Devil
Words: 2408 | Rating: T
Series: AOT
Pair: Annie Leonhardt & Eren Jaeger
For ereannieweek 2022, Day 1: Drama / Comedy
Vice Commander Leonhardt secretly trails after her underling, Falco as he leads Reiner Braun to a basement where an old friend awaits.
Read on AO3 / Read on FF.NET
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It seemed obvious they were being led into a trap.
Annie would've suspected her fellow compatriot to use his common sense as to why he had been asked to trail after their underling to some unknown area, "How much longer, Falco?" Reiner grumbled, scrubbing a hand over his cropped blond hair.
"It's right around the corner Mister Braun!"
Annie stayed hidden within the shadows, keeping her distance as she followed the two on silent feet towards their secret location. The little warrior and candidate for the Armored titan, Falco Grice, had asked Reiner to accompany him— "Mister Braun can you come with me for a second, it's really important!" He exclaimed with a broad smile on his face, just as they were filing into the outside auditorium with rest of Marley's Eldian soldiers'.
Annie Leonhardt had given Falco a look of suspicion. But their Chief, Zeke Jaeger, however, was unperturbed. "Go on ahead, we still have time." He spared a glance to his wristwatch.
Annie watched them leave, trepidation coursing through her. She stayed a minute longer before making the excuse of having to escort her handicapped father to the ceremony. Zeke warned her that she'd miss the opening for the Helos play, but she waved him off. It is not that she didn't trust Falco Grice, he was a good kid, a hardworking soldier if not a bit naïve, but there was an inkling that his innocence was being preyed upon.
It was that he suddenly appeared to… preppy as the celebration grew nearer. She assumed it was merely for the festivities and unbridled childish excitement for fried foods and balloons. But it was more than that. Falco had been running off somewhere every weekday, usually after drills. She paid no mind to that at first, because she'd imagined the boy was meeting with his parents, an uncle or an aunt. Eager to spend time with his family.
It wasn't until she spotted Falco rushing to deliver a note outside of the Liberio Gates that she figured something was out of the ordinary for the little warrior boy. Mail that was distributed within the internment zone was usually sent to the Post office. Mail that was to be sent outside the internment zone was dropped off at the P.O box just outside the entrance.
Falco had no family outside of Liberio, it was only curiosity and slight suspicion that drove Annie to wait until the boy was out of sight to approach the gates. She retrieved a napkin from her pocket and folded it to pass it off as a letter, making up the excuse that she was delivering a love letter to a boyfriend at a guard who merely rolled his eyes in response.
The mailbox was filled to the brim with letters, some likely stuffed full of money and some lumpy, containing trinkets and family heirlooms. Whether they'd be in transit by tomorrow is a gamble. Mail is always passed through a security check before being sent off to Eldian families around the country.
Falco had dropped his letter right atop the stack of others. No one had come after him besides herself, and so she was able to retrieve his letter without much trouble. It was also easily identifiable because it hadn't been addressed to anyone. Annie stuck her arm into the box and plucked out the blank envelope.
She turned to look behind her, and watch the tall guards who shuffled about, their attention more so on their shiny boots than on her. Annie swiftly opened the letter and scanned for a name, an address, anything. She didn't recognize any of the surname's addressed in the letter.
The contents discussed the celebration that was going to be had at Liberio, the time, the date, the important people that would be there. But what was damning was that it had been written in shorthand. Falco had never succeeded in writing shorthand, and this was almost perfect. Had it been written by a family member?
The letter was addressing a group— but there was no mention of distant Grice brothers, sisters, aunts or uncles. Annie would have assumed it friends. But it's to… formal, as if… as if speaking to a superior.
"And last, I look forward to seeing you all at the Liberio Internment Zone, Southside. 20:00." Annie mumbled. Quickly rereading. There was that ticklish feeling in her chest. Feathers brushing over the innards of her breastbone—Falco is just a kid… trained a soldier, yes. But he's still a child. Even she had made mistakes as a brat all those years ago.
Falco was also loyal to the Marley as that Gabi girl, or at least she'd have to assume he was. But he's susceptible to the trickery of others. Falco Grice wouldn't risk his hide and the livelihoods of his family to secretly deliver letters to the enemy, would he? And this letter, that was clearly not written by him… could have equally been written by an enemy and given to Falco to deliver. The surnames could even be codenames.
The boy wouldn't willingly do it. She wanted to give Falco the benefit of the doubt. He was being used, for sure. And the writer, was hiding within these very walls.
At that point, one of the guards behind her spat, "What are ya' doing?! Ya' better not be stealing. I'd have to hand you in!"
Annie quickly folded the letter back into its envelope, "Oh no, Sir. I was just rereading the letter I wrote to my beloved. I miss him oh so dearly."
The guard scoffed and ushered her to hurry it up. And without any doubt, Annie had dropped the letter back into the mailbox, assuring it'd be delivered to its unknown recipients, unsealed.
She did not dwell on why she hadn't simply kept it and foil the plans of whomever was conspiring against them.
She told herself, it would be bait, to lure them out. Annie had been right to follow Reiner and Falco. As now Falco was leading the man down into the cellar of a tenement building just overlooking the stage. As if that wasn't suspicious enough, Reiner made no comment of it, too much in the dreary state that he was.
Annie would've stopped Reiner and Falco in their tracks before they'd even head down into the wolfs den; turn them away. Go down herself; but she was afraid of being in dark underground spaces—rather she was cautious of them.
And she didn't know if she herself was being followed, despite looking over her shoulder more than once. All she needed was confirmation that they were meeting with the recipient of the letter.
Annie came as far as the stairway; and approached the door as soon as it shut, very briefly she'd glimpsed Falco & Reiner being bathed in an orange glow by a single lamp lit within, and a seated silhouette before them, just as the door obstructed her view.
Annie pressed herself against the wooden door. Mindful not to put all her weight on it and strained to hear above the raucous noise of the families above them.
It proved to be difficult. But she did hear a gruff voice that did not belong to Reiner. Though that voice blended so well with Reiner's, she practically couldn't tell the two apart. She didn't hear Falco. The thunderous applause above was deafening. So, those two were trapped in there now with an island devil. Annie sighed; will she have to make herself seen? Confront whoever was behind that door and reveal their involvement with Falco. With Reiner? Or… or she could report it to the Chief—as she should have done from the start. Stupid. She clenched her teeth in frustration. She'll go now.
Annie heard Reiner give a pleading cry, a thump sounded as if a body fell to the ground. She backed away, but it was too late. The door was being opened, creaking on its hinges, and she was bathed in that fiery orange glow as if standing in front of the mouth of hell.
"Come in Annie, don't be shy." Spoke that gruff voice, Annie looked down to see Falco holding the door open, tears staining his botchy red cheeks. "I'm sorry Miss Annie I didn't…" He whimpered.
He didn't know. "it's alright." She reassured him, and herself. Annie walked into the cellar, masking herself in confidence to the face that she remembered from four years ago.
"I should've known it was you, Eren." Annie spared a glance to Reiner's trembling form on the floor by Eren's feet, he was hunched forward, sobbing quietly. The idiot. But she couldn't condemn Reiner without condemning herself as well.
Eren was standing before her, above Reiner. His hair was long, messy around his shoulders, and bandages covered his right eye, he was unkempt and dressed haphazardly as a veteran soldier. Eren held his hand out to her—as if beckoning her to take it. Annie eyed the blood that pooled in his palm and dripped red onto the floorboards. She flicked the ring of her middle finger.
"Don't." Eren narrowed his eyes. "You'll kill them all."
He meant the families above.
"You'll do the same." Annie was caught between a rock and hard place. This wasn't a negotiation setup, but a trap. There might have been a time where she and Eren can talk. That time in Stohess… Where he and Armin pleaded for her to come down into a dark confined tunnel—just so she could be captured.
She could almost laugh at the irony now.
"Where is everyone?" She looked around the dark corners of the basement.
Eren cocked his head, the green of his eye was dark and twinkling like a dying ember in the light of the lamp. "You didn't tell anyone did you, you came here alone."
He said it as if it were fact. But he couldn’t know for sure. She didn't have to reveal anything. She could bluff. Annie stepped forward, speaking louder to be overheard against the booming voice of Willy Tybur above. "I told Zeke and Commander Magath, they've already prepared an ambush to trap you, and all who came with you to this country as we speak."
Eren hummed. "That's no good. I don't think I can take my brother in a fight. Much less you, and Reiner…" he looked down at said soldier who winced at his attention, "that's quite an unfair advantage."
"Then surrender." Annie lifted her chin, "Whatever plan you have, let it go. And the soldiers who came with you won't suffer."
"Generous. That must be the Vice Commander side of you talking, it certainly doesn't sound like the Annie I knew."
She scoffed, "You never knew me."
Eren's bloodied hand shot out capturing her own, taking Annie by surprise. The slick of his blood coated her skin, she grimaced and tried to pull away, but his grip was iron.
"Let go."
"Don't I know you? I know you all were forced into this." Eren's single murky green eye bore into Annie, the pity he was conveying unnerved her. "You were four clueless kids, sent off to that island without knowing a thing."
Reiner choked on a sob, "Eren, please… Just punish me instead. Take me prisoner, leave… leave them out of this… I'll pay the penance." The blond man's head dropped low, fists clenched on the floorboards, "That day Marcel died… Bertolt and Annie wanted to abort the mission, but it was me who pushed forward with it, I convinced them not to abandon our goal… I made them keep going… yes, I wanted to survive, but—But I also wanted to be a hero! That's why I always acted like everyone's big brother too… I wanted people to respect me. To notice me."
Reiner's golden eyes were wide, wet with tears as he stared up at the other man, "I wasn't shaped by Marley's history or my environment… it was my selfishness that made the choice. It was my fault! Your mother was eaten because of me! Thousands died because of me! Bertolt died because of… because of me." He sniffled; trembling hands reached out to clutch onto the cuffs of Eren's pants. "Just kill me… I beg you… I want to disappear."
Annie couldn't speak, staring down at the grieving man. Her tongue heavy as lead in her mouth. Up above on the stage full of spotlights, Willy Tybur declared war on the island devils. His voice righteous, and hysterical. Tears shone in his eyes as well.
Below. Eren Jaeger, the island devil, smiled woefully.
"Annie." His unusual soft tone made her snap at attention to him, "Why didn't you turn in my letter to authorities when you had the chance?"
She opened her mouth, no sound coming out. Eren's bloody grip on her hand loosened some, but she knew she was already caught.
He then turned to Reiner, "Stand up Reiner. I get it now." Annie could feel the tension shift in the room—the crackle of electricity being shot from their joined hands, jolted straight down her spine. She gasped.
"I'm the same as you."
The hairs on her neck stood, "Falco!" She turned to the stunned boy by the door, "Forget about us, run. Go! Go!"
"I think… we were born this way."
Reiner rose to his feet as if hypnotized. Falco hadn't fled yet. He was paralyzed with fear. Everything was happening too fast, and too slow. Too late.
"I just keep moving forward…"
Her hand slipped from Eren's, stained with his blood. The trick ring on her finger glinted red in the lamplight, the needle stabbed into the thin skin. Reiner made a movement in her sideview.
A piercing bolt split the air.
"Until my enemies are destroyed."
