Lara (Long-Fic Levihan | Armin Arlert X OC)

Chapter 51 - Atomic Bomb

"Armin!" exclaimed Lara. "Where are you going?!"

She was still shaken by her mother's parting. When she least noticed, she saw that Armin had followed Hange, not saying a word, leaving Lara open-mouthed and not understanding a thing.

Then, Lara realized what he was doing. Armin had followed Hange and asked her if he could try to negotiate with Bertholdt.

"Bertholdt!" shouted Armin, with hooks attached to a wall. "Stop right there!"

A few meters ahead, Bertholdt did stop, staring at him. Lara and her Squad watched the scene, perplexed by Armin's sudden actions.

"Bertholdt!" he shouted once more. "Let's talk this over!"

"If I agree to talk," Bertholdt shouted back, "would you all agree to die?!"

Everyone widened their eyes.

"We only want two simple things!" Bertholdt continued to shout. "We want to capture Eren and annihilate all humans in the Walls! That's the harsh reality, Armin! This decision has already been made!"

Then, Armin asked the question that was on everyone's mind:

"Who decided any of that?!"

Lara had to hold herself from shouting an "EXACTLY!"

"I decided it!" replied Bertholdt, at the top of his lungs. "All your lives will end right here and right now!"

Lara and her friends looked at each other, as if saying, "How dare he?!"

"That's very unfortunate!" shouted Armin, in reply. "I was really hoping to stop hearing Annie's screams!"

Here, we have to remember that Bertholdt liked Annie, so Armin started using this tactic a while ago, of threatening him by saying that she was being tortured, because, as incredible as it may seem, she was still inside the hardened crystal she created around her body.

"The only one who can save her from the Military Police," continued Armin, "and from being tortured, is you! At this rate, she'll end up as feed for the pigs!"

"Nice one, Armin!" thought Lara, confident.

"Fine by me!" replied Bertholdt, flying off with his ODM gear. "Go ahead! If they really have her, that is!"

That was definitely not the answer they were expecting.

"Dang it, Armin!" thought Lara, upset.

She then noticed that Bertholdt was approaching Armin, so she quickly snapped her fingers towards Mikasa, calling her out.

"Let's go!" exclaimed Lara. "Come with me, Mikasa! We need to catch Bertholdt!"

Armin tried to run off across a roof, but Bertholdt was faster and stopped right in front of him.

"What's the rush, Armin? Aren't we gonna talk?"

Armin drew his sword, but he was very apprehensive.

"Did you think that if you talked about Annie, I'd lose my cool again?" threatened Bertholdt. "Did you think it would be simple to deceive the meek and timid Bertholdt, so that he would let his guard down?"

While the two of them were talking, surreptitiously, Lara and Mikasa approached. Lara looked aside and spotted her mother, also sneaky, behind a building, ready to attack when needed, along with her Squad, which was slowly approaching the target. Unfortunately, Hange didn't see her back.

"Mikasa," whispered Lara, "did you understand everything?"

"Yes! Leave it with me..."

Bertholdt took a step forward, making Armin cringe.