Chapter 3

Before I knew it, I was in the air pushed by an invisible wall. Steam followed enough to melt your flesh. Everywhere I saw was through grey lens as I spiraled headfirst into the ground. I heard a scream somewhere and, for a moment, I almost recognized that voice.

"Y/n!"

I squeezed the trigger of my operating device. The anchors shot out and grasped the wall. Once again, I dangled back to safety without the strength to move on.

"Y/n!", it was Krista.

I looked at her and there she was. Five meters above me joined with a few other cadets but still no sign of Ymir. She was turning her head left and right before looking back at me. Her lips quivered slightly as the corners of her eyes began to water. Despite the invisible rope around my throat and the heavy weight on my chest, all I felt was numbness. There was no sign of fear or helplessness for the other missing cadets, and especially for Ymir. It was quite sad how we ended our last encounter in a terrible state of mind. I didn't mean to react that way, after all, she was only trying to help me and I never said 'thank you'. Did she deserve to die like this?

Like how my brother did?

One of the canons that fell from the roof tore one of my grappling hooks. I lost balance and fell again. The canon above me pursued. I pressed the trigger once more, but the left grappling hook failed to penetrate. The canon drew closer and closer.

Swish! Bump!

The next thing I knew, I was clasped into someone's arms. I held them* tight. We dodged past the cannons and falling wood, flying as light as air under the hot mist. Keeping my head against their* neck, I could smell their scent. It didn't remind me of Krista's primroses, of dark coffee from Ymir, but it smelled of firewood (like oak from Mikasa) and green grass. I looked up, and there were freckles on their skin, and on their head was short black hair parted straight in the middle. I held my breath. "Hold tight." it was a deep gentle voice.

Marco?

We rested in a corner for a few moments after the rain had stopped. His chest rose up against me and flattened, rose up, then flattened once more in an irregular consistency. I shifted my arm a little and, through the fabric, our sweat mingled.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded. But to sit on his lap, and to feel his legs shudder almost convulsively under my dreaded weight, I couldn't help repeating his question. "I mean, you seem to be struggling," I added.

He laughed, "Me struggling? Hah, no way. I can still manage for a little while." He looked onwards, "The damage seems to have stopped, so there's no need to worry. But whatever happens, I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you."

I heard this a thousand times before with the same intentions, the same kinds of phrases yet, for the first time in a while, I felt completely reassured. He saved me from a falling canon, then whisked me away from death like a superhero. Maybe this time things will be different. Maybe, this time danger will be out of my way. I finally braved into his eyes, saw the sweet honey pools in them and watched them soften for a bit. The freckles on his skin and cheeks reminded me of constellations, and when he smiled awkwardly something terrible struck me. It was a new addition to the pile of things I cringed to remember, things that would make me lose sleep at night.

He laughed awkwardly but said nothing, and now, I'm itching to slip from his grasp and die. I couldn't remember the last time I've been this close to a boy. To really breathe in their nice manly scent for more than one second, and to hold them like this and make physical contact like this. I felt out of breath the more I thought about it but Marco didn't seem to mind, and if I wasn't too embarrassed to notice it, the turbulence in his legs had stopped and his arms were wrapped more tightly around me. I saw stars in my vision, and the lump in my throat reappeared. I fell sideways against his neck once more.

I woke up to the brown ceiling of old redwood, and a waterskin raised against my lips. I got up and found myself on a box and Krista and (thank goodness) Ymir surrounding me. Our cadets scrambled around the room under the distant alarm bell. "Y/n! You're awake!", the former hugged me. "We're all here, and we're safe and sound and no one was harmed."

I let go, "Where are we? What happened?"

"We're not sure, but the Colossal Titan did appear and destroyed the canons."

"So- so, it wasn't a dream!" I laid back and closed my eyes hoping to revisit my happy dream realm. Instead of pure blackness, Marco's awkward smile came into view, his strong green grass fragrance and dark honey eyes. I moaned in deep humiliation.

Ymir's voice snapped me back to reality, and all feelings dissipated and returned to fear. It sounded more distant than I had expected. I imagined her smirk before she said, "Hey Krista, look who arrived."

Krista left me and gasped, "Captain Weilman! I hope it's not too serious."

"Can't tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if the wall's breached."

A voice boomed, "Attention cadets!"

We marched into formation in the courtyard. Under the blazing heat and amidst all our pain and confusion, the Captain of the Garrison, Kitz Weilman stood in front of us with two soldiers behind him. Their faces darkened and stiff like ragged dolls, except for the captain's whose deep sunken eyes bulged in all seriousness. His body shivered visually and it perfectly captured the usual skeptical side of him.

"Just like training, split up into your individual squads. You will be under Garrison command. Your duties are to assist in providing supplies, communication, and sweeping up the Titans. The first line of defense will be the frontline unit of the Garrison. The second line will be the cadet squads under our command. The Rearguards will be the Garrison's elite units! We've already received word that the vanguard has been annihilated. The outer gate was destroyed, and titans have encroached the city. This means that the Armoured Titan might show up at any minute to breach the inner gate."

My heart stopped. It was just as Ymir had predicted... But worse! Around me, there was muttering but they sounded more like buzzing in my ears. Flashes of four years ago came back, and I remembered the disembodied corpses. The way the Titans grabbed hold of their insignificant bodies and swallowed them whole like grapes… That could be us in an hour.

"Silence! The frontline guards are already in combat. There is but one goal in this defensive operation: Defend Wall Rose until every civilian has evacuated! Also, in case you forgot, let me remind you that desertion is a capital offense. Vow on your hearts to devote your lives! Dismissed!"

We saluted in unison. And as the Captain exited the courtyard, we fell into chaos.

Author's note: Since y/n doesn't know the gender of the person who saves her, I used "them" and "their" to signify him/her.