"..." The words were caught in your throat. You didn't know what else to say. What can you say in this situation?

Right now, sitting next to you is the holder of the Female Titan. The same Female Titan that caused many casualties and trauma a few years prior. The same Female Titan you were all afraid of after hearing news that she might have escaped her crystallized prison. You would think this encounter would have been more terrifying.

However, Annie just continued to stare at you. Her cheeks are full and dusted with pie crumbs. Instead of saying anything, she began furiously chewing whatever pie was left in her mouth like a squirrel that had gone several days without a decent meal. She then gulped it down while you blinked a couple of times in confusion.

Any fear you originally had of her melted away in an instant...

Connie let out a loud, hearty cackle, a reaction you didn't expect from him after everything that went down a couple of hours ago. This was a serious situation, and he was there just pointing and laughing at Annie. But you had to admit that it was really hard to take this situation seriously.

"Look! Look at her gobbling down all that pie! What a joke!" He continues to cackle. "She looks like a chipmunk!"

"Connie, cut it out." Armin scolded. Annie, however, went back to scarfing down her pie, probably realizing you all weren't there to attack her.

"What a sloppy eater!" Connie continues to insult her.

"It's her first pie in years!" Armin defends, standing up to weakly push Connie by the shoulder to get him to stop.

You turned your attention to Falco and Gabi next, who were just as dumbfounded as you were. They stared at the woman beside you, not believing this was the same Annie they had heard so much about in Marley. You couldn't blame their reaction; this was not how their first meeting with Annie would go. They were probably more surprised that she was even alive.

You let out a sigh, finally having had enough of Connie's cackling.

"Alright, alright. We get it, Connie. Sit back down. Honestly, that's the first thing you're going to do in this situation?" You asked. Connie eventually quiets down, letting out a loud "whew" as he wipes his eyes.

Out of the corner of your eyes, you noticed that Annie's eyes were on you again. In fact, she hasn't really stopped looking at you. Not even breaking eye contact as she stuffs down another piece of her pie. You shuffled uncomfortably, now really wishing you had sat at the edge beside Connie.

You knew exactly why she was staring. This was Annie's first time hearing your voice in years. To her, this didn't feel real. She doesn't know what to make of you now. Are you still playing the facade you've had during your time in Paradis Island, or were you back to the same girl she befriended long ago?

Eventually, you could no longer take the feeling of her eyes on you. You abruptly shot up from your seat, and everyone's attention was now on you as you let out a loud huff. You glared down at the blonde woman in front of you.

"What is it!? You got a staring problem or something!? It's awkward enough that I'm sitting next to you! I don't need your eyes burning holes at the back of my head." You snapped. Your outburst did nothing but make Annie choke on her pie again.

After a few seconds of chewing and gulping down the rest of the pie in her mouth, she finally opened her mouth to speak.

"You...can talk?" She asks. Connie and Armin quickly looked over at you, their breaths hitching as they watched your reaction. Your mouth went dry, brows slightly pinching as your angry gaze softened.

Gabi and Falco have heard back from Marley that, under a false alias, you played as a naive mute girl to not raise suspicion about your whereabouts. However, they weren't sure if Annie was trying to confront you about that.

"...of course I can talk. It's not like you haven't heard my voice before." You replied, your voice was quiet, but there was still some edge to it. Annie looked away and nodded slightly, a solemn expression on her face.

"I'm just surprised you're even talking at all." She then says. The tone she used sounded more like she was making an analysis rather than being confrontational. Maybe it was just the sound of her voice because your eyes began to narrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" You asked, a dangerous edge in your voice. Annie, however, remained unaffected, her eyes still not meeting yours.

"I think you know." She replies. You inhaled a sharp breath; the air was becoming thick again. Armin quickly stood up, sensing an argument.

"Hey guys, I think I might have seen a juggler on our way here. Why don't we check it out?" Armin suddenly suggests to the table, sensing that the two of you might need some privacy. However, you held your hand up before anyone could move.

"No. Nobody move." You ordered. You inhaled deeply before letting out a shaky breath. The anger and tension you were feeling slowly faded away as you repeated this motion a few more times before finally calming down.

You faced Annie once again. "We can talk about this later. You want answers, I get it. But right now, I'm not in the mood to explain myself. Nor is it your choice for me to do so. Now isn't the time." You explained, your voice tired.

Luckily for you, Annie didn't press on. Just like you, she was also tired and not in the mood to start an argument. Not to mention the crowd of people sitting on the tables and walking about, the last thing any of you wants is a potential audience. She nods in agreement.

"But despite all of that. At least you're okay. I'm glad..." You gave her a small yet tired smile. Annie was taken aback by the sudden remark.

"..." She didn't say anything, but her expression softened, cheeks dusted with a light pink. Even after all this time, you still care about her in your own way.

However, that moment was quickly ruined when your fingers grabbed hold of her cheek, pinching down on it. Your grip only gets tighter when you hold a part of her cheek up. The group around you is exclaiming at your actions.

"Ow." Even with the amount of pressure you were applying, Annie's cry of pain remained monotone.

"Y/N!" Armin exclaimed, but didn't make much of an attempt to stop you as he was well aware he could receive the same treatment if he got in the way.

"Let me go. Why are you doing this?" She asks, trying to get your hand off of her.

"Now that you're here. You can explain yourself, then. How did you get here? You're miles away from where your crystal is, and I definitely think a war criminal like you couldn't have escaped that easily and gotten a horse to travel here alone."

"I can explain, but can you let me go first?" Annie asks. You held her cheek a little while longer before letting go. She rubbed her sore cheek, giving you a slight glare. You raised your eyebrows, your expression saying "well!?" as you waited for an explanation.

"I rode here with Hitch last night," Annie answered. "She was the first to find me." You, Connie, and Armin raised your eyebrows in surprise.

"Hitch is here?" Armin asked.

"Where is she? Why would she leave you alone?" You asked while looking around, trying to spot the blonde woman in the crowd. However, she seemed nowhere to be found. You gave up and let out a huff. This was extremely irresponsible of her. She must really trust Annie's word to stay in one place.

"Well, if Hitch is here with you. Guess we don't really have to worry about you roaming about." You spoke. You shared a look with Armin and Connie, and you gave each other a slight nod in agreement. It was time to go.

"Annie? Are you planning on staying with Hitch?" Armin asks. Your eyes grew wide, giving Armin a somewhat warning look. He wants Annie to tag along, and you were not in the mood for this to be an awkward trip. Seeing Reiner again was already going to be a nightmare, but having Annie along would just make everything worse.

Annie, for the first time in a while, turned her attention to Armin. She gave him a questioning look in her blue eyes, waiting for him to explain further. Armin spared you a glance before turning his attention back to the blonde woman.

"We're leaving to go find Reiner and the others. We're hoping to get everyone together and make a plan." He explained. "And I think maybe it would be a lot better if you came along."

"Dammit..." You thought. As much as you hated this, Armin was somewhat right. You needed all the help you could get for whatever you guys were planning to do now. Annie would especially make a good ally since she's still the holder of the Female Titan.

Annie pondered the offer over for a little while, swallowing down more of the pie she was eating. She then looked over at you.

"Do you want to come?" Annie asks. You blinked in surprise, not expecting that question.

"Why are you asking me?" You ask her back. She gave you a small shrug.

"You have your thoughts and opinions about me. I guess I just wanted to know if you still want me around." She answers so simply, as if it wasn't going to affect you. Everyone expected you to take a while to think about it, but your answer came somewhat quickly.

"Yes. I want you to come." You answered. Annie was somewhat surprised, and Armin was even more surprised. "Besides, you need to get used to my voice now before we need to talk." You added.

And also because you weren't quite ready to let her go yet. For reasons that ranged from embarrassing to resentment. Even though she's your friend, she's still a war criminal.

Annie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. I'm still not used to hearing it." She replies. You let out a soft chuckle.

"Really? Even though you had a hard time shutting me up back when we were kids?" Her gaze softens a bit as she picks up her dirty dishes. Connie then joins in the conversation.

"Wait? You were a blabbermouth back then?" He asks, You gave him a slight push on his shoulder.

"No, I wasn't!" You scoffed.

"You kind of were..." Annie spoke. Connie began laughing as you huffed, shaking your head at the sheer audacity.

"Don't forget I never lost my memories, Annie." You warned her, though there was no malice behind your voice. You turned your attention towards Falco and Gabi, gesturing with your head that they needed to clean up and get ready to go. They complied, glad that everything seemed to be okay.

Armin let out a sigh of relief; that was settled better than he could imagine. But he had a feeling he wasn't quite out of the woods yet.

⋆⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ ⋆⋆༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⋆

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

"Do you guys hear that?" Connie asked with a worried expression, looking above towards the source of the sound.

Four gunshots were heard from afar, right on the top of a building. Mikasa, however, paid no mind to it.

"Four gunshots in a row. That's our signal from Jean."

Your head was in a loop, not expecting to be thrown into a plan you guys barely had any details on.

When you and your first returned to HQ, Mikasa was there to greet you all. She pulled you all to the side and wouldn't allow any of you to go into the building. It was then that you received the shocking news that Hange was alive. They had made arrangements the night before for everyone to meet in a disclosed location. The Scouts, Warriors, everyone altogether. This felt surreal for you, but at this point, this was less shocking compared to everything else.

Mikasa has already done most of the work. She set up two large wagons in the back of HQ, filled with barrels, crates, and sacks of food, weapons, and anything else you all might need. You threw a sack into one of the wagons before hoisting yourself up inside.

"Their attention should be all on the other side of the fort." Armin pointed out, and you nodded in agreement.

"Best to leave now and get Reiner while they're distracted." You added.

So with a snap of Mikasa and Armin's reins, the horses sped off, pulling the wagons full of supplies away from HQ and through the empty streets of Shiganshina. You were nervously looking back from time to time to make sure no one was following.

"Someone is watching us through the window!" Annie pointed out. "What should we do, Armin?"

"We just have to keep going!" Armin answered. You nodded. Not much you can do about it now, but push further.

With Gabi's guidance, you were all able to find Reiner quickly and easily. She had him hidden within one of the abandoned homes deep within Shiganshina. Once you arrived, you found him lying on the floor on top of a long mat.

There was a plate with apples and loaves of bread stored near his head in case he woke up, but he remained deep in his sleep. He was covered in a thin blanket, his head resting against a pillow. Even from standing a bit far away from him, you could see trails of drool trickling from his mouth as he snored.

Lucky bastard. Getting to sleep comfortably while you all were busting your ass. But luckily for you, his nap needed to be cut short.

"Get up," Annie said, launching her boot into Reiner's forehead. Reiner immediately jogged awake, and you held back a laugh.

Reiner blinked, his mind not quite catching up to what he was seeing. But after a few more seconds of staring, he quickly shot up. "Annie!" He exclaimed, then made eye contact with everyone else in the room. He was already horrified enough, but his expression grew even more mortified when you and he locked eyes.

You held back the urge to tease him as you were told by your friends a few minutes before not to say anything witty. You begrudgingly complied.

"Calm down, Reiner!" Gabi coaxed him while Falco gestured to him to remain calm. You all took some steps back to not crowd him.

"It's okay. We're all on the same side." Falco vaguely explained.

"Against our better judgment..." You thought. Connie was the first out of your group of Soldiers to speak.

"We have no time. We have to go." Connie spoke, giving Reiner a hard gaze. Reiner remained spooked as he maintained eye contact with the rest of you.

"Where to?" He managed to ask. You all remained quiet, returning Reiner's horrified stare with a somewhat tense one.

At this moment, you guys had to push aside whatever bad blood you all had in the past. None of that matters anymore, as you all had bigger problems than that. Connie raised his head a little higher, one hand sitting on his hip as he stood over Reiner with fearless confidence.

"To save the world."

⋆⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ ⋆⋆༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⋆

You take back the awkward thoughts and feelings you've had during the horse ride to Ragako Village with Armin. Somehow, this situation was way worse.

The Scouts and the Warriors were gathered around in one space, somehow coexisting with each other despite the bad blood each side has with each other. Deep within the forest under the night sky, both parties were situated on different sides of the campfire, eyeing each other carefully.

And then there was you, sitting a bit of distance away and facing away from both parties.

Looking at the Warrior party only invited unwanted memories, not making any eye contact with them seemed to be the only solution, to not put yourself through any more trauma. As for the Soldier party, you couldn't face either of your friends or newfound family in the eyes. You were ashamed.

"It's like looking at my past and future at the same time." You thought.

You could feel the tension practically squeezing you in your little space. Nobody uttered a single word, barely moved an inch. Everything felt more like a standoff than an actual campfire settlement. Like everyone was just waiting for someone to make the slightest wrong move to bring forth chaos.

Eventually, Hange must have grown tired of the current situation, as they were the first to speak.

"Anyone mind helping me cut these potatoes? If not, can you all try not to stare at each other like that?" Hange asks. Nobody moved.

Hange was seated dead in the middle of this stare down. Cut slices of potatoes and carrots into a bubbling pot of stew over the fire. The sound of the knife slicing through the vegetables was the only thing adding noise to the deafening silence. You spared a glance towards Levi, who was sleeping soundly in a broken wooden wagon. His body was heavily bandaged.

You felt uneasy that he was situated close to the Cart Titan. But if Hange seems to trust him being there, what was the point of arguing and starting trouble?

"Can you really blame us?" You thought in response to Hange's question. Again, you were keeping your promise to remain tight-lipped about any snarky remarks.

"So you want us all to eat together after all the time we spent killing each other?" Commander Magath asks almost sarcastically. The said Commander was seated right in front of the Cart Titan. You wanted to scoff. What a fucking coward.

"I'm curious, though. What made you change your minds about all of this? If you let Eren Yeager be, you'll get the world you all wished for. A paradise for the island devils. We were so close to stopping Eren and Zeke from coming into contact with one another if it hadn't been for you guys getting in the way." Magath continued. Neither of the Scouts said anything, only staring at the man in disdain. He then turned over to you.

"The powers of the Root Titan might have even helped our predicament if only they had chosen a proper heir who didn't go down the path of mutiny." He spoke, his tone sounding similar to a disappointed father speaking to his child.

You still have been avoiding eye contact with everyone, your eyes remaining glued to the ground even as this conversation was unraveling. Your head lay on your knees, your arms wrapped around them as your nails were scratching against the skin pads. Your nails dug harder into your skin, the only visible reaction he got out of you from those words.

"As I said, General. None of us wished for a genocide. Otherwise, we wouldn't be hiding out here in the forest and making a stew." Hange explained matter-of-factly, like the answer was clear to see.

"So you're saying you found a sense of justice, huh?" Magath asks while bringing the bottle close to his mouth. "You finally see whose side it was always on?" There it was, the wrong action that everybody was waiting for.

"Justice?" Jean asked, getting on the defensive. "You wanna talk about justice?" He jabbed a finger at Magath. "You're saying we're the bad guys for fighting back? That we're the devils for fighting off the Titans you sent to our island! We fought as hard as we did because we didn't want to be eaten alive by Titans!" He continues, taking threatening steps closer to Magath.

"And you're saying that's something only a devil would do, you old geezer!?"

Magath remained unfazed by Jean's outburst, taking a swig from his bottle nonchalantly before answering his question. "Yeah. You look like devils to me. All our fears about the threat of Paradis have come true, and the world's on the brink of destruction. This is the result of all your struggles, isn't it?" He turns his attention to the rest of the Scouts, who remain silent.

"If it weren't for the wall being breached that day, and Eren having to watch his mother get eaten alive by a titan, he wouldn't have done this in the first place! You led him on the path to starting the Rumbling!" Jean argued back.

"Oh? So now you want to talk about history, huh?" Magath countered, letting out an amused scoff. "I thought you all understood that it was Eldia that first used the titans to devastate Marley and put our people through hell."

"How long are you going to play the victim over something that happened over two millennia ago?" Jean asks.

"Good grief. It's like I'm talking to a child. This island's suffering is a joke compared to the 2000 years of tragic history in Marley," Magath replied. His response only made Jean more pissed off.

"Excuse me?" He asks accusingly.

"Alright. That's enough." Hange cuts in. In your opinion, they should have cut in the moment Magath opened his mouth. "An argument over what happened 2000 years ago when you two weren't even alive is just going to get you guys nowhere." They begin to stir the pot, surprisingly keeping their cool despite what just happened.

"Jean. The General has a hard time understanding us. To him, we're just weird devils who would give up this idea of our paradise to save the same world that wants to kill us." You completely agreed with Hange's words.

Magath should be damned grateful that some Eldians have the sense to know that what Eren is doing isn't right. After all, your friends have every right to go back home, pledge their allegiance to Eren, and let him go about his genocide. But no, you're all here to put an end to that. Save the world even though everyone wants you dead.

"For a few months, we lived in the outside world. One of us here even lived in the outside world for years." Hange continues. "We've seen so much. Tasted new things, experienced new things. There's no way we could go back to being the ignorant island devils."

Jean finally seemed to back down, turning himself away from Magath and putting his hands on his hips to surrender. You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding.

"So?" Annie broke the silence. "Can you guys kill him? Eren, I mean."

You all turned to Annie, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. She didn't explain any further than that, which only made the effect of her question hit harder.

"What?" Armin asked. Annie steps into the middle of the circle.

"I said, can you kill Eren?" She asks again. She wasn't hesitating or taking her question back. She was serious.

For the first time, you lifted your head to face everyone. You sensed an upcoming disagreement. Each party had its own answer to that question. The Warriors, of course, were going to answer "yes" that killing Eren should be the plan to end all of this. The Scouts, however, some of whom have grown up with Eren, didn't have an answer to that question. You were caught somewhere in the middle. You understood both views. One was being realistic, the other was being empathic. However, your response was the same as your friends.

You didn't want to kill Eren...

"Killing Eren won't solve everything." Mikasa was the first to dodge the question.

"I knew you would say that." Annie sighs as she crosses her arms over her chest. "And then what? Are you going to persuade him? You think you can change the mind of a mass murderer?"

You hated to admit it, but she was right. How would you even be able to talk to him? Let alone get close enough to do so? That will be risking your lives for something that might not even work out in the end. He obviously won't listen to you. Even Mikasa and Armin can talk it out of it. You remembered what happened last time when you all tried to talk to him...

"We don't know for sure. That's why we have to talk to Eren." Armin answered.

"Okay. So let's say you do get the chance to talk to him." Annie begins to talk through Armin's offer. "What are you going to do if Eren doesn't listen? What if he decides to continue with the genocide? Honestly, is thinking of Eren as the enemy turned you all into idiots?"

"..." None of your friends replied to that. Annie could only turn her face away in disappointment.

"I knew it." She lets out a sigh. "You can't even answer properly because you don't see Eren as an enemy at all. If any of us from Marley try to lay a finger on him, you're going to end up fighting us to protect him, aren't you?" She turned to the person for whom her question was intended.

"That's how it'd end up, right? Mikasa?" Mikasa says nothing as she closes her eyes. "I'm sure never in your life have you ever thought of anything more precious to you than Eren."

Mikasa got triggered by Annie's words. In a flash, she unseathed the blades from her ODM gear, gripping the triggers tightly until her knuckles grew white from the pressure. "So you wanna get rid of me?!" She asks.

Upon seeing Annie unsheathe the tiny blade from the ring on her finger, you got up on your feet. You grew tired of standing off to the side and watching everything unravel. You quickly made your way over to where everyone else was situated.

"Mikasa! Calm down! Annie, don't even think about it!"

"Don't tell me to calm down. You're the last person who gets to say that." Mikasa snapped. The words caught in your throat. You realized now that you haven't apologized to her for the way you acted last time. You definitely deserved that.

"You're no better than me."

"I KNOW!" Your voice was loud, echoing into the forest. A few birds that were hidden within the trees fluttered out. The area became silent again. All eyes were on you.

You closed your eyes, letting out a tiring sigh. "I know." You repeated. You turned your attention to Annie.

"Annie." You said her name in a serious tone, but there was a pleading edge to it. "Please."

Annie gave you a hardened gaze, not pleased with the idea to surrender. But sure enough, she did. She dropped the hand that had her ring down to her side. You watched carefully as she lifted her unarmed hand towards Mikasa.

"I know exactly how you're feeling, Mikasa. I also have a reason to stop Eren. I don't want my father in Marley to be killed. That's why I need your help. If you can change Eren's mind, good. At least we won't have a reason to fight until then."

Her words surprised you. You didn't think Annie, of all people, would be negotiating with Mikasa and being the bigger person. You also didn't expect her to listen to you a few seconds before.

"..." Mikasa remained quiet, but her eyes gave the emotions away. She looked away, seemingly to reconsider her actions. Finally, she lowered her triggers.

"Fine." She says as she turns away to not face anyone.

*CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK*

The sound of the ladle banging against the pot caught everyone's attention.

"Alright, alright! Come on, everyone. The stew's ready. Let's eat." Hange announced. You narrowed your eyes at them. Another potential feud they were too late to stop, but at least the subject has been changed.

One by one, everyone went up to grab a bowl of stew from Hange. You took your serving, but the thought of consuming the stew made your stomach churn. The stew looked and smelled delicious, but you didn't feel good right now. This area was still suffocating to you.

Armin hesitantly sat next to you. Hesitantly, because you saw him linger around in your space for a while through the corner of your eyes. Seeing that you weren't shifting uncomfortably, he took a seat beside you. Mikasa was the next to sit beside you, not even bothering to spare you a glance or ask if you were okay with it.

Everyone was slowly digging into their meals, Magath even smacking his lips and humming in amusement. Impressed that the stew didn't seem poisoned and that an island devil was actually a pretty decent cook. It was only you who hadn't taken a bite yet.

"Aren't you hungry?" Armin asks. You said nothing, only staring at your murky reflection in the stew.

"I don't know..." You answered in a somber tone.

"You should eat," Mikasa said. She didn't bother looking at you, and the tone of her voice let you know that it wasn't a suggestion. You were going to eat, and there would be no problems. You obliged, finally digging in.

"Alright. Now let's discuss plans." Hange began after seeing that everyone had settled down. "According to Kiyomi, there's a flying boat ready at the port that will be able to watch the Rumbling. Unfortunately, it's a five-hour trip there, even with the rested horses."

"Flying boat?" You asked, and a mental picture formed in your head, only making you more confused. "You mean a plane?"

"Not exactly. It's very similar to a plane, but also very different." Hange answered. You blinked. That response did not help you at all. Great, now you are going to be stuck on this.

"The nation of Hizuru developed it for us some time ago. Like I said before, it was made to observe the Rumbling from above so we can approach the Founding Titan by using it."

"Of course, the Azumabito were helping you behind the scenes," Magath grumbled.

"Our only problem would be finding the Founding Titan. We don't have enough fuel to fly around aimlessly. Not to mention it would be dangerous too." Hange added.

"Which is exactly why I ordered her to be captured." Magath gestured towards Yelena. She was sitting across from him in the circle, and since reuniting, has not said much. It was a great contrast to her running her mouth all the time in the past. However, Magath continued.

"Where's Yeager heading first?"

"I don't know...and if I did, why would I tell you?" Yelena shot back with an equal amount of spite.

"Because you're the one who taught Yeager everything about the mainland." He reminded her. "Obviously, something of this scale must have been planned, and you had something to do with it."

"Shit head."

"Hmm?"

"I'm asking why I should help a Maryleyan shit head like you." Yelena clarified with a scowl.

"Because your life depends on it." Annie cuts in, her voice as icy as her blue eyes. She narrows her eyes at Yelena.

"It's pointless. I think she just wants to die." Jean blows on his spoon before taking a bite.

"As much as I want her to, we can't. Like the General said, she definitely knows more than we do. So it's either she continues to play tough girl until karma eventually snuffs her out, or we somehow force answers out of her. She doesn't have much of a choice. She's as good as dead either way." You explain nonchalantly.

Jean smirks while pointing his spoon at you. "That's a good way of thinking."

"Weren't you fighting Marley to protect your homeland or something?" Connie asks, his mouth full. "You don't care if it gets trampled?"

Onyankopon stares at his partner expectantly, waiting for her to say anything. But she didn't. Yelena seemed completely broken. "Yelena...?" He mutters.

"Oh, she's fine with that," Magath interjects. "Because she's a Marleyan shit head just like the rest of us."

...Huh?

"The out righteous follower of Zeke is a Marleyan?" You asked. This was a fucking joke.

"You sure got the best of us in Liberio, Yelena." The Cart Titan's scratchy voice erupted from the shadows. It eerily crawled its way around the circle to Yelena, situating itself behind her so it could breathe down her neck.

"Looking into your background was quite the plot twist. Get this. She was born into a perfectly normal Marleyan family, but you pretended to be from a small nation that was annexed by Marley. That was right after you met Zeke." The Cart Titan continued.

"After becoming disillusioned by Marley, you crafted a story. A miraculous fairytale of how you and the prince save the world. You piled lie after lie to mark your place in human history. I'm impressed by how deep your desire ran."

You let out a noise, a mix between a scoff and a laugh. "Really? She did all of that for some guy she just met? And Zeke of all people? He lacks the looks; that's why he's a good talker. He talks out of his ass, and you practically kissed it. I bet you even slept with him, too."

That earned a series of choked noises from some on both parties. Jean, Connie, and Reiner let out choked noises. Connie started to cough, a way to keep himself from choking and laughing. Mikasa audibly gaped at you, a different reaction to you that wasn't angry. Annie looked at you, too; her stoic expression didn't change, but you could tell your words got to her a bit.

Hange shoots you a warning look while Armin looks at you, completely appalled. Gabi and Falco looked at you in more confusion rather than shock.

"Y/N!" Armin quietly scolded, lightly smacking your shoulder to hush you. You rolled your eyes; it was probably true.

Yelena's stoic expression cracked into a smile, twisting around to lay a hand on the Cart Titan's face. She rubbed the skin like an owner petting their dog, greeting them after a long day. "It almost sounds like you say you're any different. What exactly makes me so different from you?"

"How about–? Ack! （＞д＜）" Mikasa pinched your thigh to keep you quiet. You grumbled and rubbed the sore area, keeping your mouth shut now.

"Save the world. Nothing sounds better than that." Yelena mocked. She looked around the circle with judging eyes, soaking in every face she passed. "The idea of saving millions of people makes you feel good about yourself. You're eager to act on this idea, thinking it'll erase all the dark hatred that lives in you. You're using this idea of saving the world as an excuse to pretend to be good, noble people. You're not even close to that, lower than that. That's how I see all of you right now."

For the second time, Eren's words rang in your head. The way he mocked you about your efforts to tell your story. Making yourself and all the other Eldians sound like victims, writing some as heroes. You want to be seen as a hero. In reality, none of you were. You're only making yourselves better by hanging onto this idea.

Seeing how nobody responded. Yelena continued. "Why don't we take a trip down memory lane, shall we?" She asks.

"Reiner Braun." Yelena starts with him first. "Do you know how many Eldians lost their lives when you breached the wall that day?" Reiner averts his eyes.

"Then, after killing thousands of people, you decided to make friends with the Eldians. Sharing good and bad times, making friends, and even inspiring some of them. All of that just to turn around and stab them in the back. But everything's fine, right? You're comrades again? I thought you would grow tired of playing pretend."

You felt your stomach dropping. You knew exactly where this was going.

"Annie Leonhart." She continues. "I've heard you've killed quite a lot of the Survey Corps members. Including a large number of residents in the Stohess District. Let's not forget you were sloppy with your attacks and ended up being discovered. And then, once cornered into the wall like an injured wolf, you fled into your hole like a cowardly mouse. Leaving your comrades to fend for themselves and pick up after your mistakes. And yet you still sit here like you achieved anything."

Under her stoic gaze, you saw the emotions flicker across Annie's face. Guilt. Regret. Shame? She glued her eyes to the ground, her knee tapping anxiously. Yelena's words got to her, making her bow her head like a child getting scolded.

"Y/N L/N." Yelena now zeroed her focus on you. "Where do I even start with you? From what I've heard, your story isn't much different from mine. What did they call you? A princess who was bathed in milk? A young heiress who grew up in luxury that these devils you called friends could even dream of. A child prodigy, using the resources you've had to study everything about your family's Titan. A good scholar, many educators would call you. But it wasn't enough for you. And it wasn't enough for your mother. A weak link, she would call you. So you had to prove yourself differently."

Everyone's eyes were on you; your eyes remained locked on Yelena. You took a slow sip from your stew.

"Yeah, what of it? Everyone around here knows. I ain't got nothing to hide. Unlike a certain someone across from me who is seconds away from losing that smart mouth." You eyed her up and down.

"Guess you and Zeke are a match made in heaven." You added. You could see that Yelena's eyes were darker. Oh, you're touching a nerve.

"Then I guess I don't have to remind everyone what you really are. A selfish, two-faced parasite. That's all you've ever been. Born into wealth, gifted a titan, handed respect among the Warriors—and still, it was never enough. You leeched off anyone who gave you validation, and when that ran dry? You vanished. You abandoned Marley, abandoned your comrades, and built yourself a pretty little lie here and began your cycle again. A mute, broken girl who pretended she didn't understand the blood on her own hands. You thought you could rewrite who you were."

No longer did you find this amusing. You knew deep in your heart that what she was saying was far from the truth. You had your reasons and told everyone what they were. Yet at the same time, your friends from the Warrior party don't know. You never told them why you went M.I.A., why you went down the path of mutiny. And even though your comrades from the Scouts still cherished you, it doesn't change the fact that you lied to them for years.

But the mast doesn't change the rot underneath. You allowed Bertholdt Hoover to die. You stood by while Liberio burned, knowing your mother was present in the crowd of Tybur's speech. You even let a comrade throw himself away just so you could cling to your fantasy of being the better person. And your "friends" here?" She sneers, gesturing to Armin and Mikasa, who were sitting on either side of you. "Never noticed the signs until you miraculously got your voice back. Let's not forget you've fooled them, too."

"Don't you dare look down on me like you're any better. At least I own what I am. Everyone who still sits by your side is doing it for a lie." Yelena wasn't done, though. She hasn't gone for the jugular yet. "Your own sister is about to be trampled while you're still holding onto a fantasy."

*CLANG*

You dropped your bowl of stew onto the ground, the remnants of what was left spilling onto the grass as you shot up from your seat. The moment she mentioned your sister, you were seeing red.

"Don't you talk about my sister!" You shouted. You were about to make your way towards Yelena, but Hange cut in.

"Y/N! Stop!" Hange held a hand out to you. "She's riling you up on purpose." You remained standing, wanting so badly to argue, but you were taught better not to talk back to your superiors.

It was then that you noticed that Hange was the only one who seemed to stop you. Of course, Magath couldn't care less about what happened to Yelena, and Onyankopon wanted to stay out of whatever Yelena was trying to pull. But the rest of them made no sudden move; in fact, all of their eyes were on Yelena. Their expressions are full of disdain, and some are even itching to get at Yelena.

Yelena's smile grew into a sickening sweet grin, prideful that she was able to touch a nerve in you like you did with her. "I'm sure Eren would send her your regards for you."

"...!" You opened your mouth to say something, only for a sob to come out. You bit down on your lips as you turned away, trying hard to fight back the tears.

"That's enough." Armin suddenly voiced out from beside you. One of the rare times, Armin's soft blue eyes were an icy glare, staring Yelena down. "Are you satisfied now? Leave her alone."

"It's rude to interrupt someone who isn't done talking. Don't think I forgot about the soldiers of Paradis." Yelena made herself comfortable, leaning back against the Cart Titan. "You've surprised me, Armin. You're usually a very sensible and decent person, yet that merciless attack you did on Marley's military port begged to differ. Your military accomplishments are similar to the mountain of corpses you left behind, including innocent civilians and children." You took Armin's silence as a sign that her words got to him, too.

Yelena was eating off the pure, raw reactions she was getting. Since no one was stopping her, she continued on. "Let's not forget the so-called heroic acts the Scouts have done in Liberio. Overpowering Marley's military defense, separating the Warriors and leading them into a trap, leaving an entire Eldian internment zone covered in blood." Yelena reconciled as if it were a good memory. "Especially you, Jean."

Jean's eyes visibly widened at the mention of his name. "You hurled a Thunder Spear at that little boy, Falco, to defeat the Cart Titan. How courageous. Looks like the act was in vain since you missed, and he's still alive." Jean lowered his head in shame.

"And Gabi, the girl who shot Sasha to death." Gabi visibly shook as she curled herself deeper into a ball. "Sasha was a really good person. Even I was sad when I heard of her passing. You were all like family to Sasha since your days in the Cadet Corps. My sadness and hatred are nothing compared to how you feel right now. Sitting beside Sasha's murderer."

At this point, you calmed yourself down enough to face the group again. Luckily, Yelena stopped talking to give you all a second to breathe.

"Like I said. Perfect match." You muttered before sitting back down. Some of your friends gazed at you sadly. Jean took the opportunity to quickly change the subject.

"Hooh! This stew is delicious, Hange! Got any more?" He asks. Hange was quick to answer.

"Yeah, there's plenty more. Y/N? Would you like another bowl?" They ask you, deciding not to elaborate any further on that. You didn't face them, your hand on your knees as you tightened your arms around your knees.

"...sure." You answered quietly. Armin helped pick up your bowl and handed it to Jean. Jean then handed both you and his bowl over to Hange. He lets out a sigh, looking over at Yelena.

"Thanks, Yelena. You really are something." He says, grabbing a bottle. "Thank you, Yelena. You wanted to air out everything so we could sort out our grudges, right? You're so thoughtful, you know that?"

Yelana only gave him a blank stare as he took a swig of his drink. "It's a shame you had to blow your buddies' heads off for your own failed fantasy. Now all you have left is a death wish." He added.

Yelena's silence satisfied Jean, proud that he got her quiet for once. He gulped down some of the liquid while you bit down on your lip. You were getting Deja vu of your snarky remark earlier to Yelena and how that ended up. Yelana definitely wasn't done.

"I forgot one last thing," Yelana spoke again. Here we go. "I can't seem to remember his name, though. You talked about him to me. He was a good friend of yours." Yelena exaggerated a thinking face before snapping her fingers.

"Oh, right...Marco." 

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