Hannes swung over the titan's left shoulder. He twisted his body around and fired a hook at the monster's neck. As he did so, he began to remember things of the past.
-o-o-o-
Twelve years before the fall
Hannes winced as the needle was inserted into his arm. He mentally berated himself, "I'm a man, I'm not suppose to blink at things like this"
The wince turned into a sharp cry of pain as the needle emptied its contents inside his bloodstream and was yanked out abruptly.
He glared at the man holding the instrument of pain, "Can't you be a little gentler, Grisha?"
Said man laughed, "Sorry, it's not everyday I get to see a man crying when taking a shot."
Hannes glared as he rubbed his arm with a white cloth Grisha provided him with. "I wasn't crying, and besides, aren't doctors suppose to be a little bit gentler?"
Grisha snorted "It you think this is rough, wait till you see the stuff other doctors do, half of them don't even know what painkillers are." He threw the needle into a nearby trash bin.
Hannes scowled. He got up and pushed the chair he was sitting on under the table. "Whatever, thanks for the vacscene."
The doctor laughed, "It's called a vaccine, dumbass."
-o-o-o-
Hannes cursed, the cut was too shallow. Five years of zero practice and no muscle conditioning has taken a heavy toll on his skill. He fired a quick, short burst of gas to the left, narrowly avoiding the titan's hand.
-o-o-o-
Five years before the fall.
His drinking buddies had yelled for him to come over, when he did, he saw what they were so excited about.
The kids were at it again.
As he watched on, laughing with his friends, Grisha's boy (what was his name again? Evan?) got beaten the crap out of by three other kids as he tried to fight back. Hannes had to admit, the kid got guts, there was never a look of defeat on his face, only a lion's snarl.
As always, the girl with the long, black hair stepped in, threw Evan out of the fight, and proceeded on beating the shit out of the three kids.
Hannes and his friends laughed. It was a sight to behold: A single girl, making three other bigger boys cry.
Later, when Evan had demanded to know why Hannes didn't step in and break up the fight, he just grinned and said, "Because your girlfriend handles it perfectly every single time."
Maybe if he had stayed behind for a little longer, he would've seen the blushes on Evan and the girl's faces.
-o-o-o-
Hannes struggled, but he knows it was futile. The titan had grabbed him, and his hands were pinned against his body. He couldn't do jack shit to save himself. He wondered if this was what all his buddies thought as they were being eaten.
-o-o-o-
During the fall
As Hannes stared at the giant with absolute horror in his eyes. He knew that he had no chance of beating it.
Hating himself as he moved, he ran back, grabbed the kids and ran the opposite way.
Even as he heard the mother's last desperate words, even as he felt little Eren's fists pounding at his sides, begging for him to stop, he knew that he did what had to be done.
That doesn't excuse him from being a coward.
-o-o-o-
Hannes eyes snapped open. The pain was unbearable, but the fingers wrapped around his body and mouth would not allow him to scream.
As he looked at the the kids, and at his own dangling intestines, he wondered if he had repaid his debt.
He closed his eyes.
-o-o-o-
There is a place in Europe, where there is a forest of many trees.
Near that forest, there is a open plain.
On that plain, if you happen to be lucky, you may find a dove flying together with a raven.
And if you listen very carefully, you may hear the sound of a laughing man.
On that plain lies Hannes, a hero.
Fin