COMRADES • Eren Jaeger

CHAPTER 6: Injury

"LONG TIME NO SEE, Y/N."

You turned around to see Annie Leonhart emerge from an alleyway with Armin at her side. When you took in her appearance, you noticed that there was a tired expression on her face. You could tell, because it was the same kind of look she wore after getting worn out from training back in the Cadet Corps. The kind she had on her face before she went to bed.

"Annie!" you greeted cheerfully, smiling widely at your old classmate. "I've missed you."

"Y/N L/N," she replied, a gleam in her eyes. "I'm so glad to see you after so long."

You adjusted the dark hood above your face and secured it with a button. Annie watched as Eren, Mikasa, and Armin did the same to hide their faces. When the recruits explained to the superiors that Annie was a close friend of yours, Commander Erwin assigned you to take part in the kidnapping attempt in the hopes that she would either trust you or be open to any sort of negotiation.

You were still in denial.

"So am I," you finally replied. "I'm sorry for failing to write to you – the Survey Corps have been pretty busy this past month."

"Yeah, I heard all about your expedition," she said. "It must have been quite the experience for you to have escaped the confines of Wall Rose at last."

You nervously chuckled. "Oh, it was an experience, all right."

Annie regarded Eren, Armin, and Mikasa, who were standing right behind you with dark hoods over their heads to shield the uneasy expressions on their faces. She cocked her head to the side in suspicion as to why you were included in the team to protect Eren when Mikasa and Armin were sufficient enough to guard him already, but she didn't say anything.

"Well," you said, "I suppose we should get going already."

"Of course," said Annie, eyes unreadable. "We should."

The five of you began walking in the direction to the entrance of the underground tunnel, with you and Annie side by side at the front while the other three walked from behind. You looked around at the occasional person passing by with apprehensive eyes. You observed that the civilians of Stohess District looked much healthier, plumper, and better-fed compared to those in Trost. They probably never knew what it was like to go to bed with an empty stomach.

It tightened your heart a little. The hierarchy of the Walls was unfair.

"Stohess District is beautiful," you lamented. "It's a much richer place than Trost."

"Trost is beautiful in its own way," Annie said dismissively. "The food and the sweets here are prime, but you still ought to be proud of your city. After all, that's where the main headquarters of the Survey Corps are, isn't it?"

"That's right," you said. "But you guys in the Military Police get to live in fancy places like this within the inner walls. I passed by a store selling candy that's made of so much sugar. I can't imagine being able to afford all that."

"Life in the Survey Corps not to your taste?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Don't tell me you're starting to regret not taking my advice to join the Military Police. Are the missions in the Scouts too difficult?"

She said that last word with an emphasis in her tone, causing you to tense up.

"Yeah... they were a lot more difficult that I imagined," you admitted. "I wasn't as strong as I thought I was. But I still believe that I made the right choice. There's nothing I can do except to get back on my feet."

"Ha, I bet you were disappointed when you heard I joined the Military Police." said Annie, falling into step beside you. "Did I break your heart when you realized that I really wasn't going to be signing up for the Survey Corps?"