Brave New World
Mikasa was flying through the air on her 3DMG when she heard the screams. They started more like moans, then gradually gained volume and pitch and developed into blood- curdling wails. Flying beside her, Sasha whimpered.
"That's the sound that the animals used to make before we killed them…" her gaze darted left, then right, like that of a frightened rabbit.
Connie and Eren exchanged disturbed glances and quietly discussed between themselves, Eren seeming to want to go back and investigate. Connie shook his head quietly. "Listen, it's too late," he said sadly.
The screams had stopped, leaving the whirr of their equipment to fill the deafening silence of the forest. Mikasa sighed, and after making sure the others of her squad were keeping up, pressed onwards. Her keen ears told her that squad Levi was there before she saw them coming.
Levi seemed like the regular neat freak he always was, with his hair slicked back and swords immaculate despite the freakish number of titans he'd likely killed already. Petra and Oluo were bickering as usual, and they seemed unfazed by the lack of titans in this particular section of the forest.
"Heichou, why have we not run into any titans in this area so far?" Eren piped up, looking nervous. "I heard screaming coming from the west…"
"Tch. As long as I don't get that disgusting blood all over my hands, I'm alright," Levi scowled.
"But shouldn't we go back for survivors?" Eren pleaded. "There might be people needing our help!"
"Eren- kun, that's not our job right now," Petra said gently. "We have a specific mission, and we can't let the corps down."
Eren sagged and obediently stepped back. Levi looked him up and down, and then scrutinized the rest of Mikasa's squad. "You brats seem relatively in one piece. Good, maybe you aren't totally useless after all."
Suddenly, Mikasa and Levi snapped up and drew their swords. "What was that?" They seemed alert, cautious.
"What was what?" Connie yawned, slowly sitting up.
"Brat, can't you sense it?"
"Sense what?"
"I can feel something's off…" Sasha turned her head slowly.
"Heichou, we should l-" Petra's words were suddenly cut off as the tree she was standing on cracked.
"PETRA!" Oluo roared, and lunged forward. He caught her around the middle and swung to safety, as everyone else scattered, trying to find the source of the attack.
Levi and Mikasa, as usual, were the only ones who did not seem to be in a state of panic. "We're under attack, heichou," Mikasa observed quietly. "How did they get so close without us noticing?"
"I don't know, but they're just 5m- class. Not a problem for us, except they somehow learned how to gnaw through the bottoms of trees. Tch." Levi narrowed his eyes. "They were awfully quiet for titans, though."
Mikasa swung down and neatly dispatched the nearest three titans, making the task look as natural as slicing through butter. The rest of the squad followed, ridding the area of titans and allowing the silence to return.
"How's Petra?" Eren asked, concerned.
"I'm fine, Eren. Don't worry about me too much. It's just some scratches," Petra laughed, brightening up the mood.
They all laughed along with her.