Crystallized (Aruani)

Chapter 15: Lying

C h a p t e r 1 5 : L y i n g

"Annie." Her fathers voice rang. She glared at him, and looked away. "Why'd they tie you up in here? You're not some dirty traitor. I'm going to untie you, and if anyone questions it, they'll be stupid. No one underestimates my perfect solider." He meant it as a compliment, but Eren could tell Annie was pissed off by that.

"Then untie me already. I'm sick of being treated like an imbecile, and of no one trusting me. I think I've fully gained their trust." Annie's voice hardened as she lied. Fortunately, she was a pretty good liar by now. Eren looked at her, surprised, and then angrily.

"You- how dare you betray us!" He shouted.

"Why would you fall for my tricks a second time? That just makes you stupid." Annie remarked, as her father untied her.

"We trusted you. What are you going to tell Armin?" He spat at her. Annie's expression remained flat.

"I won't have to tell him anything. He'll be dead before then." Annie said emotionlessly, trying not to hear her words. She knew if she did, it would break her.

"You spared his life once."

"I underestimated him." Annie countered. "I'm leaving. I don't have anything to gain from remaining here and I want to get used to how things were." Annie stood up and left, grateful when she didn't hear her father's thundering steps behind her.

Annie saw a figure walking by, talking with others.

"Reiner!" She yelled. He turned around, and his face contorted into one of rage. As he rushed at her, she groaned before throwing him onto the ground.

"Why do you think you have the right to be walking around here." Reiner snarled, rolling over so she was trapped under him. She hissed, sliding out from under him easily and standing up. She easily avoiding his attempt to kick at her.

"Reiner. If you'd let me explain, I think I've done a pretty good job of acting." Annie stared at him as he got up.

"Wha... You... I can never tell when you're lying or not." Reiner groaned. "Are you lying right now? Are you lying to them?"

".. It's obvious, Reiner. I'm on your side. I always have been."

"But what about when-"

"It was all to gain their trust." Annie grit her teeth. "Look. Do I even need to spy around any longer? I'm comfortable here."

"I guess not. The Scout Regiment will come for you, though. They haven't for me.. They think I'm dead." Reiner paused. Annie could tell his hesitance.

"Either that or they know the truth." Annie finished.

"I doubt they're smart enough to." Reiner joked halfheartedly, both of them knowing very well that the Scout Regiment was not stupid. In fact, Armin might have already figured it out, and not told her.

"...maybe." Annie said to him. "But if they did, they certainly didn't tell me." Turning on her heel, she walked away.

"...." Mikasa let out a smirk of satisfaction as she pictured what it felt like to chop off Annie's head, and kill her once and for all. Then her focus changed back to Eren, and she became worried, her smile dropping. She clenched her knuckles. If that blonde haired female titan princess laid one finger on Eren-

"What are you thinking about, Mikasa?" Armin asked. Mikasa looked at Armin, forcing herself to relax.

"Nothing." Mikasa dismissed. "Nothing that you want to hear."

"...it's about Annie and Eren." Armin concluded, from just those seven words. "You're worried about Eren, and you're furious Annie's alone with him, because you fear the worst. That Annie's a traitor."

"She is one." Mikasa shot back. "Armin. People don't change that quick. A slower change, maybe. But this is Annie. Whatever side secures her safety is what side she's going to pick. Regardless of who she has to kill. Including you."

"Mikasa..." Armin sighed.

"I'm looking out for you. I don't want you to get hurt. Especially since i know that all she is, is a cold hearted killer." Mikasa said coldly. "And she'll come for you. Right after she gets Eren."

Armin watched as Mikasa walked out of the room. "...she doesn't change, does she.."

"...is she trying to tell you Annie is a traitor?" Scarlet asked, moving into the room.

"How'd you know? All that's on her mind is Eren, and if there is a threat to Eren, it's a threat to her." Armin groaned.

Scarlet suddenly laughed. "Hey, who do you think would win if Mikasa went against Annie?"

"Oh. We saw that happen already." Armin grinned.

"What!? And I missed that!?" Scarlet whined. "No!"

"Heh. Well, it was pretty intense. It was hand to hand combat, though." Armin said. Scarlet didn't understand.

"So? That doesn't change anything!"

"That changes everything. Annie is a trained hand to hand combat. A martial artist. She's probably the strongest in the class with that technique."

"Well.. Okay. Who won?" Scarlet asked, impatient.

"Well..."

"No. Way." Scarlet yelled. "There's absolutely no way."

"Yeah, she did." Armin smiled.

"Bu..I would've thought that.." Scarlet couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, I know. Me too. I was wrong, though."

"Hmm... I don't know what to make of that. Mikasa's like, the perfect solider. Annie is super skilled in hand to hand combat. Even though I know these things, I still can't believe who won.."

"Sorry to interrupt your lovely chat here." Levi said. The two were especially interested in their conversation, they hadn't seen him walk in. "But we've got a meeting to get to. It's about Annie."

"...of course." Scarlet mused. "Everything's about her."

"I say we kill her once we find her." Mikasa said coldly as they sat down, prepared for the meeting. "We don't take chances."

"Mikasa. If you cannot control yourself, leave." Levi warned. Her eye twitched, but she said nothing.

"M-Mikasa, maybe it'd be better if you left.. You don't have yourself under control." Bertolt spoke for the first time since Reiner's supposed death.

"Leave it. We have more important things to worry about other than Mikasa." Erwin announced.

"...sorry." Mikasa apologized. "But when can we get Eren?"

"Soon." Hange announced. "They're probably in that village we found."

"Yeah." Jean nodded. "Nanitorakin, right?"

"Yes." Erwin confirmed. "We'll leave in two days. Prepare yourself."