The Walls We've Built - ◈ ARMIN ARLERT X OC ◈

Chapter 2 - Falling of Trost (part 2)

*IMPORTANT NOTICE!!! In the beginning of this chapter I have slightly altered the events that happen in the show/manga. I'm not sure how well you remember episode 7, but Armin and Connie go to save Mikasa after her gas runs out, so Armin gives her his and they continue to HQ. (They see titan Eren on the way btw and use him to help occupy the titans out side HQ) So Eren is already dead when Armin saves Zariya (thats why he is kinda weird/ not himself) Mikasa and the rest of the gang also already know Eren is dead. Timeline wise, Armin saving Zariya happens after Mikasa has made her speech to all the cadets and they are currently following her to HQ, when Armin spots Zariya alone on the roof of the church and goes to save her.

How I have changed the plot follows as: Armin isn't initially there to see Eren's Titan as he is with Zariya when this he first appears. So Connie going to save Mikasa alone, while they are watching him kill all the other titans, Armin spots them and goes to make sure they are ok with Zariya,. I will fix the whole gas issue in the story so don't worry about that! Anywho thats all for now, so I hope you enjoy the next chapter of 'The walls we've built'!*
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We continue to swing through the streets of Trost towards HQ when Armin suddenly alters our direction, where is he taking us? "Mikasa! Connie!" Armin yells waving his spare hand in the air as we approach 2 figures on one of the rooftops. As we land on the roof one of the people jogs towards us, she has raven black hair and waves at Armin to follow her, I'm guessing that's Mikasa.

Armin nods his head in her direction and I follow him towards her. "Hey, Armin! You're still alive, I was wondering where you'd gone." The boy says to Armin as we approach them, that must be Connie, interesting name for a guy. He stops for a moment and looks behind Armin at me raising an eyebrow. Pointing at me he asks in a confused tone, "Who's the girl?"'Oh yeah, this is Zariya. I found her stranded on the roof of the church." Armin replies "Well, well, look at Armin saving lives!" He laughs nudging him, but then his smile drops.

Opposite Connie, Mikasa is standing with her arms crossed staring me down. "Oh right, Mikasa this is Za- Zariya, Zariya this is Mikasa" Armin says slightly nervous. Mikasa looks at me a moment longer and turns towards Armin. She tells us about an abnormal titan that saved her, she says it was killing other titans! I almost didn't believe her before I saw the thing myself.  The titan was at least 15m tall, it came running down the street next to us killing a titan in its way.

"Oh my god! Look at that thing! How is it so intelligent? I know it's an abnormal but even then, how does it know to move like that? Gen would lose her mind if she saw it!" I exclaim studying it with wide eyes. All 3 of them look at me with blank faces, "Sorry, go on." I say gesturing towards Mikasa. Before she can continue Armin cuts in, he says we may be able to use the abnormal to help defend headquarters. It's a good idea and logically makes sense, but I'm unsure of how heavily we can rely on it, after all, it is still a titan. Once Mikasa agrees with him, I feel the comfort that it's not only Armin and me who think this could work.

"So basically we're going to recruit a titan!" Connie yells in disbelief. "Well, it's the best chance we have! Think about it, we're better off giving this plan a chance than dismissing it straight away and letting all our friends die at HQ!" I reply pointing at the titan, Armin and Mikasa both nod their heads in agreement. Connie stops and looks at the ground, "We'll look like idiots if we stuff this up." He says smirking. We all smile and make our way towards HQ, I go with Armin and Mikasa goes with Connie since she is also out of gas.

I look over Armin's shoulder as we fly through the air and see the titan is following us, good. We continue moving and I can't help but ask "So how do you know Mikasa?" I say looking at Armin, he looks back at me and replies "Mikasa is like my sister, she and Eren always looked out for me when we were kids. We have stuck together even since wall Maria fell." He finished. Oh, she is like his sister, good to know I think to myself.

"Zariya look!" Armin yells forcing me out of my own head, I see the giant titan punching 2 titans away from HQ, bringing them both crashing to the ground. In awe, I don't even realise we are heading straight for a window, "Watch out!" Connie shouts from behind us. I shield my face in the crook of Armin's neck and he wraps his arm around our faces to stop the glass from harming us.

We land inside the building and I see Armin wasn't cut, I however wasn't as lucky. I feel warm blood sting through the skin of my cheek, I wipe it away listening to Connie tell the other recruits about the abnormal. "You got cut! I'm so sorry I was looking at the titan and didn't see the window." Armin apologises putting his hand on my shoulder. "It's fine really, I was watching it too," I say smiling wiping the blood off my face with my sleeve.

I stay with Armin, Mikasa, Connie and another boy who is named Jean. I look around for Gen and Jacob but can spot them anywhere, 'please let them be ok' I think to myself. "Looking for someone?" Mikasa asks standing next to me, I jump when did she get there? "Um yeah, friends of mine I'm trying to see if they are here. How could you tell?" I question her tucking loose hairs behind my ear. "Well, you look extremely preoccupied so I just figured." She says half smiling, but not quite. "Are you ok? Is there someone you are looking for as well?" I ask. She just looks at me buries her face in the scarf wrapped around her neck and walks away.

I watch her as she leaves, Jean approaches me leaning against the wall next to me. "Don't take her attitude personal, she lost her boyfriend in battle." Oh, that's terrible I couldn't imagine losing Gen or Jacob, I think to myself. "Shut up Jean, you know Eren wasn't her boyfriend they were just really close." A girl states as she slaps him in the back of his head, I recognise her face, it's 'potato girl' from training. "The names Sasha, and don't listen to him, well Eren did die but he wasn't Mikasa's boyfriend." Sasha sticks out her hand for me to shake, and I do. "Hi, I'm Zariya. Armin briefly mentioned Eren but I didn't realise he was gone, sorry for your loss." She smiles with gratitude before turning back to Jean, grabbing him by the ear and dragging him away. He tries to resist but eventually gives up.

We all make out way down towards the storage room, I walk alone while other recruits including Armin and the other plan how we are going to get to the gas. I continue down the stairwell in silence among the quiet chatter of the others. "ZARIYA!" I hear someone yell from behind me as I reach the bottom of the stairs, I could recognise that voice anywhere. I turn around and I see Jacob lunge at me bringing me to the ground, I hug him tightly embracing him, thank god he is alive. "You are ok! Where is Gen? Did she make it out?" I ask flustered trying to find her in the crowd. Jacob gets up helping me up with him before replying "She is fine, she fell from a low roof and sprained her ankle." I look at him blankly before shoving him back making him stumble. "Jacob! That's not fine! Where is she now?" I yell at him.

Jacob then explains that some elites helped him get her on top of the wall for medical experts to assist her. I sigh in relief, opposite me Jacob looks over my shoulder with an untrusting expression on his face. "What?" I ask turning on my heels, I see Armin looking back at us, well Jacob. He sees me looking at him and his expression softens and quickly waves before helping Jean with a box of rifles. "Who's the perv?" Jacob asks grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the guns, "Hey! He isn't a perv that guy saved me from being killed." Jacob looks at me confused. "I don't have time to explain now, come on grab a gun we are about to go down to the supply level," I say picking up a gun and pressing it into his chest before walking towards the lift.

The plan was simple, as long as we stick to it and get the timing perfectly it will work. Those of us on the lift waited in complete silence as we were lowered into the supply room. The soft creak of the pulley is the only sound around us, that's until we hear the deep breathing of titans. We are no longer alone.