A.N: Yeah, I know I said there likely wouldn't be an update this Sunday, but I also said there might be if I get inspiration from the new chapter. And I did, so here we are! Say good morning to our sleeping beauty!

WARNING: Spoilers up to chapter 125!

The Things She Heard

It was really quiet. It usually was. Usually, she couldn't hear anything. Sometimes there were some soldiers talking but other than that, nothing.

"It's really true" was that Marlowe's voice? "Annie… she really is the female titan!"

"I thought they might've been pulling a joke on us" this was Hitch, definitely "I was her roommate; how did I not notice!?"

"Pretty sure she didn't hang around your room in her titan form" Boris, Annie was sure "This is messed up."

No shit.

There were moments Annie wanted to comment, but was unable to. She couldn't even see them. As Marlowe mentioned being about to join the scouts, she couldn't help but think what a fool he was being. She wanted to talk him out of it but, naturally, she was unable to.

That was the last time she heard Marlowe's voice.

The news of his death came from Hitch, who came in screaming an angry fit, asking her why. Why did Marlowe have to die? Why did she have to kill all those people in Stohess? What did she feel as she did?

…

What indeed.

Annie barely ever heard Boris' voice. He was there sometimes, but never for long, and always just to look for another soldier who was there with her. Hitch, on the other hand, started to show up often.

As did Armin.

"Have you found out anything useful?" Hitch asks.

"No, I only see bits and pieces" Armin said "The fragments of his memories are unclear."

Fragments of his memories.

Annie didn't have to wonder for long what that meant; she realized Armin had inherited a titan. Armin. Why him, of all people possible? Surely there could've been others… and which titan was it?

It took her months to learn it had been the Colossal titan. Bertolt was dead, yet she couldn't even mourn for her comrade, unable to even shed a single tear.

She couldn't cry even when she found out Zeke was a traitor, having sent an army of his own to Paradis. Not that she would've cried about it even if she could. Screamed in frustration, then? More likely, but maybe not that either. After all, who was she to judge? The things she had done, she hadn't done them for Marley. Nor humanity. It was for her and her father alone, personal reasons. She didn't know what Zeke was thinking, but he must've had reasons of his own.

There was no point in wondering who was right and who wrong.

The history would be written by the winners, anyway.

Connie came by once, asking about the possibility of feeding her to his mother. Annie had already gathered bits and pieces about an attack by Marley from the conversations around her, but it was only now that she learned that the place that took most of the damage was Connie's home.

How did she feel about that? She didn't know. She knew Connie, but had no ties to his family. She didn't know them, she didn't care, so by logic, it shouldn't matter. It shouldn't, yet she felt something.

Jean was sometimes there too, although rarely, always tagging along with Armin if he was. He rarely spoke and when he did, he was level headed, logical. He'd changed so much it took Annie a while to realize it was him the first time she heard him talking. Gone was the arrogant boy, and in his place, a man toughened up by war. She wasn't sure if she should consider it a good thing or not.

Sasha stopped by sometimes, too. The first time, Annie was sure, had been an accident with the girl actually looking for food. She wasn't surprised in the slightest. One time, she'd heard her and Armin talk about seafood. Apparently, some war prisoner had cooked for them. When Sasha talked about the deliciousness of the lobster, Annie found herself wishing she had been sitting at the table together with the rest of them. She had always wanted to try out lobster.

That was all there was to it, really.

Mikasa came a few times as well, always with Armin. She didn't say much, but it would've been weirder if she did, anyway. And always to Armin and not her.

Armin on the other hand, came by often. So much so that Annie felt like he put in extra effort to make time to come over. He talked a lot, but he was gloomy. It was mostly him being worried about the future, or Eren.

Speaking of Eren, he never showed up, not even once. Annie supposed the heads of the military didn't want to risk letting her near the founding titan.

At least, she hoped it was the case.

The one who came by the most, however, was Hitch. At first, it seemed like she came by to let out some steam. She was always complaining, about work and other things, but mostly about men. Mostly ones she dated, but also about the scouts she knew, especially Jean. She seemed to be in good terms with Armin, though.

She also read news papers to her, commenting on both important and unimportant details. That was something Annie was actually grateful for; she was somewhat able to keep up with what was happening.

Though had Hitch not been there next to always, she'd probably gone crazy.

Not that Annie would ever admit that.

"Sasha died" that was the first thing Annie hears Armin say after months of not visiting, after having told her he was going to Marley. Not what results they'd gotten, not what he'd seen, just… that. And even as Armin starts speaking in more detail, for the first time since she got stuck in the crystal, Annie has trouble focusing on what is being said.

One more person was dead and she was still stuck here.

"I need to get out" she has thought so many times over these four years, yet never so strongly as now. As Armin goes on with his story, she learns of the attack on Liberio, and her desire to get out only grows as she can now only wonder if her father survived in the chaos.

But of course, she can't get out.

All she can do is keep listening to Armin, unable to answer when he tells her to do so.

Sometimes Armin and Hitch argued, though it was more like Hitch made jokes that Armin took too seriously and panicked. It was amusing at first, but Hitch should've really left him alone by now.

One day, she finally hears Eren's voice, louder and clearer than anyone else's.

And then, all of sudden, she's out.