I Love You... In Every Universe (AOT Alternative Universe)

27. Mercy

The large foot lifted, revealing the mangled bodies crushed against the stones.

"We have to help them!" Eren said.

"Eren! Back!" Mikasa yelled and grabbed his hood and pulled him away.

"Hey, Mikasa!" Eren said.

"That bitch wouldn't mind killing Eren?" Mikasa said and released her hold on him.

They turned to Armin when he spoke,

"She risked it... She smashed open the tunnel hoping she wouldn't kill you. It's crazy, but that just makes her even scarier!" Armin said. "Annie will be trying as hard as she can to catch you."

He kneeled along side his friends.

"What should we do?" Armin said. "She cut off our escape. Even if we jumped out using our gear, she'd ambush us the instant we surfaced. On the other hand-"

There was an explosion down the tunnel on their left side, the dust extinguishing the sconces.

Armin protected his face with his arm and lowered it once the dust cleared away.

"If we stay here, it's just a matter of time until we're crushed." Armin said.

"I'll handle this!" Eren said, standing up. "Like that time with the cannonball!" He. pulled them close. "Let's do this! Stay close to me!"

Looking at his hand, he brought it up and bit down, causing blood to spurt.

Mikasa and Armin closed their eyes.

Eren cried out in pain as the sound of teeth scraping flesh continued.

"Not again!" Eren said, frustrated. Blood stained the corner of his lips. "Why now?" He took a step back and fell to his knees. "Why now?! It hurts!"

Mikasa watched him silently.

"So you can't transform unless it's for a specific, concrete reason? Clear your mind! Focus on it again!" Armin said.

"I'm trying!" Eren replied and bit his hand again.

More blood pooled out of his hand as Eren continued to rip his skin apart with his teeth, grunting in pain.

"Aren't you really," Mikasa said, kneeling, looking him dead in the eye, "just hesitating to fight Annie?"

"Eren?" Armin said.

Mikasa's expression turned deadly. "Don't tell me that you still refuse to accept that she's the Female Titan?" She leaned closer, the crazed look still in her eye. "What just happened right before your eyes? That bitch killed your comrades! You still refuse to accept that!"

Eren squeezed his eyes shut.
"I know! I don't-"

"Eren, after hearing that it might be Annie, has anything come to mind?" Mikasa asked.

Eren's breath caught in his throat. He remembered how he froze when the female titan took up Annie's fighting stance.

"You fought the Female Titan in hand-to-hand combat. Did she use any of Annie's typical moves?" Mikasa questioned.

Eren imagined Annie taking over the Female Titan's image, in her fighting pose and the kick she used.

"You know it too." Mikasa said. "Annie is the Female Titan. So why aren't you fighting? Are other feelings holding you back?" She eyed him intently.

Eren just growled.

Armin suddenly pulled out a sword.

"I've got a plan! Mikasa and I will exit that hole." He said and pointed to his left, "and the entrance," he pointed to the other side, "at the same time. Annie will have to follow one of us. That should buy you time to run the other way!" Armin pulled on his hood and ran, halting when Eren spoke up.