Enemies
YEAR 0 P.A. (post apocalypse)
They came from all of sides of the world. After nuclear war, nothing was the same, animals changed, all of them, into brutal predators hunting human beings. The last of their species migrated to the safer areas of what has left.
Their journeys were hard, almost impossible, trees grew taller than they did ever before, reaching stars and making all of the previous roads not accessible. Not to mention almost nothing from "the previous world" has worked, humanity went back in time to prehistorical world.
Something around 30 people, from all of the corners of the world met each other by the huge mountain, a big hole built by nature, or nuclear bomb, being right under it, a perfect hiding spot. Most of them knew English, which was useful for communicating, of course, no paper was signed but English became their language, no other was spoke.
But the stories were spoke, late at night, the only sleeping one were children, and they spoke about the brutality of things they experienced. How their not so long ago little cat grew into enormous size, cutting someone's mother in half. They described horrific predators flying over their heads, and prayed for them to never enter their asylum, in the very bottom of the hole.
Years have passed and they set a project, making the world what it was before everything have happened. That's the fancy way they called wars they fought, they thanked God, that left them, that none of them hid any scars, resentment about battles they fought, and in the name of what? It was subject no one spoke about, history quickly forgot how life was before humanity disappeared under the ground.
They started to rebuild a society, remaking old inventions, setting new, better law, finding safe to eat food to plant. Somewhere around year 650 P.A. they decided to cover the sky, preventing from any bird to attack. That is how humanity stayed hidden, they build an enormous ceiling, it was a hard work but it was working. With teamwork and determination they connected everything with energy, that came from burning water.
Burning water also gave them heat to keep their cave warm and light to see anything in it, of course, they made an exit, but for the next 100 years it will only be guarded, humans not wanting to see what they escaped from. Canalisation had its exist into the ocean, that lasted even longer, connecting every bathroom into one tunnel that'll threw all of their dirt into the water, but it was worth it, the plan to make it be almost as it was before being closer than ever.
Ventilation was the next thing, but after so many years of experience building impossible things, it didn't last this long as any other one. Air was fresh and nothing could get to them as they set a camouflage outside and big metal grids through those tunnels.
Except humanity still not learnt to not set borders, they split into three countries- Paradis, Marley and Middleton. Paradis took care of money and law, sometimes called the Country Of Progress, Middleton took care of production, getting their whole society food and every other important equipment.
Marley was different, it wanted separation from them, it was against Law Of Unity Paradis set, that said than none of them can turn their back on another, since it'll be a suicide to humanity on such limited space. Except Marleyan's rulers always got an urge to scream at Paradis's elite, fighting against them. Fortunately, they were not mad enough to start a war, knowing how dangerous it would be, with big stones over their heads, if you cause one to fall, all of them would be dead.
They vote over what Marley should do, Middleton and Paradis agreed to make them invest in science, creating inventions that'll help them all, they wanted for Marley to also write a documentary, making history. Marley shout in agony as their path was chosen, they shout that they wanted to fight, that they wanted to be the military, the protectors, but no one heard them, calling them crazy, because who would you battle against in this closed space?
Fortunately, the peace was stated and even if Marley didn't do what they told them to, no one bat an eye, Middleton choosing their profession and being the most developing country. No, they would be the most developing country if Paradis didn't control them, but this is a whole new topic, nobody was brave enough to unpack.
Marley ignored Law Of Unity, craving separation from everyone else, feeling superior, better, but no word was spoken towards them. Two other countries seeing Marley usefulness as they mined more than anyone else, making more space than needed, mining hectares to place buildings for people to live in.
That was the official side of what Marley did for the next centuries.
YEAR 1975 P.A.
An 8-year old girl looked at her clenched fists, covered in bloody bandages. She bit her bottom lips as she noticed how chubby her fingers where, her father was right, she needs to loose weight, her body fat was ridiculous. It definitely not helped her train to become a true soldier, true soldiers are slim, muscular, strong, what world would she has to live in for the warrior to be fat?
She was a child, she believed all of her father's words were right, there were nobody else for her. There were nobody else to explain to her that this is natural for her to be a little chubby at such a young age, and that it is not okay to let your kid starve for them to loose it.
Annie Leonhardt sat alone at the edge of the classroom, and she glanced in disgust over every other rich kid in it. They all were so fat, none of their parents cared about them like Annie's father did! Annie's father wants her to be healthy, to be strong, to be a good soldier in the future! She wants her life to have a point, purpose, their parents don't. If they did they wouldn't pack their already fat children breakfast for school and toys to play on a break. Right? Right?
She heard her stomach make a sound. Yes, she was starving. Yes, she didn't eat anything since two days ago and yes, she hardly even sleep but what good soldier could not handle it? Not to forget, she is going to be the best one, for her father.
Those children were pointing at her silent body, body that sometimes came beat up, wounded. Those children told their parents. Those children wondered is she okay, why is she so hurt, their parents ignored, saying that this is normal. Those children sometimes walked up to her, straightforwardly asking her who did this to her as she came with a black eye, she didn't respond, she was better than them, they didn't have future like she did.
That is how Annie Leonhardt began her adventure with loneliness, under the influence of her father she stopped believing in anybody, the only thing she believed was that she is different from them, that she is what they wished they were. She trusted his every word, as there were no other words spoken to her.
>---
A cold, dry hand hit her cheek, pulled her blonde hair as punishment. She forgot what she has done, she only registered that her father was mad, she sensed that it is her fault. She let him, she always did, even though after his brutal training she could defend herself, against him, she couldn't resist.
He was her God, the only thing that mattered and gave her purpose, a voice of her soul that spoke what is good and bad. Ideas she trusted just because they came from him.
For a second, his expression changed, as he figured something out as he studied her crying, yet quiet face. He laughed at her shortly, cruelty of his filling up the room.
"You think you ready for a real world, kiddo?" He asked manically and as she froze, not understanding what is he trying to say, what answer does he want, the man shout in pure madness. Those were the last thing she heard from him.
Annie got banished, she didn't know for what, but the moment when she realised what has happened hit her as she was already outside, alone. She didn't realise what is happening as her father pulled her hair, brutally leading her somewhere. She didn't notice where is she going as they climbed up the ladder and she still didn't as he opened an entrance to the outside world and threw her there.
Only when she heard something heavy drop, and when she turned around, expecting to see the man and when she saw nothing, except for large, horrifying plants around her, she cried. Annie was left alone to face all the deadly, unknown creatures and she never guessed why.
Back then, she didn't even have time to think, her survival instinct taking over, she ran. Tripping over whatever was there, her vision blurry, she never remembered for how long she had ran and where, she only remembered how her legs ached and how hard her body hit a random tree, growing on her path.
She fell, rolled over beneath it as there was a small cave there. She let the tears fell but she didn't shout, she didn't want to meet any predators yet. She hit the ground, collecting all of the strength of her 8-year old body till her hand began to bleed heavily.
What has she done to deserve this?
As she fell asleep from tiredness, those fat, rich kids from her class crossed her mind and for the first time, disgust didn't flew over her at the thought. Except she dreamt of being one of them, buried under tones of blankets and covered in kisses of loving parents. She never let those dream fill her mind again, she denied them as she still held into though that her father was the best for her.
>---
She didn't register for how long she was there, she passed away for God knows how long, her brain creating visions she never wanted to see. Visions of her training, her broken bones, pathetic cries and begs, sprained ankle, bloody fists and ugly, far from perfection body. Visions of her future her father promised her, how praised she would get as a soldier in Marley, how good of a person she would become for protecting her people from enemies that hid behind every corner.
She despised the fact that this will never become true, as she is dirty now, banished. She deserved it, it was obvious, her father was just so mad at her for this he couldn't even find right words to describe her terrible actions, that is obvious, isn't it? She regretted it, everything she's done, or everything she didn't. She should train harder, be stronger, more beautiful...
She shouldn't play with those poor kids from her neighbourhood, she always liked. She shouldn't do it, no matter, how nice the blonde haired boy was or how much fun they seemed to have. She is way over them, she is the daughter of the worst best man alive! They are not worthy of her presence.
Yes, it all makes sense now, she is here because she played with them! She knew that, she knew that she always have punishment when she fools around, waste time. Her father hates when she wants to play games, one time he hit her for even staring at dolls in the shop he took her into. She was not like other kids, she had greater plans for her.
At least, she had, now it is all meaningless.
Annie regretted having fun like a normal child her age, this is what she told herself to keep her alive as nights grew cold and nightmares of her life flashing in front of her eyes.
She was starving, she didn't have much time left but as she looked at her hands, she could only think about how devastated would be her father, if he saw her like that. Fragile, weak, giving up... True soldier would fight, be brave, so why wasn't she?
Maybe, Annie Leonhardt was never meant to be a soldier, but we will never know this, her fate decided to play with her soul and make her try being one, and her fate definitely knew how miserable she'll become because of this.
>---
"ERWIN!!!" A voice woke her up, it made her flinch. It sounded like it was a woman, a nice one, expect Annie couldn't guess her intentions, she didn't speak her language. "Commander, please, this is an emergency!"
Annie could only understood few words based on her intuition, it sounded similar to Marleyan, it was softer, more fluent, less harsh with different accent. She flinched, trembling as she felt the woman's hands around her, gently taking her out of the little hole she landed in.
"What?" Another person spat out, a man this time. Annie tried to open her eyes, except she couldn't, they glued together from dirt and her tears. "Petra, who is she?"
Petra held her little, half-dead body delicately, bringing her closer to keep her warmer. Annie hated how safe she began to feel as the woman hugged her. She hated this new feeling of someone taking care of her, she is strong enough to do so by herself! Yes, of course, she is, she needs to show them this, not let them see how fragile she truly is.
Her fists clenched and she hit Petra's leg, her fingers made a popping sound as they were not used for so many days. The woman laughed. "You are the brave one, aren't you?" And even though, Annie never heard someone speak this language, her heart grew a bit lighter as she sensed good intentions in her voice.
No, no, no... She can't, she is probably one of her enemies. She needs to escape, somehow, ignoring how good it is to finally have someone present close to her.
"Well, that was not what I have expected..." A deep, imperious reached them, Annie deducted it was so called Erwin. Erwin Smith, as she later found out.
"What are we doing with... It?" Another man, the first one who spoke, he was mad, maybe a bit scared. Annie didn't sense good intentions from him.
"Calm down, Levi, she is just a kid." Erwin laughed, his tone being curious of her, but she noticed that in his tone, there was plan forming in the back of his head, he had hidden intentions.
Annie was scared of those men, her head naturally went closer to Petra's chest, trying to cover herself up from them. She was the only nice one... That meant she was the only weak one, right? This was one of her father's lesson, kindness is a form of weakness, you need to stay strong, not letting anyone close to you, be distant, that is how you show them you are better, stronger...
Large gulp formed at the back of her throat. No, don't do this, don't show them how sick you really are...! Annie thought to herself, before she pushed the woman away and turned harshly away from her to throw up on the tall grass. She had no idea from where the dark yellow fluid that made her mouth ache came.
She immediately began to clean her eyes, her once again watery eyes, with her sleeves. It didn't work, it just made them hurt harder.
"No, you dummy!" Petra giggled at her softly. "You are just making it much worse!"
The woman pulled out metal bottle of water out of her backpack, wet some tissue and slowly grabbed Annie's face to wash it. At first, she flinched, almost falling to the hole again, but as cold water brought some sort of relax to her, she let her do it.
Dirt mixed with moisture on her cheeks wasn't much better, but at least she could open her blue eyes and scan what is truly happening around her. If she couldn't trust her ears, not learnt to be in the company of this dialect, she'll have to rely only on her eyes and touch.
"Tell me, are you okay?" She had ginger, shortly cutted hair and a bright smile that fit her voice.
They all wore green uniforms, having badges of some sort of military group, Annie guessed. What horrified her the most, it wasn't Marleyan determent. They weren't what she craved to become, what her father wanted her to be, they were strangers, foreigners...
Enemies...
"Are you serious? Of course, she is not." Short, black haired man respond instead of Annie, he was the one who seemed the most angry, but he wasn't the one she was scared of the most.
It was Erwin, his eyes stared into her soul, scanned her fully, studied her pros and cons... He had hidden intentions, he had plans towards her and probably, already some theories of where does she come from. Annie hated people who acted this way, hated unpredictable people with secrets.
Not like she didn't have them, no, she had a lot of them. Just as the man that raised her said, she can't let anyone guess what she has in mind, what her needs, purpose, ideology are, a mystery was meant to be her perfect shield, armour. Erwin wore that armour too, Levi didn't, he showed all of his emotions straight away, his frustration. It'll be easy to predict him, Annie thought.
"We are taking her home." Erwin commander and she knew the meaning of only the last word , word said slower, louder not as fast as any other one. Those words they said more quickly became understandable, becoming a long line of sounds without a meaning.
She wondered where was it, her eyebrows went towards one another unconsciously, normally she would cover her emotions, or at least she'll make an effort. This new situation made all of her father's lesson fade away, she no longer cared for them, only sometimes waking herself up, attempting to live by them again.
"Omiesa?" Annie murmed to herself in Marleyan, her tongue dry and weak. All of the people that surround her turned towards her, Petra shout at her happily, craving for her to make a sound again, Levi holding his jaw tighter than before, eyes furious.
Only Erwin seemed to stay calm, his eyes being the only window to see his brain processing what he just registered. His lips almost invisibly curving upwards as he made a right theory. She was a Marley's kid.
Good, this is perfect for his ambitions. His ambitions to make unity feel real again, to make Marley kneel in front of the other two countries in the act of remorse, for them to take back their actual responsibility, instead of picking up their own. This child is a true gift from heaven, she got raised there, she knows their traditions, language, ideology, true plans towards their society...
"Let's go, Petra, take care of her, she will be very useful." Erwin ordered with a little of satisfaction in his voice. He walked away, Levi following straight after him, looking suspiciously at Annie.
"Don't. Worry. They. Are. Always. Like. This." Petra confessed to her, picking up every word carefully, pacing them so slowly it made her insufferable, but at least Annie could guess more about the meanings of some words, using nothing more but her intuition and natural intellect.
>---
Sun was burning her skin, eyes and badly healed wounds, she preferred to walk in the shadows, they felt more like the underground lighten by fake source of light. The star was too hot and, for Annie, it gave an unhealthy, yellowish daylight. Those people led her by walked over path, they were probably one to carve. She was tired, Petra gave her water, that she at first took cagily, but she didn't last long, drinking almost all of it at once.
Annie nodded at her as a sign of her thankfulness, Petra laughed again. Why is she giggling so much? What does Annie do that is so funny? The child had those questions formed at the back of her throat, but she didn't even try to say them, Petra wouldn't understand, she speaks Paradisian, as Annie recognised after further analysis.
What actually kept her mind busy was the equipment that Petra has, everyone has, but hers especially as she was the one that walked the closest to her. The woman also seemed like the one who trusted her the most, she was the only one who sometimes tried to explain something to Annie, slowly, carefully, like a mother giving lecture to her kid.
Foolish woman, Annie thought, not understanding why would she is so kind for a foreign person. She wondered what Petra could gain from her politeness, but it was dead trope, it didn't make sense, Annie has nothing she could give her back, so maybe Erwin? Maybe Petra tried hard for some sort of bonus payment only Erwin could get her?
No, the commander didn't seem to care how nicely their "prisoner" was treated, Annie couldn't know that he actually stated, that for him, Annie could be drag around like a sack of dirt, he said that for him, she could even choke on mud as they drag her, the only thing that mattered to him was to bring her back with them. He looked at her like she was his trophy, award for all of his hard work.
Annie snapped out of scanning her new companion, her focus getting back on the equipment. It was a bag, a light one, probably carrying only necessities for survival, Petra wore weapon, a small gun, on her belt, no weapon was in the sack, Annie guessed. It isn't all of interesting things she noticed about their things, she noticed a piece of flint hanging out of the bag on the little line.
Yes, this is what would be helpful. The first thing she needs to get to escape... As she began to plan how to steal it without anyone noticing, fate decided to be helpful. The wanted flint disconnected from the kitbag and fell right in front of her feet.
Without batting an eye, Annie stepped on it, covering the stone. This was her chance... She just need to lean down...
"Hey, Petra!" Someone called from the back, another stranger, Annie didn't guess his name yet, she didn't even want to. "You dropped your fire!"
"Oh..." The woman sighed, looking through her things in the search of it. "You are right! Thanks! Would you help me find it?"
The man agreed, he ran closer to them and as people in front of them turned around in confusion, he gave a sign for them to walk further and they will join the rest quickly. They benched over, searching through the tall grass and Annie did the same, having to hide her loot. She made an illusion of moving her legs around for the soldiers to not think that the lost stone is close to her.
As they turned around from her, she kneeled over fastly, picking up the flinch and a random small rock, that'll help her make an ignite later, she put them in the pocket of her shredded pants before anyone could notice.
Step... Whichever completed. But it is not over yet.
"Okay, nevermind, we should join the group, it is just a piece of rock, isn't it?" Petra laughed it off and trotted towards the rest of detachment. Annie did as well, barely keeping up with the woman, she must done something to her ankle before.
They catched up and Annie began to scan for her another hunt, she doesn't have much time left, or she does, for her, all of the trees and plants looked the same, she couldn't deduct how much time they have left for the closest entrance to the underground. This time she found herself in the middle of some group, most of them not giving a damn about her well being or not.
Perfect, no one will notice as she will steal the most explosive material from them. Only her eyes moved, her body looking week, like she gave up, that is how she wanted to be seen, fragile, not dangerous. Few moments have passed and... She got them, she saw something that looked like a crude dynamite.
It had a string sticking out of the wet soaking bag. It was small, half of the size of her 8-year old hand, but it had to make a big explosion, otherwise they wouldn't take it with them to such deadly environment. She chose one man, she saw him for the first time there, he was even more perfect. He seemed clumsy, lazy, arrogant, only caring about whatever story he has told the rest.
Few meters in front of them there were a big root sticking out, fate played well for her today, it wanted for her to escape. Annie didn't see any outcome with her not succeeding her little sabotage, that'll make her a perfect opportunity to escape.
What will she do later? She'll find her father, get on her knees and beg, and pray, and describe how strong, brave she was as those enemies took her. If he forgives her, she is the happiest daughter in this world, if she won't, well, she will ask him to kill her quickly.
Focus, she focused on counting down second for her meeting with the root of the tree. One, two, three... Now. Her feet purposely tangled into it, making her fall, her adjusting her body so she will do so towards the chatting man. She started to move around her hands like crazy, clenched quickly to his uniform before letting go, kissing the ground seconds later.
Moment of truth... He sensed nothing! He probably thought that the contact was too short for her to take something from him, she hid the bomb in her mouth as no one saw this part of her face. The man that became her victim laughed at her.
You are not going to laugh when I am done with you...
Only Petra stayed with her, asked her is she okay and slowly helped her stand up, Annie nodded at her to prove that she is fine. They ran towards the group, Petra changing her priorities and deciding that the discussion they got in was more important than be careful about Annie, that walked few meters past her.
They stopped taking her serious, even though before Annie would drown in disgust if she notice this, this time was different, this time it worked in her purpose. She spat out the dynamite, took out the source of fire. Placed the bomb back in her mouth only the string sticking out, Annie trying to ignite anything right in front of her face.
The group stood right in front of her, occupied with their conversation, they had a break. Their last one. As Annie saw the fire catching into the string, she took the dynamite and threw it under the tree. It was a silent bomb, an usual thing in underground, sometimes things needed to blow up but the loud "boom" would be dangerous for their "ceiling". They created the silent bomb as they did not make any sound but took as much damage as the loud ones.
Annie just prayed for those few seconds, that lasted hours, days, even years, that the little ignite didn't burned out. It didn't, somehow the explosion rolled over towards the back of an enormous tree, only Annie noticed smoke as she was the only one looking that way, only she noticed the trunk slowly falling apart from the roots, making its way towards them.
The girl moved slowly away, the group laughed, they silenced out the reason of their death as they couldn't hear the sound of braking, dark bark behind them. They screamed when it was far to late, three people were already under the plant.
The quiet, yet so loud sound of tree hitting the ground gave Annie so much satisfaction, she did it, she did what she has promised herself. Three people dead, blood swimming in rivers from beneath the already dead tree, as the dark red flood reached Annie's feet, she trembled.
Satisfaction was gone, realisation brought her regrets. What made it all worse was some insides of Petra painted across the ground, as the tree cut her in half, her last breath made her choke as she threw up all of her body fluids, but as she laid on her back, they found no escape, coming back to her throat.
From the grown group of six people, three laid dead and two had their legs crashed beneath the surface of heavy stump, they screamed in agony. Shrivers that covered all of Annie's body made her want to throw up again, except this time, she found nothing in herself to do so.
From all of the horrors she caused, only one scream came back in her nightmares.
"PETRA!!!" It was a short man from before, his black hair sweaty as he came here desperately running, tears flood his eyes, his breath was shaky, broken, soul devastated. "No, please, not you, not you, no, please, Petra..."
Those were his first words, he continued to say them to every corpse her reached for, repeating like a prayer, not understanding what has happened, and why. Why did this happened to him once again?
One person who made it out well, without any scar, began to cry, apologising for three corpses and two dying people as they began to bleed out to death. He got on his knees and shout, not caring about hunting towards them any predators of the outside world.
Erwin walked towards them slowly, he got there the last, and from all of them, he seemed to be the most normal about this. Annie glanced at him in fear, she should already be running away from them but she can't, she can't force her muscles to move, leave in the mesmerising companion of their grief, that echoed through the forest. She caused it, it is all her fault, she is sick, for the first time in her life the disgust's target was her, not fat, rich kids from her class, not those foreign soldiers, her.
Annie Leonhardt was disgusted by herself as guilt ate her alive.
Erwin's almost understanding gaze made it all even worse, he made her feet grew roots into the bloody mud, feeding her regrets with it. Erwin walked past the corpse, ignored them all, they were his people, why does he not grief? What type of devil is he?
He was not humane, Annie stared at a good soldier, no, she stared at the perfect soldier, or maybe something more, a leader, cold blooded, mysterious and tough leader that walked on the path of dead bodies and swam in the rivers of blood of his people without blinking. This is the picture her father wanted to describe, but no made-up stories, hours of training could make Annie actually feel the essence of becoming the true monster, fighter that humanity needed.
"It was you, wasn't it?" Erwin asked, and the world fell apart in the accompaniment of loud, pathetic cries and agony.
Annie nodded, she didn't hear what he has said, but it wasn't hard to guess. His eyes arleady scanned her little body, flint in her hand, smoke in the middle of the forest and plan she had was no hard to figure out.
She fall on her knees in front of him, silent, frozen, her body couldn't move by an inch. The black haired man was the one who made her move, as he basically jumped into her, kicking her face full force, making her nose break and bleed heavily.
She deserves this.
Next kicks flew towards her, making her teeth crash, she spat them out with blood.
She does.
The man screamed at her, cursed at her crying, letting his anger on her.
Every single second was the only thing she deserved.
She didn't want to stop him, Erwin had to, this was the first time she heard the man's name. Levi. Levi Ackermann. He did as Erwin commanded him to, his last move being throwing Annie's body few metered away.
Perfection, Annie realised, this is the perfect soldier, not Erwin. Erwin was a leader, her father craved to see her being one, she interpreted his words wrongly. He wanted her to be the devil Erwin was, but Annie always had a different picture in mind, picture she wanted to burn away, knowing that her father will never approve.
It was no longer picture, it was reality. Yes, that is reality of it all, Erwin was her father's dream, Levi was hers.
His strength, speed, anger and disgust he showed to her, so similar to her, the reality of who she will become. She craved it, for unknown reason, she craved to become this perfect mix of being loyal to someone like a dog, but strong enough to bite till bone.
This all makes sense now, why her father punished her for what she was, as he wanted her to become a leader, he didn't understand that Annie was enslaved by him, that she couldn't see the world without him playing the main part in her life, herself only being the background. She saw Levi and she saw herself, fully gave in into one person, one leader, orders.
To be him, she needs to be strong enough to give up herself, but this isn't a problem, there was no "herself" to start with, she was just an empty vessel after her father that Erwin will fill up, and Levi will teach her how to handle it all. Yes, this will be her reality, reality where she will prove them how good and amazing soldier she is, just how it was written in her fate.
>---
From the group of 10, grew a group of 5 after the incident she caused, two female doctors took care of her, sparing into her wounds to make them hurt more, making just enough for her to not die, but not enough to soothe away the pain. They all hated her, this time, her almost lifeless body was dragged around the mud, her consciousness coming back just for the moment, as she recognised the moisture air of the underground.
>---
"God, I don't go for mission this one time and so much happens!" Annie got woken up by the female voice, chatty, exited and way to loud voice for her headache.
"Hange, calm down." Levi said irritated. "Half of us are dead, because of her... And in the name of what, Erwin?"
"Our group grew even smaller, not the first time, not the last time." The woman named Hange shuddered, hiding her own negative feelings under an armour of jokes and stupid laugh.
"She comes from Marley. She has informations about them we could never dream of before. Don't you see what that means?"
"It means all of us must die for this little monster?" Levi called her, and she agreed silently, still too tired to do anything.
Monster.
What a nice phrase.
>---
The first thing she noticed when she fully gained her consciousness, she was clean, someone washed her whole. That mean they saw her naked as she couldn't protect herself, as she was passed out, the thought made Annie flinch, nobody would want that to happen to them.
She opened her eyes and there was this woman staring at her, studying her anatomy. A nurse, maybe? This woman had very greasy, dark brown hair put in a messy ponytail, for Annie, and not only for her, the stranger's big goggles looked ridiculous. She wore a white apron with a lot of pockets, close to them laid some sharp objects, probably the ones that sewed up her opened wounds.
Annie was horrified, she had no idea what was happening , where she was, nothing made sense to her. Her hands went straight to those little knifes and needles, she almost got them but the brown-haired woman stopped her last second.
"Easy, easy, don't make the Scouts even smaller, please." She laughed as she clenched Annie's wrist tightly, making it hurt. She acted friendly towards her, or at least she tried because Annie saw disgust in her brown eyes. "Zoë, Hange."
Annie guessed that it was her name, the woman who called herself Hange had a fast, energetic voice, with Annie's untrained ears it was difficult to figure out where one word started, and when the other one ended. She thanked God, and everything else, that she decided to introduce herself in slower, more understandable way. Hange looked at her like she wants her to do the same, after few minutes of silence and Annie's resistance, she gave up.
Hange stared at her, different way than Erwin did, she stared at her like on an exhibition, she was close to opening forcefully Annie's mouth and count every teeth in it. It wasn't hard to guess that she wants to experiment on her, or find out as much as she can, making Annie's soul visible to everyone as Hange craved information.
"Annie." She introduced herself, knowing that the woman won't give up easily and could wait for hours just to hear her name.
"Just Annie?" The girl nodded, and Hange smiled lightly as it reminded her of Levi. Levi Ackermann didn't want to share his username as well. "Can you comunicate in Paradisian?" She let out her usually chatty, loud (way to loud for Annie's aching ears) and fast tone, she repeated it slower when she realised how stupid this sound, of course she can't, If she could she would at least curse at her.
Annie shrugged, and the little move of her shoulders made her whole body hurt, she closed her eyes harshly, tears falling against her will. She whimpered full of pain, it seemed like it is difficult for her to even breath.
"You. Will. Have. To. Learn." Hange weighted every word. "Don't. Worry. Marleyan. And. Paradisian. Are. Very. Similar."
Annie just stared at her, hoping that her expression looks like she understands, she did, slowly spoken phrases were easier to get the meaning. Hange was right, they are similar, Marleyan just sound tougher, shorter, ending at the back of tongue, Paradisian preferred to overreact every single sound they made, put value in their words more than they did in actions. She'll learn this, it shouldn't be hard, after all both languages comes from one, English, and the thing that separated them were nothing more than just accent, some grammar and a little bit of isolation of Marley.
>---
She healed, almost, but for Erwin, Levi and Hange-as she found out, they were some sort of leaders of the department-it was enough to interview her. She held tightly onto the chair, her gaze stubbornly focusing on the dark desk in front of her, instead of three dangerous people.
"Why. Were. You. Out. There?" Erwin was the first one to question. She didn't respond, she didn't want to have anything in common with them for that moment, her opinion changing every second about how should she react about her new situation.
"What is more interesting, for how long?" Words of Hange naturally for her turned into one long line of un-understandable sounds, instead of proper sentences.
"What truly our attention should be put on is... What. Is. Her. Punishment." Levi made sure she heard "punishment" clear enough, she didn't have to know Paradisian to feel the negative aura.
"Levi, I know what she has done, but she is an important source of informations." Hange answered gum. From this point, Annie didn't know about what they were talking about.
"Han is right." Erwin still didn't take his eyes of the child who clearly tried to ignore them. "I know she reduced the Scouts by half..." Before their mission there were ten of them, right now, there were only 5. "... but for their sacrifice we have to use her for our true goal."
"Petra never dreamt of dying in the name of some fucking unity." Levi spat out, his eyes got darker, he was the the verge of leaving the room. "None of them did."
"Ackermann." The commander called him, making him flinch just by mentioning his surname, his clan. "There is nothing we can do about it, they won't come back..."
"I know how death works, moron!" He screamed, eyes getting teary. "But is she truly worth it? Would she return the favour of keeping her alive? What are we even gonna do with her?!"
"Use her a hostage, making Marley pay for her, we need some money, but this is our last plan." Erwin began explaining, joining his hands under his chin. "Use her as a weapon, find out how Marley train their children, their techniques and mix this with ours... She'll be unstoppable." His mind wandered around, he was disconnected from his surroundings. "The most important thing, she is the source of information, she was raised by theirs ideas, she knows their plans, at least a bit of them, their language, it'll help us if we intercept some secret messages..."
"Bullshit, don't you even dare trying to convince me that you think that way." Levi walked towards doors angrily, he was grieving. "You are just sick, sickly obsessed over an idea of having someone's mind fully as yours. She'll be your perfect puppet, won't she?"
And it was his last words spoken to them.
"Erwin, don't take it to yourself, I'm sure he didn't..."
"He did." The commander looked at the ceiling."And maybe he was right..." He sighed, getting his focus back on Annie. A stupid question flashed in front of his eyes. No, he shouldn't ask it, she won't understand... Fuck this, Erwin thought, he'll do it, what us there stopping him instead of himself? "Who. Do. You. Think. We. Are?"
Annie proceeded slowly, he repeated the question again, showing of with his hands who is he talking about. She nodded heavily, squinting eyes. They were monsters to her, monsters she might become. Erwin being a coldblooded leader, Levi being his loyal hound, still having his own opinion and strength... God, his strength was on another level.
Even friendly and extraverted Hange couldn't be trusted, Annie noticed it straight away how she hid all of her sadness under the masks of jokes, sarcastic comments and dumb, loud laugh. Annie saw this in those moments when she grew quiet, her true depression fleeing out on the surface of her face.
Monsters... Isn't that too harsh word for people she will secretly adore? Adore their boldness, strength, cruelty...
What would her father answer?
"Nemiesas." She whispered and as they both never heard of Marleyan as well, they got it pretty easily.
Enemies, that's all they were.