7. The Shooter

                                    

                                          
Armin's POV
                          
Connor, I don't know who that is. This man is definitely the one that shot me, judging by the black cloak of his description from Levi. Also, that he literally killed the four guards protecting me. Damn it, I never thought that he would actually be crazy enough to sneak in a hospital with guards just to get to me. I'm sorry, Annie.
                          
"Are you going to finish what you started?" I finally said with no hesitation. Putting on my Commander voice. He laughed slightly. 
                          
"I never intended to finish you to begin with" He said. So that shot wasn't to kill me?
                          
"I see, so you shot me in the shoulder on purpose, knowing that I would be in the hospital and capture me here. Nice and crazy plan" 
                          
"Exactly, If I really wanted to kill you then you would have a bullet in your brain. You are as smart as they say, I'm impressed." He smirked. 
                          
"So... I guess the only question is why?" I asked.
                          
"I've been sent to capture you, don't even bother... I won't say who" He lifted his finger to do a 'No' gesture. 
                          
I sighed heavily, but knowing that I confessed my love for Annie relaxed my nerves. The man named Connor pulled out a syringe. 
                          
"Don't worry, it's just a sedative to calm you" He said while injecting it on my under forearm, I winced at the slight pain and dozed off. 
                          
Several hours later
                          
"Hey... hey, wake up blondie" 
                          
I woke up to be sitting in a dirty wooden chair with my hands tied behind it. My legs were tied tightly together with a strong rope. I looked around the room and It was very small square spaced room. I saw a staircase behind the man leading up, so I guess that we're in a basement. I looked up at the guy that woke me up, It wasn't the same guy as that Connor guy. It seems like it's a group. 
                          
"Hey, boss. He's up!" The man called out to the top of the staircase. I then heard footsteps going down. It's him, Connor.
                          
"Armin!! You're awake. How are you buddy?" He said playfully with his arms out like a kind gesture. I went silent.
                          
"Not talking huh? I guess we'll do it old school. My client said not to kill you, but didn't say to bring you in one piece soooo..." I got scared when he brought up some brass knuckles and walked towards me. I've been beaten up many times, but this might different than some ordinary fists. 
                          
"Ready?" He smiled and I smiled back.
                          
"Oh, you're enjoying this huh. Well I'm sure gonna enjoy THIS!" He landed a strong right hook with the brass knuckles on my face. I let out a groan in pain as my left side of my face was bleeding already. Those damn brass knuckles do pack a punch.
                          
"Did you know I'm doing this for more than the money? Do you know why?" He leaned down to my bleeding face. I didn't say anything, I couldn't.
                          
He grabbed a hold of my hair to lift my face up and looked at me with face of anger, but with so much sorrow and pain "Because you took.... EVERYTHING from me." He snarled.
                          
What? What did a possibly do cause this much pain to a man. I couldn't have done anything... wait, Oh... right. 
                          
"Two years ago, the devil's of Paradis raid Liberio to rescue their valuable Eren Jaeger. The Colossal Titan known as Armin Arlert destroyed the naval fleet to prevent a counterattack against Eldia, causing about ten thousand deaths of not only soldiers, but innocent children and women... including my family." He informed as it was a class presentation. I looked down in sadness as I remembered those events I never wanted to look back to. I remembered looking to that kid's eyes down there in my destruction, his eyes full of confusion and pain as a big chunk of rock crushed his bottom half.