I was talking with my friend saying how I was running out of ideas for something else that I am writing and she started to say how I should try to write for a different fandom as well, so I picked this one when I had suddenly got an idea for a one shot.
This is set during the Battle of Trost.
I hope you enjoy it!
They had been so proud when they had first signed up. This had been their chance to prove that they were much more than the little kid that always lived in their parents' shadows, to prove they were strong like them. A hero. They had been laughed at when they had first left, their whole village didn't believe in them. No one would support the lone soldier. They had been called crazy, suicidal. "Digging them-self into an early grave." But the soldier didn't believe them. They had joined with their head held high and the legacy of two great, fallen soldiers resting on their shoulders. There was no stopping them and no one could convince them that they were doing the wrong thing. But maybe if they'd actually stopped to listen to their village, they would have heard the concern that laced the words of their fellow villagers when they left. If they had looked back, just once, they would have seen the tears that were shed for them. Because deep down in the hearts of the villagers, they knew the soldier wasn't safe. And the soldier had also thought that at first, until they had remembered just how long it had been since the Colossal Titan breached the outermost wall and destroyed the town of Shiganshia. Thank God that had not been their village! It sounded terrible, but they wouldn't have been able to live with them-self if something happened to the people there (despite the criticisms they had). They were determined to never let that happen again. To anyone. But it seems they had failed on that promise to.
No one could have predicted that five years later, the Trost District would suffer the same fate as Shiganshia. Surely they would have been more prepared. The soldier had thought this to them-self as they helped to load the cannons that would hopefully hold off the oncoming herd of Titans. They hadn't even needed to be asked before they had jumped into action, not giving it second thought. Not once did it occur to them that this wouldn't work for long. Every ounce of their mind placed their trust in the fact that they believed no one would lose their lives that day. They actually believed, with all of their heart, that the soldiers would be able to hold them off. It had been five years since the last attack and they remember how quickly the news had spread. Surely five years is enough time to prepare for something like this again, right? Right?! It had to have been. They can remember how their village didn't hesitate when it came to accepting the small number of evacuees that had travelled there. It seemed that had not happened very often. Everyone else that took them in complained bitterly, but the soldier could not see how it was their fault that they had been forced there. They had just lost their homes. Their families! Everything they knew and loved had literally been crushed and their lives would never be the same again. How could they be? That was why the soldier was there. They had promised that they were never going to let that happen again, but now that had failed and all they could do was fight to protect the innocent lives that resided in these walls. The cannons would hold them off for now. They had before...Just obviously not very well. Then the first of those beasts had came through the hole in the wall and the rest followed. That was when the soldier realised just how naive they had all been and there was nothing that could be done as they watched them slaughter their first victim. Then their next. And another one. And another one. The blood rained from their mouths and fell to ground in a red waterfall. They had tried to fight. Really they did. But it was useless and that was when they had began to realise just how stupid they had been.
However, the soldier had next to no time to think about it before they had been whisked away to fight alongside their fellow trainees. They were all scared, the soldier could see it written on their features. The usual bright, radiant people that they had come to know where all trembling, their faces drained of colour as they witnessed the bloodshed before them. Even the more stoic of their teammates were trembling in fear. They needed someone to be strong for them if they couldn't do it themselves, so the soldier once again suppressed the fear that they had felt rising in their stomach and still stood proud with their head high. When everyone was separated into temporary teams to tackle the oncoming hoard of monstrous creations, they were one of the first and only people to actually volunteer to be on a team, although they had the little niggling voice in the back of their head that was gradually getting louder and louder, making itself known. It was telling them that this was all pointless, but they ignored it in favour of making their team believe that they could do this. They would live to see another day if this wannabe hero had a say in it! One by one, they reluctantly trusted them and agreed to fight by their side. The soldier couldn't understand why, because they didn't even believe them-self. Their bravery and pride was slowly evaporating the longer that this nightmare continued. By the end of this, they would have none of it left and they could feel them-self becoming a shell of their former self. Don't let the others see that though, or they would never have followed them. Maybe it was better that they hadn't.
The soldier had flown right past their first teammate before they witnessed them be brutally grabbed out of the air by their leg. Their cries of pain and anguish did nothing to mask their cries of fear as the jaws of the titan closed and everything fell silent. Then it turned towards the rest of the team and the soldier snapped. With a vicious cry, they flew forward, past it's swaying hands and sliced it's neck. Blood splashed all over them as it crashed to the ground, steam dancing in large clouds from it's body. That was the only thing on the soldier's mind at that moment. Their first titan kill. For the few moments that it had been a distraction, they failed to notice a second titan reaching to grab them from the roof they had been perched on. Lucky for them, a fellow teammate (from a different make-shift squad) pushed them out of the way before the bearded creature placed their terrified blonde comrade in their mouth instead. The soldier reached out to grab them from it's jaws, but one of their comrades took their hand instead and dragged them from the roof. The last thing they saw of their comrade who was left behind was that they were lying on the roof, crying as the titan's jaws snapped shut and they they felt their heart twist in guilt. Their comrade must have been saved just like they were. Someone else lost their life just because the soldier was so careless. That was when they saw another teammate be swatted out of the sky and land on the ground with a sickening thud. They had to force yourself to not stop as you heard their final dying screams.
It happened again and again until the soldier was by them-self, flying alone, low on gas and almost all of their blades had been blunted from the several times they had actually tried to kill one of those...those monsters! They had heard whispers of a rogue titan from a team that they had passed on their way to fill up on gas, but they did not know what they were talking about. It was impossible. No titan would ever fight for humans. It was always against them. For as long as anyone could remember. That was all they knew. It was all the soldier knew. They just didn't believe that rogue titan to be true. But did they ever get to find out? No.
All the fear and built up emotions that they had hidden in this battle all came out in a blood-curdling scream as they felt something hard hit into their side and their 3DMG Gear detached from it's perch. They were falling. Faster and faster. The floor was coming towards them at an alarming rate. Suddenly, they landed with a loud CRACK as they felt their bones break and they cried out in agony. Then in anger. Then guilt. Pain and sorrow once more as they regretted every decision they had made up until this point. Because they had not been able to keep their promise and protect them. People had died! How could the soldier not have realised sooner that they would? Titans were monsters and no soldier had any right to think that they could be dealt with so easily. The soldier had no idea how much pain people suffered because of these creatures and today had been eye opening for them. Their comrades had all been slaughtered before their eyes and what did they do? Nothing! They had told them that they would protect them, that they would not die today or any day as long as the soldier was around. But they couldn't even survive this them-self! If the soldier hadn't even believed them-self, then the others probably hadn't either. Not really. They never did. And now they were all dead. The soldier would be joining them soon. Wherever they went had to be better than here. Their pain would be over. But did that mean they were escaping? Running away? Abandoning the fight? The soldier needed to get up! They wanted to get up! There was still fight left in them. It was possible... Wasn't it? Finally, they let a cry of fear as they realised that this was it. They were over. Finished. Even though they wanted to get up, they wanted to fight, there was no way that they would. They couldn't move.
So this was it. This was where they would die. And this, this was where they finally realised just why their people had tried so hard to stop them from going in the first place. They knew. They always knew that the soldier wouldn't be coming back. Not alive anyway. As they thought about them, all the happy memories they had of them, they couldn't help the small smile that ghosted their lips. They had always been there for the soldier and this was how they repayed them. By dying. The soldier knew right then and there that they didn't deserve anyone to shed tears for them, because it was their fault that they were there. It was their fault that they were dying now. A titan may have been the one to put them on the ground, but they were the one who signed up for all of this with no idea of what they would be hadn't known what to expect but even if they did, it certainly wouldn't have been this. And to think, they had wanted to be a hero! They didn't deserve the title. Heroes sacrificed everything to save those around them, whether they cared for them or not. All the soldier had done was kill a few monsters but everyone around them could do that. This solider was nothing special and they never would be.
They were just another face in the crowd. Another fallen soldier without a name. Faceless. Nameless. Meaningless. Their sacrifice was just one of hundreds. Other people had died who had done more than they ever could. Those people deserved to live. So with the soldier's last ounce of strength, thy lifted their hand up as if they were about to grasp the sun and they placed it over their heart in the traditional salute, saying a silent prayer that begged their remaining teammates and the townsfolk to live. To fight. They deserved it and the soldier knew that they could stop this. They had faith in them. Just because they hadn't been able to do much, that didn't mean that the others couldn't. If they lived up to the potential that the soldier had seen in them, then they knew that the others could win this and save Trost. They could grant humanity it's first victory over the titans and set the course for when we would finally beat them. This one soldier had only played a small part in that, at the beginning, and now it was their comrades turn to finish this. The ground shook beneath them as they saw one of those foul beasts heading right for them.
It hovered over them and the last thing they saw was a large hand reaching for their broken body. Their heart gave one last jolt as large fingers wrapped around their waist and crushed them before their eyes finally slipped close and their final tear rolled down their cheek.
An then finally, everything went black...