Humanity's Savior (Attack on Titan)

Decisions

Narrator

   Silence reigns over Erwin's office at Armin's last words.  Everyone stares at the young blond who is still gazing at Erwin and Levi, and thinks about how the second Female Titan had helped them, and how powerful she was.  She even beat the Female Titan without much effort, and anger was fueling her then.  If she had been against the Survey Corps?

   Who would've known what could have happened....

   "And where, Cadet Arlert, is this book that has the information?"  Erwin asks, folding his hands and resting his chin on them.  Armin clenches his fists, and looks back down at the floor, answering truthfully.

   "I don't know.  The book was lost a long time ago when the attack on Shigansina took place."  There is a pause.

   "Thank you, Cadet Alert.  You three are excused."  Armin, Eren, and Mikasa leave the office silently.  Armin is lost in thought– I hope they believe me, and will at least consider my words.  Eren and Mikasa flank him on either side, both knowing that the blond needs a few minutes to himself to sort through his thoughts.  They walk the halls of headquarters silently, meandering through the corridors that lead them to the dining hall.  Once they are almost to the Mess Hall, Eren suddenly exclaims,

   "Overkill much, Armin?  Now that they know about the Guardian, hopefully they'll heed the warning, which I think Commander Erwin and Captain Levi will.  It's Hanji I'm worried about..."  Armin sighs as they enter the Hall.  The blond pulls at a strand of his hair nervously, biting the inside of his cheek as he ponders his words.

   "I know, I know, Eren.  I'm worried about Hanji too, but it's not like I could lie, and Hanji also saw what we did in order to summon the Guardian, so there was nothing I could do."

   "It's a good thing you didn't lie, Armin.  We must be cautious from now on though, since there is a traitor within the Survey Corps."  The two boys nod at Mikasa's statement, and go to grab their lunches.  Armin is last in line, and even almost spills his tray all over a very disgruntled Jean.  He quickly apologized and hastily makes his way over to Eren and Mikasa's table.  The trepidation in his gut is still present, even if it has lifted slightly.  Armin eats slowly as he thinks back to the Guardian and all she did for them.  I'd hate to think of what will happen to her if the rest of humanity found out...  They're all very close-minded about Titans in general.  For now, he, Eren, and Mikasa will try to avoid any questions, and lay low for a while.

The Guardian

   I'm bored.

It has been three days– three days– since I encountered the Survey Corps.  Since then, the Titan activity has increased in the forest, and I've spent my time killing the intruders, but it just isn't enough to keep my mind off the young blond, Armin.  What is wrong with ugh me?  I've been living on my own for so long and now I can't go three days with human interaction?

   Armin had knowledge of me, and knew what I am.  Name-wise, at least.  How did he know that?  Where did he learn it?  These are all questions I'm dying to know, and staying here in the forest isn't going to answer them.  Wait... did I seriously just think that?  I shake my head, as if trying to dislodge the thought from my brain entirely.  When I spot a ten-meter Titan, I approach it and rip its nape out with ease, watching its corpse fall to the ground.  I promised myself that I would never leave this place after... that happened.  Do I really want to break that promise? A little voice in my head argues back.

   But, this generation seems a lot more thoughtful of the danger when summoning you... and Armin was very considerate when it came to asking for your help.

   Yes, but what if not all people are like that?

   Well, it's obvious that not everybody will be like him, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't take a chance.

   But... I haven't been out of my Titan form in so long...

   Excuses, excuses!  Just go!  Find answers!  You may be breaking your promise, but just think about it...

   You could make a friend....

Narrator

   The Guardian has made her decision.  Jogging to the edge of the forest that is closest to the walls, the Female crouches down, and gently ejects herself from the Titan's nape.  Steam pours out of the opening and burns the tips of her fingers, but she doesn't feel the pain as acutely as she used to.  Quite frankly, she is surprised that she still remembers how to exit her Titan form, since she hasn't been outside of it in years.  Her skin is blistering red from where it had connected her to the Titan, and she slides down the spine of the decaying body in order to reach the ground.  When the sensation of soft grass tickles the bottoms of her feet, she collapses, her legs feeling abnormally cold.  Without the heat and size of the Titan surrounding her, she has to take a moment to compose herself.  It's a foreign feeling to her: being so small, and she feels so vulnerable.  But she knows she has to get used to the feeling if she is to enter the walls once again.  Taking a deep breath, the girl stands, and takes a few shaky steps, successful in her feat. 

   Thinking back on her safeguards as a Titan, she glances around the bases of trees that are close by.  It takes her a while, but eventually she spots a (thankfully unbroken) set of 3D-whatever-they-called-it.  Walking confidently towards it, she picks up the gear, and studies it.  As she struggles to get it on, she commends her past line of thought.  She didn't used to interact with humans much– not at all, if they didn't summon her.  So, for any somewhat-intact corpses she found, she would bury them and stow their gear.  Her hiding places consisted mainly of branches high in the trees, but eventually she began to hide the equipment at the base of the trees should she ever need it to be accessible down low.  After a while, she finally gets it secure around her body.  The girl is pretty sure that most of the straps aren't in the right places, but it will have to do.  Since no horses had survived without their riders, and since the Survey Corps usually didn't leave any horses behind, she deduces that she will have to walk to the wall.

   Ugh, I should've stayed in Titan form.  Shrugging, the now-human Guardian starts the long trek to the walls.

~~~~

   It's late into the night by the time the Guardian reaches the walls, and it's pitch black.  She didn't run into any other Titans before dark, but she was able to see a few of their forms slumbering on the plains.  It's a very abnormal feeling for her to see their forms and how large they are now that she's human again, but she supposed she'll adapt quickly.  The girl hears no apparent sounds of any current Titan danger, so she begins trying to figure out how to use the 3D gear that's strapped to her.  After a hearty struggle, she realizes that, in order to activate the grappling hooks, she has to press the buttons on the handles that are separate from the gear.  The girl rolls her eyes at the weird design of this contraption.  Humans and their needs to be more complicated than necessary.  She's soon standing on top of the giant piece of stone that separates Titans from humanity.

   She thinks it's a little suspicious how there are no guards, but from what she dimly remembers, the Garrison are a bunch of drunks that didn't do their jobs properly.  Well, I suppose Titans needing the sun to move helps with their normal need for proper sleep.  Rolling her eyes at their laziness, the girl starts to descend the wall, wondering how she will cope in this type of society.