Disclaimer: I don't own AoT or any characters

Mikasa had just enough time to look up right into Eren's eyes still wondering what had just happened when the house got crushed with Eren still inside. In an instant, everything that was right with the world was wrong. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She could feel tears forming in her eyes. All the energy in her body started fading. All she could do was stare blankly at the destruction of the house, at Eren's crushed body trapped under a large pile of debris.

Why couldn't it have been me?

She sees Eren's arm move slightly, showing he was still alive and immediately runs towards him, tears streaming down her face.

"Eren! Eren! Don't worry, I'll get you out of here. Please, don't go... please." She cries as she starts attempting to dig him out.

"EREN! MIKASA! Please be okay, please." Mikasa hears Carla from somewhere on the other side of the crushed house.

"AUNT CARLA, HELP!" she screams as loud as she can. Moments later, Carla shows up and is stunned at the sight.

Eren, stuck under what used to be their home. Barely breathing but definitely still alive. She looked over to the wall and could see the heads of titans filtering through the city. Even though no one was particularly close, the blood-curdling screams of people could be heard from where they were.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Her son wasn't supposed to die in front of her. She'd rather die herself than witness such an event.

"Quickly, Mikasa. We have to dig him out. Titans are everywhere. Hurry!"

They both begin digging, but the progress is too slow. The titans are getting closer and closer.

"Mikasa? Mom?" Eren's voice is barely a whisper. Mikasa is just crying and continues to dig.

Carla in tears as well, responds. "It's okay, Eren. Mom's here to get you out. With the two of us here you'll be out in no time. It's okay. You don't have to worry about a thing."

He barely moves in head in a nod. "Mom, I'm scared. I can't feel anything."

"It's okay, honey. Once we get you out everything will be just fine."

"No, mom. I can't feel anything." At that, the gravity of his words really hit her.

Paralysis. The only thing keeping him from crying from the pain he should be in is paralysis mixed with extreme shock. Even if we get him out he'll never be the same.

At that, the ground shakes more prominently, causing Mikasa to look up from what she was doing. A horrified gasp escapes her mouth as she sees a titan some distance away over the houses. A titan with a horribly sinister smile steadily makes it's way towards them.

"COME ON! COME ON!" She starts digging more frantically.

"The titans, isn't it? It was only a matter of time before the walls failed."

"Not now Eren. This isn't the time for that." Carla says, blinking away tears, doubling her efforts to get Eren out. She can feel the titan getting closer and closer. It's colossal steps quaking the ground more and more as it gets closer. The titan was going straight towards them, nothing to distract it from its target. It almost seemed to be taunting them with how slow it was going, as if it knows how futile their attempt at saving Eren is.

"Please... leave. There's no point in you two dying as well. We all know enough about the titans from dad. I'm already dead. My brain just hasn't come to terms."

Mikasa just shakes her head and digs with even more fervor. Tears streaming down her face. She desperately thinks of anything that can get Eren out of his current predicament.

If I can just draw it away for long enough for help to arrive, we can dig him out!

Of course, deep down she knows that no one is coming to help them. Who in their right mind would stop to help one hopeless cause when they could keep running away.

Mikasa gets up from the pile. A look of intense determination in her eyes.

"Mikasa? What are you doing?"

"Keep digging, I'll distract the titan. Lead it away from here so you can get him out. It's the only choice."

A shocked expression appears on Carla's face. She doesn't even know how to respond. Her brain is in overdrive yet she can't make coherent thoughts.

"No! Dammit Mikasa." Eren yells as loud as he can given the situation, groaning at the effort. "If you die this will all be for NOTHING. I didn't save you for you to die anyways! Just get your obsessive ass away already!"

"Insult me all you want, Eren. I won't let you die. I can't." She starts heading towards the titan, its attention drawn to the movement.

"Please Mikasa, just stop and think for one second! Please... just go... Both of you. It's not worth it..." He's slowly losing his voice as he talks, losing his consciousness as times goes on.

You are worth any risk to me, Eren.

"I'm shocked I got to witness the day you gave up, Eren." A voice calls from behind them. Carla turns swiftly to see the familiar face of Hannes running up.

"Hannes! Quickly! We need to dig Eren out and get away." Hannes, already there, starts moving rubble as fast as he can.

Mikasa, shocked that someone showed up, sprints back to the ruined house to resume digging, now that there's three of them they might have a chance. They are making noticeable progress now.

Eren, barely conscious, can't believe they won't just let him go.

"There's no time! Just get away! PLEASE!"

The titan is quite close now. They definitely won't be done by the time it gets there.

"Blast, we won't get him out in time. Just let me go deal with this titan, and we can finish up here." He gets up and prepares his gear to take the titan down.

"Dammit, Hannes, you drunken fool. Just take Mikasa and mom and run!"

"Not to worry, Eren. Who here is trained to fight these things. Have some faith!"

Come on, Hannes. Time to make good on that debt you owe!

But as he gets closer, the fear sets in, and he freezes.

How? How could I ever fight this?

He turns and runs, knowing what he has to do. He swiftly grabs Mikasa and Carla, both which are fighting him as he goes. Eren just smiles at him.

Finally, someone made the right decision.

"Hannes, let me go! Eren's still back there! Please!" Mikasa cries out in an unbearable pain. "We need to save him! PLEASE!"

Dammit, I really am worthless. Can't even save one kid.

"Wait! Please!" Hannes stopped short, surprised. That voice was unmistakably Eren's. He turned to face him.

"Eren?"

"I'm scared. I don't want to die..."

Hearing that broke Hannes's heart. Carla burst into tears, losing the will to fight. Fortunately for him, Mikasa's renewed struggle against him kept him grounded in reality just enough to not break down crying himself. "I'm so, so sorry, Eren. There's nothing we can do. But I promise you, I will get Mikasa and your mom out of this mess."

"Is... is it going to hurt?" Eren sputters out quietly as he starts crying, fear overwhelmingly present in his eyes. No matter how brave of a face he had been putting on, he was still just a kid.

The question shocked Hannes. What else could he do other than try to comfort the boy as best he could?

"It'll be like falling asleep. You won't feel a thing."

Minor relief appeared on Eren's face at that. He opened his mouth to reply but couldn't get any words out, his motion ceasing.

I'm so sorry Eren, Grisha. I wish I were a better man.

He turns and leaves, still carrying Carla and Mikasa.

The titan finally makes it to the house, and reaches down to grab Eren. Eren doesn't even have the energy to scream or fight back at this point. He's completely still in the titan's grip, completely spent at recent events. It holds Eren in front of its face, examining its prey.

Carla's brain snaps back to reality at witnessing this event. "Mikasa, don't watch."

But Mikasa ignored Carla's wishing, not even blinking as events unfolded before her.

So this is how I die, huh? At least I got Mikasa out. I wonder if dad would be proud of me?

And with that, it bites him in half, blood spraying everywhere, and Eren knew no more.

"Eren! EREN! No!" Mikasa bawls out. She promptly passes out having witnessed such a horrible event.

All Carla can think is one thing.

"I'm so sorry, Eren. I'm sorry."

None of them notice the strange glow that seems to appear around the titan, its motion ceasing.

Mikasa shoots awake from her bed in the barracks in a sweat, tears streaming down her eyes as Armin is above her, seemingly having shaken her awake.

"Another nightmare?" He questions.

"Yes."

"Same one?"

"Yes."

"I can stay with you a while longer if you want?"

"No, it's fine. Thanks." Mikasa lies back down, knowing she won't be sleeping again tonight.

"I may not have lived with him like you, but I miss him, too."

Mikasa just lie there, unmoving and doesn't respond. Thoughts flying through her brain a million miles a second.

"He wouldn't want you to be like this-"

At that, Mikasa snaps at him, as she was prone to do whenever Eren was brought up.

"You don't know what he would want! He's not here! And it's my fault!" She screams with tears coming down her eyes.

"I know you blame yourself. Every time we talk about it it's the same damn thing! And you know what I'm going to say in response? The same damn thing! His decisions were his own. You can't take the blame for someone else's choices! Being miserable about it isn't going to change anything! You want to honor his memory? Do something about it!"

With that, Armin left Mikasa to herself.

This world is hell.

Flashes of Eren shoot through her head. Tears dropping from her eyes once again.

But there is beauty in it.

"Come on Mikasa, it's time to go home." Memories of the night he saved her flashing through her head.

I don't have a home anymore. It's gone. Everything I ever loved is gone. My memories of you are all I have.

"Tag, you're it, Mikasa!" Memories of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin playing games playing through her head.

If only I had reacted faster. He'd still be here.

"I didn't save you for you to die anyways!"

I died with you, Eren.

"You want to honor his memory? Do something about it!" Armin's voice rings through her head.

I'm going to join the scouts. And I'm going to kill all the titans...

I had so many thoughts just running through my head and some time to kill so I wrote another chapter. I think I got everything I needed. Various ideas pop in and out on what's important to cover for a story like this and I doubt I'll get it all, but I'll do the best I can for sure.
I should probably start writing some of these things down in hindsight so I don't forget something I wanted to say