6:52 AM, January 1st
Wings of Freedom Base
It was a bitter cold winter morning, it had snowed more last night, and everyone could see their breath now, even inside their tents. Petra's blood was still stained in the snow near the trees.
A red fox emerged from the forest, licking its chomps as it sniffed at the blood in the snow. Before it could lick the blood, an arrow shot in front of it, narrowly missing it. The fox shook its fur, and took off back into the forest.
"Sasha...", Connie said worriedly, the two outside with Hanji, along with Historia. Levi hadn't return since last night, much to everyone's worry.
"I know..I just...", Sasha bit her trembling lip, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Is Levi still not back?", Eren asked, exiting his tent, looking worried.
"No..", Hanji answered. "Where's Armin?", asked Historia then. Eren fell grimly silent, he looked pale and was struggling on what to say next.
"He's sick...I wasn't able to wake him. His breathing's labored and he vomited..", he replied. Historia's eyes widened, while Hanji's heart sunk.
"Wait...where's Mikasa and Sebastian?!", Eren just realized then, he had been feeling dizzy and feverish himself, so his mind was foggy.
"They're still asleep..", Historia answered anxiously, when Sasha suddenly got a sinking feeling. She hurried to their tent.
Eren urgently followed. They had all just woken up, exhausted from what happened yesterday.
Sasha reached the tent first, as she opened it, and she gasped, her heart sinking. "Sasha?! What's wrong?!", Eren looked in next, along with Hanji and Historia, and they all paled in horror.
The inside of the siblings' tent first of all, smelled of sickness. The smell...is what hit them first. Like an odor you'd smell in a hospital, of someone who was fighting off a severe infection, or maybe a smell from a tightly closed room of feral cats with rabies or some other type of terminal illness.
The tent was dark, Sebastian was laying on his stomach on one bunk, his arm hanging limply from the bed. There was blood mixed with vomit on the floor by his bed, and also on the bed near his face.
He was pale, and panting hard in his sleep. On the other bunk, Mikasa was panting desperately for air even though she was unconscious, and she was even paler. She was also soaked in sweat, and coughing weakly.
"M-Mikasa...", Eren hurried to her side, as Sasha hurried to Sebastian's. "Oh my god...", Historia cried softly, in shock as Hanji also was speechless.
Eren felt Mikasa's forehead, and he felt a sick twist in his stomach. "She's burning up...", he confirmed shakily.
"Sebastian too...", added Sasha anxiously. "Then...its not just the weather...and not just the shock from Petra...Zetsumetsu..has returned", Hanji realized.
To try and ensure some type of safety, and increase their comfort, Mikasa, Sebastian and Armin were moved into a tent of their own.
None of them had regained any sort of actual consciousness. Mikasa's panting didn't let up, no matter how Sasha and Hanji tried to adjust the dead limp girl's position in bed, and Sebastian's breathing was also labored.
Armin's breathing was weaker...which was a grim sign. To try and keep the fever down, Eren had gotten Mikasa extra blankets, while the same was done for the boys.
Eren hadn't let go of Mikasa's hand as she continued panting, coughing off and on.
"I don't understand...why are only these three effected so badly?", asked Connie. He, Hanji, and, along with the rest of Levi's squad were outside the tent, talking.
Eren and Sasha were inside with the three. Sasha gently rung out a cool washcloth, and wiped Sebastian's forehead, while Eren changed Mikasa's cloth.
Historia was tending to Armin, as she wiped his forehead once more.
"It makes perfect sense, Connie. Out of your group, they have the weakest immune systems. Petra had a very weak immune system..", Hanji began.
"But Mikasa..she's a badass", Connie started. Hanji shook her head. "She's strong, much stronger than Armin and Sebastian...but the fact she received such an injury at the same time Zetsumetsu originally entered her bloodstream..it makes perfect sense her immune system isn't as strong as it once was", she explained.
"So then...its coming back..we're all gonna get sick again...is there no hope?", Connie asked. Hanji didn't answer him. She then began walking into the woods, to find Levi.
Inside the tent, Eren was eerily silent. He was unable to look at Mikasa, as the girl lay suffering in bed. He had a dark look in his eyes, a look of deep regret.
Mikasa coughed again in between her panting, which was getting weaker and weaker by the hour, and Eren snapped out of his deep thoughts when he heard her groan weakly, and an audible rush of fluids in her throat.
"Oh shit..! Mikasa!", Eren quickly got up, and he helped her sit up. Sasha saw and hurried over to help, as the two actually struggled for a split second to lift the girl into a sitting position, since she was heavier in muscle than both of them.
"Hurry! She's choking!", Eren pressed fearfully, as Sasha began patting Mikasa's back hard. It only took 2 seconds to get her up, but it felt like an eternity to them both, being so worried.
As soon as she was up, Mikasa vomited a good amount of blood onto the floor, some small clots also coming out.
"Oh Mikasa...", Sasha felt sick from what she was seeing, as Eren also trembled. "She was..choking on her own blood..", Eren fell to his knees, as they gently helped Mikasa lay back down on her side.
Sasha continued rubbing Mikasa's back, as the dark haired girl remained unconscious, panting heavily once again.
"If I didn't know any better..it seems like now that the vaccine has worn off, this virus is ten times more aggressive...it not only built up a tolerance to Anti X, but its stronger...", Historia concluded, staying by Armin's side, as Sasha returned to Sebastian's.
Eren took over rubbing his girlfriend's back, in case she had more blood that needed to come out, to prevent her from choking again.
His eyes darkened again. "Is this...is this it? Is this how it ends...?", he whispered, his heart sinking. He shook badly, gently gripping Mikasa's hand as she continued panting.
"No...God please..no..not like this, please Mikasa...you gotta hang in there..you gotta fight this..", he pleaded tearfully.
Mikasa continued panting hard, as she strained to lift her eyelids open. She struggled hard, before just managing to forced them open.
"Mikasa..? Baby, can you hear me..?", Eren asked, fearfully, stroking her hair. Sasha looked over anxiously, worried about her best friend, while Historia also glanced over.
Mikasa parted her lips to speak, she could taste blood in her mouth, she swallowed hard and waited for her vision to clear.
But...too long was passing..her vision refused to return. Her eyes opened more in fear, she was too weak to even move, her legs felt like jelly...they were so numb, and it felt like her bones were removed from the waist down.
"E-Eren...", her voice was weak. Eren's heart sunk, even though he was laying behind her, rubbing her back, she wasn't looking at him.
She was looking ahead, at Sebastian's bed. Sasha's heart sunk, noticing how unfocused and cloudy Mikasa's eyes appeared to be.
"Oh no..oh god, Mikasa? Sweetie, can you see me?", Sasha asked then, causing Eren's heart to sink. Mikasa blinked several times, but she couldn't see anything..it was black.
"S-Sasha..? Where...Eren? Eren?!", panic began to rise in Mikasa's voice, as she struggled to sit up. "I'm here! I'm right here Mikasa, easy..easy", Eren wrapped his arms around her to soothe her, as Mikasa gripped onto his hand tightly...afraid he'd slip away into the darkness.
"It's going to be okay Mikasa, just hang in there for me..we'll..we'll figure out a way, I promise...", Eren assured her, though his voice was filled with panic.
"Blindness...I had that when we first had this...I can't...see out of my one eye anymore, if this isn't somehow fixed soon, Mikasa could..lose her vision, or half of it forever..", Historia warned.
"How the hell can we fix it?! The only vaccine stopped working!", cried Sasha. Mikasa's heart sunk then.
"E-Eren..where's my brother..?", she pleaded weakly. "He's in the bed across sweetheart...", Eren assured her, stroking her hair.
"He's..he's sick too...isn't he? I can...I can smell it..", Mikasa realized fearfully. "Armin is as well..", Historia said grimly.
Mikasa released a low groan then, startling the group as she curled up into a fetal position. "M-Mikasa..?", for a moment Eren suddenly felt such a surge of panic he nearly passed out, going light headed.
"Mikasa, what's wrong?! What are you feeling?!", cried Sasha also panicked. "M-My...stomach just hurts...", Mikasa replied shakily.
There was a very tense moment...even though it was just nausea from the illness, everyone had the horrid thought looming in their mind..the exploding conclusion to the virus.
Finally, Mikasa seemed to relax slightly as the pain went away, much to everyone's relief. "Jesus...god..", Historia held a hand to her forehead, also not looking well now, both from the illness and the stress.
"Historia, you should rest...you were at Stage 3 when we received the vaccine..", Sasha insisted as Eren kept his arms wrapped around Mikasa.
Historia didn't answer, wanting to continue watching over Armin. Mikasa exhaled shakily, as she curled into Eren more.
"Eren...", she started weakly. "Yes Mikasa..?", asked Eren worriedly.
"If...if Sebastian...if he hasn't lost his vision yet...if he doesn't lose it...then please...", she coughed before she could continue, as Eren rubbed her back.
"Please...take me..away from here...", Mikasa whispered then. Eren froze, not understanding at first..or rather choosing not to.
"W-What are you saying Mikasa?", he asked, his tone shaky. "I won't..let my brother see this...please...Eren, if I...when I...start feeling it..you gotta carry me...as far away from here as possible...don't let my brother...see me go...please...", Mikasa cried then, tears forming in her eyes. Eren's eyes widened at what she was asking, he had gone numb, it felt like his heart stopped beating.
"M-Mikasa...no! God no! I could never...", he started. "Eren, PLEASE!", Mikasa cried then, Sasha and Historia going silent, watching the two.
"Please...if there really is no hope...if I'm going to die..I don't want my brother to see it...I'm trusting you...to get me away from here...and if...if I...suffer for too long...I need you..to do what Levi did to Petra...", Mikasa pleaded.
Eren felt tears flood his eyes, as he choked back a sob. "Mikasa..why?! Why me...I can't..I...I love you...I can't...do something like that...I didn't save your life just to have to put you down like a damn dog!", he sobbed.
"Sasha can't carry me...I don't..want to do this to you Eren...I never want to put you through this..its cruel..and selfish...especially after saving my life...", Mikasa spoke weakly.
She went to touch his face, but she couldn't see, so Eren gently guided it for her. "But...the world is a cruel place now...what Levi did to Petra was cruel, but it had to be done...he loved her, he didn't want her to suffer any longer than needed...", she continued, her voice cracking.
"When the time comes..if you truly love me...and want to protect Sebastian, you'll carry me away from here...set me down, and pull the trigger...and burn my remains...", she spoke shakily.
Eren sobbed shakily, unable to answer her...he could hear it in her voice, and see it on her face...she didn't want this.
She didn't want to die..she was just being strong for her brother's sake. "No..", Eren began then. Mikasa blinked weakly.
"NO! NO GOD DAMN IT!", Eren suddenly clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Before Mikasa could say anything, Eren lifted her up.
"Eren?!", cried Mikasa, a little startled since she couldn't see. "Where are you taking her..?!", asked Sasha fearfully.
"I'm finding Levi!", Eren answered, as he ran out, carrying Mikasa securely on his back. Sasha and Historia exchanged worried expressions.
Deep in the woods, fairly far from the base, Hanji had just found Levi. He was sitting near the frozen lake, very still.
"Levi...what the hell? You've been out here this whole time?", Hanji sighed. Levi didn't answer, his gaze out at the lake.
"You need to get your ass back to base, its a shitshow back there...Eren's group are all infected again. Armin, Mikasa and Sebastian are the worst...they're going to die if we don't do something", Hanji insisted.
"What the hell is the point?", Levi growled numbly. Hanji frowned. "Levi...I know you're still hurting about Petra...but she would have wanted you to prevent innocent lives being taken as long as you could..", Hanji pressed.
Levi glared darkly at Hanji. "I lost my wife...not even 24 hours ago...and you expect me to give a shit about some stupid kids you bailed out of the ZCP?", he asked, bitterly.
"They're kids compared to us, Levi! And they're smart, they got skill...they can help us take the Titans down...losing Mikasa alone would be a devastating waste...", Hanji pointed out.
Levi remained silent. "Levi...you and I both know there's a way to save them...if there's still time...", Hanji pressed.
Before Levi could answer, they heard a gun click behind them. Levi and Hanji quickly turned, to see Eren standing there.
He was holding an unconscious Mikasa on his back, a pistol in his left hand, aiming at them both. "Eren...Eren, take it easy..", Hanji started nervously.
"BACK THE FUCK UP!", Eren yelled then, dangerously. "You're asking for a world of hell, kid...", Levi growled, as Hanji backed up.
"No...YOU are Levi..first you lie to us about Petra...and now this shit?! You took us, welcomed us into your fucking group...but as soon as everything goes to hell, you hide like a coward...while your team mates are rotting in their tents...", Eren growled.
"So what are you going to do? Shoot me? How would that save Mikasa? Or Armin?", Levi asked. "You're immune, right? Maybe...maybe there's something in that twisted brain of yours...that could provide a cure!", Eren snarled.
"Eren, you're not thinking straight! You're no doctor!", Hanji pointed out. "No, but you are...you've dissected people at ZCP...you'd know what to do..", Eren shot back.
"You'd really force me to dissect my own friend's brain?", Hanji asked darkly.
"You'd really expect me to shoot my own girlfriend just so she doesn't explode?!", Eren roared, shaking furiously, not taking his finger off the trigger.
Levi and Hanji exchanged nervous looks, and glanced back at Eren. Hanji noticed Mikasa looked even worse than earlier...all color had left Mikasa's face.
"Just how bad is she...?", asked Levi quietly. "She's vomiting blood...and she lost her vision. I think she's anemic too...", Eren answered, still shakily.
"The others?", asked Levi carefully. "They haven't even woke up yet...Mikasa only did briefly..are you going to help us or NOT?!", Eren demanded.
Hanji glared at Levi, before carefully approaching Eren. Eren tensed, but he didn't shoot her. Hanji gave Eren a look like asking permission.
Eren gave a very tense nod. Hanji carefully looked at Mikasa, and softly lifted her top lip, seeing her gums. Mikasa's gums were as white as the snow, some blood in her mouth.
"Her gums are pure white...we can't wait any longer Levi..she's hours from death", Hanji confirmed then. Eren blinked.
"When I worked for the ZCP, I noticed something that went under reported...anemia is part of the last stage. Once the patient's gums are pure white, they are only a matter of 2-4 hours away from death...", Hanji explained.
Levi finally, gave a sigh. "All right..all right", he said then. Eren blinked, feeling confusion replace his anger, as Levi reached in his own cloak pocket.
He removed a syringe. "What the hell is that?", Eren demanded. "I smuggled these...a few weeks ago...they're a new vaccine", Levi answered, as he began filling the syringe with a thick blue liquid.
"What...?! You..You had a new vaccine this whole time?! And didn't...!", Eren began. "He couldn't", Hanji interupted Eren.
"This new vaccine is called Anti XX, but it does NOT work on people who still have Anti X working in their system. It only works once the patient relapses...by the time Petra relapsed, she was too far gone for the new vaccine to work...but...", Hanji took the syringe from Levi once it was filled.
"It works as long as you get it to the patient within a few hours before their death...", Hanji explained.
"I'll explain the rest once everyone is injected", added Levi, approaching Eren with a second syringe. Hanji carefully inserted the needle into Mikasa's neck, and pushed the medicine in.
Levi did the same to Eren, who had lowered the gun at this point. The walk back to the base was tense, as Eren kept hold of Mikasa's limp form.
"It's Petra, isn't it?", Eren realized. "That's why he didn't share the vaccine at first...", he said. Hanji's eyes softened, Levi ahead of them by a few feet.
"He didn't feel it was fair...for his wife to have to die, and yet you kids could be saved...", she explained simply.
When they returned to base, everyone was given the new vaccine. "Do we know how long this new vaccine will work?", asked Historia, after Armin and herself was injected.
"According to the reports I read, its supposed to work forever...in case a cure is never found", Hanji answered, as Eren gently lay Mikasa in her bed, making sure her blankets were on.
Sebastian was also injected, as he rested in bed. "It sounds like they gave up on finding a cure...", Sasha said grimly.
"How long does this vaccine take? To kick in?", asked Connie.
"Not long at all, only a few hours", admitted Levi.
Eren gently gripped Mikasa's hand, not taking his eyes off of her. He did notice her panting had decreased...this was a good sign.
8:13 PM
Mikasa felt sore, as she managed to lift her eyelids open. But she also didn't feel as cold, her nausea was gone too.
She also felt her eyes widen in surprise, her heart skipping a beat, seeing the tent's ceiling above her. She sat up quickly.
"Mikasa!", Eren froze, startled at her suddenly sitting up. Mikasa looked at him. Tears of relief filled her eyes...seeing him. She could see...her vision was back, full force.
"E-Eren...?", she cried, her voice shaky. "Mikasa, it's all right...Levi and Hanji found a stronger, better vaccine...we've all been treated, Sebastian included", Eren assured her, his eyes filled with relief.
Mikasa looked over at Sebastian's bed, seeing he was resting more comfortably. "Oh Eren...", Mikasa suddenly choked back a sob, as she hugged him as tightly as she could.
"Mikasa...I'm so glad...", Eren cried as well, holding her close in his arms, stroking her hair. The two held each other for several minutes, before gazing into each other's eyes, and kissing softly.
Eren cupped her cheek, where her scar was, as Mikasa kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I never...wanted to die...I'm so..glad..", cried Mikasa breathlessly once they broke the kiss. "Shhhhhh, I know...I know...you're alive Mika..I promise you", Eren soothed her.
With Anti XX working, the group were all exhausted from the ordeal. Eren held Mikasa close in his arms as they slept, while Sebastian also was asleep, along with the rest.
Even Levi drifted off, as did Hanji. Historia had fallen asleep, holding Armin's hand, as he also slept.
Despite her deep sleep, Mikasa stirred, hearing what sounded like footsteps trudging in the snow outside the tent.
At the same time, Historia had woken up, but she didn't hear the footsteps. She stretched, getting up to go get water from outside.
"Historia..!", Mikasa hissed quietly but urgently, but the girl, being half asleep didn't hear Mikasa. And due to her half vision, she didn't see Mikasa was awake out of the corner of her eye.
Historia exited the tent.
Mikasa lifted her head up from Eren's chest, seeing flashlights outside the tent. She went dead still and silent...getting a sinking feeling.
She gripped Eren's hand tightly, holding her breath as the lights got closer, and she also didn't hear Historia at all.
She heard some murmuring from whoever the people were, and then she heard Historia.
"W-Wait..No-" before Historia could finish, a loud gunshot was heard.