BLOODSPORT

Episode 6 & 7

She watched the carcasses of the Titans burn as the sky clouded over and rain began to pour. Connie's group had arrived shortly after the attack. He was trying to get Armin to snap out of his trance and eventually Connie did, which only led to Armin yelling that he was a worthless fool.

"Okay, are you guys with me now? What happened to your squad?"

"Dead," Rhea stated bluntly. "All of them except for Armin and myself."

Connie's eyes widened, "what, how?!"

"Titans, idiot. A lot of them. The rest of the group, including you Armin, thought it was just some game! Killing Titans, keeping score! What the fuck were you guys actually thinking?!" Rhea shouted.

Armin stood up, "sorry to be a nuisance." He flew off the building and rounded the corner, disappearing.

Connie stared at Rhea, who only shrugged. "Don't give me that look, Connie. You don't know what it was like! They all died because their head wasn't in the game - focused ... ugh." She fell to the ground gripping her head in her hands.

All of them. Dead. Eren and the others. Gone.

She heard wires from ODM gear draw nearer. Looking up from her sitting position she saw both Marco and Jean's group land on the rooftops beside hers. Standing up and running forward she flew to their building and collapsed into her brother's arms, crying.

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Eventually Armin made it back to the squads where he sat in a corner and remained silent. Rhea rolled her eyes. She was sick and tired of him being useless. But what could they do now? Everyone was almost depleted of gas, and HQ was currently being overrun by Titans.

The supply team wasn't coming.

Marco had questioned her about everything immediately after Rhea finished crying. She answered as best she could, however she didn't mention the fact that the only reason she'd survive was because of her anger.

She was now sitting down next to Jean while Marco and the others contemplated on their next move. From the sound of it her brother didn't see the light at the end of his tunnel. At the moment she was too tired to argue, so she just let Marco talk to Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie.

"So, was that your doing?" Jean nodded his head towards the Titan skeletons.

"Yup."

"All three of them?"

"All by myself."

"Shit, Bodt." Jean whispered then leaned his head in closer. "Are you doing okay though? I get that killing a Titan is supposed to be a badass moment but ... everyone dying. I can't tell if you're sad or angry."

Rhea opened her mouth to answer when, "hey, Jean." Connie walked up to them. "What are we going to do?"

Jean's head hung low, "we can't do anything." He moved his head up to rest it on his hand, "they finally gave us the order to withdraw. But we're out of gas so we can't go over the wall. I can't believe this is how it's going to end. Its because of those damned cowards!"

Rhea nodded her head in agreement. They were cowards. "You mean the supply depot?" Connie questioned. "Where are they?"

"If they all lost their will to fight, I can understand why," Jean said. "They abandoned their duty to supply us with gas, barricading themselves inside HQ. And of course Titans have swarmed the place, which means we can't get the gas ourselves."

"So we have to take the chance! Start thinning their numbers!" Connie argued.

Jean looked at Connie through hooded eyes. He was tired and annoyed and downright pessimistic.

"Sitting here on this roof is totally pointless. Eventually the Titans are sure to be here as well. We don't have much gas left. We'll just waste what little we've got if we try to run. Without our mobility, we're completely done for!"

"Connie?" Rhea sat up. "Instead of stating the facts why don't you come up with a freaking solution!"

"Zip it, Bodt!" Jean said, his eyes glaring at her with fierce intensity. Yet Rhea was positive Jean wasn't looking at her with anger, but worry. "Connies using his head for once, there's no need to lash out. Nice going. But do you think we have the capacity to pull it off? The veterans in the Vanguard force have all been killed. How exactly do a bunch of rookies pull off a suicide mission like this? I mean, let's assume half of our force even survives the initial assault. Then what? The supply room is probably crawling with Titans. I don't see us accomplishing much in there."

"So what, its hopeless?" Connie questioned.

"Its always been a hopeless fight," Rhea remarked.

"What a dull life this has been," Jean sighed.

Rhea nudged his shoulder with her own. "It hasn't been all bad. We've all become good friends."

Jean smiled, "ugh, stop it with the sentimentalities. You're gonna make me puke, Bodt." Rhea just smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. The best three years of her life and all in one day, the happiness and the bonds she created would be destroyed.

Mikasa joined the group and made her way over to Armin. Rhea and Jean got up as Armin told Mikasa what had happened. "These brave five upheld their duties. They died valiantly on the field of battle!"

"Their whole squad was wiped out?" Rhea had only told Marco of what happened. Jean glanced her way but she held her stare at Armin. She'd become a monster to kill the Titans. She lost herself in the fight. She let go of her humanity.

"The same will happen to us if we try to take on those Titans." A cadet murmured.

Mikasa stood up, her face blank of emotion. "Marco. If we eliminate or bypass the Titans at HQ we can there refuel our gear and everyone can get back over the wall. Is that assessment correct?"

Rhea looked over to her brother, "well, ya I guess so, sure. Even with you leading the attack, there's just too many of them."

"I can do it." Mikasa turned round so that she now faced all the cadets. "I'm strong. Real strong. None of you come even close. You hear me? I am a warrior." She held her blade to the sky.

"Mikasa, you're not thinking clearly." Rhea spoke up. "I did the same thing," her voice began to waver. "I saw him die and I just... just voided the emotion."

Mikasa interrupted, "I have the ability to slay all of the Titans that block our path! Even if I have to do it alone. As far as I'm concerned I am surrounded by a bunch of spineless cowards." She pointed her blades at the squadrons, "you disappoint me. All of you just sit on your hands and wait here. Sit here and watch."

Some cadets tried to reason with her, but Rhea knew what she was feeling. The hollowness was all-inviting. "If I can't beat them, then I die. But if I win, I live. The only way to win is to fight." With that, Mikasa jumped off the roof and advanced to headquarters.

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