"It hurts so badly"
What ? who said tha-
Looking around he observed that to his left was the body of a girl he had never met, and a view from a wall of some sort that had to be at the very least 50 meters high.
Where ? Who is this…. wha-
"Sasha…"
Wait how do i know her name…i wait.…i died i died I died i-
"Armin you're up!"
I died I died ...…i…
He barely realized he was being hugged.
"Armin, I'm so glad you're back!" said the person hugging him, his voice filled with sorrow for all to see. but he still didn't register it, for he was lost in a vortex of fear and doubt.
What's with the weird Uniforms? Is this a dream
"About time"
"Captain Levi!"
Levi, Armin, Sasha… who-? wha- NO, NO,…
No, NO, no, can't be… I died, i died, No
The same cycle of denial repeated endlessly in his mind. Both individuals present beside him were ignored, for he was swept by absolute terror. Shouldn't he be dead? He should be
Thoughts kept on racing. Over and over again. The same utter confusion and horror. The sheer insanity.
He was supposed to die. The doctor said so. the pain, excruciating. The bland white walls, his only companion for his final days. The Coughing of blood.
Focus-
"What happened…? I can't remember." he questioned the person he positively identified as Eren Yeager now.
"Armin... " Said Eren looking even more concerned from his friend's question.
I'm gonna die again, aren't i ? Breathe....
In..
Out...
In..
Armin. From what it looks like, it's after He or I, ate Berthold. Meaning I'm meant to die. Again.
The curse of Ymir guarantees it. Dead, again.
we're sorry young man; you only have a year left at best. Bone cancer, I always knew I was cursed.
That thought almost made him snort.
Cursed indeed.
"It sounds like your recent memory was just about wiped out" the captain announced.
In terms of life expectancy, it's still more than what the doctor gave him in his last life.
Is this some kind of cosmic joke with me being the butt of it?
"Eren. Tell him everything." He asked desperately trying to center himself. His eyes were wide. His form was coiled and timid, brave and frightful all at the same time. It was a paradox and oxymoron of traits and features, of cowardice and courage, of madness and sanity -all of it, represented in his face and body gesture. To all present, it was clear Armin Arlert was scared.
Weak
Dying
Cursed
Bang-
As a green flare was launched to the sky all the thoughts of the now reawakened Shifter halted to a single Resolve So primal it risked overwhelming him.
Live.
Survive.
Prosper.
"Okay. Are you up to speed now?" the captain questioned; Armin wondered if Levi could read minds, but dismissed it.
"Yes sir."
More individuals started pouring in. Jean. Connie. Mikasa.
Jean approached the group slowly. His face pale from today's events. Still, he clearly couldn't stop himself from stating the obvious.
"There are only nine soldiers left alive. The nine of us." silence prevailed but he continued more for himself than anything else. "The fighting ended four hours ago. We've been searching for survivors, but…. no luck."
Say something.
"Oh... so I ate Bertholdt"
Fuck
"Yes. It was between you or Commander Erwin."
"I see " The cadet said with what he hoped was a sad tone.
Levi frowned. "There was a short debate. Your friends here argued that you were the one we needed to revive, and when I disagreed, they staged a little mutiny.
Eren was going to start apologizing, but Armin intervened. "I'm terribly sorry for Commander Erwin sir. We'll work harder and make it worth the sacrifice, Captain." the young cadet voiced with all the passion he desperately needed them to believe, for his life depended on it.
With a hardened stare the captain continued not bothering to affirm his words. "The thing is, I was the one who chose to revive you in the end. Or no. It's more like I chose this to be the place Erwin died."
"To be brutally honest I believe it should've been used on Ewin." *sigh* "To be brutally honest- Argh!" She almost shouted while grabbing her hair. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down. With visible effort she stared blankly ahead and said "Nevermind. It's a shame we had to choose in the first place" the new appointed Commander Hange noted.
Fuck you too bitch.
She continued "Anyways, Erwin entrusted Levi with the decision to use it. And Levi ended up choosing you. What's done is done. Erwin's life and a Titan's power now rest on your shoulders. No matter what anyone says, that's part of who you are now, Armin. Accept it."
"I'll do my Best Ma'am" to thrive, to live, to be strong.
"Don't let any of us regret this. Not me, not either one of our mutineers here," says the captain while holding both Eren and Mikasa's head in a vice-like grip "nor anyone else. And especially don't regret it yourself. Consider that your new mission"
"Shut the hell up" Sasha heaved from her place of rest.
Hange chuckled and said "yep, that's our Sasha. She's always been one to speak her mind." Sighing heavily, she refocused. "You know, since Erwin chose me to succeed him as commander, I'm more or less in the same boat as you." No you're not "We'll just have to grin and bear it" I genuinely don't care about this whole thing, I just want to live for the first time in both lives. No matter what. No matter who gets in my way "While doing what we can."
"Yes, Commander" He realized he needed to show sincerity. His survival rests on the survey corps and the friends of the previous occupant of this body. So, his eyes never left the Now Commander's own. For a couple of seconds she kept on searching for something, he didn't know what, but apparently she found it and moved on.
"Good."
*Sigh*
"Now that we know Armin alright, let's check out that basement. Eren, Mikasa, you two can come to guide me and Levi. The rest of you stay. Keep an eye for hostiles from here on the wall."
I need to be strong.
"Yes, Ma'am!" "Alright." "Got it."
"Eren do you still have the key?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Let's go."
He could never let himself be weak again.