I'm Only Human | AoT Fanfiction | Linked Sequel

Act One | The Expedition | P. 5

Act One
Part Five
1.5
October 11th

Enjoy

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All you could do was shiver, the odd coldness of the titan's mouth getting closer to you. Thoughts began to run through your head. Why can't I move? Why don't I try? Why have I given up? Why? Why can't I defend myself? What has made me weak?

You felt the cold wetness of the titan's tongue, letting you slide down it and around it's mouth. Before you could attempt to cut the titan, it closed it's mouth, grinding it's teeth together and shattering your right hand in the process. You couldn't get a grip on anything, the only thing you could grab was the slick tongue of the smiling titan as you traveled down it's throat and into the tightness of its digestive system. You felt like your skin was burning, your maneuver gear melted away like acid and your skin felt like it was peeling. All you processed was pain. Your consciousness slipped away as you were consumed by darkness.

—

You felt like you were covered in a blanket of ice. It was an odd coldness you've been feeling for hours on end, even unconscious. The coldness would not leave. Suddenly, you felt a warm feeling spread across your shoulders, over your face, on your eyes and across your whole face, and again, a coldness. This time it was a cold liquid. You wanted to open your eyes, but you knew it would hurt if you did. All you could hear was muffled, deep sounds. Your curiosity beat you as you opened your eyes. It burned, but not as much as it did. Your lungs hurt as you felt like you couldn't breath. You felt a liquid pushing out of your lungs and out of your mouth. The liquid was warm and tasted horrible. Soon the deep sounds became more apparent. As you looked around, you saw your son, Alexandre. You smiled and heard him constantly saying your name. You attempted to speak, but it didn't work.

Soon, you found your hand gripping his as your senses began to clear up. Your skin felt so sensitive and the noise that was once so quiet became overly loud.

"Mom?" Alex weeped, "Mom can you hear me?"

You nodded, finally feeling his hand on yours. As you began to move your right hand, the pain jolted up your body. You looked over at it and it was discolored and without structure, completely shattered. You teared up, but the pain in your eyes got worse as more water gathered in your eyes. Alex was completely sobbing at this point, still trying to wipe down your body.

Soon you were able to mutter, "what happened?"

Alex looked up at you and gave you a weak smile.

"You were swallowed, crushed and digested.. but I chased the titan down and killed it, sliced open it's stomach.." he slowly started to choke on his words, "I don't know where we are.. I don't see the wall anywhere. The titan ran so fast and took us both so far.."

You looked to your side and saw a little lake. You dragged your body into it and drank it, clearing out your throat and then cleaning your body of titan stomach acid. You looked up at Alex.

"Do you know which way you came?"

He shook is head, leaving you completely confused. Where is Paloma?

"How could have everything changed so quickly..?" You murmured to yourself.

"Mom.. what are we going to do?" He asked, clearly shaken.

His question completely brought you to reality. Thoughts kept running through your mind as you tried to piece together your next move. There was no reason to stand in the middle of and open field as an easy meal for a titan.

You began to scan your surroundings, looking for any place that looked familiar or, at least, a little bit promising. Soon enough you spotted the very top of a tree in the far distance.

"Our first plan is to get to that tree, and then-" Alex interrupts.

"What tree..?" He questioned.

You pointed in the direction of the little spec of tree leafs in the distance.

"That tree."

Alex nodded his head. You slowly began to try to pull yourself out of the lake, putting the most effort into not putting weight on your hand. Alex looked at you. He acknowledged your hand, riddled with bruises and flattened by the "pearly white" instruments that crushed down on your hand. He quickly got up and helped you out, taking off your jacked to try and ring it out.

"Maybe the lake wasn't the best idea? You need to dry off before nightfall. A fever would be something we wouldn't be able to take care of in the middle of nowhere," he paused and began to thing, "but maybe a shattered hand is even more of a problem than a cold." Alex chuckled a bit as you stared at him. He stopped and shifted to the side and continued to ring out your jacket. You smiled a bit.

"Let's start walking. We need to get to that tree. It'll provide a safe resting place and a viewpoint."

Alex nodded and handed you your damp jacket. You hung it over your shoulder in hopes of giving it a bit of sun before putting it back on. You two began your truck for the tree as the day got colder and the sun began to fall from the middle of the sky. Soon, the day was nearing night and you two were close to the large tree. You had become more and more nervous as you approached the massive pillar of wood. The base of it was so large, the dark wood stood tall enough to almost reach the clouds. You looked over at Alex.

"I don't know how I'm going to climb this." He stood there and began to think. Alex rubbed his hands together, grabbed on to the tree and got to the nearest branch.

"One by one mom. It's okay, I'm here."

You smiled, as you put your jacket on and grabbed on to the tree with one hand, Alex gripped your right bicep. Slowly, you both made it to a height that towered over the tallest normal titan. As you got to the top, you sat down and began to get comfortable with your hand still in much pain.

"Alex, dear, I need you to climb the tree as high as you can. You need to try to find the wall or anything that can help in the distance, alright?"

Alex nodded and began to climb. You hated seeing him climb trees. As a young boy, Alex had broken a bone or two at one point. You remember how he was in so much pain he completely passed out. He had hurt himself every time he climbed a tree, constantly getting little things like splinters to broken bones. He was always so reckless, but he loved it no matter how many times he hurt himself.

Soon, Alex's shouting had snapped you out of your thoughts.

"Mom!" Yelled Alex.

"What did you find, dear?" You asked, hoping he found at least a little sign.

"Does smoke count? I see a bit of smoke in the distance!"

"Of course it does! Come back down and don't forget where you saw it! We both need sleep for tomorrow!" You demanded, and Alex obliged.

As he plopped down next to you, he took your hand.

"Mom, we need to take care of this." Alex stated.

You nodded in agreement.

Maybe in the next few days you can find your way back to Maria. Back to Paloma and Levi.

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Thank you