Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin / Attack on Titan nor its characters.

(Please read till the end and Author's Notes.)

Darkness that night, wasn't only consuming the ever so sympathetic raven who was cursed with it.

That Darkness, seemed to be haunting another one.

Armin Arlert, the blonde who'd dream about happiness outside the walls.

Only now, haunted with nightmares— or rather, flashbacks of the cruel truth.

"Mikasa! You can't! Eren's on a rampage!" Armin screeched at the top of his lungs. "He nearly killed me… what If he kills you too? We have no other choice but go with Plan B and—"

"Armin." The raven hushed as her obsidian orbs stared down at the blonde, in such a sullen matter. "The plan already failed. And I do not wish to take any part in Plan B. I will not allow Eren to be killed."

There were some hesitation after their exchange of words, the blonde found himself questioning a lot of things, and he decided to question the raven too. "But... why…? Mikasa… I…" He bit his lip hesitatingly, not wanting to say the rest. Although, it was already crystal clear on what he wanted, what were his intentions as he stared at his bloodied hands, prepared to tear his skin viciously apart in order to transform into the colossal titan—if that meant Mikasa would be safe, would reconsider her rebellion towards Plan B. Yet to no avail.

The raven proceeded to walk towards the blonde, her hand covering his comfortingly.

"It's not the time to let your emotions get the best of you… get up." She whispered as she helped the blonde up.

"Armin, listen…" She started off, turning her back, as she stared at the rest of her squad members trying to tame the rampaging Eren, before they resort to their last resort which was to end him.

Meanwhile Annie took his place temporarily, charging towards her once known comrades—now enemies.

'How cruel…' Mikasa thought silently before she continued her little chat with Armin, "I'm not doing this just because of Eren… I'm defying orders because I know if Eren is killed, there will be no tomorrow. He has that titan power…that he trained so hard to use it perfectly. I will not allow Humanity to die off because we decide to use the cowardly way out of this. Because… I know nobody, not even you, would want that… you may have the Colossal's power, but you look exhausted and judging from your severe fresh wounds—that don't seem to be getting any better at all… you're clearly unfit to do so." She sighed quietly as she ruffled the blonde's hair, as if that would make anything better or less tensed for that matter.

"Till later, Armin." Mikasa spoke as she was about to fly off until Armin grabbed her by her arm, though weak, it managed to make Mikasa halt in her steps.

"Why…? It's only you who's going to do that…you against the whole squad, even against humanity's strongest soldier who doesn't want anyone defying orders—"

"Because, Armin…" She said halfway as she gently loosened Armin's grip. "That's the only way we can win… Now, head back to Hanji's squad to the North, they need you." Mikasa smiled as she flew off to where the rampaging Eren was.

Armin bit his lip, was this really the right way to win? And what was with that smile…?

He didn't know. What was there to understand with her logic?

"Damn it…" The blonde cursed under his breath. He was exhausted, though, he had only transformed into his Titan state less than 5 times and yet he was exhausted. Additionally, his healing speed was starting to slow down.

'I'm pathetic… a burden…'

He started contemplating whether if he should listen to Mikasa and head to where Hanji's squad was, follow on his Plan B or if he should go and help Mikasa, his dear friend.

The grey sky was packed with ominous dark clouds. Though dull, it caught his attention.

He knew he shouldn't be alive, and that it should've been Erwin, not him.

Yet, he was here, all beaten up, leaving his own plan into other's hands due to his cowardice that he thought he got rid of years ago. He didn't want to be a burden anymore, especially when they've gotten this far, especially when he was the chosen one to wield the Colossal's power.

That mental realisation was painful, very, very painful. So painful, inside he was numb.

At some point, he knew he had to make his choice. And it had to be quick, seeing as to everything was falling apart faster since their first plan had failed. 'Which choice will lift the burden off from my shoulders?' He thought silently as he soon felt raindrops pelting down onto his head. He then turned towards the direction where Mikasa had left to, it seemed that she was trying to get the others to back off of Eren—who still tried to swipe Mikasa away.

'How foolish of him…' Armin thought, clenching his fist tightly.

Armin knew if he didn't do something, everything and everyone that had been sacrificed would have all been for nothing.

That was when, the blonde finally made the choice, his choice. The choice he least expected to have chosen. He was going to help Mikasa, because somewhere in his complexed and messed-up brain, did a voice echo in his head that, one, he shouldn't betray the raven who had saved him from despair, and two, that Mikasa was right.

Humanity needed Eren, in order to win. Why else would such a curse be bestowed upon him? Upon them?

"Screw everything!" Armin screamed at top of his lungs as he swung off to where Mikasa was,turning a blind eye to the critical physical condition that he was in.

"Oi! Ackerman what the hell do you think you're doing?" Levi yelled, frustrated at the raven who he figured decided to defy earlier orders and plans. "We all agreed to kill Eren if he were to rampage, even Eren agreed. We don't have time for some shitty emotional wake-up call! This is war! Hanji can't hold them back any much longer!"

"Sorry, captain… but…" Mikasa hesitated in her words as she drew out her blades. "This is the only way to win." She snapped back as she quickly avoided Eren's oncoming punch to her. Mikasa's plan was to somehow get Eren out of his nape—without getting killed, and hopefully manage to snap him out of this madness. She knew this plan was terrible from the start, she only agreed to it since her trust in Armin was always that strong. Eren's transformation had indeed be improving, but with the mental stress, his titan form would go insane sometimes. Like now, unable to recognize the real enemy.

A part of her did know that defying orders in such a reckless matter was because of her own damn emotions, her selfishness. How could she not? How could she not be selfish of wanting the last bit of what was her 'home' stay alive?

Humans are like that. Mikasa knew that this selfishness will lead to disaster, that it was bound to bite her back.

But she couldn't give up without trying.

Looking at the people with Levi, she figured they wouldn't dare charge at Eren unless they had the guts to now that she was here. Except Levi, that was someone she had to be wary with. "Captain, just trust me!" she shouted as she managed to land on the mad Titan's head. "You're going to get yourself killed, you idiot! We just lost more than a hundred lives only a few minutes ago, if we lose someone as skilled as you, we'll be low on manpower! How is that winning?!" Levi yelled back, trying to be reasonable. He didn't wish to kill any one of his comrades, even Mikasa, who was defying orders and being rather idiotic at such a critical time.

It didn't take any moments of hesitation as Mikasa voiced out, "Kill me then. But, if we kill Eren, we're all screwed." Mikasa said simply, as if that was something so casual to say. She managed to dodge all of Eren's attacks and fly up to his nape, and just as she was about to cut Eren out, Eren's fist launched itself towards the raven, about to send her to her grave.

Until…

"Armin?!" The raven gasped in shocked as the blonde took somewhat severe damage from Eren's punch as he fell down on the ground, hitting a few rocks down the way until Mikasa retreated from her plan for now as she quickly grabbed Armin. "Why'd you do that?!" Mikasa cried out.

"Because Mikasa… you're right. We need Eren in order to win..." Armin said weakly, though Mikasa took notice his titan powers were still healing his damage—but slowly, and was thankful for that.

"Armin…" Mikasa mumbled, as tears clouded in her eyes, blaming herself for being so careless. Just then, Eren's titan form turned around, and he started running towards where Armin and Mikasa were once he spotted the blonde. At first, Mikasa was confused at his sudden actions, until she noticed Eren had a frustrated look as he ran towards them, and cursed under her lips.

"Oi. Let's go!" Levi said as he quickly arrive to where the two were, grabbing Armin's weak body before he flew off, Mikasa following behind. "Captain—"

"Shut it for now, Ackerman. The other squad members left to help Hanji and the rest. And if it's only just you two 'reliable' brats, then I'm willing to listen to another idea… if it isn't something reckless." There were some hints of sarcasm in his tone, and obvious disappointment with the two which made Mikasa, especially, looked down with such guilt in her dulled orbs.

"Eren's chasing after us, he's getting slow. If you want to get him out so badly we'll have to deceive him and cut him out, but that'll be hard since he became much more sharp and observant." Levi suggested, though he seemed a little uncertain of his own plan.

"Then that leaves us with one plan…" Armin mumbled.

"I'll be the bait. You know how much he hates me now since that argument. Put me down somewhere and as he's… killing me, you get him from behind since he's already distracted with killing someone already… but you guys will only have a few seconds and—"

"What do you mean 'killing you'?" Mikasa quickly cut in, her tone anxious, "If you think I'm going to—"

"Mikasa please… we don't have much choice left. Sacrifices need to be made. Plus, we don't have much gas left as well… we can't keep going on any longer..." Armin pointed out as Mikasa bit her lip, as she searched for words as a proper retort.

"Ackerman, Arlert just saved you from Eren's fists thanks to his good judgement of coming after you instead of heading back to Hanji's side which was the original formation. Didn't you want to save humanity? "Levi asked as Mikasa nodded, drowning herself in more silence, uncertain of what to or what she should say.

"Good, then we'll use Arlert's plan… I know it's a painful last minute resort but if this is what you two believe will help humanity then… I'll trust your judgement. But one wrong move and I'll handle Jaeger, understand?" Levi asked—though it sounded more of a demand. Knowing they had no other options, they nodded their head in agreement.

With that, Levi quickly dropped the blonde in a visible, open and spacious area for the rampaging titan to target, as he and Mikasa went to hide in an area out of Eren's view.

Mikasa felt like the entire situation was her fault. If only she didn't gave him that shitty talk earlier which was probably the motivation for the blonde to even come after and rescue her. She didn't know why she was recalling what she was now, and what she was recalling was that Armin always assuming and thinking he was a burden.

Because right now, she knew she was the burden. Not him.

Though, she hadn't given up hope—not yet. Not when she knew there was the lightest bit of possibility of saving Armin, even though it was a small one, she still held on tightly to that hope.

She couldn't let her emotions get the best of her. And yet…

'Why am I crying?' she thought to herself as she and Levi hid, far away from Eren's point of view. 'Is it because everything's going to be over…? Why—'

"Ackerman."

Mikasa looked up almost too quickly at Levi, frightened by the sudden stern and hostile tone he now had.

"Make a choice with no regrets. I apologise that your blonde friend will be sacrificed but this choice will not be regretful, at least not to him." Levi spoke referring to Armin, who even from afar, Mikasa still knew the face he was making.

She figured he probably had a look of someone who was about to give up, or worse, a look of someone who had already given up.

'Make a choice with no regrets?'

This wasn't the raven's choice at all. It was more of an obligation due to their current situation. If she could make a choice, any choice… that'd just be heaven.

'A choice with no regrets?'

A second passed by, followed by a minute.

And Mikasa knew that there was no choice right now, that wouldn't leave a little regret.

"Sorry, captain." Mikasa apologised, in a genuine sincere apologetic tone which managed to tear away Levi's focus on the rampaging titan that was closing in on Armin, his focus now fixated on the raven, who he hoped wasn't plan on doing something stupid again. "Oi. Don't you dare make another mistake, we don't have—"

"I'm sorry." Mikasa said finally before she swung herself up and back into the air, causing the other raven to yell at her with inaudible curse words. She couldn't blame the shorty though. But regardless, this was a choice she knew she could never regret. Because, she was going to save Armin. And she was willing to die in his place if she wasn't able to save herself in the process. She didn't know what had overcame her to make such a choice like that.

Hell, she knew everyone had already lost their shits, and she was about to, as well.

"Armin!" Mikasa screamed, as she was about to return the favour of blocking Eren's oncoming attack.

"Mikasa?!" He said in too much of a shock as the look that Mikasa predicted faded away into a look of anxiousness. "Don't!" He yelled.

But it was too late.

Eren noticed the raven's presence. Which was the raven's intent. "Armin! Escape!" Mikasa screamed at the top of her lugs.

And within a blink of an eye, the rampaging Titan flicked Mikasa, causing the raven to fall far back, until gravity forcefully dragged her back onto the rocky ground ruthlessly.

Blood was slowly oozing out of her.

Everything went blurry, but she saw a familiar figure— Levi, who had grabbed the blonde, flying what she hoped to be far away.

Her vision soon turned blurry.

Yet only one thing remained in her conscious mind as she flashbacked to the day where Eren had saved her… where he said those words that filled her motivation to fight, to live.

'If you don't fight, you can't win'

As those words echoed in the raven's head, she cracked a smile as a tear sneakily escaped her eyelids, the world dimming and spinning before her.

'… Sorry Eren, I couldn't win… because I couldn't fight. I couldn't…I can't…kill…you…'

And then, everything became dark— pitch black.

Author's IMPORTANT Note: (UPDATED 12/3/18) changed a few things, so if you are re-reading this for whatever reason, some dialogue, conversations and such have changed a little.