Wanted (ERERI FANFICTION)

5: Black Flag

Armin and the ships crew run amok atop the deck in frantic worry. The first mate blond and another crew member carry Eren across the boards of the ship as the waves rock them from side to side. Alarm has brought the ship to havoc. Seeing their captain, bleeding out and injured, barely able to keep his consciousness has stirred a lot of the crew's fear. Their strongest has fallen with incredible harm. If Eren is down, it doesn't take much to spook the crew.

Armin stares down at his captain as they escort him down into the cabin. Eren's face slicked with sweat, his breathing eratic and his eyes only just able to stay open. The key he was after around his neck tied to a string. The mission is accomplished, but at what cost? Eren looks like he's at deaths door. His skin is unusually pale in contrast to his normal healthy tan. He's utterly drained with every ounce of his energy going towards keeping himself awake.

"Quickly! Get me the healer!" Armin yells in authority towards the stunned crew. As soon as his loud, worrisome voice floods across the members, they all work hurriedly to bring their dear captain someone with medical experience. Everyone tries to remain calm, but panic resides within them all.

Small droplets of blood lead the way to the Captain's quarters and the sight of it leaves Armin feeling sick. The door swings open and two crew members carry the worn out teen into his place of residence. He's placed gently into his hammock that is hooked onto two support beams. His leg, instantly raised onto a crate for support.

"NG! F-Fucking! Be careful!" Eren hisses. The stabbing pain shoots through every part of him as pressure is placed onto the exposed wound.

"Shit! Bring me Historia!" Armin panics. Eren's shaking. All over he trembles and sweats immensely. His breathing now short, helpless pants. All Armin can think about is who would have caused this. How did this happen? Who did Eren meet on that island... There's no doubt in Armin's mind that if Eren couldn't handle whoever did this, then the crew will certainly all be killed should they encounter them.

Historia finally comes to Eren's aid. The bloodloss has made Eren very ill looking but at least the blood has stopped.

"Oh, Eren! What happened?!" She gasps worriedly and brings the leg into her arms.

"Ah! C-Careful!"

"Sorry!" Historia brings a cloth to the wound, damp, and slowly wipes away the drying blood to pinpoint the damage. "This is really nasty... what happened out there?"

"There was... it-it was a set up." Eren breathes out in heavy breaths. "There's a bounty hunter after us!" He gasps out.

"Eren, bounty hunters have been after us for ages," Armin reminds his friend with a forced laugh. When he sees the terror in his Captain's eyes, the blond grasps his friend's hand and waits for further explanation. It puzzles Armin. Being scared of a petty bounty hunter? They've always been dealt with quickly and have never made it back to where they came from. But if Eren's leg is anything to go by...

"This one is different, Armin," Eren stares with such sincere intensity that it has his blond first mate stiff with fear. The brunet grits his teeth and forces out air from his mouth. Searing pain burns Eren's shin, but he doesn't dare look at what the medic is doing. He can feel Historia stitching up the wound. Then the coldness of a special herbal paste being spread across the threaded knots before his leg is wrapped up in bandages. "This one is much more skilled," Eren goes on as Historia places a cold, wet cloth on his forehead to keep him cool.

"How do you mean?"

"It was... the most s-scariest opponent I've ever met... h-he was so short, but S-so c-cold," Shivers break out through Eren's body. His eyes closing. He appears to finally be able to rest after all the pain, but suddenly he jolts up, his leg hitting the post and creating an excruciating twinge in his body.