wings of freedom | aot x reader

The Aftermath

Chapter 12

After being rescued by Oluo, you were taken back upon the walls only to be aided by the remaining comrades who managed to survive the Trost attack. The hole was finally sealed and you could faintly see Eren's titan body sat beside the boulder, gradually dissolving as another two titans started approaching them.

"Why can't this be over already?" You mumbled, your voice threatening to crack at any second. Connie shrugged, still swiping a clean cloth over your bloody face, unconscious that he was indeed cleaning Marco's blood, "Didn't we have enough?"

You scrutinized as a peculiar silhouette immediately slaughtered the two titans menacing to draw even closer to what seemed like Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. Such speed, agility, and strength at the same time. Your amazement was swept away as Connie tried lifting you to stand up, and instead a wave of excruciating pain hit your ribs.

"Sh-shit."

"F/n! So sorry." Connie said, dropping your weak body in fear of hurting it even more. You grunted in pain as you collided with the floor, "Sorry again!"

"Connie, don't. Let me stand up by myself." Yet, you failed so since your muscles simply refused to cooperate.

"Tell me f/n. What happened to you?" Connie asked, beckoning for you to remain sit. And again, as if a trigger awakened you, thoughts of your lovely friend sipped in your mind, the way he so helplessly screamed for your help in his last minutes, the way his warm blood gushed at your skin, the way the titan barely ate half of Marco. It didn't make sense.

Tears threatened to spill, while you struggled to pretend you didn't witness Marco's cold and cruel death. Things were occurring far too fast, they couldn't be true.

"I'd rather not talk about it." You mumbled, outlining Marco's frame ahead of you trying to deny his death. You blinked thoroughly as his image slowly inched closer, though his face no longer held that amiable smile and instead a frowning expression. 'Marco?'

"You let me die f/n."

You cringed, the guilt now eating your flesh. 'Yes I did let Marco die. How.'

"F/n? Are you alright, do you need water?" Connie shook your shoulders, egressing you out of your thoughts, "We have to leave, to clean up this mess. But I doubt you have to, in your conditions." He said, pointing at the remnants of rubble and debris from Trost. Cadets were already descending Wall Rose, ready to gather all the dead bodies and organize Trost.

"N-no! I want to go, I have to." You argued, wanting to flee as soon as possible in case someone else happened to encounter Marco's body first. Your friend attempted to impede you, but nothing could stop your will now.

•

•••

•

Every now and then, your body would crash against some scattered house, since your muscles were far too weak to function as before. Yet you kept going closer to where you spent the last minutes with the freckled man. It took several minutes, taking into account that your sight was only slowing your pace. Fortunately, his body was still laid next to the same building, distanced away from the rest.

You dropped into your knees, desperately hugging Marco even though he wouldn't do the same, "Please forgive me." After pushing yourself away, you analyzed his dry blood, fractured cheekbones were now exposed.

Yet the worst thing was the fact that there was absolutely nothing you could do to improve the situation. Once something's gone, it's gone.

Soon enough, heavy footsteps started approaching. You ran away from the dead body, hiding behind the corner in hopes of not being caught. The person whimpered at the sight of Marco, and though you couldn't currently witness the person's expression there was nothing to deny the fear inside that human's voice.