Chapter 48: Decision
Eren can´t move. His horse seem to feel his fear and slowed down before it came to an stop. His friends, his family continued their path toward the female titan, towards Annie. That is his friend out there, like Reiner. They are his friends he trained with them.
Annie showed him this move he used later that day on Jean, she always looks so cold but still helped them all train, made sure they become great soldiers. Eren watched her, learned from her, with her.
Reiner always made sure no one is left behind, he helped Armin with his backpack and talked to him and Eren all night, at the fire he would share stories.
Berthold, always the quiet one, the one everyone would ask why he is here to become a soldier. Who smiles his soft smile and helps the cadets that wouldn't get their strategy homework.
They are his friends he shared his life with for three years and he killed one of them. How could he? He protected Levi and most likely all of his other friends but still there should have been a different solution. Why does he have to fight his friends and why are Levi and the rest of the 104th ok with it. They ride towards Annie. They will fight against her, try to capture her. They could get hurt. Even with all the training they did. They could die.
Eren is still frozen, and his body wouldn't transform even when he would cut of his hand. Annie reaches the others, or they reach her, however you want to see it, there is the confrontation and Eren sees how Erwin tries the diplomatic way. He knows what he will tell her, offer her. She hadn't kicked down the gate or broke through the other but Eren sees it in her eyes that are fixed on him. She is not interested in anything that mankind offers her.
She begins moving over to him, trying to reach him and in horror Eren watches Levi attack her, sees Hanji too. Sees Armin and Mikasa and the rest of the 104th and all the other soldiers defend him. They will get hurt. They will be get killed.
Annie pushed them away, smacks after them like flies that are in her way. She pulls cables out of her body before the soldiers can reach the hight they need to attack. She kicks horses out of the way and stumps with her strong feet on the ground to shake everyone who is standing and bring them down on the grass.
There are broken blades shattered at her nape, she must be protected and even Levi´s dangerous fighting style doesn't seem to stop her fast enough and she reaches him. Her hands feel different, he can´t say he had touched many titans as a human but their skin feels warm and like human skin, just warmer but soft and so, so human. Her hand is different, her skin is different it feels like raw muscle and bones. She lifts him up and their eyes meet.
Whatever she wants to do is stopped by Levi, attacking her without thinking or bothering about his own life as he cuts through her arm and fingers to get Eren out of her grip. Eren sees his desperation as he tries to pull of the strong finger that hold him tight.
Eren screams a warning as Annie´s hand catches Levi before he can do anything and he sees that his little human isn't touched as gentle as he is.
Levi screams in pain.