The Guardian's Tale (AOT fanfiction)

-First battle pt.4-

I came down from the wall to take my assigned position and I spotted Marco. His hands were shaking and his face was filled with terror. I placed my hand on his shoulder and looked at him dead in the eyes.

"When this is over...you can show me everything you wanted to." I smiled. "Okay ?"

"Y-Yeah..." He rubbed the top of my head and I felt his hands steady themselves. "I will and that's a promise. Oh and here." He took his handkerchief out of his pocket and tied it around my arm. "There now you have to stay alive to give it back to me." He smiled warmly.

I bumped my fist to his and headed off into the Titan infested streets. I avoided as much as possible but I had to kill 3 of them before I finally got to my assigned rooftop, looking over the boulder. I smiled at Mikasa, who was on the rooftop across from me, as Eren transformed. This was going to be it. Our very first victory over the Titans. He then turned to Mikasa and I clenched my blades. What the hell was he-...My thoughts were interrupted when he punched the exact spot she was in. 

"EREN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ?!" I yelled.

He punched her again but this time she dodged it and planted herself right in front of his eyes. 

"MIKASA DODGE NOW !" I exclaimed as Eren punched his face to get her off of him.

He staggered back onto the boulder and fell, knocked out. I joined the Elite Squad on their rooftop and Rico shook her head. The operation had failed. 3 Titans started closing in on us and Captain Ian, the man in charge of our group suggested we leave Eren where he was but Mikasa and I shot him a dirty look which shut him up. Rico and her team were going to take care of 12-meter on the rear and the rest of us would deal with the 2 ahead. He established a new plan in which we were going to defend Eren from the other Titans until we could get him out. 

"Uchiha..." Captain Ian turned to me. "Will you help me and Matabi with the Titans ? We'll need your skill."

"HAI !" I yelled as I lifted my sword up and grinned. "Don't get killed Mikasa."

I then turned around and followed the Captain. I sliced one of the Titan's nape clean off as he moved towards Matabi who was standing on a rooftop. Four 10-meter Titans came out from the gate and Captain Ian instructed us to hold them off. 

"YOU BASTARDS !!" I yelled as I felt the same rage as before fill my body. "I'LL KILL YOU !"

I planted my hooks in one of the Titans and swung over its shoulder to its nape. I felt the same heat envelop me and saw the same flames as earlier. I cleanly sliced its nape and swung over to the one next to it, giving it the same treatment as Mikasa took card of the 2 others. We joined Captain Ian back on the rooftops and froze as we watched, shocked and happy. Eren...was doing it. He was carrying the boulder. We were soon joined by Armin, who was as stunned as we were.

"GUYS HE'S DO-...Yuki you're....on fire." He said, his eyes widening.

"Yeah...it's new to me too." I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. "But that's not our main concern right now."

"DEFEND HIM !" Captain Ian yelled. "Even if it costs us our lives...we must let Eren reach the gate ! Do not let the Titans get near him ! Ackerman, Arlert, Uchiha, head to Eren." 

"YES SIR !" We yelled in unison.

We watched as one by one, the soldiers headed off to lure the Titans away from Eren. I clenched my blades tighter and motioned for Armin and Mikasa to follow me.  We were running in front of Eren and we had almost reached the gate when a Titan placed itself in front of us.

"I'll get it." I said, determined as I kept running.

"OUT OF THE WAY !" Rico yelled to the Titan as she slashed its eye. 

I slid behind it, planted my hooks in its nape and cut it clean off, burning his flesh as I touched it. I stood on the back of the Titan carcass as I watched Eren seal the hole. Tears welled up in my eyes and I placed my hand over my mouth. We did it. We had made history, we beat the Titans for the first time. The flames that surrounded me vanished and Mikasa, Armin and I tried pulling Eren out as other Titans were approaching. I sliced the muscles holding him to the Titan but I was too late, 2 Titans were already right behind us. I sat there with Eren in my arms, shocked as the Titans suddenly fell and a man stood on top of one's carcass. 

"Hey, you kids. What exactly is going on here ?" He asked as he turned his head to face us.

"F-FATH-...CAPTAIN LEVI !" I exclaimed, recognizing one of the men who had raised my brother and I.

(.....................)

After a full day, we finally managed to kill the Titans that were left. A man placed shackles and chains on my wrists and neck and I was placed on cleaning duty, paired up with Jean. 

"Hey Jean....have you seen Marco ? I need to give this back to him." I asked, nodding my head towards the handkerchief around my arm. 

"No...but I'm sure he'll turn up...and what's up with those shackles ? Are y-" He stopped and placed his hands over my eyes.

"HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING ?!" I exclaimed, surprised.

"S-Shut up...trust me you don't want to see this." He replied with a strangled voice.

"Oh come on." I said, sliding his hand off of my eyes. "We've seen alot of bodies al-"I froze when I saw what he was looking at. 

"M-Mar...co ?" I blurted out, looking at the only half of his body that was left of him. "P-Please no..." I looked up at Jean, tears streaking my face. "J-Jean..t-that's not...please" I begged as he pulled me in. "Please..." I sobbed into his chest. "Please no...he was...like a big brother to me."

"Do you know his name cadets ?" A white haired woman asked.

"I wondered where he was...but...he's the last person who would ever...Marco...what happened ?" He asked himself while letting me go and turning to Marco's body. "D-Did someone...anyone...see how he went out ?"

"What's his name ?" The white haired woman asked. "Tell me if you know. Quickly. Do you understand cadets ? Two days have passed since we sealed the hole with the rock. Yet we still haven't rounded up all the bodies. At this rate an epidemic could break out. We must prevent a secondary disaster. There's no time to lament out comrades' deaths yet. Understand ?" She then looked down at my shackles.

"...M-Mar...co...Marco Bodt...Member of the 104th Cadet Corps...and Captain of Squad 19..." I answered, tears still running down my cheeks.

"Yuki..." Reiner said, wrapping his arms around me from behind. "Wait...why do you have s-" I interrupted him by turning around and hugging him. "Shh...it's alright." He pulled me in closer, pressing my head into his chest. "You'll be okay....I promise...I'm so sorry..." He said as he stroked my hair.

"..." I simply buried my face deeper into his chest when I realized something. "W-Wait why...why are you s-"

"HEY YOU !" A man called out as he forcefully pulled me away from Reiner. "Come with me. NOW !" He pulled on my chains and dragged me along with him.

TO BE CONTINUED !