BLOODSPORT

Episode 45

"She's alive!" Moblit called from below as the rest of the Scouts gathered around Hange's bleeding figure.

"We have to keep going then! Eren could get eaten at any minute." Mikasa displayed her worry as she gripped her swords tight, gazing off into the distance where Kenny and his men went.

"First things first." Levi spoke up, staring down at his fallen comrade. "We need to get Hange to safety. She's not well in this condition." Rhea saw the contemplating distress in the Captain's eyes. "Moblit, Armin. Pick up Hange and we can carry her throughout the cavern. There must be a way out from there. If all Hell breaks loose, we'll need one."

Armin and Moblit did as Captain Levi instructed, carefully picking up Hange, each one of her arms being held up by their shoulders. "Do you think she'll be alright?" Sasha whispered to no one in particular.

"When is Hange ever 'alright'?" Connie joked, trying to keep the mood light in what appeared to be a hopeless battle.

"If anything, she'll just be crazier than she already is. Of course in the best of ways." Jean said, letting out a loose breath. Rhea, who was standing off to the side of him, hesitantly brushed her hand against his own. Feeling her skin touch his sent a wave of butterflies through her stomach to which she shook off and took his hand in her own. She was only trying to comfort him at this moment. Nothing else. Just comforting a friend.

They had made it to the barricade Kennys men set up when suddenly a bright light of yellow shone through the cavern. Dammit, Rhea thought. They were running out of time.

"That light."

"Damn it. No."

"Eren!"

Jean's grip tightened around Rhea's hand, while his other he held in front of his eyes, trying to block out the light. A gust of wind flowed through the cavern as the Titan beyond was transforming. But this gust felt more powerful than Rhea had ever experienced with Eren. Was it because they were underground? Or is the Titan that transformed giant compared to regular 15 meter Titans?

"Guys, this place is about to collapse!" Sasha pointed out as everyone observed the crystal pillars cracking and the cave floor shaking from the vibrations of the Titan transformation.

"Captain! It opened up!" Armin pointed his finger at the small hole in the cave ceiling that was originally blocked by wood beams.

Captain Levi stood up, taking full control of the situation. "Okay, Armin! Moblit! You two take Hange and find a way out of here! The rest of you are with me! We are going to find Eren and Historia and get the Hell out of here before the place collapses."

"Yes sir!"

↮

While Kenny and his men were distracted by the loud explosion and light show of the Titan, Levi and the rest of the Scouts managed to slip past the soldiers, and make their way to where Eren and Historia were located.

Rheas' eyes widened in shock when they came across Eren, strung up in metal chains, his forehead cut, causing blood to drip down his entire face, while Historia was struggling to free him. "They must have bound him to perform the ceremony." Rhea muttered.

The Scouts wasted no time in hurrying over to where their friends were. Just as another blast of air shouldered the cavern, Historia flew back from helping Eren, almost hitting the wall when Mikasa caught her in the nick of time.

Jean, Connie and the Captain immediately rushed towards Eren after securing the keys to his locks. Holding onto the chains themselves against the force of what appeared to be Rod Reiss' Titan continually growing in stature, the three Scouts managed to unlock every last one of Erens chains from his body.

"Whoa. Its even bigger than the Colossal Titan. Crazy." Sasha mentioned from beside Rhea. The girl's mouth was hung a gap when the Titans bones began to crush into the ceiling, causing more tremors from the crystal cavern. It wouldn't last much longer.

"The Ceiling! Look out!" Mikasa shouted towards Eren and the others.

"Jean!" Rhea screamed as a piece of ceiling fell from above, slamming into the place where Eren was once captured. Jean, Connie, Captain Levi and Eren had managed to move back just in time as the rest of the cliff shattered!

"Damn it. We'll be buried alive!" Jean shouted. Rhea's eyes watered as she observed the giant Titan trying to break through the ceiling. This was it. It was going to be the end of everything and everyone she loved. At least, Rhea thought. At least she'll soon be reunited with her brother.

Eren collapsed to the ground in a sobering mess. "Sorry. I can't. I've been dead weight every damn step of the way. This power never should've been given to me. I can't be humanity's hope. I'm just too weak."

She felt Jean shuffle beside her, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Come on. Stop playing the tragic hero. Of course you're too weak to accomplish jack by yourself, but no one expects you to."

"Yeah, calm it down." Connie added, smiling towards Eren. "We've been through a whole lot worse than this, man."

"Not that I really want to get used to it." Rhea chuckled at Sasha's comment.

"Yeah, Eren. We fight for Humanity together and guess we'll die together too." Rhea felt Jean lose an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his side. "But not today."

"Exactly," Connie agreed. "It will take everything we have but we'll fly through this."

"Its useless. You know we won't make it." Eren said.

"So we should do nothing?" Historia questioned, appalled by Eren's newfound attitude. "Wanna sit here and hold hands till we're crushed?"

"Well, Rhea and Jean are doing more than holding hands," Connie said to which Rhea elbowed him in the gut, which sent a wave of pain through her arm. Even though she could see Sasha smiling from where she stood, Rhea grimaced from her bullet wound which blood steadily flowed from, regardless of her wrap.

"Yeah, Eren, what's with you? You've always had an optimistic view on everything." Rhea remarked, ignoring the lingering pain in her right shoulder. She leaned in closer to Jean as he held her tighter than before. She wanted to run and zip out of here alive but she had to think logically. Rhea knew there was a slim chance of making it out of the situation alive. So she just held onto Jean, the closest person she had to family, the person who brought her comfort yet would call her out on her bullshit. She was okay dying beside Jean Kirstien, her once annoying acquaintance to best friend.

Out of nowhere, Eren started running towards Rod Reiss' Titan! He was screaming and shouting and racing before he too transformed. But this time it was different.

It was as if his Titan was crystalizing into some sort of armor like that of the Female Titan. Instead, this crystallization formed around his entire body and reached out like the roots of trees, spreading around the cavern, protecting everyone from Rod Reiss' Titan.

"Come on! Get under Eren!" Captain Levi commanded. Everyone did as they were told and quickly ran down the crystallized steps and underneath Eren's Titan. Once they were safely beneath the Titan, Rhea felt a sudden wave of nausea hit. Her mind began to sway from the lack of blood in her body. She hadn't realized she had bled that much until she stumbled into Connie and eventually fell to her knees.

"Rhea?" Jean kneeled down beside her, his hand on her back for support. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"She's lost too much blood." Sasha said, tightening the bandage around Rhea's shoulder.

"I'm fine." Rhea tried to stand only for her to be hauled on her ass by the Captain.

"Mikasa, Jean, go see if you can get Eren out of his Titan. Sasha, Connie... we're going to have to carry her out like Hange.'' That was the last thing Rhea could remember hearing before blackness plagued her vision.

---

Hope You Enjoyed Reading! Vote & Comment! 

New Chapter Coming out Monday!