The Turquoise Cure (Eren X Reader)

Chapter 23: Hello, Again

    You could hear the screams of Eren, Levi, and Mikasa ricochet as you slipped down the Female Titan's throat. You sunk your grappling hooks into the slimy skin and dove forward. You sliced through the tissue of her neck, clawing your way to her neck's base. When you made it through, Annie's suspended body was encased in the muscles of the nape; her eyes opened wildly when she felt you break into her chamber. You grabbed her around the waist and shot back out, breaking the crystalline casing on the exterior of her nape from the inside out. 

    You tumbled very ungracefully out of her body, her clawing figure cutting at your face with her nails as you rolled, further and further down, the momentum launching the two of you several hundred meters away from her already fading titan. You had lost your grip in the fall, but you now stood up, your body shaking with anger and adrenaline, as you flung yourself on top of her exhausted body. "WHAT IS THIS?" you shouted, your eyes bulging with disbelief and rage. She looked small underneath you, despite the two of you sharing a small size. Her blue eyes that once looked so fierce and cool to you were looking up at you with abject terror. "(Y/N)," she pleaded quietly, but your ferocity had already boiled over. You punched her in the face as hard as you could, reveling as her teeth shot out of her mouth. "YOU-FUCKING-BITCH!" you shouted, landing another punch after each word, the spit coiling out of your mouth as you spat the words. "P-please," Annie said, raising up a shaky hand to halt you, "let me explain..."

    You wanted to cry out for Eren and the rest of the Survey Corps to come and deal with her. You knew that hearing her try to explain would just hurt you more. However, looking into her tearful eyes, you couldn't deny her your listening, just this last time. You wiped your bloody fists on your pants, still straddling her waist with your strong thighs to pin her down, but no longer attacking her. "Fine," you said, your voice beginning to quaver, "then explain." 

    Annie told you a tale of another place, another world. She told you of an island far away, across the sea of salt water that Armin and Eren had praised and drooled over, and of the differences between the people of the advanced society. The place was called Eldia, where descendants of the 9 Titans of Ymir, which she told you had begun the cycle of Titan shifters such as herself and Eren, were persecuted against and treated unfairly by the Marleyans. She told you of her father, forcing her to grow up as a warrior, training her from day 1 to become a machine for the Marleyan government's benefit, reminding you uncannily of your mother. Annie spoke of a history unbeknownst to you or to anyone else on Paradis, which was the massive island on which the walls were erected by the fled king from Eldia, King Fritz. Her voice grew quiet as she spoke of her duty, and the duty of several others whom she refused to name, who were destined to make Paradis fall and be returned to the Marleyan government once more. Paradis allegedly was a gold mine for natural resources, such as coal and natural gas, which the Eldians had learned could create electricity, something that would allow light to be generated with the flip of a switch. You said nothing as she went on, but seeing the burning for knowledge in your eyes, she continued. 

    "In Eldia, they don't need to use horses and carts; they have things called automobiles, which run on the natural gas I mentioned earlier." She told you of flying contraptions that soared in the air like the birds, carrying people and resources over hundreds of miles. Torches were a thing of the past in Eldia; the excited electrons from the electricity generating process lit light bulbs, that lit up houses and businesses all day long. 

    "And there are these-"

    "Stop," you interrupted Annie. "I've heard enough." Your hands had begun to shake again. "I don't care where you came from, and I don't care why you did what you did." Your voice was wavering, but nothing you did could stop yourself. You allowed yourself to break, just a bit, but the walls came tumbling down after one tear. "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS!" you shouted, tears flooding down your face. "DO I MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?" You raised your fists to hit her again, but looking into her eyes, now leaking tears and squeezed shut in fear, you couldn't do it. You leaned forward, resting your head on her chest, letting the sobs rack your body. "How could you do this to me?" you whimpered. Annie had raised her hand to stroke your back, but you jumped up, your legs numb from pinning her down for so long. "No," you said, inching away, "no, I can't even look at you right now." You turned your back to her and fell to your knees, your body shaking with anguish. The faces of all of your comrades that she had just murdered in one fell swoop flashed through your mind. The scared and knowing look on Petra's face when she realized that she'd been too slow made you scream. Eren should be able to find you now; you were done with this conversation. Knowing why didn't help. Nothing did. You screamed for so long that your voice eventually cut off, your tears dried, and you were left with nothing. You turned back to Annie after nobody seemed to hear you and come find you.