The rest of the squad, although weakened, and hurt from Annie's loss as well, had successfully made it to the isolated squadron. Well, actually the majority of the adult part had head off towards the wall, heading to rejoin with another auxiliary squad which had been forced to retreat. The younger half of the squadron was ordered to join with the trainees and head back. So far, the defense of Trost was being abandoned, as the losses around the city were mounting with each passing hour. The combined unit returned towards HQ, but however they discover that the building had been compromised, and Titans had gathered around the place, trapping some people inside and stranding the others low on gas.
Annie wasn't sure whether to count her current circumstance as luck, or something more planned. Even when she just suspected Angel was a Titan Shifter, she had always assumed he was aware of his own power. Annie, being what she was, had a natural inclination to being able to feel out Titan Shifters. It was not surefire, and it wasn't very much but she could feel out something if she was looking, and from the start Angel had just struck her as different from the rest. It had always been like there was a different cloth he was made of, but despite constant attempts to get him to reveal some form of understanding of the Titan powers, he never once slipped up or even showed any facial recognition of what she was talking about. But that only convinced her further that he was hiding something.
It was partly his hand to hand prowess. It was the kind of technical skill that only somebody who needed it would possess. He'd beat her with surprise, and ever since then she knew she couldn't let him get the factor of surprise on her again. If so, she was most likely doomed.
She'd wondered if she was correct about her feelings many, many times. The other two weren't convinced, but she was. And yet, now after being shown beyond a shadow of a doubt the truth she was uncertain still. The uncertainty no longer remained the status of Titan Shifting abilities within Angel, but rather within his own control over it. His method of fighting back there was not the trained style he had displayed before hand, although there had been the shadow of his training lying within his unfocused attacks.
But more importantly, his power did not match any of the Nine Forms. Each of the soldiers sent had been educated with all the knowledge available as to all the forms and their general powers, yet Angel's Titan did not match any of them. His form was, without a doubt, unique in terms of the Nine Houses. The only potential candidate was the Coordinate, but yet something told her it wasn't him. The Coordinate Titan, although lacking general identifiers, was certainly not going to look like that. At least, she felt so.
But he has to be. Only the Coordinate remains in this land. We have the other 8-ah, but we lost two. Is he one of those two? Possibly, so while the chance remains that he is the target the risk of being wrong is too great to run off now with him, and besides Reiner and Bertolt don't know. I'll have to inform them before we attempt to run off with the Coordinate anyway. Of course, it'd be safer to just kill him here, but that risks losing the Coordinate. And besides, if he is aware of us then his mission must not be directly opposed to ours, as he had ample chance to kill me, yet he saved my life. Perhaps, even, he may be a potential ally.
No. There are no allies in this world except ourselves. We can trust no one. I can trust no one.
And yet... just what if I could...
Annie was approaching a troop of soldiers guarding the middle line. It was too late now to attempt to remove Angel, they had already spotted her. What appeared to be the captain spotted her, and with a few waves indicated for her to come join them. She moved towards the group, landing with a short spurt of gas, slowing her descent enough for her to land almost comfortably while carrying Angel and with her ankle wounded. She stumbled a little bit as she came down, but quickly recovered her balance and was on her feet, offering just a quick salute to the captain around.
"What's going on up there, soldier?" The captain asked immediately, "You look like you've seen enough combat."
Annie laid Angel down on the roof, sighing as his weight moved off her, "I'm not familiar the conditions up there. I was with Captain Rosa and her squadron, guarding the middle line except we went up to rescue an isolated brigade. Along the way, our soldier here got hit hard and barely survived, I took him and have been coming back this way."
The captain nodded, "I see. Well, I'm afraid you're not much better off anyway. HQ has been compromised, too many titans to contest it. Currently, we're trying to figure out what to do. Most squadrons are running on low on gas," Annie, having stolen Angel's gear, was actually fairly alright, as he was good at conservation and hadn't utilized his gear to a great degree anyway, "And without much gas we can't really escape or fight into the room. I'm sorry, I see you've gone to quite the effort to save your friend but we may not be able to save him anyway."
Is that it? Annie thought, Is that why I stayed? Is that maybe why he spared me? I have no allies here, but that doesn't mean we can't have friends...
"I see." She said, before sitting down next to Angel's passed out body. The captain turned from her, clear to him that she wasn't going to say anything more and returned to conversing with others. In the distance, unknown to her, there was a second titan rampaging amongst Trost, being led towards the HQ. Mikasa and the rest of the 104th had come across a Titan which was attacking and killing other ones, and although it was a peculiarity to them they had skillfully led the creature towards HQ, hoping it would assist them in killing the ones around there. So far, the plan was working.
But back on the rooftop with Annie and Angel, there was nothing going on. The group was still waiting for some news, hoping beyond hope that something saved them. The unconscious Angel was coming to, his eyes slowly opening. A shot of fear and panic struck through Annie, as she hadn't thought about confronting him. Then again, she could always just not. However, if she didn't say anything about, and he wasn't aware of her shifting powers, he'd be suspicious for she. Yet, if she did say something, she had to deal with that conversation. Annie wasn't particularly good at conversations.
Angel sat up, dizzily and looking confused. He looked into the distance, blank faced and his eyes lost in some vision. Annie sat there next to him, watching his intently, observing for any indication of anything. After a while of the two just staring, Angel turned his head, seeming to snap out of whatever thoughts he was having. He turned to Annie, meeting her eyes, with an intensity within them that surprised her. There was a deep pain contained within them, alongside a deep sadness that dulled his crystal eyes.
"Let's not talk about it." He said, monotone and solemnly, and then returned to staring into the distance. "Current situation."
"Not good." He nodded. Rising from his seat, he moved towards the captain but only took one step before he paused, looking down to his waist with a looks of confusion 'cross his face. He turned back towards Eren, quickly running his eyes over her waistline, observing in great detail every little bump of the 3DMG gear, or so it felt like to Annie.
"That's mine."
"How can you tell?" Annie asked.
"They're a size too big." He replied, eyes hardened, brows slightly tilted down, and his whole demeanor one of somebody who needs to go do something, "Sir, Angel Blase, of the 104th Trainee Squadron. What's the current situation on the battlefield?"
The captain turned around, finding Angel right behind and meeting his eyes, "Not good soldier. Surprised to see you up like this. A moment ago you were out cold."
"I have a duty to fulfill."
"If only all men thought like that. We'd have wiped out the Titans years ago. Regardless, HQ, along with our Gas, is surrounded. We can't get in to restock and escape."
"So we attack and wipe out the enemy."
"It's not that simple. We're limited on Gas and there's too many of them around. If we attack we'll slaughtered."
"At least some will survive. That's better than losing all of us."
"Perhaps. But there has to be another way."
"We won't find any other way standing around here either way. We should head towards the HQ, attempt to clear whatever we can so other teams have a chance anyway."
"Hm. I suppose you're right. Moving closer to the building shouldn't be a problem."
Angel simply nodded, leaving and returning to where Annie was sitting, watching him, "I need my gear."
"I suppose. But what will I do?"
"I'll carry you."
"You don't have the gas to support two people?"
"How much is left?"
"Maybe a little below half." Angel nodded.
"I can manage with that." Annie unlatched the gear and handed it to Angel. He quickly slipped it on, easing into it only the way those experienced with it do.
"What's your plan here?"
"Fulfill my duty."
"Which is?"
Angel paused, right in the middle of finishing putting on his gear. He looked out towards the wall in the distance, intensity still possessing a hold over his complexion, "To protect."
Annie was silent hearing that. She couldn't tell if he was saying something to cover up his true intentions or if that was somehow his mission. There was clearly something he was going to do. It was odd. She had never seen him filled with such purpose, with such a clear determination. She almost envied it. She envied that dedication to his purpose, that clear resolve to do whatever he was doing.
It offered a strong parallel to her constant doubts today. But she couldn't deny this was interesting. He was most likely about to reveal to her his mission, in the actions he was about to take. And most importantly, he trusted her. If she held his trust, perhaps she could glean a lot of information out of the boy.
And maybe, even, this titan could prove an ally to her.
Angel finished configuring his gear and was now standing in front of Annie, "I'm going, it looks like the Captain here doesn't plan to move actually. So I'll go alone. I'll see you when we got out of here." Angel moved to fly off, but just before he shot away Annie called out.
"Wait!" And he turned around to face her, "I've seen some things today Angel."
"We aren't talking about it now. Explanations come in due time. I have a duty to fulfill now and I must go."
"And I'm going with you."
Angel paused, "No."
"Why shouldn't I?"
"You don't have any gear."
"There's spares in the building."
Angel opened his mouth to respond, but had a moment of doubt and stopped. He frowned, just for a second, and then his resolved face returned, "Fine. Then we go now together, but we go now."
And within a minute the two were zipping away towards the HQ, the roles reversed with Annie now the one being carried. There was a difference in everything Angel did now. The way he moved through the air felt slightly more...aggressive, yet smoother. And his face was constantly showing his dedication to this mission he was on. There was such purpose, such certainty in his movements, is the only way to describe it.
"Angel," Annie said, after a little while, "Why are you going to the HQ? You had enough gas to make it out alive already."
There was a silence which hung in the air, until Angel blinked and his shoulders relaxed just a tad, "I can't explain it. There's something calling me, urging me onwards. Some force which wants me to come to it. Some creature there waiting for me. I don't understand it. I don't understand why it's here, but I know it wants me. And although I can't say why it does, I know I can't ignore it. Embedded within its words, it cries for help. Amongst its rage and anger, I can feel it. I can feel its fear, hidden underneath its anger, and I can feel it asking me to help it. How can I ignore our purpose?. This is what we are born to do. This is what we must do. And I will fulfill the duty of my ancestors, at long last."
"...What is your duty, exactly?" She asked, softly.
"To protect."