Chapter 20: Confession

A few days back, during the aftermath of their failed attempt to capture Eren, Annie was left at the mercy of the newly formed Crystal Titan. Hadn't Lazarus stepped in, she would've died right then and there.

The Winged Titan was able to set the forest ablaze, providing the perfect distraction for him to rescue her.

The Winged Titan carried the Female Titan in its arms as it flew a great distance away from the forest of giant trees. Once they were both far enough away, he gently lays her Titan body down on the ground, allowing Annie to exit it unscathed.

The Winged Titan kneeled to her level to properly address her. Its eyes still carried the same amount of care and love for her that Lazarus had. She was not at all intimidated by his crimson glare.

Annie however was trembling in fear. Not from Lazarus. But from the horrific experience she had with the Crystal Titan. It was the first time in a very long time that she wore a look of pure terror, believing she was going to die.

"Are you alright, Annie?" Lazarus asked softly with his Titan's voice.

Annie shook her head in response, still shaken up. Though her actual body was unharmed, she could swear she could still feel the pain of having her torso torn apart by Michael's hardened claws.

The Winged Titan slowly raises its right hand and uses his index finger to gently stroke the back of her head, attempting to calm her down. He then rests the back of his hand on the ground, allowing Annie to sit in his palm.

Tears started to run down her face as she began to break down in a mixture of sadness, fear, and relief.

"I thought… I was going to die." She finally spoke. "His power was too strong. I couldn't defend myself."

"It's ok." Lazarus attempted to reassure her. "The Crystal Titan is very powerful. You knew next to nothing about it. You couldn't have known what it was capable of."

"That's not it!" She blurted out so suddenly. "I didn't lose because I was careless, or because I didn't know what I was up against." She looks the Winged Titan in the eyes with such pure intensity. "I was- I was just afraid!"

Lazarus was slightly surprised by her response. He could tell she had a lot to get off her plate. So he made himself comfortable by sitting down legs crossed. His wings close in around him, forming a safe area for her to get everything off her chest. His wings harden in place once they've completely closed around them, forming a huge chrysalis of shining crystal, keeping them safe from any soldier attacks should they decide to keep moving forwards instead of heading back to Calaneth District.

"When I sparred against Michael during training, he was able to hold his own using nothing but upper body strength. Despite that, I still beat him. But looking back on it, I realised he was a lot stronger than the average man. His strength was equal to Reiners. I've always wondered why he was so strong… Now I know why. When I saw the Crystal Titan appear before me, I could immediately sense the scale of strength between us. Despite that, I still thought I could win. That rash thinking almost cost me my life and the mission…That was the first time I've ever feared death. Because-

She quickly stopped when she noticed the Winged Titan placing its left index finger where its mouth was, implying that she should stop talking.

"You don't have to torture yourself by looking back on your failures. None of that was your fault. As I said, you never anticipated the possibility of the Crystal Titan being real, let alone Michael being its host. None of us did. The failure of this mission is on me, not you. I'm just so glad your safe."

Annie wipes away her tears so that she could properly look at Lazarus. She motions him to bring his head a little closer, to which he obliges.

She places her hand on the Winged Titan's crystallised masked nose. She follows this up by leaning into it and hugging his face. The Winged Titan's eyes slowly close and he lets out a peaceful sigh in response.

The two of them hold the embrace for what felt like an eternity. Neither one of them wanted to let go of the other.

But the embrace was ended abruptly by the sound of the Winged Titan roaring and flailing around, accidentally dropping Annie in the process. The height she was dropped from wasn't big enough to break any bones in her body, but she was still hurt badly from the impact.

She then notices the grass beneath her was covered in blood, causing her to tremble in fear once again.

Her eyes soon shot wide open in pure terror once she saw the Winged Titan being impaled through the back by what looked like a huge crystal spike.

"LAZARUS!" Annie shouted in horror at seeing her friend being attacked.

The Winged Titan's eyes turn to her. Now it was his eyes that were starting to produce tears that soon ran down its masked face.

"An…nie." He weakly muttered in response.

The crystal cocoon around its wings shatters, exposing them to the outside world. Both Annie and Lazarus glance around and were shocked to see that the one who stabbed him was the Crystal Titan. Its eyes were glowing blue just like before. It growled at them, its voice carrying the same murderous intent it had when it fought the Female Titan.

"... Michael?" He uttered to his old friends Titan. "Why?"

There was no response from the Crystal Titan, as it ignored them and pulls its morphed spiked arm out of his back. He then kicks the Winged Titan to the ground.

The Crystal Titan stomps on its hardened back, morphs its arm back into a regular hand, and then proceeds to rip Lazarus's wings off like a bug. The more he pulled, the more the Winged Titan roared in response.

Annie was powerless to do anything to help him. All she could do was watch her friend being mutilated right in front of her.

The Crystal Titan eventually succeeds in ripping its wings off. Blood erupts out of the wounds in its back where the wings were attached. Blood was raining down upon the two remaining individuals.

Annie screamed in horror in response to being covered in Lazarus's blood. The Crystal Titan then proceeds to finish him off by grabbing him by the horns and using all its strength to rip his head from his body.

The Winged Titan let out another pain-filled roar as it could feel its neck being violently ripped apart.

Annie attempts to transform to stop him. But she was scared to learn that her Titan powers wouldn't activate after biting her finger. She bit her hand again several times, desperately trying to transform.

The Crystal Titan laughed at her failed attempts to transform. It stares intensely at her, causing Annie to freeze in terror.

"Are you scared, Annie?" The Crystal Titan spoke using Michael's voice. "You should be. How many people have died because of you?"

He then follows this up by presenting The Winged Titan's severed head to her.

"NOOOO!" She screamed. But her screams were silenced as she felt her arms and legs getting impaled by four crystal spikes, holding her down in the same way as their battle.

"You and Lazarus killed hundreds of innocent people. People who never did you any wrong. And for what? To capture one person?" The Crystal Titan roared down at her. "Monsters like you don't deserve to live."

The Crystal Titan slowly approaches her until it was standing directly in front of her. Its massive shadow had completely covered her. It then drops the Winged Titan's head right next to her, causing her to wallow in despair. Her focus was entirely on him and the pain of being empaled no longer mattered.

"You won't get away with this, Annie. I now know who you are. I will make you pay for what you've done!"

In the stillness of her bedroom. A terrified Annie awakens from her nightmare, letting out a loud gasp, trying to hold back a scream so she doesn't wake up her new roommate in the Military Police barracks.

She was sleeping on the bottom bunk whilst her roommate was still snoring away on the top. Her right arm and leg were dangling over the side.

The room was filled with sunbeams, showing that it was a nice sunny day outside. The room itself however was messy. Her roommate left her uniform strayed out all over the floor, with her jacket hanging on the bedpost.

It was a decently sized room with a bunk bed she shared with her roommate. A desk with various books and paperwork on it, and there were a couple of crates in the corner that contained all the stuff that she hadn't bothered to unpack once she moved in. The room also had a small bathroom attached to it, which was way better than having to use the public bathrooms Marley's military barracks had.

The sight of it all reminded Annie of the barracks she and her friends stayed in Marley, only this one was much nicer compared to theirs.

After taking a few moments to calm herself down, she decided to get up and start her day as an MP soldier.

At the moment she was wearing Pj's and had a bad case of bedhead. But a nice warm shower and a quick change of clothes fixed that no problem.

As she was brushing her teeth, she couldn't help but stare at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Seeing herself in this state made her think about that dream she had. She was beginning to question if there was a meaning behind it, like the repeating dream that Lazarus had every night.

"What's wrong with me?" She thought to herself. "Did that fight with Michael affect my mind that much?"

She then briefly thought about Lazarus being mutilated by Michael in her dream. She knows he can't be killed because of the experiments. But she still couldn't bare to see him writhing in pain.

"Lazarus… I hope he's ok."

Within the Military Police's main headquarters in the Stohess District, all of the recruits were gathered together to receive their assignments for the day. Annie was the last one to arrive. Her roommate, Hitch Dreyse, had already arrived despite being the late riser.

"Look who's finally arrived. You looked so terrified when you woke up this morning, that I had to pretend to still be asleep until you left." She teased her.

"Knock it off, Hitch." The recruit standing next to her spoke out in defence of Annie. "You've been lacking in your duties recently."

"Aww, look Marlo. You've upset her." Hitch teased again.

"She's antisocial, not upset." He corrected her.

Both of them were then silenced by another recruit standing next to Marlo. He reminded them that Annie fought in the battle of Trost, making her the only MP recruit who's seen some real action. As a result, she's been shaken up by the horrific events, which is why she'd become antisocial.

Some of what he said was true. But the real reason for Annie's behaviour was her barely escaping the Crystal Titans' wrath, as well as her nightmare of said event. All she could think about now was Lazarus and what he plans to do now that they know the truth about Michael.

All the recruits soon quickly stood and attention and formed a salute in response to a higher-ranked officer walking down the halls. He was carrying a bunch of papers under his left arm.

"Great. Thanks for the warm welcome, guys." The officer responded lazily to their commitment, not taking his job seriously.

"I called you all here because I have actual work for you today. Not just the same old crap. It's got something to do with the Scouts being summoned to the capital."

That last part caused Annie to start paying attention.

"Sometime tomorrow they'll be passing through town along the Main Street. HQ has already provided a security detail, so we're only being asked to assist until the convoy's clear. ODM use in city limits has been authorised. You'll be following beside the convoy as additional security. For today you'll be tasked with patrolling the streets as practice. Dismissed." The officer concluded as he looked over the paperwork.

"Sir. A question if I may?" Marlo spoke up.

The officer sighed in annoyance but allowed him to speak nonetheless.

"What exactly are we supposed to be protecting this convoy from, sir?… It's just that I've never heard of anyone defying the government. They're just glad to be safe. There are petty criminals, sure. But I find it hard to imagine any actual organisation existing within the wall that would attempt to strike. I mean what possible motive would they have?"

"Man, aren't you serious." The officer mocked as he got closer to Marlo. He then practically shoves the papers into his chest. "You can be in charge of this then. Everything you need to know is right in here." The officer then takes his leave, but not before giving Marlo one last look. "We officers are busy enough as it is. Prove that you can handle this one yourself. Oh, and you better not screw it up, got it?!"

The officer then enters a room where the other officers were hanging out, drinking alcohol, playing guards, and just straight up being lazy. Leaving most of the recruits – mostly Marlo – completely speechless.

Later that day, Annie and the rookies were all hanging out in the courtyard outside the HQ. Most of them were frustrated with the amount of slacking off that was going on with the higher-ranked officers, forcing them to do most of the hard work.

Hitch admitted that had she known that the rookies would be forced to do all the hard work, she'd have picked a different regiment to join. She intended to live a life of luxury so that she could be lazy to her heart's content. Only to learn her superiors were even more lazy.

Marlo however had a noble reason for joining the MPs. His goal was to rise through the ranks and become commander one day. Once he reached that rank, he'd make some major changes to the regiment. He viewed the current MPs as irresponsible, self-absorbed imbeciles. As well as repair all the damage done to its reputation thanks to all the corruption that's been spreading amongst officers.

Out of all of them, Marlo seemed to be the only one who took his position as an MP seriously and wants to restore it to what it once was.

"Hey, Annie!"

Annie, who was just standing around and keeping to herself, instantly responded to the familiar voice calling her name. The other MPs also look in the direction of the voice and spots Lazarus approaching them, waving his right arm from side to side.

"Who's this cowboy?" One of the recruits wondered.

"I don't know, but he's very good-looking." Hitch idly commented.

"From that symbol. I take it that he's a Scout." Marlo pointed out the Wings of Freedom symbol on his shoulders and left breast pocket. "Is he a friend of yours from the 104th?" He asked Annie.

Annie wasn't paying attention to his words, as her first instinct was to approach him and give him a big hug. The image of seeing him die. Made her feel pure joy in seeing him again. Even though it's been a few days, it felt like years for her.

The other MPs all looked on, dumbfounded by Annie's sudden change in personality. The whole time she'd been with them she's been antisocial and always kept a straight face. This was the first time they'd seen her display any form of affection to anyone. He must be someone special if he's able to bring out her true self.

"I'll take that as a yes." Marlo finally spoke up again.

"So Annie has a man in her life, ey?" Hitch added more seriously than her usual teasing. "I'm actually kind of envious of her."

Annie and Lazarus break off their embrace so that he could properly introduce himself to her new comrades.

"Sorry if I'm intruding during your shift. My superiors finally gave me some time off so I decided to come down and visit my friend." He extends his hand to Marlo first. "I'm Lazarus Averbach. Pleasure to meet you.

"Likewise," Marlo responded as he accepted his gesture. "I'm Marlo Freudenberg… So you're a member of the Scout Regiment?"

"I am indeed."

Hitch then rudely pushes Marlo out of the way so that she could take hold of Lazarus's hand and introduce herself to him, whilst looking into his eyes with desire.

"Well hello, handsome. My name is Hitch Dreyse, Annie's roommate. She mentioned you to me a couple of times, but she never told me how hot you are."

Lazarus's cheeks quickly blush red in response to Hitch coming on to him like that, preventing any words from coming out of his mouth. How could anyone respond like that? All he could do was smile and laugh nervously.

Annie however ceased her flirting by whacking her on the head with the butt end of her rifle. Hitch immediately lets go and clings to her head and curls up against the fountain, waiting for the pain to go away.

"Well, it's nice to meet you too." Lazarus sheepishly replied.

"Don't encourage her." Annie bluntly told him. "Why are you here really?"

Lazarus could see that she still hadn't gotten over what happened to her in the forest. All the more reason why it was needed for him to come to see her, not just to put her mind at ease, but to warn her that her covers were blown.

"Right. I wanted to talk to you about something important. Are you free now?" He asked.

"Unfortunately not. We were about to get back to patrolling the streets when you arrived. Our shifts don't end until sundown." She explained.

"I see," Lazarus says defeatedly.

This was an urgent matter that must be discussed as soon as possible. He couldn't afford to wait. But if he were to drag Annie away from her duties to tell her, there's the possibility that one of the MP recruits may spy on them. On top of that, it'll make them look suspicious. And telepathy was out of the question either as both individuals had a lot on their minds right now to properly focus. For now, the best option was to be patient and wait till her shift was over.

"I guess I'll tag along until you're done. If that's alright with the rest of you." He addressed Marlo.

"We hadn't received orders to accept help from a Scout, so I guess it's ok. As long as you don't get nose-deep into our business."

"I can work with that." Lazarus smiled. "I'll just hang back and watch how you MPs do things."

Marlo returns the gesture with a smaller smile, showing his appreciation to him.

Once Hitch had recovered from her head trauma, the MPs and Lazarus head out onto the streets and begin their shifts.

As Lazarus and the MP recruits walked through the streets, Lazarus took the opportunity to properly get a good look at Stohess. The town looked somewhat similar to the capital of Marley. Its streets were occupied by people who were all wearing much fancier clothes compared to the poorer citizens of Wall Rose and Maria.

The stalls they passed also had much higher quality foods and merchandise compared to other districts he'd seen. Even the streets looked a lot cleaner in comparison.

It's obvious to him that the people of Wall Sina are among the rich whilst the people of Wall Maria were poor. And Wall Rose was somewhere in the middle.

Marley had the same system. With most of the Marleyan citizens being more wealthy than others. The only wealthy Eldians he knew of were the Tybur family and any Eldians who'd been made honorary Marleyans. Whilst everyone else was treated like dirt. No matter where he went, the same rules apply to all nations. One day he hopes to put a stop to it and ensure all are treated equally.

"So Lazarus. Tell us where you're from?" Hitch asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Me? I'm from a village in the mainlands of Wall Maria, the same as Annie. We grew up together, me and her."

"No wonder you two are so close." She teased. "Still though, I don't get what a guy like you sees in her. She's all brooding and glum. Doesn't seem like your type at all."

"Well, I'd like to think that the longer you get to know someone, the stronger the bond. If someone's as closed off as Annie, all it takes is time and patience to get them to lower their defences. Right, Annie?"

Annie lightly grunted in response. She was more focused on finishing her shift so that she can properly talk to Lazarus about the events with the Crystal Titan.

"Well, if Annie ever decides to dump you, you know where to find me." Hitch teases again whilst grabbing a hold of his arm.

Annie was about to smack her again, but she wasn't given the chance to do so due to hearing Marlo call out to two higher-ranked MP officers. From what they could see, it looked like they'd just accepted a bribe from some shady-looking people. And Marlo may be trying to put a stop to them.

Lazarus admired him for that, as this would've been what he do were he a member of the MPs instead of the Scouts. But because he promised to stay out of their business, all he could do was stay back and watch what happens.

Marlo attempted to reason with them and let them know that what they were doing was against the law and goes against what the Military Police stand for. Only to be laughed in his face by the two corrupt officers.

They then try to bribe him off by slipping a gold coin into his left breast pocket, telling him to spend it on a cheap hooker.

This angered Marlo even more than before. He was disgusted with their behaviour and decided to put them in their place. Only to end up getting punched in the gut by the butt end of his rifle, forcing him down on his knees and wheezing on the ground.

Lazarus struggled to fight the urge to get in there and help him. Something Annie took notice of, and decided to get involved for him.

She grabs the officer's arm as he was about to bring it down on Marlo's head. The officer in question was surprised by how much strength she had to hold his arm in place like that.

"He's had enough. Don't you think, sir?"

Hitch then intervenes and apologises to them on Marlo's behalf, telling them it wouldn't happen again.

The citizens in the area were all watching the events unfold. Realising how damaging this would be to their reputation, they decide to let it slide this one time and leave the scene.

Once it was over, the citizens went back to their lives. Lazarus then finally decided to get involved and helps Marlo off of the ground. Marlo however pushed him aside and attempted to reach for his rifle. His mind was still clouded with anger to listen to reason. He didn't want them to get away with their crimes.

"I get it," Lazarus whispered behind him. "I can't stand people like that either. The moment I saw them hit you, my first instinct was to help you out. But I respected your wishes of not getting involved and stayed back. I only ask that you do the same and let this go for now… Do you want to be labelled as a criminal before getting the chance of bringing them to justice?"

Lazarus's words caused Marlo to freeze up. His hands started shaking as he was clutching his rifle. Lazarus then reaches for his rifle and slowly lowers it for him.

"I know I'm just a Scout. But I know a thing or two about justice. Killing them will only label you as a murderer. Believe me."

Marlo turns to Lazarus in response to his words. It would seem that they've left quite an impact on him. Once he calms himself down, he properly addresses him.

"Thank you for stopping me from doing something I would've regretted for the rest of my life. I can't imagine how things would've turned out had you not shown up."

"It's nothing," Lazarus assured him. "Annie would've told you the same thing."

Marlo turns to Annie, curious if she was going to confirm that. Annie glances over at him and shrugs her shoulders, implying that she might've.

As soon as the MP rookies had gotten over the unusual events that transpired by the riverbank, they all continued their patrol through the streets. With Marlo leading the way, Lazarus walking behind Annie, and Hitch bombarding him with more flirting and questions, desperately trying to win him over, leading to Annie following through with another bonk to the head.

As the sun was setting behind Wall Sina, all the recruits were finally free of their duties and allowed to spend their free time however they pleased.

Marlo, Hitch and the others decided to head into town to grab some dinner at one of the local pubs. Annie and Lazarus, however, wasted no more time and immediately went back to the barracks.

Annie leads Lazarus to her and Hitch's room. Unfortunately, the rooms had no locks so there's no way of stopping Hitch from coming in should she decide to come home early.

"Oh, nice room," Lazarus commented. "Much nicer than the Scouts barracks I can say that much."

"Cut the small talk, Laz." Annie bluntly interrupted. "Why did you come here?"

"Right, sorry." Lazarus clears his throat and takes a seat on the chair by the desk before speaking his mind. "Well, there are two reasons why I came. The first was to see how you're holding up after what happened with Michael."

"Oh, so now you're worried about me?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" He raised his eyebrow slightly.

"In the forest when I was being horrifically torn apart by your so-called "friend", I was hoping you'd come down immediately to save me. Instead, you took your sweet ass time deciding on whether I was worth saving or not!" She raised her voice slightly, showing him how devastated she was. "Why did you hesitate? Why didn't you come and help me right away? And don't tell me you couldn't find me in time. I saw you watching me from above. You knew exactly where I was!"

Tears started to fill her eyes as she looked at him.

"You promised me, Reiner, and Bertolt that things would be different. After you hesitated to save Marcel and let him die, you promised us you'd never let that happen again! I trusted you, Lazarus." She then grabs a hold of his jacket and pulls him closer. "So let me ask you again. Why did you wait until the last second to save me?"

Lazarus couldn't bare to look Annie in the eyes as he thought carefully about how to answer her question. He feared saying the wrong thing may upset her even more than she already was. He should've known that her battle with Michael had a major effect on her psyche. He was a fool for not thinking that.

Eventually, Lazarus looks down at the girl he loved and took a deep calming breath before speaking.

"What happened with Marcel, and what happened with you, are completely different. I was only a child at the time. I hesitated then because I was afraid. That's what got Marcel killed… I was afraid back in the forest too. Afraid that if I did go down and face Michael, I'd have to kill him."

Annie lets go of his jacket and allows Lazarus to sit back down in the chair again.

"My mind was full of so many questions at that moment, trying to piece together what this all meant. I know that's no excuse for my actions, but… Seeing him like that. Acting like a monster. Tearing your Titan body apart. I felt a burning rage churning within me. I was scared of what that rage would do should I accidentally unleash it. I could've killed you, Michael, Eren, and everyone else in that forest."

"Truth is, Annie. I didn't hesitate just because I didn't want to kill Michael. It was because I was afraid of unleashing the Winged Titan's most unstable and powerful ability of them all."

That last part caused Annie to wipe away her tears and pay attention to what he was saying.

"What ability? Just how many abilities do you have?" Annie questioned.

"Enough to rival the power of the Founding Titan. Which was the whole point of the experiments… Since I was a kid, Lucia had been training me hard to ensure I master them all. But no matter how much stronger I got, there's still one power I can't master with training alone… We call it, The Hellfire Force. The most destructive power I possess. A power that can obliterate everything it touches, reducing them to nothing but ash. A power that can easily be awakened whenever I'm under extreme stress."

"When I saw you being attacked by Michael like that, I could feel my unstable emotions awakening within me. I was scared that I might accidentally unleash it. Even being high up in the sky wouldn't be enough to limit its effects. The blast can stretch out for miles. Nothing can stop it… The only way to ensure everyone's survival was to conserve my energy and disperse it into the sky. It was after I'd finished that I stepped in and helped you… The whole time I was up there I was fearing I wouldn't get to you in time. I feared you were going to die before I could finish."

He then surprised Annie by pulling her into a tight embrace. Tears then started to run down his cheeks as he held her tight, refusing to let go.

"I could never forgive myself if you were killed. I could never look your father in the eyes again. Michael is my oldest and closest friend. But you, Reiner, and Bertolt were the closest thing I've had to a family when I became a Warrior. I couldn't bare to live in a world without you in it, even if I did succeed in my mission. Because… I love you, Annie!" He shouted proudly and without hesitation.

Those words caused Annie's eyes to shoot wide open and her heart to start beating a little faster than usual. Her cheeks were also blushing bright red. But Lazarus still had more to say to her. Annie breaks off the hug so that she could look him in the eyes.

"I've loved you ever since we first met in the academy. At the time I was too scared to express myself because I didn't think you'd care. It wasn't until that night I heard you singing to yourself that I finally realised how I felt about you. You have the most beautiful voice I've ever heard… Michael made me realise that I had to tell you, rather than keep it hidden inside me. When I saw you being attacked, I thought I'd never get another chance. So that is why I came today. I didn't want you to go on living without knowing my true feelings."

Lazarus took a couple of deep breaths. It took all of his courage to finally confess his love for her. Now all that remained was to await her answer and see if she felt the same way. He knows that she might, but the recent events might've caused her to look at him differently. Though his explanation as to why he took so long wasn't good enough an excuse, it was still the truth.

"Annie?" Lazarus hastily addressed her.

Annie was just staring at the floor, unsure of what she should say next. Lazarus took this as a bad sign. Maybe she doesn't feel the same about him.

"Last night, I had a nightmare about you."

"What?" Lazarus uttered in confusion.

"In my dream, I saw you getting ripped apart by Michael's Titan form. I was laying helplessly on the ground, forced to watch him rip your wings off, and then your head. All this time he'd been tormenting me. Judging me for my actions during the mission. Torturing me for all the lives I've taken… He was punishing me by mutilating you, knowing how much you mattered to me. It was so horrible. I couldn't bare it."

Lazarus was shocked by what he'd just heard. He wanted to embrace her again, but she stopped him. She wasn't done yet.

"I know you can't die. But that doesn't mean you can't get hurt. It was then that I realised that our actions may come back to haunt us one day. Even if we were ordered by Marley to do it, it doesn't change how Michael will see us should he find out who we are. I'm scared too, Lazarus. Scared of losing you, and leaving you alone in a world that despises you."

She takes a moment to calm herself down before finishing what she needed to say.

"Michael is a great threat to our relationship. But at the same time, I know how much he means to you. I have no right to hate him for not knowing the truth. Even when I told you what my father had done to me, you didn't hate him. You treated him with kindness and managed to change him for the better. It's because of you I am determined to see him again and mend our broken relationship."

She closes the distance between them and looks up at him with a genuine smile.

"You gave me a reason to live. Despite how I was, you never gave up on me. Even when I questioned your choices ever since we got here, you never resented me for it. You treated me as an equal instead of a subordinate. It's because of that I grew to respect and trust you. But it was because of your hope and wisdom that I, a girl who grew to hate the world, learned to love it again… I will always love you for that, Lazarus. Till the end of my thirteen-year life, I will be by your side."

She then surprises Lazarus by pulling his head in and giving him a deep, passionate kiss on his lips.

Lazarus closes his eyes and holds her close without breaking it off. This was his first proper kiss with Annie. He could feel butterflies in his stomach as the passion between them only grew stronger.

He didn't want this feeling to end. Annie felt the same way. But he soon remembered the second reason why he came to see her. As much as he didn't want it to end, he needed to tell her now while it was still fresh in his mind.

He gently breaks away from Annie and strokes her face before telling her the bad news.

"Annie… I'm so happy we can finally be completely honest with each other. But, there's something else I need to tell you."

"What is it?" She asked softly, still affected by their first kiss.

"The Scouts know you're the Female Titan." He whispered discreetly in case someone was trying to eavesdrop. "I overheard them discussing a plan to lure you into a trap underground, using Eren and Michael as bait. They mean to take you away from me!"

Lazarus was expecting Annie to start getting worried. But surprisingly, she was quite calm about this. Leaving Lazarus to wonder what she's thinking at the moment.

"When is this ambush?" She finally asked.

"Tomorrow at noon. They'll be bringing Eren and Michael through Stohess to the capital for execution. I- I don't know what to do to stop them without exposing myself."

Annie breaks away from Lazarus and walks over to her bedroom door. She'd been keeping tabs on it ever since Lazarus came in, making sure nobody was eavesdropping on them.

She peeks her head outside and was relieved to see that nobody was hiding outside the door. And the other rooms were a good distance away from them so there was no chance of any nosy neighbours hearing them through the walls.

Satisfied that they were in the clear, Annie places a "Do not disturb" sign on the doorknob before closing the door again.

"Um, Annie? Is everything ok?"

Annie ignores his question and slowly approaches him. As she does so, she starts to remove her MP jacket and drops it to the floor.

"Annie…What are you doing?"

"You said tomorrow the Scouts are planning to capture me. So there's a high chance I might not see you again." She then removes her white hoodie, revealing her short-sleeved shirt. "This is my last chance to express myself to you. To show you how much you mean to me."

She then starts to remove her boots and socks in her attempt at seduction. It finally clicked with Lazarus as to what she was planning to do. His whole face turns bright red in response, forcing him to start acting shy.

"Oh! You mean you…want to do…that?!"

"You can say it, Laz. You're not a little kid anymore. I'll make it easier on you and say it first… I want to have sex with you." She stated bluntly without hesitation.

Hearing Annie say that without getting even a little bit embarrassed caused Lazarus to feel uneasy. How could she be so calm and accepting of this? Though he started to notice her cheeks blushing as well despite keeping a stern face.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" He panics while flailing his arms about. "This is too risky. There's no lock on your door. What if your roommate comes back and sees us?!"

Annie ignored his question and proceeded to remove her trousers next, leaving only her shirt and panties left.

"Right now I don't care. Knowing Hitch, she'd probably want to join in… Don't get any ideas!" She responded in a scary/threatening tone.

She then approaches the very nervous Lazarus and starts to strip off his jacket. At this point, Lazarus gave up on making excuses. It wasn't that he didn't want this. Any teenage boy would give in to their lustful desires should a girl ever offer themselves to them. But Lazarus didn't know what to do in this situation. He'd been taught many skills, but satisfying women wasn't one of them. Lucia never gave him relationship advice. But even if she did, he'd probably be too embarrassed to pay attention.

"Annie… I don't have any experience with this sort of thing."

"Neither do I. But it shouldn't be any more difficult than combat training or exercising." She pointed out as she unbuttoned and removed his shirt, revealing his chest. Annie almost lost herself as she stared and touched his pecs.

She then reaches for the top of his head to remove his Stetson. But Lazarus stopped her by grabbing her arm as it rested atop his head.

"Please don't… take my hat off." He asked hesitantly. Despite being shirtless in front of a half-naked girl, his hat was what made him the most self-conscious.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Laz. I already know what's under there."

"Yeah, I know, but… I don't want you to see the part of me I despise."

"Lazarus." Annie cuts him off with her soothing voice. She then places her right hand on his cheek. "I love you for who you are. Not for your appearance. I'd still love you even if you were bald, over 200 pounds, blind, and/or deaf. Remember what Lucia told you. It's what's inside that makes us beautiful."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about- wait a minute! I never told you that. How did you…" He cuts himself off as he soon realised that the saying was from his former mentor. "You finally witnessed some of Lucia's memories, haven't you?"

Annie nodded gently. "I first started seeing her memories when we attacked the walls. Seeing her mould you into the man you are today was what kept me going this far. The bond you shared with her inspired me to give this mission my all… She was a great woman. I'm glad that I was chosen to inherit her Titan."

Lazarus was deeply moved by Annie's words honouring Lucia's memories. He finally lets go of Annie's arm and allows her to remove his hat for him, revealing what he's been hiding under it all this time.

Underneath the Stetson was not a reseeding hairline as he had perceived. But rather something most bizarre and unusual… A pair of curved devil horns. These horns were identical to the ones he has as the Winged Titan, only much smaller and there were only two of them instead of six. Those horns served as a side effect and constant reminder of the experiments he was subjected to at such a young age.

Ever since he'd gotten them, he'd been hiding his true appearance under his late father's Stetson, all for the sake of protecting himself and anyone associated with him. All Eldians were seen as devils by the rest of humanity. Should anyone see his horns, it would only confirm it on the inside and outside.

Though she was surprised at first, Annie learned to look past his devilish appearance and see him for the good person he was meant to be. She slowly reaches for his head and proceeds to gently stroke them. The sudden contact with his horns sent a shiver down Lazarus's spine. Nobody had ever touched his horns before, other than himself and Lucia.

"Having horns doesn't make you more of a devil than the rest of us. We're all responsible for what happened to these people, not just you. In the end, we're all just people who were forced to do bad things. Never forget that."

Lazarus suddenly surprises her by leaning in for another long lover's kiss. Taken over by desire, they wrap their arms around each other and slowly head to the bottom bunk. Lazarus was laying back on the bed with Annie, still clung to his chest, laying on top of him. She then removes the last of her clothing, showing off her true feminine beauty to him.

Lazarus was no longer consumed with embarrassment or had any doubts in the back of his mind. He didn't even care if someone were to come in right now. All that mattered to him was being embraced by the love of his life. He wanted to enjoy this moment to its fullest before having Annie ripped away from him tomorrow.

The two Warriors stare deeply into each other's eyes before moving on to the main event. Both of them were filled with intense love and passion for one another, and they felt like nothing else in the world mattered.

"I love you so much, Annie Leonhart." Lazarus softly uttered.

I love you too, Lazarus Averbach… Now shut up and make love to me!" She responded just as softly at first before going back to being blunt.

She then cuts off any further comment he may have by locking lips with him once again. Lazarus didn't care, as he just wanted to enjoy this memorable moment while it lasts.

To Be Continued