Well, so it's been forever. Why? Let's just say I got sucked into something half way through the year and 2015 just, wasn't good in general. Needless to say, this story was always in the back of my mind. It's good to be back to writing again. Someone sent a message asking me if I was gonna finish, and I was very grateful for that. Thank you all for your support. The story is not dead. I know it took long, but I'm back in the game so without further ado, Chapter 29!
flashback, emphasis = italics
One of Us
"They're late... Erwin and his men are keeping me waiting. The Military Police escorts will come here before they do. But...he's probably constipated and having a rough day..." Levi said blankly as if to break the silence. The raven-haired soldier was dressed casually in a white long sleeved shirt and plain black trousers. Erwin was supposed to arrive in the morning but it was night now, and we were still waiting. I watched Levi sipping his tea. He looked exhausted in contrast to myself. I slept like a log last night with Levi's steady heartbeat soothing my mood from the expedition. Apart of me felt a bit guilty insisting on staying with him. He might have been better off alone. It wasn't until the following day after all the chaos that I could truly see his sadness. That facade of no emotion was well played by him, but it no longer fooled me. I didn't know the extent of time that my four fallen friends had shared with Levi, but the bonds that were severed cut lines under his eyes.
"You're talking a lot today Captain," Eren noted from a few seats away.
"Don't be stupid, I always talk a lot," Levi denied.
"I concur," I said attempting to smile, but only managing a pained grimace.
Levi put his cup down and frowned, squinting in what looked like pain and glanced down at his leg. Seeing this, I moved to be next to him.
"Levi, do you want me t-"
"No...there's nothing you can do about it," he said quickly, shooing me away.
"I'm sorry. If I hadn't made the wrong decision back then... this never would of happened..." Eren apologized. The void left by Oluo, Petra, Gunter and Eld was a big one. I closed my eyes. No one blamed him of course, but it was still hard to hear the would've, should've and could've of the whole situation.
"I told you... no one ever know's how things will turn out..." Levi reiterated once more. The creaking of the door sounded, and Eren and I immediately stood at attention.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Erwin announced.
"Not at all sir," Eren responded dutifully. I was shocked to see a few of our classmates pouring into the hall behind the Commander. Why would Erwin bring them with him?
"Umm...?" Eren began in confusion.
"We've identified a person of interest who might be the Female Titan," Erwin began, confirming my suspicions. "This time, we won't let her escape."
A layout plan was put on the table. It was a map of one of the inner districts.
"The operation will begin in two days. It will take place in the Stohess District on our way to the capital. This is our first and last chance. Once we pass that point, Eren will be handed over to the capital. Our pursuit of those who seek to destroy the walls will be fraught with difficulty. Ultimately, humanity stands to go extinct. We will stake everything on this plan."
I nodded and peered around the table. So, this was it? Our paths as soldiers all knotted up on this one bet. If we failed, what would happen? No more expeditions, no counter attack on the Titans? We would sit ducks until the traitor transformed with in the walls. Kicking down the gates of Rose and then Sina. I glanced to Levi, who was staring hard at the detail of the plan.
"Not as long as I'm alive," his features shouted.
"Here it is," Erwin said pointing to the layout map. "We pass through Stohess, with Eren acting as bait, and lead the target into an underground tunnel. If we can get to the lowest level, given the tunnels size and structural integrity, even if the target transforms, we can subdue her. However... if the target transforms before then... we'll need your help Eren," Erwin explained.
"Yes sir, as for the target... are we sure she is in Stohess?" I looked to Erwin in question.
"Yes, our target is a member of the Military Police," he determined. Someone of the Military Police? Someone with power and in close range to the center of our fortress? The stakes were even higher than I thought. I shifted uncomfortably, not liking where this was going. If it was someone in my class...well then... there were eleven of us graduated at the top and were capable of joining up with the MP... and there were only two people who hadn't joined up with the Survey Corps. One of them was dead; killed at the Battle of Trost. And the other...
"Military Police?" Eren echoed with a tone of doubt.
"It was Armin who arrived at the conclusion. He believes that the target also killed the two captured Titans. She may be a former trainee of the 104th group of recruits, same as you," Erwin said leading Eren towards a finality that he wasn't so eager to realize.
"W-wait, a minute... the 104th regiment?" Eren stuttered. I watched as Eren came to the realization that the person who murdered so many of our comrades was none other than...
"That person is Annie Leonhart," Erwin finished.
And it made so much sense that it was her, of all people...
(flashback)
"Finally, my first win over you! Ha!" I cheered. Mikasa looked stunned but she smiled, giving into her rival's momentary superiority.
"You still have to best Annie you know," Mikasa pointed out. I looked over at the blonde girl leaning against a fence. She'd been watching the whole time.
"I'm... n-not afraid of her," I bluffed. She was on level with Mikasa in terms of hand-to-hand combat. Keith Shadis had to break the two girls up due to the intense level of fighting. They could easily kill each other with their skills. While, Mikasa was a great fighter, she had one flaw that could be exploited. I had egged her on by telling her that Eren was interested in a girl at camp. Whenever the subject of Eren was involved, Mikasa could be reckless. Upon hearing my made-up rumor, Mikasa's movements became sloppy. I told her that she had to beat me, or I wouldn't tell her. In the end, her passion for Eren screwed up her form, and she had focused too much on trying to get a quick win. It was cheap shot, but it was fun to watch her become so flustered over Eren. She was still better than me at hand to hand, but at least I came in third(or perhaps second since Mikasa and Annie were tied). Not many of my classmates took sparring seriously. Levi and I would spar when he wasn't busy. Thinking about it now, I wish I'd been more serious when he had taken the time to teach me. I needed to be as good as him... no, I needed to be better.
"So it's my turn is it?" Annie walked over at a slow pace, eyes hinting at boredom. She even yawned as she stopped two feet away from me. Usually Annie tried to skip out on training, but we were having a small tournament today, and she was specifically picked to participate as one of the combatants.
"I wouldn't be yawning if I were you Annie, I'm about to knock you down from your high horse," I taunted. She smirked at this, and went into a fighting stance.
"Is that so? Big talk for a little girl," she countered. I narrowed my eyes and took my fighting stance. A minute passed, and then Annie lurched forward. She came at me with a quick right hook.
"Damn, she has Levi's precision," I thought inwardly. Mikasa was more the defensive fighting type. As I fought Annie, her style was more offensive, and she knew when to guard at just the right moments. I landed a kick on her left calf, causing her to stumble a bit. I followed up with a left hook and hit her square in the face, much to her surprise, and admittedly, mine.
"Looks like I need to be more serious," Annie said, jumping back and reforming her fighting stance. She wasn't yawning anymore.
"Hmph, oh so you were just holding back then?" I asked mockingly. Annie smiled in response and came at me with a series of punches and kicks that I had to dodge and block for the most part. Her hits were much harder than before. I decided to duck her right hook and tackle her from below the knees. She fell back, and from there I attempted to lock her arm. Annie was smart though, she escaped my grasp and rolled away. She was on her feet before I was, and ended up delivering a hard kick to my abs so that I doubled over in pain. That wasn't all though, she finished the fight by bringing the bone of her elbow down on my back.
"Oy Annie, not so rough," Eren raised a voice of concern amongst the crowd of people watching us.
"She's fine, I just needed to make sure that she stayed down," Annie said. I was on my knees rubbing the spot where Annie had kicked me. I saw a hand in my peripheral. It was Annie, offering me a hand.
"Wow, you're... really good. I can't believe it ended so quickly. Levi would kill me if he saw that match," I said.
"Levi?" Annie questioned.
"He's a Captain in the Survey Corps now, he taught me how to fight," I boasted.
"...I see. My father taught me..." Annie said somewhat distantly.
"Well, you're amazing. I wonder how you'd fair against Levi. He's damn good, but so are you. If it's not too much trouble, maybe we can spar more from now on?" I offered.
"Yea... I wouldn't mind that," Annie said with a small smile.
(end flashback)
"Why? Why would you say that Armin?" Eren questioned. Everything about him said that he didn't believe it, and not because it wasn't true, but simply because he didn't want it to be Annie. I doubt any of us wanted to know that someone we had spent years training with to fight titans was a traitor.
"She knew your face from the beginning, and she also reacted when I referred to you as the 'Suicidal Bastard'. No one outside of the 104th trainees would understand that," Armin explained. "On top of that, I'm pretty sure that she was the one who killed Sawney and Bean."
"But why?" Eren pressed further.
"You'd need a lot of skill to kill those two. The culprit would've used their own 3D Maneuver Gear, since they'd be accustomed to it," Armin added.
"So that's why we had a gear check? But Annie wasn't caught," Eren noted.
"Because she brought Marco's to check. That's how she passed," Armin retorted.
"What? What does Marco have to do with this?" Eren queried.
"Did...did Annie kill Marco then Armin?" I asked.
"I don't know," Armin admitted.
"Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Eren said, insisting that Armin's evidence was not enough.
"No, I'm pretty certa-"
"I got that kid. Do you have any other evidence?" Levi asked, cutting Armin off.
"No sir," he responded.
"In my opinion, the female Titan resembles Annie," Mikasa added.
"I... I think so too. The eyes, the nose. When I see that face... it's Annie," I gravely stated. The female Titan, the way she swatted at the soldiers like they were nothing, how aggressively she pursued Eren... That moment when she turned to attack Levi, and how she only focused on him, knowing that Mikasa and I were nothing to her in her Titan form. It was cold and precise. She fought just like Annie.
"What? What are you two saying?!" Eren rose from his seat. I wasn't aware of it before, but it seemed as though Annie and Eren had formed a tight bond over those years in training. She had always been more of a loner, but I saw her spar with Eren sometimes and I knew he admired her. Yet to this extent...
"Is that all you-"
"So you've got no proof, but we'll still do it," Levi said, cutting Eren off this time.
"No proof?" Eren echoed. "If what Armin said isn't proof, then why?" Eren questioned. "What if Annie isn't the Female Titan?"
"If it's not Annie, then she'll be cleared of suspicion," Mikasa responded evenly.
"True, we'll have put her through a terrible ordeal though," Armin mentioned with a tone of reluctance. "But if we do nothing, you'll be sacrificed to Central's whims, Eren."
"It's just no right to doubt Annie," Eren protested.
"Eren, after hearing that it might be Annie has anything come to mind?" Mikasa inquired. "You fought the female-form Titan in hand-to-hand combat. Did she use any of Annie's typical moves?"
Eren paused. I knew he had to see it then. I didn't even fight her, yet I could think of no one else within these walls that could accomplish such a deadly attack on the Survey Corps with the power of a Titan.
"You know that Annie is the female Titan," Mikasa determined. She was right next to Eren. Her eyes pierced him, telling him to put aside whatever feelings he had for our fellow trainee and see the truth.
"Hmph, it doesn't matter whether he believes now or not. Let it sink in, and when the time comes, he just needs to make sure that he does his part," Levi said.
"Levi, we have a few days before we have to hand Eren over. For now, I have preparations to take care of. I'll be back and forth, and we'll discuss the plan again later," Erwin said rising from his seat. As Erwin left out the door, I got up to follow him.
"Caria?" he turned around to face me as I closed the door to the hall behind me. I drew my breath in and gave a firm salute.
"Commander, please forgive me. I was... out of line yesterday," I apologized. Erwin looked at me for a moment and then came forward. He moved both of my arms out of their salute position much to my confusion.
"Caria, you have nothing to apologize for. As Commander of the Survey Corps, I ask parents to send their sons and daughters to their deaths. I ask the citizens for their support despite returning the favor with failure. You are not blind. You said what your heart believed to be true. I respect that, and your passion for the fallen. I suppose I understand why you're so important to him now..." Erwin trailed off.
"Uh... eh?" I looked at Erwin in bewilderment.
"Sometimes opposition isn't always a bad thing. Criticism, while sometimes destructive, can help people make better decisions. I seek to lead an army of fighters, not a flock of sheep, so if you meant what you said, stand by it." Without another word, Erwin waved me off and mounted his horse. I stood in the same spot until I couldn't see him anymore.
"Hey," a familiar voice came from behind me.
"Oh hi Jean. I feel like we haven't spoken in a long time," I smiled.
"Yea, your connections with the top brass make you hard to reach," he joked. "Hey... the female Titan, do you really think it's Annie?"
"Yes," I answered simply.
"Just like that, huh?" he asked, although he didn't seem surprised.
"I wasn't there when Armin confronted Annie in Titan-form and I don't know about the stuff with Marco's gear, but I do know that if it's someone from our class, I believe they'd have to have graduated in the top ten. The only people with blonde hair and blue eyes are Armin, Krista and Annie. I heard Krista ended up meeting you guys, and you were with Armin so that only leaves Annie," I concluded. "I suppose it's hard to believe since she's our comrade, but Eren turned out to be a Titan-shifter so anythings possible now right?"
"Yeah... what the hell have I gotten myself into?" Jean looked down in despair.
"Hey cheer up. You're not dead yet!" I exclaimed.
"Caria," a voice came from behind me. It was Levi. He looked between me and Jean. Jean waved to the Captain nervously, and Levi just blinked in response.
"Caria, I need your help, let's go," Levi ordered.
"Okay. Nice talking with you Jean, I really want to know what convinced you to come into the Recon Unit, but some other time I guess," I waved to him. He nodded and continued to stand outside looking up at the sky.
"...Was I interrupting something?" Levi asked as I helped him walk down the castle halls to the bathroom.
"No," I giggled.
"Hmm, you're giggling, I didn't know it was like that..." he commented.
"No... what...No!" I stopped turning to look at Levi. "Jeans too young for me and, and we're just friends."
"I see, so I guess me being-**********-isn't a problem?"
"Wow! I can't believe you finally confessed. I was told you might be around that age so I'm not all that surprised," I shrugged.
"Hmm, and here I thought it would catch you off guard. Who said something?" Levi asked suspiciously.
"Hmph, I'll never tell. Now let me start a bath for you, and this time, I'm not coming in just so ya know," I said winking at Levi.
"But you are stealing my bed space tonight aren't you?" he predicted.
"You betcha!"
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end chapter
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author notes:
I hope this chapter was sufficient. I only have 1 1/2 of an episode from the 1st season of SNK to cover left so the end is nigh.
Watching the 24th episode and just looking back at the time when Eren was training with Annie, he seems to care for her more that anyone. Armin was reluctant about the plan against Annie, but he was like "sorry the evidence doesn't lie" and I'm pretty Mikasa doesn't give a shit because anyone who hurts Eren is as good as dead anyways. I know Bertolt apparently has a thing for Annie, but I think Eren and Annie might make a good couple if he doesn't want to give into Mikasa's love(which is probably too intense). Anyways Ciao Ciao.
