Titan Tamer [Attack on Titan]

Chapter Ten - Broken Apart

My whole body shakes with a fear that I cannot explain; how could someone do this to humanity? How could she pretend to want to protect us, to serve for the human race, when she. . . in reality. . . wants to bring us to our end? How am I going to bring her down? Bring down someone that I had raised to be who she is; how could I ever do this to a student of mine? "Aoi." I turned to the calling of my name, Levi standing there in something that he hates wearing. It seems that we are ready to leave. "Just. . . I need a minute." I told him, closing my eyes and leaning my head against the window's edge. I feel like I can't breathe, and this dress isn't helping. His footsteps grew closer, his hand resting on my shoulder. "I know. Me too." I turned into him and hugged him around the middle; Levi petting my hair gently. He let me cry, sob and clutch to him like a child; him simply whispering soft things into my ear. "How am I going to do this? I can't. I won't." I sobbed, shaking my head back and fourth. "You can. I know that I can't be at your side for this; but you are strong Aoi. Why do you think you were able to tame me so easily?" He asked, taking my chin in his fingers and forcing me to look up at him. "You can do this. Do you hear me?" I nodded slowly, him pressing an ever so gentle kiss to my lips before a knock on the door interrupted us. "Azure. Are you okay? The horses are ready." Erwin said, me taking a stand now and holding Levi's hand. "Let's go." Erwin smiled sadly at me and wiped some of my tears before we stepped out into the hall together; this being one of the last times we will be together.

I walked down one an empty alley way, stopping at a specific spot. "Annie." I greeted, not needing to see her to know that she lurked in one of the corridors. "Azure." She greeted, coming out to stand with me. "Thank you for meeting up with me. . . I thought that we should have a little chat." I started, her shuffling her feet sheepishly. I honestly don't think she would act like this around anyone else; but from what I have heard from the Military Police; she respects me highly. "How about we go sit for some tea? Have a chat. I set up a room for us." I suggested, her simply nodding and following me.

"I don't understand why you would do this. Why you would kill mercilessly. My friends, your teammates. I'm not asking for much Annie, but I would like to know why." She looked down at the cup of tea in her hands nervously, not wanting to face me head on. It is a bizarre thing to see from the strong girl, who would usually stare down any opponent. "I can't say. . . not now. I'm sorry." I smiled sadly, folding my hands onto the table. "I know. I thought as much anyways. I just, really hope you know what you are doing Annie. It's hard sometimes, and there are some really stupid people in this world; but that does not mean that humanity should fall. Humans. What we are Annie; we are warm. Even in the most darkest of places, you can find light and I know that you are a good girl." She looked up at me then, her piercing blue eyes following my every movement, every breath. "I am aware that you have never thought that, but I can see it." I smiled, taking a sip of my coffee. Levi has got me to like this crap. "How did you know it was me? In titan form that is?" She asked, lowering her voice. I am sure she has many questions about me, just as many as I have about her. "I could just tell; the way you fought, the way you carried yourself. I could see it all. I see more than a lot of people do." I sighed, placing my cup down. "You kept me safe when you could have ended me; why I wonder?" "I don't know. I often ask myself that." She replied, not offended that she had openly shared that with me. She must have a lot of her own burden to bear, I just hope it isn't too much for her to handle. "Well. . . I will always be available to you Annie; if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." I pushed back my chair and stood, bowing to her. "I'm sorry our meeting couldn't have been longer. I have some duties to attend to; you know. . . Erwin." "I'm sorry." She apologized again, me turning on my heels and not looking back, knowing that if I were to; I'd tell her to run for her life.

"Surprisingly, they let us through with no problem." I heard Eren mutter, Mikasa hissing at him to quiet down. "The whole time that I was in that carriage, they didn't even bother to check on me." "Don't look shifty." Mikasa said, them walking closer. "That's the Military Police for you. They're infamous lack of diligence in performing their routine really shows." Eren continues, me smiling as he always finds a way to make fun of the low lives who choose this career. "I just hope they don't discover Jean posing as you. . . They're going to find out soon enough." "To begin with, me and him are nothing alike." Eren said, gritting his teeth. "It's okay. You two have similar builds and the same vicious look in your eyes, so. . ." Armin said, getting cut off. "I don't have a horse face like him!" "Your typical bad guy mugs look quite similar." Annie said, joining in but her voice sounding tense. "Say. . . If I hadn't agreed to help, how did you plan to get past the wall?" "We were ready to use our maneuvering gear to break through." Armin replied automatically, having probably gone over answers to any question she is to ask. "Reckless aren't you? Why didn't you just organize the escape before entering the Stohess district? You could have ended it fast and easy instead of going through all the trouble. Why does it have to be here and now?" "I decided we needed to make use of the complicated layout of this town for our plan of switching Eren for a double to succeed. I thought that instead of opposing the order head on and escaping, we could buy more time to prepare Eren's escape if we obediently went along with it for a while, while making them loosen their guard." Annie was quiet for a moment, agreeing that his answer was convincing enough. "Here?" Annie asked, them stopping at the entrance to an underground passage. "Yep, we'll take this passage." Armin said, me hearing them start to descend the stairs. "Some ruins of the underground city planned long ago still remain. This passage connects to an exit close to the outer gate." "Really? Wow." Eren said, always interested in things like this. "Taking this underground passage is much safer than the streets above." Armin said, me suddenly hearing concern in his voice. "Hm? Annie?" "What's wrong with you? Don't tell me you're scared of dark and confined spaces." Eren exclaimed. "Yes. . .Yes I am. I'm not you. . . Not a brave, reckless guy who is in a hurry to die. There is no way, that someone like you can understand my feelings! Of a weak, frail girl like me." I knew this is a lie. She is making an excuse to not go underground, she must sense that they are trying to trap her; which isn't wrong. "A girl who can send big burly men flying with a single kick is not weak. Cut the nonsense and let's get going." Eren said, hissing practically at her unwillingness to come. "No. I won't go. It's scary down there, if you're not going to take the surface route then I won't help you." "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" Eren yelled, his temper at his max. "DON'T FUCK WITH ME!" "Eren! Stop yelling!" Mikasa exclaimed. "Why not Mikasa? For some reason, there's been no one around us for awhile now." I knew it. I moved my position, knowing that the three of my friends are in a bad position. "Geez, I'm hurt you know. Armin, since when did you start looking at me with those eyes?" "Annie. . ." Armin sighed. "How come you were in possession of Marco's maneuvering gear? I remember the little scratches and dents because me and him performed routine maintenance on our gears together. . . From that I knew it was his." "I see. . . I just found it." Annie said, her voice dropping an octave. "Then, the one who killed those two titans the Scouting Legion captured alive, was it you Annie?" Armin demanded to know. "Maybe, maybe not. . . If you came to all these conclusions months ago, why didn't you take action then?" Armin hesitated, but continued, his voice shaking. "I still can't believe it even now. .. I thought there was a mistake somewhere in my train of thought. I wanted to think there was! That's why I didn't. . . but. . . It's because you didn't kill me when you had the chance, that things turned out the way they are now!" "Yeah. . From the bottom of my heart I agree. I couldn't have imagined you'd track me down and corner me here. That time; why didn't I kill you I wonder? Why couldn't I kill her too?" I took notice of her mention of me. Thinking back to what she said at the cafe; there must be something about Armin and I, that prevented her from hurting us. Is it that we treated her differently? Saw her for something more than she is? "Hey Annie! There is still a chance!" Armin began to beg, but Eren cut in, yelling some profanity at her before screaming for her to prove herself. "I can't go there. I am a failure as a warrior." She said, looking down at the ground. "I already told you! Don't be a fool!" Eren yelled. "Annie talk to us! We can settle this if we talk!" Armin pleaded, him wanting her to see what the right thing to do here is; but I knew she has already made up her mind. She has no intention of re-joining our side. "Stop. I can't stand listening to this anymore. This leads us nowhere. I'll cut you again into pieces, female type titan." Mikasa said, stripping off her cloak. "No! Armin!" I exclaimed, lunging forwards but getting tossed back by Annie's turning. They had all jumped her and bound her mouth, but she seemed to have cut herself with the inside of ring. She roared loudly, immediately crushing the entrance to the underground tunnel. "Eren!" I exclaimed, moving forwards but stopping, knowing that I had other things to attend to first. I clicked my tongue and veered off, ignoring the cries of the Military Police who begged me to put an end to this madness. However, I blocked everything out, my gaze going blank. I can't look back now.