Chapter Fifteen

Warning for potentially triggering content (sadism).

"Do you know how many people you killed?" shrieked Margot.

"I'm as bad as he is," Annie agreed.

146, Margot thought, but she didn't voice the number. People weren't numbers. Dad reduced people to numbers, and she wasn't going to be like him. "So you're the big one he's after."

"What?"

"He keeps talking about publically torturing the people behind this – this mess – we walled are in." Margot rolled her eyes. "No idea whether they'd be happy or horrified, but he seems positively giddy at the idea. Keeps talking about a genocidal titan freak – I thought it might be that Survey Corps member, Eren –"

"He wants the Colossal Titan. He's a friend," Annie interrupted. "He's my age."

"But?" Margot stared at her. "You're too young!"

"You're never too young to be guilty." She laughed.

"I think you are. Not fully guilty, at any rate. Adults made you do it, right?" Her compassion smothered Annie. Come closer and I'll kick you.

"If he tries to torture you, he'll start a riot." Margot shook her head. "We can't let him."

"I think that's inevitable, unless..." Annie raised her eyebrows. "How about we start it first."

"What?"

"Cut me."

"Are you kidding?"

"Cut me, bitch, if you want to live. He can't mean to torture me and leave someone people would actually sympathize with alive!"

"People don't sympathize with the nobles! Not anymore, thanks to you soldiers!" Margot grabbed Annie's wrist and dug her fingernails in. "I didn't choose to be born a noble! It's not my fault."

"I didn't choose to be born where I was, either. I just…went along with the flow," Annie said.

Margot sniffled. "You – you don't hate me?"

"No. I don't hate…anyone really. But not because I'm benevolent. I just…pity them." Annie shrugged.

"Okay." Margot straightened. "I just drew a little blood on your wrist; do you think it will be enough?"

"I can barely see it." This girl was too nice. "But yes. Get close to me. No, closer. Away from my arm."

Annie closed her eyes. Steam hissed from her arm and glass shards hardened over her skin. She ripped her arm up, severing the ties.

Most titans didn't learn enough restraint to only partially transform. She supposed she ought to be grateful to Dad for that. It'd come in handy to save Erwin and Saskia before, and now she could save herself. And Margot.

"Uh – uh – that's r-really interesting…" Margot backed away.

"I'd be far more concerned if I were an ordinary human at this point." Annie braced herself Reiner-style and flung her body at the door. The stone cracked, and Margot gasped behind her. Just a few more runs.

Toeing the line between transformation was not fucking easy. Annie winced and ran again – just as Darius yanked the door open.

Her reaction was immediate. With an enormous explosion, the female titan returned to Wall Sina.


It was their turn to search for Annie again this morning, and damned if Levi expected any good, but damned if he wasn't going to try.

Except…

Hange grabbed Levi's arm and stared in the direction of smoke. "That's…"

"Titannnnnn!" A man bolted past.

"I think we found Miss Annie." Levi shoved Hange. "Go tell Historia. I'll see what the situation is."

"Don't die, clean freak." Hange ran towards the palace, but this would take way too long…

"There's a titan!"

"Where's the Queen? She beat one before, right?"

Children ran by crying.

"Why does this keep happening to us?!"

Hange swore under her breath. It was 3D-MG time.


"Your Majesty!" Hange raced into the palace.

"Hange!"

"What's all the noise?" Ymir stepped in front of Historia, Eren right behind her.

"Annie's transformed into a titan."

"What?" Eren screamed.

"Shut up," Ymir told him.

"We don't know if she's hostile or just trying to escape her situation, but now we have a serious situation on our hands. Historia. If she's hostile, I don't want you to engage, but – but if you can show up – that might be necessary."

"Of course."

Ymir frowned at the sudden deadness in Historia's eyes.

Just another character, just another act, like Krista Lenz.

"Look here!" Ymir grabbed Historia's shoulders. "You promised me you'd live for you. You want to act a queen, act a queen because you want to. You want to take charge and save the day in the midst of fighting, you do it because you want to. Don't go back into acting. Don't. Fucking. Go. Back."

"Is she allowed to say that?" Hitch hissed at Jean, who shrugged.

"Ymir does what Ymir wants."

"But I'm a terrible leader," cried Historia. "My throne is a sham that I use to help orphans, whom I haven't even seen in a week, and now I need to be queen again and I'm not suited – this is all my fault."

"This is no time for self-blame," Hange said, as Eren blurted, "We'll help you."

"What?"

"In any way we can." Eren held out his hand. "You're our friend, and I think you could be a good ruler. You just have to learn."

"Look at the bright side – you're already better than Eren," called Jean.

Hitch giggled nervously. "Or me."

"Don't insult yourself, Hitch."

"All right, Jean." Hange glared at him.

"My mother once told me being a leader was a learning process. One of the few true things she ever taught me." Ymir shrugged, but her eyes were kind. "Historia, you've got to start learning."

"Oh – oh – okay." Historia squared her shoulders and returned Ymir's strength. Don't let me down. "Lead the way, Hange. Where can I find extra 3D-gear?"


"Ahh-ahhh!" Margot gasped at the crystal glass shards protecting her.

The titan next to her groaned and lifted her arm and with it, Margot's protection, creating a tunnel towards the sunlight even as more stones piles atop her. Yup, I definitely didn't want to go underground before.

"You – you can't get out?" Margot looked horrified.

The titan rolled its eyes. Run, you spoiled imbecile.

"Will you suffocate?"

Not if you get me some fucking help. Annie growled, and Margot finally began scrambling up the steep, unsteady slope.

"I'll get help!" Margot yelled back.

"If you think that's killed me, you haven't the slightest clue." A voice whispered in her ear. "You're a fool, Annie Leonhart."

"Fine," the voice purred. "Let the noble run. Like that'll help you. You know – you should hate the nobles. They're the reason for the cursed memories. Such a pity, you failed your mission and your father after all."

Annie's blood chilled. She could and should crush him, but then he couldn't be exposed him before the public.

She could spare herself. She could crystallize again. Hurting her friends would be easy. It always had been.

She wouldn't have to face Armin.

But, how did he know about her father? The prospect both terrified and thrilled her. She had important information, information that might not be destructive.

He spluttered from the lack of oxygen. "You weren't meant to undergo my artwork!"

That did it.

Only a fool would believe a serial killer on the verge of suffocation. Only a fool would spare the one boy who could identify her.

Annie turned her face towards Darius and grabbed the squirming man with her mouth. She hardened her fists and face and thrust upwards. Yes, air.

She spat him out as bystanders began screaming "The commander!"

Commander Satan. Annie slid out of the titan.

"What do you know about my father?!" She lunged for him.

"Don't let it get away!" A townsperson grabbed her legs, a second her arms.

Do I really have to kill more? She was tired.

"Annie Leonhart!" Levi swooped in, knocking her attackers away. "What happened?!"

"She attacked from underground." Darius seized her and shoved his handkerchief in her mouth as a gag. "And now we're taking this titan spy to jail where we can properly bind her. Unlike you Survey Corps fools."

"What makes you think she won't transform on the way, you idiot?" Levi spat.

Annie blinked quickly at Levi. No, stop.

"We'll be quick. She won't," Zackly said smoothly, as Levi's scowl deepened.

Both men's eyes exchanged knowing and deadly glances as Darius led Annie away.

She almost felt proud of herself. Scheming like Armin for a change.

Meanwhile, Levi fumed in the decimated street. He'd decided to trust the Female Titan, the brat who'd massacred his squad, with no obvious solution. Erwin, I'm about to have a lot of regrets.

"What are you gawking at?" he snarled to the bystanders. "Get out of here, for your own safety."

"You're Levi, aren't you?" He was not expecting a filthy girl to slip out of an ally, to run towards him, to grab his arm. "I have an idea."


"How do you know my father?" Annie growled as Darius dragged her through the streets.

"That," said Darius, shoving her on a platform in front of the prison, "is not a question I'll ever have to answer."

"Oh, but you know you will if you want to control me." So he'd salvaged one of his horrible machines, there, in the corner. She would forgo her answers and die before he used it on her.

Darius opened his mouth to reply, but shouts from the growing crowd broke through first.

"Is that the female titan?!"

"Kill her right now! It's not safe!"

"Safe! You don't even know what safety is!" Annie yelled, kicking Darius' feet out from under him.

A woman screamed, and a man in the front begged, "Please don't kill us."

"Shut up," she told him. She really was the last person suited for this. Eren and Marlowe would be vastly superior than her.

She raised her voice. "Are you aware that all the missing nobles –"

"We don't care about 'em!"

"You should! You're all in the same situation, cowering against me, aren't you?" she fired back.

"Are you aware that this man – " She kicked Darius off his feet again. " – kidnapped and tortured all of them? He made them eat their own shit with his vile machines and considered it art! Yeah, you're fine examples of humanity! We titans are bad, I admit, but at least we have the decency not to like it! Maybe we're better people than assholes like your Commander-in-Chief!"

"You're just trying to get out of punishment," jeered an old lady.

"Do you honestly trust the military?" shot back a younger man. He turned to Annie. "How do you know this?"

"Margot Sturm, the last victim. She told me, from her own experiences and Thomas Vicar before her."

"Margot!" The old lady softened. Clearly, Margot was a popular figure for some reason. "Where is she?"

"She killed her! In her explosion!" Darius grabbed Annie by her messy hair.

"No, I set her free! He was going to kill her!" Annie laughed. "Do you think I would lie about this while admitting I'm the female titan?"

"Yes," someone yelled out.

Annie struggled against Darius' meaty hands tying rope around her feet. "Then maybe you deserve to be wiped out! If you can't for one moment think that there's more danger in this world than titans!"


She dissolved into laughter again. She had lost. She would have to kill them all. And she felt sick.

"This is chaos," Armin said, watching people shoved each other as they raced by.

"The female titan's on the loose!" someone shrieked.

"What?" Erwin turned to Saskia.

She shook her head. "She can't…that wouldn't make any sense."

"Look out!" Connie bent down to prevent an elderly man from falling. Sasha tightened her grip on him.

"Connie, don't fall."

"Thank you, sir," rasped the man as a child ran up screaming "Grandpa!"

"What is happening, sir?" Sasha asked the man.

"Commander Zackly caught the female titan from Stohess. He's going to torture her in the square. But who can keep it safe?" cried the man, tightening his grip on his grandson.

"We can," Erwin said.

"Go home," Sasha told the man, who nodded before running away.

Saskia's face was pure fear. Not Annie. Not her little sister. He could torture her instead, please.

"Our new mission is saving Annie," Erwin shouted back to the Survey Corps.

Reiner sweated. Soldier or Warrior, his goal was the same. How long had it been since then?

"Are you ready to face Annie again?" Armin asked Mikasa.

"I'm ready to face Zackly," she answered instead, pressing her lips together. He'll go after Eren and Reiner next. No.


Darius shoved Annie towards the machine. "Off with your hoodie."

"This isn't right!" someone hollered.

"Who do we trust?" screamed another. "Everyone's evil!"

No – not this humiliation – Annie fought tears as he grabbed for her shirt. Would killing them or herself be worse – she didn't like killing.

"You're naked as a titan, you'll be naked here," growled Zackly.

"Get off her!" A horse galloped into the square and a man dove directly onto Zackly, knocking him out of the way.

Annie gasped at the sight of Erwin Smith holding the throat of Darius Zackly, Mikasa right behind him.

"Annie!" Armin, Armin of all people, raced over with Saskia right by his side.

Saskia threw her arms around Annie. "You're safe; he won't hurt you, I promise!"

Darius chuckled. "Funny you're opposing me now, Erwin, but I don't recall you saying much before about my little secret."

"What?!" Saskia spun around to glare at Erwin.

"I was using you," Erwin informed him, keenly aware of Saskia's indignation. "The plan was always to replace you."

"With yourself? You never struck me as self-ambitious," Darius mocked. He attempted to kick Erwin over, but Mikasa's foot stomped him in the face first.

"Don't even think about it, you bastard."

"Arrest him!" screamed someone in the crowd.

"And her!"

"She's not the one," Saskia shouted back, thrusting Annie at Armin so she could race to the center platform. "I'm the wife of the titan leader. We forced the female titan to hurt people! She was a goddamn child! Blame me, not her!"

"You bitch!" someone yelled, tossing a rock at her. She flinched away, hating herself for every reaction. Her stoic persona could help right now. Dammit, where was it?

Mikasa's eyes met Reiner's, and she shook her head fiercely. But Sasha and Connie were already on him, holding him back.

"Arrest all three!"

Saskia gasped.

"Annie!" A pretty mess of golden-brown hair barreled onto the stage, a cluster of nobles and commoners by her side…and Levi.

"Margot!" So the commoners who had liked her charity work before the uprising remembered, after all.

"Darius kidnapped me and killed the other missing nobles! Annie helped me escape before he killed me, too!" Margot gestured wildly. "He exploits the poor living in the underground and enjoys torture as art! He's worse than a titan, hurting people because he likes it! At least titans are conscious enough to like it! He should be arrested, and no one else!"

She hesitated. "Oh, and Captain Levi agrees with me."

"Bring him forward," Erwin urged Mikasa. The crowds needed a show, and he hated it.

She wrestled Darius forward, hissing in his ear, "Don't fuck with an Ackerman."

The throngs booed and cheered as Erwin pointed Mikasa and a very relieved Levi towards the prison door. "Put him in there."

"And her! The Titan ally!" shouted someone.

Erwin hesitated, but Saskia nodded towards him. She'd spent enough time around Zeke to know how leadership worked. For now, the masses had to be appeased.


"Glad you're alive, Commander," Levi said stiffly outside the jail door, watching the crowds disperse under Survey Corps orders. "Now what's Reiner doing sulking outside, and where is Bertolt?"

Erwin slumped over. "It's a long story."

"Sounds important."

Behind those dark, irritable eyes he was begging for friendship and assurance, wasn't he? Erwin half-smiled.

"Why the hell are you giving me that creepy smile again?!"

"I'm so glad you're okay," Armin breathed towards Annie.

She stared through Armin. "My sister is in jail for trying to help me."

"We'll get her out. Just like all she wanted was to get you out," Mikasa said, striding up to them.

"Annie…" Armin's face flushed, and he wouldn't meet her eyes. "I'm sorry…about that day. I mean, I'm glad I did what I did, but I was sorry to hurt you."

Annie's expression was unreadable. "You performed your duty."

God dammit, she was supposed to be honest with him, to tell him how she really felt. And now that he was here, she just felt encased in crystal again.

"I still don't know why you went along that day…"

"Because I hoped you would be a good person to me."

"Oh – oh." Armin lowered his eyes. "I guess I wasn't."

Mikasa scowled at Annie. You want me to tell him, girl?

Annie hesitated. "Lis– l – listen, Armin – I don't know what the War Chief put you through, but I admire you and I'm glad you're alive."

"You are?" Armin brightened.

"Mmm-hmm." Annie swept her feet under him, and with a flood of fear, Armin toppled for the ground.

"No, Annie!"

Mikasa grabbed him before he hit the ground.

"That was close," breathed Armin from his knees. He didn't know if bruising himself could trigger an episode, but he didn't want to find out.

Annie squatted in front of him, her eyes shining. "So. You're a shifter now, too."

"What – Annie, are you crazy? You were trying to transform me?"

"Please." Annie tossed her head. "With Mikasa here, you were in no danger."

"What tipped you off? Her leg?"

Annie nodded, cringing at the obvious burns and bloodstains. "That and, from what Saskia says, Zeke seems to enjoy playing games. What better game than turning Eren's best friend into a titan? I'm surprised he made you a shifter, though I'm glad he did."

"I killed your friend Marcel's father." Armin teared up.

"He was more Reiner and Bertolt's friend. But I'm sorry for you." Annie drew in a shaky breath. "Maybe if you don't want lessons from an Armored Titan or our hot-tempered friend … I can help you control it."

"R – really? You don't hate me anymore?"

"I never hated you."

"I never hated you, either!" he cried.

"Really?" Annie blinked. No, he must have. She hated herself, so he must. "You know…I kicked the shit out of Bertolt when I thought you were dead."

Armin gasped. "You did?"

"She did," said Mikasa.

"What?!" Reiner ran over, away from an obviously eavesdropping Connie and Sasha. "Annie, you did what?!"

"I thought he'd killed Armin. I was distraught and newly out of a coma."

Mikasa choked.

"Armin." Annie grabbed his hand. "You were always very special to me."

"Annie." Armin shook. I was? Me?

"Time to go," Reiner whispered to Mikasa. To his relief, she let him pull her away.

Armin kept her hand in his. Small, delicate, strong. He liked her hands.


"You're late!"

Hange breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're okay!"

"Commander here has quite a story, of which he's told me the barest details."

"Good, more for everyone," said Hange, until she saw the jealousy on Levi's face. Oops.

"Annie's okay?" Historia gasped with relief.

"Eren!" Mikasa threw her arms around him.

"Too late again," growled Jean.

"I'm glad. Then that means there wasn't much action or disaster," Hitch shot back.

Ymir held Historia back from Annie and Armin. "Methinks the lovebirds are reuniting."

"Lovebirds?"

"You can't say you didn't notice her making eyes at Armin during training?"

"I actually didn't." Historia clapped her hands. "This is fabulous."

Levi and Hange exchanged glances. Figures.

"Am I the only one who notices couples," muttered Ymir. "I've predicted every. Last. One." She smirked at Jean. "Yes, even you and Marco. Now I'm predicting you and Hitch. So watch out."

"What?!" shrieked Hitch.

"Gross!" yelled Jean, his heart still skipping at the name Marco. Meanwhile, Eren burst into laughter, relieved that he wasn't needed this time.

That scared him. He should want to be needed.

"What's wrong?" Mikasa asked tenderly, but Eren shook his head.

"Excuse me?!" Hitch yelled in the background.

Ymir winked at Historia.

"We should listen to the Commander. I want to know what happened," Eren said wearily enough to scare Mikasa.


Zackly under arrest at last, the wife to the titan leader captured…the news should have made Dot Pixis happy, especially after yesterday's rumors, but it didn't.

He pounded on the door before him. "Nile! Queen Historia demands all three commanders pronto!"

Nothing. Pixis frowned, his intuition unsettled.

"Sir," Anka squeaked.

"I'll have to kick the door in," he growled.

"Wait, sir, I'm a good lockpick." Anka settled in front of the keyhole.

"So you are…Wait…Is that how my liquor cabinet has been replaced with water?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "Do we, Gustav?"

"R-right."

Anka shoved the door open. "Oh!"


She heard his footsteps come evening, but she didn't dare turn around.

His eyes bored into her, and Saskia wasn't the type to imagine abstract tomfoolery like this. But she could feel his gaze penetrating her back.

"I don't regret it."

Erwin stood silent. He'd expected nothing less.

"Saskia…"

Saskia turned around, though she still wouldn't meet his eyes. He should hate her for this. "I'd do it all again."

"I know you would." Erwin wanted nothing more than to hold her steady in two arms. "You have nothing to regret."

"My actions saved lives. My actions hurt you." Saskia stepped forward, into the light. Dark circles reflected her eyes.

Erwin's heart broke. She was in agony.

"I can stand a bit of pain for the greater good." He laughed hoarsely.

"As you've done your entire life." Saskia reached through the bars, placed her hand on his empty sleeve. She felt unworthy, but fuck worthy. "That's the logic that inspired Zeke's mission."

Erwin swallowed. She was right.

"Don't misunderstand. No matter what I did and all your sins, I see you as more whole a person than the one I married."

There was emotion in her voice. Erwin was not used to this Saskia, nor the meaning of her words.

"Maybe we're both damned."

"You don't deserve hell." Saskia peered up at him. Anguish and desire swirled like stormclouds through her eyes.

Is this love? Erwin felt a wild urge to kiss her, but no, he would never force anything on her.

"You don't need to be forgiven," Erwin told her instead.

"I do. Like I told you." Saskia closed her eyes and forced the words out. "But you don't have to." A tear leaked down her face.

Erwin drew in a breath and dropped to his knees. Her eyes popped open in surprise.

He reached his hand through the bars. "Then consider yourself forgiven, a valued member of the Survey Corp and an even more valued member of humanity."

Saskia's hand grasped his almost instantaneously. She didn't know whether to accept his words or not, but, oh, how wildly she wished to.

From around the corner, Annie eyed an open-mouthed Armin. "I don't oppose this."