The Month Of May

Chapter 13

MIKASA WOULDN'T LET HER SUSPICION GO.

Every moment of our training, she wouldn't stop eyeing Annie suspiciously. Annie didn't seem to care, but I was sick of seeing her so suspicious. Sure, Annie's upbringings were a bit...strange, but I just trusted Annie. I don't know why, but I did. It was hard not to when she had those beautiful, innocent, crystal eyes.

"Armin," Mikasa hissed, and while I was normally kind, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Not this again...

"Mika, stop," I interrupted her before she could
continue. She looked at me with those cold, gray eyes of hers, but I wasn't fazed. "Thank you for your concern. But Annie is on our side. I can feel it."

"How? Because she came to your house? Because she seemed innocent?" Mikasa was never one to back down from her passionate thoughts, and now was no exception. The normally quiet and staid girl was fiery when it came to her suspicion and natural want to protect her friends. "She seems fine enough to join the military. I don't think anyone with wounded innocence would join the military. It's fishy."

"Anyone would have taken shelter! You know the rules around here," I lowered my voice. I didn't want to take any chances of anyone hearing this conversation. "You can't be poor. If you don't have a home, you then you can't wear the stuffy clothes we have to wear, or abide by the rules, and-"

"And you know all that, and you still took her in," Mikasa interrupted just as passionately, but she had graciously lowered her own voice into a hushed whisper. "What is happening, Armin? You're a rule follower. You always have been one...why the change of heart?"

"...Because I couldn't sit there and watch her get yelled at. I didn't know she was homeless at the time...But I was following the rules," I responded fiercely. I wasn't disobeying our strict rules that Erwin had given, I really wasn't. "I always have been. We've been told to be gracious and kind...that's what I was. You say I'm breaking the rules, but I'm not. I'm just following our guidelines!"

"I don't think our guidelines apply to people who don't belong in this wall!"

That was enough. I'd heard enough!

"Mikasa, I'm done talking about it. I'm done."

I left her standing there as I walked over to Annie. She was practicing her swordsmanship on a dummy. Her technique was admittedly much better than mine already. I knew I wasn't any good, but to have her surpass me in every way possible was pretty...irritating.

It wasn't her fault, though. I couldn't stress that enough. I was just glad she made it here since her aloof attitude and expert skills made her perfect for this job. Like Mikasa said..it was sort of strange that such an experienced girl had been acting so helpless...but she had just been taken off guard. She was a rule follower; just like me! Although I suppose we were allowed to be rude back, but that had been such verbal abuse, it would have made sense for her to lash out. She didn't seem like a rule follower anyway...

I was just overthinking it. So was Mikasa. What reason would anyone have to say anything?

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A week had passed of blissful training.

Everything just seemed so much brighter with Annie. It was stupid, I know...but every day, I found myself looking forward to seeing her. Mikasa was as suspicious as always, but Eren got along with Annie just fine. Well, he was a little too close for my liking, but it wasn't as if Annie gave him much mind anyway...

Well, anyway. I was waiting for her at the training grounds, Eren and Mikasa by my side as usual. She must be late today. I wonder why. She was usually on time, but today must be an exception. Maybe she was sick? I hoped she was okay.

I really found it crazy how I trusted her so easily...I'd only met her a week ago, but it seemed like I'd known her for years. There was just something...so special about her.

I liked it.

All of a sudden, a loud explosion erupted from the center of Wall Sina. As I frantically looked over, Mikasa shoving Eren behind her, we could see a fog of steam from where the explosion had come from.

What was going on!? Nothing like this had ever been heard of before!

When the mist faded, my jaw gaped in shock and horror. I dropped my sword to the ground, my legs shaking in terror. What the hell was that...?

There was a giant creature with steaming red skin and monstrous muscles. It was... disgusting. It was so much taller and bigger than anything I'd ever seen before, even bigger than the walls.

I wanted to scream.

For lack of better words to describe it...it was a sixty meter tall Titan.

And it was in Wall Sina.