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Minutes later…
All the three warriors sat around each other in silence. It was becoming unbearable.
Finally, Reiner broke it.
"Obsidian was at a military training barrack." The blonde boy stated. "The Crystal Titan once again has shown himself, and this time he was fighting some demon dog. It's all over the morning papers."
Annie turned her attention to Reiner. "I heard the rumors."
"Rumors?" Reiner's voice sharpened. "These aren't rumors anymore. It's confirmed. The thing that nearly killed me; is not only still kicking but apparently playing some hero while causing uproar in these walls. Have any clue why Annie?"
Bertholdt shifted uncomfortably. "Reiner, maybe we should—"
"Hold on Bert, I'm not finished." Reiner cut him off, making Bertholdt shrink to himself. "This is the same creature that appeared out of nowhere during the fall of Wall Maria. The same creature that was never in any of our intelligence reports. The same creature that somehow, conveniently, vanished without a trace after my encounter with it. And now it's back. At a training ground. Fighting a Demon Dog that the newspapers are calling a 'cosmic blight.'"
He turned to face them both.
"And you know what that means, don't you? It means Eren Yeager has been busy. While we've been sitting here, playing at being refugees, he's been out there; transforming, fighting, causing chaos. And we didn't know this whole time."
"And what do you propose we do about it?" Annie flatly asked. "Storm his shack? Demand answers? Transform in the middle of the camp and hope no one notices?"
"We need to get closer to him," Reiner said immediately. "That's what I've been saying all along. We need to understand his powers and his limitations. We need to—"
"We need to be smarter than that." Annie's voice cut through his like a blade, before she rose from her seat to face Reiner. "Reiner, think about what you're saying. You want us to 'get closer' to a boy who can transform into a creature that can match the Armored Titan in combat. A boy who apparently has a device that grants him multiple forms, each one more dangerous than the last. And you want us to do this while we're surrounded by refugees, Garrison soldiers, and a government that is actively hunting for anything unusual especially now."
She stepped closer deliberately getting to Reiner's front.
"What do you think is going to happen if we 'get closer' to find his weakness? What do you think is going to happen if he transforms again, and we're standing right there? Do you think he'll just let us walk away if he suspects too much? Do you think he won't recognize us for what we are?"
Reiner's jaw tightened. "I'm not suggesting we confront him directly. I'm suggesting we gather information. Find out what he's capable of. Find out where he goes, who he talks to, what he knows about the Founder. If we can—"
"You seriously think that would be enough?" Annie interrupted. "How easy do you think it would be if you really think we can try to capture him and turn him over to Marley? You saw what happened to me when I tried to fight him. I was lucky to walk away with my life, and so were you even with your titan form. Imagine what happens if he had used that form on you instead of Obsidian, you did be dead. Just to remind you all this shit was before whatever new horrors we've seen on this island like that ghost demon."
She shook her head, her expression turning bitter.
"Forget it. At this point, our best bet is to either focus on finding the Founder or retrieve Marcel's Jaw Titan. Those are objectives we can actually accomplish. Those are objectives that don't involve throwing ourselves against a boy who can turn into monsters we don't understand."
Reiner stared at her. His hands, still clenched at his sides, trembled slightly.
"Retrieve the Jaw Titan," he repeated slowly. "You mean hopefully find some random titan that ate Marcel's corpse. Search around the entire walls for a person we didn't even have the chance to see. That's your brilliant plan?"
Annie's expression didn't change. "Marcel was all your fault in the first place. It's still a better plan than trying to fight the Crystal Titan."
"Of course I know The Crystal Titan isn't the objective!" Reiner's voice rose, frustration and fear bleeding through. "The objective is the Founder! And Eren Yeager could be the key to finding the Founder! You said it yourself, he healed like a shifter, what if he is also one. If he is the coordinate or the lost titan, we can—"
"You don't know that!" Annie shot back. "You're assuming he has the Founder or connected to it somehow. But what if he's not? What if he's just some random anomaly that we've been chasing for months because we're desperate? What if we're throwing ourselves at a threat we can't handle while the real objectives slip further and further away?"
The tent fell silent. Bertholdt had gone very still, his eyes darting between them like a spectator at a tennis match he wished he could escape. Which couldn't further be from the case.
"Uh, guys?"
"…You've been avoiding him."
Annie blinked at Reiner's statement. "What?"
"Eren Yeager. You've been avoiding him. You talk about finding the Founder this whole time yet haven't made any moves on gathering information, and now you are doing the same to the only variable that we have got. You've just... stayed away."
The blonde boy narrowed his eyes at Annie.
"Why is that, Annie? Why haven't you met up with him at the very least? You were the one who saw him personally. You know more about his powers than we do. He trusts you enough, and yet you've done nothing."
Annie saying nothing only prompted Reiner to press on further.
"You have gotten worried about what might happen if we confront him that you're willing to let the opportunity slip away entirely. You're willing to let even the faintest clue of the Founder slip away entirely."
Annie's eyes flashed in subtle anger. "Do tell me Reiner, what's the endgame? Walk up to him and say, 'Hello, I'm the girl who tried to kill you. Please tell me all about your powers so I can figure out how to capture you.' That's not a plan. That's suicide."
"It's called infiltration," Reiner shot back. "It's called gaining trust. It's called figuring out his weaknesses before we make our move."
"And what weaknesses have you figured out if you are so keen on judging me?" Annie demanded. "What have you learned about him that we don't already know? What's your brilliant insight that's going to turn this around?"
Reiner opened his mouth to respond—then stopped. The truth was, he didn't have an answer. He wasn't even sure if they could get close to Eren, according to Annie his friends are very cautious. The girl was deadly enough and his other friend was very perceptive. Coming to Eren all of a sudden would raise suspicions than necessary, not to mention they don't even know him nor Bertholdt. Annie was the best chance they got.
"We need to figure out his weakness," he said finally, his voice quieter now. "That's what I've been trying to say all along. We need to understand how his powers work, what limits them, what vulnerabilities he has. Even if we don't make friends with him we should at least make sure his guard is down around us enough."
"And how do you propose we do that without getting caught?" Annie asked. "You still haven't answered the question."
"…"
Annie just sighed. "That's what I thought. You're just pretending to be some leader you are not."
That…stung Reiner more than he thought it would. Before he could even say anything, Annie opened the tent leaving.
"I need fresh air. Call me when you actually have a plan."
Bertholdt could only watch as Annie was leaving.
"Annie. Wait-!"
Too late.
Reiner slowly turned to Bertholdt. "You are terrible at this thing."
Bertholdt curled to himself. "…I know."
Eventually Reiner slowly sat down, before gripping his head. He really was getting desperate, wasn't he?
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