The Birth of Freedom

The Battle for Trost Part one

"Armin it's time to go," Sasha said gently as she reached down to shake him, no use there though, he wasn't any good to anyone now, which was a shame. He may have clung to Eren and Mikasa like a child does its parents, but I couldn't fault the head on his shoulders. Had he not gone nuts he may have been able to actually come up with a plan. 

"Reiner, do we move out?" Annie tugged on Reiner's arm to get his attention and the big blonde looked over the city skyline critically before turning to the tiny, scary girl.

"Not yet, we have to let them gather up first."

"It's no use there too many of them" Marco jumped to his feet and grasped Reiner's arm "I don't think any of us are going to survive this. I've come to accept that, but it's just I wanted my death to mean something" 

Marco sighed in defeat and on the verge of tears as his he came to the realisation that his life meant nothing.

Me too, Marco, me too.

Suddenly gasps erupted throughout our small gathering. and the last and only person I wanted to see here landed on the edge of the rooftop and searched the crowd of cadets with panicked eyes.

She's here.

"Mikasa weren't you with the rear guard," I asked dumbfounded

That's the first thing I say to her on the verge of our imminent death? Idiot. 

I reached a hand out to touch her, the idea not entirely sinking in that she was really here but no sooner as I felt my fingertips gently brush her jacket, she pushed past me and went straight for Annie.

"Annie, I know how bad things have gotten, and it's selfish to put personal matters in the forefront but have you seen Eren's squad?"Mikasa's tone had a note of desperation underlying it, and of course it would be about Eren.

"Some squads made it back, but I don't know about Eren's" Annie shrugged as she subtly backed away from Mikasa and looked to Reiner for help as Mikasa began to look around her frantically.

"I think Armin is over there" Reiner gestured with this thumb over to what remained of Armin and his sanity and I had a bad feeling as I watched Mikasa rush over to the catatonic mess and kneel down in front of him.

"Armin" she said gently pulling his arms free from his around his head "Armin are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" 

He didn't give her an answer; instead, he just stared at her with wide, fearful eyes and my bad feeling grew stronger.

"Where is Eren? Armin?" Mikasa asked softly, her eyes intent on Armin.

"We were... The cadets of squad 34, Thomas Wagner, Nack Tierce, Samuel Zeremski, Mina Carolina and Eren Yaeger. These brave 5 upheld their duties. They died valiantly on the field of battle" Armin broke down into heart-wrenching sobs.

Ah shit.

"Please no" Sasha whispered; her face stricken with grief.

"His whole squad was wiped out" I muttered as the words fell out of my mouth. 

All gone, just like that in a single afternoon. Eren was in the top ten, if he couldn't make it then what was the point in all of this. How were we ever supposed to fight back? We've been raised like pigs to the slaughterhouse because no matter how hard we trained in the last three years it made no difference in the end, there was no beating them.

"The same will happen to us if we try to take on those Titans." A cadet cried out in fear and Armin seemed to wake from his madness lunging forward to cling to Mikasa's arm.