Year 849
Somewhere outside Wall Rose.
Horses.
The resonating sound of hooves hitting the ground hard in the distance was unmissable, cutting through the usual tranquil atmosphere of the forest. From her place, perched up high amongst the canopy, the girl cocked her head curiously, focusing intently on the rhythmic pounding. Her eyes travelled west, following the sound as it grew louder. Whoever it was, they were closing in on her position and fast.
She blew out a breath, reaching for her grappling trigger and in one, smooth motion, she was airborne, swerving through the branches from above. She kept to the highest point of the forest, right before the thin, bare branches grew into a thick foliage of leaves. It covered her from the eyes of those below, monster or man, and made for a safer viewing point of the ground.
Masked by the shadows the branches cast, she effortlessly weaved through the maze of trees, the hooves from before growing in volume and quantity as she moved towards them. A recon team from the Survey Corps, her mind theorised, but why would they be out this far east? This land had been evacuated the moment Wall Maria had been breached. No one had inhabited this forest for years, there was nothing out here other than titans and abandoned decaying bodies.
She shook the thoughts from her mind, depressurising the turbines gas as she slowed to a stop and landed on a thick branch to hold her weight. Balancing herself, she moved into a crouch and pulled her cloak over her head just as the recon team burst through the treeline. They didn't stop, urging their horses further into the forest, completely oblivious to the eyes tracing their movements from the sky.
The girl broke off from the tree, grappling onto a branch overhead and propelling herself forward with the momentum of the swing. She trailed after them, watching from a distance as they continued to race through the forest like it was catching fire behind them. Her eyes narrowed at the winged symbol displayed proudly on their cloaks, unknowingly lowering her speed to follow at a greater distance. The Survey Corps. Of course, she had already suspected this; no one else but those freaks would look for their death beyond Wall Rose. Although her mind had already prepared her for the reality, she clenched her fists around the hilts of her blades and tasted something acidic in her mouth from just the sight of them.
The leader of the group, she guessed, eyeing his straight, rigid posture and position at the head of the group, slowed his horse into a gallop, signalling the danger had passed. His subordinates followed and soon they had halted altogether, far into the cover of the forest. The girl glided lower, latching onto a single branch with cover near their position and silently brought herself down onto it. From her new vantage point, she could identify them all clearly.
There were five of them; four men and a woman. Two men, one with long blonde hair, the other an older man, faced marred with wrinkles, were positioned at the front of the pack, just before their leader. Stationed at the right flank was another man, skin darker than the rest and an equally dark expression. Next was the woman, positioned on the left flank. She was visibly more shaken than the others, her light amber eyes wide with distress as she attempted to calm her horse.
Lastly was the supposed squad leader. He was marginally shorter than the rest of them, slighter of frame too, with a deceivingly young appearance. Shadowed under his eyes were heavy, dark bags that seemed to drag his face down, along with a hard frown that never left his lips. The girl felt her muscles tense as she studied him, the small hair on the back of her nape raising, almost like an instinctual warning. Unease settled lowly in her gut and the girl's hands ghosted over her blades, twitching anxiously as his steely, cold gaze scanned the area.
Cautious gaze flickered from each of the bodies present and she noticed how well equipped they were for just a simple expedition. All of the horses carried the weight of at least a couple weeks' worth of food, water, first aid and other self-sustaining supplies. This wasn't just another recon team she had stumbled upon. A special ops team of sorts? Either way, given the dishevelled and panicked expressions on their faces, she assumed something hadn't gone according to plan.
"Damn that fucking abnormal!" A man on the right side swore, weary brown eyes darting back to the way they came. He ran a quick, tense hand through his light brown hair, causing it to stick out in various directions. "If it hadn't of shown up, Hange would have her freak test subject and we'd have been cracking open casks of whiskey at home base already!"
"Where the hell did that thing come from anyway? It appeared out of thin air." Another man on the side of him breathed, visibly exhausted. He repositioned himself in his saddle, fingers crazing the hilt of his blades subconsciously. Her eyes followed the movement.
"It doesn't matter." A sharp, cold voice cut through the conversation, silencing the others. The man at the front of the group narrowed his piercing eyes, gaze searching the treeline surrounding them.
She watched him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, noting the almost predatory way his eyes flit through the area, posture composed and calm. If someone wasn't paying close enough attention, his leisurely attitude and bored expression could've easily been misinterpreted as uninterest, but the girl saw through his facade. Everything about him sent alarm bells ringing in her head. Something about his demeanour, his utter indifference and callous tone told her to flee, to not look back and leave these scouts to their demise.
Suddenly, his gaze flew to her location amongst the foliage and she jerked back instantly, heart skipping a few beats as she attempted to right herself without jeopardizing her position. The few seconds of silence that followed were tense and drawn out. She didn't dare make a single movement, lungs burning from the lack of air. She couldn't risk alerting them to her presence.
"Captain...?" A soft, confused voice spoke and broke the silence, the feminine lilt lifting the tension in the air.
Sucking in a quiet breath of relief, the girl repositioned herself behind the shelter of leaves, twisting to lean against the trunk for support while still keeping hidden. Her calves were beginning to ache from the effort it took to keep herself upright on the branch. From her new position, she continued to watch the scouts, slowly managing to regulate her heartbeat.
"We should regroup with the others. There may still be survivors, if we return we can at least pick up the stranglers." The blonde man from before suggested, his uncertain gaze flickering towards his Caption. His voice was weak, however, like he already expected the answer.
The Captain shook his head solemnly, eyes dark, before answering. "No, regrouping is not an option. The other squadrons dispersed just as we did, if anyone was left behind, they'll be dead by now." His voice was detached and emotionless, letting the reality sink into those around him. The whole squad deflated, eyes drifting to the forest floor in silent anguish.
This was the harsh reality for those who chose to join the Survey Corps. She had seen it countless times; men abandoned by their commanding officers and squadrons, left on the battlefield only to be devoured by titans. There was nowhere to run in such a desolate area and even if they managed to escape the carnage, the long journey back to the wall was where most simply died from starvation.
Men were disposably to the military, a single soldier left to die didn't mean much. Their bodies, new and old, littered the space between Wall Maria and Wall Rose. A sea of meaningless sacrifices. Images of broken bodies, strewn limbs and empty, glazed over eyes flashed before her, breathing hitching slightly as that same, age old anger simmered low in her gut. It made her jaw clench and eyes ignite with the familiar emotion of rage, disdainful as they watched the so-called Captain.
Sighing, the Captain looked back at his subordinates with hard, unwavering eyes and his voice was clipped when he spoke again, "The sun isn't going down anytime soon. We'll need to hold position until nightfall, then proceed to regroup with the remaining squadrons."
In one smooth motion, he had dismounted his horse, the elegance of the action taking the girl by surprise for a brief moment, before she gained her composure and refocused. He started to untie the bindings that kept his equipment tethered to his horse, not even sparing his squad another glance. "Get all the supplies unpacked. We're moving to higher ground." The other four members simply looked at each other, before following his lead.
Despite herself, the girl's attention drifted back to their equipment, counting the number of bags they each carried. She had vowed to herself never to steal, to never become someone who takes from the innocent, or those in need, but the military... was something else entirely. The military had cost the general public hundreds of thousands, if not millions in taxes over the years. They had essentially stolen from the innocent themselves and indirectly caused disruption throughout the districts. She had seen the sort of injustice their actions had caused, how many lives taken under the false image that they were making the world safer for everyone. Bullshit. All they ever did was create more uncertainty, more fear, more reason to hide beyond the walls. Her hands curled in tight fists, fingernails digging into her skin painfully.
They were worse than the titans themselves.
Pain brought her back to the present, eyes blinking as she remembered where exactly she was. Hands relaxing on the bark beneath them, her eyes flickered over the scene in front of her. The squad hadn't moved yet, but they had finished collecting their gear and began to tie their horses to lower branches nearby, talking animatedly amongst each other. They would be moving into higher territory soon and she couldn't stay in her current position, the perceptive eyes of the Captain would catch sight of her too easily.
Taking a steadying breath, she readjusted the handles on either side of her hips and gave them each a quick maintenance check before proceeding. Moving into a crouch, she silently kicked backwards and let herself freefall. She targeted a branch above her and fired the grappling hook and held her breath, her heart jumping in her throat. No matter how many times she went through the steps in her head, she could never get use to the feeling of descending through empty air. No purchase, no security; just gravity doing its job.
She felt the sharp tug indicting it had embedded itself roughly in the bark and let herself fall for a few more, brief moments, before twisting her body to face the ground. Just before impact, the grappling hook straightened out with a barely audible snap and propelled her forward into a swing. The momentum sent her souring upwards, the cold wind grazing past her bare cheeks mercilessly. She aimed at a branch near the highest level of the forest this time, hearing the soft hiss of its release as it hit her desired target. Lightly pressing down on the handles on each side of her waist, the small amount of gas released helped her gain the speed and force to finally reach her destination.
With a perfected flourish, she landed, grasping onto the trunk for purchase. Straightening, the girl brushed off her cloak before looking at the people down below. Relief eased the strained feeling in her chest; they hadn't heard her. She retracted the grapple hooks and sighed softly, running her hands along the wires strapped around her shoulders, an unconscious act of self-security. From down below, the squad began to shoot up into the canopy, settling a few tree lengths away from her, but not close enough to spot her shadow amongst the greenery. They spread out into a triangular formation above their bound horses, placing her in between where the woman and the blond-haired man were stationed on her left and the Captain, on her far right.
At first, she had missed the Captain entirely, eyes automatically overlooking the slim figure hidden in the shadows. It took her a second scan of the scenery before she finally pinpointed his location and she had to admit, she was begrudgingly impressed by his skills. Suspicious, too, but ultimately impressed.
"In position, Captain!" Called the dark-skinned man across the gap between them, signalling to his superior.
Him and the older man had settled on a thick branch exactly opposite of where she was perched. She was in direct line of their sight and ducked swiftly, pulling her coat around her body entirely as she flattened herself up against the trunk, attempting to blend in with the bark. If she made any sort of move now, there was no doubt they'd spot her in the act. She'd have to stake out until nightfall as well and attempt to escape once it was dark enough to slip away.
She felt her lips curl slightly. These woods were menacing to navigate during the day time, let alone in low visibility. No one, not even somebody as skilled as these soldiers, could manoeuvre through the treacherous twists and turns without proper experience. She had spent hours upon hours becoming familiar with every detail, every tight bend and possible road through the maze of trees. This was her environment, her domain. From just sensory memory alone, she could probably fly through these trees with her eyes closed.
Everyone relaxed in their respective spots, the tranquillity of the forest settling around them. The squad seemed to relax under the protection of the leaves overhead, the sound of rustling travelling with the wind. Attempting to loosen up herself, the girl rolled her shoulders back against the bark and felt them click and snap quietly beneath her skin. Her eyes never strayed from surveying the area however, arms straight at her sides, fingers twitching anxiously over the blades beside them. Outside Wall Maria, at the mercy of any empty-headed titan that somehow lumbered its way into the forest, was no place to let down your guard. One mistake… that's all it took.
Exhaling through her nose, she tilted her chin towards the sky and watched the small speckles of orange sky seep through the gaps. If she'd a guess, it'd be a few more hours until it was dark enough to move from the coverage of the forest.
Not all titans were rendered immobile when the sun set, some simply moved slower and more sluggish than usual. She'd watched them on countless occasions, the amusing sight of seeing their large, fearsome bodies tumbling over one another like toddlers was one of the only forms of entertainment she had out here. If these scouts were to make a successful escape, they'd have to travel swiftly without faults or distractions in the hopes of passing any titans unaware. It wasn't guaranteed safety, but it was enough to pass through titan occupied land without too many casualties.
The girl snapped one of the straps wound around her waist absentmindedly, mind going over the possible routes they would take to steer clear of titans. She'd have to be careful in her own choices and hope she didn't come face to face with them or any titans wandering the area when she herself fled. There was still the added risk of attracting a titan to them, even a moderately sized group such as this one could lure one into the depths of the forest. That would pose an annoying inconvenience if it occurred.
Reaching up to rub the ache beginning to settle in her temples, she blew out an exhausted breath, momentarily forgetting her surroundings and the sets of eyes surveying it. Every time the Survey Corps set out on one of their pointless expeditions, she'd somehow always end up dealing with the carnage they left behind. All they ever did was give her more chores and more things to clean up after they'd scampered back to the safety of the walls. It was a tiresome cycle that only seemed to get worse as the years passed.
A distant, barely audible rumble from the east had her straightening her posture instantly. Leaning back, she pressed her ear against the trunk and felt the tremors vibrate through it. Under her breath, she cursed, hands curling around the hilts of her blades instinctually. Of course, it wouldn't be that simple, nothing ever was when the Survey Corps were involved.
She peered out from the shadows, eyes seeking the Captain's position. When she found him, her shoulders relaxed slightly and she was suddenly very thankful for his perceptive sixth sense. He had heard it too and was standing, eyes drawn east where the thundering was coming from.
Drawing his blades swiftly, he dropped into crouch, gaze narrowed and calculating. "We have company, be prepared to engage." He called to his squad and pressed himself up against the trunk, urging them forward with a quick curl of his hand.
The squad immediately fell in sync, moving as one as they flew into motion and glided through the trees to their Captain's position. She felt entranced as she watched the harmonization and fluidity of their actions, bodies weaving through the trees with an elegance she hadn't yet seen amongst any of the other soldiers she'd come across. Something like that, moving with such synchronization and unity, couldn't be achieved through discipline and drills alone. They had placed their utter faith and trust in one another. Not one of the four members even blinked at their Captain's command. Her lips twitched at the corners, a small, surprised smile gracing her features. Maybe she had misjudged this unit.
Pulling herself out of the protection of greenery, she too, got herself prepared. The pleased mirth disappeared from her eyes, replaced with cold, vicious intent. The thundering below grew louder and her lips pulled back, teeth glinting in the low light. Her mind distantly registered the sound of the squad calling to each other, poised for the fight ahead, but she focused on the deep, resonating heavy footsteps advancing towards them.
Her cloak fluttered gently with the wind and she drew in a single, calming breath and held it. Around the corner stumbled two separate giants, eyes pulled back into wide, lifeless pits and mouths stained with various coats of blood. The squad jumped into action, the blonde-haired man and the woman launching into a double team attack on the 10 metre class. They soared forward with unrecognizable speed, twin blades slashing into the titan's arms and twisted in the air, separating into two, different directions as the titan swung its arm into the air after them. The second titan, a mere 5 metre class, turned to follow them. It reached its short, stubby arms in the air in an attempt to catch a hold of their grabbling wires. Both of them were too fast, however and kept twirling out of its reach in the last seconds before impact.
With the 10 metre distracted, the other two men flew down and grappled onto the lumbering beasts shoulder. The darker skinned man ran along its skin, making a shallow, but long cut along its nape. He made a strange beckoning signal with his hand and pushed off its form, retreating into the coverage of the trees. Steam rose from the wound and the titan lurched after the fleeing man, teeth snapping loudly around empty air. The man left on its shoulder slipped when he tried to do the same, attempting to find purchase on the titan's clammy skin, but was failing fast.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed the Captain surveying the scene from above, eyes calm, but body tight with tension. Their strategy was stretching at the seams and he still hadn't made a move to intervene. Grinding her teeth together harshly, she watched anxiously as the 5 metre class lost interest in its two targets. It's horrible, unblinking eyes set on the figure dangling helplessly from the other's back.
The other members made a sharp turn at the sudden change of behaviour and attempted to change course to rescue their comrade. "Oluo! Hold on, we're coming!" Screamed the lithe female, her panic straining her voice.
Blood rushing in her ears, the girl heard the man shout in panic in response as the 5 metre class stumbled towards him. Her heart stuttered on a few beats, painfully aware that the other members were too far away. They wouldn't make it in time. As the titan raised its arm, she took a slow breath and withdrew her blades, determination steadying her hands. She had made her choice. The world around her vanished as she took one, solidary step forward.
Then, the girl flew.
Scenery flashed in fractured picture frames as she twirled in the air effortlessly. Wind forced her hood back, her identity left bare for all the world to see, but her mind was already too far away to care. There was only one goal pushing her forward and she couldn't risk any mistakes. Absentmindedly, she heard the soft whistle of another pair of ODM in use behind her and she abruptly pushed down on the turbine gas, increasing her pace.
As she straightened out and advanced towards the titan ahead, she saw the titan simply pluck the struggling man off the other's back. If she hadn't seen the titan close it's fist around the man first hand, his screams of agony splitting through the air would've been confirmation enough. With an animalistic growl of her own, she pushed down harder on the triggers, using more gas than was reasonable. It didn't matter; nothing mattered if she was too slow.
The titan lifted the hysterical man until he was level with it's terrifyingly human like face, void of any intelligence, and just stared at him. It didn't make a move to clamp its teeth down around him, or swallow him whole, but it didn't release the pressure around his mid-section either. Just held him; letting utter terror engulf its prey.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously and when she was close enough, she shot out a grappling wire and manoeuvred around the 8 metre class in a single motion. It dumbly lifted its eyes to watch her soar overhead and stumbled backwards to follow. A whirlwind of black and glinting steel slashed across its neck before it could, however, and its large, looming body fell face first onto the forest floor, steaming. Levi didn't even spare it a glance, shooting after the woman currently heading towards the second titan and his subordinate held in it's fist.
As soon as she'd emerged from the shadows and launched into the air, he'd been on her tail. He'd been aware of her presence since they'd entered the forest, or at least, of somethings presence, watching from above. He hadn't thought they'd pose a threat, but he was betting on the chances they'd try to steal from their supplies. That's where he thought he'd catch them, not on their way to save one of his men.
Not even bothering to look back or lower her pace, the girl fired another grappling wire straight into the titan's wrist. Before it became aware of her presence, she descended below its bent arm and got her blades ready. A fierce snarl warped her face as she twisted her body, thrusting her blades upwards with as much strength as she could manage. The wire strained and whined under her movements, but she persevered. She couldn't miss.
The blades sunk harshly into the titan's skin and quickly halted at what she knew to be bone. As she came up to make a full circle of it's wrist, the blade stayed embedded in it's flesh and carved a deep ring into it's skin. Tears collected at the corner of her eyes, the pressure on her shoulder unbearable, her hands glowing red from the unyielding grip she had on her blades, but she clenched her jaw and continued. When she'd finished a full rotation, she leapt back, using the titan's arm to force herself back into the air.
The titan's hand hung loosely from it's body, nerves and muscle cut too far for it be mobile. She spared a glance to the man clutched in it's grasp, his eyes impossibly wide at the sight of her, and noticed the fingers had begun to unclench, the pressure on him relenting. She had her opening and jolted forward, numb fingers coming down hard on the turbine trigger in one last, desperate attempt to gain momentum. The last of her gas tank sent her flying and she wrapped an arm under his shoulders, pulling him with her as she passed.
When they'd made enough distance between themselves and the titan, she descended, breathing heavily from the added weight of another body. They fell to the forest floor, crashing clumsily onto solid earth. Her already aching shoulder took the impact hard and she muffled a scream, wrenching herself up from the ground with willpower alone. Everything burned, the searing pain crawling up the length of her body like fire.
"Never again." She moaned, an oath to the suspended silence around her.
The man didn't move and she made a small, irritated noise, managing to drag herself to his position, dropping to kneel beside the body. Her joints protested and cracked at every, small movement, but she bit her lip and checked his pulse. It was there, slow, but steady. Alive. She blew out a breath of relief and turned her attention to the majority of his injuries. Behind her, she could hear the vengeful cries of his comrades as they slaughtered the remaining titan. She clenched her jaw at the growing instinct to flee. It was too late to regret her decision now.
The man, Oluo, she thought they'd called him, was breathing shallowly, chest rising and falling with obvious strain. Ribs, she thought, eyeing the clothing covering his abdomen. She didn't know much about first aid, but she knew enough to recognize a broken rib or two. Along with that, his ODM gear had been completely crushed and the shrapnel had dug into his hips, red stains blooming stark against the white of his uniform. Her hands hovered over the wounds, helpless and uneasy. Hopefully they had a medic amongst their ranks who would prove more useful than her.
The sound of approaching footsteps made her back straighten, fighting against the pain that flared in her shoulder from doing so. She held still as they fell quiet behind her. There was a torturously long pause before anyone moved and then, drawing in every ounce of courage she had left, she turned to the rest of the squadron.
Before she could charm them with her sharp words and biting allure, a sudden, cold weight pressed against her throat, silencing her. Instinctually, she grabbed for her blades, body temporarily moving on autopilot, but her fingertips fumbled over empty sheaths. Her breath caught in her throat, eyes growing wide with realization; she'd lost them while immobilizing the titan. The blade at her neck bobbed slightly as she swallowed thickly and she slowly lifted her head, catching steely, dull eyes.
"You even think about making a move and I'll disconnect your head from your body." He warned, voice a river of smooth, thin ice. It covered her from head to toe, freezing her body under the weight of his callous gaze. That wasn't a threat; it was a promise.
One mistake was all it took. The message had been nailed into her head, imprinted against the inside of her mind like a brand. And yet, here she was, that very same head at the mercy of the very people she'd been warned about.
The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.
/ note: hi ! so, this is my first ever snk fic n ive been sitting on this idea for a lil while so i thought ? why not go for it u know . im open to any sort of criticism cuz this is literally the first thing ive wrote in like ? two years . its been a long long time so forgive me if im a bit wonky on the execution :( anyway im Also rly knew to the shingeki no kyojin fandom as well . ive been aware of the anime for a while, but never really sat down n actually watched it until about two months ago ... im a lil zygote fan dskdsjd i hope its not too shoved full of crap lmao i Know i overuse comas i cant help myself but yeajhf see ya