AUTHOR'S POV:
Mikasa swung onto a roof. She noticed three trainees standing atop a nearby building, talking. She was too far to hear them.
'Why isn't anyone going over the Wall? I'm sure they heard the bell signaling us to withdraw.' She wondered.
Something then caught her eye in the distance. The building was completely surrounded by Titans.
Inside, four trainees were huddled behind a desk.
"It's all over. We're done for..."
"There." One of the trainees said, finishing preparing his rifle.
"What good is that going to do?"
The boy stuck the rifle in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The other trainees cried out in horror.
.
.
All other squads were on the same rooftop, discussing. All of them were stressed. Then Mikasa approached them.
"Annie." Mikasa ignored everyone and quickly walked up to Annie. "I understand the gist of the situation. So I'm sorry for letting my personal matters interfere but have you seen Eren's squad?"
"Yes. Three of his squad members are there, but I didn't see Eren." Annie replied, pointing towards Armin.
Then Mikasa looked at Armin's direction to see Armin, Faye, Thomas and Mina with dead looks.
"Armin!" Mikasa said, running over to him.
'Mikasa!' Armin froze. 'No! I can't bring myself to face her! All I did was survive for no good reason. If I'd known this would happen, I would rather have died with him then instead!'
Faye couldn't look at Mikasa either.
"Armin, Faye! Are you two ok?" Mikasa asked with worry.
They didn't reply.
Mikasa stood and looked around. "Where's Eren? Armin?"
Gritting his teeth, Armin lifted his head, tears in his eyes. "Eren died, fulfilling his duty! He died saving me!"
Mikasa's eyes widened and tears started rolling down her face. But, she quickly wiped the tears from her face.
All other soilders were shocked and sad too.
"I'm sorry, Mikasa. It should've been me, not Eren. I wasn't able to do anything! I'm sorry." Armin said while crying.
Mikasa then kneeled down and touched his hand, making him look up into her dead gaze. "Armin, calm down... Now it isn't the time to be emotional. Now get up."
Mikasa helped Armin to his feet. She gestured Faye to stand up too which she did. Then she turned to Marco.
"Marco, if we eliminate the Titans swarming around HQ, we can replenish our gas supplies and get over the Wall. Correct?"
"Well, yeah... But even with your help, there's just too many-" Marco replied.
"I can handle them. I'm strong." She pulled out her swords, holding one arm up. "I am going ahead! Whoever wants, come and fight otherwise die!"
"Whoa, Mikasa! What's gotten into you?"
"You're seriously gonna take on all those Titans by yourself?"
"There's no way you can beat them!"
"If I can't, then I'll die. It's that simple." Mikasa turned her back to them. "But if I win, I'll live. And the only way to win is to fight!" With that, she took off.
They watched her in silence.
"What's pathetic is your way with words," Jean spoke up. "You actually considered that motivational?" Jean readied his blades. "I blame you for this, Eren!"
Jean glared at his fellow graduates and yelled. "Hey! Since when were we taught to let our comrades fight alone?! Or do you guys want to end up as actual cowards?!" Then he took off, Connie following right behind.
"Never thought I'd hear him say that." Reiner said and led Bert and Annie forward.
Armin and Faye wiped their tears and went next. Marco sighed, also following.
"Come on." Sasha said and went behind them.
"Damn it. Alright, let's do it!"
They let out battle cries and went forward.
Mikasa led them, cutting down a 15-meter in her path.
"Hurry! Follow Mikasa!" Jean ordered. "Fight as little as possible! Get to HQ before you run out of gas!"
"Man, Mikasa's incredible," Connie said. "How can she move so fast?"
'No. She's using up too much gas.' Armin guessed, looking at her gear. She's going to run out right away. 'Regardless of our skill, once we lose our mobility, we're completely helpless.'
Faye could see that too. She was concerned for her.
Using more gas, Mikasa took out another 15-meter titan.
'She's not her usual... She's trying to distract herself from Eren's death. It's only a matter of time until she―' Faye's thought process was interrupted when Mikasa crashed.
"Mikasa!" Armin yelled and went after her, Faye following behind.
"Damn," Connie cursed. "Jean, you take the lead! I'll help Armin and Faye!"
"No, I will, too!" Jean replied.
"Don't be stupid! There are still Titans everywhere! Your skills are needed!" Connie said.
Gritting his teeth, Jean led the trainees forward.
.
.
Mikasa fell on a dumpster. She still had the dead look on her face.
'He is... Gone... Forever...' Mikasa held up her arm robotically, looking at the blade.
Then she got off the dumpster and fell to her knees, holding a small blade.
'I don't have any... Will to live now... This world is cruel and very beautiful.' Mikasa thought, remembering Eren wrapping the scarf around her.
Then a titan approached her. She slowly looked up at the titan.
'It's been a nice life... Thanks Eren...' Mikasa thought and closed her eyes.
The Titan's hand reached forward. But then, Mikasa's instincts screamed. Suddenly, she sliced the titan's fingers and jumped back. She herself was confused.
The Titan brought its hand down, she barely dodged, the force sending her back into a wall.
'Why?' Mikasa dodged another swipe and went rolling on the ground. 'I was sure I'd given up...'
'Why am I standing up?' Coughing, Mikasa sat up straight. 'Why am I struggling? What for? After all...' She got to her feet, looking up at the sun. 'There's no point in living anymore...' The Titan came forward, blocking the light.
When Mikasa turned around to run, a 15-meter rounded the corner.
'Fight!' Eren's words echoed in her mind. She the realised that it was Eren who was still motivating her.
"Eren..."
Mikasa gasped, eyes watering.
'I'm sorry, Eren...'
The two Titans stepped toward her.
'I won't give up anymore... If I die... I won't be able to remember you...'
Mikasa then gripped the blade with both of her hands.
'So, I'll do whatever it takes to win! Whatever it takes to live!'
With a battle cry, she crouched, ready to attack. Just then, a massive foot slammed into the ground next to her. The Titan behind her threw a powerful punch, knocking the Titan back and sending Mikasa skidding.
She opened her eyes, arms wrapped around her head.
'What just happened...?'
Mikasa looked up to see a 15 meters high and pure muscled titan. The titan let out a hiss.
Throwing his head back, the Titan roared, making Mikasa cover her ears, and charged.
The ground shook as the attacking Titan brought his foot down over and over the titan's nape.
'A Titan...' Mikasa thought as he roared, stomping the other Titan and making its head fly. '...is killing another Titan...'
Then the attacking Titan looked up.
.
.
'Please, Mikasa... Be alright..' Armin thought while swinging over the rooftop. Faye was behind him. A roar grabbed their attention and they noticed Mikasa.
"Mikasa!" Swinging, Armin came in and grabbed her, bringing her up and sending them both rolling on the roof.
"Mikasa, are you hurt?" Faye asked, holding Mikasa's shoulder.
"You three okay?" Connie slid to a stop next to them.
"Yeah!" Armin replied.
"We gotta get out of here." Connie looked to the side. "Shit, this is bad, two 15-meter ones!"
"No, that Titan is..." Mikasa said, staring at the Attacking Titan.
"Huh?" Armin noticed the steaming skeleton.
Standing across from each other, the two Titans roared. Bringing its arms up, the attacking Titan assumed an offensive position. The four of them gasped, looking at the attacking titan.
The other Titan just roared and charged, while the attacking Titan kept his stance and threw a punch, decapitating the other titan. The head flew until it hit a tower.
The headless Titan began to push up off the ground. But the attacking titan brought his foot down, crushing it's nape.
"H-He finished it off?" Armin said with surprised look. "He was actually aware of its weak spot?"
"We gotta get out of here! Before it comes this way!" Connie said, backing up a bit
"No," Armin replied, "It's not reacting to us. Any other one would attack us for sure."
"It seemed to know the concept of hand-to-hand combat, too." Mikasa said.
"Just what was that?" Faye said with amusement.
"All we can do is chalk it up as an Abnormal," Connie said. "We barely know anything about 'em, after all. Now let's just hurry to HQ!"
"Wait! Mikasa's completely out of gas!" Faye pointed out.
"Whoa, are you kidding me? What're we gonna do without you?" Connie asked with worry.
"The answer's obvious!" Armin got on his knees and pulled out his canister. "I don't have much left but hurry and switch yours with mine!"
"Armin!" Mikasa said.
"This is our only option." He replaced it with her canister. "It'll amount to nothing if I keep it. Just...use it carefully this time. Everyone's lives are riding on it."
"Armin!" Faye said.
'I took charge without any sense of responsibility for their lives. For a short time, I had even thrown away my own life...' Mikasa thought, looked down.
"There! Your mobility gear still works, and I've given you all my blades. All I ask is that you leave me with this one. I'd rather not get eaten alive if I can help it." Armin said, looking at his reflection on the blade.
Mikasa took the blade from his hand and casually tossed it off the roof.
Armin's eyes widened. Then he looked up.
"B-But...
"Armin." Mikasa took his hand.
"We are not leaving you here." Mikasa said and brought Armin up to his feet.
"Yes. If Eren died saving you, then don't you think you losing hope will be a disrespect to him." Faye pointed out, holding his shoulders.
"Yeah... I didn't... Think about this..." Armin replied, looking down.
Mikasa was now looking at the attacking titan with amusement.
'Back there I was completely confused. I'd never heard of a Titan killing another Titan...'
The attacking Titan then roared, searching for Titans.
'What I saw looked like the manifestation of humankind's anger...'
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