Every second felt like a minute, every minute like an hour... Eren shivered, his face hidden in his knees that were damp from his endless flow of tears. Levi, oh God, Levi! Would he be ok? Of course he would, Natalie was helping him. But what if she can't help him? She can! She can help him! Sh-she can! What if he can't get you out of here? You can watch him die and then Natalie and you will be next. Shut up, shut up, shut up! He is not going to die! What if someone tries to attack him? They will have to get through me first. Clenching his fists, Eren started to try and calm his breathing. He bit his hand as he tried to calm down, trying to clench his teeth and stop them chattering. The copper taste of blood curled onto his tongue and his hand throbbed with sharp pain as his teeth sank into his skin. His thoughts whizzed around his head and suddenly he felt an intense sense of purpose. NO! Levi would NOT die! He just had to have faith! Levi believed in him, said he could do anything he set his mind to when Eren really struggled, even if sometimes he was a right dick and just called Eren dumb. Levi would fight for Eren, so Eren would fight for him! Eren jumped to his feet, wielding his knife with a tight bleeding fist, droplets of scarlet dripping to the ground and staining his fingernails a deep pigmented red.

"Eren? Are you ok?" Natalie looked over at him worriedly as she saw him suddenly get up. Eren was still quite dizzy because he had been in such a panic, but this sudden determination was taking his mind off of it and making it lessen. His chest still hurt but the tears had slowed to a dribble and he wasn't concentrating on his breathing, so it starting to become more even.

"Levi is NOT going to die, you can fix him and I will protect you both!"

"Eren, wh-"

"I will! No one is coming anywhere near him, they'll have to kill me first!" Levi watched groggily with unfocused eyes. Eren's voice sounded muffled and distant, but he could hear every word. Such an insufferable brat... Levi thought - but Levi loved him. He just hoped Eren wouldn't get hurt because Levi knew he was in no shape to help.

Eren stood protectively by the bins, his blanched knuckles a pasty white where they gripped the handle of the knife with relentless force. He was ready for anything. A man stumbled into view with a hacking cough, smoke puffing around him and dissipating on the murky air. He started to drunkenly make his way towards Eren and the others, his brain and thoughts blearily washed out through over consumption of alcohol. Eren let out a menacing low growl, his eyes sparking like green fire. Natalie glanced over her shoulder in shock at Eren's defensive tone. The drunken man let out a slurred questioning sound, not able to process what was really going on around him. His short buzzed hair glistening with sweat and there was thick saliva dripping steadily from his chin, an empty bottle clutched in his hand. A steady dribble of dark blood was starting to cry into a crusty mess on his head where he must have hit it. Shakily, he raised the empty bottle and totally missed his mouth, not that he missed out on any drink. There was none to have.

"GET BACK!" Eren yelled violently and the man hesitated, leaning his shoulder on the wall. He looked at Eren with a frown, hazy eyes not really focusing. "YOU HEARD ME, GO!" Even in his drunken state, the man seemed to get the picture and withdrew back down the alley, nearly tripping over a dislodged brick as he went. Eren's chest heaved up and down and his heart thumped. He was full of anger and determination. No one was going to get to Levi.

There was no way he would be well enough to stand and get out of here, let alone be sober or awake enough to actually coordinate the way out. They were stuck... And Levi couldn't stay here in this condition, he could catch something nasty in his state. Levi needed a proper place to rest. Eren paced up and down the alley, alert for anything that could pose a threat to his boyfriend. His eyes darted up and down the pathways, checking for any signs of movement. All the while he racked his brains for a solution. He needed to get Levi out of here, and soon. He saw off 2 girls and a stray, mangy cat all while Natalie checked Levi's condition. Eren leaned against the wall, his throat parched and his stomach growling, but that was the least of his worries. He looked down at the dried blood encrusting his hand and the tooth marks he'd placed there. Bruising sponged around the edges of the crescent moon shapes. Levi wouldn't be happy when he saw those... Levi. Levi. Levi! What would Levi do? Think Eren, think! He knew what he was doing... What would he do in this situation? Eren's eyes drifted upwards to the high rooftops where water was dripping from the weathered bricks at the top. He remembered jumping across roofs similar to this with Levi a few months back... Sure this place was bigger, quite a lot bigger, but surely it would be easier to climb up there now that he had practice. He looked over through his disheveled hair at where Natalie was looking at some scrapes on Levi's leg. Levi would HATE this if he had the ability to say so and stop it. It was kind of a good job he didn't though, so Natalie could check him over properly... This also meant that Levi couldn't tell Eren not to climb up onto the roofs and he couldn't physically stop him either. Eren could do it, sure he could. He was brave enough, he'd done it before, and he WAS going to save Levi, nothing could stop him!

Eren pocketed his knife and made sure his coat was done up so it didn't get in his way. He stopped down and picked up a dented yellow spray can. He tested it on the wall. It was still about half full. He took one last glance at the very pale Levi and Natalie before pocketing the can and climbing atop the first bin he got to. The nurse's head snapped round at the metallic clanging sound and her pretty eyes widened in shock. "Eren! What on Earth are you doing?"

"Finding a way out of this dump." He mumbled firmly and tested a bin with his foot before stepping on it completely, making sure it wasn't too eroded and weak to hold him.

"No you're not, get down here, that's dangerous! If you fall we're done for Eren!"

"I won't fall."

"You don't know that! Eren don't be stupid! Please come down!" She got up and hurried over to Eren, dodging past shattered fragments of deep green glass and some sort of mou1ldy material. Looking up at Eren on the bins, her heart thumped against her ribs. Eren got a foothold in a crevice in the brickwork and stepped firmly into it, gripping a brick that was jutting out with his hand and hauling himself up a couple of meters. "EREN! Stop now!" Natalie demanded. The brunette had never heard her so forceful. Levi groggily started turning his head at the sound of Eren's name, his head throbbing painfully at the loud noise and movement. Eren...? What was he doing? Was he alright? His eyes were too unfocused, he couldn't see a thing and he was too weak and thirsty to manage saying anything above a whisper. Natalie watched in horror as Eren pulled himself higher and higher, one leg and arm after the other, a look of pure determination set defiantly into his features. He was going to rescue them all. It was his turn to be the hero.

(A/N:) Hey! Thank you for reading, sorry for not updating, hope this chapter made up for it! :D Thanks for all your reviews, I'll see you in the next chapter! Byeee!