Nest & Wings (Annie Leonhardt x Male Reader)

Chapter 41: The Steeled Resolve

Meanwhile Eren, Mikasa and Hange fight the Armored Titan.

Eren had mastered selective-hardening after ingesting the contents of a bottle that said 'Armor' on it. Judging by what you heard from Annie, it was likely the Armored Titan's spinal fluid. You theorize that the Royal Family must've kept a stock of the other titans' spinal fluid since before the defeated king fled to Paradis.

With that, Eren hardens his fists and gets into stance to take Reiner head on. Eren was far better than Reiner at combat after having studied Annie's techniques from afar. Additionally, you and Annie got the chance to teach him a few moves before he left for Karanese after your joint expedition.

Moreover, the Attack titan supposedly has the third best stamina out of the nine titans following the Cart Titan and the Female Titan. It would give Eren the advantage in the event it came down to a test of endurance.

All things considered, Eren should have the edge over the Armored Titan at the moment. However, it would benefit everyone best if he beats the Armored Titan with some stamina left to help out with the Colossal if Armin's plan failed.

Eren wrestles with Reiner and restrains him using an anti-personnel combat technique as Mikasa and Hange dive in from behind and use the recently invented Thunder Spears to break through his armor.

They take him down and cut him out of the nape to take him back alive. You hoped having Annie on your side would help convince him to join you. If he didn't however, the others planned to feed him to someone else and take control of the Armored Titan.

With both his arms and legs cut off, Reiner asks Hange to reach in his pocket and take the letter that Ymir had sent to Historia. Reiner had seemingly lost all hope, but as they were talking, once again the unknown intelligent titan catches them off guard. Zeke throws a smoke bomb and uses the cover to grab Reiner and escape.

Moments before they disappeared behind the smoke, Zeke looks at Eren and says, "Eren Jager... please believe me, I understand what you've been through— we're both victims of that man. I'll definitely come back to save you someday, little brother!"

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Over on your side of the battlefield,

You and Armin confront Bertolt. The Colossal Titan was too powerful of an enemy to fight head on with the forces you had, so Commander Erwin tactfully sent the two best minds next to himself to try and negotiate with Bertolt.

Once the two of you had led him far enough, Armin yells, "Bertolt, we don't want to fight, let's talk this out!"

Bertolt takes a deep breath and responds, "If I talk you you, will you all agree to die?"

"Huh...?" You were confused by the sudden hostility which wasn't like him at all.

"We only want two things; to capture Eren and to annihilate all the humans inside the walls. The decision has already been made, that's the inevitable reality, Armin!" Bertolt explains.

"Who decided that? Marley?" You yell back at him.

Bertolt was taken by surprise as he mustn't have expected you to know about the outside world. He responds, "The fact that you know about Marley and came all the way out here to ambush us could only mean... you already found Eren's basement, didn't you?"

You answer, "We did, and we know how Marley treats Eldians in the internment zone! You're doing this so your family can become Honorary Marleans, aren't you? Listen Bertolt... I want to—"