Frigid (Erwin Smith x Reader)

Chapter 1 - 3DM Gear

Horrified, you watched as your father was crushed under the heel of the same titan that grabbed your mother. Your now dead father's shattered remains were on the ground, inches away from you. Your mother then began screeching at you to run before the titan saw you- which you did. Her screams were then silenced. There was nothing you could do for either one of them now.

As you ran through the streets of Shiganshina to your small home, you focused your mind on retrieving your younger brother and sister. You couldn't save your parents- but you swore immediately to yourself that you would save your siblings. They would be too afraid to move on their own, considering how they exceptionally skittish when left home alone like today.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," you thought as you willed your legs to move faster, seeing the home untouched. "I was just supposed to go into town for my seventeenth birthday with Mom and Dad."

Slamming open the front door, you called for your two siblings as you ran over to the kitchen and grabbed a large steak knife. You didn't know what to expect. Your siblings immediately ran to your side, your eight-year-old brother (B/N) crying.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" he asked through tears.

You forced a smile and patted his head.

"We need to go to the inner walls," you said.

You saw your fifteen-year-old (S/N)'s eyes widen.

"We'll be alright, but we need to go, okay?" you reiterated.

He nodded.

"Stay close," you said, making them run next you through Shiganshina.

On a calm day, it was about a six minute walk to the wall- half a mile. You should be able to make it running.

Seeing the wall growing on the horizon, your brother then stopped running and collapsed crying.

Turning around, you saw a titan behind him. You picked up your brother with the hand not holding the knife and threw him over your shoulder just in time to see a Garrison soldier whizz overhead towards the titan.

You willed your legs to run, but you were struggling to carry both your brother and your own body.

Hearing a large thud behind you, you dared to stop and turn around. The titan, now closer, was lying on his stomach, and you could see the soldier from earlier lying on the ground as well.

"Hey!" he yelled. "You! It's dead!"

"Please help him," your sister pleaded. Nodding, you handed the knife to your sister and placed your brother back on the ground. The three of you ran to the man.

As you approached the man, you could see that the entire front half of his chest had been consumed by the titan- revealing too much of his rib cage. You could tell he was straddling the thin line between life-and-death, but that death would ultimately claim him.

"Take my gear," he gasped out, attempting to unbuckle it but fumbling. "I know you're a civilian, but I want it to save someone's life."

Knowing this would be his dying wish, you complied and unbuckled his gear- finally noticing one of his legs were missing.

"Thank you," he whispered, as you slipped it over your own legs and buckled the final buckle across the chest. He then closed his eyes.

You redirected your attention back to your siblings as you took hold of the hand grips and stood.

"Keep running towards the wall. I'll be right behind," you said. (S/N) grabbed (B/N)'s hand and ran with him.

Following them, you quickly examined the three-dimensional maneuver gear, finding it to be exactly how it was explained in a library book. You placed the blades back in their holsters.

Top trigger: Fires the grappling hook.

Bottom trigger: enacts the gas mechanism to reel the user towards the grappling hooks.

Reaching the bottom of the wall, you aimed the handgrips to the halfway point of the wall and fired them, feeling the kick from the grips in your arms. The hooks held well to the side of the wall.

Turning to your siblings, you told each one to hold onto your neck from each side.

They did so, and you began to slowly climb the wall by gently pressing the bottom triggers.

"Don't look down," you instructed, not knowing if they were afraid of heights.

Although you had both of their bodies on top of your own, and it was rather awkward, the help that the soldier's gear provided was extremely beneficial.

Once you reached the end of the lines, you looked upwards to see the top of the wall. You weren't going to fire higher for fear of one of your siblings falling.

"Hey!" you yelled upwards. "Someone help us! Anyone!"

"Please!" your sister shouted.

A soldier peered over the edge down to the three of you.

"It's a civilian with two children!" you heard him shout to some of the others. "They have 3DM gear!"

He then jumped off of the side of the wall and holstered himself next to you, taking (B/N) off of your neck and holding him on his own. You watched as he took him swiftly to the top of the wall, and another soldier came and retrieved (S/N).

You then slowly made your way up the wall behind them, only to fall to your knees in physical and mental exhaustion once on top. You saw a pair of boots stop in front of you.

"How... did you do that?" the soldier who was standing in front of you asked.

You looked up to him.

"Where's my brother and sister?"

"They're over there," he said, motioning with his head to a soldier on his knees in front of your brother and sister, drying (B/N)'s tears. "Don't worry."

You swallowed to stable your emotions and actions.

"W-Where did you get that?" he asked, pointing to the bulky 3DM gear still strapped on your body. "You're a civilian- you're not authorized to own or use three-dimensional maneuver gear."

"There was a soldier who was dying," you said, standing up. "He gave the gear to me to use. I didn't know anywhere else to go with it but here."

The soldier just stared at you as yet another cannon fired, then nodded.

"There are titans down there still attacking civilians. What are you doing stalling?" a man boomed behind you.

The soldier you were speaking with immediately saluted, and you turned around to see a bald man with a grey mustache.

"Commander Pixis!" the soldier said, holding your mother's kitchen knife. "This civilian has 3DM gear, and used it to climb the wall with her two siblings. We also found her armed with a kitchen knife."

The man walked over to the soldier.

"You will take her to the ground and hold her in a cell until this mess is over, and will personally see to the proper care of her two siblings."

The soldier saluted once more as the man walked away, then turned to you.

"If you'll bring your siblings, I'll take you down."