As the titan toppled free Eren was thrown to the ground, hard.
"Eren!" screamed Mikasa, already flying towards the limp form lying prostate in the courtyard.
"Shit" Jean exclaimed, watching four titans enter the area "Bertolt grab Reiner and Annie, get a defensive net around them"
"On it!" Bertolt said, already on the way.
Jean maneuvered his way down to Mikasa, Annie and Reiner already joining Bertolt in taking the titans attention. "How did that crazy bastard get out of Armin's story huh?"
Jean landing with a slide by Mikasa eager to see the idiot and soon wished he hadn't. His heart stopped and all he felt was horror. That thing that used to be Eren couldn't be alive, shouldn't be if the laws of nature had their way. His skin once a light tan was now red with blood and burns, his eyes staring off into the distance, barely breathing but still clutching a lone, dull blade. Jean's eyes welled at Mikasa's sobs, maybe in her state she hadn't even noticed how he looked, but even then with a suspension of disbelief you couldn't overlook the fact that he wasn't all there. Both his left arm and leg we gone, at the knee and elbow respectively, leaving ragged torn stumps cauterized by some heat.
Eren's clothes were torn and soaked with blood both steaming and caked on, a brutal testament to the war that put him here.
"Mikasa we need to get moving" said Jean, angst creeping into his voice, two of the four titans down but more rolling in.
"No I won't leave him!"
"Mikasa..."
"NO!"
As soon as the word left her mouth Jean made a snap decision reversing his blade and thumping it on the back of head, knocking her to the ground. Not fully unconscious but enough for his purposes.
"CONNIE!" he bellowed, not only drawing the attention of the young man helping the last of the recruits leave the area but also three titans the just made there way over the edge.
"Shit" Jean knew he wouldn't be able to carry a person and fight them off, Connie arrived just in time stumbling a little at the sight of so many titans bearing down.
"Grab Mikasa and get out of here, tell the others to break off the assault and get moving too."
'But Jean..."
"No buts buddy I'm coming just... gotta get a friend out of here too."
Connie nodded gently levering Mikasa onto his shoulder and hopping away quickly. Jean stared at the young man, lying in the dirt, wondering how many lives including his own would be sacrificed just to give a funeral.
Muttering yet again the moniker Suicidal Bastard, he rushed to bend down and gently ease him up onto his shoulder but the titans had gotten close.
'Shit" Jean knew there wasn't much he could do with Eren on him like this, as he knelt preparing for a do or die dash to the finish.
As the titan's reached for him Jean activated his gear and flung violently to one side, scraping his leg against the ground, bloody but determined his maneuvered his way to the rafters and followed the retreating figures, the fear that titans would be on their trail and the bigger fear, when Mikasa came to.
Authors Note: It has been a long time indeed and I almost feel sorry with such a small chapter to start things again. Only just over 500 words this time around but I needed something to get me between story areas. Think of this as a little filler for you. I hope you're ready for an influx of content.
C.C.