Left Behind (Erwin Smith X Reader)

Chapter 8: Rise Above

    Some time passed and like always we had to come face to face death once again. I sat up and looked out towards Trost. Seeing heads of titans walk by. Each one had been stained by the blood of the humans they killed.

"Guess we can't sit around anymore unless you wanna get eaten. Which is a death I wouldn't prefer." I smiled at Natalie. She nodded and stood up. We were going to head towards the HQ in which a flock of cadets went toward. From my experience it is never a good idea to leave traumatized teenagers in a room by themselves.

"Alright let's go and don't get killed!" I said the last part being cut off as I fired my anchor and used some gas to move forward. I heard her catch up to me and laugh "Like I would let that happen." She gave a sly smirk and got ahead of me as a titan walked in front promptly stopping her in her tracks. I gain some more height and anchor to the beast. Letting a bit of gas release I fly toward the titan and slice off it's nape killing it and letting the curly haired girl continue.

"Thank you!" She screamed as our odm gear was deafening our ears. I smiled down towards her as she was trying to gain some more height. As we approached the HQ more and more titans appeared. I eventually gave Natalie permission to break off and find any way she can to survive. With that command she veered off towards the left down a street the could provide a way for her get into the building without harm. But it was littered with titans. She flew up and killed the first titan that got in her way. Her hair started to become undone and yet each kill she looked so graceful doing. She wasn't one to do fancy moves and flips but what she did do was clean and efficient. Too bad the garrison had this type of talent. I head towards the HQ and stop looking at the female soldier. Instead,in my peripheral view I notice her be swat down by a 10m class titan.

"Shit" I mutter to myself as I continue towards the big building. I heard no screams from her as I thought I heard the crack of her bones as she was being devoured. I didn't have enough gas to go help her and I internally cursed myself.

All of a sudden a titan stands up on my right. I didn't notice it until too late as it had been blocked by a building. It reaches out for me as I try to shift my body away from it. I fire an anchor towards another building on my left as my body keep heading towards the titans hand.It finally laches and I release some gas and flew away from the titan hand as his finger brushes my foot.

I was a bit unbalanced and eventually crashed into the roof of a building as I was still moving, catching some cuts. I noticed a half broken plank I was heading straight towards. I shift my body to my left and avoided the plank from hitting my torso but it hit my right arm. Screaming out in pain I let the plank rip open my arm due to momentum from my gear. I couldn't stop it. Only just deal with it. The HQ wasn't far but was crawling with titans. I force myself to stop on another building. Before more chaos. 

I had landed on all fours, heaving out in agony and fatigue. Eventually my right arm gave out causing me to almost face plant into the roof I occupied. I wheezed once more and let a tear run down my face. It wasn't out of the fear of death or accepting death. It was just due to the situation I had ended up in. I lost all of my squad again. I had an injured arm so killing titans were out of the question. I had also gotten so close to some kind of safety and couldn't continue. I turned over and laid on my back staring at the sky. That was until I noticed smoke on my side coming from a chimney.

Fire.

Fire?

"Fire!" I scream and jump up, getting off the roof and finding a way inside the home. Luckily no one was home or that would have been awkward for multiple reasons. At this point I was holding my arm as it was still bleeding. My white shirt was stained red and my jacket was starting to do the same. I searched for the fireplace and upon coming to it I kneel down noticing it was still lit.

I give a laugh of relief as I heat up my blade until it glows a bright orange. I take off both my cape and jacket. I rip the best of my white shirt open on my arm and discard it leaving the wound exposed. It was bad but not bad enough that I would have to lose it. I took part of my cape and ripped a strip of fabric. I stuffed it in my mouth. I shakily took the flat part of the hot blade and moved it towards the wound. I had to cauterize it.

I took a deep breath in and pushed it against the wound. I bit down on the cloth in pain as my flesh was being seared. "FUCK" I screamed internally. Finally after being lightheaded from pain I rip a part of my cape up and tied it around the wound. Next I take out the cloth from my mouth.I pick up my jacket and put it back on carefully before huffing out of pain and frustration. I take another minute to collect myself before standing up and leaving.

"Thank you" I say to no one in particular and leave, finally heading towards HQ for the last time. I fire my anchor and narrowly evade titan after titan until one bumps into my lines causing me to swing right and crash through a window ungracefully. I hit my head on the floor and then eventually rolled to a stopped. I groaned out in pain as now everywhere hurt. My head throbbed as well as my arm and my back was stiff. I also tried to gasp for air as I had the wind knocked out of me. I rolled onto my stomach trying to fester up enough strength to sit or stand. 

The room I had landed in was completely silent except for the sound of breathing. I was finally able to sit on my butt and take in my surroundings. Multiple cadets occupied this room. All with wide eyes and trauma written on their faces. One of them spoke up and he had a shaved head. 

"What is a scout doing here?"

I smiled sheepishly as each one started bombarding me with questions.

A blonde haired boy with blue eyes spoke up "Did you guys come to help?" It was a quiet question.

"Sorry kid but I am the only one in town for now." Everyone became quiet as the hope for being saved soon was thrown out the window. After a few seconds of silence of spoke up "Hey some someone get me some new blades and more gas?" A cadet came up to me and grabbed my canisters and disappeared. "Well then, which one of you cadets had the bright idea to come in here?" Most of the cadets pointed towards a young man with lighter brown hair on the top of his head and dark brown on the sides and underneath.

"What is your name soldier?"

The young man saluted and spoke "Jean Kirstein"

I nodded "Damn,good job kid."