𝐀 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐄 | eren yeager

26 | The Easy Path

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Word Count: 1776

The Special Operations Squad stared at Eren in surprise, taken aback when he after all the struggle, agreed to keep going with them and not fight by himself. However, Eren's complying to his own decision was quickly put to test when the group heard a scream coming from behind them.

Eren struggled to keep his gaze forward, listening as whatever remained of the reinforcements was finished off. He grimaced at the desperate cries, frantically muttering apologies under his breath with his eyes closed.

After getting rid of the last interruption, The Female Titan made a sudden sprint. Leaning forward to get much more length to her strides, the change in her running form gave her the advantage of quickly catching up to the group. Squad Levi stared in horror, quickly increasing their horses' pace.

"Target is accelerating!" Gunther yelled.

"Full speed ahead!" Levi ordered, "We'll get away!"

Eren turned his gaze to The Female Titan, staring at her approaching form as the rumbling of the ground grew louder and louder.

'Impossible... Get away...? If we keep galloping with our backs to it, we'll all be flattened...! But... Even though it looks like we're gonna die... Even though it means letting our comrades die, everyone chose to keep going.'

Turning his head around to face forward, he looked at the squad around him. Amongst all the chaos, they seemed to be relatively calm this time.

'Captain Levi's looking straight ahead. And so are they... They believe in the Captain. They trust him with their lives.'

Thinking back at the reinforcements, he grit his teeth.

'Why did I choose this?! I might've been able to save them... I left them to die! I...'

'I...'

'That's it... It's because...'

"Captain!" Petra shrieked, her voice barely audible over the thumps of The Female Titan's loud footsteps. Even though Levi was clearly aware of what was happening and its severity, he wasn't turning back anymore, "Keep going!"

The next few moments would be critical and life-altering. In the next few seconds, their entire squad could be crushed under the female type titan's feet, or grabbed by her and smashed against a tree trunk like she did with the others. Everyone was aware of it.

Eren's eyes slowly widened, 'I wanted something new to rely on... Something to believe in, like I did when I was with them. (Y/N)... Armin, Mikasa... Everyone... I'm sick of being treated like a monster. I've had enough of being shunned, so...'

Eren slowly looked up, his eyes meeting with The Female Titan's own.

'I just wanted to think that I should believe in my comrades...'

He looked as her ginormous hand was opened, reaching towards him as her eyes glistened.

'...because it's easier that way.'