AoT Chapter 2:
Max scurried through the building like the mouse looking for cheese before the cat wakes up. Victor was right, this definitely was a medical clinic, there were even pain killers they could use for those who lost limbs. He gathered all the stuff he could, neatly putting it into a hand-sewn medical satchel. No doubt the handiwork of a loving wife.
The thought gave him a small smile. He was out here because of his own wife, and his kid that was expected any day now. They didn't live in Trost, and he thanked whatever divine being that still watched over them in these dark years. She was behind wall Sina, with his mother in law, probably in labor now... he sighed. He wanted to see her again. She was the only reason he fought. She gave him a new meaning to life after his family died.
What was it... five years ago when Wall Maria fell? His parents, being doctors, did their yearly trip to Wall Maria as charity service. As fate would have it, that was the same day the wall was broken by the Colossal Titan and Armored Titan. They died in the initial attack. He joined the military afterwards, hatred for all titans, and a death wish. He told all his friends he was going to the Survey Corps when he got done.
"You will be a corpse!" They told him, "There has to be something to live for here!"
There really wasn't, and he joined. During training, he met his wife. Named after the outer wall, Maria. She talked to him, shared her life with him, and whenever he got the chance, he snuck out of training to see her. Before he knew it, he was in love with her, and planned to marry her. However, his goal of Survey Corps hadn't changed. So, she gave him an ultimatum, her, or the Survey Corps. Since he was in the Garrison, his choice was obvious.
He couldn't leave her, and in the Garrison, he could protect her.
He shook his head with a smile, "What am I doing... my squad needs me." With everything packed neatly for transport, he slung the bag over his shoulder and jogged out of the building, looking around for where they could've gone. To his right, smoking buildings and a lot of titans wandering, to his left, Trost HQ and supply building. Did they retreat? Surely not, Victor would've stopped by to grab him in the retreat... unless Victor was killed?
Impossible. Victor killed a titan already, and skillfully set up a second for Max to destroy. Doubtful he was dead.
A blood curdling scream from Jacob assaulted his ears, giving away at least one members position. That could've meant a multiple of things, but if Max had to take a guess, he was either hurt, dying, or saw someone die. Any combination of the three was bad. Max shot himself up to the roof, scanning over the scene. Except, he didn't see Jacob hurt. Jacob was fine. However, he was on his knees, a free hand reaching out, and he was frozen... was he crying? What happened? He found that Claire was behind him, on all fours, but alive. What could've happened? Wait... no...
Max turned his head, praying he was wrong, but his eyes did not lie to him when he saw the fifteen meter with the bloody foot, and two blades sticking through the the heel.
No way... he thought. Those were soldiers blades...
He trailed his eyes down to where the foot had been, and saw a dead soldier. The body was crushed into the stone, its blood traveling through the spaces in between, internals blown in a disorderly fashion and scattered around. His body resembling a popped balloon with skin instead of rubber. From his distance, he could see the faintest sign of a grin on his face from where he stood. There was no way it was Victor. Victor was too good to go out like that... Victor was too good to go out at all. He looked closer-
There was a bandage crushed with the arm it was bound to.
Victor was dead... their fearless leader. Crushed, and the titan... it only took notice of the blades stuck inside its foot. Not even comprehending that the man he killed was his friend, and their leader. The heartless bastard! That-
Another realization dawned on him that silenced any rage that may have started to boil in his blood. Victors corpse could have been him. He looked back at their lifeless leader, seeing himself splattered and destroyed instead.. dead to the world. To his wife... his kid...
His blood ran through his body ice cold, sharp edges stabbing and cutting his heart every beat as it slowed to a chilling halt.
What would his unborn baby have done without him, had he been in Victor's stead? If Victor had let him help Jacob, he would've been where Victor laid now. A lifeless corpse popped open with internals spread like a messy plate of spaghetti. His wife... she would never see him again. His kid would never know its father.
His heartbeat came to a stop, and the next beat rang in his ears louder than Jacobs screams of agony. Max began to tremble with the freezing fear in his veins. He couldn't do that to Maria. He couldn't leave her in this world alone. He had to make it back to her alive. These titans were powerful, what chance did he have if he fought them? Especially now that Victor had fallen? How could he leave his family like Victor left his squad to be pigs to the slaughter? How could he die before starting his family? His kid needed a father! He wanted to see his child! He wanted to see his son or daughter grow up, he wanted to be there for both of them! He had to be! How could he leave them in this world alone?!
Max's tremble turned into a quake of terror. He jettisoned his blades in fear of cutting himself, and looked down at Jacob, who remained statue-still in disbelief at the sight of Victors corpse with the screams that Max still could not hear over his deafening heartbeat. The screams of despair did not vanish as the titan picked out the blades from its foot, and stepped on the scraps of Victor without a single care in its savagery. The titan advanced towards Jacob, the nineteen year old soldier who Max trained with, sweat with, and bled with. The titan was oblivious to Max. He could kill it easily. Jacob turned his head towards Max, the tear stains clearly visible on his cheeks as his eyes begged for him to avenge Victor.
Make the titan pay... they pleaded. Kill it. For Victor. For my -our- friend, and our leader.
But all Max could see was his own kid looking at pictures of him. His wife, crying her eyes out just like Jacob did for Victor. Her never ending tears when the military reported Max's death to her. He couldn't break her heart like that. If his death would leave her so devastated... he couldn't die. There was no cause worth dying for if it left his beloved in such a state.
And he knew the titans would kill him if he stayed to fight. He would die.
With tears starting to stream down his cheeks, his eyes blurred as he closed them. His wife needed him to be alive. And he wanted his kid to know him... its father. Not an empty tombstone that caused its mother to weep. Not a picture and a frame. He opened his eyes again, seeing Jacob reach out for him, and the titan advanced further onto Jacob. Behind it, a few smaller titans. Max looked back at Jacob his shout filled with the sounds of sorrow, "Max! Help us!"
Max's heartbeat drowned out the shout to where it sounded like it was miles away. His squadmate needed him. His friend needed him. Now, more than ever. Max drew new blades, starting his wind up to get airborne, and then kill the titan.
His wife flashed into his mind again. Her smile, then her tear stained cheeks. His little baby, never knowing Max... and his leg that started his courageous assault froze before it could even leave the ground. His mind would not let his heart do what was right.
Max began crying, he couldn't move towards the battle anymore... he couldn't move towards the titan to save Jacob and Claire. "I'm so sorry..." He sobbed under his breath, "I'm so, so sorry, Jacob..." He sheathed his blades, and took the cowardly foot a step back.
