A/N: Welp, if you're reading this then I must have done something right! The summary for this story was the hardest one I've ever written, to be honest. I literally spent two hours spinning my wheels, trying to figure out the right words to put. This story is pretty close to my heart. One because I absolutely adore Attack on Titan, and two, it started out as a shameless h/c fic... but then it got really deep and angsty and it was made using a story structure I've never tried before. Y'see, this is just the first part, first "arc" of the story. But more on that in the next chapter.

Well, I should just stop blathering now and just let you get to the story.

FIGHT

Part One

Armin stood, unable to move, unable to tear his eyes away from the carnage. So many screams. So much blood.

From his place on the roof he could see them, the titans, the giants, smoke billowing from their naked bodies as they lumbered down the narrow streets of Troth, hemmed in by piles of rubble that had one been homes.

Why won't I just move? Armin though, his hands clutching the side of his head. A whimper escaped his mouth. For every moment he stood there, more people died. He was supposed to protect them, to give his life so that the people of Trost could make it to safety behind Wall Rose.

How can I stand here? Why aren't I moving?

But... what was the point? At any moment either the colossal or armoured titan could show up to destroy Wall Rose as well.

They were all just animals waiting in their pen, waiting for the slaughter.

Just then, a yell crashed through Armin's ears, a battle cry, almost. A scream that had been bottled up for five years. One that had finally been let loose.

Eren.

Armin dared to raise his head, and saw his friend, reduced to nothing more than a blur as he flew through the air. Again and again he struck out with his anchor, that barbed hook connected to his belt by a long steel rope, and pushed down on the gas which propelled him forward. He was heading straight towards a titan, one of the fifteen meter ones. Fighting back. Doing everything Armin himself could not do.

Please, Armin whispered silently. Please... don't let it kill you.

He watched as Eren slid to a stop on the roof just behind the titan. He watched as Eren's anchor embedded into the beast's shoulder, as Eren used it to pull himself up and forward, blades ready to slash the titan's nape, their single weak spot.

He stood and stared as the the titan turned, swatting at Eren like a human swatting at a mere fly. His breath caught in his throat as he saw Eren go flying.

Then Eren's body smashed into the roof. The snap of his leg sounded like a gunshot. Tiles sprayed out on either side as he slid across the roof, a bruised, bloodied mess.

Armin raised a hand to his mouth, nausea rising up his throat. But he couldn't tear his eyes away. He saw the titan step closer to Eren. It was grinning.

They were always grinning. Even when they were being sliced to bits, still that sickening grin stretched from ear to ear. It was almost as if, devoid of intelligence as they were, they knew that they were the stronger ones. That there was little to fear from these puny humans.

But then Eren stirred, lifted his head to glare at the titan. Blood was sliding down his face in thin trails, his leg was bent at an awkward angle, but still he rose to his feet, striking out with his anchor. It connected with the building just to the left of the titan. He was going to try and kill it.

Eren, no! Armin tried to scream. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. You can't do this by yourself!

The titan seemed to giggle. Almost in slow motion, it reached out and pulled at the steel cord, like a curious child. And Eren plummeted out of Armin's sight.

No... Armin thought, his breath hitching. No... he's... it's going to ki—

Then Eren screamed. It was a loud, almost animalistic scream, and it was coming from his friend. His loud, hothead friend who had gotten him out of trouble more times that he could count. Who was always there when Armin needed him.

And now Eren needed him.

But he couldn't move.

Why wouldn't he just move?

"I'm sorry," Armin gasped, grabbing handfuls of his blond hair and falling to his knees. "I'm sorry, I—I can't. I'm sorry. I'm not good enough."

"Of course you're good enough."

The memory drifted across Armin's eyes, a distant memory. Him. Eren. Sitting on the narrow wall, a river gurgling past just beside them. The sun beating down on their backs, an open book between them.

"No, no, I'm not! I'll never learn to read!" Eren huffed and slammed the book shut.

"C'mon, you'll get it," Armin said. With gentle fingers, he lifted the cover of the book. "You're the most determined person I know! If you can't learn to read, no one can."

Eren gave a snort, crossed his arms.

"Eren," Armin said, "I believe in you."

"I believe in you."

It was what Eren had said during their training. Time and time again, when Armin had been one bruise away from quitting.

"I believe in you."

Armin's head snapped up. His hands slipped down to clip the handles to his swords. With one fluid motion, he unsheathed them, the loud shink of metal on metal like music to his ears. He shot out the anchor and soared into the air, heading towards where the sound had come from.

Then he saw it. The titan. It was bending over a limp Eren, its hand stretching out...

"Hey!" Armin yelled. "Hey! Over here!"

The titan turned, a big smile on its bearded face. It lurched towards Armin, who shot his anchor into a building, launching himself out of the way. He had almost made it to the next roof when several large fingers wrapped around his small body.

Armin's eyes shot wide open, but he wanted to close them. He wanted to shut them tight and not open them until it was all over. But instead he watched as he rose up to meet the titan. A bit of drool dribbled down its chin, its eyes lit up in anticipation. Armin would have shuddered, but the titan's grip was so tight he could not even do that. He couldn't even force a scream from his mouth.

He was going to die. He was going to be killed. He would never see the ocean, the fields of ice, all those beautiful thing he had read about...

The stronger killing the weaker. That's how this cruel, beautiful world worked, didn't it?

These titans were no different than the bullies that used to torment his back when he was a child. Except this time it was all of humanity fighting against these monsters. And losing.

What was the point?

Everyone knew stronger ones always win.

The titan let out a roar. Its grip on Armin weakened. One of its legs began to buckle. Armin began to struggle, twisting his body, trying to reach his swords. The titan roared again, and let go. For a second Armin was falling, then he struck out with his anchor, tasting the burn of acid in his mouth. He wanted to throw up, he wanted to curl up inside himself, but there was no time for that.

His boots connected with the building, then he pushed off, launching himself towards the weak spot at the back of the titan's neck. He let out a cry and slashed with his twin blades.

The titan's body jerked. Then it stumbled. With a crash that shook the earth, its enormous body hit the ground.

For a second Armin simply stared, hanging limp from the ropes that held him midair. Then he turned caught a glimpse of black-brown hair by the titan's leg.

Eren.

Armin dropped to the ground. As soon as his boots his the cobblestones, he was racing over to his friend.

"Eren!"

Eren didn't respond. He lay sprawled across the ground, his leg twisted at an awkward angle, his face drenched in blood. One of his blades was steaming, wet with titan blood.

It had been Eren. Eren who had distracted the titan so Armin could get free.

"Eren," Armin said again. His knees crumbled to the ground; he reached out with a shaking hand to touch his friend's shoulder. "Please... please don't be dead."

Nothing.

Something wet was running down Armin's cheeks. A sob rose in his throat.

He threw himself down and wrapped his arms around Eren's lifeless body, his own hitching. He couldn't lose Eren. After all he'd lost, he couldn't lose Eren too. Not his best friend. Not the friend who'd saved him so many times, in so many ways.

Then...

A low thump sounded in Armin's ear. Then another. And another. Heartbeat.

Eren gave a weak cough. "A-Ar... min?" he mumbled.

Fresh tears flooded Armin's eyes, his entire body began to tremble. "You're alive." His grip around Eren's body tightened. "We're... we're both alive."

A strangled laugh escaped his throat.

For a long moment neither of them spoke. Then Eren reached up his arm and wrapped it around Armin's shoulders, the touch soft and firm at the same time. Comforting.

"We did it, Armin," he said, how voice cracked and dry. "We brought down a titan."

And Armin smiled though his tears, felt his hitching breaths ease.

Because sometimes the strong didn't kill the weak. Sometimes the weak came together and overcame the strong.

To Be Continued...

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