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

38. Children

"Right." Bertolt replied.

"And our mission will be over. But as for you... When we get to our hometown, tell Annie how you feel." Reiner said and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Huh?" Bertolt said and backed up. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"You stare too much. Enough that everyone can tell." Reiner said, thinking back to him noticing Bertolt watching Annie as trainees.

Bertolt shook his hands. "But I-"

"You should go for it." Reiner said and crossed his arms. "You're both murderers with short lives ahead. Who better to understand what we've gone through than one of us?" Reiner pulled out the handle grips and used the 3D gear to land between Eren and Ymir.

"What's going on, Reiner?" Eren asked as Reiner walked up to him. "Aren't we waiting until night?"

"Nope. We're leaving now. Eren, don't try to resist." Reiner said.

Eren narrowed his eyes before smiling fakely, as if to appear harmless.

"Come on, don't get violent with me. Look at the shape that I'm in. Does it look like I can resist?" Eren said, holding up his two stumps. "Please, gimme a break."

Reiner didn't say anything and Eren stepped backward.

Eren suddenly charged at him and elbowed him in the face, knocking him down.

"Die!" Eren yelled and started beating Reiner with his stumps. "Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!"

Reiner brought up his leg and kicked Eren back into the tree. He then wrapped an arm around Eren's neck and caught his right arm.

"I'll kill you!" Eren threatened as he struggled to break free. "I won't stop until I destroy your hometown!"

"Hey," Ymir said when Bertolt joined her. "Why are we leaving already?"
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"Let go!" Eren yelled in the background.
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"Ymir, when you turned back into a human, do you remember the person you ate?" Bertolt asked.
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Reiner continued to strangle Eren.
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"No, I don't remember..." Ymir replied. "But if it was five years ago... Was it one of your comrades?"
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Reiner grunted as he struggled with Eren.
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Ymir stared at Bertolt's expression before shifting her gaze down.

"I see... Sorry... for not even remembering." Ymir said.
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Eren screamed and bit his left stump without success.

Then he paused, listening to Ymir and Bertolt talking.
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"It's not your fault for forgetting. It was the same for us, too," Bertolt told her.

"I see..." Ymir replied.
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Out of breath, Eren listened to them, barely conscious.
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"Eren doesn't seem to remember either." Bertolt said.

"Is that how it works?" Ymir asked. "Do you resent me for it?"

"I'm not sure... I... don't know. You probably didn't want to eat a human either..." Bertolt said.
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Eren blinked, Bertolt and Ymir's voices echoing as he began to lose consciousness.
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"How long were you wandering outside the Walls for?" Bertolt asked.

"About sixty years. It was like... I was stuck in a nightmare that would never end." Ymir said before Eren's eye closed.
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Erwin noticed the red flare.