𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙩 || Eren Jaeger

𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏

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I'M LYING FLAT at the bottom of a well. The ground is cold and dry against my back, the dirt nourished only by the sweat seeping from the back of my neck. It is both hot and freezing down here. I raise a hand to my forehead, feeling my temperature. Or maybe it's just me.

My head hurts a little, but as I try sitting up, I discover it is nothing compared to the ache in my torso. I think I rammed into something. I don't remember how or against what, but I vaguely remember the impact and feeling my organs shriveling up.

I feel decent now, though. Just extremely dehydrated. The back of my throat is sandpaper.

My hand touches something soft and only now do I notice I'm not alone down here.

Hanji lies next to me, face down. I quickly flip her over and hold a finger under her nose to check if she's still breathing. She is.

I sigh, but I'm not relieved yet. I look down to see my ODM gear is bent and busted. So is Hanji's. Probably caused by the landing.

I check to see the extent of the damage. The ejector for the hooks still works, but the part that expels the gas is no longer operating. After I check Hanji's gear, I find the situation is the same with hers.

Damn it.

I look up. We're at least 12 feet below ground. The bit of sky I can see from down here is a deep gray. The Colossal's transformation... "catastrophic" seems like an understatement. My skin, hair, and uniform are covered in a thin layer of ash and dirt. I wouldn't be surprised if when I get out there is nothing around— absolutely nothing but leveled ground.

And I will get out. Because I have an idea.

I aim and shoot the hooks from Hanji's gear. They land at the edge of the well basin, stuck sturdily enough that when the cords begin to retract they lift her unconscious body up, up, up. I do the same thing with my own gear and I make sure to keep an eye on her, that she doesn't flip over or bump her head against the cobblestone as she ascends.

Once I'm up I crawl out and go over to her, detaching her gear from the straps of her uniform and carefully pulling her out. She is out like a light. Vigorous movement doesn't seem to affect her. I hope whatever head trauma she absorbed during the blast isn't too severe. I simply can't imagine the Survey Corps progressing with Hanji in a coma.

I lug her onto my back and try not to immediately fold under her weight. She's 5'7 and pure lean muscle. A lot to carry for a runt, but I have no other option.

This area of town— what appears to be the majority of all Shinganshina— is downright macabre. I look around as I walk back the way we came. Scorched bodies of Hanji's squad are littered amongst and underneath the rubble of houses. As far as I can see, not a single structure is left standing. The lack of scenery itself is horrifyingly desolate.

There's got to be something left, right? I think, and try unsuccessfully to ignore the little voice in my head saying no.

The heat from the explosion lingers. The ground is cooked, recycling the boiling temperatures and huffing them back up into the air. Before I start walking I take my jacket off for two reasons: so I don't melt into a puddle and so I can cover my nose. I have to take it slow, pausing to breathe into my bundled up jacket as much as I can, the ash and smoke making me dizzy.

I don't know how much ground we have yet to cover. The town around me is flattened so there's not much to reference. All I know is that I must keep going the way we came and eventually... I'll reach the others.