Chapter two
We're in such deep shit; deep, deep shit. As it turns out, my squad leader is an idiot and now I'm stuck riding my horse Luna like a maniac trying to avoid getting eaten by the abnormal chasing our asses. It's only been a few months since graduation and shit is already going sideways. In my squad of seven, two had already been eaten by the titan and he was now chasing us for more. I rode Luna and told her to go as fast as she could and that if we came out of this alive, I'd give her a few extra portions of food later tonight.
My stomach was in knots as I felt the steps of the titan vibrating through my spine. I looked back to see the state of my fellow comrades to see two of them trapped in the hands of the abnormal. "Sir!" I yell, trying to get my squad leaders' attention. Bird brains looked in my direction and I pointed to the soldiers trapped. "What about them!" He yelled back. "They're finished cadet May! Now look ahead and resume the mission." I frowned at his lack of sympathy for the soldiers that were going to lose their lives. "Are you kidding me!?" I yelled back, "We can't abandon them!" I shouted back. My idiotic leader ignored me and advised the three of us remaining to continue for the wall.
The 57th expedition had turned into such a disaster. As we rode back to the wall, an abnormal had appeared on the left flank and my squad leader had made the decision that for the greater good of the troops we had to keep the abnormal as far as them as possible. I'm guessing that his reasoning was that we had lost enough soldiers and if we didn't do anything about it, instead of 7 lives taken it would be a far greater number. We had deviated from our course an hour ago I presume, with the abnormal on our asses the whole time. I was a good cadet besides not actually listening to anything my superiors told me; not because I didn't care, but because what they told me to do was a ridiculous waste of my time and energy. A nice example would be the mess I was in right now. "C'mon Luna. Get us to safety and you'll get your carrots baby girl. C'mon!" I told her. The wind blew my bangs from my face as well and the Survey Corps Cape. I looked back to see that only one, remained in the abnormals hands. I could hear the cries of the cadet, pleading us to help him. The titan's jaw clenched on his hips, dismembering him. Hearing his horrendous cries as he felt the pressure of the titans teeth, his last words were a cry for help. I felt like vomiting as I saw the young man being crushed by the abnormal, seeing my colleague's insides and his upper half falling to the grounded as if he was nothing.
It was late afternoon when we reached the city. I wondered if they had already closed Wall Rose, I sincerely hoped not; not for my sake, but the sake of my squad leader because if the gate was closed, I'd fucking kill him. "As soon as the abnormal gets in the city we're gonna kill him." my squad leader instructed us. He took the lead while me and the other cadet named Harper road beside me. "This guy is fucking nuts!" Harper told me. I laughed at that, at least I wasn't the only one that noticed how stupid bird brains was. we had put enough distance between us and the abnormal to put our horses to safety near the edge of the wall. I think someone noticed because a lift started going down for the horses.
As soon as the horses were cleared of danger we discharged our 3DMG and headed straight for the abnormal. "May, Harper, go left and i'll go over to the right and distract him while you kill it got it?" Bird brains said. "Yes, sir!" We replied simultaneously.
As the abnormal came closer, a group of titans rose up and followed the abnormal. "Shit." I growled as 6 titans, including the abnormal came at us in all directions. "We're fucked." whispered Harper as we stood ready to attack the abnormal. I looked at him, frowning; we didn't need that kind of negativity right now, we have to stay as realistic as we can. If we did this right, it was possible to eliminate them all and escape. "Listen to me Harper," I said, grabbing his shoulders, "we can do this, people have survived much more. We will survive this do you understand me!" I raised my voice at him and he nodded quickly and turned his attention to the abnormal. "On my count we move." The squad leader said. We waited for his signal.
"Now!" He yelled as he propelled himself straight at the titan. We followed him rounding up left where the abnormal wouldn't see us. I thrusted further left and Harper went closer to the titan's nape. We got more momentum as the plan continued to work. The other titans hadn't caught up yet so we had plenty of time... or so I thought. When were sure we had a large enough window, I nodded at Harper and we propelled ourselves, we reached for our sword and aimed for the cut. As we successfully killed the target a hand swooped up, grabbing Harper by the legs. I landed on a near by building and cursed under my breath. I had promised him a minute ago that we'd be fine and now Harper was getting eaten by the titan. I tried to kill the titan in time, but I was too late. When I sliced the nape of the titan wide open Harper was limp and unresponsive, his whole body had been crushed by the monster's teeth and hadn't been swallowed yet. I stood on a roof and the squad leader joined me. We looked down at Harper. "Fuck, Harper's down?" He asked, looking at me. I was freaking furious at this point; at both me and bird brains. Me, because I had let Harper die and ironically, the squad leader for not following orders. "What the fuck do you think? Do you think he's just lying in the titan's mouth for the fun of it?" I spit back.
"Listen, this isn't the time to let out your frustration and anger alright? Look around us cadet May, there's four titans left and the last thing I need right now is an overly emotional teen on my hands."
I didn't reply. I simply scoffed and took off in the direction of a 4m titan, making his way to us. I heard my squad leaders' orders to stop and come back, but tuned him out and propelled myself to kill of the titan. As I went for the kill, a hand swatted me away making lose control. I sped off near the wall and crashed through a window of a shop, getting stunned.
Levi's pov
The mission had been a disaster, the surviving Survey corps soldiers stood on top of the wall in chaos. Everyone was yelling and panicking because most squad leaders died during the mission as well as a portion of Squad Levi. When Commander Erwin told them that the mission had come to an end and we weren't going back out there most soldiers cried like little babies. I rolled my eyes, wondering what the hell they expected the mission was going to go. They're all idiots; every single one of them. If I could, I'd beat the shit out of every single one of them. What did they think the Survey Corps was like? Fucking tea and biscuits? I sat on the edge of Wall Rose and looked down to the town below, only to see three soldiers riding into town with their horses, with a fucking abnormal chancing them from behind.
"Look! There's three riding in with an abnormal!" Some cadet squealed. Now that got everyone's attention. The survivors came to the edge of the wall to see the three soldiers with their own eyes. The abnormal was somewhat far behind them and I almost laughed out loud when I saw them leave the horses by the edge of the wall. Really? You're gonna save your horses instead of killing that piece of shit? On the wall to soldiers lowered a lift to bring the horses up while the rest of us watched.
"Isn't that Robin' squad?" someone else asked. They were indeed right. Robin was the idiot that deviated course earlier in formation. A messenger informed me and Commander Erwin that he had made the executive decision to lead to abnormal away from us. I got up and stood next to Erwin. "Robin's just came in with two other soldiers, I informed him. We made our way back to the edge in time to witness the two soldiers kill the abnormal and one of the two get eaten. By the yelling of the other soldier the guy who'd just been eaten was a fellow named Harper. I took a closer view of Robin and the remaining soldier through binoculars.
I immediately recognized the unidentified soldier arguing with Robin; that was Evree May, graduated in 850 at the top of her class, far exceeding everyone else as well as being the youngest one in the 104th Training Corps. This girl was good. She was incredible. I had asked Erwin to get her on my squad and every time he'd avoid the subject. I continued to watch her as she left Robin standing on a roof, heading towards a titan. She clearly hadn't seen the other titan heading for her because the bigger one of the two hit her so hard she went flying into a window. Most cringed, seeing flying through the air and crashing down. The noise she made while landing through the shop, was horrible enough to make the hairs on my neck stand up. If she survived this, she had to come on my squad.
Everyone was holding their breaths. Robin of course didn't make it. Not long after cadet May went flying, that he got himself eaten by a titan. I still hadn't figured out how he had been promoted in the first place, he had as much skills as a sack of fucking potatoes. Many left the edge thinking that all three were dead, as did I for that matter.
"He's alive!" One yelled. Everyone returned to the edge and gasped, seeing the state of the cadet... She did look pretty bad. I looked intensely at her while she stood in the middle of a street.
It was easy for them to mistake cadet May as a man because of the short hair. "That's cadet Evree May." Someone corrected him "She is still alive."
Evree's pov
"What the..." I groaned, where the fuck was I? I looked around the shop I flew in. Miraculously, my gear was still intact, but heavily damaged. As I went to get up I felt a sharp pain in my ankle, I had several glass shards sticking out of my skin and my shoulder was dislocated. "Fuck me..." I grumbled, touching my shoulder. "I'm gonna have to put it back, I guess." I sighed and took in a deep breath. With a sharp pull I put my shoulder back in place. "FUCK!" I cried from pain. I rolled my shoulder around to get it to work properly, it hurt like a bitch but I didn't have a choice. I made my way to the window to look outside, my ankle was swollen and started to get a blue tint. I laughed at myself, and I had thought this day couldn't get any worst. I looked outside to see that the coast was clear. I exited the building and stood in the street. I stared at Wall Rose and saw shadows of soldiers on top. I felt a surge of hope. I could get out of here alive! I limped towards the wall, I didn't dare use my 3DMG.
One: I feared it was going to attract titans to my location and I didn't need them following me while I could barely stand up.
Two: I wasn't sure I'd be able to control me 3DMG, it looked damaged and I didn't want to risk getting more injured.
I longed the wall and picked the glass shards from my skin. It looked like the right side of my body took the whole impact. I was dizzy and walking made me want to throw up. I eyed the buildings and noticed a shop taller than the others right next to the wall. I took a deep breath, made sure the way was clear and limped as fast as I could towards the shop two blocks away. I glanced up after I cleared the first intersection and noticed the 4 titans of earlier devouring my squad leader. I looked away as he got torn up to shreds. "C'mon Evree. C'mon!" I told myself. I could do this. I had one more intersection to clear and then I could make my way up the building.
As I made my way across the last intersection, I looked to my left to see a 3m titan a few blocks away, staring straight at me. I ran as I could. I'd be damned if my last moments on earth would be being devoured by those pieces of shit. I entered in the shop (it was a butcher shop), I went in just in time to not get noticed by the titan. It was now roaming the street I was on but it didn't know where I was, I rushed at the back of the store and painfully made my way up the stairs. I had to signal the soldiers up the wall that I needed help; just to be sure I looked out the hatch and I could still see the shadows on top of the wall.
I smiled at myself, I knew my chances of surviving were slim; but I could still make it. I inspected my gear quickly; I still had plenty of gas left, what worried me was the hocks. Without forming an actual plan I opened the hatch and limped towards to edge of the building. By now the 3m titan noticed me and hungrily waddled towards me. I frowned and looked at my gear, this was now or never. I took a few step backs and deployed a black flare towards the row of people watching me then jumped, unleashing my 3DMG.
The left hook, pierced the wall and secured me while right just didn't even deploy. I yelped as I saw myself heading straight for the wall. As my head hit the wall, the world in front of me started to fade.
Levi's pov
She was limping, by the look on her face she was in a lot of pain. I watched her intently, we all did. This girl ran two blocks with a fucked up ankle and an exceptional amount of glass sticking out from her skin. May Evree was covered in blood, dirt and glass shards with a shit ankle and still pushed on towards the wall. I didn't know many soldiers who would do that. I heard a couple of survivors wondering why she didn't use her gear, I wondered the same thing for a moment when it hit me. May didn't want to get seen and by the look she gave her gear, I looked as if it was damaged. Smart girl.
She made it passed the first intersection with no problem, at the second one however was a bit trickier. Seeing a titan, she decided to cross the street anyways; seeing as the titan was far enough. Watching run towards some crummy shop wounded was refreshing to watch, I glanced at the soldiers to me and I was positive that if it were any of them, they'd already be titan food. When I looked back at May Evree she bursted out of a hatch made ran towards the edge of the shop. From where I stood, I could tell her gear was wrecked. I could tell she knew that too but she took the risk and launched towards the wall. The flare she sent in our direction almost hit some guy, she was clearly sending us a big fat 'fuck you'.
She at least got one of the hooks in the wall, but since the other didn't deploy, she fell upside down and knocked herself out. This girl just couldn't catch a break.
Seeing the titans making their way towards her I looked at Erwin. "I'm gonna go get her." Before he could object, I threw myself down and grabbed her. I groaned, seeing her blood stain my clothes. "Fucking great..." I mumbled; as I used a last burst of gas to make it up the wall. I landed on my feet with May Evree in my arms. She was probably the only person here smaller than me and thank God for that, she was so light to carry. I stood there and frowned at her. Her full pink lips were slightly open, a massive cut spread across her bottom lip the her chin. She was a mess, a bloody, dirty, mess... but a beautiful one. Feeling her blood soaking through my clothes I laid her on the ground "Tch. My fucking shirt's done for."
"Is she alive?" Some random asked me. I looked at him. "Go get Hange and make it quick." He just fucking stood there. "Are you gonna stand there all day shitting yourself or are you gonna do as you're told brat?" I asked him. Idiot...
"Y-Yes sir, right away sir." I rolled my eyes and signaled the other soldiers to stay with her.
"So," Erwin started, when I came up beside him. "she's alive, huh? This girl has nine lives I swear to God." He said chuckling. I didn't reply. I simply looked at the sun finally setting. "I'll arrange her transfer." I frowned, could he not beat around the bush for once? He probably guessed from the way I looked at him that I need more details because he chuckled again and explained. "What I mean is that I'll arrange Evree May's transfer to your squad. But i'm warning you, she has a big mouth. She'll be your responsibility got it? And yours only."
"Of course, sir. Understood." I nodded at him and continued on with my duties. I felt like sometimes this guy could read my mind.
A/N: This second chapter is quite long! I wanted to cover as much as I could before starting building their relationship.
