Pieck was waiting with Lynn at the gates of Wall Sina, specifically the gates leading into the hub of Ehrmich. They had been loaded on the transport boat with dozen's of others, the women, children, and feeble while the strong bodied and able were forced to flee by foot or horse. Messengers had been line up on horseback to run for the neighbouring villages and signal an evacuation if the gate leading into Wall Roses territory was breached. The people of the Walls had learnt their lesson, they were waiting for the Armoured to appear. But they also didn't want to displace hundred of thousands of people unnecessarily, holding onto the faint hope a repeat of five years ago wouldn't occur.
Pieck couldn't help but notice all the messengers, the soldiers helping with the evac, were mostly veteran's.
'So convenient. "Safe" back here while children are sent to the front lines to die.' Pieck though bitterly. But then she sombered up real quick. 'How much of a fucking hypocrite am I to get mad at people for trying to survive what we're guilty of? Am I really just trying to find fault with them to make myself feel better?'
Pieck determined that yes, yes she was, and she was absolute scum for doing so.
But it was also all she could do to make herself feel even slightly better, to distract herself from how culpable she was in this. Find fault with another, to hide your own shame.
A squeeze on her arm alerted Pieck that Lynn was right there with her, worried over Jean but still holding herself together. She was determined and resolute, and was putting the dark thoughts of what state her son could be in out of her mind.
All to be a comfort to Pieck.
It honestly made the Cart's Shifter want to cry.
But she didn't. Instead the two stood strong, awaiting for the gates to open. There was some nervousness that the soldiers were awaiting confirmation of the second gate falling, just to keep the gates closed and leave the refugee's to their fate. But other's held onto the hope this was all protocol, best not to flood the Interior until absolutely nessecary.
The sun was setting down, the sky a magnificent red and orange that signalled the day was coming to an end. Pieck felt a little bit more of her self worth leaving, knowing any minute now, word of Reiner having breached the second gate would make it's way here.
'Though it has been an awful long time. Reiner told me he breached Wall Maria almost instantly after Bertolt. Did something happen? Or… or is everyone dead, and the Mindless are already on their way here?' Pieck pondered.
She shook her head, to the bemusement of Lynn. 'No, there's no way the Titan's killed everyone, and all communication was cut. Something else must have happened. Maybe the Cadet's managed to stop Reiner? Or he got cold feet? Maybe… maybe the Founder actually came out?' Pieck found herself daring to hope, though slightly anxious if such a thing meant her comrades had been put in danger.
Just as Pieck was pondering what actions she should take, if she should really consider heading back to Trost, a messenger arrived! A young woman, Garrison division, who was panting as her horse came to a sudden stop a few feet away from the mass of refugees gathered.
"Need to speak to the officer in charge here!" She gasped out, which caused a flurry of movement as another soldier who'd been overseeing the civilian's stepped forward.
"That would be me ma'am. What's the word? Is… is the gate…" The soldier attempted to be as professional as possible, but Pieck couldn't honestly blame him for not wanting to ask the question.
"At ease soldier. First things first! I need you to send someone out to meet those still making their way here on foot! We are preparing tents and temporary living quarters near the second gate, but let them know if they're too tired there are several villages nearby they can find shelter at. Tell them the Garrison will pick up the bill for a one night stay. But also let them know it'll be at least five days before Trost is open to the public again, so the temporary living accommodations are their best bet for the long haul."
"Eh? Ah, sorry, what? Ma'am, are you saying…" The soldier was stunned, and now struggling to ask a question he actually wanted to ask, that those gathered wanted him to ask, Pieck included!
The solider on horseback smiled, a smile that almost made the those gathered forget the terrible morning that had befallen them today.
"It's over everyone. Trost has been saved! The Titans are defeated!"
The stunned silence lasted for several moments, as people struggled to comprehend the information just given to them. There was eventual whispering, before full on conversation, before finally, someone erupted into a cheer, thanking the Wall's, the Garrison, anyone! That was the spark that lit the fire as soon everyone was cheering, hugging their families, close neighbours, strangers, it was a wave of genuine hope and relief! Lynn burst into tears of happiness and hugged Pieck with all her might, to which Pieck managed to break out of her shock enough to ignore the implications of what this meant, and just be happy these people had been granted a reprieve.
That Pieck wouldn't have to leave Lynn to die a cruel death. That her actions hadn't been for naught.
That maybe, Jean and his mother could be reunited today.
Pieck looked back at the direction of Trost, and dared to hope.
Jean honestly wished he could have stayed in bed, he felt like he'd gone without sleep for three days, but really he'd turned in by the end of the day, just like any other day. Aside from the Titan's and the killing and the constant brushes with death, of course.
Like that part where he'd almost died because of faulty ass gear, managed to get himself working gear off some poor dead bastard, almost get killed again by a jumping Titan ('Thank you Connie and Annie, I take back everything bad I ever said about you two!') and just barely made it to the Walls.
Where all of a sudden ANOTHER jumping Titan impacted with the Walls bellow them!
Everyone, even stone cold Annie jumped at that. The thing had hit the Walls head first, and apparently done it so hard it exploded over the surface, blood and chunks of gore spreading out everywhere, before it's too small body flopped down in a splayed out figure, still stuck for several minutes before it disintegrated enough to fall off.
It was honestly kind of funny, the thing being so eager it'd killed itself. When Connie started laughing, Jean had joined in.
He'd been sent off after to find some properly working gear, but hadn't managed to get back by the time Eren had managed to seal the breach.
'Eren. Eren freaking Jaeger saved our asses… Oh god, he's never going to let me hear the end of that, is he?' Jean thought, as he filed in with everyone else, given a cloth to cover his mouth and nose and gloves for the clean up of Trost.
It was funny, Jean had been here so many times, this was his home district. But now, it may as well been another world. Buildings that he recognized that'd been untouched for years, little shops and inns and houses, now were crushed, splattered with blood, or burnt to the ground. The streets had dried stains all over them, you couldn't go a single block without seeing it. And the bodies… fuck, there were so many bodies, even with the Titan's eating them bodies were left to rot in the streets.
'They said the evacuation was successful, that we didn't lose a single civilian, even from the Colossal kicking down the door. But fuck, if I found my mom here, or Pieck…' Jean thought, as he came across the severed bottom half of someone, their top half most likely having swam around in a Titan who knows where. 'Walls, this is hard enough doing this for people I didn't bother to remember the names of. I know I wasn't expecting to see them again after graduation, but I didn't think… didn't think…'
Jean paused, as his attempts to move on and focus on the job didn't hold up. He just stopped and stood there, looking around at all the dead. So many were just faces in the crowd, people he'd passed by in the barracks and the mess, had made it to the finish line with. He didn't know anything about them, had passed them off as unimportant.
Now? Now he desperately wished he could remember something about them. Just one thing. A favourite food, a hobby they had, their names… he wished he could remember their names.
"Jean?" A familiar and welcome voice called out to him. He turned to see the familiar freckles peeking out over a cloth mask, Marco's mask. "Are you… you kind of stopped moving."
"… That girl, over there." Jean pointed, at a brunette who was laying forward against a pillar. Her body was remarkably intact, if not for the crud angle her spine was bent. She might have crashed into it? Or been slammed? "I think she was into horses, right? Was from a farm, had some brothers?"
"…Yeah. Her name was Kate, Kate Mullins."
"Kate…" Jean repeated. "… I just saw her yesterday… saw her heading out with some others… they might be around here too. We should, we should let their families kn-"
"Stop, Jean." Marco said. "I know what you're doing, and I get it. But this isn't the right time."
The freckled boy took a deep breath. "We have to focus on getting this place cleaned up, avoid any chance of contamination."
"… Is it that easy for you? Just… dump them all in a sack, ready to be chucked into a fire? Are you really… fine with this?"
The look of hurt crossing Marco's face was brief, but it was there, and Jean immediately regretted his words. But the other boy straightened up, and spoke calmly. "You know that's not true Jean. I know you're upset, but I'm not the one to take it out on."
Jean didn't respond, he just looked away, looked down to the ground. A pair of boots entered his vision, as Marco moved to be at his side.
"We won't forget them. We'll properly grieve and cry and honour them later, I swear it. But we need to be soldiers here. The people are depending on us. Your mother is depending on us. Let's get rid of all… this. She shouldn't have to see it, she should get to come home and not have to think about anything that we saw. We can do that much, right?" Marco resisted the urge to put his gloved hand on Jean's shoulder, least he would have to dispose of his jacket later.
Jean stood there, not moving, before he shut his eyes and took a shuddering breath. Popping them open, he nodded, and the two got back to work.
The clean up lasted well into the evening, and that was just the bodies. Talks of restoring Trost and repairing the damage was left to the merchants, and from what some were hearing it wasn't looking great. The fact the district had been saved was all well and good, but the fact it had been breached in the first place had many thinking it might be better to set up shop elsewhere. Which meant even if people had their homes back, it was going to be rough earning a living.
But that was honestly the least interesting talk to overhear. Reiner was more focused on what folks were saying about Eren.
Eren, and this "Armoured Giant" that apparently, had come from OUTSIDE the Walls.
"So they actually brought that freak even closer to the Interior?! Are the higher ups insane, what if he becomes a Titan in Ehrmich!?"
"I heard they have him buried underground in a cell, but will that be enough?!"
"Saved the whole damn district, I don't care if he's a Titan, I'm just glad I made it through the fucking day. After this I'm staying as far away as I can."
"You saw it right? Humanities Strongest, Captain Levi, he was giving out the orders, having Eren and that other guy brought up over the Wall."
"Holy shit, did you see him? The size of a goddamn bear! They had to use a horse lift to get him over, and it almost broke!"
"I heard he offered to climb the Walls, what an idiot…"
"They say he ripped a Titan in half! Like, what the fuck, was someone passing out coderoin?"
"Do you seriously think we'd have so many soldiers left over if everyone was high, idiot."
"I saw him, he THREW a Titan in the air! Threw three of them!"
That last one had Reiner filling in some blanks, but it still had him asking private questions.
If what he was hearing was true, Eren, the biggest clue the Warriors had found was being taken to the Interior to go on trial. From the mood of the soldiers here, over half of them would like to see Eren dead. Reiner could understand why, fear of the unknown, but he was really hoping that fear would give way to reason. Even if they didn't understand Eren, surely they could agree they could use him? At least let him prove himself to the people, as if he hadn't done that already.
But that was something Reiner could make sense of, his friend turning into a Titan, humanity deciding his fate. What he was really in the dark about was the Armoured Giant. When he'd heard those words, Reiner automatically assumed people were talking about him, thanking the stars or the Walls he hadn't shown up and doomed them all. But no, this was something completely different.
He'd tried asking directly, expressing his interest as genuinely as he could without seeming too eager. Slight paranoia of seeming like a inquisitive spy plaguing him, what with his near brush with Marco.
"What was that about throwing a Titan in the air? I may have seen that, thought it was Eren. You saying something else did it?" He'd questioned a fellow Cadet, guy named Derrick who'd kept his distance from a Titan stomach ball, it looked like he'd start crying if he had to get near it. Which was understandable, so Reiner offered to open it up if Derrick could just keep the cart relatively close by, didn't have to look.
The cart was five feet away, with Derrick on the other end of it so about eight feet total, but he answered Reiner's question. "Yeah, believe it or not, I think it was this absolute monster that came through the breach, like a demon from hell."
"Whoa now, you say it like that, makes me think this is something worse than the Titan's." Reiner attempted to joke as he offloaded the almost liquid remains of a body, making a point to ignore the Cadet patch that was still noticeable.
"Could be."
"Huh?"
Derrick shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, I am very, VERY grateful this guy showed up, but holy fuck, he was terrifying! I saw him outright slaughter the Titans at the breach, he wasn't even touching them! Just shot them from a distance with this, this… cannon! Except it wasn't a cannon but I don't know how else to describe it! And that's not even mentioning how he opened one up with his bare hands!"
"Whoa man, I get you saw a big scary guy, but I'm trying to paint a solid picture here. Let's just keep to the facts, no need to tell me he threw a mountain or breaths fire, I want to sleep tonight if possible." Reiner joked while tried to keep the story on course.
An exhausted laugh was his reward. "Oh believe me, I understand how batshit insane I sound. But I'm just giving you the facts man, I don't have to exaggerate! This is all literally what I saw, every fucking thing."
He actually came around the cart, and pointed at the remains of the Titan ball. "You see that fucking thing?! That's what was going to happen to a friend of mine, she was gulped down while and kicking and left to die in a Titan's fucking stomach! But then by whatever god decided to cut us a break for once, this demon comes in, and tears the Titan apart, freeing her!"
Derrick had the look of someone who'd just reclaimed their sanity, as he ran his hands through his sweaty hair. "How fucked is it I'm scared of the guy who saved my life, my friend's lives? I should be kissing the ground he walks on, but I hope I never see him again…"
"… This guy got a name by any chance?"
"Oh yeah. Adam Smasher."
"Huh." Reiner quirked an eyebrow at that. "Weird name."
Derrick just shrugged, then moved back to the front of the cart, making for a clean rag to wipe whatever grime from his gloves he'd just put in his hair. Reiner made to go back to the stomach ball and fish out the last four bodies, when the gleam of the sun bounced off something and caught his eye. Turning his head, Reiner saw just a few short feet away, was something, a few something's actually, resting in the ground. Deciding to take a quick peek to satisfy his curiosity, Reiner crouched down, upon which his breath hitched.
A bullet casing. Several bullet casings, all littering the ground.
Picking one up, Reiner inspected it. Immediately he could tell it was bigger than the ammo he'd fired as a child. Certainly the bullets had seemed bigger in his hand then, but he could tell there was a clear difference here. But even if there wasn't, that didn't really matter.
What mattered was what this meant. Either the King had gone back on his decree of no innovation and had secret weapons in stock… or the outside world had arrived at Paradis doorstep.
'…Could it be… this Adam Smasher… did he actually come from outside? OUTSIDE outside?' Reiner wondered. He pocketed the casing, and got back to work, making a note to talk to the others about this new development.
As it happened, his fellow Warriors had picked up some dirt on this "Adam Smasher." Bertolt and Annie had heard the name, had heard of an armoured man, though they hadn't seen him. Their information admittedly wasn't much better, cept for Annie overhearing Ymir talking about it to Connie, Sasha and the others, the freckled gremlin having gotten front row seats to the guy.
It had been Bertolt who had whispered, "… So how do we find Pieck to talk about this?"
Which got him a pinch from Annie (because an elbow to the gut would draw too much attention) and a harsh "We'll figure that out later, let's try and not get caught for the second time in two days, idiot." response whispered back.
Oh yeah, Bertolt had spilled the beans to Annie. The death glare she'd sent Reiner was honestly nothing after his near death scare yesterday, but he wilted all the same.
Best to just focus on the fire, and regroup proper tomorrow. Pieck was smart, she'd come to them. They could share all the Intel they had, and move on from there.
As grim as the day was, as unexpected as the many surprise developments had been, the Warriors could still call it a win.
Reiner tried very hard not to notice how all the cremation fires were still going strong despite starting mid day.
When it came to negative emotions, Annie felt them as strongly as anyone else. Anger was easy, she never hid her anger. Depression as well, it was sometimes hard to tell when she was truly depressed or just apathetic, but it was there. Sadness, she could feel sadness. As she looked at the body of good people, good honest people who had had their whole lives ahead of them just a day ago, who could have still had them if Annie had tried just a little harder, had just managed to find some clue that would end this mission…
"I'm sorry." Annie could only choke out. She knew it wouldn't do any good, and she prided herself on not doing useless things, like making nice with people who were going to be her enemy, or apologizing when no amount of apologies would ever atone for what she had done, would do…
…but she still did it anyway. Worse, she meant it. "I'm sorry."
Reiner had snapped her out of it, Annie couldn't honestly tell of it was as the Warrior or the Solider, but it got Annie to swallow down her feelings of self hatred and get back to work. Now here she was, staring into the fire with everyone else, trying to bury her feelings back down as her and her comrade's handiwork turned to ash, her mind going back to yesterday.
She had actually managed to pretend, just for a moment, she wasn't the cause of all this. Swinging through the air alongside the others, watching their backs as they watched hers, she had felt… free. Clean, if that made sense. Even as Titan blood threatened to stain her, even as the disgusting flesh teared away amidst the smell of death and carnage, Annie had felt pure. Felt human.
It was nice, saving lives instead of ending them. One could almost forget they were responsible for it happening in the first place.
After rescuing Jean and seeing Eren with his Titan under control, Annie had meant to head out to do a quick fly by, check in on Marco after he'd taken off by himself without warning. Good as he was, he'd probably need some back up, best to make sure.
She'd just taken her first step off the Wall when a Titan slammed into it underneath her, causing her to fall back on her butt!
The shock of the moment, plus Connie's and Jean's banter over the thing, had promptly erased all thoughts of heading down. Before she could pick herself up, another Titan went sailing straight into the air, before being impaled by a piece of debris thrown up after it!
For a moment, Annie was wondering if Reiner had transformed, had decided to breach Wall Rose anyway, despite the fact the outer Wall was about to be sealed. Had their leader panicked? She had thought he'd be looking for any excuse not to kill their… their friends, not cause them harm anymore than they had. Eren being a Shifter was a great excuse, surely that was their out?!
But then Bertolt and Marco arrived, with Jean asking where his friend had gone and Marco giving a quick run down, of saving Reiner and dropping him off atop the Walls on the other side.
Not long after that, the signal flare indicating mission accomplished went up into the sky.
Everyone had been pulled back, the newly arrived Survey Corp taking care of any straggling Titans while simultaneously evacuating Eren and the others by the breach. The Cadets and the Garrison had all been told to set up camp on the other side of Trost in Wall Rosé's territory, and be prepared for clean up.
They'd managed to set up a respectable distance, but the cannons firing all night could still be heard, like cracks of thunder. Annie had made to isolate herself from the others, find a nice quiet spot where she wouldn't have to notice how many weren't there anymore.
So naturally everyone and their dog decided to join her.
If Annie was someone who shouted in anger, she probably would have snapped and politely but firmly dissuaded anyone from setting up their sleeping gear next to hers. As it was, the days events combined with her subconscious desire to not be alone with her thoughts won out.
Connie and Sasha had dropped beside them, actually being helpful in bringing rations to share, surprising considering Sasha. Jean and Marco had come by, Jean almost immediately passing out while Marco set up a fire to keep warm. Bertolt had been making his way over, but was promptly snagged by a Garrison soldier who asked for his help in distributing blankets and pillows. The last to set up near them were Ymir and Historia, which almost made Annie groan but she bite it down. She made to tuck herself under the covers and regulate everyone to background noise, because with at least three of the resident chatterboxes around total silence was impossible.
It wasn't long before conversation started.
"So… guess we won, huh?" Connie stated. Or asked.
"I mean, we're here, we didn't lose Trost… I guess so." Sasha said, sounding unsure.
"… Man, our first day. Didn't think we'd have to fight Titans right out the gates. I was hoping we'd get to at least chose which Division we'd join before that happened, y'know?"
Sasha nodded. "Oh yeah, you were talking with Eren and Thomas about joining the Scouts! Bet you can't wait to get as far as possible now! Thomas will probably be going for the Garrison himself."
Krista grimaced. "Ah, Thomas was… was part of Eren's squad."
Almost immediately as soon as it had began, any attempts to lighten the mood were drenched in ice water. Annie pressed her head into her pillow a little harder, as if that would hide her.
More silence followed, before Ymir clapped her hands. "Okay, I'm just gonna come out and say it. Did anyone catch sight of the big guy? And no, I don't mean Eren, I'm talking about Adam Smasher."
"Adam who?" Sasha asked. "Was that your commanding officer Ymir? If you're worried about him maybe the commander's have a headcount?"
"Oh, I'm not worried about this guy. And no, he's not my commander, or even Garrison, pretty sure. No, I'm talking a big guy you'd immediately notice in a crowd. We're talking an eight foot tall armour wearing building hopping badass!" Ymir exclaimed, laughing.
Annie frowned, then turned over to get a good look at the freckled pain in her ass. Seems she had everyone's attention, even Jean had an eye open to show he was awake.
"Um, Ymir? Do you think you could explain… all of that?" Krista asked. "Wearing armour? Wouldn't that be really useless against the Titans?"
"Could be, I didn't get a chance to see if that wasn't the case, because this guy, this Adam? He was untouchable! And I don't mean his ODM gear skills were so good, because, and follow me on this, he didn't use ODM gear!" Ymir grinned.
"Wait, hold up, you just said he was hopping buildings, while wearing armour?" Marco asked.
"I did."
"So then how…"
"He jumped."
"… Like, he hopped over to one that was close by?" Sasha tried, using her fingers to indicate a little bunny hop.
"More like this." Ymir used her hands to indicate a great leap through the air that Annie could only visualize Marcel in his Jaw performing. "And I'm not even mentioning him using a town bell as a weapon to bash in three Titan heads, or him somehow being at the end of the street when I looked away for a half second."
"Okay, okay, Ymir? It's really late for tall tales." Jean interrupted. "We've already got Eren being a Titan to wrap our heads around, you don't need to make something up right now."
Ymir's grin retreated into a smile, one devoid of mirth. "I get it, it sounds like I'm trying to pull one over you all. And I realize I have only myself to blame. But I swear, I'm being serious. Just remember, big guy, suit of armour, names Adam Smasher. You'll probably be hearing about him soon. Got a feeling Eren's not going to be the only topic of interest."
Annie had doubts about that, even if Ymir wasn't lying if not exaggerating. A person becoming a Titan beat a ordinary human any day if the week, even if they had a fancy get up.
Seems that was enough for most of those gathered, who shrugged and helped themselves to their rations or made to go to bed. Krista did bother to ask, "So did anyone see what happened to Eren? We were all ordered to pull back behind the gates while the Scouts backed up the Garrison so I didn't get a good look. Do you think he's okay?"
"Oh yeah!" Connie assured the 104th's third short blue eyed blonde. "He's a big scary Titan remember? He's probably the one we don't have to worry about. Honestly I'm a little worried for Mikasa."
Jean had shot up at that. "Mikasa? What about her?"
"Saw her in the medical tent, her arm's in a sling. She was asking her commander to let her see Eren and Armin, and-"
"What does Armin have to do with this?" Annie interrupted, speaking before she had a chance to even think. Everyone looked at her, and Annie had to catch herself.
"Dunno." Connie shrugged. "Just that Mikasa was asking about them, if they were okay. The commander said they were fine, they'd just been taken to the Interior for an examination and medical check up."
"Mikasa was asking if both of them were okay?" Marco asked. "Does that mean… do you think Armin got hu-"
The sudden tossing of covers aside had everyone shut up, as Annie had gotten to her feet and made a beeline straight for the medical tents.
Behind her, she could hear Ymir chastising Marco. "Great tact freckles."
She strode on, barefoot and lacking her jacket but still moving regardless. She knew she was being irrational but she didn't care right now. Sore feet and a little chill didn't matter. Approaching the tent, she saw Mikasa, laying on her back in a cot and looking to the side, but Annie could see she was awake under the sole lantern's light.
Annie approached her, and the other girl must have sensed her approach as Mikasa moved her head, her eyes widening at seeing the blonde.
Annie herself just stood there, now a little lost as to what to say.
It was no great secret, but Annie and Mikasa did not get along, to put it lightly. Annie wasn't quite clear how it had started, though she suspected it was of two similar people just being incompatible. They were both strong, they were both women, and they both had a no nonsense attitude as a result of their upbringing. They would have been great friends, or more likely bitter rivals.
Naturally they became rivals, even if Annie would swear up and down Mikasa was the one who started hostilities. Annie was just minding her business in the Cadets, working hard enough to pass and secure a spot in the Interior for the mission, making no effort to upstage anyone (deliberately) or step on any toes. But then Eren, who anyone could see Mikasa was just so damn clingy about, had approached Annie for tips on how to fight. And Annie had indulged the boy, which lead to sparring sessions that had Annie feeling a death glare on her back more often than not, sometimes even seeing it for herself when Mikasa would tag out Eren to spar instead.
'Honestly, the whole thing is stupid.' Annie had thought. 'She either thinks I'm being too rough on Eren or she's worried we're getting "close," either way it's annoying. Really didn't figure her for being so irrational.'
Annie hadn't cared, either about Mikasa's feelings or for whatever reason she was behaving like this. It didn't affect Annie.
But then Armin entered her life.
Armin, with his bright smiles.
Armin, with his inquisitive nature but thoughtful attitude.
Always kind, always making an effort to be there for her when she unknowingly needed someone, when everyone else would have given up long ago. Annie had really come to value Armin, he was… important, to her. She found herself looking for him, even if it was to sit there and listen to him talk, it made her… happy, even if it wasn't so obvious just looking at her impassive face. Armin didn't seem to mind, though he'd seem to beam when Annie was able to smile, and mercifully didn't call her out at the following blush or attempts to hide by tucking her loose hair behind her ear.
But then Armin would talk about Mikasa.
Talk about how amazing she was, how strong, how confident.
Really, it was just a boy praising a friend, he did it to Eren enough, but for some reason it made Annie angry. She found herself feeling… possessive, over Armin's notice.
One day Armin had remarked how Mikasa was definitely going to be Rank 1 in their class, only to turn around and see Annie glaring at him. He'd promptly squeaked (Annie's rage disappeared briefly to find the sound cute) when Annie stepped forward, and kept stepping until Armin was backed up against a wall.
"A-Annie?" Armin had held his hand up to his sides, not sure what he'd done wrong.
"So you like Mikasa?" Annie had "innocently" asked, rather casually she thought.
"Y-yeah, she's like a sister to me!" Armin evidently didn't quite feel the same.
"Like she's a "sister" to Eren?"
"Ye-No! Oh nonononono!" Armin hurried to say, feeling a speedy explanation was very much needed. "Nothing like… that. Purely platonic, that's all."
Annie still wasn't quite convinced, as apparent by the silence and her still piercing glare, so Armin continued. "Annie, I'm sorry if my mentioning Mikasa made you… upset, in any way. I just think she's really incredible as someone who's top of the class. I think that about you too, you're amazing!" Armin said with a smile. "I really think you'll be in the top three, for sure!"
"But not better than Mikasa?" Annie crossed her arms.
Armin shook his head. "Well no, but that's because we both know you're not trying to be top of the class." He smiled as Annie titled her head, the slight lift of her eyebrow a sign to explain. "Don't think I didn't notice, you've been holding back. Just trying hard enough to get in the top ten but that's it. But even just getting into the top ten without giving it your all is just… wow. I seriously can't imagine how far you'll go."
The way he said it, full of honest admiration and praise, made Annie's insides squirm in a way that was unfamiliar. She didn't hate the feeling, but she wasn't really sure how to describe it.
"….Okay then." Annie had stepped back and resumed her normal impassive look instead of the glare of terror she had used interrogating casually conversing with Armin. "Just wanted to clear that up."
Armin had sighed in relief, looking rather drained, like he wanted to slide down the wall and sit down. Upon immediate reflection, Annie realized she may have come on a little strong. It made Annie feel a touch guilty, so she managed to get out a quick "Sorry." while tucking a few strands of hair away.
Armin had looked up at her from his hunched over position, looking a little lost to Annie's strange behaviour. But after a moment, it seemed a bit of clarity came to him as he smiled. That smile was making Annie's insides do that funny thing again. "Ah, it's okay Annie. I'm uh, I'm really flattered by your… I mean, I'm grateful to have a friend like you?"
Annie had frowned at the choice of words, it sounded like he had changed his sentence mid speech. But he stood up and asked if she wanted to sit together for dinner, so Annie decided to drop the thought and follow him.
She did think that maybe, she understood Mikasa's behaviour, just a little.
So now here she was, in front of a girl who mutually disliked her but had an answer Annie needed right now.
'So how do I pry it out of her?'
"…How's the arm?" Annie tried, figuring feigning concern would help ease her real question into the conversation. Right now Annie had a fear that offending Mikasa or appearing too eager would sabotage her inquiry.
Mikasa blinked, then looked at her injury. "It's… healing. Should be good to go in a week, hopefully."
"That's… good." Annie said, awkwardly. She cringed a little inside at how bad she was at this.
'Armin would know what to say. He's good like that, getting people to talk.' Annie thought, looking down at her bare feet. She was wondering if maybe she should ask about Eren and then try to steer the conversation towards Armin, when Mikasa spoke.
"Armin is okay, Annie." Mikasa said, smiling. Annie looked up, eyes wide, as Mikasa repeated. "He's… okay. Something happened, but it's not what you think, a Titan didn't get him, he didn't suffer any physical injuries."
Annie should feel relieved, but the way Mikasa phrased it… "So what did happen? What had you asking about him, if he was okay? Did you… did you see this something happen to him?"
Mikasa nodded. "I was there, yes. Armin and I, we were defending Eren from the Titans, when something… someone attacked us."
The way she said it, the look in her eyes, Annie would honestly be surprised if whoever had earned Mikasa's ire like this was still alive.
"He shot Eren, he fought me," Mikasa gestured to her arm in its sling, "And he did… something to Armin. I can't explain it, only that Armin was screaming before he passed out."
A sinking pit opened up in Annie's stomach. She had felt like this this morning when everyone was being sent out to the front lines and Armin with them.
That feeling was coming back now, and Annie struggled to keep herself composed. "Where… where is Armin now?"
Mikasa looked solemn at that. "The Scout's took him, to the Interior with Eren, said they'd get him some proper medical attention. The man who was responsible," Mikasa scowled, "He said Armin would be alright, just needed rest."
"You don't believe him?"
"Not until I see Armin awake with my own eyes. If he doesn't wake up…" Mikasa flinched in pain as her emotions got the better of her and she involuntarily moved her arm.
Annie made to step by Mikasa's side, unsure what to do but there all the same. "Need some help?" She tried.
Mikasa looked embarrassed, and gestured behind her with her good arm. "My sling, could you…"
Annie nodded and looked behind the other girl, seeing the sling was a bit undone. Gently she took the cloth in her hands and made to retighten it. "Better?"
"Yes, thank you." Mikasa sighed.
Annie stepped away, before speaking again. "So the Scout's, did they also take this attacker of yours in? I can't imagine someone fighting the military would get off scot free."
Mikasa nodded. "He negotiated with Section Commander Ian and the Garrison, said if they didn't trust him they could leave him in Trost with the Titans. That seemed to convince everyone, so they took him with them too. He's probably where Eren and Armin are right now, they were trying to keep all three away from prying eyes."
"Got a name?" Annie asked, silently making a vow that she suspected was very much in line with Mikasa's own desires.
"Smasher. Adam Smasher." Mikasa said in a tone as if the name was poison.
Annie's eye's widened, just for a moment. "Big guy, wears armour?"
"I… Yes. How did you know?"
"Turns out Ymir ran into him. She seemed a little more enthusiastic talking about him, don't know if that's a good sign." Annie answered. She hesitated, but the need to speak a reassurance came to her, a very rare need. "…Armin's not weak. He's not like us, but he's a survivor. He… he'll pull through."
Mikasa nodded, then smiled. "Thank you, Annie. You… you're a good friend to Armin."
Annie felt her cheeks heating up a bit and turned away. "It's nothing. I just… would hate for you to be in a mood tomorrow."
Mikasa snickered at that. "Of course. Thank you again Annie."
No more words were exchanged, but despite the heavy feeling in the air, a slight, slight improvement in the two's camaraderie had just occurred.
A sharp pop from the fire had Annie snap out of her reminiscing, she returned to reality. Right, after that, waking up, getting the rundown on Reiner and Bertolt's near screw up, heading out into the aftermath of hell, and now here.
'Adam Smasher…' Annie thought. She really didn't know anything about this mystery person besides rumours and the account of her least favourite fellow Cadet, but if he had deliberately hurt Armin…
'What was Pieck saying, about going the distance to save Armin if I had the opportunity? Maybe I can add "Squashing a bastard" to that idea. Maybe.'
Better hope Armin was okay, for his sake.
Historia looked at Jean staring into the fires which held their dead friends, and couldn't help the ugly feeling of jealousy overtake her.
She knew it was wrong, feeling this for someone who'd done nothing wrong to her (aside from that one prank he and some other boys had pulled on the girls but that was all in the past), but Historia couldn't help but want to scream at the unfairness of it all. The unfairness of Jean having a home to go back to, of having a mother who dearly loved him, of a friend to comfort him. And if rumours were to be believed, a beautiful girlfriend too, on top of making it to the Interior.
Historia couldn't help it, she wanted that too. She didn't have a home, didn't have a mother, and didn't have a friend like Marco, not someone she would consider practically a sibling.
(What was it Bertolt had said about Reiner? "I love him more than a brother but less than a wife." Yeah, that was Jean and Marco.)
Oh Historia had a girlfriend, she had the most perfect girlfriend in the world, who against all odds had fallen for Krista. Not Historia, but Krista, the fake mask Historia wore to protect herself, both against those probably watching her right now and against her fellow Cadets. She wanted to be liked, she wanted to be loved. So desperate was she that Historia created the most good girl to ever be, who got along with everyone and wouldn't harm a fly.
(Which Historia wasn't too keen on anyway, specially the big ones. She just pictured all the juice and guts spilling out, little bug organs, blegh!)
And it worked, people liked her, saw her as a perfect angel! But they didn't know the REAL her. Didn't know that Historia was just a plain regular girl, who got angry and jealous and was petty and was scared. Not just from normal things like death or the Titans, but scared of being alone, of being hated, abandoned again.
She knew deep down it was silly, that her friends wouldn't hate her so easily…
… but she wasn't ready. Possibly would never be ready.
Anyway, what was the last petty thing she was hating Jean about right now, instead of mourning properly like she should? Oh, right, the Interior.
The coveted spot for the Top Ten, where the high life, even as a servant of the people, awaited. The reward for those whose efforts mattered the most.
'And I can't have it. All that awaits me is either a bullet to the brain, or a boot to my chest and sent off to the Garrison or Scout's. Probably the Scout's, I get the feeling this pretence of letting me live has run its course.' Historia thought, bitterly.
But then she paused, the self loathing giving away, as she looked at her bright light, sitting down by a crying Connie and rubbing his back soothingly. Ymir, not offering any words as Connie turned to look at her, just pointedly looking at the fire while continuing to be supportive. It wan't long before Sasha sat on the other side of Connie, offering a sad smile as she too looked at the fire.
Like a wave washing over her, all the poisonous thoughts and self pitying Historia had been having washed away.
'Who cares if I don't have a home! I can build a house with Ymir! Who care if I don't have a mom! Ymir says she didn't have one and she's amazing, I can be too! Best friend? Maybe not that exactly, but maybe when I tell Ymir everything, she can help me tell the truth to everyone else.' Historia thought, mentally slamming her fist down in her open palm. 'I'll be a good friend to them, and them to me! Girlfriend, covered! And Interior? If Ymir wasn't going, then I'm not either! Hell yeah!'
Her happiness was overpowering, and almost cause her to scream that last thought out loud, but fortunately Historia was able to hide it in a mousey squeak, to which Bertolt looked at her questioningly. She coughed, then moved to sit by Ymir, who offered a small smile as they took each other's hands.
Nothing this time.
Historia didn't know exactly what had happened, but occasionally… occasionally, when she touched Ymir, she felt… something. Like a static shock, but so different Historia knew it wasn't that. It didn't seem like Ymir felt anything, so Historia didn't ponder it too much.
But then the dreams started.
It always happened, whenever she felt that spark, the following night a dream would come. A dream so clear and real that it felt like Historia was wide awake living it.
The first time, back when she had brushed against her lover's hand (not her lover just then but very soon), receiving Ymir's helping of gruel that Historia had missed out on, the following night, she dreamed.
Dreamed of a forest, so dark and full of trees in every direction Historia thought it would never end. She felt as if there were as many trees as there were people.
She hadn't moved, hadn't gone in any direction, the feeling that something would come to her rather than her going to it rooting Historia's feet to the spot.
And then a branch snapped.
Historia turned, and peered in the darkness.
From the darkness, was movement. Small, like a child.
She kept staring, not moving, waiting for her eyes to adjust so that maybe she could make out what was in there. It was funny, despite the darkness and the silence, and knowing something was in there, Historia wasn't afraid.
Slowly, but surely, her eyes adjusted. She blinked, then blinked some more. The trees became visible, the faint sheen of white reflected back at her. Historia continued to stare, at the trees, trying to make out what had moved around.
Then she saw it.
What she had passed over for a piece of the tree, was a mask. A horrifying mask that resembled a demon or goblin, with a large sharp nose and a maw of pointy teeth. Whisps of hair bordered the top of the mask line, all falling back to hide its owners head. The owner in question, was a child.
A little girl, Historia could somehow tell. She stood there, holding her mask, looking at Historia from the darkness.
Tentatively, Historia crouched low to the ground, and held out her hand. Gently coaxing the girl to come out.
It seemed to work, as the masked girl emerged, and came right up to Historia. She didn't remove her mask, and she suddenly became apprehensive, shy. Historia didn't push for her to get closer, just smiled and waited. After a moment's hesitation, the girl held out her hand, cautiously. Historia took it, as gently as possible to avoid frightening the girl, when she looked up.
Suddenly she wasn't holding a child's hand anymore.
Suddenly she was holding a curved black claw on a giant hand, as a horrifying visage stared back at her. It's pitch black eyes and many teeth on an oversized head, as it hunched over to be relatively eye level with Historia.
Historia didn't scream, but she did stare, wordlessly in shock. The creature stared back, its eyes never leaving her. The forest which had been pitch black, now had light illuminating the two of them.
Eventually, a claw slipped out of her grasp, and gently stroked the side of her face. It was as affectionate and kind as a human hand doing the same. For some reason, Historia felt the urge to return the favour, and as the hand was retreating, she stepped forward, to bury herself in its palm, pressing her body against it. Her head resting in the now stilled hand, she looked the owner in the eye. Slowly, Historia smiled.
The thing's mouth closed. It's lips stayed in a frown, but… Historia thought it looked happier, somehow.
That was the last thing she saw before she woke up in a pool of sweat.
Since then, Historia had had five more dreams, which became less dreams and more what she suspected… were memories. Ymir's memories. She had no way to know if that was true, and yet… she did. Five dreams, each showing a scene Historia could not forget.
A dance in a forest.
A magnificent city.
A red apple.
A wall.
And a little girl, who never lived for herself.
The more Historia saw, the more she was starting to wonder, did Ymir have a secret as big as Historia's? Should Historia ask?
… Maybe.
She didn't mean to pry, and honestly whatever the dreams meant, it wouldn't change anything. She loved Ymir, and Ymir loved her. The past didn't change that, and hopefully neither would any secrets they had.
Still… maybe Historia should tell Ymir the truth, the truth about "Krista." It was a matter of it being worse to know than to remain ignorant, but if Ymir was going to be a part of Historia's life, she should know the dangers.
Her pondering was broken by a foot stepping up to their little group. Jean's foot, as he looked down at them, face grimmer than anyone here.
"So, you guys… you given any thought about which regiment you're going to join?"
Historia looked to her friends, who all looked a little confused. Ymir herself blinked, then made to stand up, Historia coming up with her. "Well, I was planning on joining the Garrison, get as close to seeing my darling Krista until we can get married and she invites me in to the good life, yeah?" Ymir tried to grin, play it casual, but it died on her face as she sighed.
Jean nodded. "Yeah, the good life… that was the plan for me too. Was going to get in there, get my mom in there, and Pieck… just one more day, and I'd have left. If Trost had been hit while I was away…"
Historia felt the urge to comfort him. "Oh Jean, I'm sure your mom would have gotten to safety all the same!"
"Thanks Krista, but I more thinking she'd be there with me, and then… then I wouldn't give a damn. I'd just be tucked away in the Interior, not even realizing how much we could lose, had lost." Jean stared down at his hand. An assortment of bones no bigger than teeth lay in there. "… I don't know who this is. Marco and I were going to go over the names, try to recall who they were. But I don't think we'll get them all."
"…Jean, I know it hurts, but… maybe it's enough to let them rest?" Sasha tried from her spot in the ground, though she didn't sound like she believed it.
"Maybe." Jean nodded. "But… I can't help but think… what's to stop this from happening again? What if… I have to wonder which of these bones is my mother? Or any of you?"
Marco stepped in, gently coming up from behind. "Jean… what are you saying?"
Jean clenched his fist. "I'm saying… I don't want to go through this again. Eren was right, we can't just keep pulling back, we have to push back. It's why…" He took a deep breath, as he looked to be on the verge of tears, "It's why I'm joining the Scouts!"
Everyone was stunned at that, even those a distance away like Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt.
Historia… she was more ashamed than ever for what she'd been feeling earlier towards him.
It was Marco who spoke up first. "Jean, are you sure? Your mom…"
"I know. I'm going to tell her… tell that… I'm going out there, and she won't be going to the Interior…" Jean's breath shuddered, as he fought back his fear and tears. "…Anyway, just wanted to let you know. Don't think I'll think less of you for choosing different. You guys should do what you think is right." He looked to Marco, his friend. "Honestly, I'd feel better if you all went to the Interior. Serve the King, like you dreamed. You'd make a difference there." He gave a shaky smile, then stalked off, to where nobody knew.
Marco only hesitated briefly before making to go after him.
"… Fuck, when'd he become such a good guy?" Ymir cursed.
"… I'm going with him." Historia said.
"Huh?" Ymir questioned. "I'm pretty sure Marco is good, he'll find Jean and be a shoulder to cry on…"
"I meant the Scouts. I'm going with Jean and joining the Scouts."
Ymir only stared, wide eyed, before her face became the most serious Historia had ever seen.
"You sure about that? We talked about this before, that you were gonna live."
"We did, and I will! But… Jean was right, we have to push back. Or this…" She gestured to the still roaring fires, "…will happen again. Ymir, we can't just sit and hide."
"… You really are just perfect." The brunette smiled. "Alright, who needs cushy pillows and powdered sugar with every meal? The constant threat of death is just as good!"
"Oh, Ymir, you don't ha-"
"Ah ba ba ba!" Ymir held up a finger. "You know I go where you go. We do this together, or did you think I wouldn't go crazy sitting in my ass on the Garrison, even if you weren't diving headfirst into Titan territory?"
"… Thank you." Historia hugged Ymir, words unable to describe how much she loved the other girl. Not just this moment, but always.
"Ah yeah, this is already paying off." Ymir chuckled. She then turned to the others of their impromptu group. "And you two?"
"I… I…" Sasha hesitated.
"… I'll need to think about it." Connie said, his eyes having dried up.
"Of course, take what time you need." Historia assured them. "Like Jean said, do what you think is right. Be absolutely sure, okay?"
"Yeah…" Connie nodded.
The fires kept roaring, well into the night.
Later that day, in a dark and cramped cell, a boy, Eren, suddenly awakens with a gasp. He almost immediately noticed and recognized the two figures across from him, with two unknowns on either side, separated by the bared door. One that belonged to a jail cell.
"Any questions?" The esteemed Commander Erwin Smith offered, giving free rein to the very shaken and confused Eren Jeager to take charge here. The two unknowns, MP guards, stood at attention with rifles by their sides. Captain Levi stood beside Erwin looking to the side as if this was a rather boring typical day.
But it was far, FAR from a typical day.
"Uh, I uh… where… where am I?" Eren asked, seeking an answer for his most pressing concern. He had no idea how he got here, the last thing he remembered, he'd managed to drop the boulder in place? He took note of the bed he was in, with his right arm chained and his left free, while spare manacles hung from the ceiling. He lifted his right out from under the sheet and tested the manacle, which clinked with the movement.
"I think it's obvious, let's just call it a dungeon." Erwin supplied, never breaking eye contact. "You're currently in the custody of the Military Police. We were granted permission to see you only just now."
Eren's mind was racing with questions that he was able to come up with some answers to almost immediately, but he was still confused. 'Why would the Military Police… because I'm a Titan, okay. But surely they know I'm not a threat… well, maybe not everyone…'
He looked up at the movement outside, seeing Erwin holding his father's basement key. "Where'd you get that?!" The key, the basement key! The last thing he had left of his missing father, somehow… somehow what it unlocked needed to be seen! His father had told him, everything depended on it!
"Off of you. Don't worry, you'll get it back." Erwin assured Eren. "Let's take home, specifically the good doctor's cellar back in Shinganshina. Pretty big secret in there, right? About the Titans?"
"Yeah, I think so. That's what dad said anyway."
"Must suck having your dad and your memory MIA at the same time." Levi decided to speak, his voice laced with suspicion. "Unless of course that's just a cover story."
"Enough." Erwin turned to address his best soldier, the slightest hint of exasperation heard in that single word. "We've been over this already. We know he has no reason to lie." He looked back to face the Titan in the room. "And that's all we know. How about you shed little light on things for me by telling us your intentions."
Eren sat up at the request, not quite understanding. "My what? What do you mean?"
"…Here's the lay of the land, my friend. If you want to pay your dad's cellar a visit, then we have to venture back into Shiganshina. Sealing the breach there as we did in Trost would be the smart way to go about it, don't you think?" Erwin explained. "Naturally, we'll need your special powers. Anyway you slice it, a Titan's deciding our fate. It's been conjectured the Colossal and the Armoured Titan, are more or less the same as you."
Erwin held up the key once again. "That's why I ask your intentions. They could be the key to turning the tide forever… You could save us."
"… I don't know what I am." Eren muttered to himself, as a flurry of images ran through his mind, most of them of that terrible day, when his mother was devoured. The vow that he made, to kill every last Titan…
"C'mon. It's an easy question, so answer it." An impatient Levi interrupted Eren's thoughts. "What the hell is it you wanna do?"
With a shuddering breath, and a fearsome grin that Levi had seen enough times in the underground, Eren answered.
"I want to become a member of the Scout's, and slaughter every Titan that crosses my path."
Levi's eyes widened just a fraction of a centimetre. He didn't know this kid, not yet, but everything, from his voice to his expression…
'This kid is telling the truth.'
"Alright then, I'll take responsibility for him." Levi stated, approaching the cell door. "Let the higher-ups know what's going on. Not that I implicitly trust him of course. It's more a matter of me trusting myself to deal with him… Kill him if I have to."
Eren flinched at that. The way the captain said it, like he was saying grass is green or the sky is blue, it was just an obvious fact he would and could do it. "The bigwigs aren't likely to raise a stink, my record more than speaks for itself I'm pretty sure. Good news Jaeger, you're now officially a member of the Scouts." Levi finished, looking Eren dead in the eye, who could only nod, his fate having changed forever.
"…Now that we have that out of the way, I'm curious, how's the arm?" Levi questioned.
"Huh? Oh, uh, it's a little tight…" Eren moved his right arm, which was chaffing at the wrist somewhat due to the manacle.
An annoyed sigh greeted Eren's ears, and he lifted his head up to Humanities Strongest giving him a rather dirty look. "Not that arm idiot. The one that was shot off."
'…What?!'
Eren looked down to his left arm which was still under the covers up to the forearm. He hadn't noticed with all that was happening, but now that he had time to think…
… He couldn't feel his fingers.
HE COULDN'T FEEL HIS HAND!
Yanking his arm out, he was greeted with a sleeve hanging down at the wrist. He reached forward with his right and pulled it away, to reveal the stump with steam rising from it!
His panicked scream had the MP guards raise their rifles in fear, but a signal from Erwin stayed their trigger fingers.
"What the hell! What happened to my hand! Who did-"
"It was missing at the elbow." Erwin interrupted Eren's panic.
All screaming came to a stop as Eren stared blankly at the Commander, then back to his hand. "My… it was missing from my…"
"Elbow. Your left arm was severed in what we are concluding was an unfortunate accident. That's why the guards merely restrained your right arm." Erwin continued. "It's been about a day, and in that time, your arm has grown back. We didn't get a clear look until just now, but evidently the Captain here noticed something."
"Thought it was a trick of the dark, but his sleeve looked a little… fuller, than it should have been." Levi answered.
"But… that's impossible…" Eren stared. He had already regained an arm, yes, but that was after he came back from his Titan. For it to grow back while he was human…
"You can transform into a Titan, but this surprises you? Do you really not have any clue what you are?" Levi drawled.
"…No, I don't." Eren answered, lost.
Levi looked at Eren, really looked at him, and saw the kid was being honest. With a click of his teeth, he tched in annoyance. "Great. Guess we got to sic Shitty Glasses on you, that's gonna be hell for everyone." He backed away from the cell, and turned to Commander Erwin. "Well, that's one down, we can check Eren Jaeger off the list."
"Agreed. How fortunate we are to have gained an ally this day." Erwin smiled, then frowned. "Now, that leaves us the matter of our other guests."
Levi nodded, then turned back to Eren. "Oye, Jaeger. You know an Armin Arlert?"
"Huh?" Eren snapped out of his thoughts about "Shitty Glasses" and what that meant at the mention of his best friend. "Uh, yeah, we practically grew up together. Why? Is he okay?"
"Sort of. He's alive and well, resting in a cell, and awaiting trial, just like you." Levi supplied with all the tact of a sledgehammer.
"…..What?" Eren dumbly asked.
The next day, come morning, in a dark but rather spacious cell, a boy, Armin, continues to sleep on, his breathing steady. If he dreams, who can say? For now, his present is unsure, as naturally is his future. Only time will tell, where will his journey lead?
"…Oh for fuck's sake, would you wake him up already KIPO! We have a lot of work to do." Adam Smasher barked out, clearly annoyed.
Inside Armin's head, a soft soothing sensation ran through his mind, gently coaxing him awake. All fatigue, all sense of drowsiness, seemed to evaporate from his body. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the dark room, staring up at the ceiling. Just as he was about to rise up from what was clearly a bed, a voice spoke to him.
"Good morning Armin Arlert! I am pleased to make your acquaintance! You may call me KIPO."
A voice from inside his head.
With a scream and flurry of limbs, Armin toppled out of bed in a panic, landing on his backside with a grunt. Moaning in pain, he rotated over to pick himself up.
Only to stare at cold metallic feet.
Armin froze, then slowly looked up.
Staring right into the glowing red light of Adam Smasher's eyes.
"We look forward to having you with us at the Arasaka Corporation!" KIPO happily chirped.
A thank you to all who have read the story this far, and who have left reviews, it means a lot! To answer your question Atlas073, Adam looks like he did in Edgerunners and the games, his heavily modified Dragoon frame.
A shout out to Ashe_Lib from Ao3 for giving me the idea of expanding Historia's role here. The dreams are references to art I found on pixiv, can't read it but the message was clear. Links on my profile if anyone is interested.
Thank you all again, look forward to what's to come!