Mutiny (Attack On Titan)

Chapter 12

(During Daytime)

There was silence in the court room as everyone was whispering to each other. There were two ends that stood within the room itself.

On the right of the courtroom, the elites and the officials (Both government and military) sat there. They were all elegantly dressed, the military officials wore all of their earned medals on their outfits to boast their achievements to the world while the government officials boasted  their richness by wearing expensive clothes and carry with them expensive items.

On the left side of the court, there sat the soldiers and commanders who were willing to attend the meeting. Compared to the elites, they were humble in their upbringing and they didn't have anything to boast other than their undying commitment to the motherland.

At the center of the court room was Annie Leonhart whose hands were tied behind a pole. She was still blindfolded and gagged but she was able to hear the chatter that occured between everyone in this room.

Many thoughts raced in her mind, she thought about her fate and  she  thought about what would happen to her in this very room. Although she was not able to see, she could feel the seething glares that were directed at her, the essence of malice and hatred made her feel like suffocating and the anxiety of her unknown fate was crushing her.

But among all the things that she felt at this moment, the crushing weight of her guilt outweighed every other feeling she felt. All of the malice and hatred that was directed towards her, all of the soldiers who desired her punishment was a consequence of her own actions.

How many soldiers lost loved ones during that day? How many innocents did she assist in killing by luring the Titans towards the walls? Just thinking about it made Annie feel more ashamed of herself.

But she still thought about Armin, who was her closest person to her. She still thought about his kindness and gentleness towards her and how understanding he was of her motives, he condemned her actions but he didn't condemn her.

Annie believed that Armin genuinely believed that she deserved a second chance, but did she think the same way?

She believed that she didn't.

Ever since the death of her father, Annie looked at her life as some kind of a cruel joke. She gave up her humanity, her sanity and her innocence for a mission she did not even want to commit herself into. But in the end it was all for naught when her father was tried to become a titan, thus making everything that Annie did and what she sacrificed of herself become worthless.

Truth to be told, in that dark little world, she thought that Armin was her escape when they began to get closer to each other. She came to accept the fact that she garnered feelings for the boy, and she thought if wither or not he thought the same of her. A little part of her hoped that maybe she can have a future with him, that maybe she can live out the rest of her life in peace without ever having to worry about anything.

But reality was cruel, and she felt shame every time that thought took form in her mind. What right did she have to enjoy a future when she, indirectly, took away the futures of so many people? How many childhoods did she ruin? How many families did she tear apart?

She figured that she didn't deserve that kind of happiness, she didn't deserve any of that because she has blood in her hands.

But Armin still found it in his heart to go as far as to forgive her, though Annie was greatly relieved that Armin wouldn't hate her; his kindness and forgiveness only made the guilt become more burdensome.

"Why Armin?". Annie thought to herself. "You were supposed to hate me, why didn't you?". Annie thought.

Armin was a mystery to Annie at this moment, she fully expected that he would hate her and spit at her, then proceed to expose her, but he defied her expectations.