Nest & Wings (Annie Leonhardt x Male Reader)

Chapter 24: A Human Weakness

Two days after the 57th Expedition,

It was the day the scouts were to report to Stohess; Eren, Armin and Mikasa prepare to commence their plan to lure Annie out. Jean was disguised as Eren and would be sent to Stohess in his place. Eren couldn't help but complain how his horse-face wouldn't give it away, but everyone else was convinced that his eyes had a similar expression to Eren and it'd buy them enough time.

With Annie's identity compromised, you realize there's not much benefit to hiding the information you knew anymore. That, coupled with the fact that you didn't know what would happen later that day, you decide it was best to share part of it with the ever curious Captain Hange.

You pull Captain Hange to the side and ask her, "Can I talk with you for a bit? It's about that theory we discussed yesterday. I might have some things to add to it."

"Sure! We've got a bit of time, so go ahead!" She says and sits down on one of the crates.

You ask, "Say, Captain... does the word 'Marley' mean anything to you?"

She thinks for a bit and says, "Hmm... It sounds like someone's name, I dunno. What about it?"

You wanted to share the information in a way that didn't immediately give away Reiner and Bertolt's identities. So you make up a story inspired by Armin's mentioning of the Ocean.

"There's umm... there's someone I used to know back in Shiganshina who had a book about the outside world. I remember him talking about wanting to go to Marley, like it was the name of a place: somewhere outside the walls." You answer.

"Hmm... and what does that have to do with titans?" Hange asks.

"Well... I wasn't really close with him so I don't know much, but he said all kinds of weired things like how there was something called the 'Founding Titan' inside the inner walls. I passed him off as crazy at the time. But now, considering how Eren, who's also from Shiganshina is able to transform into a titan, and the fact that his basement contains the truth about them, maybe he wasn't crazy after all."

Hange looks curious hearing that. "You've got a point. I still believe Commander Erwin's theory that the enemy infiltrated the walls during the attack, but considering how Shiganshina was the outermost district, it's certainly possible for someone to have infiltrated it before that. After all, we still don't know how Eren's dad knew the truth about titans. Do you know where this person is now?"

"No, I haven't seen him since the fall of Shiganshina. All remember are a few stories he told me every now and then." You answer.

"I see... There might be clues in those stories we can use. We'll discuss more about it after the operation, so make sure you don't get killed." She says.

You hesitantly answer, "Sure, but if do end up getting killed, what you should focus on are Marley and the Founding Titan. They were the main points of his stories!"

As you said that, Moblit arrives and says, "Captain, it's time!"

"Alright, let's head out, shall we?" She says and the three of you head back to meet up with the others.

❋❋❋

You head out on your mission as Jean and Commander Erwin set off in their carriage. You follow Armin while keeping a low profile as instructed. Your job was to provide backup in case the plan goes south, so you hide on the rooftops and watch as he meets up with Annie in the alleyway.

"Hey," Annie's eyes widen as Armin greets her. "You're really part of the Military Police now, huh?" he asks.

"Armin...? What are you doing here?" She asks him as she was surprised to see him there.

"Annie, will you help me escort Eren out of Wall Sina?" Armin requests her.

As he went on explaining his plan to escape, you couldn't figure out why he'd assume that Annie would agree to help him. She was never really a team player, so you couldn't imagine her selflessly agreeing to a reckless plan like that. You knew there had to be something else going on as Armin wouldn't move ahead with that plan unless he had a concrete reason to believe she would agree to it.

"I hate to tell you this, but it's out of the question. I won't spill the beans though, so do whatever you want." As expected, Annie refuses to help him.

Armin begs her to reconsider and promises that he'd do his best to avoid causing her trouble. As he says that, Annie asks him, "Do I really seem like such a good person to you?"

Armin answers, "I don't particularly like that term. I think it's subjective to how useful the person in question is and I don't think anyone can be useful to everyone. But that said, if you don't help us, then you'd be a bad person in my eyes, right?"

Annie seems taken aback by that last line. You couldn't immediately find the logic behind why she'd care, but you notice the guilt on Armin's face as she agrees to help them. You put two and two together and figure out that Annie must have developed feelings for Armin and that he was likely aware of it.

You're shocked by how you didn't notice it sooner as you were pretty close with her at camp, but figure that it must have happened after the Trost incident as you hadn't spent much time with her since then.

With that, you realize the true premise for the otherwise seemingly baseless plan. It was to exploit Annie's feelings for Armin and lure her into a trap.

You feel uneasy after realizing it. As much as you knew— and even agreed that Annie had to be captured, it was a rather cruel way of doing it and you felt bad for her. Despite the recent developments, she was still your closest friend whom you deeply cared for.

She follows him and meets up with Eren and Mikasa. As she walks with the three of them, she questions him further, probably to check the legitimacy of his plan. Annie wasn't dumb. You figure she must be on to them, at least to an extent by this point.

"If I had refused to help you, how were you planning to escape?" She asks Armin. It was something you've been thinking as well.

"We planned to get over the wall using ODM gear, although we hoped it wouldn't come to that as it's a bit too reckless." Armin comes up with an answer.

Annie continues to question him about why they had to do it in Stohess specifically, and Armin answers her in a way that made sense. Annie was smart and she would've seen through anyone else with ease, but Armin was somewhat of a genius in his own right.

Despite that however, you weren't entirely convinced that she bought everything Armin said as even you could find small holes in his answers. Annie probably went through with it, fully aware that something was up.

After answering her questions, Armin leads her near the entrance to the underground city that was abandoned years ago. He explains how it'll be the safest route as they could avoid coming across other Military Police officers by going that way.

As they walk inside, Annie stands still. It was apparent that the plan was to lead her inside the tunnel where she wouldn't be able to transform and she too seemed to have noticed. Eren calls her out asking if she's afraid of the dark, but Annie continues refusing to enter and the atmosphere becomes hostile. You could feel the intensity in their eyes as they glared at her.

The expression on Annie's face changes and you could almost read the sadness in her eyes as she says, "Honestly, I'm hurt. Just when did you come to look at me with such eyes, Armin?"

Hearing those words utterly shatters the resolve you had built against Annie. Your breathing starts to get heavy and you panic as you feel her desperation. At that point, it was beyond sympathy and it nearly broke you to see your friend in her predicament.

As Eren and Armin continues trying to persuade her to step inside, Mikasa says, "This is a waste of time and I've had enough. I'll cut you up again, Female Titan!" and draws her blade. Despite having always been at odds with Annie, the hatred in Mikasa's eyes right now was unlike anything you've seen before.

Annie starts laughing cynically as she's pushed beyond the brink in her desperation and almost breaks down saying, "Armin, it's great that I was a good person to you, huh? Your gamble paid off this time. But now I'll see if my bet pays off."