A/N: I LIVE. So it's been a year and one month since I updated this story. Actually I haven't updated since last April, funny that I'd eventually update, this April. ha. Anyway, A LOT has happened in the Attack on Titan manga since then, and I've decided that this story was going to be, my version of last years chapters, as well this years. Because, omg, has a lot happened. And as much Canon-divergence this story is going to get, I also want to keep it IN canonverse. I'd like to thank the readers who have been patient with me, and the ones who had reviewed/ followed/ Favorited my story thus far! I hope to update this one soon as well! I'm dying for some timeskip ereannie interaction!

A Life with Some Regrets

The ruckus of the old tavern dwindled down to murmurs, whispers, and the occasional creaking of floorboards as the bar ladies went about their duty, wiping the tables of previous customers. Eren took solace in the hushed ambiance. Even enjoyed the uneven strum of strings from the harp an elderly woman played three tables across from his.

"So, you work here now?" He studied this 'older and elegant' Hitch Dreyse, Eren leaned against his chair, one hand gripped the handle of his refilled mug, and the other tapped a nervous rhythm on the table. Hitch occupied the seat adjacent to him, tucking curls of dust colored hair behind her ear.

"The military police aren't what they used to be." She shrugged.

Eren had to snort at that. "You mean crooks who smuggled illegal firearms for money?"

"They might have done some illicit stuff, but they paid us good."

He snorted again. Shook his head, let his eyes wander a bit further down her fine neck; then realized what his alcoholic addled brain wanted to gander at. He scoffed, instead turned his focus to the old woman that strummed the soft tune.

Hitch obviously noticed, it was in her devious nature to read the body language of men. She smiled, rested her chin in one hand, stripped down the hope of humanity with her own eyes, insuring he knew she noticed.

"Now with these," She waved her free hand in a circle, "Equal pay laws in the military, I could barely make enough to afford new clothes."

"You made enough for food and shelter, that should've sustained you."

She sniffed, "Well, I'm a girl with class, I could hope for a little more."

Eren brought the mug to his lips, sipping at his ale to keep from making an absurd comment about class, and her rear. "Mm-Hm."

Then it was quiet, only the soothing pluck of taut strings drifted into his ears. The chair Hitch sat in whined as she leaned her back to it, Eren listened to the sigh that left her lips, and the exhausted words that followed. "It wasn't just, the payment." She pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbed the skin there.

"I had stuff I wanted to leave behind, baggage, y'know?"

Eren was always envious of those people. The kind of people who could freely drop the stones that sat upon their shoulders, and run from it all. From the weight of shielding humanity from disaster, from themselves, to finally feel liberated of the bloodshed, and the losses. He saw it in her. That freedom; Eren tilted his head, tendrils of brown locks fell over his eyes, but, he also saw a deep grievance etched into the corners of her downturned lips.

"I wanted to start new," She shrugged, "After all that happened, I couldn't keep working there, everyone I knew, they..." Hitch trailed off into a heavy sigh. "They moved on."

"Or died." Eren quipped, too drunk to form words of condolences. Hitch met his murky green eyes with an appalled look, but it died all too soon to be replaced by one of irritableness.

"Yes." She clucked her tongue, "Anyways, enough about that, how about you?"

"Me?"

"Uh-huh," Hitch rested her chin at the tops of her fingers, "Tell me, what is Eren Jaeger, meister of the titans, doing in a dingy Inn like this?"

Eren gave her a peculiar look, "Meister of the titans?"

"Well, yeah, that's what I've heard the townspeople call you, at least."

He shrugged, "I just needed to get some air, ended up walking halfway across Mitras until I reached the gates of Sina, and then I found myself... here."

Hitch snorted, and the sound somehow offended Eren. "Nice try, Jaeger." She drawled, "But only drunks, married couples, and folk who are trying to run away from something end up here," She pointed an accusing finger him, "and I don't see a fine lady on your arm, so...?"

Eren stared at her, heavy lidded, a smidgen of shame prodded the pits of his stomach. "M'not running from anything."

Hitch grinned, Cheshire-like, her olive eyes seemed to smile too, "Then you were looking to get shit-faced, huh?"

"Ugh, do you have to put it that way?" He grumbled. "What's so wrong about me drinking anyway?"

"Nothing," Hitch pursed her lips as she looked him up and down, "It's just… a bit weird."

Eren rolled his eyes, negligent at her poking into his personal affairs.

"You're like the poster boy of the Survey Corp," she continued, "wouldn't expect you to even be able to hold down your drink."

Eren scoffed, fixed her with a challenging gaze, and then in one swoop, knocked back the rest of his ale, gulping down the rest of the alcohol in two swigs. He slammed the mug back onto table, wiping the excess foam from his lips. He covered his mouth, belching quietly. "You were saying?"

Hitch made a sound of approval. "Not bad, Jaeger." She scooted her seat closer to the titan shifter, Eren eyed her warily.

"… besides that," HItch glanced behind her, around the tavern, then brought her attention to him. Her voice an octave lower as she spoke again. "Shouldn't you be over there, now?"

Eren perked, a strange sensation coiled in his gut. Worry. "Why, did something happen?"

"Not that I know of," Hitch twiddled her thumbs beneath the table. "Just the things that I shouldn't know."

Icy fingers danced along his spine, forced him back into cold hard reality, the hairs of his arms stood up from the abrupt chill, Eren lowered his head, "Hitch…"

"And I don't know much, before you tell me anything!" She added in a hasty whisper. "Just rumors."

"What rumors?"

Hitch was reluctant to say, she brushed away the fringes that fell over her eyes, wrung her hands together nervously. It was than the old harp lady began to sing. A soft hum, then a tired melodious voice accompanied by the light 'ting' rhythm of her harp. The noise of the tavern grew ever silent as she sang.

'O' Queen of Hope,

Lead us, to gold and riches be

As thou hast a pure heart … '

Hitch sighed, "About, you know." Her eyes met distressing emeralds as she faced Eren. He could no longer find solace in the lightheaded buzz of the alcohol, why was it always her that would do this him. Why couldn't he just escape? Eren clutched the edge of the table, he needed an anchor.

"You shouldn't know anything, least of all, rumors about that." He hissed.

Hitch's face went sour, "Hey—hey, don't get prissy with me. I didn't even start them, I just heard, okay?"

"From who?"

'O, hope! Shine upon us,

Thy blinding light

Purest thy could see … '

"Not who," Hitch shook her head, "Where. There's eyes and ears all over Mitras, y'know, these people thrive off gossip like it's their life source."

"Hitch, rumors like that spreading throughout the town," He drew closer to her, caution written in his body language. "Could be dangerous for us."

Especially for Annie. The persistent voice in his mind added.

"I know that!" Hitch fussed, "Don't worry about it, nobody really believes the rumors anyway."

'Open mine eyes,

Behold wondrous

Things of thy law … '

Eren slumped into his chair, enlaced his fingers behind his head, exhaling loudly, he dropped his hands. Who could be starting the rumors? An urgent alarm gone off in his brain that would not dissipate unless he found out who could be the culprit jeopardizing the Survey Corps' secrecy of Annie Leonhardt. The fact that only his fellow Survey Corp members came to mind, made him sink further into the chair. It could be anyone of them. He swallowed.

Eren remembered Annie's face that time he'd gone into the cell, the pale face of a lost, worn, girl. A small frightened girl. Not the steely expression of the girl who fought him with blood, and teeth and skin. Then he recalled the face of Mikasa, how conflicted she appeared as she clutched that faded red scarf in her hand. She pitied him. He couldn't stand it.

His gut wretched, a twisting, burning sensation of his insides. Eren winced. Alcohol, it's the alcohol.

"You believe it, don't you?" He turned to Hitch who sat wistfully, as she watched the old lady sing, the older woman's praising chorus nearly coming to an end.

Hitch sighed. "I don't know, I don't know what to believe but… if there is a chance that someone, anyone, who I had once worked with in the past, is still alive, I would want to know."

The bar ladies began to clap as the old woman reached the finale of her song, the bartender wiped mugs behind his counter. Eren felt the world was trying to punish him by making him watch those he had hurt himself, fall apart.

He gazed into his empty mug, feeling just about the same.

'O' Queen of hope,

Purest thy could see… '

Armin shifted uncomfortably in his seat; they've been sitting in the meeting hall for more than two hours by now. They consisting of himself, Commander Hange, Captain Levi, and Commander Brzenska of the Garrison. Queen Historia Reiss, and Commander-in-Chief Zackley, also appointed as the Queen's counsel, were seated on elevated benches facing them all. Hange's newly appointed assistants sat two rows back from Armin, Levi and she; Ink quills and paper at hand, jotting down notes for the future. Jean Kirstein was one of the handful of assistants. He had barely acknowledged Armin's weak wave of a greeting when they'd all arrived.

The reason for this disquieted meeting was of crucial interest. It was held to discuss the status of the current war in the mainland. Eldia was at its climax of its ongoing war with a faction called the Mid-East Union. But how was it that they- the wretched bad blood- knew of this war?

The battleships that'd been sent by the Marley to Paradi island held many, if not only, Marley-branded-Eldians. All, if not most, surrendered, and provided the officials snippets of information, the happenings, the deaths, and the stir of war in the mainland. But it wasn't out of their hatred of servitude to the Marley that they had given up so willingly.

Though they came with advanced machinery. Rapid firing guns, explosives that shook the earth, weapons of iron, metal, gunpowder, and fire, all put together in one. It was fascinating, yet so menacing had Armin not already known those machines existed prior, he would have been truly terrified.

Paradi had overwhelmed the warships. Made every soldier's eyes bulge from their sockets when they witnessed the beast with sharpened ears and glowing emerald eyes howl into skies, the colossal creature of destruction that created tsunamis with every groundbreaking footfall into the sea. The failed experiments of titan science who soared high into the clouds, swinging from hooks lodged into the meat of the colossals neck, leading thousands of others cloaked in black. Their eyes dark, their ink hair whipping in the wind, their bodies birthed, and honed to be a weapon of use.

The Ackermans. The forbidden clan who had been immune to the old kings mind erasure one hundred and four years ago.

It was out of blood-pulsing fear, that the remaining enemy soldiers had surrendered, dropping to their knees onto the shore of Paradi; shaken, filthy, soaked, and covered in sand.

They'd been blinded with pain, some with confusion, some with rage, and some with all three. Brainwashed by their Marleyian neighbors to believe Paradi was an island of devils. Armin may as well had been a demon in the form of a young man. To them, he was a god of destruction. And destroy he did, for it was for the purpose of the mission. No ships would ever bypass their defenses, nothing of the Marley would ever set foot on their cursed land.

He did what he had to do. So did Eren, and the armies who aided them. No survivors. No mercy. But for one.

"You're suggesting, Hange," Chief Zackley cleared his throat, he locked eyes with the Commander of the Survey Corp, "that we're just to heed the words of a P.O.W you had set free… without informing the Queen, or even discussing the matter with me, or the Garrison, might I add. Do you even realize the imminent danger you have put the walls in? The people? Do you care? Or is this another one of your experiments gone haywire, has your rational thought stopped working since the battle at sea?"

Armin stood to voice an opinion, but Hange held her hand up to him. He looked to his Commander, eyebrows furrowed, her amber eye shone with various possibilities for the end of this meeting.

I got this. She told him wordlessly. He swallowed, then sat back down. Levi, who was seated to her right, folded his arms, leaning further back into his chair, he glared heavily at the man who dare insult his three-eyed Commander, if looks could kill, Zackley would cease breathing.

"Chief, please listen," She leveled with him, her tone taking the same superiority. "the man we had sent back to the Mainland, was not our prisoner of war. He was not even a real soldier of the Marley. He was a civilian of the Ghettos who had snuck aboard their ships disguised as a soldier. We held him behind bars, yes, though we showed no mercy to the Eldians that attacked us. We let him live for one sole reason." Rico Brzenska muttered something accusatory under her breath, Hange ignored her, continuing evenly. "And it was for that reason we entrusted him to become our eyes and ears within the Mainland."

Zackley stroked his beard, curious. "That reason being?"

"He is the father of a warrior terrorist who sabotaged us four years ago."

The meeting hall stilled. Every breath in the room hushed, every quill and paper silenced. Rico snapped her head to Hange, her eyes wide in disbelief. Zackley seemed unperturbed, but his eyes gleamed with a sort of daunting interest that reminded Armin so faintly of his very own Commander.

"Which one?"

"Annie Leonhardt, Sir."

Armin heard whispers erupt behind him, he fought the urge to glance back. To see what face Jean was making, or Floche, a former member of the nearly dead Military Police division. The only individuals within this meeting hall who knew of Annie Leonhardt's breakthrough from the crystal, were himself, Jean, Floche, Captain Levi, their Commander, and their Queen Historia. So in count, a majority of the Survey Corp.

Chief Zackley, and Commander Brzenska were excluded, solely for the reason that Hange dubbed them to be extremists against the warriors. Even if Chief Zackley was the Queen's Counsel, he was only appointed because of his past experience in the law as a judge. Armin had only heard rumors of the Chief's torture methods, his humiliation and exposure of the Military Police had shocked the people.

Though Brzenska only thought logically in a sense, she was also still ruthless. Still recovering from the loss of their beloved Commander Pixis who backed Commander Hange with the strength of the Garrison during the battle against the Marleyian warships. She believed Hange owed her, or rather the Garrison, for such a loss. Rico would have no trouble with executing the female titan, and anyone who dare get in her way to pursue that goal. Armin twiddled his thumbs under the table, watching the Commander of the Garrison menacingly narrow her eyes at Hange.

"You put your trust into the parent of a damned terrorist?" She hissed, "Are you mad?"

Yes. Armin thought.

"Brzenska." Zackley coldly addressed her. Rico huffed, but relented. She dropped her snarl to the desk before her, fingers curled tight around the quill she held. Armin knew very well she intended to hear every word his Commander spoke.

Zackley focused on Hange. "Annie Leonhardt, the female titan, she is still under your custody, correct?"

"Yes. Her crystal has been under surveillance since we had apprehended her."

"There haven't been any changes in these past four years?"

"There have not, Sir."

Armin's nape perspired, his palms were clammy as he folded them in his lap. Something about keeping secrets from his superiors made him uneasy, and Armin was a young man of many secrets. Yet Commander Hange was as taciturn as his Captain. She showed little to no signs of discomfort. Armin greatly admired her ability to put on a poker face when harboring a terrorist of the walls.

Zackley asked again. "Have you managed to chisel through her armor?"

"No, Sir."

"Hm."

Brzenska stirred in her seat. "I don't believe it." She grumbled, directing her glare to Hange.

"What's not to believe?" Hange countered. "I am a Commander first, but scientist second, If I had the results I would've shared with you all the ground-breaking news."

"You're telling us that even after four years of studying innovative technology, the titans, and the world beyond ours, as well as advancing our machinery, you still haven't managed to break through a bloody diamond?"

"It's crystal."

"Whatever. I refuse to accept your lies, and I refuse to accept that a man would go far and wide for a daughter that could, and should be dead."

Armin swallowed, his mind working to find a gateway. Though Hange might have already predicted Brzenska's suspension, as she beckoned for one of her advisors to come forward. Floche brought to her a thick envelope, he and Armin shared a look as he walked back to his seat.

"We have tried our thunder spears," Hange opened the envelope, from it she placed on her desk, four grainy black and white photographs. The discovery of photography was founded by Eren four years ago in the ruins of Shigansina, left for him by his late father Grisha Jaeger; but the mechanism behind was researched, then later reinvented by the Commander herself, and tested by several other scientists of the Survey Corp.

The walls very first camera was introduced during the year of 853, but the celebrations were cut short when the Marley warships' air horns drowned out the music, and the joyous mood. The Marley had come, the Battle at sea had commenced.

"They did, in fact, manage to scrape the crystal, however," Hange held up one of the photo's, Armin instantly recognized them. They were three shots of their many attempts to crack Annie's crystal, and one of Annie while she slept in her crystal, the photos were taken months ago, "If you notice, the smoke coming from the sides," Hange pointed to a smoky spot on the photograph, though it was hard to tell really what it was, "while the crystal did take some damage, the thunder spear took more. Yes, it was designed to explode on impact, but, this one, completely disintegrated."

Zackley nodded to one of assistants to retrieve the photographs. This was the perfect bait. Armin thought, Photography despite now being a new discovery for people within the walls, was still not widely popular, He knew his Commander had made up the smoking crystal, and defective thunder spears, he knew because he had been with her when they had used them. The crystal had burst into a rain of sparkling shards from one side, and Annie, unfortunately for her, had lost an arm. The second time round they'd only clipped the other side, but it was enough to puncture through, Annie had been severely injured, for the most part, but she was out, and that was all that mattered than.

"I am currently looking for another solution besides the thunder spears,"Hange added, "If Annie Leonhardt is alive, I don't want to kill her upon breaking the crystal. It's a progress, it may be another year or so until the Survey Corp have a breakthrough in this case."

"Why not use Eren's titan abilities?" Zackley pondered while he looked over the photo's.

"We had, Sir, but Eren's hardening ability is not as strong as Leonhardt's."

Brzenska scoffed, again. But said nothing. Commander Hange had made her point.

Zackley was quiet as he investigated each picture. Then he sat back, adjusted his glasses, and exhaled. Armin unnoticeably did the same.

"I do believe you, Hange, I respect you. But, please understand you still must take punishment for releasing a prisoner of war, you must realize that you have committed a grand felony of the walls, endangering it's citizens regardless of the prisoner's intentions to help us for the sake of his daughter. We don't know whether or not he would turn against us, we don't even know if he had provided us with truthful information." Zackley turned to The Queen who had sat humble and quiet throughout the entire meeting.

"If the Queen would grant this charge that is, but please do consider the lives of your people, your majesty."

Queen Historia, who knew very well of Annie Leonhardt's breach, and of Commander Hange's plan to swindle Annie's father into working for the Survey Corp as a Spy, picked up the quill from the ink jar on her desk, "Commander Hange, I side with Zackley, you acted alone on a gamble of a plan, you have put us at risk, despite your claims " She sighed, though softly. then continued, "I hereby suspend your rank as Commander for sixty days, you will be under house arrest, and I will halt your investigation of the Marley until further notice of the prisoner's intel comes forth, and will be directly delivered to me."

Hange's face remained passive, as did Captain Levi's. One would think it was out of professionalism, but Armin knew better. Hange's assistants did well to act surprised, Jean appeared more angry, or angrier than usual. Commander Brzenska seemed satisfied with the outcome, though she did well to hide it.

"Levi, you will lead the Survey Corp in Hange's absence. This meeting will be adjourned until I have received, and gone over the last information of the Prisoner, you're all dismissed."

"Well, that was a hard shit to swallow." Levi slumped against the door of Hange's office. Tired, and weary.

Hange sat atop her desk, going over the arrest warrant signed by the Queen herself. Hange was proud of her.

"It may have been, but we knew this would happen. Historia was only doing what is right of her position." Hange sighed, "In any case Chief Zackley and Brzenska aren't so suspicious of me anymore, I could freely continue my research without them hovering over my back."

Levi perked a brow, "And the letters?"

Hange shrugged, "We discussed this already, Historia will be overlooking them,"

Levi stared at her. Hange exhaled. "yes, along with me."

"Right. But what of the key points you left out when relaying the information to Zackley?"

It was Hange's turn to stare. Levi huffed, "The fact that one of ol' papa Leonhardt's letters was smeared with blood, for one, and that he had asked for a coup against the Marley, against Eldia, an entire damned nation, for two."

Hange laid the warrant down on her desk, her face went somber. "He said he found our allies, people who stand with Paradi to rebel against the Marley."

"He claimed he found allies, Hange, you're smart, please don't act stupid."

Hange stood from her desk, turning her back to Levi, she walked over to the windowpane behind her desk, gazing out into a field of dust, and grass. The sun's rays washed her in yellows, oranges and reds. The wrinkles around her eyes became more prominent.

"Levi," it was her distressed tone that caught his undivided attention. "we don't know when we'll be their next attack." She swallowed, lifting her hand to remove her glasses, "And we don't know how much more damage our militaries could take, Armin and Eren are our greatest assets in power- but, even they have a limit on their lives."

She shook her head, as she spoke quietly, "What good comes from waiting," Hange turned to face Levi then, "I can't wait anymore, Levi, I refuse to, you know I'm an impatient person."

It was than Levi realized Hange's true intention. He gawked at her, dark eyes growing furious as the seconds passed by. This damned woman.

"... You plan on crossing that sea during your suspension, don't you..." Levi stepped forward, "Going into enemy territory?"

Hange said nothing, because he was right. Levi growled, "Hange, you… Hange." He ripped his eyes from her, instead pacing back and forth to quell the rage he felt. The same dire emotions that had overcome him when Erwin made his decision to lead his final expedition.

"It's not revised yet," She quipped, "I still have the blueprints Mr. Leonhardt had sent me of the Zeppelin, It was good enough for us, we've made so much progress over their past year, it's almost ready and I-"

"You're insane." Levi swung around, glaring her down like he did Erwin, all those years ago. "Who do you think you are, huh? Erwin?" Still his previous Commander's name brought a twinge of pain to his heart. "Stop acting the martyr, and think logically for a minute, you're a scientist, fucking act like one."

"Levi…"

"The Marley are an entirely advanced nation, with far more allies than we could ever hope to gain on our side." Levi marched towards her desk, placing both his palms on the hardwood, his eyes were harsh, but for Hange, who knew him for more than ten years, they were pleading. "Listen to me when I tell you this, whatever you have planned, however way you plan on getting to Eldia, whomever you plan on bringing with you to overthrow whatever bullshit system they have as their government, there will be a devastating death-count." His fingers curled into fists. "And I don't mean of just our soldiers."

Hange knew what he meant. She would be enacting a world-war, if she attacked first, while the Marley was still in cahoots with the nations that have backed them up against the Mid-East Union, then Paradi will have far more enemies. Stronger, militized enemies. Yes, Hange knew this. And was aware of the many that would die in the thoroughs of war, innocents, soldiers, people.

Their people. But what other choice did they have? Their people were dead anyway, if they simply sat back and did nothing.

"They have the ninth titan shifter." Hange folded her arms, leaning against the window pane. "You've read Leonhardt's letters, Levi, one of the rich Eldian families over there harbor the last titan shifter in secrecy. Let's not forget the Marley also have the power of the armored titan, the beast, and that cart titan that had attacked me during our expedition to Shiganshina."

Levi looked anguished. More so because the woman in front of him was giving him a killer headache.

"Not to mention the disappearance of Ymir, I'm sure following her letter to the Queen, she was eaten by one of their warriors. They have shifters Levi, what happens when they bring those shifters to our island once again?"

Hange approached him, only the desk separated the two authoritative figures. "What happens when they terrorize us with their higher machinery, when they come to our shoreline, bringing weapons and monsters. What of Armin and Eren? What if they get devoured, and Paradi loses it's trump cards, we lose kids who only fight to protect their only home."

"Exactly," Levi hissed. "Their still just kids, Hange. Kids who have fought so many wars of their own. No matter what they look like, what they say, our best soldiers… my best soldiers are still just kids."

He was hurt. But Hange pressed on, dutifully. "The Survey Corp over the past four years have gained more than five thousand soldiers, since the battle at sea, I had lost five hundred more. I understand Levi, I understand your troubled, your pain. But please, understand my reasoning."

"I understand you're a fucking lunatic."

"We don't have much of choice, We had already planned to cross the sea anyway-

"Yeah, but that was postponed, because we're not ready Hange, we're not. And neither are you."

Hange dropped in her chair, rubbing her temple. "And when will we be ready, Levi?"

He didn't answer. Hange sat back, the chair creaked against her weight. "We must advance before they can, it's our only choice. And I do have our transport ready, the Zeppelin is stationed in our base outside of Shigansina." Levi's face was blank. Hange leaned forward, reaching a hand out to cover his own, that was clenched into a tight fist. "This mission, it won't be long, we won't be gone for good, we will come back."

Levi wasn't moved. "What exactly do you have planned for us?" He spoke through clenched teeth.

"Our allies, Levi." She squeezed his hand, "One of them is Eren Jaeger's elder brother."

She could feel the breath leave him, as well as hear it. Levi wretched his hand from her, his shock pulled him back. "No."

"He was the reason why Leonhardt had given us the blueprints of the Zeppelin so easily, the true reason why we know so much of the war in the mainland, Leonhardt had only been delivering our letters. But it was Zeke Jaeger who had written them." Hange opened the last drawer of her desk, from it she took out a small sealed envelope.

"I don't trust him either, please no know that. But also, take into account what he had written to me in this letter." She held the envelope out to him, when Levi didn't take it, she pleaded with him ."Please, Levi. Just this once, we must put aside our differences and leave the past behind, I was only waiting for the right time to tell you."

"Put aside our differences? He killed Erwin, he wiped more than half our battalion four years ago, we were left with nine soldiers, Hange. Nine. And you, want to be allies, with him?" Levi practically growled the last part, his wound of losing many that he cared for had not yet mended. His heart still bled for Erwin. And so did hers.

She looked as guilty as she felt. "Please, I'm begging you now, read this letter, read it, because when I had, I realized that many things were kept from me. Whether or not Eren intended it to be that way."

"What the hell does Eren have to do with this!?"

Hange pushed the letter to him once more. Levi eyed it distastefully, before he snatched it from her hand.

"Just so y'know," He ripped open the envelope with his teeth, crumpling it into a ball then tossing it into trash can, he wished he could do the same for the letter.

"I'm still murdering that bastard, I can care less if he sides with Paradi."

At this, Hange smiled, but only slightly. "Of course, I won't rob you of that."

The afternoon air was crisp, and cool. It was the cusp of winter, the budding start of summer. February was nearly over, and March was coming through.

It would be Annie's birthday soon. Armin thought as he rode his trustful stallion through Mitras. Atlas trotted carefully through throngs of citizens. Many passerby's waved at him, or tossed him fruit as he came by. Some… were still wary of him. But, that was to be expected. He was the colossal titan. The same titan that had collapsed their walls, their safe haven.

He wondered if- in his hometown- Bertolt, also felt the same. The power, and inducing fear of others that came with inheriting the colossus. He wondered if Bertolt also harbored guilt from becoming a god of destruction.

Armin his lifted hood over his head, lightly kicking Atlas's flank to make him gallop faster once they reached a clearing.

It would be night soon. Armin must be awake early for Hange's and Queen Historia's meeting that will be held in secret back at Castle Yggdrasil. A meeting he could not afford to miss. Armin swayed left at a corner, and Atlas turned with him.

He'd been making these trips to the underground every off day, ever since Annie had taken an interest in literature. He promised he would teach her more, and he kept to his promise. Annie needed a friend, and a guide. So it deemed plausible that he could be both for her. He had even brought his satchel with him, containing vast amounts of ancient poetry. Today would his second day of teaching Annie about metaphors. She was quite skeptical of him, still, yet she was more fascinated by the stories he would bring, and she always asked questions that Armin was always eager to answer. Her favorite stories were ones of mystery, and murder. The ones he knew she could connect with on an emotional level, the ones of betrayal, she didn't seem to like, but she read them anyway. Annie would have been an amazing disciple, had she not been born on the wrong side.

Armin kept his head low as he left the road of rich, lively mansions, then took a right into a tight cobblestone path lit only by the lanterns that hung outside, leading up to the Wall that shielded Mitras. This road was older than the rest, on each side he saw only shabby inns, flashy bars, and seedy merchants. A street-walker blew him a kiss as he galloped by, Armin swallowed, keeping his eyes ahead.

His eyes, bluer than the ocean, widened as he recognized a tall, broad shouldered figure up ahead. Walking by his lonesome. The hem of his Survey Corp cloak fluttering with every step he took.

Eren looked like a wreck. Armin pulled Atlas's reigns, stopping just short of the taller man. "Eren!" Armin exclaimed, looking down from his horse. Eren merely peered up at him, the purplish hues under his eyes were darker, his hair was loose from it's usual tied knot, spilling around his shoulders, and hiding most of his face, he was nearly unrecognizable. Armin felt his chest tighten at the forlorn sight of his friend.

"Eren?" Armin tried again, his tone more gentle. "What're you doing out here?"

Eren shrugged, "Just thought I'd get some air."

Even his voice sounded empty.

"You were drinking." Armin stated, matter-of-factly, but not ill-intended. He loved Eren, Eren was like the brother he'd never had. But Eren was killing himself, mentally. And in turn, physically.

"I was, yeah." Eren tucked some strands hair behind his ear, getting a better look at Armin, he nodded to the large satchel Atlas carried. "Going somewhere?"

Armin tensed, though forced himself to relax, because this was Eren. And Armin was already tired of harboring so many secrets against his friend.

"I was riding to the Underground, to pay Annie a visit." Armin observed Eren's reaction.

Which was hardly much of a reaction, he merely scrunched his brows, stared hard at the satchel, almost on the verge of voicing his true feelings. But, he swallowed it down, and shrugged again. "I see, well, I won't keep you waiting," Eren began walking again, "Give my regards to Annie!"

Armin bid him farewell, but not two steps did Atlas take, until, Armin huffed, and swung his legs off of the stallion, he hopped to ground, patting Atlas's muzzle. "Stay, boy, stay."

Armin strode right up to Eren, he grabbed a hold his friend's hand, forcing him to turnaround.

"Eren, Come with me."

Eren had this flabbergasted expression, as if Armin told him he could beat Eren in a drinking match. His surprised simmered down when he took in Armin's words, his green eyes fell to his feet. Armin knowing his friend's answer, clasped his other hand over Eren's.

Eren released a breath, though it sounded like pitiful laugh. "She wouldn't want to see me."

Armin shook his head. "You don't know that. She didn't want to see me either, but all the intention I had was to be her friend, I made her understand that. You could be too, she only has so much time, Eren."

Eren opened his mouth, closed it, bit into his bottom lip. Then he exhaled, the stench of alcohol hit Armin square in the face. "I'm not… the person she remembers me as."

You're not. Armin thought. But said, "I wasn't the cowardly, conniving boy she remembered me as either, people change Eren, they grow, for better or for worse." He tugged Eren, just to get them moving. "Come with me, please?"

Eren was out of excuses. "... Okay."