A/N: Continuation of WAVER PT I ! Exactly Right Pieck makes an appearance in this one!
WAVER PT. II
She's more cautious now than ever, paranoid, even. Chills racked her body, even walking among crowded streets, surrounded by her peers. She still felt as if she were being watched. Annie swore those shadowed green eyes of his were tracking her everywhere she went. Even if she did not ever catch a glimpse of him.
She was constantly looking over her shoulder now, trying to seek him out through the throngs of people, but she never saw him. He attended that, she knew. He hid himself well, it bothered her, just as it drove her to an edge. There was only two more days left until the meetings between the Marley's officials, and Chief Zeke were dismissed, and then they were off to board the train back to Liberio.
The thought of Eren Jaeger attempting to sneak into Liberio, did not escape her, however. She often tossed and turned in her makeshift cot of the barracks. Restless, as her mind replayed everything he'd said to her like a broken record.
"I'm not going to kidnap the War Hammer, I'm going to eat them, their power is valuable, and I aim to steal it."
"I know you better than you think, Annie. You stay serving the people who you believe will allow you to live normally, but you don't want to keep fighting any more than I do."
"... You don't want to keep fighting any more than I do."
"... Anymore than I do… "
He was right. Annie did not want to fight in anyone persons war. But what did it matter for whom she fights for?
They're both shitty, the Eldians… the Marleyans…
The Marley had control over Eldians from the very beginning, until Ymir Fritz was born and came across an earth devil, whom she was said to have formed a pact with in exchange for power... Or so, that was what the Marley wanted Eldians to believe.
Through that mysterious power, birthed what would be the first ever titan shifter. After thirteen years of Ymir's reign, she'd died of an unknown cause, and her power was split into nine inheritors, with one Eldian holding that of the founding titan. With the power of the nine titans, Ymir's successors led her people to war against the Marley. A war that they promptly won.
As Eldia's Empire expanded, so did the genocides of the Marleyan people. The Eldians were said to have used only their titans to purge other races, and steal their land, erasing many cultures in the process. They slaughtered, and they conquered anyone in their path. Until mutiny's started to rise within the nine shifters, only with the founding titan, the master of all, the coordinate, were they able to maintain order.
Then the Great War occurred. Millions of Marleyans, and Eldian's died in battle for dozens of years, until a hero was raised among the Marley, the legend of Helos. The one Marleyan who sided with an Eldian family. With his luck, and the Eldians strength, he had defeated Karl Fritz and his titans, and put a stop to the raging wars. But the Marley had gained seven of the nine titan shifters in the process.
The first king had fled to the Island of Paradise, taking with him as many Eldian refugees as he possibly could, and, using the power of the founding titan, he commanded colossal titans to form a barrier around the remaining Eldians. Threatening that should the Marley ever seek to wage war against them again, he would release the titans, and flatten the earth.
Those walls...
Annie remembered, the walls of Sina, Rose, and Maria were made of stone and iron, but… From what she'd heard, the three Walls were actually inhibited by those very dormant colossal titans. Hundreds of them, perhaps even thousands given the perimeter of each wall encircling the whole Island.
That's what he meant, when he said he had a sleeping army … An army of giants.
The thought made her shudder. Eren had come to try and manipulate her by flaunting his power, she would not have any of that.
You're no different. She thought. You want to conquer them just as they conquered you, it's an endless bloody cycle.
She wondered if it would ever truly end, or if peace will ever be their silver lining.
If only...
"Miss Leonhardt?" A hand tugged at her wrist, Annie jolted back into reality, forgetting where she was for all of a second. The sound of waves, and seagulls made a cacophony of noise in her ears, the smell of sea salt was heavy in the air. The boardwalk of the pier, right. I'm so out of it.
She looked over her shoulder spotting a smaller girl whose blonde hair was back pulled into a ponytail, she wore the cadet uniform of the warriors. The girl peered up at her with dark worried eyes.
"You've been staring behind us for awhile, is something wrong?" The girl cocked her head to the side, trying to see what her Vice Commander could not.
"I'm fine, Zophia, I appreciate your concern." Annie waved her off. "Go catch up with Reiner and the others, you should start packing today too, we leave the morning after tomorrow."
The girl, Zophia, seemed reluctant to go, but she obeyed without question. Running off to join Reiner, and the other young warriors who'd gone ahead of them. Annie watched their backs as they retreated.
Her blue eyes swayed to Reiner as he ruffled the hair of his younger cousin, one of his successors, Gabi Braun. That girl was a fury to be reckoned with. All loud talk, a boisterous ego, and temper that burned like wildfire.
Annie frowned. She is like Eren… Or, at least, what he used to be.
Then there was Falco Grice, an Albino boy, and the brother of Colt Grice, the successor to the Beast titan. Falco was more reserved, like her, but often blustered when it came to Gabi. He was always trying to compete with her, no matter what the case was. Be it, physical combat, or a hot dog eating contest, Annie found his spirit to challenge Gabi at every turn rather amusing.
Udo, a black haired bespectacled youth, and more often than not, the brains of the young warriors, followed politely by Reiner's side, Zophia caught up to him, startling the boy by clapping her hands on his shoulder. He let out a shrill scream, causing the group to erupt in fits of laughter.
Annie's lips quirked in small smile. Zophia was to be the Female titan's successor, but she still had a long way to go.
"Are my eyes deceiving me, or is our brooding Vice Commander actually smiling?"
Annie sighed at that weary lilt of a voice. "I don't brood, Pieck."
Said woman scoffed in response, swinging around so she stood in front of Annie. Annie was an inch shorter than Pieck, only five feet to her five foot one, but with that crutch Pieck was balancing herself on, she looked smaller than usual. Pieck was the night to Annie's day. Long, thick black hair and dark sultry looking eyes that observed everyone, and everything.
While Annie preferred to use her free time honing her body into shape, Pieck often slept in. For her duty as the Cart titan required her to carry an arsenal on her back, the panzer unit, and more artillery than a tank.
But even for all of Annie's strength, cunning, and skill, Pieck was still the most perceptive of the eldest warriors. Catching on to things that are often unseen in the eyes of others.
In other words, she is sneaky, and conniving.
But perhaps that was why Chief Zeke doted on Pieck. Always exclaiming she was 'Exactly Right' in any context.
"You never smile, not even at celebrations. What is the special occasion that brought on such a joyful mood?" Pieck glanced over her shoulder momentarily, looking back at her with a clever smile. "Could it be you're possibly falling for the Armored titan? How sweet, you were staring directly at him, after all."
Annie gagged. "Ugh, stop it, I was looking at Zophia. Anyway, what're you doing here, didn't you leave with Colt and Porco earlier?"
"Ah, yes Pokko." Pieck wagged her finger. "Poor Colt, couldn't handle his drink, he had two ales, thinking he could one up Pokko and the Chief, but he ended up being the one had." Pieck shook her head. "He threw up last night's supper all over poor Pokko."
Annie grimaced. Glad I wasn't there to witness that.
"The chief was with you guys?" Annie started to walk down the pier, Reiner and the young warriors were slowly becoming a speck in the distance. She ought to catch up to them soon. Pieck followed at her own pace.
"He was." Pieck nodded. "The meeting's were dismissed earlier than usual, Colt was also with him this time."
Annie perked at that. Interesting.
"Did Colt say anything of the meeting?"
Pieck gave a dry chuckle. "Only that it bored him to death, he isn't the most reliable informant, y'know, he kept saying Chief Zeke alluded him, Colt told me that the only secret our Chief intended on revealing was, quote, the secret way he wipes his ass, unquote."
Annie made a disgusted noise. Men.
"Anything else?"
Pieck hummed thoughtfully. "Hm, in the months to come, we should be preparing for our next attack on Paradise, though I'm sure you, as the Vice Commander, has received such information."
"Of course." Annie lied. She did well to mask the surprise. I was not told anything of this! Why the hell are we jumping into another war when we just got back from one?!
Irritation bubbled within her. I don't want to go back there. And… If I leave… What damage will Eren cause here?
Annie was the only one who knew that the 'Usurper' of the Marley resided on this very land. She did not tell a single soul. Even if her anxiety made her want to scream out for him to just leave her alone. For she knew she was being followed… Or at least, she felt so. Even now.
"You probably dread going back to that Island, huh?"
Annie groaned. "I need a vacation."
Pieck put a hand to her mouth, giggling. "Well what better way to spend a vacation than on an Island." She nudged Annie with a wink.
Annie merely rolled her eyes. After a moment of walking in comfortable silence, she decided to prod the Cart girl for more information. Or whatever quips of it she could stow away for later. Both young women stopped at a bench, once Annie had caught sight of Reiner standing watchfully off the shore of the Beach, while the kids chased, and splashed water at each other in the shallow waves. Completely ruining their uniforms. No doubt Commander Magath will get on me for this.
"So you're saying the Marley are going to host a festival in Liberio?" Annie leaned against the rails. The ocean breeze whipped her blonde hair about.
Pieck nodded. Taking a seat on the bench, she rested the crutch beside her. "So I've heard. Apparently the festival is to be a peacemaker sort between our enemies, as well as our allies, every countries representative whom had battled or aided the Marley in the past is going to be there."
Annie raised an eyebrow. "That's a war waiting to happen." At home, no less. Damn it.
"Maybe." Pieck hummed, "But I've heard rumors… Rumors that the Tybur family will actually be the ones to host the festival, on behalf of the Marley. What is his name… " Pieck put a finger to her chin in thought, "Ah! Willy, Willy Tybur, yes. The Eldest son of the Tybur family, he's to be the one to tell the story of the Great War, or Marley's version of it at least."
Annie furrowed her brows. "The Tybur family? Like… the Tybur family from the Eldian history texts?"
"The very same."
"But… They hadn't revealed themselves in centuries? What purpose would they have to show themselves now?"
Truthfully I thought the powerful Tybur family were a myth… But they're real? What the hell else is being kept from us?
Eren's voice echoed in her mind.
"The family keeps themselves well hidden. Even for an Eldian family, they've had close ties with the Marley for many years, but the War Hammer is exclusively their own."
They've had close ties with Marley for many years. A drop of sweat ran down Annie's temple.
"The Marley do not own them."
The legend of Helos. The Marley warrior, and the family who sided with him to overthrow the king…
Annie groaned. "Oh, shit."
"Eh, sorry? I was only saying that the Marley consider the Tybur's as honored guests, compared to other rich Eldian families."
Annie cursed again. "I should've listened during those stupid History sessions."
Pieck blinked languidly. "Um, yes. I suppose you should have. Why?"
Because the Tyburs are the family that have the War Hammer titan... The family whose ancestors aided Helos centuries ago. And now Eren…!
Annie jolted, wiping the bit of sand that caught in her eye. Pieck watched her warily. "Well you're jumpy, is the thought of having to be sociable at a festival getting to you?"
Annie side-eyed her. "Yes. What time do we leave for Liberio?"
"At around 0600 am, Why?"
"When's the next scheduled train for Liberio after that one leaves?"
Pieck was giving her a discerning look now. "I'm not so sure, I think the next one is scheduled to board a week from now… Hey don't tell me you plan on bailing on us." The cart girl chuckled lightly.
"No, I'm only asking in advance, in the case that one of us miss this one."
Annie inwardly cringed. Eren was right, she was a terrible liar. But asking Pieck would be quicker than finding out the information on her own. Right now, time was of the essence.
"Tell Reiner I'm heading back to the barracks to pack up, and to make sure the kids dry off their uniforms when they're done, I don't want Magath getting on my ass for anything."
"You suddenly sound determined," Pieck raised an eyebrow, "What's with this change of attitude?"
Annie turned to face her. "Oh, nothing. I just remembered, I have a date tomorrow."