I'm so sorry people for the tardy update. :(
It takes a while for updates these days, but I had some reality-shaking wake up calls to learn from before I continued writing. Moreover, I was writing in multiple chapters at once too, so I can get these out to you quicker as well within the nearest furture. There will not be any further stints in this story's development as well. It was taking me a while to figure out this story's direction too since I'm making it up as I go, but now I FINALLY have it figured out! It will be both painful and sweet and more quickly updated my lovelies. :)
I also realized that it has been WELL over a year since the story started! God I feel like crap for not having delivered more to you patient ones out there. Enjoy this next chapter anyway.
~000~
Annie wasn't the only Titan-changing individual that had come to Trost.
Reiner himself had come with the pretenses of finding her and had gotten what he asked for when she appeared out of a hissing column of hot steam. However, Annie had been completely oblivious to the notice of the other shifters circum-navigating the square undetected, both Bertholdt and Reiner having witnessed her little act. The Armored Titan shifter licked his cracked lips and squatted down, observing as the Female Titan eliminated the entire giant population within the confines of Trost and proceeded to assist the citizens in escape. Annie soon disappeared into the headquarters thereafter with the last survivors in tow and what he thought was a shape that horribly resembled Armin no less. However, he wasn't so sure about the identity of said boy from where he was hiding, but it was merely conjecture given what little he could discern from unclear observation from afar.
Unnerved, Reiner chewed on his bottom lip and settled himself onto his thick calves, his mind reeling at the possibilties. Questions surged through his mind and chipped at his brittle composure, his thin eyes seeing but not quite comprehending. He moved his blades until the tips lightly touched the flat rooftop he stood upon, keeping his sweat-filmed head ducked so she couldn't glimpse his imposing and stocky figure. Her actions were a little more than puzzling, and it left the lad to wonder if what he was seeing was even real. Annie was on their side; not the citizens. Maybe this was a different shifter he mused at first, but then he reprimended himself for entertaining something so foolish.
No. Its Annie alright; and only she has an ass like that. She's the only Female Titan shifter I know to butt... Ah, to boot.
Shit. Mind out of the gutter Reiner. Okay, anyway, what is it that she's even doing with these people? She doesn't owe them a damn thing and she hates people to start with. So what the hell?
Oh God. Please don't tell me that she's gone soft.
Or rogue...
Reiner considered telling Bertholdt, but what could he say? Wouldn't he be devastated at her treacherous actions if by some small chance he didn't see it for himself? No, he quickly concluded. Bertholdt was gentle and forgiving when it came to Annie, but not Zeke. He would abandon her and kill her if she posed any real threat to their operation. Zeke had been merciful when he said he would strive to get Annie back if Reiner beat him in a match (which he certainly did he recalled somewhat proudly), but the Beast Titan will change his mind if the girl proved to be even remotely worthless to him.
As for the girl's method to the madness demonstrated here today, Reiner couldn't puzzle it out, smart as he is. All he surmised was that Annie herself had more remorse and ... Dare he say it, kindness in her than even he had expected. Her perception on what is good was warped, but it was not beyond a form that was unrecognizable. Perhaps she was helping these people out of sympathy and had planned on moving on to their next rendevous point soon thereafter. It was the only thing Reiner felt like he can conclude. They had only come here and messed with these people again because it would supposedly draw her in after her liberation and disappearance from Stohess.
And boy did that work, and at such a high cost.
She could have just gone straight for the next point without them having to do this, but Zeke was a hard man to please- the Beast Titan, as he was, is undeniably cruel and remorseless in all the senses of the word. Doing things his way is the only way whenever he was on the scene or giving them a direct order. Listening to him was also more important in this case because he had saved them and that ungrateful Ymir from certain death after their banishment/attemped execution. Truly, he and Bertholdt were glad for the help... Although Reiner loathed the idea of adding in more bloodshed into this corrosive mix of chaos the last five years, it was seemingly necessary.
Or so it the hairy one says.
The larger boy drew himself out of his crouch and paced for a moment, coming to a thought thereafter. What baffled him was on why Annie had decided having an accomplice with her was such a brilliant idea, but Annie was truly intelligent in her own complicated way. Reiner understood the reasoning behind her saving these citizens considering her fragile heart weighing into the equation, but the logic fell short when it came to the boy she was toating around. He clearly saw her taking great care in bringing in the 'luggage' inside of the fortress with meticulous calculation. She was never so gentle whenever it came to her quarry, man or beast alike.
I dunno what you're doing Annie, but I hope its for a VERY good reason. Unless she's deliberately trying to get on Zeke's bad side on purpose I can't see why she would waste her time on a single person otherwise.
Reiner harrumphed at the conclusion and drew himself up fully from his hiding place, his lip thinning considerably more than it already was. He had to finish what he came here to do quickly and it will most certainly get Leonhardt's attention drawn to him; perhaps she would even opt to approach him so they can get the hell out of here together. That was the whole reason for this mess; although the repurcussions had been greater than anticipated when the military tried to forsake this place and leave it for dead. It made his job easier and whatnot, but still...
There was so many questions to exchange and a mission that needed to be closed up. The Scouts would be out here soon before too long and he'd rather make himself scarce before-hand. Reiner was in no mood to be fighting Eren and the rest of the Scouts' freakish elite today since Annie was all they came for. Between aforementioned boy and his familiar Mikasa and that impossible Levi Reiner knew better than to stay no more than an hour at most. There was a possibility that they hadn't been informed of this predicament but he'd rather not take chances.
However, if Zeke knew that they were coming if at all, he'd make them stand and fight Eren and take him by force. As far as Reiner was concerned, he felt that they just weren't prepared for that today, but having Annie on hand will make things considerably easier once she actually notices. Nonetheless, the Beast shifter was on his way anyway, so even if the Recon corps. showed up it wouldn't matter supposedly. The affair would be messy, but managable somewhat. Still, Reiner would rather avoid subjecting Annie to direct combat with them since she doesn't have a clue as to what they were doing; no plan, no known backup, a possible lack of energy, and baggage on her person god-forbid. There was no way in hell she can last for too long.
Coming out of that crystal prison would have certainly weakened her, temporarily or not. She needs more than a week to recuperate after all the strength she spent in keeping herself alive and safe as far as he knew.
Maybe teaching Eren wasn't your best idea, Reiner. Smooth. But how the hell are you supposed to know that that same kid could turn around and suddenly become a Titan shifter and Humanity's best bet and your worst enemy all at once?
Ramblings of the mental chastising sort had become unwelcome but no less frequent to the former trainee, and he couldn't stop them despite his best efforts. However, he knew better than to let that frivolous self-degrading opinion keep him from performing at his best. Reiner was hard on himself at times, but there was no need to fret over something so miniscule.
With Annie's removal now priority, he freed his mind of the niggling doubts and went to his next point, intented on drawing the girl out of whatever the fuck she was even doing.
The quicker they finish, the better it will be for everyone.
~000~
Armin was speeding towards the basement at a painful near-jog that brought liquid fire shooting up his arteries, his breath forcing his fragile ribs to remind him of their current condition. Annie kept pace just a step or two behind him, her shoulders squared and her eyes hard-set and determined but observing the struggling, puffing boy no less.
The whole crowd of survivors managed to wade into the large basement behind the pair as well, Melandus having relayed that the area was certainly secured after the lesson learned from the last Trost attack some months ago. After a brief scan of the room, the entire group meanwhile dispersed and began to rummage through their surplus in the hopes of having a chance of holding the front until the Scouts arrive. However, that was an 'if' in question. There was no way of knowing if the Recon Corps. had been informed of any changing developments in Trost if their only messengers had been traumatized stragglers on stolen horseback running half-mad into the wilderness; blindly hoping and fleeing into the direction of the nearest district.
There was never any guarentee when it came to this insufferable conflict.
As the soldiers got to work and the citizens went to cower somewhere off to the side, Annie had taken Armin's good limb and pulled it over her shoulders, making the boy stiffen and stare at first. She ignored it in large part and clumsily guided the semi-delirious legionnaire over to the benches anchored into the floor, in front of the fuel stock and reserves. Seating him was no problem; he had half fallen onto the bench heavily and almost dragged Annie with him.
After extracting his surprisingly heavy arm from herself, she went and stood in front of him, eye-balling Armin levely and somewhat distantly. She folded her arms and put in tonelessly, "You should stay here at the headquarters as we do this. There is no way in hell you can continue staying consious like this at this rate, let alone sit up. I can help these peons from here on out."
Annie had at least the decency to let her stern expression soften slightly, as if she was trying to lesson the burden of some horrid truth. She saw Armin lift his head to say something in edge-wise but she held up her hand and added, "I have to be frank, Arlert. I can't be doing this and babysitting you all at once if this were to succeed remotely. You'll have to sit this one out."
Armin may be in copious amounts of pain that would normally blind and deafen one to the advice of others, but hearing this had certainly seemed to get through to him thankfully. She might as well had said straight up, "You'll only be in my way" with the gloomy expression that had escaped him next: He narrowed his eye at this at first, looking quite contrite as he measured the worth of the girl's words. His bleary expression and hanging of the head however informed Annie of what he thought about this without the exchanging of his personal opinion. This evident display of his rueful sentiment though hadn't removed Annie's resolve in the slightest; she was hell-bent at this point on keeping Armin from getting involved in anymore rigorous endeavors.
She just had to get to the stupid basement first before the damned scouts did and they potentially screw up several years worth of planning more than they already have. After her latest blunder in Stohess, the girl had conceived the idea of obtaining such a remote treasure as a means of redemption. Capturing Eren had royally failed in nigh-on every confrontational and conceivable way. Getting his power's source was so much more wiser after all.
Her life literally depended on it.
This was not the only goal in mind: Her true intent now while she was in Trost was something several shades darker. She wanted to find these 'other' shifters that the officers had mentioned before and speak with them, if at all possible; but this was something the girl had to keep to herself. The flight here had already compromised Armin's failing health as it is and having him around during her pursuit will certainly betray her real objective to him and endanger him further. Although Armin may not have the power to stop her anyway whether or not he could go with her, Annie still felt obligated to safe-guard her captive. It made her feel dirty deceiving him like this, but her mission wasn't without some genuine intent in some way: As far as she was concerned, she did not want to be held responsible for the death of yet another comrade considering Armin's fleeting grasp on life.
Marco's demise had been hard enough.
"Alright," the boy had finally relented, stirring Annie from her sideways recollection. "You're not in the wrong, I guess. I'm not well enough to keep going anyway considering my earlier spell."
His admission left the former trainee relieved, but his next words had her frowning at him in a mixture of annoyance and concern.
"I will rest here for now and I won't get in your way anymore, Annie. I don't want to be much more trouble than I already am. However," he lifted his eye and met her icy gaze. "-I will be meeting you at the spike of the situation, at the rendevous point as planned. I'm not staying out of this plan for too long."
"Armin," Her voice was lowering into a menacing growl just then. "-If you get yourself caught up again in some other ridiculous scrap with yet another Titan-"
"I know," he interjected. "-You'll leave my 'smart-ass' and head off on your own. I get it."
She didn't say anything else despite the temptation to call him a suicidal fool, but his words somehow didn't seem to sit right with her. As far as she had it figured, she wouldn't be leaving him behind in this roiling hell-hole. If it was deemed a necessary evil as it had been with Marco, she probably could, maybe... or maybe not. Armin and his brilliant intellect alongside the perks of having him on hand if Eren was to show up was a boon she wasn't about to pass up. Leaving him behind was a bluff, and simply not an option; whether the Beastly one deemed it so or not. She had gone through too much just to give up on him now.
Although to be fair, he has proven to be a hindrance throughout this whole escapade.
She wasn't trying to insult him for the sake of doing so as she had when she first awoken; she didn't want to make him feel like shit. She and Armin had already discussed his worth in the previous town during their hunt for the manuevering gear; and even though he had held her back a couple of days already, his involvement will prove to be fruitful in the long-run. He had enough to put up with as it is. What kind of person would she be if she were to belittle him when he was-
...Oh. He already thinks me a bad person, doesn't he?
-No, I know he doesen't, but he should. I have threatened and kidnapped him early on and I aim to use him once we get to Shiganshina. And then what? Leave him to be Titan fodder or kill him as I said I would? He's very near death already. I shouldn't joke about the insults anymore.
She wasn't so sure about how he felt about some things now. A lot has happened before and after that whole incident in Stohess and she had no way of knowing what Armin thought of her now after her attack so long ago. All she can glean is that he was reluctant to speak to her at all openly anymore except for asking her about their destination and what to do until then. He hasn't said more than this except on the first night of her attaining her freedom, and it had been on the news of the Ape Titan wherabouts and what is happening right now. He played mind games with her sometimes and it annoyed her grievously.
He wasn't supposed to be this way.
She didn't see it before because her pain and anger with him was still there, simmering silently, and he had behaved oddly because he was hurt, but she can see it now: He has changed, and it wasn't for the better. Something wasn't right with him. She was still injured by his act of betrayal and she would never readily admit that to him, but he was worse off.
'I'm glad I can look like such a good person to you.'
She shook off the stray memory that followed the quote, keeping her stare measured and firm. All Annie could do for now though is sigh and and say, "Stay here and rest for a while so at least one of us could say we've had our sleep."
Armin dipped his head at this, remembering that he and Annie had spent half the night on top of the wall half-awake only to go running into Trost without having a wink of forgiving slumber that evening.
The girl unfolded her arms and proceeded to check her gear, some of the military squadron coming over to do the same. She managed to get her ODM gear in peak condition before she was happy enough to move on. She had turned away to do something else until she felt a tug on her Titan-flesh scorched hoodie.
"Annie, wait."
He released her promptly, just as the girl turned and refocused on the boy sitting there with his good hand half-way suspended. Armin's glistening eye-ball however had Annie nearly tripping in logic when she saw that pearly sheen betraying his evident lament. She lifted her head and blinked in apparent surprise at the expression, her own lip slightly coming open.
"Armin, you're not going to... cry are you?"
"I need to tell you something, here and now," he said, his voice strangely sure-sounding and straight despite what his face may have implied.
"It better not be another apology, or else I'll feed you to the fucking Titans," She grumbled in a way to shake off her own bubbling apprehension. Her voice carried within it no true malice, but her own expression seemed a bit more serious.
I shouldn't insult him; but I can't deal with depressed people well at all. Not now or ever. Hell, I can't even deal with myself when I'm upset.
"No... Well, yeah, but no."
"So which is it? An apology or not?"
Armin finally lowered his hand again and ducked his head further, his eye a strange swath of emotion. He gave a resigned sigh and half-murmured, "Yeah its a stupid apology, but it is about the plan."
"We haven't even put it into motion yet, and you're apologizing now?" The girl blinked and let some hardness bleed into her voice.
Armin shook his bandaged head in a subtle way, so small that she almost missed the notion, "Anything could go horribly wrong here, and my 'plans' normally have been endangering you constantly. But this plan in particular is the most crucial and life-threatening of them all so far. What happens here in Trost will change things between you, these people, and me."
Annie lifted a single brow, her expression now reserved and carefully masked. Her uneasiness only grew.
"What are you getting at?" She inquired in a guarded manner.
"Look," he wheezed. "What I mean is... that my plan, no matter what, is meant to help us... Help you get out alive. I just wanted to let you know that. When things go awry, I wanted to tell you personally that I don't want to hurt you anymore, or you get upset with me."
"Well, isn't that what you meant to do anyway? Keep us safe, right?" She cocked her head and blinked again. "-And what do you mean when you say 'when things go awry'?"
"It seems like its meaning is passing right over your head," he gave a grave shake of his dirty skull. He placed his hand on his lap and drew in another breath, ready for another long series of sentences. "Annie, I know words mean nothing to you, so I won't apologize I guess. But I do want to know this; do you trust me, hate me, or anything like that now? We really haven't been in that wilderness for too long, but several days worth of traveling in the manner we did felt longer than that, and it made me wonder."
By now, the warrior girl was confused by his redundant statements and questions. Clearly, his head wasn't feeling too good and his mind was uncertain about where they stood. Emotionally speaking, Annie wasn't mad at him anymore, whether it was about his decision to come here or about Stohess, but that doesn't mean she'll forgive the bastard for his treachery. She can forget in a sense, but she'll never forgive. She had already acknowledged that he tried to give her a choice to optionally give herself up and help her see that through, and she suddenly realized she was remotely grateful for the gesture. But betrayal is still betrayal afterall, and 'trusting' Armin was not normally a wise idea in her position.
It takes a long time to trust, and only seconds to destroy it. However, nothing can count as trust without there being the distinct possibility of betrayal too. It takes courage to rely on someone in such a way.
A kind of courage I don't have anymore.
"Armin, I trust your instincts, but I can't trust you as a person if that's what you're asking. The Stohess incident gave me a reason why I shouldn't trust you after all, but it doesn't mean that I despise you for it."
The boy had his turn to hide what he was feeling behind a cold mask of 'polite' blankness, but his stare gave Annie enough of a hint of what he thought of the reply. "Ah. I see," he nodded after a few seconds. "Trust is a hard thing to ask of you, so I expected as much. But you really don't hate me anymore is what you are saying, right?"
She went on, "No, I suppose. We both had our reasons for doing what we did, and yet you don't hate me for it surprisingly. Its the same for me. Hating someone for what they have to do because of belief is one thing, but hating them for being ordered or coerced to do so is different. Sometimes, it can't be helped. You had to do what you believed was right, but it means being forced to hurt someone. I don't hate you for it, but I don't trust you either. Your intentions always did give me mixed signals."
"Sounds reasonable," He agreed. "Its probably for the better. But I still have to ask though-"
"Shoot."
Armin gave her a fleeting but honest look. The corner of his lip moved in a faint indication of his withering smile. "I wanted to know about where we stood right now, just between us. I mean, you're absolutely right about trust; its fickle and hard to get, and its impossible to have complete faith in each other when it comes to us and what we've done. Trusting each other is too much and too demanding, but it doesn't stop me from relying on you after all that you have done for me while we were out in that unforgiving expanse of Titans and teeth. Its not wise, but I do it anyway," he shrugged. "I trust you, even to a degree, Annie, but I was always the greater fool."
I find that hard to believe, Arlert. You being the fool couldn't be further from the truth than me being a normal person.
"That aside," the boy blinked as he went on, his eye slightly aglow in the diminutive lighting of the basement. "I was always impressionable, I guess, so I take kindness to heart, no matter how small or great it is. You have done right by me even whether it was out of necessity or not, and for that I'm grateful. If anything, you were like that even posed as my enemy back out in the expedition. You spared my life where as you could've swatted me like a fly, like you tried with Jean; but I digress." Again with the shaking of his head. "-I guess I'm saying I want others to have that much faith in me as I could give them though, even if its stressful. Well, I have it per se with Eren, Mikasa, and the other Scouts, but its you to whom I'm asking."
That's when he did something so bold it took Annie right off of her guard again, her reaction to his next gesture too slow to stop him; he had in fact grabbed not her hoodie this time, but her ring hand instead, his own palm hot and clammy to the touch. It felt feverish and shaky as if he was on his last threat of life, although it wasn't untrue. Annie stood uncomprehending and unmovable, but her hand had been seized with a surprising tightness in his grip that beheld his desperation and fear. Because of how pitiful and weak it seemed, she didn't fight to immediately take it back, her body instead choosing to stiffen on the spot.
He might as well have asked her to marry him with her stalled reaction.
"-I wanted to ask you was about was how you would felt about trusting me today when and if things should go sideways. Would you allow me the chance to help you at least? To get you out of something that would compromise your life? I want to help, whether or not you'll like it... That sounds bad I know, but it isn't untrue. That hasn't changed since that day in Stohess, or even before then. I don't deserve it, and you've said it plainly, but I want you to trust me is all. Please."
Annie didn't reply; her mind was a slowly ticking murmur of uncertainty and hesitation. Armin looked very much like a dying man asking for his last wish, and it numbed her. He might as well be hugging her with all the emotion his hand-holding was betraying. She couldn't pull away, nor bitch at him like she always did as a self-defense mechanism. It was surprisingly too hard to follow through.
You... You are... I guess, more like Marco than I thought; it almost sounds like something he would say if he had been allowed to-
She stopped herself there.
-Still, you're also pretty similar to that wretched Smith-Commander in a sickening way, as was seen when we met up in that ally-way. What the hell do you want me to say after that? Its too much to ask, don't you think?
Annie had to tear her eyes from his own remaining one, her doubts returning. She was put off by the vibes he was giving her, but his sincerity was tangible. If she had to be honest with herself, confiding in the little guy meant breaking everything she just said and stood for; it meant crossing over into territory that she swore to personally never traipse again. Her so-called 'trust' had been shattered that day when he gave her those eyes, the ones that bespoke of his fear and confusion and disbelief. He was trying to get her to confess then, sure, but he had long since stopped trusting her himself before he came to her asking for her assistance. This was indeed to much to ask.
He was her captive now, and yet he had the balls to go around and say something like that? This was waving red flags at her of all sizes, and she knew better than to further indulge the lad in anymore of his games. Their latest gamble has yet still no deciding victor as it is. His wavering expression of guilty remorse, his weakening smirk, his shaking hold clenched around her smaller hand, ALL of it said, "Please don't trust me", but his words were quite the opposite. When she said he gave her mixed signals, she wasn't wrong.
And she certainly knew better than to continue to follow along in his plan, but here she is, still debating what his promise is worth. She wanted to survive, to go home, to be with her father, to be human, but could she have those things? No. Could she have any friends and laugh with them and expect them to be okay with her being a Titan shifter? That's hilarious. Should she be asking this shrewd boy to spare her life if something went horribly wrong?
And to that end, she couldn't even hope to answer that. The one constant about this boy was his sincere desire to keep people alive, but his interpretation of 'okay' for her could be far more twisted than she would welcome. If capturing her in Stohess was his idea of 'helping' her, she'd rather do without. All he was asking was for though this day was for her to lend him her trust once more and nothing else really. However, such a trifle came with a heavy cost and this she was sure.
"Annie, I'm asking you seriously," he whispered between them where the squad couldn't hear, squeezing her hard enough to shake her out of her thoughts. "Will you, or will you not confide in me one more time?"
"...I don't-"
"Hey! Leonhardt!"
Annie just then noticed the waving Melandus gesturing to her from the entrance into the basement, leaving the flustered girl to retract her hand quickly and thoughtlessly. The superior darted a finger over his shoulder and ordered, "It's time to get moving! The sooner we set up, the better!"
"Hold on," she called back.
The girl redirected her attention onto Armin just as he clenched his fist as if he had burned himself, pulling it into his coat as his face flushed heatedly. Annie meanwhile felt her strength leave her, her resolve quivering. Her stomach flipping over itself enough times to make her feel sick and her own hands clenched tightly enough to have her nails digging into her palms. She tried keeping her expression as bored and as expressionless as possible, but it was a ruse that was fast slipping. She felt her eyes widen and her ribs contract onto her lungs, her fear suddenly starting to bubble forth. She was getting worked up over nothing possibly, but she was just too frightened to lend anyone else her trust again. Not after all that they have been through since Trost.
"A-Arlert, I'd better not find you out there while I'm busy," She said slowly, her own uncertainty now eminent to the boy. "So I will have to see you at the-"
"You are dodging the question," he caught onto her fright.
Annie felt her shoulders bunch together as her thoughts began to reel at the risks involved in her current situation. She already told the smartie that she wouldn't, or couldn't trust him again, but still he pressed for it. Eventually, she settled with, "You know that you would have to earn it back through trial by fire as the saying goes."
Which is unlikely if not impossible in your condition.
"Be that as it may," he added with a cryptic monotone. "I still have to have a yes or a no for this matter Annie. I'm not asking you to trust me for anything else; just for this situation in the case if something does indeed go wrong. After it settles, you can go back to your isolated manner of referring to me. That's it."
"Really? That's it then?"
His reply was sure and quick, "Affirmative."
"Then..." The girl mouthed, her pulse thundering crazily. "-I'll trust your judgement for this time only, today. I would like to believe that you have our health and lives at heart, even if you do not share my intentions. I suppose I'll take it... However, I will not tolerate any more tricks Arlert, or you can forget ever hoping to see your petty friends again, deal?"
"Deal. Wanna bet on it?"
"That's not funny. But... Whatever."
She had taken his olive branch, believing it to be just that and not a poisoness, thorny vine that held like a vice. She hadn't the foggiest on why she would do such a thing after all they've been through, but she hoped it was the correct decision. She actually found herself praying to non-existent gods she never believed in for her salvation. All she wanted was to live.
Asking to go home to see her family may be a bit of a stretch, but living she can settle with. She remembered distinctively that she told Armin about her desire to live during the gear inspection, and that hasn't changed. Reiner may be willing to die to save Bertholdt and her perhaps, but she wasn't going to go that far herself. Never.
'I want to... survive.'
"Leonhardt! Get a move on!"
Melandus's deeply throaty tone had her stirring from her thoughts, returning her to what's at hand. Keeping her eyes away from the frustrating lad sitting painfully bent behind her, she then fore-warned, "Don't make me regret this Armin. If you lure me into some other trap, you will be very sorry."
"I know. Your trust in my power to keep you alive is all I can ask for," he said. "You've done it for me, and now I want to return it."
"Don't do me any favors," she cut in. "The next time I see you," she said without giving him a straight look still. "-You'd better be ready to get going. I plan on going into Maria today. Got that?"
He made a weak, crooked half-smile and waved it off in a manner that made the girl furrow her brow again. "Alright," he said. "'Til then."
Annie's gut instinct was still screaming don't trust him considering that flinty stare of his that he tried to conceal, but what else could she do? The sooner she got done and returned to him, the better. By now Melandus was shouting her name and saying something along the lines of being in a hurry so the girl had to take her leave immediately and drop the subject. Annie did however give Armin a backwards glance and soon disappeared with the rest of the soldiers up the narrow stairway, leaving the boy and the denizenry here with the exception of another small group of Garrison to protect them as a precautionary measure.
The plan will not fail. It cannot fail. It... shouldn't fail. And I have to straighten up too; I haven't been right recently but fucking Armin Arlert just sees through every fucking thing I do. Damn that brat sometimes.
Moreover, I shouldn't have trusted that runt to safeguard my own life when he's nearly dead himself.
God dammit. What have I done?
~000~
The next hour was the most important and decisive, being that of calculated preparation.
Setting up the Titan trip-lines and over-sized 'snares' weren't difficult, but it was tedious and time-consuming. Annie still didn't know why Armin wanted these infernal things placed in such strange spots but he was the genius after all. Aside from that, she had already killed all of the Titans in Trost, but Armin had strongly insisted on remaining here and fortifying the place. She could have easily taken the boy and stole one of the boats as his plan later suggests, but the water gate posed a problem. Also to note was that the Beast Titan was likely to clamber over the wall at any minute now. She wanted to have a chance to speak to him if not the other shifters, so that was why she had agreed on sticking around.
Otherwise, she would have long since taken off into Maria's rugged wilderness in her Titan form whether Armin liked it or not.
Focusing on the now, she realized that having a competent assistant helped, and Melandus was proving his worth well. His voice carried orders to waiting men that were loyal to the cause, creating harmonized union as they worked to beat the invisible timer Armin had set for them. His presence allowed said soldiers to work without stress nor chaos despite Annie's lingering threat. The girl and her Titan power didn't seem to bother the men at all and that was just fine with the shifter.
It was strange, but fine she presumed.
Besides, it left her some time to go and search for the others anyway, although so far she had came up with nothing. In the meantime, she had returned quickly and regularly enough to keep the current temporary Garrison 'Commander' from suspecting a thing. There was no harm in searching for the other shifters after all, and one would think a superior like Melandus would elicit such an order to keep a lookout for them anyway. No harm, no foul in that.
As Annie once again returned from yet another unsuccessful search, she came upon the Squad leader who stoically observed and corrected his men with a sharp tongue but not a forcefully harsh and unkind reprimand. Observing soundlessly, the girl huffed and pulled a hank of her hair from in front of her face, the mounting concern from earlier still gnawing at her innards. Armin's words haunted Annie restlessly, so she tried to calm her frazzled nerves with the idea that Armin's intent was genuine in the sense that he really wanted to help her as she had done for him the past several days. He had constantly apologized for it as it is, and he was probably just trying to reassure her in his own convoluted way.
More like a fucked up I'm-messing-with-your-head kind of way. Seriously, why did he have to hold her fucking hand for?
"How're the others in point E?" Melandus suddenly piped up.
"Done," the girl answered. "The last of the traps are set. We're waiting for the fifth unit to send their signal now."
Although to be honest, I have no idea what that is... Shit.
The large man nodded his head at the report, clucking his tongue in contemplation. His hazel eyes were stern and dull, but fretting over his own doubts it seems. He looked up from his supervision and licked his dry lips, inspecting Annie closely.
"Your little blond friend," he finally mentioned after a pause. "I think I know who he is. I just couldn't tell at first, but I think its the same boy."
Annie returned the stern look but blinked lazily, still fussing with her singed hair after noticing her damned tie had disappeared at some unknown interval. Probably when she first dove into Trost she deduced.
"Heard of him? What do you mean 'Same boy'?" She entreated.
What, is Armin famous or something? That's a laugh.
He gave her a direct look and bowed his head in what Annie perceived was respect, "Yeah. I think its the cadet whose plan saved us a few months back, the one everyone says Pixis has proposed and took credit for in the end. To be fair, Pixis said otherwise but still. Anyway, I believe its that same light-weight who saved the scouts the trouble of finding some Titan-shifting traitor within Sina's confines as well. He is pretty famous 'round some of the staff besides that Jaeger kid."
Annie stiffened at the mention of 'Titan-shifting Traitor', her heart suddenly deciding on palpitating again.
Melandus seemed to have a quick eye though, his gaze knowing and lacking in any other inflection. He added calmly, "I get it now. You're that girl everyone has been talking about, aren't you? The one the scouts have taken down in Stohess, right? I mean, there isn't any other Female Titan other than the one we know of. You have to be her."
Annie glowered at the temporary-commander and squared her shoulders defensively, her hands suddenly resting on her blades.
Melandus quickly held up his hand albeit in an relaxed manner as he continued, stopping her from doing something rash. "Hey, don't sweat it," he told her gently. "My intention isn't to report you or some shit. You saved our lives today already, and you managed to find the kid-wonder the scouts are madly searching for. My only priority now is to last until they show up. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to rely on some unknown and unpredictable variable like yourself for help, but if that boy Armin thinks its okay, then I'm game."
Her only response to that was to keep her eyes away from his own and huff, still not quite settled despite his words.
Melandus then crossed his arms and sniffed, pretending to not see her hands still ghosting over her equipment. "Anyway," he mused. "I was just thinkin'. Armin tells me that despite your checkered history, I could rely on the factor that you and I both agree on a mutual relationship: One born from the shared need to survive. This is why I'm tolerating your presence here," his brow seemed to almost consume his eyes then. "-Which is why I'm not ordering for your capture as well, besides you saving us of course. Why else would I be relying on the infamous and terrible Female Titan?"
Infamous and terrible. Why does that sound funny to me?
Annie lifted her head, her eyes dull despite the activity around her and proceeded to ask, "Then, why believe in this concept of survival if not my earlier act of saving this place? Why rely on a pact of mutual benefit and not my attempt at helping you? I could have changed for all you know. Picking out the 'mutual' thing is indeed smarter, sure, but I am curious as to why you came to such an idea."
"Heh," his shoulders rolled as if she said something funny. "You already know the answer to that one, missy. You're a green one despite the impression you leave, and I never pegged you the ignorant type to start with. You're Annie Leonhardt, one of the best in the 104th Trainee Cadet corps. You're famous for your talent as well as your Titan form, besides that other shifter working for the scouts."
The warrior girl suddenly felt almost flattered by the praise, realizing that even though she doesn't care for what people think of her sometimes, gems like that compliment still left an impression on her.
Sometimes.
"Anyway," He went on. "-Your actions are too unreliable; could be part of some other alternative plan to get our trust or destroy us all or potentially both. It has been done before; you and the other shifting bastards out there. You guys fooled everyone with your heroics and whatnot."
"Hmmph. That goes without saying. I'm surprised about how well informed you are about me."
"We were given a run-down after a while," the man confirmed. "Pixis and Smith both permitted the circulation of the info after some great debacle in Sina."
"Ah."
"-Anyway, I found that the need to live is something I can trust on the other hand," he answered with a profound sureness in his voice. "Anything else is just too unreliable; I mean, trust is just a word, but its hard to keep if you don't know or understand what is it you're confiding in."
That word is getting thrown around a lot today.
The shifter shuffled her shoulders and relaxed her guard somewhat; if Melandus thought in the same, cynical manner as she did, then she perceived it to be safe to depend on.
"Fair enough," Annie concurred.
The girl spaced out again as her mind settled onto her neutral conclusions regarding the man, observing the soldiers below her work as they set into place another hook canon. She almost missed the sudden scurrying of some obscured figures off to the far side of the populace, the very slight corner of her vision just then registering the movement. Annie blearily blinked away her fatigue and glimpsed the individuals close by the only working entrance to Trost, deftly moving towards the top as well as towards the gate control mechanisms.
What the hell-? What's going on here?
She was about to turn away and inspect the suspicious action until a large mass began to shadow the burning town as well, forcibly drawing her gaze back towards the opposing side. The bulbous anomaly held precariously onto the thin ledge of Rose above where the former gate used to stand, its advent appearance leaving Annie gulping back sharp bursts of heated air in rapid succession. The girl retreated a step and let her mouth fall slightly agape, capturing Melandus's attention as well.
"Leonhardt? What's wrong?"
Annie didn't hear him; she was too busy staring at the over-sized figure bearing down on them all. It was a sight she had been totally unprepared for despite anticipating its arrival ever since she came here; it was a something whose existance meant her own continued attempt at carnage and human extinction. This thing served as a grim reminder of the mission that had taken a large sum of her life with it, robbing her of both her childhood and normality. Even now, it seemed to break the fragile security of her inner mind and purge the sense of liberation she had barely even clutched at during her run with Armin:
There the Beast Titan itself sat, perfectly perched on top of the slate-gray structure like he owned the entire world.
"Well shit," Melandus croaked sarcastically, trying to cope with his own rising fear. "Your friend's a whole lot bigger than I thought; I think its time to move things up a bit then."
Annie clamped her mouth shut and went to steel herself; just then hearing the large man next to her whistle shrilly in an attempt to grab the attention of all of his subordinates. He surprised Annie further by clicking his tongue again, doing so twice quite loudly towards the men standing behind him. He then turned and motioned his arm to one platoon on the ground team and flashed some hand signals before doing the same to the others. After relaying his orders, Melandus drew his own weapons.
"Captain! We got our signal!"
Annie whip-lashed around and noted one of the officers pointing towards the side of the wall where she'd seen the roving figures, but his hand was gesticulating towards a green column of smoke rising from the brim.
I don't think I remember Armin mentioning this.
"Good!" Melandus bellowed. "Get to your positions and await further command! We will defend and reclaim Trost once again, as we had done before!"
A resonating cry rose from the ranks, the soldiers separating to do as they were ordered.
I shouldn't be doing this. I should be going right to Zeke, not staying down here with these guys. But Armin... I have to stick to my own word and hope he isn't screwing me. I hate being made a liar.
"Leonhardt, you're to stay with me," Melandus clipped.
"...Right."
The girl whirled around and went to check her gear again and her hand to make sure her ring was still on, but her abject surprise and rising panic made her ignorant of what was happening behind her. Noting that it was indeed gone, she felt her breath forsake her body and render her immobile with growing adrenaline-spiked fear.
My father's ring! God damn it, where did it-?
The answer was just about to dawn on her until a cloth was suddenly thrown over her mouth and her limbs were suddenly pulled from her body. Her mind just then was comprehending the action of her hands being bound in cloth as well as her body being pinned underneath the shear weight of several sweat-slick soldiers keeping her from lashing out back at them. She thrashed her head around but even then that was stopped as well.
She was totally paralyzed.
"Sorry about this," Melandus said casually. "I lied about not catching you earlier, but its for a good reason. This part of the plan doesn't require the use of a shifter until the scouts get here-"
He looked back towards where the green smoke had been detected.
"Which is about now," he added smoothly. "We can't have you warning the other guys runnin' loose around here anyway while we do this. I knew that was what you were doing by the way. But still, I didn't lie about the other things I said Leonhardt, this I need to clear up. I'm not going to harm you, turn you in, or kill ya; but I do have to keep you out of the action for the time being. Understand?"
A-Armin... He... He fucking screwd me! DAMN HIM! I'LL FUCKING KILL HIM!
Melandus turned and gestured towards some direction Annie couldn't divine, "Take her to the next and most remote, secure spot; we wait for Armin's next move from here on out."
"Sir," replied the auburn-haired woman sitting on Annie's prone legs.
The girl couldn't hope to budge; she grasped at the hope that Melandus wouldn't hurt her as he says, and if Armin had told him to do this deliberately, then she was safe in large part. But why was this deemed necessary if Armin said he trusted her? Was this some small part of a much greater and more intricate plan? Or did Armin finally decide he was sick of her and wanted to head back to the scouts after all? That didn't seem correct, but it also didn't sound incorrect either.
No matter how one would slice it, it still didn't stop her from feeling like a cornered animal caught in a painful snare.