Nest & Wings (Annie Leonhardt x Male Reader)

Chapter 19: Fallout from Disaster

The following day, 

You wake up that morning with your body still aching from fatigue. As much as you wanted to take the day off, there were still a few important things left to do; the first of which was to collect and dispose off the bodies of the soldiers who gave their lives in battle. It was crucial to get it done as soon as possible to prevent an epidemic from breaking out. 

With that in mind, you head over to join the rest of the cadets. Annie greets you and subtly expresses how she was relieved to see you alive, as she hadn't seen you since you ran off with Armin. Reiner and Bertolt were also with her. Realizing that it might provide you with an opportunity to gather more information, you decide to stick with them and the four of you head out to clean up Trost. 

Each group was assigned to different areas and the four of you had to clean the streets just outside the HQ. You split up into pairs and divide the work between them. You and Annie gathered the bodies while Reiner and Bertolt sanitized the streets. It took a mental toll on everyone as some of your friends were among the bodies you had to collect. 

A few hours later, 

You were almost done when you notice how Annie had been standing still for a while and walk over to check up on her. You find her frozen in shock, repeatedly muttering "I'm sorry..." and in-front of her was the barely recognizable body of Thomas. 

It was right across from the HQ where Eren had killed the fifteen meter class titan. You ask her to step back and take over as you realize how painful it must've been for her. Considering how difficult it was for you to deal with the guilt of indirectly causing the disaster by withholding information, you couldn't even begin to fathom how much worse it must be for her, being directly involved in it. 

Annie calms down after a while and thanks you for being proactive and taking over for her while she was stressed out. She contemplates for a bit and asks, "You were there on the roof when the Garrison was about to shoot Eren, right?" 

You respond, "Yeah, Eren transformed... and we couldn't really see much because of the smoke, right? What about it?" 

Annie explains, "About what happened afterwards, do you think if umm... if somehow I happened to—" 

"Hey, you guys finished over there yet?" yells Connie who was passing by, cutting her off before she could finish. 

"Almost, we'll catch up in a few minutes, you guys go ahead!" You answer and turn back towards Annie, "Go on, you were about to ask something, right?" 

"Never mind... I'm gonna take a break, can you finish up without me?" She asks. 

Annie wasn't the type to open up to people easily, so it must've taken a lot of thought just to attempt asking whatever it was. From the way she said it, you had a feeling that it might have something to do with titans. As curious as you were however, you figure it was best not to pry into it right now as she wasn't feeling well. 

"Sure, I'll take care of things here. You go get some rest, and... we're friends, right? If there's anything bothering you, I can always lend an ear." You reassure her. 

"Thanks... I guess. I'll try better next time." she says and heads back to where the others were. 

You file in the paperwork and decide to go help Reiner and Bertolt finish up. As you make your way down the street looking for them, you hear someone talking in an alleyway between two houses. 

"Calm down, it's not your fault... there was nothing else we could've done." It was Bertolt, and it looked like he was talking to Reiner. 

"How's it not? We had to kill him because I was careless. Because I didn't notice him overhearing us— because of me he was eaten!" You couldn't see them clearly from where you were, but you could tell from his quavering voice that Reiner was almost in tears. 

Bertolt quickly hugs him and reassures him, "Just a bit longer! Bare with it for a bit more Reiner... Annie will confirm the subject soon and we'll finally be able to go home! We'll make it out of this hell together, okay?" 

It was the same as it was with Annie; the two of them also felt genuine guilt. While you couldn't justify their actions do any degree, seeing that once again proves that they're human beings with emotions just like everyone else. You were all the more intrigued as to what it was that drives them into putting themselves through 'hell' as Bertolt himself worded it. 

As much as you wanted to stick around and gather more intel regarding their motives, you couldn't risk getting found out. After all, their conversation suggested that Reiner had just killed someone for that very reason. As you and Annie had already finished your quota of work, you decide to head back to where the others were before they notice you. 

❋❋❋

A while later at the town square, 

Annie was already there sitting on the stairs by herself when you got there. Reiner and Bertolt arrive not long after and the three of you sit down next to her. Everyone stood there in silence, grieving their losses. 

The bodies that everyone gathered and took account of were brought to the town square to be disposed off. All the Cadets gather around as they set fire to the corpses of your fellow soldiers from the 104th. You shed a tear for your fallen comrades, Mina, Thomas, Franz... the list goes on. 

The atmosphere was solemn, but it wasn't depressing like the Survey Corps' return five years ago. Unlike them, your friends didn't lose their lives for nothing. Thanks to their sacrifice, mankind experienced its first successful retaliation against titans. 

You were beyond surprised when Jean of all people was the first to break silence and declare that he'd join the Survey Corps. It wasn't easy for him as he nearly broke down saying that, but it was clear that he had realized what had to be done. 

Afterwards, Hannah approaches you and says, "Thanks for saving me. I already knew that Franz was dead... but I just couldn't accept it. If it weren't for you, I would've foolishly let myself get eaten and wasted his sacrifice." 

"Are you doing alright now?" You ask. 

"I'm feeling a little better, but I still can't stop thinking about how I couldn't save Franz. I don't want anyone else to go through that, so I decided, I'm going to quit being a soldier and join the medical squad. Fighting titans isn't really my thing, so I'm going to focus on saving lives instead!" She explains. 

"I see, that's amazing! I'm sure Franz would be proud of you." You wish her good luck and head back. 

If it weren't for the attack, you would've already chosen your regiments by now. But your applications were delayed as there were more urgent matters for the higher ups to attend to. Having collected and disposed off all the bodies in Trost, you spend the next few days with Captain Hange. 

You mostly helped her around the base and ran errands for her. But between them you learn a lot about titans, as she wouldn't stop talking about their discoveries. It was apparent that she was obsessed with titans. You could relate to an extent as you too had a different outlook on them because of everything with Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt.