What is the use of て-form at the end of this sentence?

Question

何かヒーロー友に守られ血を流させて。

I interpret this sentence from the manga 「僕のヒーローアカデミア」to mean "Some hero I am, making my friends spill blood to protect me." However, I have two questions:

What is the use of the te-form of 流させる at the end of the sentence? Usually, when I see the te-form alone, I assume it's a request (i.e. shortened form of 〜てください), but I don't see how this quote could be construed as such. It's part of a character's inner monologue.

Also, though not my main question, is it acceptable to drop the る from 守られる as is done above?

Answer 1

It seems that the original sentence is:

何がヒーロー　友に守られ　血を流させて。

It's an inversion (倒置) of 「友に守られ血を流させて、何がヒーロー（だ）」

The te-form at the end means "while" "when" or "although". (≂ 流させておきながら)

友に守られ -- While (I'm) protected by my friends,
（友に）血を流させて -- and making them shed their blood → and making them bleed,
何がヒーロー（だ） How can I be / call myself a hero? → Some hero I am.

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is it acceptable to drop the る from 守られる as is done above?

Yes. 守られ is the continuative/connective form (連用形) of 守られる.
連用形 is used to connect with another verb / verb phrase (which is 流させて here).

You can rephrase it as follows, using the te-form 守られて:

「友に守られ、血を流させて…」 ≂ 「友に守られて、血を流させて…」

The former sounds a bit more literary than the latter.

Similar examples:

「警察に呼ばれ、事情を聞かれる」≂「警察に呼ばれて、事情を聞かれる」
「パーティに招かれ、友人と参加した」≂「パーティに招かれて、友人と参加した」
「京都へ行き、清水寺を見る」≂「京都へ行って、清水寺を見る」