hopeless | jean kirstein

13 | capture

"The identity of the Female Titan...is Annie Leonhart."

The room went quiet at the Commander's words, so quiet that their shaky breaths and racing heartbeats echoed throughout the area. They didn't know what to make of the revelation. It seemed so far fetched, so unbelievable that majority of them had their jaws dropped in shock as they heard the news.

Annie Leonhart was the Female Titan.

Taryn didn't know how to feel about the sudden declaration. She wasn't that close to Annie as the girl had always been keen on isolating herself from the rest of them. But her personality aside, Annie just didn't seem like the one who would be capable of murdering dozens.

She remembered the times they would sit together in lectures, how they would sometimes talk about nonsense once they were certain the instructor wasn't watching them. She remembered the nights they stayed up late in their dorm, how she would crack a smile at one of their silly jokes and sometimes even participate in teasing Sasha about her addiction to food.

Which was why she stood in the corner with her eyes wide, the voices of everyone blending together in an unpleasant manner.

She had been certain that she would despise whoever it was that caused so much death, that she would make them suffer just as much as they did. But now, she wasn't so sure. The fact that it was someone she knew, someone she spent three years of her life sleeping in the same room with made her reluctant. She knew, that a small part of her was still clinging onto the notion that the others were just mistaken, hoping that everything was all just a big misunderstanding.

But with Armin's explanation, it all made sense. The Titan looked like her, used the same techniques as her, and the fact that she presented Marco's gear for inspection was evidence enough. The Female Titan was no doubt Annie.

The deaths of Squad Leader Ness and Sys flashed through her mind, the memory of her swatting them away as if they were nothing but pests in her way caused mixed emotions to rise inside her.

She shut her eyes, coming to a decision. She would avenge their deaths, and whether it was really Annie or not, she would do everything in her power to assist in the Female Titan's capture.

Rubbing her eyes, Taryn stifled a yawn as she tried her best to keep herself awake and alert for the day they attempt to catch the Female Titan. They had all been required to rise from their slumbers at the crack of dawn, and even in the absence of the sun, she could already see some soldiers getting ready in the background, while the select few who were chosen to stay put by Commander Erwin listened as he ran over his plan with them for one last time.

"Kirstein will be the one in the carriage, while Eren acts as a decoy to lead the Female Titan underground. If we can get her deep enough, we'll be able to restrain her even if she chooses to transform," He said, his deep voice carrying an unyielding authority that traveled from across the room. "If she transforms before then, we have no choice but to ask for your help, Eren."

The boy immediately looked up at the mention of his name, and Taryn noticed that his green eyes were filled with what seemed like doubt for the upcoming mission. "Yes sir." He said shortly, although she thought he sounded a bit reluctant.

The Commander nodded, before landing his gaze on her and her squad behind her. "Franke, Taryn, Gerver, Mira. You'll be in charge of guarding the carriages," He began to say. "The Military Police will most likely send troops to keep watch as we enter the city, and you four will be disguised as one of them. That way, you'll be able to assist us with ease, if ever something goes wrong and they try to seize us."