Chapter 3: Daddy's Girl

She could feel her shoes filling up with cold water as her feet stomped on the melting snowflakes that now littered the streets. Her bright red hands, trembling slightly, grabbed the back of her hoodie and brought it up over her head. Stuffing her hands inside her pockets, Annie felt the boy's navy blue eyes gazing at her as she continued to walk away.

Although she'd never admit it out loud, Annie was actually kind of surprised and a little confused at the boy's (what did he say his name was? she thought it started with an A…) generous offering. She can't remember the last time someone had given her money, much less a stranger. And besides, she didn't need any money—as long as she was breathing, she was fine.

It only took another two minutes for Annie to get back to Three Walls. She creaked opened the door and slammed it shut with an impatient huff. Just as she was about to push off her hood, the short blonde heard loud, thundering footsteps marching towards her from behind. Her survival instincts kicked in as her small body turned to face the threat and grip their bulky figure in her tiny fists and flipped them over her back like they were nothing more but a ragdoll.

With one foot in front of the other, back arched, and fists high above her head, Annie peered down at the groaning man by her feet and then deepened her frown when she realized who it was.

"Reiner?" she muttered, lowering her guard with her usual aggravated expression on her face.

"Ugh, fuck, Annie." Reiner slowly sat up, grasping at his back like how an old man would. "I think you broke my back…"

"That's what you get for trying to sneak up on me, dumbass." Reiner laughed and Annie walked away, making her new destination the bathroom.

"It's not my fault!" She heard her companion get back on his feet. "You didn't do the secret knock!"

She rolled her eyes. Ymir, or whoever the hell she was, insisted on using the particular knocking pattern she showed Reiner the other day. "Just in case" was the excuse she had given her when she asked why they needed it. Her blonde eyebrows scrunched together in deep thought. What was that supposed to mean? Just in case what happened? If it wasn't obvious before, it was perfectly clear now that the ice giant wasn't who she said she was.

"Whatever," she muttered lowly and continued on her way over to the girl's bathroom, praying that Ymir wasn't there. Just as the thought passed through her mind, Berthold passed by in front of her, clutching a broom in his giant hands.

"Oh!" He jumped a little at the sight of her, visibly jolting while his face turned a beet red color. "A-Annie! You're back…"

She didn't answer his remark; probably because the sound of another guy stuttering at her was starting to get on her nerves. "Is she here?"

He appeared confused at first but then quickly realized that "she" was Ymir. "No. She went out a while ago."

"Where?"

"I-I'm not sure exactly. I think she said she was getting some food."

Annie's eyes glided down to the broom that Berthold held close to his chest like he was the frightened little girl that found the tiny spider in the corner of her room. His own orbs followed hers to the object in his hands and then snapped his head back to her.

"I was going to clean up the glass off the floor…" His voice was so quiet she had to strain her neck forward in order to hear him correctly.

Without giving him much of a response, she stepped pass Berthold's stiff figure and strolled down the narrow hallway and entered the ladies room, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Because she was already deep inside the bar, the heat of the working furnace was starting to get to her so she peeled her sweatshirt off, exposing her black sports bra to the empty restroom. She hung the piece of clothing over a stall door and stood there for a moment, her back facing the cracked mirrors, her eyes pointed at the beige colored tiles.

A small but shaky breath creeped out from her lips. It was getting harder and harder to do this. Maybe if she turned around quickly it wouldn't be as bad. Well, she didn't have to look, did she? Suppose she could just close her eyes and…

She frowned at herself. Quit wasting your time and grow up, Annie! Just fucking do it already. Remember that no matter what you do, nothing will ever change. So just…do it already.

Her chipped fingernails dug into her palms as she held back an exhale, bringing her eyelids to a close. Her worn-out sneakers shuffled bit by bit until she knew her back now faced the olive green stalls. Her brain reminded her to breathe and she obeyed. Ever so slightly, her eyelids rose and she saw the thing she dreaded most.

The Female Titan.

Annie hated her. She's tried to make peace with her in the past, offering small smiles and promises of better days, but not once did she ever put in effort to change. The Female Titan wanted to be a ruthless killing-machine, show no mercy, never let the enemy escape. She lived through her father's words which would echo in her mind in endless whispers: "Treat the world as your enemy" and "When they say they hate you, when they call you a monster, I'll stay by your side." The statements were supposed to be comforting to ten-year-old Annie when they were spoken the first time but all she recalled was the pain that shot through her calf when she was ordered to kick a tree and the overwhelming stench of whiskey that lingered on her father's breath whenever he screamed in her face.

She originally thought the Female Titan showed up around that time during her lifetime but, now looking back, she believed that the monster has always been there, waiting in the dark. Perhaps she was born with Annie—did she tell her to let her mother bleed to death on the day they exited the womb?

Maybe so.

Annie's eyes narrowed in on her reflection in the mirror, on the Female Titan. She could also be the reason as to why her father loathed her so much. For the longest time Annie assumed that he was only strict and demanding of her because she lived when his wife did not. But then again what if he sensed another presence about her? Something wrong, someone evil?

At that possibility, Annie's teeth clenched together as she walked up to the fractured mirror, gripped the sides of the sink, and leaned forward, her face inches from her inner demon. They watched each other with unwavering gazes and plans of extermination in mind. And then Annie parted her lips into a menacing grimace and whispered with a poisonous tongue, "I hate you."

The same confession poured from the Female Titan's mouth and Annie realized that not only did they share the same mission—to destroy the other's life—but she finally understood that sooner or later one of them would have to lose.

She quickly aimed her eyesight at the sink below her, heartbeat speeding up at that previous thought. She fished out the tiny bottle of shampoo she stole from the nearest 7-11 out her back pocket. All without looking back at the mirror, Annie untied her bun, turned on the faucet, spilled the coconut scented shampoo onto her palm, and began washing her hair.

The water was cold as it splashed against the back of her neck and flowed into her stringy, blonde hair but she didn't care; she stood there with her head in the sink for a good ten minutes. When she finally decided that she was done, she shut off the faucet and straightened herself up, tailbone leaning against the edge of the sink. She used her pale fingers to comb through the tangles in her hair and then waited for it to dry, her eyes and thoughts wandering.

For some reason, she suddenly remembered that boy she ran into not too long ago. His stammering voice and boyish looks stuck to her memory the most. She recalled his round face, making him look a lot younger than he actually was. His equally circular blond hair curved his around his head well. Besides his thick eyebrows, all his facial features were soft and kind—small but pudgy nose, perfectly pink lips, peachy skin, and those wide, ocean blue eyes. His appearance alone reminded her of the innocence and purity of a child, like he had nothing to hide.

Wouldn't that be nice? Annie thought to herself, her dislike for the boy growing.

Time passed when Annie finally decided her hair was dry enough to put it back up into a half-ass bun and slipped inside her sweatshirt. Double-checking to make sure the cuffs were pass her knuckles, the disturbed soul walked out the restroom and joined her comrades out in the bar.

The rest of the day consisted of mainly staying indoors, Berthold occasionally sweeping the floor or dusting the shelves silently while Reiner poked fun at Annie (she wondered whether he was just too stupid to realize what she could do to him or if he secretly had a death wish). Ymir arrived a little before the sunset; she had her pockets stuffed with all sorts of goodies. She tried to hide the fact that her pockets were bulging with multiple items by scurrying to the back without saying anything and with her eyesight aimed straight ahead. After a moment she returned and gave them each a small package of chips with that same snarky grin she always sported. Annie knew, without a doubt, Ymir stole everything that she brought in through the front door. But once she heard her stomach cry out in hunger she greedily devoured her meal.

And it was only when Annie settled into her lonely wooden chair in the back corner to call it a night did she realize that she didn't make it to that alleyway to watch the blue-eyed boy walk home.