Vista - Attack on Titan x Reader

CHAPTER SEVENTY NINE: What Lies Ahead

"What the hell are you doing over here? What's going on inside?" Levi rushed at me the moment I landed, barely giving me a moment to open my mouth. I wanted to ask the same thing. I had seen a barrage of rocks flying through the air, and the carnage on the edge of the outskirts of the houses.

"B..Bertholdt transformed..." I murmured, glancing between him and the commander, adjusting the strap on my shoulder to give it some temporary relief. "Hange's squad was caught under the blast...Including me, there are only seven of us left..."

There's no way they can spare reinforcements...

"Levi...are you the only one who made it out of the front lines..?" His expression said it all, and I inhaled slowly.
"They have us cornered. The Beast is keeping us pinned, and if the Colossal makes it to the wall, we've lost." Erwin explained, tugging his cape so it further covered his amputation. "(Y/N), was Reiner taken down?"

Shaking my head, I couldn't keep my feet still. Shifting my weight from one leg to the other, I likely looked like I was on the verge of a meltdown. I was.
"Not completely. The thunder spears b..blew his head off, but he survived...and he shielded himself when Bertholdt transformed. He...he shielded me, too..."

Both of their eyes widened for a moment, but Erwin's quickly softened.
"I see. Pity I won't have the chance to thank him for that..." I was confused by his wording, but he didn't let me dwell on it for long. "Do you need any gas? Blades?"

He moved to begin tinkering with his own gear, and I held my hands up almost frantically.
"N..no! No, Winnie, I'm good! Save them!" I insisted. I wasn't really going too well in the gas department, but I'd manage.

Sighing, Erwin was about to say something when a mighty crash shattered the air, and we whipped around to look upwards. On the wall, on his back and unmoving, was Eren. He looked like he was out cold.

Please, Armin...have a plan...

Before anything could be said, a ruckus began amongst the new recruits off to the side, and I turned to find that shitty ginger on the ground, Marlo laying into him with words.
"It's our job to guard the horses! Why'd you let yours run away?!"

I approached, watching as Floch yanked his arm away, refusing to rise to his feet.
"Shut up! Like it even matters now!" He kicked his legs like a toddler, his eyes squeezed shut. "All of those other scouts were insanely strong, and all of them died in an instant! What chance do we have where they failed?! There's no point in guarding the horses...cuz there's not gonna be anyone left to ride them home!"

Floch's outburst cast a heavy silence among the recruits, and I could see in their faces that they were all thinking the same thing. Gritting my teeth, I moved closer, limping slightly.
"You joined the scout regiment to be a hero, right?" Everyone turned to me as I joined them, but I only focused on the man on the ground who clawed at his hair. "You think all those men and women out there died for nothing? That you're no different?"

I get it.

I held my hand out to him, expression softer than it should have been.
"Nobody wants to die, you idiot...but when you say that, it pisses me off. You say that everyone whose died up until this point contributed nothing? If we can make it through today...even just one of us...it could be the tipping point. Humanity could be saved. Are you saying your family back home isn't worth laying your life down for?"

Am I just telling him to die..? These bastards don't stand a chance...

When he didn't accept my hand, I glanced to Marlo.
"What about Hitch? Don't you want her to have a better future?" The poor bowlcut seemed confused, not quite understanding. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I muttered curses under my breath, swinging my arm to point towards the wall. "Look, we're fighting with everything we have in there! I know you're scared! I am too, but if you don't wanna die, then you gotta fight! Don't just lay down and wait to be crushed or eaten!"