Vow (2)

Mina's POV

With no choice left after being bombarded by deathly, curious, and prideful stares, I lowered my bangs to hide my eyes. I took a sharp intake of air before proceeding to tell everyone in this room about my plan of working with Annie. 

"The commander assigned me with the task of learning about the truth of this world," I start, eyeing both Annie and the commander before continuing. "And I won't be able to proceed without Annie's help." 

"But why her?" Captain Hange hisses under her breath, trying to calm the rage she was emitting. 

Without hesitation, I answered, "If not her, then who? I'd rather not pick between the armored and the colossal titan since they practically diminished one-third of our land."

"Exactly!" Once again, Captain Hange intervenes. "She killed hundreds of our soldiers!" 

Yes.

I bit my lip to contain the animosity forming within my chest, forcing myself to understand where the captain was coming from. But if I continue to stay within a safe distance and not act just because I'm scared of destroying my image, then the scenarios that were shown to me in world number two would only repeat.

And I can't have that, never again.

In a rage, something within me began to ignite. Even my working brain couldn't stop my mouth from spouting my next words. "Who's to say we aren't doing the same thing?" 

"Huh?"

If having the blood of an Ackerman means that I am loyal as hell, then having the blood of a Yeager only means one thing: That I, too, am stubborn as heck. 

With nothing left to lose, I spoke. "There must be a reason why our land is being targeted by titans. If our rage sprouted from the spilled blood of our ancestors, then what about them? Why, after years of being in isolation, did they suddenly attack our land? Captain, think about it: if every action has a meaning behind it, then just like how we're fighting for our freedom, they too must be fighting for something else." 

"Annie is splendid when it comes to martial arts, meaning someone must have trained her." I gazed at her forlorn figure as the image of a young girl abruptly invaded my vision. "Like how we're trained to become a soldier, she too must have been taught somewhere else, with completely different principles from ours. If I can get her to work for us, then won't her existence become more useful than simply letting her rot in this cell?" 

"I am not saying that I'll forgive them; God, all I want is to murder the shit out of the mastermind, but for me to do that, working with her is the best choice. Please, captain, I'm not saying this because I know her but because I am a patriot of this land." 

To add more details, I took a page out of Armin's book and gave a heartfelt salute to the people I was trying to convince. With eyes brimming with determination and courage, I pleaded. "I may have shown my recklessness these past few days, but please, I'm begging you, please allow Annie to work with me!"

"Mina…"

Ignoring the whisper that came from the said woman, I continued. "I swear on my mother's grave that I am not a spy, nor am I your enemy. If the female titan acts out even once, under my watch, I will personally slice both of our necks." 

"That's a bold statement coming from you, Mina." 

Finally, the man I have been asking for approval made a move. With a heart full of worry and anticipation, I couldn't help but notice the sweat that trickled behind my back.

The commander, unlike the two present captains, smiled. Seeing that forced me to widen my eyes as he stepped closer to where I stood and, eventually, patted me on the head. "Since you captured her, from now on, she'll be under your watch."

Huh?

Bewildered, I couldn't stop myself from slightly opening my mouth. 

Is he… is he going to give Annie to me? Just like that? 

What the heck is the commander even thinking?! 

It's not that I'm complaining; I'm just curious. 

"Erwin!" Similarly to how I reacted, Captain Hange took a step forward and frowned. "The female titan killed hundreds of our soldiers, and you're releasing her just like that?" 

"We're using her for our benefit, so technically, she's still a prisoner. My decision is final, Hange." He lifted his hand and normalized his expression once more. "You've seen what she can do. Considering that we've been learning more about the truth ever since Mina joined the Survey Corps, isn't it only right that we give our support to her? Besides, we have a lot on our plate already, especially after seeing the titan inside the wall." 

Damn, my respect for this man must have spiked the heavens already. 

When Captain Hange couldn't give a retort to what the commander had just said, Captain Levi took it upon himself to initiate what to do next as he irritably sighed. "Let's talk more outside." 

And that was all we needed to hear before eventually walking towards the door.

However, just when I was about to take a step outside – being the last in doing so – Annie spoke, one that almost made me want to pull every hair in that thick head of hers. 

"Sorry for strangling you." She whispers loud enough for everyone inside the cell to hear.

I should have been glad; I should have since she practically showed an act that contradicted her whole personality. But what the hell, Annie! This isn't the time nor the place to spout any fucking regrets!

"Strangle…?" Captain Hange mumbled under her breath just in time I gave Annie one last glare before I forced the door shut. 

Not even a second had passed when someone yanked me away from the door while his hands immediately pried open the upper portion of my shirt. Captain Levi's eyes instantly darkened after seeing the bruise forming around my neck.

My once calm and beating heart lurched in terror of what awaited me. Are they disappointed? Mad? Or do they think of me as unreliable now?

Fuck.

My lips trembled as I lowered my head to cover my quivering eyes. 

And just when I finally made an ally!

Seconds have passed, but the gears inside my head made it look like hours had already elapsed. Should I tell them? Should I beg for them to ignore it and proceed with their supposed discussion? Am I going to ask that horrendous being for another favor? Shit, fuck, freaking bloody hell-

"Mina!" Captain Hange's voice eventually brought me back as all the hateful curses that I threw upon myself began to dissipate. 

Captain Levi finally pulled away from me, but what bombarded me next was far more troublesome than his deadly glare. Her eyes that were against me earlier have now shifted to that of a worried gaze as her hand tightly gripped my right shoulder. I didn't even notice her coming near me. Bloody hell, I've been getting rusty!

But with all the attention I was receiving, I couldn't stop my eyes from wandering downward in an attempt to avoid her stare. "Yes, captain?" 

"Did she?" She paused for a bit as her expression changed to that of understanding and confusion, then back to understanding, until only a scowl remained on her face. "You defended her even when she tried to kill you. Why?" 

Why… huh?

But instead of focusing on what she did to me, the image of Petra being killed during the expedition clouded my vision. "Even if she killed our comrades, and that includes Petra, I couldn't stay mad at her. Yes, she's insufferable, and yes, I find her annoying. But like me, she's just a child who knows nothing about how the world truly works." 

"Getting mad at a puppet won't do us any good."

Because isn't that what the devil truly wants from us? He's enjoying himself by watching us slowly crumble, bit by bit, waiting for the right time to strike once more. And once he does, no one can ever stop the demolishment of the beauty in this world. 

No more laughter,

No more goodness,

Peace will forever be thrown out of the equation,

And that is something that Ymir Fritz has shown me. 

Something that I must prevent from happening at all costs.

And yet, when I think about the other two traitors, all hell breaks loose. I'm a walking contradiction, huh?

So, after gathering enough courage, I decided not to cower anymore. This isn't something to be ashamed of, and it's not something that I should hide. If it means taking the next needed step in accomplishing my goal of eradicating the devil's existence, then I'll proudly stand my ground and fight for what is right. 

"I'd rather rid any form of humanity within me if it means giving the people I care about their well-earned freedom."

*****