Any Breath Could Be Your Last
The year was 853, and a good number of squads on the Survey Corps were on yet another expedition. Corporal Levi lead his squad which consisted of Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlet, Sasha Braus, Jean Kirschtein, Christa Renz, and Connie Springer. They were leading from the middle section. "Heichou!" Eren called up to his squad leader, Levi. "Where are we headed?" He asked as he had his horse run faster to catch up to Levi's. "Eren, be patient. We are almost there." The squad leader responded.
Rapid thudding was heard behind the squad of eight. Sasha and Connie looked behind them. Sasha let out a yell, loud enough to be heard over the footsteps behind them. "ABBERANTS!" Simultaneously, the gang of eight lightly hit the horses they rode with the reins, as orders to speed up. "Heichou, what are your orders?!" Christa cried. Levi pondered on what the right move would be for a moment. "Everyone, split up. Sasha, Christa, you two go off to the right! Connie, Armin, you both go to the left. Eren, we keep going up this way! Jean, Mikasa, you two are the best with the Maneuver Gear here, besides me of course. Try to take out those two pieces of trash!" He commanded. Sasha and Christa pulled off to the right as Connie and Armin went off to the left. Levi and Eren sped up their horses. "Jean, now!" Mikasa cried as she jumped off of her horse and had her wires hook onto a tree, flinging herself towards the Titans. Jean followed suit with Mikasa as he also jumped off his horse and used a different tree to fling himself at the Titans as well. The Titans were two different sizes. One fell under the ten-meter-class and the other one was about a seven-meter-class. "Jean, get the ten-meter! I'll get the seven-meter!" Mikasa called as she swung around the tree her wires had clung to. The wires released off the tree as she used the other wire to grapple onto the tree behind the seven-meter Titan. Jean couldn't help but watch Mikasa's majestic style and form for a moment but he quickly shifted his attention back to the Titans. He dodged the ten-meter Titan's hand as he swung around the tree trunk.
Mikasa began using her gas as a wire of hers latched onto the smaller abberant. She prepared to swing her blades into its nape as her target drew closer. "Mikasa, look out!" Jean warned. Mikasa looked to the side and saw the other abberant trying to grab her. Startled, the woman quickly shifted target to a tree branch in order to get her aim on the other Titan back. Jean let out a sigh of relief as he saw Mikasa was safe. The taller abberant was now trying to get her, and Jean took this opportunity to strike. His left hook was firmly just below the Titan's nape. He launched himself as fast as he could, instantly burning some gas in order to shorten the distance even quicker. He swung his right blade as hard as he could into the Titan's nape once the perfect moment came. The blade went in and came out, bringing a chunk of thick, pink flesh with it. The Titan fell to the floor with a large thud and Jean quickly swung up onto a tree to avoid the shorter Titan. "Good job, Jean." Mikasa said as her mind began forming a strategy on how to get rid of the second, smaller abberant. "Jean, you go catch up with the others if you can, I'll take care of things here."
"Hell no! I'm not leaving you here alone!"
"Fine, just don't get in my way!" With that remark, Mikasa jumped down from the tree, a wire latched onto the tree closest to the seven-meter Titan. Jean watched as Mikasa zipped right over it's shoulder. The Titan had tried to bite her in mid-air but failed. The raven-haired prodigy whipped around in mid-air, blades unsheathed and then proceeded to have her left wire latch onto the other abberant. She flung herself at it and struck both blades through the nape. As the Titan collided with the floor, she landed on top of it and whistled for her horse and Jean's to return.
Once Jean and Mikasa had remounted, they started riding again. "Eren and Heichou should be up ahead. Jean, you catch up to them, I'm going to make sure Sasha and Christa didn't get themselves killed." Mikasa instructed as she rode off towards the right, where the other two girls were told to go by Levi. Jean obeyed Mikasa's command and he rode off straight ahead, in hopes of finding Eren and Corporal Levi.
Jean noticed the distant thumping of a Titan's footsteps just ahead. "Eren! Up the trees!" Levi's voice could barely be heard from where he was. Jean rushed his horse and saw as a crawling Titan was going against Corporal Levi and Eren. Jean watched as Eren circled around the Titan and flung himself up into the tree. The Titan leaped up into the air, snapping it's jaw as it nearly reached the branch where Eren stood. The hot-headed teen flinched and pressed back against the tree trunk. He hated those damn abberants, one had bitten off his leg back in the year 850. Jean narrowed his eyes at the Titan as he jumped off his horse. The horse itself came to a stop as Jean flung himself high above the Titan, using the trees closest to him. Eren didn't see Jean because he jumped off the branch he was on and had his wires loop him around another tree before launching himself down at the Titan. The abberant whipped around towards Eren and was ready to lunge at him.
The copper-blond's eyes widened as he knew what was to happen. Without thinking, Jean quickly changed his course of his action. His next idea was to save Eren Jaeger. Jean calculated where Eren's path would take him and then he flung himself at the other. Jean's chest bumped into Eren's side which threw the brunette off course. "What the FUCK?!" Eren shouted as he made contact with the ground. That's when he realized everything. That's when nothing could be done to stop what was about to happen. Despite this fact, the ever-brave Corporal Levi sprinted off the branch he rested on and dove down, aiming to kill the abberant before it was too late. His attempts were useless. Jean was on a collision course with it now. The Titan jumped up and snapped its jaws around Jean's arms. Jean let out an eardrum-piercing yowl of pain as he kicked off of the Titan's face onto the ground, blood flowing at an alarming rate.
Levi was a few seconds too late; He had made a nape in its neck as the abberant swallowed the copper-blond's arms. The Titan ceased moving and Eren was at Jean's side. "You idiot, why did you do that?" Eren whispered as Jean's body shook rapidly. His face was pale and tears ran down his face. Blood leaked from the copper-blond's body. "S-Someone h-had to save y-ya, Jaeger." Jean said weakly, his voice faltering. Levi's grey eyes had a regretful and self-loathing look in them. "I should've done it myself." The corporal huffed as angrily kicked a tree. "D-Don't w-worry, Heichou." Jean forced out. Eren growled softly and clenched his fists. After a moment, he unclenched them. Tears started dripping down Eren's face. "It's been nice knowin' ya, man." Eren said. Levi gave a slight nod as he bent down in front of Jean. "Listen to me, Jean. You did amazing. Humanity thanks you, and let me promise you something. I swear on my reputation, I swear on everything, I swear on the air that we breathe that I will obliterate every single Titan." Levi said, his voice growing more intense at the last three words. Jean gave a faint smile as he slowly closed his eyes. Levi stood up and saluted Jean. Eren followed his squad leader's example and saluted Jean as he moved on from this life.
In another place, somewhere peaceful and without Titans, a gentle breeze blew. "Hey, wake up." A soft, soothing, yet strangely familiar voice called. Jean slowly opened his golden-brown eyes, his vision took a moment to adjust, but when his vision was fine once again, Jean inhaled sharply. "M-Marco?!" He said as he sat up, shocked. Marco Bodt, Jean's best friend who had half of his torso bitten off at the Battle of Trost, was sitting in front of him all in one piece and wore a soft, yet sad welcoming smile. "Hey Jean. It's been three years." Marco started. "I've missed you, but I'm glad you lasted that long. You have your arms back." He finished. Jean flinched as he looked down, sure enough, he had his arms back; It was like he hadn't died and he only had fallen asleep in some peaceful meadow. Marco couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Levi's squad is also here." He added and looked behind him. Petra Ral, Olou Bozado, Eld Jinn and Gunther Schultz were there, sad smiles on their faces. "Hello Jean." Petra greeted. "You did amazing out there! I'm glad you made it on Levi's squad!" She added on. The three men behind her gave him prideful smiles. Jean looked back to Marco. "Jean, we can be up here and watch over everyone. I used to occasionally help you, now we can help everyone else too." The freckled boy told the copper-blond. Jean's eyes filled with tears, unable to handle all of this at once. He threw his arms around Marco and sobbed uncontrollably. Marco held the other gently. "It's okay now, Jean. We're all okay." He muttered soothingly. Jean buried his face into Marco's shoulder as Marco held him, taking in everything about his best friend again. Marco looked to the former Levi Squad. "You go on without us. We'll catch up once Jean has himself together."