled it back. "I'm... I'm a failure as a warrior."
Eren slammed his fist on the wall, taking another step forward. "I told you already! Don't be a fool!"
"Talk to us Annie! We can still settle this by talking to each other!" Armin exclaimed, also taking a step forward.
"Enough." The stern voice of Mikasa halted the two of them in their tracks. She removed her raincoat, tossing it aside along with the pack she was carrying. "I can't stand listening to this anymore," she proclaimed, staring up at Annie with a cold determination and purpose, pulling out one of her coiled blades. "This leads us nowhere!" Poising the blade at her side, she brandished it at her target, "I'll cut you into pieces once again," she kept her eyes trained on Annie, watching for any sudden movements. "Female-Type Titan!"
Annie turned her attention from the two who had been trying to reason with words and instead cast her eyes on the dog that bared her fangs. She was waiting for Mikasa to say something, and it looks as if she wouldn't be disappointed. Her mouth forming into a grin, she couldn't contain the sensations she felt when she looked into the dog's hateful eyes. It was different than Armin's, and it intrigued her to no end. She couldn't help but...smile.
Their fears confirmed with that one gesture alone than all the others combined, Eren, Armin, and Mikasa braced themselves for anything that would come next.
Annie continued to smile, lifting her balled fist in front of herself as if presenting the slaughtered remains of a past treachery to them. She began to lift it toward her mouth, but stopped halfway to her chest, instead deciding to hold her hand out flat. "Armin," she called out, staring into his blue eyes, "aren't you glad?" She flashed her teeth in a warm smile. "Aren't you lucky that I was such a 'good' person to you?" Despite how excited she felt right now from Mikasa's hostility, she couldn't deny her true emotions as tears formed at the corners of her now piercing blue eyes. Taking a small step back, barely even noticeable, she continued talking. "For now, you won the gamble." She could feel the anticipation from the ones hiding around her, and decided on a feint. Raising her open palm to her mouth, her father's gold ring shining in the sun, she acted as if she were going to bite her finger. "But, what I gambled on is only just starting!" Moving her other hand to her 3D Maneuver Gear, she then inched the finger closer to her mouth. This truly is such a cruel world after all, huh Fritz...?
As Annie drew her finger into her mouth, Armin shot off the signal flare and the ones that had been hiding revealed themselves and sprang forth to apprehend her. She quickly glanced to the sides as she slid one of her coiled blades out of its metal sheath in one swift movement. Bending her knees in a crouching position and twisting her wrist to get a firmer grip on the handle, she smiled at the surprised faces of Eren and Armin and the hateful stare of Mikasa. Spinning on her heel, she swiped the blade at her would be captors charging at her from behind. It tore through clothing, skin, muscle, and bone as it cut across their abdomens and legs – blood spraying from some of the wounds. Their blood sprinkled her body as she completed the circle, coming to a stop and hefting the now red tinted blade at the three in the tunnel. Fixing them with piercing blue eyes of purpose, all the excitement caused had it to appear again; that smile. She poised the blade directly towards Eren."Do you see now? There is no way someone like youunderstand the feelings of a frail, weak girl like me," she said as her smile widened, "and I really am a frail and weak warrior." It hurts. "When you had set out for that expedition of yours, I was intrigued: where were they going? I wondered, though in my mind I already had a clear picture. Then, as I watched the experimenters working on those two captured shits, I wondered: what are they doing? But as before, I already had a clear picture and so," she drew her free hand across her neck, "I stopped it." It hurts. "After, it was time to go for the prize – which was you, Eren." Reaching for her trigger now, she kept the blade pointed at Eren. "The amount of killing and murder I had to do in order to get to my goal had been intriguing and I wouldn't be lying in saying that I enjoyed it." Edging the trigger at the nearest roof, the tallest building, she continued as water began to well in her eyes. "And now, I'm here to finish that goal."
"Eren!" Mikasa shouted, standing between Annie and her target. Glaring at the blonde haired girl, she held out her free arm to stop the two behind her from trying anything stupid. "Armin! Take Eren further down the tunnel and start phase two!" she whispered over her shoulder before addressing Annie. "I knew I should have killed you back then, you-!"
"Monster?" Annie finished for her, smirking now. She was swimming in excitement at the dog's hatred, but as a tear rolled down her cheek – it stung. It hurts.
"I'll finish what I started back then, and kill you here and now!" Mikasa hollered up to her opponent, taking a step forward and holding up her coiled blade.
Woof woof. "So the mongrel wants to play with the big bad wolf?" Annie remarked, lowering her own weapon. "A fight between two monsters, huh?" Glancing at the bloodied weapon in her hand, she remembered Mina's homely, and friendly, face. It hurts. "Then I'll go along, so come on," she had barely gotten the last of her words out before Mikasa shot up the stairs with all the fury of hell behind her. The sudden ferocity caught Annie off guard and she pulled down on her trigger – watching a now distant Mikasa as she flew towards her destination. Impacting with a tower, her wire hook biting hungrily into the stone and feet firmly planted, she quickly glanced back to see exactly what she had expected: Mikasa was coming up behind her and fast. She smiled; this was going to be fun. Removing her hook, she aimed for a nearby roof and shot to it the moment Mikasa had come up behind her. She could felt the air from behind as it was sliced in two with a blade and inhaled – the smell of resentment; she knew it well. As she landed on the roof and tumbled to steady herself, she remembered her father and her promise. Come back. Twisting her body, she looked behind to see the dog already coming down upon her from the tower and jumped out of the way as she recklessly tumbled onto the shingles of the roof and came to a stop. Facing each other, they each gripped their blades as they stared one another down.
"This is a continuation of our fight from back then," Annie said, leaning a bit of her blade. "To see which of us is the better monster," looking away briefly, she looked at the cannons aimed at their position from atop the Wall, "because I wouldn't call us human. Right, Ackerman?"
"Right." Mikasa replied darkly, pointing her blade at her opponent. "We'll continue that fight from before." Beginning from a dead run, she charged forward and swung her blade at Annie's head, sparks igniting as their blades shaved each other. Twisting her wrist, Mikasa came around again for a second attack and was intercepted by Annie's blade yet again and scowled; bringing it around for a third strike. This time, Annie leapt back and lashed out with her leg, swiping Mikasa's feet from under her. As Mikasa fell, she noticing a cleanly cut string fall from Annie's uniform and smiled. Breaking her fall with her hands, she kicked up with one of her legs to catch Annie in the jaw but the move was anticipated and her opponent grabbed her foot and twisted. Biting down on her lip from the pain, Mikasa twisted her body and kicked out at the same time, knocking Annie back as she got to her feet. Tossing away her blade, she wiped a trickled of blood from her chin as Annie held up her fists – her blade also tossed aside. Now the fight would be decided with their martial arts skills. Cracking her knuckles, Mikasa started to circle her opponent.
Annie watched carefully as Mikasa came around at her side and blocked a swift jab at her left, then another. She stretched her leg out and swiped up high, causing Mikasa to jump out of the way. Glaring at each other, she frowned as she had already anticipated the outcome: the dog was a lot stronger than herself and the fight wouldn't last long if it continued like this. She was positive that she could fight her off and escape, but she didn't want to be exhausted by the time she reached her target. Crouching as Ackerman went for a high kick, Annie dived under her leg and came up behind her; locking her arms around her shoulders and neck. Using the momentum of Mikasa's kick, she kicked her other leg from under her and spun her over her shoulder.
As Mikasa landed on her back from the sudden movement, she slammed her fist on the shingles of the room – cracking a few of them. She didn't want to lose. She didn't want Annie to win. She didn't want Annie to get to Eren! Springing up, she glanced around frantically, but there was no sign of Annie and it was then that it hit her – she could already be at Armin and Eren's location! Looking in the direction of the underground passage, she wasted no time in starting for it. By her reasoning, the two of them weren't even out of the tunnel yet!
Annie stood on one of the roofs overlooking the tunnel – or at least, where she believed the tunnel to be at. She couldn't tell as it was below street level and brought her finger closer to her mouth again. This time she wouldn't let him escape. This was what she's gambled on, after all. A tear rolled down her cheek as she bit down on her finger, drawing blood. It was warm.