Eren and the others rode on Annie's back for the entire day. Eren and Armin spent the whole trip gazing around in awe as they found areas not seen by humans in years. Fields of grass slowly began to turn into sand as they got further away from Wall Maria.
The world outside the walls was amazing, but he couldn't fully enjoy the experience as long as Mikasa was there next to him. She hadn't said a word since she left Shiganshina. Anytime he tried to talk to her she'd ignore him. All this just for coming to Annie's defense. He wondered how mad she would be if she figured out he slept with her. The thought scared him. He was certain someone would die if she figured that out.
"Look Mikasa." Eren said. "I know you're mad, but I don't want you to keep giving me the silent treatment. We are miles away from the walls. We could die today, or tomorrow. Do you want our last days to be us not talking to each other."
"Why not? You cold to me before you basically got yourself killed in Trost?" She snapped. Eren thought that she'd bring that up one day.
"I think about that a lot, you know." He said quietly. "I keep thinking of how big of an asshole I was for that. I'm sorry, but that's why I don't want us to fight now."
"Do you love her?" Mikasa said suddenly. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it made Eren physically move back.
"Who?" Was the only thing he could say. He immediately wanted to hit himself for saying something so stupid.
"Don't play dumb, Eren, please." She said, Her eyes weren't angry like they'd been the entire day, instead they were sad. Tears were building up in them, like she already thought she knew the answer.
He didn't know what to say. Whenever he was near Annie his whole body was warm with excitement. She made his body go crazy no matter what she did, and after last night, how could he say he didn't love her. He loved Mikasa too, just not the way he loved Annie, Mikasa was like his sister they basically grew up together. Why did she have to see him that way? He was sure she already knew how he felt about her, but he didnt know how to tell her. Him confirming it would destroy her.
"I… Mikasa I don't,"
"There, I see our destination." Reiners voice called to them.
Eren looked over Annies shoulder. He saw a white short wall about two miles out. Nowhere near as big as the Walls, but much bigger than most buildings.
"You guys are gonna want me and Bert to do the initial talking alright." Reiner said.
Eren took a deep breath and turned back to Mikasa. She was still staring at him with tears in her eyes. "We should get ready to meet these people." He said.
After they dismounted off of Annie's titan Eren couldn't help but stare as she came out of her titan body. He loved the way she looked as her body reemerged from the titans' nape. She looked as beautiful as always, but Eren noticed she looked sad.
They all followed Reiner and Berthold to what Eren assumed was the entrance. Mikasa was walking far ahead of him, closer to Reiner while Eren stayed in the back with Annie. He noticed that Annie was walking much slower then usual. "What's wrong, Annie?" he asked.
"I'm fine…just nervous I guess." She said quietly. Eren couldn't explain why, but she looked miserable.
He reached out and grabbed her hand, still hot from the steam of her titan. She brought her eyes up to meet his. Her cold eyes seemed much icier than usual. "Don't be. We're here together." Eren said, trying his best to comfort her. Annie was silent for a moment. Eren began to think that was a corny line, and that he only made things worse.
"Eren, you didn't deserve to be born into such a cruel world." She said, Eren raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure what she meant. The world was cruel, but they would fix it, together.
Eren beant down and kissed her lips. "Once we kill all the titans dead, it won't be so cruel."
"Yeah." Annie whispered. Although it didn't sound like she believed it.
They caught up to the others, right as the others approached the entrance. Mikasa looked just as miserable as Annie, he hoped he had not seen them, but it was probable.
"Took you guys long enough." Reiner said. "Alright guys, follow us in." Reiner opened the door built into the side of the structure and everyone walked in. It was a decent sized room made of stone. The only thing in it was a singular wooden table in the middle of the room with chairs surrounding it, and one older man wearing a white uniform sat at the head of the table. Two other men in matching white uniforms flanked him. Both were holding a firearm that looked like a type of musket.
"Well, well, well." The seated man said in a raspy voice. "Our warriors finally return. We were beginning to think all the money we put into you was wasted, but you know better than to waste Marley's money I suppose."
Eren immediately got a bad vibe off of this guy. He seemed rude and arrogant. The mans eyes looked at them with nothing but disgust.
"Of course not sir!" Reiner said. He must have been Reiners old commander. The man glanced over at Eren and Armin.
"Are one of these devils the founder?" Two more men in white uniforms came through a door across the room.
"Eren, I don't like this." Mikasa whispered.
Before he could respond, Reiner roughly grabbed his shoulder. "Yes sir, we believe it's this one."
"Reiner what's-" Eren said but stopped as the two men in white aimed their guns at them. He tried to move but Reiners grip held him in place. He didn't want to believe what was happening. He thought of every possibility in his head, but only one made sense. Reiner was betraying them.
"Eren!" Armin called out, then he heard a struggle begin behind him.
"Reiner!" Eren yelled. He grabbed Reiner's arm and flipped him over his shoulder just like Annie taught him. He turned to go help Armin and Mikasa who he now saw were fighting with Berthold and two other soldiers who must have come from the outside,. Mikasa was easily able to beat off the one soldier, but more were even more coming in from the outside. They would be overwhelmed soon. As much as he wanted to confront Reiner, now wasn't the best time.
Erens instinctively went to bite his hand, it was their only chance of escaping, but when he went to bite down on his hand he felt his leg fall from under him and a hand push him to the floor. It didn't make any sense, he didn't want it to, but There was only one person who could flip him like that. "Annie, what are you doing?" He yelled. As her knee pressed into his back and restrained his arms behind him.
"If you transform now you'll kill everyone in here. I know you don't want that, so please stop fighting, please." She sounded miserable.
"I don't understand, why are you doing this!"
"Just shut up right now, Eren."He could hear Mikasa and Armin still struggling behind him. Mikasa called out his name before a loud crash took the room. Then it was just grunting as Eren had to assume they were restrained.
"Warriors, you all have some explaining to do!" The commander said now that they were all subdued. His voice rose like the commandants. "First of all, where's Marcel?"
"He was killed, sir. Eaten by a pure titan." Reiner answered.
"Freakin worthless. All that training and the power of one of the nine and you still end up dying to a pure." The commander's eyes looked behind Eren to Mikasa and Armin. "I assume one of these devils inherited the Jaw then?"
"Um, no sir but-"
"Then why are you wasting my time with them? Kill them." He gestured. Eren put every ounce of strength into trying to get out of Annie's hold, but still couldn't. Annie pressed her knee deeper into his back.
"If you touch them I swear I'll kill you, I'll rip you apart!" Eren yelled.
"Shut your mouth hellspawn! Leonhart gagged him. Braun get too, killing the other two."
Annie put her hand over his mouth as Eren yelled more threats into her hand. Tears began to form in his eyes as Annie held him down. Out of everyone her betrayal hurt him the most. Was everything she said, everything she did just a lie from the start to get his trust and lure him here?
"Sir, I believe these two may be useful in the future."
The commander raised an eyebrow. "Explain, Braun."
"Yes sir. The girl isn't an Eldian, she's from Hizuru. She was a captive within the walls. The devils brainwashed her, and forced her into their army. We could use her as a bargaining chip with them in the future." Reiner explained.
The commander looked at her closely for a few moments. "Alright, I see the benefit in bringing her." His eyes turned to Armin. "What about him? He's surely a devil."
"Yes sir he is, but he's the son of a prominent commander inside the walls. Truth is he knows more about Paradis' operations than we could learn." Reiner said.
Eren was so confused. Reiner, Bertold and worst of all Annie, were betraying them, but then why was Reiner lying about Mikasa and Armin to save their lives? Nothing made sense. The only thing he knew for certain was he wanted to break out Annies grip, and escape. He could come back for revenge later.
"Interesting." The commander said. "We'll talk more about them later. As of now, as much as I hate to say it. Good job on a successful mission warriors."
A soldier walked up to Eren with a syringe. Eren tried again to escape, but Annies grip was too tight. He felt a sharp pain in his neck and his vision went blurry, and then everything went dark.
