Attack on Titan: Monster

I once heard a crazy Armin theory...that Armin was the Titan that ate Eren's mother. I hated the theory because the Theory caused many to believe it was Armin who killed Eren's mom. but thankfully in time it was confirmed in the manga who the identity of the Titan that ate Eren's mom was. But...I had this idea for a long time but eventually decided to make it into a story. Basically this is a story of if the theory was true...if Armin was actually that Titan. So enjoy! (Warning-- the story can be sad😢)

“Eren, run and take Mikasa with you and head off to the boats!” Eren yeager's mother cries out to him.

“I'd like to, but not until I get you out!!” Eren’s finger bleed as he tries forcing rubble off of his mother. The house had crashed down when a boulder crushed it. Eren's mother was stuck.

“Will you just shut up!? Can't you just listen to me once in your life!? Mikasa...make him!!” Eren's mother begs her adoptive daughter Mikasa to take Eren and run off to the boats. But Mikasa begins to sob and cry as she whimpers No.

Soon enough Hannes comes….

“Hannes! Take the children and run!”

“Oh come on Carla, this isn't our only option. My job is killing Titans and saving lives!!” With that being said, Hannes darts off to face a nearby Titan that was approaching ever closer.

Hans was completely determined and set on saving the kids and Carla. He wasn't going to let them die. After all, he owed the Yeager family a debt.But upon facing the Titan, Hans freezes up. It had a devilish grin...the sight of the Titan alone was enough to make Hans turn tail, grab Eren and Mikasa and to make a run for it.

“Thank you…” Carla tells Hans as tears began to stream down her face.

“Moooom!! No!!” Eren cries. He was lifted up over Hans shoulders and the hot reaches his hands out for his mother who was still trapped underneath the houses rubble. Eren's mother reaches out an outstretched for her son as well.

“I love you, you hear!? Stay alive!!” She screams her very last words.

The Titan gets Carla out of the rubble, grabs her as her feet kicks about. Carla originally told her son and adoptive daughter that her legs were broken-- but that wasn't so. She told them that to save them. A mother will do anything to make sure that her children are safe.

She kicked about, Eren let's out blood curdling screams as tears streamed out of his eyes before the Titan breaks her and takes a huge bite out of her, ending her life.

Blood rained down onto the ground. Once satisfied and content with the Titans meal, it smiles an even bigger grin than before.

Eren, since this day, has hated Titans more than ever before. He loathed them. Despised them. Hated them. He wanted nothing more but to kill them all.

But what he didn't know….was that the very Titan who just killed and devoured his mother...was also someone who was very special to him.

These were the visions a certain boy has before waking up from a nightmare….

                       * * *

Armin gasp loudly before awakening. He was sweating all over and his heart was pounding something terrible. And his stomach ached. Tears streamed down from his face.

He hurries out of the cabin he was sleeping within and stepped outside before committing and getting sick as he cried harder. He placed his hand onto a tree, trying to steady himself.

The nightmare he just had...it was in the point of view of the very Titan that killed Eren's mother. The scene that played was exactly how Eren explained to his best friend.

Eren never told anyone else the story of his mother's death. It was a very hard story to tell. But Armin was the only one he told this story to. Armin was practically family to him and Mikasa once they lost their home and parents.

That dream...I...I was a Titan...I….I...I killed...Eren's mom?!

Armin continues to get sick and cry as these questions swam in his head. The visions from the dream keep repeating inside his head. He couldn't forget or unsee any of it.

I...I killed Eren's mom.

Armin collapse onto his knees before crying even harder. His cries were loud and hoarse, and filled the night sky.

It was loud and harsh enough for his best friend to wake up within the cabin. Nobody else wakes up, but Eren immediately steps outside to find Armin.

“A-Armin! Hey, are you ok!? What's wrong? Why are you crying?” Eren panics and places a gentle but strong hand onto his shoulder.

Armin only ends up crying harder. There was no way he could tell Eren...that he was the Titan who murdered his mother. He could never forgive him...Eren would hate, loathe and despise him for the rest of his life, if he told him the truth.

It was on a dream...but it was a vision. A long forgotten memory. It was hazy, but there. There's no mistaking this. Armin indeed devoured Eren's mother. And he felt hatred for it. How could he do this...and to his best friend?

“Armin, please! Calm down! Tell me what's wrong!” Eren was no longer by Armin's side but was now knelt down in front of him.

“I-I-I….I’m sorry.” Armin spits out before Eren grabs him into a hug.

“I'm sorry….I'm so sorry….I'm sorry…” he continued to whimper and sob into Eren's chest for quite a long time.

All Eren could do at this point was comfort his best friend.

                     * * *

It was the following day and Armin sat down at a table with a tray filled with his breakfast. Soup and bread, and nothing less.

Eren was the first to meet up with Armin upon arriving to the table. He sits himself next to Armin. Usually he sits across from him, but this time was different.

“Morning Armin.” Eren greets.

“M-Morning Eren.” Armin replies.

There was a moment of silence before Eren decided to speak again.

“Armin...if you don't mind me asking, what Happened last night? You were crying….and did you get sick?”

Armin alters his eyes sadly from Eren's. He didn't know how exactly to explain without giving away the truth. But lying was always an option...

“I…” Armin stops when he finds himself still with a loss for words. What could he say?

Oh, I had a dream last night and murdered and devoured your mother as a Titan-- she was delicious!  

Nah…

“Armin, look at me.” Eren demands in a Stern tone.

Armin couldn't disobey, and he hesitantly and nervously, returns his gaze with Eren's stubborn ones.

Eren was determined to figure out what exactly had happened to Armin last night. He needed to know if his best friend was ok.

“What Happened last night?”

…

…

“W-Well….um, J-Just a nightmare was all. I-Im sorry for worrying you Eren,...I…”

“What kind of nightmare? Will you be ok? It had to been a really bad one, bad enough to make you get sick.” Eren points out.

“Um...but really, I'm fine. It's ok now Eren. You coming to my side….helped. thank you, Eren.”

Eren came to a loss for words but before he could speak, Mikasa arrives with her tray of food.

“Good morning you two.” She says before sitting next to Eren by his right. She couldn't bare to sit across from him. Wherever Eren sits, she sits next to him.

“O-Oh...hey Mikasa.” Eren's voice grows softer.

“What were you two talking about from before?”

“O-Oh nothing.” Eren shrugs it off.

“But hey, the food here is to die for. Try some of it.” Eren grins sheepishly at suspicious Mikasa.

“The food here is to...die for? Eren are you well?” Mikasa leans forward and places a hand onto Eren's forehead in concern.

“H-Hey, Mikasa!! Quit it, I'm fine! Stop it!!”

Usually during moments like this Armin would smile and chuckle at the sight of Eren and Mikasa bickering. They get along so well.

But this time...he couldn't even bring a smile. He it frowned sadly.

The thoughts that he was Eren's mom’s killer wounded him. He couldn't bare the thought. It was excruciating thinking about.

Armin finished eating rather quickly and excuses himself before heading outside.

“Hm...Armin's acting rather odd. Is he alright, Eren?”

“Well….let's just say he had a rough time last night. He sorta...had some nightmares. But I don't think he wants to talk about it.”

“I see…”

Armin sat down onto the top steps outside the Mess hall and he lets out a heavy sigh.

Being around Eren hurt him. Not telling him the truth, hiding it, was painful. He wanted to tell him. Badly. But he knows that this will only hurt Eren worse than it is for him. It would burden his best friend. Pain him. And he couldn't do that to his childhood friend. But he also needed to be aware that his own life was on the line.

If he told Eren about it... he'd likely betray him. He would either inform the government and Armin would be executed on the spot, or Eren would see to it that he kills him himself... personally.

Armin's covers up his face with his hands as he stresses. He didn't know what to do. But he couldn't have himsey think too hard about it. What he was to do now was simple-- be silent and never utter a word of this to anyone. Not even his best friend.

But...was this really the right thing to do? Doesn't Eren deserve to know, more than anybody else, who was to blame for his mother's death?

“I'm so sorry Eren. I'm so sorry.” Armin whimpers as he resolves to never tell Eren the truth. Well...that was the plan at first.

                        * * *

Days have gone by and Armin hasn't told Eren a word about the truth of what he was, and what he had done. He didn't want his best friend to know…. because he knew it would crush him.

But today was the day the scouts were being gathered to venture outside the walls on yet another expedition.

Armin, Eren, and Mikasa were to be in separate squads from each other. But the three promised each other that they would survive and meet back within the walls.

Armin's squad headed south, but after a long ways of leaving the walls, a seven meter Titan appears and ends up kicking Armin off his horse, crushing his ribs.

Armin cries and curled up in the grass. Everyone within his squad cries out to him but wound up getting ambushed by three other abnormals who ran over.

Armin opens his eyes to see his alleys and comrades being devoured like animals by the Titans. He couldn't do anything….like always. He was weak, pathetic, worthless, a coward. He was nothing.

But then, out of the blue a light began flashing. And suddenly, Armin finds himself transforming into the very Titan that devoured Eren's mother five years ago.

The seven meter abnormal that was originally set on devouring Armin after brutally tormenting him, leaves. Usually Titans have no interest in killing any other Titans. Their main interest was humans. And right now, Armin was anything but that.

Armin was located within the nape of the Titan and he subconsciously began to control it in his mind.

The Titan steps away from the ambush and continues walking and walking, and eventually collapse on its knees and steam begins to build up.

Armin had no idea where he was at the moment. All he knew was that his skin and body felt boiling hot to the touch. He felt stuck. It was dark, sticky...and quite smelly. Where was he? He didn't know where. He really has no memories from controlling the Titan just now. So he couldn't remember any of it.

His mind was hazy, he couldn't think straight. But his ears were able to pick up sounds. It sounded like someone yelling...screaming?

But soon enough he felt himself being pulled roughly out of the Titan carcass.

One he was out, cold air rushed at him, cooling him off as steam blew out from the opening of the Titan he was pulled out of.

His mind was foggy and he couldn't think straight, but he suddenly felt a cold blade pointed directly on his neck. Was he being threatened?

He opened up his heavy eyes and the one he saw that pointed a blade towards his neck...was no other than Eren Yeager.

“E-Eren…?” Armin manages to whisper out.

Eren's face was full of hatred but behind it, sadness could be seen in his eyes as tears streamed down, reddening the corners of them.

“A-Armin...you...you…”

Armin glances around his surroundings. It became clear to him what has just happened. He was with his squad and they were ambushed.

His comrades were dying, he was wounded and his life was put into danger. He wounded up transforming into a Titan, but lost control.

When you are a Titan shapeshifter you transform when you inflict pain upon yourself, or when something or someone else inflicts pain onto you. But in that Moment you must have a particular goal in mind with a strong will.

Armin wanted to be useful to his comrades. He wanted to protect them and himself. So upon the impact of being kicked severely by the seven meter Titan, and upon having a strong will of wanting to protect them, he transformed.

But the odd thing, when losing control, his Titan didn't protect his allies despite his strong will. It moved on its own, walking away. He couldn't control it. He should have been able to subconsciously, but couldn't. It was strange.

This never seemed to be the case for any other Titan shapeshifters. But it was in Armin's unexplained case.

Armin was able to understand the situation despite being a little out of it. He transformed, collapsed, got pulled out by Eren, and seeing what and who Armin was, Eren threatens Armin with a blade by his neck.

Eren knew who and what Armin was at this point. He was the Titan that devoured his mother five years ago during the Titan attack in Shiganshina. And….he was a monster.

“I...I don't understand it Armin. How….why….you...you killed my mom?”

“I...I wasn't in control. Neither just now. I...I'm so sorry Eren. I'm a monster...a murder. I….I know you hate me. You loathe me. It's because of me, you began hating the Titans more than ever. I would understand if you wanted justice and vengeance for your mother. So…you can kill me if you want.”

Eren jolts and freezes up. He hated the Titan that killed his mother. Hated and loathed it, just as Armin had said. But...how could he ever hate his best friend?

Eren nervously stares at Armin, uncertain of what do to do. He has always wanted to get back and kill his mother's murder. But...how could he ever kill his best friend?

He's Known Armin since they were kids. They share the same dreams, and...they made a promise together. To one day, when all the Titans are wiped out, to explore the world together. To see the Ocean.

Erens hands tremble as he head the blade close to Armin's neck. He couldn't do it…

“It's ok Armin.” Armin suddenly speaks up, his voice soft.

“Do it.” He placed his hand onto the hand Eren was gripping the blade in, to soothe his trembling.

“B-But….Armin…”

“Just do it.” A tear rolls down from Armin's cheek. At that moment Eren knew.

“Armin...when you said you weren't in control when my mother….is it true?”

“Yes...but I still did it.”

“Armin...I Know you better than anyone. You would never want to willingly kill another human being. It's not like you.”

“J-Just kill me…” Armin began sobbing hard.

“N-No…” Eren tosses the blade away.

“B-But...I..I…”

“Armin, you weren't in control when you ate my mother. She was kind to you, and I know you didn't mean to do it. But... don't worry. I ate someone special too. My dad….and like you, I wasn't in control.”

“E-Eren…” Armin was about to speak, but was interrupted by Eren. He wasn't finished yet.

“Armin...I want you to know that it's ok. It wasn't you who killed my mom...it was the Titan.”

“B-B-But Eren, I am that Titan!”

“No, that's not true. You weren't in control. You weren't in control. You subconsciously did it without meaning.”

“But...I'm a monster…”

At this point, Eren firmly grips both if Armin's shoulders and looks into his eyes sternly…

“No Armin, it wasn't you!! You are not a monster, your a human being!! Don't ever believe something so stupid. You are human. And your my best friend.”

“E-Er--”

Unexpectedly before Armin could finish his stuttering, Eren pulls him into a close hug as Eren cried with Armin.

“We may be monsters….even murders-- but in the end of the day, we are all human Armin. Don't ever think differently.”

Armin returns Eren's hug hesitantly. Eren never told a soul about Armin's ability to shapeshift into a Titan. Perhaps in time the scouts or even the entire government will one day learn the truth...but either way, it stayed a secret between the two forever.

The End