Hi everyone, RonaldWeasleyTheHero, coming at you guys again with a brand new chapter of Commander! This time i had help, the awesome Smittijmc kindly decided to beta for me and i couldn't be happier with the result. anyways i wont keep you! read the chapter. the next chapter is coming very soon as in very Very soon!

Chapter 5: Dog of War

There was an uncomfortable air permeating the trainee cafeteria today. No one could pinpoint the exact reason why that was, but the fact was that it was there. Added onto the fact that today was an off day, it left the trainees of the 104th squad with little to do. The worst part was that most of the time they were being trained to the bone physically and mentally, but when they were finally given time to engage in whatever mundane activities they wanted to, most of the trainees found themselves feeling lost. Being a soldier was something that they were quickly realizing was consuming them.

This created a bond between them. By now the trainees that were not cut out for life as part of the military had already gone home, or been sent away to do some other job. This left the cream of the crop, the ones that acknowledged each other.

They had grown close due to those reasons, though it wasn't a closeness that was apparent or even affectionate. But one that acknowledged the fact that the people around you were the ones that you were going to experience the worst of times with. That you would fight for them and they would fight for you.

Out of all the squads in the academy, the 104th understood this better than any of them, they were the squad that was often at the center of attention. Whether it was Reiner- the one everyone recognized as a big brother to them, sitting the younger males down and giving them girl advice- Or Mikasa throwing bread across the room and the rest watching in amusement as Sasha fetched. This was the norm for them, a squad universally recognized for its quirks.

Today was a different story.

The members of the 104th were scattered around the cafeteria in their own personal groups, their usual behavior nowhere in sight.

Jean Kirchstein sighed, his cheek resting on his palm emphasizing his overall boredom "You know I'm really starting to hate these off days. Even though there aren't a lot of them, They bore me to death!" he moaned miserably, tugging at the collar of his shirt. He found it amazing that he was now more comfortable in Uniform than casual clothing.

Marco Bodt's jovial freckled face smiled at him,"We could go see Armin," he suggested, "Now that we're free we could see how he's doing. I heard his injury was pretty bad so maybe he could use a friendly visit."

Jean shook his head "Ill pass, I'm not exactly buddy buddy with Armin."

Marco frowned "You don't have to be buddy buddy with him to show that you care, we could just pop in to see how he's doing."

Jean leaned back in his chair "Pass..." He said again. It wasn't that he didn't like Armin, the guy was smart, friendly, and out of all the guys in the 104th trainee squad he was easily one of the most approachable. But the fact was that he and Armin did not interact much given the latters attachment to Eren.

And Jean did not like Eren.

But he respected Armin, that much was true. The small blonde was much smarter than the rest of them, frighteningly so in fact. It wasn't just because he was good at tests or he was book-smart, Armin had clearly out-shined everyone when it came to Titan theory or logistics. Anytime there was a group exercise Armin's strategies would often level the playing field, even when other groups had people like Annie, Mikasa, and Reiner. Though it was a pain to convince him that they trusted his plans. His lack of self confidence was annoying and painful to watch.

Armin Arlert had honestly impressed him, but he would never let anybody know that.

Especially Eren.

"Eren, you have something on your face. Here let me wipe it for you..."

"Stop it! I can do it Myself!"

Jean's eyes twitched as he heard their exchange from across the room.

"Would you just let her wipe your damn face already!" Jean yelled angrily, he jumped to his feet, his face a mix of anger and jealousy, though Eren only noticed the former.

"The hell is your problem Jean!?" Eren returned heatedly, he had never been one to back from a challenge especially when it was from Jean.

"You, you are my problem Jaeger!" Both teenagers made a show of approaching each other.

Marco casually sipped from his mug "Oh boy..." he muttered, knowing exactly how this was going to play out.

Krista and Ymir who were on the other side of the room near a window stared at the exchange, Krista's eyebrows knitted in concern.

"I wish they would stop fighting all the time."

"Why? I think it's funny. Those gorillas need to let out some of their testosterone once in awhile,and they are going to do it by either hitting something or humping something. I like the first one since it's a lot less messy."

Krista squeaked and blushed at her statement causing Ymir to laugh and ruffle her hair "You are so cute, do that again!"

But her teasing was soured as Jean and Eren began rolling on the ground yelling obscenities at each other. Ymir frowned in annoyance.

"Damn brutes..."

Krista began to stand, feeling the need to intervene between the two wrestling males. She was just out of her chair when she felt Ymir grab her hand to stop her.

"Sit down, Krista." Ymir ordered

"Ymir, let go." Krista protested trying to yank her hand away from her friend's grasp, it yielded little results, as the strength difference was too large.

"Leave those idiots alone."

There was a crash, followed by screams.

Mikasa had both of them by the ear and began to drag them both to a nearby table.

"See, no need to intervene, your good girl image lives for another day, Krista"

Ymir let her go, and Krista sat down, feeling slightly uncomfortable in Ymir's presence for the first time.

Jean scowled, his right ear throbbing painfully. Sometimes Eren just pissed him off!

"You should really let it go, Jean." Marco advised.

"Let what go?"

Marco laughed, "The fact that Mikasa likes Eren better than you."

"What!? I don't care about that! I just hate Eren and his damn attitude."

Marco laughed even harder, "It's fine Jean, everyone practically knows already!"

Marco stood up and raced over to a nearby table consisting of Connie playing cards with Reiner, Thomas and Bertholdt.

"Hey do any of you know how Jean feels about Mikasa?" Marco asked the disinterested group.

"Oh you mean how he likes her." Connie answered casually.

Jean gave off a small choking sound.

Thomas put down a card, and for some reason Bertholdt scooped it up triumphantly, resulting in a a cursing blonde. Marco wondered what they were playing.

Jean was staring at them wide-eyed as they played their stupid card-game. Everyone knew? Does that mean Mikasa knows? Did that mean Eren knew!?

"Mikasa, for the last damn time!"

No, Eren didn't know.

"Yeah, everyone already figured out Jean, its not a big deal..." Bertholdt said.

"And you're not exactly subtle about it." Thomas said, causing everyone on the table including Marco to nod in agreement.

Jean felt his eye start to twitch.

"Don't sweat it Jean, you can't help who you like and I for one am rooting for you!" Reiner gave him a salute causing all his cards to fall to the floor, the tall blonde didn't seem to notice.

"Thanks...I think"

Connie looked at Reiner "Wait, you don't want Eren to get with Mikasa?"

"Hold on a minute, are you saying Mikasa like Er-!?" The boys had barely been able to cover Reiner's mouth as he had decided that shouting his sudden revelation was necessary.

"You idiot, don't be so damn loud." Connie hissed at him.

"R-Reiner things like that are not meant to be revealed like that." Bertholdt told him quietly.

Reiner composed himself and sat back down.

"Can't believe you just figured that out!" Thomas whispered, not understanding how Reiner of all people could be so oblivious.

Reiner looked at his childhood friend. "Did you know!?"

Bertholdt began to sweat nervously as the attention suddenly focused on him, he really detested when that happened. "Well-I mean...she sort of y-you know...yes..."

"You know what I just realized?" Connie said dramatically, as if he had just landed upon something revolutionary.

"What?" Marco asked.

"Why are we even talking about this?"

There was a stunned silence between the males at the table, one that lasted for at least half a minute.

"Lets go back to playing cards..." Reiner said.

With that the tall blonde gathered the fallen cards with those on the table and began to shuffle them.

Marco sweat-dropped and walked away from the group sitting back down at the table with Jean.

"Wanna go visit Armin now?" Jean asked.

Marco was surprised at the offer. "I thought you didn't want to go."

"I still don't, but I just want to get out of here."

"Mikasa, didn't I tell you shorter hair would be better for you in the long-run."

"Yes you did, do you like it?"

Jean stood up so fast from his table, it rattled and spilled both his and Marco's drinks.

"We leave now! Right now!"

"I wouldn't recommended that!" Marco and Jean turned around to the voice that spoke, it was Connie, though he still seemed entirely focused on the new game of cards that they had just started.

Jean stared at the short man curiously, "And why is that?"

"Annie is in there." Connie answered as if that was a sufficient explanation to his statement.

"Annie...seriously?" Reiner raised an eyebrow in disbelief, while Bertholdt looked slightly apprehensive. They both had been wondering where she was sneaking off to all this time.

"How often you think she visits him!?" Bertholdt asked, Connie looked surprised, it wasn't often the tall lanky trainee inserted himself into a conversation so forcefully. He also seemed to be sweating a little more than usual.

"Lots, I see her sneaking off during exercises. Sometimes she's not even discreet about it, she just ups and leaves!"

Connie didn't notice Bertholdt slumping in his seat as he spoke.

"Oh...okay."

Marco put a finger to his chin in contemplation "Hmm, Maybe she feels guilty so she's trying to do whatever she can to help him through this tough time." Marco was oblivious to the skeptical looks the males were giving him.

"Yeah that's probably not it..." Thomas said.

"It's something else definitely...hopefully" Bertholdt's voice was teeming with Misery but no one seemed to notice except Reiner who gave him an apologetic look.

"Maybe they are having some kind of sordid love affair..." Connie giggled perversely. At his side, Thomas snorted, picturing the ridiculous scene in his head and unable to contain his amusement from the image.

Bertholdt froze momentarily before sinking further into his seat. Reiner who had the unfortunate timing of trying to take a drink spewed out the beverage from his mouth and nose and erupted in uncontrollable laughter. Thomas had the misfortune of being in the line of fire, letting out a howl of disgust as he was showered in Reiner's drink.

"Shit, Reiner!"

"Oh man. I'm sorry Thomas!" Reiner hastily attempted to dry his fellow trainee, still letting out the occasional chuckle.

Connie was still laughing at his own joke, reminding himself of how much of a genius he was, and how everybody should respect him due to said genius.

"We're going to get Married soon."

Connie springer along with all of the male occupants in the room suddenly froze at the sound of Annie Leondhart's voice.

"We're going to have a summer wedding, it's going to be a small event and we're going to exchange our own vows." Annie spoke in monotone, all the while making her way to Eren and Mikasa.

"We're going to have three children, one boy, and two twin girls."

she reached her destination.

Annie spoke to Eren, not acknowledging Mikasa's presence at all.

"Armin says there is something he needs to tell you."

All conversation in the room was completely dead.

Jean had his mouth wide open, wondering if this was her idea of a joke.

Reiner was worried that Annie would kill Connie.

Marco had started drinking from a random mug as soon as Annie had made her presence known and for some odd reason had not stopped since.

Finally, Connie was sweating nervously, his shaking limbs making his fear apparent to all those around him.

They all continued to listen, not daring to speak a word, frightened that her wrath would turn on one of them.

"Armin wants to speak to me? Sure, but just me or-"

"She can come too."

After the message was sent Annie casually walked out the way she came, before she closed the door behind her she turned and gave them one last deadpan look.

"Oh, and none of you are invited..."

Then she was gone.

The only sound after that was Eren and Mikasa standing up to go visit Armin.

Jean blinked as he stared at the door Annie had just gone through, finding it hard to acknowledge that whatever had just happened had actually happened .

"What the hell...?"

No one said anything, as Jean had just expressed their collective thoughts.

The sun was setting when they both arrived to see him, He looked at his best friends as they stepped into his room, Eren with his vicious looking eyes that still managed to be one of the most caring people he knew, and Mikasa with her usual cool and stoic demeanor still managed to be one of the most emotional people he had ever met. He took a good long look at them, knowing that he probably wouldn't see them for some time to come.

He explained it all to them, the injury, the time frame of how long he would possibly be gone, and why. He didn't sugar coat the truth, not with them, never with them.

Eren had taken the news about as well as Armin had expected, at some level he was hoping that Eren knew how major injuries like his were handled, just so the blow would've had less of an impact on him. While Eren had been a mix of devastation and anger Mikasa had been pure anger. Armin didn't need three guesses to know who it was aimed at. He felt an extreme sense of foreboding when she stomped out of the door.

"Eren!" he called ,but the brown haired boy was not listening. He was muttering to himself angrily, making oaths and promises of convincing the higher-ups to let Armin stay here and heal. Promises that Armin knew had no hope of ever coming to fruition.

"Eren!" Armin threw his pillow at his best friend, the fluffy object bopping him on the head and finally getting his attention, "Go after Mikasa right now!"

"Huh, Mikasa? She was right he-" Eren turned, finally noticing that his adoptive sister was gone.

"Mikasa!"

"Eren, go now!" Armin ordered.

Eren didn't really understand what was going on, but the panic and fear in Armin's voice was enough reason for him to run frantically out the room after Mikasa.

Armin gazed at the door that Eren had gone through, wishing and hoping that his legs were functional. He really wished that the nurses had given him his crutches already! Armin's mind began to race, he really didn't want Mikasa to do anything rash, but she was vicious when it came to protecting him and Eren, Eren even more so. He knew his best friend would be able to stop her, if he couldn't than no one else could.

Annie.

Armin's dread rose to new levels, He knew Eren could stop Mikasa but Annie and her together left Eren with little chance.

Armin took a long and deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. It was stupid, brash, and he was probably going to regret it for the rest of his life.

But his mind was made up.

Armin Arlert turned over, letting himself tumble to the floor.

Annie was walking without direction, she would have considered going outside and practicing her martial arts on one of the training dummies but it was late, and trainees were not allowed out after sunset unless specifically ordered so. At the same time she really didn't want to go back to her room. Not only would she have to deal with Sasha's obtuse behavior, but Mina Carolina had developed the annoying habit of pestering her with questions after she visited Armin. She did not want to deal with either of them.

And besides, her thoughts were focused on more important matters, like why she hadn't killed Connie. Maybe it was because he looked genuinely frightened. No that wasn't it. She enjoyed seeing him squirm, especially since the timing had been perfect. Though she wondered when her and Armin had become a topic of discussion. She really couldn't fathom how their relationship could have been perceived as romantic.

They were barely even friends.

And why was it so funny? Were romantic relationships amusing to them? Annie brushed some hair away from her face, deciding that this was a waste of her mental abilities.

"Apologize..."

Annie turned around, a bit surprised to see the lapdog of all people. "Weren't you suppose to be with Armin?"

Mikasa didn't respond, but her stiff demeanor and the fact that her hair cast a shadow her face put Annie on edge.

"Apologize to him..."

"The hell are you talking about Ackerman?" Was the damn lapdog being deliberately vague to piss her off? It didn't matter, she didn't have time for this.

"When you get your thought's sorted out come back to me, Ackerman."

She began to walk away, but a strong grip stopped her.

Annie barely managed to reign in her temper when the dog decided to touch her.

She didn't bother to hide her displeasure, Annie Mustered a ferocious glare, one that Mikasa matched with her own.

"You got a problem, Ackerman?"

"It's your fault this is happening, you should at least apologize to him..." Mikasa let her go and stood to her full height, this act made Annie slightly angrier as the girl seemed to tower over her.

At that moment Annie could have told her that she had apologized already and that Armin had even accepted her apology, that despite everything she was truly sorry that this was happening to him of all people.

But she didn't.

"He got himself into this mess, don't expect me to start crying my eyes out for that useless titan bait." Annie knew that wasn't true. It was far from the truth, but she wanted to see it, she wanted to push Mikasa.

Mikasa gritted her teeth at Annie's dismissal "I don't expect you to Annie. You don't care about anyone, but you owe him an apology."

"I don't owe him anything, I didn't go begging him for favors when I was falling..." Annie grinned maliciously, as she saw Mikasa continue to grow more enraged.

The words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them.

"Think of it as a gift Ackerman! I would've lost everything that day if it hadn't been for him, but thankfully Armin is smart enough to know that someone like me had far more use than a weak, useless-"

She should have seen it coming. All her years of training and being driven into the ground by her father should have prepared her for that punch, but it hadn't, and it hit her square across the cheek.

Mikasa Ackerman's fist shook with fury. "I'll kill you..."

Annie staggered back before regaining her balance, she felt blood come out of her mouth. Without a moment's hesitation she halted her healing abilities. It would do her no good for steam to come out of her mouth suddenly, Even someone like Mikasa would notice.

But more than anything she wanted a fair fight.

Annie Leondhart adopted the stance that had been drilled into her for some many years, her eyes never leaving Mikasa's form.

"Bring it on, stupid dog..."

I really, really hoped you guys like it. Im pretty sure you guys can guess what is coming next haha, yes its THE fight, THe fight. damn it im foaming at the mouth just so excited that i get the privilege( yes privilege) to write such a scene. Oh anybody else feel that awkward feeling that there were things you did before attack on titan but for the life of you you cant remember what those things were? *raises hand*

Mizuki00: Here is the new chap, and ur action will be coming soon trust me.

King: lol haha u are a mind reader sir!

wanxers: i dont know if its my imagination but i could have sworn i saw ur username on the Aruani tumblr once, well no matter, glad you liked it!

MostardaProductions:lol, im glad ur speculating on the direction the story is going, that means ur interested, more awesomeness to come!

Brook Uchiha Daughter Of Zeus: Honey ur username just bumped off UnicornMantears from the number 4 spot of my all time favorite usernames list!

Yuyui: a fresh update for you my good reviewer! the next update wont take as long, i promise!

SmittiMJC: first off cant thank you enough for what you did, second, thank you or the review, yes i always want the characters to feel like they would on the show, complicated ones like Erwin, has to be done with delicacy, you cant just write Erwin, its impossible! Annie is hard for me too, since in my opinion she is a very complex character, what drives her is still a mystery! i dont want to spoil too much but the interaction between Erwin and Armin is not the last time you will that.

Pansy25: trust me, im interested to see how this develops too, this by far my best story!

Guest: I dont know ur name but the fact that you translated the chapter into spanish just to read it, and you liked it, makes me very happy, im more than happy that ive won you over and i hope to keep you invested as future chapters roll around =)!

Guest: Aruani is my otp, i will write till my hands melt off =)

Chromate: yeah the typos are a pain, but im glad it didnt hinder from enjoying the story, that's the last thing i want as an author.

Aishichan: Armin is awesome hehe, and yeah thats what they call it...my brothers are assholes, honestly.

TheAK47Muslim: Nice, thank god, i was beginning to think i was the only one! nice to know that im not alone, it can be quite uncomfortable sometimes! =0

dacymarie:wow what a compliment, that would be one hell of an episode right!? haha! 23 minutes of pure unadulterated badass! ARUANI!

Toto Yoshio: Yes Armin's abilities are subtle, thats what i wanna capture and portray to the readers, he amazes us with his intellect, and words, not with his swords or power.

Jacob Kenny: Wow ur review melted my heart, yes i love in character characters, its the one thing i take pride when it comes to writing. the interactions between them is important to me too, as interactions drive characters, thus driving the story and the plot. Don't worry though, Armin still has self confidence issues. yes i agree they do understand each other to certain extant despite the little interaction they have with each other, but this story has giving them more oppurtunities to interact and i hope i portrayed how people change when they become more comfortable around each other. Armin was scared of her at first, then he was confused, then interested, then friendly and friendlier. Armin is still gentle dont worry =), k im done. I really Appreciate the feedback. and your english was fine =).

VulpineSnow: Non canon pairings are sometimes the most fun, and allow for the most freedom =). anyway, thanks for the kind words!