Honestly, what an idiot.
Annie watched with mild interest as Eren slammed his foot against the fingers of Vadil's titan body.
They were both in her hand with no exits whatsoever as she leapt through the woods, far from Mikasa and Levi.
Eren's one arm was bound behind his back with a strip of cloth, preventing him from shifting but Annie was oh so kind enough to leave his mouth ungagged.
Which was sort of a mistake because the suicidal bastard had a loud mouth.
"Get me out of here, Annie!" he ordered, flashing her a dirty look. "Now!"
"Why?" she said, boredom reflecting off of her azure eyes.
Eren stayed silent but anger was clearly radiating off of his features.
He continued kicking against his cage, ignoring the look of amusement that flickered across the blonde's face.
"It won't work." She said.
"I know!" he snapped back.
"Then why are you trying?"
"Why not?!"
Silence.
Heaving his chest up and down, Eren gritted his teeth before mumbling,
"Why, Annie…?"
"You need to speak up." She blinked, her eyes not leaving the back of his head. "I can't hear-"
"I SAID WHY?!"
His voice boomed out, springing off of the flesh walls, ringing against their ears.
But Annie didn't seem fazed.
"Why what?" her voice was cold as she narrowed her eyes.
"Why did you betray-"
"This again?" she cut in. "I told you, it's because I'm evil-"
"Don't you lie to me." He hissed before marching over to her and glaring down at her still figure. "You suck at lying…"
Silence.
And then,
"It was my mission."
"Huh?"
"It was all just a mission. Grow as a warrior, train as a warrior, sneak into the walls as a warrior, then pose as a soldier, observe a boy named as Eren Jaeger as a soldier," her voice was quiet and was barely a whisper. "Befriend the boy as a soldier, then capture the boy as a monster, and bring him back home as a traitor…" for some reason, her eyes refused to meet his.
If she did then she would've seen the look of shock and confusion etched across his face.
She didn't want to see that for reasons she didn't know herself.
"W-What…?" his voice was hushed, the fire was dying down in his eyes. "What are you…talking about? What mission? What sort of mission is…that?"
Annie slowly raised her head and that was when Eren knew something was very wrong.
She was smiling.
A horrible, horrifying smile.
A dead, sad, gruesome smile.
A smile that only emanated loneliness, pain, and grief.
And Eren could only form one thought:
He hated that smile.
"I am a warrior." She said, that disgusting smile not fading. "I will dedicate my life to my missions and I will remain loyal to the future…"
Something about her tone sent chills down Eren's spine.
"No matter how many die, no matter how many I have to kill, no matter how much blood I have to spill…" unconsciously, she began to wrap her arms around herself, not noticing the look of horror on the boy's face. "I will…fulfill my duty…as a…warrior…"
What could he do?
There was nothing he could do.
That cold, stoic mask that did so well to hide her true emotions was chipping away, cracking and breaking after each passing second.
And as each layer fell to the floor, Eren could easily see through her like glass.
That massive swirl of negative emotions that seemed to be strangling the girl mercilessly was now visible to the boy.
Everything that she had to hold inside, all the tears, the regret, the pain, the sorrow, the loneliness.
They were all so clear to the boy now.
So, he had to hurry, he had to hurry and take it all in before she foolishly covered them all back up again.
He had to absorb all of her words and emotions before she hid it behind a mask once more.
"It's okay." He said.
Instantly, the smile that marred the girl's face disappeared the moment those words drilled itself deep into her ears.
"It's okay…" he repeated. "I…I don't really get it but," his expression softened as his green orbs clashed with blue. "It's okay, Annie."
And for some odd reason…
For some stupid reason…
Annie believed him.