Glad to see the story getting more popular, and yeah I'm also anticipating writing for Reiners perspective as well. Will be a timeskip in it from when he first returns to he mailand, to where it currently is now with him returning to his mother with Gabi and Falco. After that it'll turn into what I hope would happen in the story, with a somewhat believable possibility. As usual drop a review, Let us Begin.
As Eren left her mind, Annie was left to ponder his last words to her. "Even after all that happened, I still cared". The thought of him caring for her was not a new one, but she never put much thought into it before. Her mission and all the decisions she had to make never really allowed her time to be "normal" in her social life, or her lack of.
She did notice back then that he preferred to be with her in training, as well as the way his sister was even more overprotective when Annie was involved with something or close by. Annie herself wasn't completely innocent in that sense either. After all she was the one who offered to train him, and insisted on it when he denied at first. That and her talking and showing more emotion towards him might've been noticed by the others. And then there was that one time..
She smiled slightly as she remembered a day they had been training in hand to hand with rifles, when Annie tossed Eren's charge to the ground as usual. He'd scolded her about being too rough, to which her reply was for him to go easy on her "frail maiden body" as she put it. He told her to stop joking, and she then proceeded to show him a way to take down larger opponents.
As he struggled under her close and tight lock, she had told him he needed to learn how to use his strength...and how to talk to women. She won't lie to herself by saying she didn't enjoy his company the most during those 3 years, but she is new to the concept of someone other than her father caring for her outside of friendship. She knew that Bertoldt had watched her quite alot, but he never made a move on her. And now if what Eren said was true, he never would.
In a way it's almost sad, but then she remembers how he dissociated himself from even Reiner at first when it came to completing the mission. He had been the one who wanted to begin the attack that day in Trost, and he went ahead and began the attack the day all of their "friends" were graduating. Reiner had been a little annoyed at not being told ahead of time to prepare himself mentally, and she just kept up her usual apathetic facade.
Eren telling her that he didn't want to hurt her even now, knowing full well what she was, what she has done, and still willing to look past that, was enough to surprise her. It's almost foolish, but she does enjoy that he doesn't want to hurt her. She remembered how even then he hadn't wanted to fight her in Stohess, how he didn't want to believe any of it. She'd done alot of thinking these few months, after all what else could she do in this case?
'If he can promise for me to not be killed immediately, I'll do it. I'll wake and fight, I'll destroy the bastards who kill and lie to our people. Just like Eren said years ago when talking about the titans, I will kill them. Every Last One.'
As Eren opened his eyes he felt a wave of dizziness and held himself upright by grabbing onto the crystal with his right hand. Mikasa stepped forward to try and catch him, but he held up a hand to her and the rest.
"Thanks but I'm good. I'm fine, don't worry. It's already passing." Hange and Armin are the first to ask in unison the most obvious question on their minds.
"Did it work? Did you talk to her?" He nods his head and sees the section leader look thrilled at new knowledge being presented to her. Armin presses on however.
"What did she say? Is she willing to cooperate, to fight?" Again Eren nods his head and goes to explain.
"Even better Armin. I saw into some of her memories, from her childhood to the last time she was awake, and then I talked to her conscious mind. She's awake, and I spent a lot of time talking to her in there, she was more open than before, believe it or not. And she is willing to help us with full trust." But a voice interrupts his talk to restate the common knowledge they have about the girl in question.
"Really? And why should we believe anything she says now? She was a great liar before we caught her, and she still is one now." Mikasa interjects, her eyes still in distaste that the girl who she hated was even aware of their situation. Eren looked at her with a bit of anger, but keeps his composure.
He knew the irrational hate his sister always had for Annie even when they first met 3 years ago. But he's not going to let it destroy the progress they have made, that he's made, all because of her feelings for him. Feelings he had told him when they thought they were about to die as the Smiling Titan no, Dina, had torn apart Hannes like his mother the day of the fall. Feelings about her love for him, feelings she harbored since the day he gave her that scarf around her neck she still wore.
Feelings that he told her that he did not return in that way, that while he would always care for her, were only as siblings, as family. The same meaning of family that he had with Armin as well, and that those in the 104 had become a part of in their way, even Jean. Looking at his sister he tells her directly while still addressing the room, what he saw in there.
"Enough, Mikasa. Yeah we all know what she's done. I know it just as well as you do that she's done some horrible things, things I saw right in front of my eyes. But I saw her past Mikasa, I saw and felt her thoughts, her memories. She never wanted to be our enemy from the start. She wanted to help us, our people." A few gasps are made as he gives this revelation, and even Levi looks less bored as he steps forward.
"Well she has an ironic way of displaying it Eren. Why don't you tell us more?" Eren nods and continues.
"She hates the Marley, she always has. She joined the warrior program to not only gain a shifter power to complete her mission, but to use the Founding Titan to control all the mindless Titans here and eradicate Marley. I saw her in her home, chanting over and over "Retrieve the coordinate, kill the Marley" like a lifeline until her father called her. I saw her face change to absolute fear, and it was just like the day we fought in Stohess.
I saw her blow off Reiner and Bertoldt talk about loyalty to Marley when they were training in that program. I saw her memories the day we captured her in Stohess. I saw her leave her father, who I think might've learned the truth of what she was going to try. He didn't seem to be loyal to them either, but knew what their situation was. She struggled when she came here with them about whether she could do all this. She will be on our side if we don't kill her, she's already thought about fighting with us. She's agreed to do it if we don't attack her. All I need is your word that you won't harm her if she wakes.
It all boils down to how much your willing to trust in her, and I know none of you want to after all that's happened. I wouldn't expect you to, but I want you to think of where we will be if we don't. She knows them, she lived among them, and she wants to destroy them just like I do. This decision is probably one of the most important we'll ever make from here on. What's it going to be?"
The atmosphere in the room thickens so much that you could practically grab it with your hand. They all discuss things kow to eah other, and Eren sees a little but if arguing between Armin, Mikasa and Connie. Historia is quietly conferring with Hange and Levi, but her expression gives him hope that she will agree, even if it comes with a few terms. Finally they all turned to face him again, and Eren saw varying expressions across all of them. Hange and Historia stepped forward first, and began.
"Alright Eren, if she comes out she will not be harmed. However we will have to keep her restrained as a precaution for a small amount of time to prepare for if she doesn't want to work with us. Now I believe what you are saying is true about her memories, but we can't guarantee that she won't retaliate against us out of revenge. She'll be kept in the same style of room you are, underground and under minor but close watch. Let her know Eren, this is a one time chance. If she betrays us again, we have no choice to imprison or kill her. Those are the terms, do you agree?"
He plays it all back in his head, including the threat of death if she turns on them again. But inwardly he smiles, because he knows it won't come that. She will fight for them, with them, with him against the enemy across that ocean Armin and the rest finally went to. He nods hard and is surprised to see a small smile on Historia's face as she can't fully express how happy for him that he can have Annie back. Eren promises himself inside to try and find out about Ymir, or even, no that was thinking too far ahead.
"Alright Eren, I think it's time you left to tell her. Make sure she knows all the terms before she comes out, I'd hate to see our chance to gain her trust leave because you forgot something." Historia chides him, almost in the same way his mother would when he would have to be rescued by Mikasa as kids back then. He smiles a little, and nods as he turns to place his hands again on the crystal. But before he closes his eyes Mikasa steps forward, to ask to speak in private. A little irritated at being delayed during the moment of truth, he agrees and they walk out to the hallway outside of the room Annie and the rest are in.
"Eren.." She starts, but he cuts her off.
"No Mikasa, I'm not going to hear about how we can't trust her, or anything negative right now. We finally have something to give us an edge and you still insist on seeing the bad, the past. What's done is done, so why can't you just let go?" She looks at him with angry tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"Why couldn't you?! Ever since we came back for the beach she's been the only thing on your mind hasn't she? You've been looking so hard for reasons to trust her that you never stopped to think if she changed too. Are you really prepared to have to fight her if she betrays us again?"
He takes a step forward and she crumbles a little at the anger in his eyes, it reminds her of the face his Titan made when he nearly devoured Annie in Stohess.
"It's Not going to happen."