The Grey Angel (Attack on Titan x OC)

Chapter 61

-Nora Ackerman POV-

Soon everyone joined us...
Onyankopon, the bitch called Yelena, Jean, Mikasa, Armin, Gabi, Falco... even Reiner and Annie...
"So" I said when I saw Annie. "Finally decided to wake up from your nap"

"Nora" she said and I smiled. "Thanks, for talking to me"
"I knew you could hear me" I chuckled. "It's good to have you back, on our side I mean"
I saw Armin and I ran to him and hugged him tightly.
"I love you" I whispered and he hugged me back. "I told you I'd say that when you got back?"

~

The tension was way too high...
"Isn't anyone gonna help me with these potatoes?" asked Hanji. "Or are we just gonna glare at each other?"
"We've gone from trading blows to breaking bread inside of a day, heh?" said Magath. "Out of curiosity, what made you change your minds? If you let Eren Yeager succeed, you'll be getting far more than you could've hoped for. You Island Devils want the world to yourselves. We were the ones trying to save it. We would've been able to keep Eren and Zeke from getting into contact. If you hadn't stepped in in the last second and helped them"

"I'm only repeating what I already told you, General" said Hanji. "But nobody here wants to be an accessory to genocide. That's why we're all hanging out in the woods eating stew, instead of celebrating in town"
"So you finally figured out who the good guys are, heh?" said Magath, he was really pissing me off...
"You have got to be joking" I said bluntly.

"Nora..." said Armin, realising how pissed I was getting... Everyone took a step back.
"You can't be serious" I said. "Thinking you're in the right. You're insane. First you lot spent years trying to murder us all, and we're the bad guys because we didn't roll over and played dead?! All we did was trying to survive, and now you're calling us Devils for it?!"

"That's right" he said and I snapped.
"I had to kill my own grandfather, because of you Marleyans!" I yelled and Armin held me back. "He was turned into a bloody Titan because of Zeke, because you let him! I lost my grandfather because of you!"
I was crying again, damn it all...
"Nora..." said Armin and pulled me closer.
"I need air" I said and walked away.

~

-Armin Arlert POV-

Jean was also angry, he was yelling at Magath.
I looked at Nora who walked into the forest, alone...
I wanted to go after her... but Reiner beat us to it...

~

-Nora Ackerman POV-

"Leave me alone, Reiner" I said. "I don't want to talk to anyone"
"I know" he said and sat down next to me. "I'm sorry. About your grandfather"
I saw him fiddle with a necklace.

"What is that?" I asked and he froze. "I didn't take you to be a jewellery person"
"It's nothing" he said and put it away.
"Okay, now I know you're lying" I said and tried to grab it. "Show me!"

I laughed and he struggled.
"No!" he said and was smiling.
"You big asshole!" I yelled and managed to get the necklace. "Yes! Victory is mine!"
"Please don't open it..." he said embarrassed...

I opened it and saw some grey hair in the necklace.
"Reiner..." I said and looked him in the eyes. "You do realise this is beyond creepy, right?"
"Please don't remind me" he sighed. "I just... I really missed you"

I closed it and gave it back.
"Reiner" I said. "You know I can never feel the way you feel for me"
"I know" he said and smiled. "And that's okay. All I want is for you to be happy"
"Well, now I'm not really happy, considering the situation" I said and leaned against the tree. "But... Armin makes me happy"
"I noticed" he said. "I'm happy for you"

~

-Armin Arlert POV-

"Okay, that's enough" said Hanji suddenly. "If we're gonna be at each other's throats, let's argue about stuff we lived through ourselves. Look, Jean. Our friend the General is having a hard time understanding why we're not acting like the Devils we are. Giving up our paradise to save a world that wants us dead. What Devil in their right mind would do a ridiculous thing like that? Have we gone mad? What he doesn't know is we Scouts spent a few months living in that world. So we can never go back to being the ignorant Island Devils we were. Also, someone get Little Levi. I understand she's having a lot of stress. But it's not a good idea to let her be alone"

"No need" Nora and Reiner came back.
She took my hand and looked straight at Magath.
"Tell me" said Annie. "Can you honestly bring yourselves to kill him. Are you truly ready, to kill Eren?"
I squeezed Nora's hand tightly, I was still not sure what I was thinking...

"I don't think that's our only option" said Mikasa. "We can find another way"
"Exactly what I expected you to say" said Annie. "So what? You're gonna try to persuade him? He made the choice to slaughter every man, woman and child on the planet. You think you can talk him back from that?"

"I'm not assuming we can" I said. "But we're never gonna know for sure unless we try"
"Sure, and say you fail" she said. "You make your case and he still refuses to stop the Rumbling, what's next? It's him or the world. Can you all see him as your enemy?"
We all remained silent...
"That's what I thought" she said. "We're the ones fighting to protect our homeland now and we're going to do what we need to do. But if we have to kill Eren to save Marley, you're going to turn on us trying to save your friend, and you know it. Don't you, Mikasa? Tell me I'm wrong. You can't do it, right? You care about nothing more than him. Can you imagine turning against him?"

Mikasa drew her swords...
"If you want me out of the way, then just come out and say it" she said.
Annie took out the pin in her ring...
"Great" said Nora. "And people think I'm a hothead"

Annie was the first to stand down.
"I know exactly how you feel, Mikasa" said Annie. "I'm not fighting Eren because I think the world is worth saving. I'm doing it because my dad's in Marley and I don't want him to die. But I can't save him without your help. If you really can change Eren's mind, than that's fine with me. But until you get the chance, we shouldn't be fighting"
"Okay" said Mikasa and put away her swords.
"Glad you worked that out" said Hanji. "And look, our stew is good to go now. Dig in!"