Armin sits on the side of his bed and stares at his hands in his lap. His back is turned towards the door as it creaks open and a small quiet voice comes from behind it.

"Armin…?"

He doesn't move.

The door creaks open more, revealing that the person behind it was Annie. She stepped into the room. "Armin are you okay?"

Armin doesn't answer her.

Annie walked over Armin and sat down on the bed beside him. "What's wrong?"

After a few silent moments Armin finally spoke. "It's been 3 years… 3 years today since I killed that girl. Since I put a bullet in her head…" he clenched his fist as his whole body started shaking.

Annie grabbed his hand. "Armin it was a long time ago it's okay-"

"It's not okay Annie!" He pulled his hand from her grasp, got up and walked over to the window and placed his hands on the sill. "Its not okay...I took her life. Her blood is on my hands!" He hung his head. "And I have to live with that, for the rest of my life."

Annie stared at him for a few moments. "I know what you're going through. Armin."

Armin lets out a sad laugh. "I know you do. You know far too well."

Annie doesn't say anything.

Armin turns around to face her. "Does it even bother you? What you've done? At all? Or have you become numb to it?"

She just looks down at the ground. She knows exactly what Armin means, she's taken numerous lives. more than she can count. "No Armin. I'm not numb to it, I never was."

"Really?" He takes a step towards her. "because I've never seen you seem sad about it. You've never gone to their graves, never gone to their families homes, you never even bat an eyelash when some ever brings up all the lives you've taken. Not since you came out of that crystal."

Annie plays with her ring. "I'm good at hiding my emotions."

Armin violently shook his head "Nobody's that good Annie. Not even you."

"Armin you don't know-"

"Yes I do know! You've maimed and killed and you act like you don't even care."

"But I do…!" Annie raises her voice. "I feel it. I feel it everyday! I don't show it because I don't want to. I've never wanted too. You've killed one person, I've killed hundreds. My hands are soaked in the blood of all those i've killed! I live with that everyday. I can barely sleep because my guilt keeps me up at night. I keep it in because no one else deserves know the pain I feel. it's something I need to bear alone."

Armin was stunned at what annie said. Annie stares at him for a few seconds then walks towards the door.

Armin reaches out to her "Annie wait…"

She stops in the doorway, her back facing him. "I'm a selfish person. I know that…" She grabs the door. "But that doesn't mean I'm heartless like everyone thinks."

"Annie!" Armin says as Annie shuts the door behind her.

Annie walks out of the barracks. The sun's setting beneath the walls. She clenches her fists and keeps walking. she doesn't stop until she reaches the forest by the western edge of the wall. she slides her back down the trunk of a tree until she's sitting on the ground. she leans her head back onto the bark of the tree. she closed her eyes tightly. 'Armin...You see me as a heartless monster too.' she relaxes her muscles in defeat 'I guess I really am one...' She sits there completely still for a several moments. when she heard a twig crack. Her eyes shot open. she stood up and looked around. out of the corner of her eye she sees the blade of a sword coming right for her head. she dodges it easily and stands in a ready position facing her attacker. It's a boy she used to work with when she was with the military police, she didn't stick around long enough to learn his name.

"What are you doing?" She asked him

"I told him it was a bad idea. To join the Scout Regiment. He should have joined the military police with me. He was eligible, but he his mind was made up. and now he's dead because of you!" he growled, his eyes full of anger and hatred. "You killed my brother, and now i'm gonna kill you!" he lunged at her.

Annie dodged easily and did her signature sweep kick, knocking him over.

The boy slowly stood up. "You're a monster, that's all you ever will be."

The words of the boy made Annie freeze for just barely a second. but that's all the time the boy needed to recover and strike again. this time he swiped to cut off her legs.

Annie recovered and moved just in time, but the blade of the sword was cut into one of her calfs. She fell on the ground and hit her head on a rock, pain shot thru her head. She clutched her calf tightly trying to stop the bleeding. She knew she needed to move but her head was spinning too much for her to focus.

The boy was a few feet away and walked closer until he stood above her. "Now…" he raised his sword up over his head "Die!"

Just as the boy began to swing down, a fist came in contact with his face, knocking him on the sword landed several feet away. Annie and the boy looked up at the person who just intervened. It was Armin who had thrown the punch.

"Armin…?" annie said

The boy stands up, grunts and throws a punch at Armin.

Armin dodges and hits him in the face again, knocking him over once more. His lip busted open. some of the blood splattered onto Armin's fist.

The boy tries to quickly grab his sword, but he's too slow and Armin beats him to it.

Armin glares at the boy. "Don't. ever. touch. her. again."

The boy spits blood at his feet. "What're you gonna do about it."

Armin picks him up and forces him to stand and puts the sword to his throat. "I'm a part of the scout regiment. I've killed titans with one of these. imagine all the things I can do to you with one."

The boy gulps.

Armin lets go of him. "Now leave, and don't ever come after her again understood?"

The boy begrudgingly nods and runs off.

Armin walks towards annie and kneels next to her. "Are you okay Annie?"

She nods "I'm fine. when did you become so intimidating?"

Armin smiled "I'm Commander Hange's apprentice. After working under her for nearly two years, you learn a few things."

a small smile formed on Annie's lips.

Armin stared at her for several moments, then his smile faded. "You're not a monster."

Annie looked away "I am...Everyone thinks so."

"But you're not. and I'm sorry about what I said earlier. it was wrong and completely untrue."

Annie put her hand on his cheek "You have nothing to apologize for."

Armin closed his eyes and leaned his head into her hand. "Hows your head and leg?"

"Fine. the bleeding stopped, and my heads cleared up."

"Good…" Armin looked at the boy's blood on the back of his hand and sighed. "I don't think I'll be able to ever live with myself. hurting people, whether I kill them or just injure them. I'll never be able to get used to it."

"Good." Annie says

Armin looks back at her.

"I don't want you to get used to it" Annie says "If you did the person I love more than anything would disappear." Annie grabbed both of his hands. "You're hands are stained by blood, just like mine are. Unfortunately that will never change. But, as long as you still feel guilt at times about it, you're still human, you're still you. And what I want, for you to still be you."

Armin and Annie sit there for a long time until they both drift off into a deep sleep on the damp grass.

Their blood covered hands intertwined.