When the Hunter Met the Lionheart

Chapter II: Volition

Armin woke early on the morning of the plan's execution, feeling slightly ill. It had been difficult to sleep the night before; a hundred questions still burned in his mind, all unanswered. He had managed to force himself into a sort of restless slumber, nonetheless.

He sat up and fumbled, first for the lantern on the bedside table, then for the empty pitcher at the side of the bed. Once the light was lit, he stumbled across the room to the doorway.

His footsteps echoed in the empty corridor; his thoughts, however, raced furiously inside his head.

How was he going to pull this off? He had no real reason to trust Annie. There was always the possibility that she already suspected something...

Though if his previous encounter with the Female Titan had proven anything, she probably did. The thought did little to alleviate his fears.

Soon enough he was in the courtyard. A thin mist rolled over the cobblestone as he made his way towards the well. He was still thinking.

There had been the ominous order: Keep an eye on your friend. Why did Eren need to be watched? Had he let on something that they weren't aware of? Or was it merely because of his initial reluctance to accept the Female Titan's identity?

The pitcher was filled, thus, he made his way back to the main room. He poured the water into the basin. Armin took a breath, then leant down and cupped the water in his hands, splashed it on his face. The liquid was cool and a faint, metallic odor lingered.

Mikasa had been absent from this meeting. Did Erwin not trust her? He had lived alongside the pair long enough to sense when trouble was at hand, but there was no sign of any bad blood between Eren and Mikasa. They were all very close to one another. If the closeness of their friendship was the problem, then why had Erwin called him, and only him, down?

He looked up into the mirror and felt the dread rise in him. The Commander had trusted him with this. Clearly, he had more than enough faith in his abilities. The thought was strangely disturbing.

Armin dressed whilst the foreboding continued to fester in his chest.

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His fellows were soon up and about, though they were not as tired or anxious. Eren, however, was uncharacteristically stoic. Armin brushed it off. The plan hinged upon the three of them, after all; perhaps he had not been the only one experiencing a restless night.

Shortly after breakfast, they gathered around one table to discuss a final run-through of the plan, headed by Erwin, Levi and Hange. The worn map of Stohess was covered with markers representing the various teams; Team One was to be stationed at this street, Team Two was on the rooftops, and so forth.

"Are there any questions?" Erwin said.

No one spoke up.

"Very well. You're dismissed."

They filed out to their respective destinations. Armin was the only one who did not move.

"Armin?"

He jumped at the sound of his name, and turned to see Hange looking at him.

"Y-Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She nodded.

"Good luck."

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The sun had risen hours ago. There was still a feeling of self-awareness as Armin made his way down the winding streets towards Stohess's Military Police headquarters. He took a turn into a dark, decrepit alley near the building in question. All he could do now was wait.