Hey, this is my first ever fic on this site.
I'm pretty sure everyone can see the heavy inspiration from the story By Sir Lucifer Morningstar "The Sociopathy Of Uchiha Sasuke".
I chose Eren because I was always fascinated that he chose to fight so hard for his freedom even after knowing he'll only live till he's 22.
Without further adieu, the warnings: WARNING! This story contains instances and/or mentions of assault, psychological torture, regular torture, underaged sex, manipulation, gaslighting, dubious consent, self harm and/or mutilation.
You will be disturbed, perturbed, and curse the day your mother decided to birth you. You have been warned.
A Choice of Death
Because you can't simply revive a terminally ill patient in the body of a Titan-Shifter and not expect serious consequences.
Metamorphosis
"It hurts so badly"
What ? who said tha-
Looking around he observed that to his left was the body of a girl he had never met, and a view from a wall of some sort that had to be at the very least 40 meters high.
Where ? Who is this…. wha-
"Sasha…"
Wait how do i know her name.i.i wait.…i died i died I died i-
"Armin you're up!"
I died I died …i
He barely realised he was being hugged.
"Armin. I'm so glad you're back!" said the person hugging him, his voice filled with sorrow for all to see. but he still didn't register it, for he was lost in a vortex of doubt and fear.
What's with the weird Uniforms? Is this a dream
"About time"
"Captain levi!"
Levi, Armin, Sasha… who-? wha- NO, NO,…
No, NO, no, can't be… I died, i died, No
The same cycle of denial repeated endlessly in his mind. Both individuals present beside him were ignored, for he was swept by absolute terror. Shouldn't he be dead ? He should be . thoughts racing. Over and over again. The same utter confusion and horror. The doctor said so. the pain, excruciating. The bland white wall, his only companion for his final days. The Coughing of blood.
Focus-
"What happened…? I can't remember."he questioned the person he positively identified as Eren Yeager now.
I'm gonna die again, aren't i. Eren Yeager. From what it looks like, it's after Armin or I, Ate Berthelot. Meaning death is once again knocking. The curse of Ymir guarantees it. Dead, again. we're sorry young man you only have a year left at best. Bone cancer, I always thought I was cursed. Now I'am.
"It sounds like your recent memory was just about wiped out" the captain announced.
In terms of life expectancy, it's still more than what the doctor gave him in his last life.
Is this some kind of cosmic joke? Always weak. Always dying. Always doomed.
"Eren. Tell him everything."
Weak
Dying
Doomed
Bang-
As a green flare was launched to the sky all the thoughts of the now reawakened Shifter halted to a single Resolve So primal it risked overwhelming him.
Live.
Survive.
Never be weak again.
"Okay. Are you up to speed now?" the captain questioned, Armin wondered if he could read minds, but dismissed it.
"Yes sir."
More individuals started pouring in. Jean. Connie. Mikasa.
Jean contemplated what to say. It's not that he was not happy for his friend being brought back but with so many lives lost today he couldn't stop himself from stating the obvious.
"There are only nine soldiers left alive. The nine of us." silence prevailed but he continued more for himself than anything else. "The fighting ended four hours ago. We've been searching for survivors, but…. no luck."
Say something.
"Oh… so i ate Bertholdt"
Fuck
"Yes. It was between you or Commander Erwin."
"I see " The cadet said with what he hoped was a sad tone.
Levi frowned. "There was a short debate. Your friends here argued that you were the one we needed to revive, And when I disagreed, they staged a little mutiny."
Eren was going to start apologizing, but Armin intervened. "I'm terribly sorry for Commander Erwin sir. We'll work harder and make it worth the sacrifice, Captain." the young cadet voiced with all the passion he desperately needed them to believe, for his life depended on it.
With a hardened stare the captain continued not bothering to affirm his words. "The thing is, I was the one who chose to revive you in the end. Or no. It's more like I chose this to be the place Erwin died."
"To be brutally honest I believe it should've been used on Ewin." *sigh* "To be brutally honest- Argh!" She almost shouted while grabbing her hair. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down. As the new Commander she needed to keep a level head. So with much effort, she stared blankly ahead and said "Nevermind. It's a shame we had to choose in the first place" the new appointed Commander Hange noted.
Fuck you too bitch.
She continued."Anyways, Erwin entrusted Levi with the decision to use it. And Levi ended up choosing you. What's done is done. Erwin's life and a Titan's power now rest on your shoulders. No matter what anyone says, that's part of who you are now, Armin. Accept it."
"I'll do my Best Ma'am" to thrive, to live, to be strong.
"Don't let any of us regret this. Not me, not either one of our mutineers here," says the captain while holding both Eren and Mikasa's head in a vice-like grip "nor anyone else. And especially don't regret it yourself. Consider that your new mission"
"Shut the hell up" Sasha heaved from her place of rest.
Hange chuckled and said "yep, that's our Sasha. She's always been one to speak her mind." Sighing heavily she refocused. "You know, since Erwin chose me to succeed him as commander, I'm more or less in the same boat as you." No you're not "We'll just have to grin and bear it" I genuinely don't care about this whole thing, I just want to live for the first time in both lives. No matter what. No matter who gets in my way."While doing what we can."
"Yes, Commander" He realised he needed to show sincerity. His survival rests on the survey corps and the friends of the previous occupant of this body. So his eyes never left the Now Commander's own. For a couple of seconds she kept on searching for something, he didn't know what, but apparently she found it and moved on.
"Good."
*Sigh*
"Now that we know Armin alright, let's check out that basement. Eren, Mikasa, you two can come to guide me and levi. The rest of you stay. Keep an eye for hostiles from here on the wall."
I need to be strong.
"Yes, Ma"am" "alright" "Got it"
"Eren do you still have the key?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Let's go."
He could never let himself be weak again.
The painted lady
Having to stay with his new friends in a cell was irritating, definitely not for the company. Hot asian girl in cell number 7 made sure of that. And Eren too he guessed. It simply reminded him too much of the hospital. The voice of Eren narrating what they learned from Grisha's books was keeping him grounded though.
He was highly tempted to ask if he could sleep on the roof. But thought better of it. Instead he kept doing his pushups quietly. Humming from time to time for them to know he's listening.
Pushing himself upwards with both hands, lowering his chest, spreading his arms further, descending, and rising in that manner. He was making progress. having a healing factor from his shifter status was a true asset. Now if only they could finish their jail time, then he could then ask the Hot super soldier for spars. Armin muscle memory was good at some level, but fighting an Ackerman day in day out was bound to be productive. Probably debilitating for most humans though. He did have a memory of her throwing a kid three times her size like a bloody pillow.
"He said that was the rule. Called it the "Curse of Ymir". The first titan, Ymir, died that long after getting her powers." Eren's defeated voice bounced on cell walls.
"Hmm" Up, down.
"Since none can surpass her, we have to do the same. Meaning, i got eight years left, not even. "
"No. You're wrong. There's been a mistake. It can't be true." Mikasa's words were barely audible but Both Cadets heard her.
Desperate truly doesn't suit her.
A spark of irritation dabbed at him, but was swiftly quelled.
*sigh* finishing a last rep he went to the corner of the cell and sat.
"Eren, we're not gonna die like this. there has to be away. Call me naive, but I think I'll take your advice and throw it back at you. If you win, you live. If you lose, you die. If you don't fight, you can't win."
"Armin.." Mikasa's eyes sparked.
"Your right, Armin." he spoke with a look that spoke of pride in his friend's choice of words.
"Argh, please don't tell me I have to deal with teenage drama." A cold voice that could only belong to Captain Levi came from around the corner.
without much fanfare he started opening the cells.
"Get out"
"What? But i'm not done, i still have ten full days"
"I'm satisfied. Hange just gave you ten days worth of pain."
"We had a talk with Premier Zachary, so don't worry about it. If we jail the heroes who toppled the Armored and Colossal Titan, it kinda sends a bad message, you know?" Commander Hange added.
Walking past Eren, he spotted the other part of the trio.
"Mika you lost weight." She looked beyond depressed. Even with an outside perspective and an inside one courtesy of his previous owner's memories he still taught that the relationship between Mikasa and Eren was anything but healthy. "Starving yourself isn't making any of us happy Mika." he said with a frown.
"Sorry.." voiced Mikasa while keeping her head down.
He rolled his eyes good naturally. "Guess I'll be cooking you extra later."
"Thanks…"she looked up appericiatevlly.
"Let's go. Get dressed, you damn kids."
"Where are we going?"
"A state meeting her majesty has come to Trost."
"Your Grace!" the trio said with the best bow they could muster.
"Oh stop it. I'm not actually ruling yet." Spoke the queen of Paradis island.
God help us when you do.
"Why don't we get the ball rolling" Commander Hange voice cut through the chase.
"You have been through so much and I have just been watching the South sky from inside the walls.."
Spare me your drama.
He almost eye rolled. It took considerable amount of willpower to hold it in. He supposed it mostly stems from his mixed bag of feeling about the character. Historia Reiss. The living embodiment of the word hypocrite. He hoped they wouldn't question his disinterest. He was glad Eren volunteered to break the silence.
"You have an important job to your grace." God, his eye began to twitch.
As Future broodmare and Puppet Queen.
"You three are particularly the same...am glad." He wasn't, but he wouldn't correct her.
Well, my healing factor would make Wolverine blush. I can turn into a 60 metre tall monster, and I've got future knowledge of the series. The problem is, I can only use one of those to my advantage. To acquire the Founding power I would need to eat Eren, not to mention having someone of royal blood basically be used as a PC to access the Paths.
"I think… it's just because none of us really felt it yet" Eren said with a sombre tone.
So my primary objective is to protect Eren. He did remove the Curse in the Manga. Plus, he's a Bro. worst-case scenario I eat whoever ate him. Oh! And kill Gabi Out of fucking Spite.
"Why don't we get going?"Commander Hange asked after finishing preparing for the upcoming meeting.
"The individuals in this room are currently the only ones that know the existence of these books." Commander-in-Chief Darius Zackly stated. His eyes slowly swept the attendants making sure that everyone was paying attention before continuing. High officials from all over Paradis, attending arguably the most important meeting since the creation of the walls. Satisfied that everyone is paying attention he moved on."The Early life of Greisha Yeager", "The extent of our knowledge of titans and their history." and, "Information about the world beyond the walls." We owe their retrieval to the nin-.. "
God, 13 months, that's all it took. I went from Orphan who suffered from a delirious amount of pain daily to high grade military planning. On second thought, I'm still an orphan. I wish I had time to thank Edith for teaching me the piano, maybe tried some rich people's food before I died. Focus! fuck, Eren started the Rumbling at 19. This leaves 4 years of training Strength, Hand-to-hand, and Fire-arm handling an-. Live. and finding ..a hobby.
"COULD IT BE?!"Eren shouted. He clearly forgot that he wasn't the only person in the room. Here comes my favourite part. Armin mused
"You startled me. What's the matter all of a sudden?" Commander Hange asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Ah ..a … i just…" Eren stuttered from all the sudden attention.
"oh… alright. I see. I'm sorry sir he's going through a phase where he strikes out a pose and mouths off for no reason'' Commander Hange spoke with eyes full of pity for her charge.
"That's unfortunate to hear… he's getting to be that age."Commander-in-Chief Darius Zackly said with a voice full of understanding.
He couldn't help it. He snorted. He's lucky his friends slash seat-mates were in their Sasuke phase and didn't pay attention. Brooding like their life depended on it.
*Sigh* Life is truly strange. Titans. Marely. My hate boner for the "warriors". My real boner for Mikasa.
He took in a sharp breath, shaking his head as he prevented the thoughts from clouding his mind.
He noted that maybe he should pay attention.
"But the walls will fall in Chaos if we informed the public."
"That's right! We aren't even able to assess the scale of what's going on here."
"So we should deceive the people again?"Commander Pixis asked. his tone full of disapproval, and well disguised anger. Most seemed to shy away from his stare but he asked again "You're suggesting that we keep the people ignorant and domesticated, just as King Reiss did?" his stare hardened "If that's the case… what cause are we fighting for when we snatched the crown from his head." Many looked down with guilt and contemplated his words.
"We will make an announcement. We will be giving the memories king Reiss took from the people a century ago, back to the people a century later. We are all the people of the wall, we have a shared fate. We must now unite as one, and work together." Queen Historia finally spoke.
I need to get started.
2 weeks later.
Hundreds of Paradis soldiers gathered in The Royal hall, for today was marked by a ceremony to honour the sacrifice of not only the survey corps, but also nine brave Survivors who uncovered the truth. The attention of all gathered was Solely focused on the individuals kneeling before the Queen. The atmosphere is filled with a mix of anticipation and solemnity. Some happy by the truth shared with the public, finding out they weren't the last humans reignited the sense of wonder and drive to explore. but most seemed disturbed by their fate and the hate the world projects on them. More importantly Theories and rumours being exchanged about if Captain Levi made the right decision by giving the Titan power to a clear inferior choice to Commander Erwin.
Their glare's are really something.
He was genuinely amused by their actions. He wasn't blind nor was he deaf about their underhand insults. He couldn't keep himself from comparing them to the Youtube comment section. Once you validate them with your attention they already won.
For fuck sake its not even a medal. A fucking Bolo-Tie.
He almost laughed. His hands unconsciously trembling. He just couldn't find any other reason for him being here then it being a dumb joke.
I'm trapped in an insane world of Monsters, an alien God, and Nazis, all are out to see me controlled or dead, but here i am wasting my time on a fucking Bolo-Tie.
The trembling increased. One by one the Queen places the medal around the recipient's neck, bestowing upon them the highest recognition the kingdom can offer.
Ymir...Are you there? Listen to me, I have to tell you. I think you made a mistake. I'm not one of the good ones. I will burn this whole fucking world if it means i'll live. If you care about your people even a second, Kill me now! Cuz I promise you Ymir, I will not stop Eren.
Suddenly the Queen halted before a certain green eyed cadet as soon as his lips reached her hands he reared back as if struck. His widened eyes speaking of untold horror. Next to him the blonde haired Cadet finally couldn't control his trembling. He knew if anyone touched him he'd go into a full on panic attack. He definitely thought he looked pathetic to the onlookers, but he couldn't stop, to him these people didn't matter for he's key to survival just saw a glimpses of the future.
He knows! He knows! NO NO n- focus, focus, focus
The trembling slowed down gradually. He reasoned that even if he knew, all his future actions would benefit Paradis. Plus, Eren wanted his friends to live and be free.
Fine then, Ymir, I'll take your inaction as approval.
He knew that the second he woke up in this world he was destined to be a monster. It was clear that Ymir Fritz did not care. It wasn't any sense of justice or loyalty for Paradis or the Eldians that drove him. it was Survival. his shame, morality, and loyalty will get him killed. He simply couldn't win without making sacrifices. Choosing between a world he didn't belong to, people he didn't know, or for the second chance of life after he was robbed of his first, He chose to sacrifice the world.
The rest of the world needed to die, So Armin Alert could live.
The Girl in the Crystal
Darkness is all she knew. she didn't see anything around her or feel anything. But she could hear. But there wasn't much to listen to where they had put her. The silence was deafening.
Underground most definitely
All she had were her thoughts. She didn't know how long it's been since she was trapped here. a prison of her own making. It's driving her insane. The silence. The passing of time. The nightmares. She didn't even know how long she's been stuck here
Months, probably
It felt like years though. Most of the time the boredom ate her. But it was still better than sleep. She didn't feel human, sleeping for days even weeks at a time wasn't normal.
Not that she ever wa-
"Good morning Annie."
Oh.. he's back
"Sorry for not visiting in last couple of weeks…things been difficult"
Yes please talk…anything
"I ate Berthoelt.."he said, voice bare of any emotion.
I don't really care… I just want to see my father. It doesn't matter if Paradis retook the Colossus Titan they can't wi-
"You don't have to say anything, I know you don't particularly care."
Huh, he keeps surprising me
"You and I aren't that different, you know?"
You dont say? She mused he entire being dripping with sarcasm
"I mean it, witch."he sounded exasperated, knowing full well she was making fun of him inside her crystal "We both would do anything to achieve something. Be it for someone else or our own selfish desire."
Did he just call me a witch? I'm definitely punching him if I ever get out of here. She mused
"Don't bother answering…not that you can ha!" he added the last part with a chuckle."you'll see my resolve in the future." he finished with a darker tone.
Well, that wasn't ominous at all. Something definitely changed…
"Getting back to the reason for my visit…" He chuckled. "I know how incredibly dull it can be to stay in one place for a long time, or in your case, well,.. Stuck in a huge crystal 25 feet underground.."
definitely punching him
"So I thought I'll try to entertain you from time to time."
Oh
"Trust me, I know full well what it's like" She doesn't know if he truly does, but his voice is full of understanding. Compassion. she couldn't help but feel that she was in the presence of a kindred spirit.
And they say Krista is a goddess if she had the ability to scoff she would.
She never truly buy into Marley's bullshit about the island devils, these are all innocent people that she and the others were going to kill, she can't deny that she feels bad about it, but-
"So be grateful. your gonna be the first to hear this book im writing" she could swear she heard him mutter about something -copyright law- can suck my-
He's writing a book?
"It's called "The Hobbit". I hope you'll like it." He sounded almost pleased with himself. as if he's telling a joke only he knows about.
the hell's a hobbit.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of wo…"
Thank you..she guessed she had to work extra hard to stay awake from now on. Maybe he'll visit more. She could only hope.
The Raider
[Year 851]
Armin has been acting strange.
Sasha found herself repeating this thought a lot this past year. Some might dismiss it as a result of the responsibility, his Curse, or the Events of the past year. Change was inevitable, she supposed. but she was not so sure it was the case. She might not be the brightest of her friends, but Sasha wasn't dumb. That title belongs to Connie.
He's so dumb. he makes a rock look smart in comparison. No-no-no focus.
She was getting distracted. The main point is, years of living on what you hunt, you tend to develop Instincts, Cuz if you don't, Well, you can't eat. Not eating means death.
She remembered a time when Armin was describing something on how some animals die out while others Adapt to survive. Natural Selection, he called it. So her being alive this long means she has or developed good instincts. And her instincts telling her that something changed.
Not that I think that this change was negative!
Hell, no! She was almost drooling. his appreciation of the glory of meat skyrocketed from last year. He became a true believer like her. a true friend in their crusade against hunger. With more available resources since the reclamation of wall Maria, and the salary of the survey corps being as high as its death rate,
Not that he needs it with the profit his book is making
He keeps buying lots of meat. He even created the food of the gods. He named it Pizza. Meat Lover Pizza especially. Don't get her wrong, Normal Pizza alone was delicious. But it simply doesn't compare. Heretics like Connie even suggested they added fruits as toppings. Armin looked at him like he insulted his mother for suggesting that.
Stupid connie.
The biggest change she observed was his physique. Long gone was the scrawny anxious boy they knew. He's taller. Taller than Eren now. good nutrition can help a person reach their full height, he says. Not just that, He is stronger too. Much stronger. Considering he spends most of his time either training with those lumps of metal he keeps in his room- Weights He calls them -or getting beat up by Mikasa, she guessed it was inevitable. If he wasn't such a gentle soul he'd be scary. A 185cm tall guy with Muscles straining against the fabric he wears.
He even changed his haircut! His iconic haircut!
She supposed it looks good on him, but still! Sigh- other than that, when he's not training he hangs out with all of us, Annie, the traitor, included apparently, but mostly he spends a large chunk of his time with Mikasa. That fact always drew a merry little giggle from her. With Eren being all broody and withdrawn and overall moody the past year, Armin makes sure she's having fun most of the time. She can't help but grin at that. The anticipation is killing her. Who will win the oriental maidens heart?
Her eyes kept gleaning with excitement recalling that. It was so obvious. Who will it be?! The broody or the Hunky?! Sigh-
No, the change wasn't bad. far from it.
"Sasha, what the hell are you doing? Wipe that grin out of your face, it's seriously creepy."
of course it's Connie she's starting to question why she's even friends with him.
"The hell did you say?!"
Bitter work
"She is a firebending prodigy. My father says she was born lucky. he says i was lucky to be born"
He learned early on that overpowering her wasn't even an option. No matter how much weight he could bench, how many hours he trained, or how much weight he had on her. Her strength simply wasn't human. Sometimes he wonders if Captain Levi was going easy on Eren while beating him up. He was absolutely sure her kicks can decapitate someone if she so wishes. Regardless if that statement was true doesn't matter, cuz to Him, Mikasa Ackerman was Strong. And he….
Weak. Weak. Pathetic
His eyes focused forward. Sweat and ugly bruises covered his shirtless form. They've been at it for two hours now. A series of viscous beat downs.
Heal, repeat. Heal, repeat. Repeat
He was exhausted, barely standing. she on the other hand looked like she just finished a twenty minute run. he knew he couldn't lose his focus, that usually meant pain, broken bones, and losing, but Self doubt was always on the for front of his mind while fighting her . Making him hesitate, making him Weak. But mostly the same question kept following him in every fight. Haunting him. Taunting him. Chipping away his strength.
How I'm i going to win?
Titans were powerful in their own right, of that there can be no doubt. But titans are slow, and dumb. Even the most bizarre abnormal can somewhat be predicted. But her, it was like no matter what you tried, what you planned, her body just knew how to put you down with extreme prejudice. And that's just in hand-to-hand combat. While she's using the O.D.M gear, he didn't even question his assumption that no one Could beat her. It was insane. Insane. Armin couldn't pull the stuff she does if he trained for a hundred years. The foresight, acrobatics, and absurd level of agility was simply inhumane.
Not a hair out of place.
Every morning after breakfast he asks her for spars, and every morning she beats him within an inch of his life. Leaving him to heal in the basement like the pathetic waste he is. Of Course, he's asking for it. He wasn't a masochist, no matter what everybody thinks. He wasn't. It was simply a necessity. He needed to learn. Plus, it wasn't like he sustained much damage. He healed. Broken bones and missing teeth recovered in an instant. Still, it didn't matter though. no matter if he fought dirty, if he fought Smart, or healed mid fight. She was simply better.
Born lucky
Even knowing all that, watching her simply vanish from his field of sight in a well lit room scared him shitless. He had just a fraction of a second to raise his arm to guard. it almost appeared to be in slow motion to him. The kick, aimed for the right side of his ribs, almost seemed to curve, as Mikasa spun, and with the unholy use of centrifugal forces, redirected the kick instead at his left Side. Pain. Pure unadulterated Pain. The wind burst out of his lungs, But she didn't stop, as simple as breathing she rotated once again, in a swift move dislocated his jaw with her elbow. At that point he was barely conscious. Barely breathing. Nevertheless he didn't falter. The breaking of his jaw gave him an opportunity to back off, might even give him a second or two to rethink his next move. So he took it. Activating his healing on his jaw gave him a burst of steam from the same area, which he directed to her field of vision. Giving him ample time to jump back. But it was futile, for as he was trying to take a breath a punch suddenly appeared near his face. It was simply pure instincts, born from countless knockout blows to the same area, that he managed to dodge to the left, and instantly counter with a punch to her liver. It spoke of countless beatings he took. These spars to him were just a consistent reminder of how weak he was. but moments like these, moments where he learns how to survive an unbeatable force, makes all the pain worth it.
a prodigy
Mikasa Ackerman, to him, embodies everything a warrior should be. the confidence and drive of a general. the skill and strength, and abilities of a final boss. And the intelligence of a master tactician. All at 16 years old.
a genius
She tanks the punch barely flinching, and instantly repositions herself and performs a flawless leg sweep. He didn't even have time to react before losing his center of gravity. As soon as he reaches the ground, her foot immediately buries itself in his stomach, turning his internal organs to a scrambled mess.
A Royal Predator
It took every ounce of will power he had left to not empty the content of his ruined abdomen, or worse, lose consciousness. Move. Move. Mov-
Bang-
Captain Levi almost tears the door from it hinges with a kick "Brat's, i'm getting sick and tired of you two dirtying my floors." tsk" get up. Clean yourself up, we're moving in 45 minutes." as hes walking away they both could hear him mutter fucking brats, better clean up or ill-
Finally they snap back to focus.
*Sigh*
Seeing they had to cut it short he jump started his healing while reflecting back on the fight they just had. Areas where he could improve, Paths to take, and what to train next. Beating her became an unhealthy obsession for him. but he simply couldn't see it. Couldn't envision it. Power and strength. She was his perfect foil. Where he was born weak, she was born destined to be strong.
Fated for power.
sigh- finally getting up he walked up to the corner and picked up their towels.
"here" he said while throwing hers.
"You did good today. I couldn't react fast enough to your punch." she informed him, a small smile on her face.
"Thanks Mika. You were unbelievable, like always." he voiced with an amazed look in his eyes."And Believe it or not, even when I'm losing constantly, I do love spending time with you." he finished with a beaming smile.
"Thanks Armin." she says smiling. A smile so pure it defied his world view.
Did my heart just skip a beat?!
He reluctantly looks away and says "C'mon, let's hurry and take a shower before the captain gets pissed again."
"Yeah." she responds while fixing her scarf. That damn scarf
Fuck you Eren-he muses while leaving the room.
The Beach
In the green hills of Pradis island a dozen or so Survey corps members rode on horseback. To them, today marked a special day. For the first time in six years, the day had come for survey corps to embark on an Expedition beyond wall Maria. Dozens of Survey corps members readied themselves, trained, and prepared. For one single purpose. To fight, for their right to exist in this cruel world.
"Just like you predicted, Hange. The titans inside Wall Maria were just about all of them." Captain Levi noted. "Looks like we've culled most of them in only a year ."
"I expected so much. lets just head towards our objective" Commander Hange replied.
Crap baskets.
"Are you having problems with your horse again Brat?" Captain Levi said with a frown.
"Of Course not sir, Elizabeth Angela III and I are practically soulmates." Armin replies sounding extremely offended.
I fucking hate this fucking horse.
"Hmm…sure. Just so you know, there won't be an Elizabeth Angela IIII" The captain scoffed in amusement.
His friends, always the loyal sort, started to laugh at his expense. He could even hear Eren chuckle. Eren, the guy that was practically a ball of angst for a whole year, chuckled.
"Oh~~ don't worry Armin.." Sasha patted his head condescendingly as she approached him, clearly not meaning a single word she said, "I don't think this one will run away… yet" She added the last part loud enough for everyone to hear it.
Eren - the traitor - actually snickered at me while Mikasa had this wide beaming grin plastered on her face. The others were not so modest with their laughter.
"..I hate you all. I'm not saying that out of spite, but as a genuine fact. The sky is blue, and I hate you." Armin tried to keep as his face as blank as he could muster. But the Quirk of his lip betrayed him. It wasn't even his fault. Horses simply didn't like him.
"Enough… We're close. " the Captain said with an eyeroll.
Fucking diva
…..
"This is where Eldians were turned into titans." Eren said as we passed a huge white platform. Everyone's face was locked on the grim symbol of persecution of fellow Eldians.
"And just past there…" he mentioned with his head
It's beautiful... Watching it in videos and photos didn't do it justice.
"The ocean.."Armin muttered in a daze. Before slowly directing his horse to the beach. No one stopped him. For they, just as him, were struck by human curiosity to explore. So they just followed him, slightly more cautiously.
"Brats. Don't touch it. It could be poisonous."Shouted the Captain. But Armin did not concern himself with any of that. As soon as the horse reached the sand he jumped from his saddle, and started removing his clothes leaving only his shorts, he started running..
I guess I was just as obsessed with this as you are huh?…
"Armin!" "Armin!" "Hey!" "What the hell are you doing?!"Armin at this moment felt truly free. His thoughts of death, discarded. His plans, forgotten. He just dove inside the midday warm ocean water and embraced life, feeling nothing but peace.
"Where the hell did he go?"
"Argh! It's so salty!"
"Hey Sasha!" Connie shouted while splashing her in the face.
"My eyes! Connie!"" Sasha screamed.
Suddenly he emerged from the calm water with a huge smile on his face. Genuine happiness clear to all to see.
"ARMIN!"Mikasa's distressed voice rang, which made him turn back at her. He noticed she still was not touching the water. That was a problem. So he immediately started walking back towards her.
"Hey Mika." he said with a serene smile. A shredded body glistening with water giving him a look screaming seduction.
"Are you okay?" her cheeks painted pink.
"Yep, never been happier. Now, let's get you out of those shoes."Armin chuckled.
"But…"he quickly cut her off. "It's fine Mika, trust me."
"Okay…"she said hesitantly, taking a couple of seconds to discard her shoes, then she joined him on the shallow end.
"How about you Eren? Wanna take a swim?"his words, full of enthusiasm.
"It's so huge.."
"It is.."
Here we go again. Ruin my day, why don't you.
"On the other side of the walls is the ocean.." his eyes forward, never looking back "and on the other side of the ocean there's freedom." sigh" that's what i always believed.."
Then he turned back and spoke "but I was wrong. Its enemies that are on the other side of the ocean. This is exactly as I saw in my old man's memories….right?"
Armin simply hummed, knowing full well he wasn't looking for an answer.
"Those enemies on the other side of here, if we kill them all does that mean we'll be free?"he questioned.
"Probably…" Eren simply couldn't register what Armin said, nor did Mikasa for a couple of seconds they just stood there, mouth hanging. For them no matter what changed, their friend was a pacifist to the bone. To openly admit that killing was an answer to their problem was incomprehensible.
"What?!" "Armin?!"
"Eren, For once, can you forget all about fighting, Merely, Titans and just have fun? For us?" he said, a smile never leaving his features." This has been my dream since I was a kid. you and I, and Mika to reach the ocean. We did it, Eren. just please…"
Just let me have this.
"Armin.."said Mikasa holding his arm.
Armin saw Eren's eyes close and decided it would be best to leave, so he patted him on the shoulder and went back to the shore.
I'm gonna build myself a sand Castle. Armin mused feeling particularly selfish today. He wouldn't let Eren ruin his day. There's a high probability he could die soon, and spending the rest of his days miserable is not what he wishes for himself.
Calmly sitting at the beach he started gathering sand while humming.
"My face above the water
My feet can touch ground
Touch the ground, And its feels like
I can see the sands on the horizon
Every time you are not around
I'm slowly drifting away
Wave after wave, wave after wav-
"Brat.."
"Captain.."Armin replied without even turning.
Sigh"we move in an hour. Have fun."
"Thanks." he turned, looking at his Captain's eyes."It means a lot."
Such a nice scary guy
"Whatever, just finish your teenage Drama here, we have a mission." he answered dismissively.
Teenage drama, huh?
After an eternal debate he stood up, taking a deep breath, he locked his eyes with Erens form and started walking slowly towards his brooding self"Hey Eren!" he shouted
"Armin.." Eren responded frowning from the previous conversation.
"Ever drank 5 gallons of saltwater?" he questioned, grinning mischievously.
Eren, clearly not seeing his friend's malicious intentions, answered confusedly "no..?"
Finally as he reached Eren's personal space he said "Well today's your lucky day.." with a grin spread on his face as he quickly dashed and grabbed his abdomen from the back in a glorious Full Nelson.
Eyes widening, Eren shouted while simultaneously training to wiggle away from his friend's strong grip "What the hell are you doing?! Let go! you bastard!"
Gathering his strength he performed a move so devastating, witnesses later shared it was felt across the whole beach. a true work of art. A perfect Suplex, so divine it made Jean cry from jealousy for the sheer skill of its execution. The move not only brought the utmost shame upon Eren, it also made inhale a considerable amount of saltwater as promised.
A second later Armin emerged from the water looking like a victorious King coming back from battle.
Locking his gaze with his bewildered, gasping for air, victim, he smirked.
"Yes! I defeated you for all time. You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!" Armin exclaimed the smirk still present on his face."Well that was fun," and just like that it was back to normalcy for our resident social butterfly. Truly, violence was the answer.
With that fixed, it's time to build myself a sandcastle. Maybe i can find some crabs to add as guards
"Pff!" "wtf!" "Did I ever tell you why I consider you my best friend, Armin?!"
Sasha, Connie, Jean said respectively between laughter.
Mikasa looked scandalized but at the same time utterly amused.
Eren on the other hand, after regurgitating the remaining water he let out a long defeated sigh and spoke "I was being an ass, wasn't i?" a small exasperated smile on his face
"Yes, you were…" Mikasa responded to her step-brother. eyes fixed on him as if daring him to defend himself. He didn't. He knew better than to anger her. Averting their eyes, Both their gazes focused on their favorite person fondly. Seeing him so carefree making a castle out of sand with Jean gathering shells for him, and Connie and Sasha pestering him to make it bigger, Was heartwarming.
"... let's go have fun Mikasa"
"Okay Eren.." a pretty smile bloomed on her face