blank open eyes | reiner braun x reader

chapter eight

Things started to change once Zeke announced the mission to the rest of your unit.

While there was still time to prepare, still days of life left to live, the enthusiasm slowly drained out of everyone. Pieck fell into naps more frequently throughout the day, her sleep at night disturbed by worry. Porco was more pensive, more frustrated than usual, continually voicing his concerns about why you were the one being dragged into the mission, when so many of them could've taken your place.

It had only been a few days since the battle plans were revealed to the rest of the Warriors, and tensions had risen. You knew that they were just worried about what could happen to you, but still, their concerns began to push you to the point of frustration.

Sure, you didn't have the power of a titan like the rest of them did, but that didn't mean you were completely weak and defenseless. You'd fought in battles before, and if you completed your undercover mission successfully, there would be no reason to engage at all.

Pieck was silent next to you as you both ate a late dinner; things at headquarters had moved slower than usual today. You'd invited her over last-minute, wanting some company for the evening, but she'd hardly said a word since you arrived back at your apartment. Her expression was vacant, dark shadows under her eyes, wrinkles creasing around them.

"Pieck?" you finally asked, uncomfortable with the agonizing silence. While she wasn't as talkative as Porco, she usually had much more to say to you than this. "Are you alright?"

Her dark eyes blinked back at you, lashes fluttering over her hollowed cheekbones. "Hm?" she asked, the question pulling out of her own head. You weren't sure that she realized she'd been in there in the first place. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Pieck said, running her finger against the edge of your table, frowning. "I'm just thinking about the mission."

"We still have some time before we're sent off." You stabbed your fork into the warm food to take a bite. The flavors seemed to have disappeared, becoming just a glob of mush on your tongue. "It'll be fine."

"Aren't you worried?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly. "I can't believe that Zeke and Magath think it's a good idea to send you into enemy territory like this. One of us should be going instead... Or at the very least, we should all be there to help you out!"

The plan was for you to infiltrate their building with backup and find any information that could reveal what they planned to do with Marley. You would also be searching for further intel about their steadily advancing weaponry. While it was dangerous for you to go, you were the obvious person for the job. You'd spent years studying the nations you were at war with, knew their languages and tactics better than anyone. If there was information to find, you would be the one who could uncover it quickest, without getting caught or killed.

"I'm not going by myself, though," you offered, trying not to lose your patience. You knew that sending you over anyone else was the right move. There was no one else that knew military intelligence like you did, no one else that would be able to find what they were looking. "Reiner will be there, and the rest of you will be close enough in case things go wrong—"

The rest of the unit wouldn't be sneaking in with you and Reiner, but they would be in the surrounding forests, ready to attack in their Titan forms if needed. That, of course, was if the worst possible scenario happened, and you were caught.

"But their weaponry is so much more advanced than ours!" Pieck exclaimed, running a hand through her dark locks of hair. "Just because Reiner has the power of a itan, doesn't mean that he's invincible. Something horrible could happen to either one of you, and we might not be able to get there in time." Her voice grew frantic, words somewhat running together. She always had such a calm demeanor; you were surprised to see her so worked up.