COMRADES • Eren Jaeger

CHAPTER 17: The Fallen Angel

A CHAIN OF EXPLOSIONS burst around Shiganshina District in big balls of light and debris. It was one boom after another, ringing in everybody's ears as the ground quaked from the impact. The screams and shouts of Titans blowing up mixed in with the intense ringing, and soon after, the whole world went silent like nothing had happened.

The ground outside Wall Maria was steaming dry, blackened from the power of the thunderspears. Nothing was left except earthly topsoil and some fragments of rocks.

Eren did not know what to do as he stared at the charred and unresponsive corpse that was once Armin Arlert. He dragged Bertholt to the side of the roof, and when the Cart Titan appeared with a blonde, bespectacled man with Titan markings around his eyes, he held a sword up and threatened to end Bertholt's life.

"Eren, someday I'll come to save you." said the man before the Cart ran away from Levi, who jumped from the Wall and demanded for Eren's gear to follow after the man. He complied, but a squeak coming from the body behind him made the boy drop every last thought.

The task of giving the captain his gear forgotten, he raced over to Armin's side and began begging him to keep breathing. He screamed, cried, yelled at the burnt young boy to continue wheezing no matter how difficult it was. Somewhere along the lines, Mikasa had shown up, looking shaken as she fired a smoke signal in the air.

"Captain! Hurry! Give me the injection!" he begged. "Turn Armin into a Titan and let him eat Bertholt!"

Levi slowly held out the box to him. "Alright."

At that very moment, two figures slowly climbed on top of the roof, holding someone's unconscious body. It was Floch and Daphne carrying Commander Erwin.

Daphne's right ear had scarlet blood leaking out. Her red hair had been singed so badly that it was choppy all over, and there were large burn marks on the right portion of her body. Her pale face was covered in black soot and splattered in her own blood.

"While I was looking for survivors, I found Daphne passed out on the side of the wall covered in all this black stuff. We looked around for more people and found Commander Erwin," Floch wheezed, heaving the battered man up. "His insides are badly bleeding. I thought that injection might help. What do you think?"

"He's still breathing," Daphne said wispily. Her voice was extremely hoarse, like she had swallowed mouthfuls of dust and smoke into her throat.

Levi retracted his hand holding the injection and turned to them. "We're giving this to Erwin."

Eren was on his feet at once, his muscles tightening. "You said you'd give it to Armin."

"Do you have the faintest damn clue about what you're doing?" hissed Levi. "This is Erwin Smith we're talking about. The commander of the Scouts. And you're saying to watch him die? We're using this on him."

Then he punched Eren hard in the mouth, sending the boy flying to the edge of the rooftop. Mikasa immediately pounced on Levi and held her blades above his throat, threatening to cause some serious injuries or worse. Floch and Daphne both yelled at her to get off him, but she didn't budge despite her the shakiness of her hands.

Eren sobbed out to the captain through his bloody, messed-up teeth. "Without Armin, we can't win. It's not me or the commander who's going to save humanity! It's Armin! Isn't that right, Mikasa?!"