[h2][center][color=007236]Gabriel Moreau - Wall Rose: Trost District[/color][/center][/h2] [center][@Poi][/center] The city of Trost seemed so beautiful as the young cadet drifted off into a deep sleep. Everything faded away into darkness, until he opened his eyes. In front of him, his father gave him a disappointed look and shook his head. [color=39b54a]"If you get knocked down this easily, you might as well never become a soldier, Gabe. Come on, back on your feet."[/color] The young boy rubbed his bruised cheek and stood up, standing at attention before his father. His eyes began to tear up and puffin as he waited for his father's next instruction. He stared down at Gabriel, as if judging him harshly, but let out a heavy sigh, kneeling down in front of his son. [color=39b54a]"What are you crying for, Gabriel?"[/color] The words spoken was a rare thing to Gabriel. For most of his life, he only knew his father as a military man with nothing but duty on his mind. There was hardly a soft spoken moment in their time together, but now was the first. Gabriel, unsure of how to answer, had to stand there quietly and think of what to say, still caught in surprise over the question. He father let a small smile as he held tightly onto Gabriel's shoulders as he waited. [color=39b54a]"Go on, Gabe."[/color] After a bit of hesitation, Gabriel let loose his feelings. [color=007236]"I'm scared..."[/color] [color=39b54a]"Scared? Scared of what? You're certainly not scared of me are you?"[/color] [color=007236]"No...I'm scared of being hurt."[/color] Mr. Moreau knelt in silence from the answer, but kept his smile in front of his child. [color=39b54a]"So why are you crying?"[/color] Gabriel was confused by the reply and stared at his father, waiting for an answer. [color=39b54a]"Fear isn't something that should make you cry, even as a soldier. Fear is something you have to conquer. A true warrior knows that fear is a natural thing and is not afraid to admit their fear. It's how you deal with it that defines you."[/color] Gabriel seemed to light up at the wisdom that his father had given him and returned the smile, his tears no longer rising. His father grew a grim face and stood straight up, with Gabriel snapping to attention and sealing his lips tightly to get as serious as possible. [color=39b54a]"We will continue the boxing exercises!"[/color] Without another word, the two sparred once more, with Gabriel placing every strike with as much dedication as his small body could muster into them. This was how he was raised; as a soldier. A warrior. [color=007236][i]Warrior...?[/i][/color] The word seemed strange to him the more he thought of it. [hr] [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV5ZBuNJMx0[/youtube] [hr] The pain returned as quickly as the memory faded away. Now what had replaced the comfortable image was one of terror. A blurry scene had taken over his thoughts. His father was there, screaming for mercy among a group. The sight of him being taken by large beings gripped his every attention. [color=007236][i]Was this how he died?[/i][/color] There was no way. These large figures weren't Titans; they were cloaks with hidden faces. At first, it was nothing but a nightmare. Some kind of horrifying thought...that was until Gabriel noticed his own legs. Fear was beginning to grip him as the blurry images began to fade away. The only words that could be heard was that of muffled yelling or chanting. Something at that moment began to hurt Gabriel. His mind stung as he came to his senses to the real world. The orange sky was beginning to cover with stormy clouds. His blurry vision returned to him slowly as he noticed his legs, one broken, the other completely gone and leaving a trail of blood. In front of him, he noticed the gnawed remains of the mother, the excess of blood revealing the boys fate to him without even having to see another sign. He looked up, noticing Mary pulling him with all her might. His eyes seemed to widen as he looked forward, noticing Tanner in the far distance. He could hardly speak as a lump began to gather in his throat. Protesting against Mary, he began to pull himself forward and out of her grasp. [color=007236]"Let go, damn it! I have to help her! I can't let her die alone!"[/color] No matter how much he struggled, he found her constantly trying to help him back, as if she too was desperate to do what she could to save him. With as much strength as he could muster, he took a firm grasp of her shirt, and pushed her back, knocking her into a door that had been left open due to the civilians rushing out as quickly as they could. Gabriel began to feel his heart racing as he dragged himself towards Tanner, watching her in the distance as the Titans slowly advanced towards her. His nightmare from his time as a Trainee was coming to reality. Olivia was facing the same situation perhaps; all of them were. But for her...right in front of him. His father's voice rang in his head as he felt a the strong dedication to save her rise up inside of him. He was afraid. [color=007236]But I am a warrior.[/color] So very afraid. [color=007236]A warrior.[/color] Afraid. [color=007236]Warrior.[/color] Gabriel never had enough time to fully realize it. His leg slowly regenerating with a strange smoke, 'nor the thought of the impossibility of saving his lover. All there was for him to see was a flash of yellow light engulfing Tanner and the scene around him. Where he was shuffling on the ground before was now replaced with a large pile of smoke that seemed to engulf the area around him. Without any warning, a scream erupted from within the smoke, and a titan launched itself from within towards Tanner's position. Before any word might be said, Tanner would find herself facing the very same titan that she had blinded in the grip of a lean and muscular titan. It repeatedly smashed it's head into the ground, before her, until it looked towards her with a menacing glare. As if by some divine chance, she was being saved as the titan reached for her and held her in it's grasp. Yet, by another miracle, it never made any move to squash her or eat her. She was simply there, alive and well in it's iron, yet gentle grip. As the other titans moved in towards the one she was being carried by, it slowly began to back away, as if it knew that the titans were it's enemy...as if she, a simple human, was it's ally.