There are many days when all the awful things that happen make you sick at heart, when the path before you is so steep you can't bear to look. Not even love can rescue a person from that.
Banana Yoshimoto
x
Kagome fell silent. She watched as the two titans fought and stumbled to where Mikasa sat. This can't be possible. No way. Are my eyes deceiving me? Kagome idly pinched her side and blinked, only to see the mysterious titan rip the neck of the blonde one. "Mikasa." She mumbled, not facing her. "What do we do?"
For the first time ever, Mikasa had nothing to say.
x
Captain Levi and his squad emerge from a small town, their clothing bloodied, but their bodies otherwise unharmed. Levi steps down from his horse gracefully and stares ahead. In the distance, he can see titans swarming the Trost district. He shouts to his comrades, "Head to Trost. Kill or distract the titans surrounding the supply depot."
Petra hesitantly asks, her voice worried, "Where will you be, Captain?"
He ignores her, hops on his horse, and rides quickly.
x
It's Armin who snaps the girls out of their reveries. He shouts, his voice high pitched and alert, "We have to use it!"
Kagome rises to her feet. "What?" It sounds like both a crazy and impossible idea. From above, she catches sight of Connie, who springs down beside them. His eyes are wide and his lips are formed in a tight frown.
He nods his head. "It's been killing the titans. Using hand-to-hand combat." Connie swallows. "We've got to take advantage of this. I'm with Armin."
Armin reaches a hand out to Mikasa, who grabs it and stands. She still appears dazed, but she manages to nod. "Let's lead it to the depot. It can kill the titans there. We need more gas to fight."
Kagome can't help but agree.
x
Jean and Sasha reach the supply depot. They climb through one of the shattered windows to find soldiers cowering under tables and desks, their bodies quivering.
Sasha screams out in warning and points outside, where small titans have surrounded the depot. They peer through the building and pace on the ground, as if waiting for the soldiers to come out.
Jean clears his throat and doesn't allow his fear to be displayed. He pulls out his blade. Raises his foot on the ledge of the window and prepares to leap out into the great unknown.
Just as a strong breeze pierces his body, a familiar voice yells, "Jean!"
It's Kagome.
x
He turns around in disbelief and finds her rushing toward him. Behind her are others, beaten but not hurt. Connie and Armin and Mikasa. Kagome leaps onto him and he catches her gratefully, burying his face into her neck. "Are you alright?" His words are muffled, but she nods against him.
When they pull away, she touches his face gently. "You?"
"Yeah."
Kagome takes his hand. He squeezes it. He's not alone.
x
Although Armin's plan works, somehow, there are already titans near the fuel they need for their mobility gear. "What do we do now?" Kagome asks, wiping some blood from her cheek.
Armin paces the small room. His eyes narrow and he points to the elevator. "That's it!" He mumbles, hopeful. "We're going to blind the titans. Knock them down. If we do that, that titan can finish them off."
Mikasa nods. "Come on." Her command leaves none of them doubtful.
They use the last of their gas to get on the ceiling above the elevator. It's dark and they can hardly see the lower floors beneath them. "We need to do it at the same time. It's the only way." Kagome exclaims, blade raised.
"Ready?" She whispers to Jean. He releases a long breath.
"Always."
x
Mikasa gives the order. They wait impatiently, crouched and blinking into the darkness. Sasha is trembling and Connie's legs bounce up and down in anticipation.
"Now!"
They spring to action.
x
To their relief, only Connie and Sasha miss the eyes of the titans. Mikasa and Kagome, on instinct, finish off the remaining ones and watch as the mysterious titan begins to crush the others. Its fists strike out, first in a fighting stance, then transforming to throwing right and left hooks. Mikasa watches in awe, while the others fill up on gas and swipe new blades.
There's something about that titan. Something I'm familiar with. Mikasa frowns.
x
Captain Levi arrives to the depot to find the titan that the reports spoke and wrote of. He leaves his horse and trudges to where a group of amateurs are readying their weapons. His eyebrows knit when he catches a glimpse of the blue eyed teenager. She pats her companion beside her and uses her mobility gear to fly upwards. For a few moments, he observes her as she lures a titan to follow her. The foolish creature does and she swings around in an arc, slashing her blade widely into its exposed neck.
When he reaches them, they all salute, hands clenched into fists. The girl rolls onto the ground gracefully. Breathing heavily, she salutes, then rushes forward.
It's then that he realizes the mysterious titan has collapsed.
x
"Kagome!" Jean screams, reaching forward to follow her. Mikasa stops him with a hard shove. She glares at him, her dark eyes steely.
"We don't need two of you killed." She utters, blocking his path. Armin is frozen. His blade slides away from his grasp and clatters to the cement.
x
She doesn't know what she's thinking. She's running to the fallen titan, unafraid and vaguely worried. She knows the others are screaming for her, but she can't stop. Something in her chest is telling her to keep going. She stops when she's a foot away from the crumbled creature.
What are you thinking?
x
If there was anything that irked Captain Levi, it was crazy people doing crazy things that could go overwhelmingly wrong.
So when the girl ran forward in her insanity, he followed, keeping the others at bay.
x
Kagome sucks in a breath when she notices the abdomen of the titan rising and falling rapidly. She hesitates. Around her, everything is silent. It's as if the world is watching her.
Whatever it is, it's not a titan. It can't be a titan. The thoughts invade her mind before she can disregard them.
She steps forward and extends her hand.
That's when someone grabs her from the rear and she yelps in surprise, struggling. "Stay quiet, crazy. The titan can attack at any moment." The voice belongs to Captain Levi. She stiffens and he unwraps his arms from around her waist. "We're going to move backwards. If you do anything other than that, I won't hesitate to use my blade."
She tries to turn around to face him, but he won't allow it. His breath is hot against her neck. "Captain." She starts. "There's someone in there!"
He stops and goes still. "You're crazier than I thought."
"Levi!" She forgets his title and points at the titan. The flesh is burning and subsiding, revealing a curled human body.
The Captain curses colorfully and the girl pushes herself away from him in that moment, dropping to her knees in front of the body.
"It's Eren!"
x
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