A New World, year 2022

7 Some people much stranger than they seemed

  Annie, inside her glass, was totally stupefied, there were no words to describe how impressed she felt, nor did her body find an adequate way to express that surprise mixed with horror, she was seeing Armin, in front of her, looking at her with a smile.

  A... Ar-min. - She articulated looking at him with a trembling voice.

  What's up Annie? - He said looking at her happily, you could see it in his eyes, he was happy, she already suspected from the start that it was her hallucination.

  What the hell are you doing here!? - She demanded with another question without answer.

  She knew that there were times when one had dreams and strange hallucinations, but generally, the crystal prisons like the one she or other carriers like Eren or Lara Tybur could create for themselves were totally real, in these there couldn't be hallucinations or anything similar.

  Everything present within this crystal is totally real, since this crystal never let a person's hallucinations escape by keeping the human body in a stable and healthy state of health.

  If Armin was there, materialized, it couldn't be an illusion, it was truly him, it was the real Armin...

  I don't know if you're hip to it, but I used to slide through here a bunch... - Armin said slowly approaching the girl, which alarmed her a lot. - And recently I found a slicker way to visit you...

  Armin smiled as Annie backed away.

  But I'm a killer. Doesn't that bug you, though??

  She felt the boy's finger rest on her lips as an affectionate order to shut up.

  At this point you ain't longer the only killer... - He answered her with a soft voice. - I can talk to you basically because, you know, I'm holding down the colossal titan right now.

  Annie was just as shocked as she had been at first, two hard things to swallow in five minutes.

  Did you...?

  Annie, we already know where you come from and about Zeke's plans. We are probably further aware about Marley's plans than you... - He continued as he approached her. - It will be useless for you to continue resisting Annie, we are already aware of everything...

  Get away from me, go away, I don't want you being all up in my space... - She demanded, continuing to take steps back.

  Why? - The blonde boy questioned with a smile as she kept getting closer until she collided with an invisible wall in the nothingness that formed the interior of the crystal.

  Annie could tell him that because he was an enemy, because she hated him, because she could probably kill him, she didn't trust him, she could also tell him the truth... She hadn't wanted to hurt him, everything that happened, happened so suddenly, but when things turned calm down, doubts would flood her.

  C-cause... I... - She tried to answer, but was intimidated by having him face to face.

  Annie had grown fond of Armin during the time he was pretending to be another ignorant Paradise's denizen. They had made her believe the people here were unpleasant, terrible surprise was to find out that Eldian people treated her better than the people in Marley itself, especially people like Armin.

  Armin was her counterpart, incapable of killing anyone, incapable of doing anything bad, with a fairness and freedom sense such that for her they were as ridiculous as they were adorable, a joyous dreamer who deserved to be a light in a world full of evil...