Blood and Blades | Bertholdt x OC

#05. trauma

Year 850

—Continuation of Day 1—

She held a horrified look on her face as she processed what just happened "No no no no..."

Hoshino started to panic, cursing herself over and over again as she tried to think her way out of the situation but all she could think about was a suicidal attempt to run towards the middle guard to get gas from the supply team and avoid any titans as much as possible. She looked up at the hook that's attached to the wall and it's only a matter of time before it'll completely fall off.

She bit her thumb in an attempt to calm herself down "Shit, shit, shit!" She shouted in panic, no matter how hard she tried to think of another plan, nothing would come out of her brain. She looked at her blades in terror, then to the titan below her "You must be kidding..." She told herself, she had no other options other than betting her life on the little chance she has in her idea in escaping the current situation.

She then remembered her promise to her brother, she still needs to join the Survey Corps, she realized she won't change a thing if she doesn't act now, she'll end up dying not being able to fight for her life. And so she decided, she took a deep breath in and out as she gripped the handle of her blades "It's been a pretty good life after all... I'm sorry Levi, Bertholdt... Just in case I won't survive." She whispered and at the same time, her hook that's attached to the wall eventually broke off which made her fall.

She looked at the titan below her as she's falling "I'd rather die while still fighting than die being helpless!" She shouted as she fell closer and closer to the titan and then with one hit, she sliced the titan's eyes. She took this opportunity to land on it's head and jump to a nearby roof.

She ran desperately, roaming her eyes around for nearby titans, she saw two at her left so she avoided them by going right. She jumped from roof to roof until she could see people flying away from the supply building so she hurried her steps as she jumped towards another roof but then a titan suddenly came out of nowhere and grabbed both of her legs.

She resisted but it was no use so she sliced it's fingers, freeing herself from it's grip and landed on top of a house before running away but the titan still chased after her leaving her no choice but to throw her blades perfectly to its eyes and blinded it.

She ran and ran until she's finally near the supply building, she catched her breath for a second before looking around and there she saw a titan getting eaten by other titans making her widen her eyes in shock. Suddenly she felt heavy stomps to her left making her look and it was a titan who appears to be an aberrant which brought unwanted memories back to her.

She clutched onto her head as the images of Isabel's severed head and Farlan's half body flashed in her mind, to think that she saw that as a kid was too much for her to handle.

—flashback—

That day the Survey Corps returned from an expedition beyond the walls, three of them managed to come back, but it was just that Isabel and Farlan looked really weird to Hoshino. They didn't have that same look in their eyes anymore, and as a kid she didn't know how to react or feel, should she be sad? Scared? Mad? Should she feel hatred towards the titans? She didn't know, she just stared blankly at the corpses infront of her, Farlan missing half of his body, and Isabel being only a head.

She didn't even see it coming when Levi, her brother suddenly took her in his arms, hugging her tightly, she still had her blank expression as her face was buried in his shoulder "I won't ever let you experience something like this ever again... I promise." He told her while creasing her head.

—end of flashback—

But then a voice suddenly called her "Hoshino? Hang on okay? I'll get you to the infirmary." The voice she recognized as Bertholdt called her as he held her in his arms while climbing up the wall with his Vertical Maneuver.

Back then while she was re-experiencing her trauma when she was a kid, she was caught up with the rampage of the titan who turned out to be Eren and some of the house debris hit her which made her pass out.

Bertholdt looked at his girlfriend in his arms worriedly "Please be alright..." He says as he held her closer and tightly to his chest "I'm so sorry..."