BLOODSPORT

Episode 55 [II]

Rhea landed with a thud on the rooftop where her other comrades were. She had been running on fumes in the last minute and luckily had enough to make it. It looked like there was a conflict between Mikasa and Captain Levi where Hange had to intervene.

Rhea took in the scene before her. Hange holding Mikasa back, the Captain holding the syringe, Commander Erwin passed out and on the brink of death where Eren and Floch stood beside. Then, behind that, lay a burnt corpse who, ruling out everyone there, was Armin's almost lifeless body.

"No. don't tell me--"

"You've got to be joking?" Rhea said, her eyes wide with shock, sadness, and fear. Two people who she admired dearly, and one shifter, one syringe. Bertholdt.

"It isn't fair." Hange voiced, observing the situation as well.

Levi opened the syringe case which caused Mikasa to cry out in distress. Rhea held back her own tears as she clasped a hand over her mouth. The Captain was going to choose the Commander over Armin.

"I understand how you feel, but most of us are dead!" Hange tried to reason with the screaming girl, who continued to frantically shake her head. "We can't afford to lose our commander, too! The Scouts must endure! If we lose our symbol of hope, we lose everything!"

"I know that, but Armin could help us, too." Mikasa shouted. "He's special!"

"You're right. He has an amazing mind. That said, Erwin is far more experienced, and he's a leader." Mikasa continued to cry, trying to fight Hange. "Listen, Mikasa. There are people I wanna bring back, too. Hundreds at this point."

Rhea cried silently and realized that Hange was right. Being a Scout meant being a part of a team who ended up not making it back home most of the time. The number of people from the 104th cadets for instance. She lost more than half her friends and brother the day Trost was broken into. Plus she had lost so many more since, due to the female, armored and colossal titans.

"Ever since I joined up with the Scouts, every day brought a new farewell. But ... you need to understand. Eventually, you'll have to let go of everyone you've ever met."

Rhea glanced between Jean, Sasha and Connie. She couldn't imagine a life without any of them. They were her team, her best friends. She placed her hand on top of theirs and tightened her grip.

"I know that's tough to accept. It's tough for me, too. It's hard to stay sane living like that. It hurts. It really hurts. I know. But even so, all of us just have to push forward." Mikasa had given up and accepted the decision.

Just as Captain Levi took out the syringe, Eren grabbed hold of his angle. "Captain. Do you ... know about ... the sea?"

Rhea glanced up at her friend and watched as Eren tried to persuade the Captain.

"It's like a lake, but enormous. So big that it stretches past the horizon. And its full of salty water. Armin told me-"

"Hey!" Floch interrupted. "Stop making this harder!" He grabbed hold of Eren and held him back from Levi.

Eren continued, "he told me there's a sea beyond the walls. He said that we'd go there together! Thing is, that's been our dream since we were kids. Only I forgot it a long time ago! I want to avenge my mom. I wanna bitcher all the Titans. The only thoughts left in my head are full of hate! Yeah. and Armin's lost as much as I have, but he just isn't like me. He cares about more than fighting!"

Rhea wiped her face with the back of her hands as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Armin was like a brother to Eren. She understood how much Eren loved Armin. If she was in this situation with Marco, she would be pleading the same case.

Captain Levi stood up aggressively. "Everyone get out of here right now! I don't want Erwin to eat one of you instead of Bertholdt."

Rhea slowly got to her feet, hearing whispers of her comrades. "Captain."

"I don't want to hear it, Bodt."

She sniffed and knelt down next to Armin and whispered a goodbye. Following in pursuit of her comrades, Rhea jumped off the rooftop and zipped over to a safer location.

⇿

Rhea watched as Captain Levi dragged Bertholdt's unconscious body across the rooftop, better positioning him to be eaten. After all this time, she would finally be done with him. She would be free. She would be able to move on.

She felt a hand slide across her waist and pull her in close. She breathed in Jean's scent as she witnessed the Captain turn on his heel and inject Armin. "Thank god."

Rhea's mouth hung a gap as she beheld Armin transform into a pure titan. She noticed how almost immediately the titan went for Bertholdt and saw how Bertholdt woke up in the most inconvenient time.

He screamed out in fear, hoping for someone to come and save him but he wasn't the one who needed saving. It was Armin.

Armin's titan chomped down on Bertholdt's face, ending the life of one enemy. 

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