Mikasa hurried outside to find Eren. Titans had just broken through the wall, and so everyone was preparing for the mission.
Which was to defend the town until the people were evacuated. Her heart raced in her chest, but she had complete control.
It would be her first actual battle with a titan. Mikasa ran outside, seeing Eren then.
"Eren!", she hurried over. "Mikasa..?", asked Eren, turning to look at her.
"Listen, I think it's best we don't separate. I don't want you out of my sight", Mikasa said worriedly. Eren glared.
"Would you cut it out! I'm not some little kid, I don't need you babysitting me!", he snapped.
"Eren, things are going to get really bad out there! And I don't want to lose you!", cried Mikasa.
"Ackerman, we need you more towards the East", a solider approached them then. Mikasa's heart sunk, as she looked at him.
Eren would be all the way to the West, on the other side of here. That was much too far apart.
Mikasa felt panic rise in her chest, as her words repeated in her head.
"Mikasa, promise me you'll keep him safe"
"Sir please! I'll only slow all of them down!", Mikasa pleaded then, Eren's mother's words ringing in her eyes.
Eren gawked at Mikasa talking back to a higher up, he then glared and didn something Mikasa didn't expect.
"HEY! KNOCK IT OFF!", Eren suddenly slammed his own forehead into her. Mikasa flinched back, now suddenly on the strong verge of tears.
She lifted her hands to her forehead, getting a severe stress headache.
"This is much bigger than the two of us! You can't protect me your whole damn life!", Ere snarled, glaring at her.
Mikasa trembled, looking at him with hurt eyes. When suddenly, a small trickle of blood ran down her forehead.
Eren froze, his glare leaving.
What had he just done? He just injured her. Just then most of his anger left and he felt a strong wave of guilt wash over him.
Had he really hit her that hard...? He didn't even realize it.
"Mikasa...", he started. Mikasa stepped away from him.
She couldn't contain her feelings any longer, as she let tears fall down her face.
Eren's eyes grew wide in shock and with panic. He never saw Mikasa cry over something like this.
"Sh-She's crying?!', he thought, as he felt more and more guilt eat at him with each passing second.
"I-I'm sorry Eren...", Mikasa choked back a sob.
"No, Mikasa wait..!", Eren started.
"I guess I'm just blinded...", Mikasa suddenly ran off then.
"Mikasa!", Eren went to grab her scarf to pull her back, but she ran too fast, out of sight.
Eren stood there, frozen. He was in absolute shock. What had he just done?
"Eren, what's taking you so long?!", Armin asked then, as he approached Eren. Eren glared, clenching his fist.
He then suddenly punched the nearby stone wall, creating a huge dent in it. Armin jumped, startled.
"Eren...?", he asked nervously. Eren glared, shaking furiously. He couldn't be more angry with himself if he even tried.
"Blinded?! I'm the one blinded...", Eren growled shaking. "What...?", Armin asked.
"I've been so obsessed with destroying the titans...I...I forgot the reason why I wanted to in the first place...", Eren glared.
"I promised your mom I'd keep you safe"
Mikasa's words rang through his ears, as he closed his eyes tightly, shaking.
"Eren! Come on! Titans are pouring in!", Armin snapped him out of it then. Eren looked up.
He nodded. The sooner this mission ended, the sooner he could get to Mikasa and apologize.
On the other side, Mikasa stood with Sasha, Marco, Krista, Annie and Connie. They all stood their ground on a rooftop, waiting.
Mikasa glared, blinking tears from her eyes.
"Now we won't jump in blindly, just wait...", said Marco. Mikasa suddenly glared and without warning, flew down on her gear.
"Mikasa, wait!", cried Krista.
"What the hell is she doing?!", cried Sasha. Mikasa flew on her gear, glaring as she spotted a ten meter class titan.
Mikasa swung around then, and slashed its nape, blood splashing out.
"Come on let's follow!", said Connie, they followed her.
Mikasa went far ahead, she glared and slashed the nape of a 15 meter. More blood splashed and hit her clothes.
For the first time, she felt angry at Eren.
"What was your reason for saving me...if you never wanted me around?!" she thought angrily. She blinked more tears out of her eyes.
Her head was pulsing with pain, bad. Mikasa glared, ignoring the pain as she slashed another 15 meter.
"Did...did she just kill four titans in a row?!", gawked Connie.
"She's being reckless", commented Annie. "Something's wrong, Mikasa is never like this. She's always so focused...", Sasha realized worriedly.
Mikasa glared, as she flew at the next 15 meter titan, as she did her head only pulsed with pain more. It felt like a hammer was pounding mercilessly against her forehead.
Mikasa grimaced, as more blood trickled down her forehead.
She flew around to slash the titan. She then ran her blade right through it's nape.
Sasha, Krista and Marco caught up first.
"MIKASA! BEHIND YOU!", screamed Sasha, noticing before anyone.
Another 15 meter stood right behind her, Mikasa hadn't even noticed, her head burning with pain.
The titan glared, and suddenly grabbed Mikasa's cable, and pulled it.
"MIKASA!", screamed Krista.
The titan threw Mikasa down by her cable, connected to her gear. Mikasa had no time to react, but when it was over, she opened her eyes.
She was hanging by her torso, her arms, legs and head dangling down, she looked dead from a distance.
Mikasa went to move, but as soon as she tried she released a loud cry of pain.
The wires was digging into her abdomen and chest, cutting in deep.
They had somehow wrapped around her body from the attack, and now were beginning to embed in.
Mikasa grunted in pain, as she tried pulling them out, but blood dripped down onto the ground from her wounds.
"MIKASA!", Krista, Sasha, Marco and the others flew over urgently. Annie flew over, and slashed the titan quickly, blood splashing out.
Mikasa grimaced in pain, closing her eyes tightly.
"Shit...!", Connie felt sick from the sight.
"Hold on Mikasa!", Sasha tried pulling the wires out, in a panic. As soon as she tried, Mikasa suddenly screamed in agony, unable to bite it back.
Across the city, Eren was standing on a rooftop with Armin, Jean, Ymir and the rest. He looked behind him, hearing the scream.
"That sounded bad...", said Armin fearfully. Eren didn't know it was Mikasa who screamed, but he felt physically sick, getting a bad feeling.
"Sasha, don't! They're in too deep! She needs a doctor!", Krista yelled urgently.
"Sorry...! How do we get her down then?!", cried Sasha panicked.
"We'll just cut her down! We'll let the doctors get the wires inside her out", said Marco.
As they got her down, Mikasa eventually blacked out from the severe pain.
The mission soon ended, at the cost of many lives. Eren and Armin arrived to where all the wounded were.
As Eren walked over, he saw a very familiar figure. His eyes grew wide in horror as his heart sunk.
Laying alongside the other wounded was a solider, with the most gruesome wounds. Blood was all over her stretcher from her wounds, and she was ghostly white.
"Mikasa...!", he ran over then. "What?!", Armin followed, urgently.
Eren ran over fast, he then fell to his knees beside her. "Mikasa!", he yelled fearfully, his eyes wide in shock and disbelief.
Mikasa had four line like wounds in her stomach and chest. Each wound had wire embedded in them. She was unconscious, very pale.
"Mikasa...how?! How did this happen?!", Eren eyes were full of horror at the sight.
"We're not sure...she got very reckless, and she seemed almost like she couldn't focus..", Krista said worriedly, approaching.
"A titan grabbed her cable...", added Marco grimly.
"Is she going to be okay?!", asked Armin while Eren froze, not taking his eyes off of Mikasa.
Marco and Krista both hesitated. "She's hurt really bad, and the medics can all treat one person at a time...", explained Marco.
"Well how long until they treat Mikasa?!", demanded Eren then.
"It could take a few hours before they get to her...", replied Krista nervously. Eren glared dangerously then, as he looked at Mikasa.
If it took hours, it would be too late. Mikasa's wounds already smelled of infection, and her breathing had become eerily shallow.
She also lost tons of blood, her entire stretcher was soaked with it.
He then stood up, and walked over to the medics. "Eren...!", yelled Armin nervously.
"What's he doing?!", cried Krista.
Eren glared, as he walked up to the medics. "Can we help you son?", asked one of them, as they worked on a wounded solider. Although this solider's wounds weren't near as severe as Mikasa's.
"I want you to see Mikasa Ackerman first", replied Eren tensely. The medics looked at him.
"Son, we understand but we're moving as fast as we can...", one of them started.
"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!", Eren suddenly yelled dangerously. Everyone looked over, shocked.
"Mikasa is worth a thousand soldiers! She should be getting your best treatment, instead you have her laying in her own BLOOD! If you don't treat her now, she'll die!", Eren yelled angrily, shaking furiously.
"Jaeger, we understand how you feel, but no solider gets 'special' treatment...", started the medic nervously.
Eren glared then, he suddenly pulled his titan sword out.
"EREN!", yelled Armin fearfully. "He's lost his damn mind!", added Jean.
The medic flinched back, as Eren pointed his sword at him.
"I won't leave until you treat her", Eren growled.
The medic froze, but he then sighed. "All right, I'll send three medics to treat her", he gave in then, out of fear.
"That's better", Eren growled, as he put his sword away.
He then followed the three medics over to Mikasa. "Eren...", said Armin shocked, watching him.
When they got over to Mikasa, her condition worsened. Her breathing became extremely weak and shallow.
The medics quickly lifted her up to bring her inside and begin treating her. Eren waited outside with Armin and the rest.
"Eren...", started Armin worriedly. Eren growled, he shook furiously clenching his fists.
"It's all my fault...", he said shakily. "Eren, it's not you-", began Armin.
"IT IS!", Eren yelled then, glaring.
Armin looked at his friend, shocked to see tears flood down Eren's face.
"Why was I always pushing her away?! And now...", Eren gritted his teeth, as more tears filled his eyes.
"Now...if she dies..I wouldn't even be able to...", Eren slammed his fist into the wall again, his knuckles bleeding as he suddenly fell to his knees, in defeat.
Why? Why was he always pushing her away?
When they were kids, he always just wanted to protect her and keep her safe. And now...he always treated her terrible.
There was no sense in his behavior. He couldn't make any excuses. Except for maybe one...
Deep down, he pushed her away to protect her. He didn't want Mikasa to throw her life away just to follow him.
He didn't want her to become a solider and put her life on the line for him. He cringed as thought this, but it was true.
He should have just convinced her to go with Jean in the MP, at least she'd be safer there. And Jean would take care of her.
Why didn't he just do that? Eren knew why...he loved her. He loved her with all his heart. And not as a sister or just a friend.
He truly adored her, and he knew she felt the same way. God, was it obvious she did.
Ever since they were kids, he adored her and had a crush on her.
And now...he had hurt her, emotionally and physically, and may never be able to apologize.
"Eren...", Armin slowly approached his friend, nervously.
"Eren Jaeger", suddenly a medic approached. Eren looked up anxiously.
"Mikasa Ackerman is resting right now inside. We were able to remove the wires and treat her wounds. She'll be okay", he told him then.
Eren felt such a powerful wave of relief wash over him, he stood up, still shaking.
"Can I see her?", he asked weakly. "Yes, right in here", the medic led him in.
Eren entered the recovery room, his heart dropped. Mikasa lay in the bed on her back, she was redressed in a white nightgown.
Eren was sure her entire middle was bandaged. There was also a bandage around her forehead.
He walked over to her bedside, as he looked down at her sleeping form.
He then gently took her own hand in his. Eren felt his heart sink, her tiny hand was so cold from blood loss.
Eren held it in both of his strong hands, rubbing it gently.
Mikasa suddenly stirred, very weakly. She groaned a little, her middle still hurt very bad, and her head was still pounding.
"Mikasa...", Eren said worriedly. Mikasa's eyes opened more as her heart sunk. Eren was here...?
Everything was a blur for her, she remembered getting hurt, and what happened between her and Eren...but that was it.
"Eren...", she said very weakly.
Eren looked at her, right into her eyes. His own eyes suddenly filled with tears, and he very carefully climbed into bed with her, and pulled her close to him.
Mikasa's eyes only grew wider in shock and disbelief at his move of affection. Eren never did anything like this before.
Eren pulled her closer, sobbing softly.
"Eren...", cried Mikasa weakly, but also worriedly.
"I'm so sorry...Mikasa..!", Eren sobbed only more.
"You could have been killed because of me...! Mikasa, you need to know this...I just wanted to protect you! I didn't want you to follow me because I hate you...it was because I didn't want you to waste your life just for a jerk like me", Eren explained, tearfully.
Mikasa's own eyes filled with tears now at his words, as she very weakly pulled away to look at his face.
"You deserve so much better than me Mikasa...", he said shakily.
"Eren...", Mikasa very weakly kissed him then. Eren blinked in surprise, but he relaxed, returning the kiss.
"You saved my life when we were kids...if it wasn't for you, I'd be dead a long time ago. I owe it to you...and to your mother", Mikasa said softly as they gently broke the kiss.
"You owe me nothing Mikasa. All this time I've been pushing you away, when I should have been taking CARE of you...protecting you", Eren said.
"Eren...", Mikasa looked at him.
"From now on, things will be different. I'm not going to leave you alone ever again. If we choose to fight, we fight together", Eren said.
"As long as you're by my side Eren, I can do anything", Mikasa assured weakly. Eren gently pressed his forehead to hers, as they cuddled in the bed.
Mikasa nuzzled closer to him, as she drifted to sleep.