It Started With Cadet Training (Reader/Levi/Erwin/Hange/Mike)

Guilt

With moving targets, it's harder than the training courses you're used to. However, a quick succession of teamwork with the other squads and your own brings the north-west titans to their knees. As the flares to the east get closer and closer.

"How haven't they taken them down yet!?" you shout, cocking your own red flare to the sky.

You get your answer in the form of a massive titan horde.

It's nearly overwhelming as you're swarmed. There's a trail of dead bodies- titan and human alike- as they chase up to you. Fear settles into your stomach as you try your hardest to take down as many as you can, but with your tiny squad and your Captain not giving any orders, you're overwhelmed.

Then there's a blood-curdling scream and you turn to see Hange watching a titan scoop up the captain. None of you are close enough to save them and to your horror, they're consumed.

Your emotions go numb as you hack through titans, unsure of what to feel. However, it seems that the whole ordeal has thrown your squad into a state of shock apart from Levi who's still hacking into titans. You barely knew them, yet even you felt numb.

There was nothing in the world that would pull you out of that headspace until you were down to the last few titans and another blood-curdling scream was heard. Deeper this time and your head whipped around to see Mike in a titan's hand two titans away from you.

Fear bubbled up in your chest as you shot across the field, slaying the two you pass, to get to Mike. It feels as if time itself is slowing down as you watch him picked up and drawn to the titan's mouth.

Your heart hammers in your chest as you lay into the titan, Levi coming up next to you and finishing it off. The titan tips over slowly, its hand coming down, still grasped around Mike. In an instant, you forget about the world around you and shoot down to grab him.

It's too close, far too close for your comfort as you snatch him out of the titan's hand and fly off towards the carts that are already gathering people in order to head back to the city. Your mission couldn't be complete with this many losses.

As you land on the cart, you watch your first sunset starting on the horizon. Tears prick your eyes as you can't enjoy the brilliant sight unhindered by the wall, your attention focused solely on Mike.

The scouts were all trained in medical care, something you'd been given early thanks to your parents. It was mostly due to underfunding that they didn't have proper medical staff, which left it up to the scouts themselves.

Your heart raced as you laid him out on the cart, searching for any sign of life. A quick finger on the pulse point showed you he was still alive, at least his head was beating. Thank the gods, his heart is still beating.

"Mike, I don't know if you can hear me, but I need to take a look so pardon the shower etiquette," you joke, trying to ease the tension hanging heavy over you.

You get a raspy chuckle from the normally cheerful man.
"How bold of you Cap, didn't realize you felt that way."

You roll your eyes, despite the heat spreading through your cheeks as you cut off his shirt to check for damages, making sure not to rip the jacket or cape. There are massive purple and black bruises, mixed with yellow and blue across his ribs and chest. You shouldn't find this attractive, but for a split second, that's all you can think of. Until you notice the blood pouring into the cart.

"Blood...?" you whisper to yourself as you search for where it would be coming from. When your eyes look down to further assess the damage you can't help the gasp that escapes your lips.