"Come on, come on...Please!" Chanted a young freckled faced soldier as he pounded his gear's trigger against his thigh as he ran. The handles which he held were sticky with Titan blood that was half evaporated and his own blood and sweat. He had already tried wiping it off, but it was time consuming which meant it was very dangerous. Yet, the hopeless pounding was useless. The trigger would not pull.

"Damn."

He sighed heavily and quickly tucked the useless handles back in the holster attached to the straps across his chest. With his 3DMG out of the question, his best bet for survival was to find a fellow soldier or trainee. Or a decent hiding place until they retook the town, though a hiding place was not likely where he was now. Seeing as most of the fronts of the building were wiped clean off, and sat in piles of rubble.

Hopefully, he could find Jean. A fellow trainee who he had bonded with, but more like he looked up to him. They had made the top ten together! And after this nightmare, they were going to join the Military Police together. Anything to get out of Trost.

In the haze of his thoughts and pounding heartbeat, he failed to realise that there was a deeper pounding than just his heartbeat.

As he wiped around a corner of a block, he freezes in fear.

A 4-meter class, eating what was most definitely a person. He can hear the bones crunch as the creature eat.

Bile rises in his throat and begins to see black spots. Slowly, he backs away keeping his eyes on the creature.

Thankfully, this part of his luck seemed to be active today as he makes it back around the corner without a hitch.

Until, of course, he sees that essentially he is surrounded.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The Titan in front of him has to be at least 7 meters tall, and its eyes are fixed on him.

The hand reaches towards him.

He no longer feels the urge to run, either way he's dead. No soldiers nearby, no Jean.

The Titan scoops him up with ease.

He can't move, the sight of its teeth causes the blood to fall from his face.

The giant hand moves him closer to its mouth and the freckled soldier chokes back a sob.

Suddenly the sound of 3DMG fills his ears, the sweet sound of wires shooting out at a high speed, the piecing of the arrowhead, and the whoosh of air as a soldier propels forward.

He tracks the sound to where the soldier landed. Bracing his hands on one of the cruel fingers that has him trapped, he rips his frightened gaze away from the hideous gaping mouth in front of him and towards the rooftop instead.

Instantaneous relief flows through him. The soldier was looking down at him, blades drawn. She had her blonde hair tied back, expect for her bangs that hung in her face. Not that that prevented her from making the top ten in their class.

He goes to yell, but the name catches in his throat.

Why wasn't she attacking the titan?

Couldn't she see that he was in danger?

Something is very wrong.

He does not tear his eyes off her standing, blades drawn. She is frowning now, and she looks down. She swayed back and forth. He only wishes he knew what she was thinking.

The seconds tick by and he can feel the heat and humidity from the inevitable end that is drawing near. He violently struggles, but deep inside he knows it is pointless. He is out of blade, even if he could get to the triggers in the harness he wore strapped around his torso.

He stopped moving, and returned his gaze onto her. By this point, she had looked up and her façade of indifference broke. She looked scared, like a mouse caught between a wall and a cat.

That was his last sight. For next, there was extreme pressure on his head then darkness.

His last thought was only "Why?"