Once again you were assigned another post than Marco, and this time you had a really bad feeling about it. You were manoeuvring through town with your new team that consisted of all new faces. You learned that their names were Alex, Lina, Louise and Ida. You as a group attracted titans, luring them slowly but surely towards the wall were other cadet's hung to keep them busy. Marco, Connie and Jean were there, and you couldn't help but feel nervous for them. Even though they are to hang high enough that the titans can't reach, they have to be low enough for them to not lose interest. If an abnormal titan decided to jump or something they would be dead...
"A little bit more now!", Alex said as the titan smacked into one house after the other to get to you. He reminded you a lot of Thomas, his leader-instinct shining through as he took charge of the team.
Eren hadn't transformed yet since they were waiting for the teams out in the field to lure more titans to the wall.
"There should be enough at this point, I wonder when they are going to sta-", you started saying, but got interrupted by a green smoke signal and a flash of golden light. Eren's titan-roar spread across town.
"-never mind!", you said, joining your team a safe distance away from all the titans that were greedily trying to reach your comrades on the wall. Your titan had now joined the rest, and you watched as Garrison soldiers started firing cannons at them from the top.
"I really hope this plan of theirs work, people are sacrificing a lot for it", Louise said as a scream from one of the cadets on the wall rang out. She got to close to a titan and got eaten before the garrison could manage to shoot it.
"I have faith in it. I have faith in Eren", you answered her confidently. The other's looked at you with an unsure expression. They probably didn't really know what to think of the whole Eren-thing.
"I for sure hope you are right, but no matter what we believe we have to follow orders. Let's go!", Alex said and made his way towards Eren's position. The next phase of the plan was for the teams to start eliminating titans in vicinity of Eren. A selected group of people that was currently dangling on the wall were also to gather into teams and help out in town. Again, Marco, Connie and Jean were a part of those selected groups.
'Trust them Y/N, and focus on your mission for now!'
You sliced the nape of a titan that was about to grab Ida.
"Damn, thanks Y/N!", Ida exclaimed, her breathing was fast after that close call.
"No worries!", you told her, slicing another titans nape. Screams of terror were to be heard from all angles as people fighting titans in town as well as people luring titans on the walls were eaten or attacked. The situation was looking grim, but you refused to let it take away your drive. This had to end here! You couldn't allow humanity to lose to those monsters!
You noticed the sun was setting. It really had been a whole day of relentless fighting. You remember getting up at the crack of dawn to send off the Survey Corps.
'Have I really managed to fight for this long? Damn Y/N, I knew you had great stamina, but this takes the cake!'
As you cut the achilles tendons of a large titan, you saw a new smoke signal appear. Could it be the one signalling our victory already? You squinted your eyes, focusing on the colour as the setting sun made it hard to tell. Red?
'No, it can't be red! What went wrong?'
"Y/N!", Lina screamed out and you realized you hadn't finished off the titan yet. It violently reached out its left hand for you and you jumped on top of it. You ran up along the arm, jumping as it smashed its other hand on it top of it, trying to crush you like a bug. Reaching the top you connected your right wire to the building across from you and started reeling yourself inn. You sliced the nape as you passed it and landed on the roof with the others.
"How do you even move like that?", Louise exclaimed amazed, the others having the same expression. Modest, you smiled at them and changed the subject.
"Did you guys see the signal? Looks like something didn't quite go to plan..", you said nervous.
"What are we supposed to do now then?", Lina asked, her hand on her forehead.
"I guess we just continue?", you said uncertain.
"Yes, I think we should keep doing what we have done up until this point. No matter what happened over there, less titans in general means less trouble for them. I just hope they solve the issue fast!", Alex said, taking to his blades.
"I agree Alex, let's keep going then", you said and jumped off the roof.
'I hope the others are doing okay... I know they are not at the wall still; we are too far into the plan for that'.
You noticed more titans coming in through the hole.
"Argh, this is never ending!", Lina exclaimed frustrated as she noticed the same thing.
"Keep your head cool and focus on one titan at a time as much as possible! It makes it feel less overwhelming", you advised her and killed yet another titan. "But remember to still keep an eye on your surroundings!"
You went over to a titan trying to climb on top of a roof. You hooked your wire into the neck and sliced its nape quickly. It collapsed into the building with a loud bang, debris flying everywhere, and a rooftile piece cut your cheek. You quickly got up to your feet and paused to catch your breath, scanning your surroundings for any titans that could be creeping up. You started to feel properly exhausted, and remembered your little moment of peace and rest with Marco on the crates.
'Oh Marco, please be safe'
"What?!", you suddenly recognized Connie's voice exclaim somewhere near you.
"Connie?!", you called out, your breathing halted for a second then became faster as you didn't hear any response.
"Connie!", you cried out even louder and started to make your way in the direction you thought you heard him. You could spot a titan with its arm raised above its head. That must be it! Was it going to grab Connie?! You picked up your speed. A hook sliced through the middle of the titans hand from behind it.
You had finally reached them and looked down at Connie and Jean on either side of the titan. The titan was distracted by Jean's hook, and you took that as your chance. You fastened your hook to the roof across from you and jumped down, picking up Connie in a swift swinging-motion. He was now safely placed on the roof.
"Y/N?", he exclaimed astonished, not expecting to see you here. You noticed Jean had started to run away, the titan following him.
"We've got to help him!", you said and started to run after them on the roof. The titan stopped for some reason, giving Jean a golden opportunity to get out of there. You watched as Jean struggled to activate his gear.
'Really? A malfunction?! At this time and place?!'
Another titan suddenly closed in behind him. You felt your legs move faster than you ever knew they could.
"Connie, get back to the wall! I'll help him!", you screamed, not wanting to worry about them both. He did as you said, and you saw Jean jump out of the way from an attack and started to run again. It seemed like no matter how fast you ran, you couldn't get close enough to kill it. The distance was too great from the get-go. Tears threatened to leave your eyes in your frustration.
'Why can' I reach?!'
You saw Jean run into a house to hide. The titan didn't seem to notice, and stopped in confusion as it didn't see Jean anymore. You stopped and tried to make sure it wouldn't spot you as well. You felt your entire body ache after all the physical challenges this day presented. After a little while the titan turned around and made its way past you. You couldn't be bothered to take it down right now as you wanted to make sure Jean was okay.
Mustering what little energy you had left, you started moving towards the house. Jean came out and ran towards a boulder that had crushed a soldier from the neck-up. You started shaking at the familiar sight, but once again, your shook yourself out of it.
'You need to keep your head clear!'
Jean started unfastening the soldiers gear and you finally understood what he was doing. However, heavy steps made their way closer to you, as you noticed the same titan from earlier came back.
'Shit, shit, shit, why didn't I take it when I had the chance?!'
It closed in on Jean, him struggling to get the gear off. You started running again.
"Jean!", you screamed. He turned around and looked up at the titan. A silhouette flying in from the left grabbed your attention. It was Marco, who landed in front of the titan, making it follow him instead.
'Marco you idiot, why would you do that?'
You frantically changed course as Marco lead it in a totally different direction. You took one last look at Jean who was finally up and moving again, but instantly collapsed as he tried to manoeuvre. You felt like you were going to combust as you looked back and forth between Marco and Jean, one almost in the grasp of a titan and the other running away from one.
'I can't help them both! What do I do?'
Connie suddenly showed up beside you and started running in Jean's direction.
"Jean!", he screamed, and you watched him jump and bump hard into the titan's forehead, totally missing the nape. You couldn't help but let out a laugh. It looked too comical.
"What the hell are you doing?!", Jean asked his 'saviour' appalled. Connie was holding his head in pain.
"Look who's talking!", he spitted back at him.
"Both of you, hurry and get out of here!", you yelled at them. They took one look at you before obeying your orders. You quickly eliminated the titan Connie used as a punching bag for his head, and looked over at Jean. He was in the line of fire once again as the same titan from earlier jumped towards him with its mouth wide open. You tightened your grip around your handles and braced every muscle in you. You flung your now dull and halved blades at it, releasing them from the holsters. The blades spun through the air, hitting the titan right in the eyes. It collapsed in agony, and Jean managed to make his leave. You zoomed over to the titan and swiftly cut the nape.
"That one is for Jean and Marco, you bitch", you said, scowling down at the decaying body underneath you. The others had made their way on top of the wall again. You wished you could join them, but you should probably regroup with your team. You kind of just left them behind in your moment of despair and protectiveness. You made your way towards the last place you saw them. You couldn't really see anyone in the area. You continued in the direction you were planning to go before you ran away. They were no where to be found as you looked around you. Reddish hair laying flat against the dirty ground grabbed your attention. You swung your way down to the street and examined the detached upper body laying there.
'Lina...'
Beside her was a single arm with a ring you recognised was Louise's. You continued down the road, looking for signs that the other two may have suffered the same fate. You found Ida's body, her head missing. You identified her by the bracelet she had informed you was a gift from her mother.
A gurgling sound was coming from the roof above you, and you quickly made your way up to investigate. You gasped as you saw Alex clinging to life desperately. His body was bit in half, the bottom part missing. His breathing was unsteady, blood leaving his mouth at every exhale. You took his hand and kneeled down beside him.
"I'm so sorry Alex", you whispered, tears filling your eyes to the brim.
"H-help me, I-I don't want t-t-to die y-yet", he managed to stutter in between his struggling breath. The tears started flowing freely as he pleaded you to help him live. You tried to stay put, wanting to comfort him as he took his dying breath.
"Shh Alex.. It's going to be alright, okay? You served humanity well, and we will forever be grateful for your skills and leadership... Rest now", you said and gently caressed his face with your other hand. He relaxed a bit by your touch, and you stayed with him until you saw the light leave his eyes. You allowed yourself to let your feelings take over now. You slouched down on your butt, cradling your legs with your arms as you pressed your knees to your chest. Resting your forehead on the top of your knees you started bawling.
'This is all my fault, isn't it? I should have stayed! But then again, my friends may have died if I did... Why is the world so unfair? Why is it always either or? Both my friends and my team deserved to live!'
Your breath hitched.
'Marco... I don't know if I saw him reach the top of the wall with the others.. Is he still out here?'
You had a gut feeling that something was very wrong. It may be because of your over protectiveness and the sadness you felt after losing your teammates, but you knew you had to find him before doing anything else.
The ground shaking violently made you lift your head up in confusion. You looked over In Eren's direction to see him finally move the boulder. Quickly, you got up to your feet, harshly wiping away your tears.
'Sorry Eren, I'll help out in a minute!'
You quickly made your way over to the place you had last seen Marco, killing the titans that blocked you on your path. You can't lose him; it was as simple as that. Your protective nature took a hold of you, and it felt like nothing could stop you on your way.
"Marco!", you screamed his name as you sliced a nape.
"Marco!", you screamed out a little higher. You started breathing heavier, the lack of response stressing you out. It was a large city, and you didn't even know if he was even down here. You jumped over to the next roof, refusing to slow down before you were certain he was okay.
"Marc-", you started screaming again, but another scream shut you right up.
"Someone help!", Marco's scream rung out, and it felt like someone punched you right in the stomach.
"Marco!", your screams became frantic as you ran towards the noise. You breathed through your mouth, little gasps for air rapidly repeating themselves as you upped your pace. As you turned a corner, his screams became louder. Finally reaching the source of his screams, the sight you were met with will haunt you forever.
Marco was in the grasp of a titan, struggling to break free. His arm was inside its mouth, his hand placed on top of its teeth as he tried with all his might to push himself away. Tears streaming down his face.
You quickly hooked yourself to the titans neck and sliced the nape. Your entire body was shaking. You grabbed a hold of Marco before he got crushed by the collapsing titan and started manoeuvring away from the site. As you left you could swear you saw three silhouettes in the corner of your eye, but you didn't want to linger about that place any longer.
Marco was shaking even more than you and it didn't seem like he realised what was going on. He was in a state of pure shock and panic. You decided it was best if you put him down to examine him before moving on further, so you found a high rooftop and made sure there were no titans around before putting him down gently. He didn't say anything, just continued shaking and making little noises.
"Marco?", you tried saying carefully. You placed your hand gently on his. Marco's eyes opened rapidly, and it looked like he was seeing for the first time again. He looked around in astonishment, not noticing you.
"Hey", you said softly, trying to get his attention. He finally looked at you, and tears welled up in his eyes again.
"Y/N?", he asked, as if he didn't recognise you.
"Yeah, it's me", you smiled gently, moving your hand from his hand up to his cheek. "How are you feeling? That was a pretty close call", you said and started examining his body for any kind of injuries. That's when you noticed his arm was bleeding quite heavily.
"Oh shit! Sorry, I didn't even notice your arm!", you exclaimed, and looked around for anything you could use to stop the bleeding. There wasn't much to choose from. You quickly tore off a piece of your pants at the ankle area and used it to bind the wound.
"That should help for a little bit. Better get you to the medics!", you decided, and wrapped your arms around him again, helping him up.
He still didn't really speak as the two of you flew towards the wall. You had expected him to be much heavier, as he was carrying his gear and all- wait! His gear!
"Marco, where is your gear?", you exclaimed, shocked that you didn't notice sooner. His hold on you became tighter, seeking comfort.
"I-I had to take it off while I was grabbed by a titan before that one... It was the only way I could escape...", he mumbled into the nook of your neck. You felt warm tears hit your skin as he silently wept.
'Poor Marco, he has really been through it, huh...'
Reaching the wall you quickly took him to the medical tent so they could tend to him.
"Marco, I'm going back to help now", you told him as you helped him lay down.
"N-no!", he grabbed your hand and pulled you down to look him straight in the eyes, your faces inches apart. He was looking absolutely terrified, his face wild as he pleaded. "Don't leave me alone! I-I'm not safe..", his voice was weak and whimpered at the last word.
"Marco... Of course you are safe, the titans are on the other side of the wall, it will be fine", you smiled at him carefully and gave his hair a stroke.
"No, you don't understand", he said frantic. You had never seen him like this before, and you felt scared for him.
"What do I not understand? Talk to me Marco", you continued with a soft voice.
"I-I can't», he simply said. You spotted Sasha in the crowd.
"Hey, what if I get Sasha to sit here with you until I come back? Would that make you feel better?", you asked him, waving at Sasha to get her to join the two of you.
"I guess...", he answered plainly, but you could se he relaxed a teeny tiny bit. You kissed his forehead and got up.
"Stay put, I'll be right back!", you said and turned to Sasha. "Stay with Marco until I come back, okay?". She nodded with a smile and walked over to him. You quickly climbed the wall and made your way towards Eren. He was almost at the gate.
'Okay team! I will see this mission through and make sure this ends here! Your sacrifices will not be in vain!'
You ran towards Eren, taking down every titan you came across on your way. Inching closer to the hole, you saw Armin and Mikasa run in front of him. Soldiers all around them where picked up and eaten as they tried to distract the titans closing in on Eren. You helped a soldier stuck in aa titans grasp as you cut its nape. Looking up, you saw a titan standing in the way of the hole. A soldier you recognized as Rico stabbed its eye as Mikasa quickly got behind it, slicing the nape.
'We can do it!'
"Now Eren!", Armin screamed, and Eren roared as he plugged the hole with such force it nearly blew Armin and the others away. You shielded your eyes from the dust with your hand. You let your arms fall and just stared in awe at the plugged hole from one of the houses closest to the gate.
'You did it Eren... Humanity won'
Rico sent out a yellow flare, signalling victory. You fell to your knees.
Armin tried to help Eren out from the nape. You heard heavy footstep approach as two giant titans made their way to Eren.
'Oh hell no!'
You got up to your feet and hooked your wire to the neck of one of them. You reeled yourself in while dodging its arms as it frantically tried to catch you. You used your momentum to swing yourself up in a single backwards-turning motion, in the air above it. You spun slightly on your way down, cutting its nape clean off. You noticed the other one was about to grab you, but that's when a raven haired soldier, carrying the wings of freedom emblem on his cloak, swooped in and swiftly eliminated the titan. He was so fast; you barely even saw him do it... He turned to you, and you realized you recognised him from the send-off earlier today.
"What the hell is going on here?", he asked with an unimpressed expression.
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A/N:
Marco lives to see another day!!
I know his death is a turning point for a lot of characters and you are probably wondering how i'm going about him being a part of the military alongside with certain people after what he experienced, but i have a plan for all that. And i'm pretty confident i can write him into the rest of the story and still make things make sense.
I hope you find this exiting and want to keep on reading!:)
Have a wonderful day!<3
~Jen