Gabriel Moreau - Wall Maria: Shiganshina District
Gabriel sweat heavily from the physical and mental stress that fatigued him heavily. Every step that he took towards the canal was one full of grief. His courage, no matter how great, was never enough for him to help those who cried for help, who screamed for their mother to save them. His fear was never of titans, as menacing as they were. His fesr was a lack of control - the inability to help those who could have lived full lives. This fear was what kept him going after his father had died. Every day he spent training his mind and body, honing it socthat he could be unstoppable...but it was never enough to stop the beasts that gnawed away indiscriminately.
His mind was too distracted by his fear and too concentrated on ignoring the suffering around him as a titan lumbered passed him. It's feet ravaged the buildings it walked through, sending Gabriel flying back as debris exploded around him. His vision blurred as the smoke and dust around him cleared. He didn't even notice his pierced leg and shattered ankle until he forced himself back to his. The pain was numbed from the rush of adreniline and the strong will to defeat his fear, but the severe degredation of mobility was clear as he forced himself to move. What was once a frenzied pace was now reduced to an agonizing crawl as he limped through the streets. He didn't even recognize the bruises and cuts on his body and face - he couldn't afford to check. All he knew was a small piece of wood pierced his leg and that something had broken.
When Gabriel finally turned around a corner, that was when he noticed it; his mother's wheelchair, now a broken piece of junk in the middle of the street. His limps pace began to quicken as he struggled to reach it. His mother could not have gotten far, not with her condition. Out of the corner of his, he finally saw it. His mother crawled out of an alleyway, his siblings pulling her woith a panic. Two of them dragged her and cried for her to move, the third child held in her arms tightly. Their youngest brother was merely a baby, only around the age of one year. Gabriel rushed to their aid, to which they cried out with delight and relief. "
You should not have come here, Gabriel! Take your brothers and leave!" His mother begged him as he struggled against his wounds, the pain now registering as it sent shockways through his body.
"
I'm not leaving any of you behind. I can't lose you, not after dad! Just hold on to me! Pierre, get Eitan and run for the canal! Lars, stay with me and help me get mother to the boats!" The brothers obeyed him without a single complaint, but their mother continued to cry out in protest. Suddenly, without warning, the large thuds of a titan in pursuit could be heard. Gabriel felt his blood rush and his muscles tense up as he quickened the pace. "
Gabriel...Lars...you won't make it at this rate. You have to leave me and run." Gabriel snapped at her immediately, tears welling up in his eyes. He would have control of this situation - they would get put safely. "
Don't say aomething so stupid! Lars, catch up to Pierre! RUN!" As Lars ran, the titan only inched closer and closer. His hands gripped tighter on his mother as he continued, his heart racing.
As if by some cruel twist of fate, both Gabriel ans his mother were tripped by a large, yet dwar-f-like hand in titan standards. He looked back to see his mother being dragged away by a small titan. "MY BABIES!" She cried out reaching out towards Gabriel...no, not at him; his hrothers behind him. Pierre and Lars screamed as they fled from another titan. They had been cornered by the large figures, as if it was a trap. Gabriel twnsed up, unable to move as his greatest fear became reality; hopelessness. His mother cried out in pain as she was eaten from the leg up, her eyes on her children as she watched in pure terror. Lars was grabbed and was squeezed tightly, his small fists pounding away as he cried. Gabriel, stuck in his position, was handed Eitan by Pierre, who in turn picked up a hatchet. "
Don't...stop fighting....just run..." Gabriel's words came out as mumbles, unheard by his brothers as they fought.
At that moment, Lars had popped from the pressure of the titan's grip. Pierre, now a heaving and mind-broken mess, turned to Gabriel. "
Make it stop. Help us...help me" Gabriel stood slowly as the titan's encircled them. Something had snapped in Gabriel as he gripped onto his baby brother. He looked over to Pierre and backed away, his courage faded away. With a cry, Pierre was grabbed, and Gabriel turned to run. His limp was forgotten as he held Eitan close to his chest. His face was struck with fesr as he looked down, the titan's in hot pursuit, albeit slow to catch him due to the alleyways he took. "
You're gonna be safe, you're gonna be safe. Your big brother is gonn get you out of this; I promise.". Finally reaching the canal, Gabriel noticed he was too far from any boats for safety. The crying Eitan furthered his stress as his teeth grinded against each other, his mind racing on an escape route. He looked down to the water, his mind racing as the thumps came closer.
Without a second to lose, Gabriel held onto Eitan closely, and leapt into the water...as he fell, he thought of the other kids. How would they escape? Were they safe? Would everything be different if he had just helped them? Why did he have to go back for his family? Why couldn't they have just died without him witnessing it? These thoughts leeched onto his brain like a parasite...until the cold, rushing water below took a hold of him and wrapped itself around him, carrying him and his baby brother away towards the evacuation site. Hopefully there he could get onto a boat...