NOTE: This has nothing to do with my previous story Scarlett and does not share the same timeline. I will be changing the timeline in SNK however. There may be spoilers from the uprising arc.
Erwin looked at the crowd as the soldier wrapped a noose around his neck. So this is how it's going to end, he thought. To be killed by humans, instead of dying in battle to know the truth. He closed his eyes.
"Heichou!" Erwin yelled. He rode his horse next to his captain. "There are at least three fifteen-meter titans incoming! What are your orders?!"
"Stay calm," a brown-haired girl said. She was young, and just as new a recruit as Erwin, but she was skilled. She was humanity's strongest soldier. Her eyes scanned the horizon. Trees lined their left side, as the three titans edged them closer to it. "Once we reach the edge of the forest veer left!" she yelled to the rest of her squad. Erwin nodded, as well as Mike and the other new recruits. The edge of the forest neared closer and closer.
They veered left to see the face of a deformed titan on all fours. It's mouth drooling at the sight of all these humans. It swung its hand knocking over several of the horses. "INTO THE TREES!" the captain yelled. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she killed the crawling titan with a slash of her blades. Erwin shook fiercely as he looked down below to see the horrifying faces of these giant man-eating creatures. The horses ran away as the captain shot into a high branch.
"Dammit... I should've seen them coming," she said eyes flickering.
"What are we going to do Heichou?" Erwin asked. His eyes were full of fear.
"We can take these stupid runts. I'll take the big three. The rest is up to you guys. Don't stray from the edge of the forest or away from the squad. Call your horses back, just in case we need to retreat. Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the squad rumbled as they jumped down from the trees and into the midst of battle.
Erwin pulled a series of triggers on his ODM gear, slicing titans and assisting in titan kills. We can do this, he thought. He hit his triggers again. Nothing. Nothing was working. His eyes widened as he went into freefall. Just as he was about to hit the ground a giant hand grabbed him. Erwin forced himself to look to his right. A red-eyed titan looked him in the eyes as it opened its mouth. He could see straight down into hell. He was going to be dropped in. The giant hand loosened as he began to fall. The titan's jaw closed as it bit down.
Erwin felt himself being pushed sideways. It was the captain. She screamed as the titan bit down on her leg. Using her ODM gear, she pulled herself out of the titan's tight grip. She caught Erwin as they landed on the ground. Blood seeped into the dirt from the captain's leg. She took off her canister and put it on Erwin.
"Heichou!" Erwin protested.
"We've gathered the few horses we have, Heichou! What now?!" Mike yelled.
"Retreat," she replied. "Fall back to the center of the formation,"
"We don't have enough horses, not even enough for two to ride on one!" Mike yelled back.
"How many need to stay behind?" the captain said darkly.
"Just one," he replied, understanding what his captain was about to do.
"Retreat. I will stay behind,"
"But Heichou-"
"NO!" she yelled. "THAT'S AN ORDER! FALL BACK!"
Mike dragged Erwin away from the battlefield. There their captain kneeled, bleeding on the ground. With sword in hand, she looked straight at the enemy, never looking back.
"HEICHOU!" he yelled without avail.
She was unafraid of the death that awaited her.