Allies and Enemies (AoT Reader Insert)

Chapter 32: Reality Check

**Author's Note At The End Of Chapter**

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Not every person can bring themselves to take a life, but there are many people who, when under the most unfortunate of conditions, will kill. Murder is often regarded as an emotional affair. Emotions will drive many people to do horrible things, but not every person feels their emotions the same. What differentiates a murder driven by emotions from any other type of kill?

When Mikasa Ackerman was a young child, she never could have imagined herself taking another person's life. She was a child who could barely stand to watch her father use worms as bait when he fished (well, she couldn't stand to watch it because she couldn't look away). The young girl was not fascinated with death per say - it was something a young child like her could not fully comprehend; especially not the way most adults did. To Mikasa, death was just another part of life. It was an inevitable end that would arrive no matter what.

Then, when Mikasa was nine years old, she was forced to watch as her mother and father were murdered right before her eyes. It wasn't an emotional affair, nor was it a hit job from the deepest parts of the military. No. It was a murder driven by greed and fear.

Life drained away from her parents' eyes, and Mikasa was helpless to do anything. One could only imagine the kind of mental scars a sight like that would leave on a child. Whether or not she made it out of her home alive, this moment would undoubtedly shape the kind of person Mikasa would grow up to become.

If the young girl had been left on her own that day, would she have died? If no one came to her rescue, would she have been sold into a life of misery and fear? Perhaps, but this was not the life she would live. Before anyone could harm her, a young boy came to her aid.

Eren Jaeger, a nine year old boy, did not hesitate to kill another human.

Fight if you want to live. They are the words that sparked something deep inside of the young and helpless girl, and what encouraged the young girl to defend herself. They're the words that changed Mikasa's life forever.

Eren was the boy who gave Mikasa a reason to keep on living after everything she knew was taken away. He was the reason why she could kill to protect others. As long as she was killing for the sake of protecting others, she would never let herself feel remorse. She was doing what had to be done. She was doing it for them. She was doing it for him.

So why? Why did Mikasa have to grapple with the possibility of killing the boy she loved?

Mikasa turned to face the hill behind her. Beyond this hill was the ocean - the place Armin had wanted to go for as long as she had known him. Now it was harbouring people who were perhaps just as innocent as themselves. 'Innocent' people who murdered others across the sea, and were now waiting for the rest of the world to be crushed.

"You know, I'm almost a little disappointed that we're not using the old ODM gear. Then again, I suppose I've gotten pretty familiar with the new stuff already."

Mikasa shot the Crystal Shifter an irritated glance. "That gear isn't even yours to begin with."

"No one else was using it."

"That still doesn't give you a reason to use Sasha's gear."

"No, but when your comrades' lives are on the line, you use what you can."

Before Mikasa could shoot a response back, Armin interrupted the two. "Please don't start arguing now. The only thing that matters at the moment is making a plan."