"Another Path"
"Recruits, form up!" Oskar demanded with a commanding voice. He was in his late twenties, but unlike many of his comrades stationed with him in Shiganshina, he had opted to keep himself in good shape and well kept, a habit that had been drilled into him since long before enlisting into the military. The fair toned, black haired man looked down on the new recruits before him, his intense dark-brown gaze scanning them for any sign of lack of discipline, something the soldiers of the Garrison had started to lack in recent years. There were only five of them, each wearing a short light-brown jacket with the insignia of two roses on either of their shoulders, their backs, and their front left pocket; the insignia of the Garrison. Five recruits that would be placed under his wing, five recruits to form a new squad.
A little more than ten years ago, he was in their same place: nervous, inexperienced, and a little terrified as if the slightest mistake would get them killed. There was some truth to that, but, like Oskar's comrades, tiny mistakes started to slip by over the years to the point that he feared that one day, the soldiers of the Garrison would be ill-fit to protect the great walls of humanity. All he could do now was instill discipline and purpose into these fresh recruits and pray they too would pass those teachings down.
The recruits had lines up one by one. Oskar, with transfer papers in hand, went over them as they proudly dedicated themselves to the defense of humanity with a clenched fist firmly placed over their hearts. The papers in his hand were official, of course, these recruits were no longer simple cadets. They made their choice at their graduation and chose to become valiant defenders of their species. However, saying that was, admittedly, a bit dramatic. Their job right now was to simply get associated with Shiganshina's Garrison detachment, learn the layout of the city, and maybe start off with a quick patrol or two through the streets. Either way, Oskar went to inspect the teens in front of him and compare them to whatever notes their instructor left about them.
First name on the transfer papers was Leon Maisen, a light-skinned teen with a face clear of all except a small scar on the right side of his face running diagonally from next to his small nose down to the back of his lower jaw. He had very short, black hair accompanied by a pair of light-brown eyes that still held a nervousness to them even though the recruit was already out of basic training which made Oskar raise an eyebrow in curiosity. With a quick slap to the top of Leon's head with a set of papers, Oskar let out a small, but amused, sigh before speaking up again with his rough voice, "You can breathe you know. So, relax a bit." Oskar reassured the teen.
Oskar then looked through the transfer papers and searched for the boy's name. Much to the man's surprise, Leon was underwhelming to say the least. His maneuvering skills barely scraped into a passing grace, his hand-to-hand skills were in the same boat, and his physical attributes were about average for a recruit fresh out of training. However, a side note left from the instructor noted how capable Leon was as a motivator, mediator, and at inspiring his peers. Chances were, those few traits were what got Leon through his training instead of washing out, but Oskar moved on to the next person on the list.
Right after Leon was Vinzent Redler, a plain looking boy with white skin but without any distinguishing features save for a pair of stern brown eyes and a set of straight dirty-blonde hair hanging just past his ears. The notes on him showed a much more competent soldier than Leon, but only just barely. The small smirk that Oskar saw accurately fit the message left for him: 'Can be a smug runt, but a reliable one'. Oskar didn't bother lingering too long on his and moved on to Eric Pabst.
Eric was a brawny, more serious looking teen compared the other two. With slicked back, black hair, dark eyes, fair skin, and a quiet demeanor, Eric looked the part of a professional soldier than a recruit. Unfortunately, that illusion was shattered when, as Oskar was about him, Eric didn't so much as give a response or even blink for that matter. The man snapped his fingers in front of Eric who in turn snapped himself back to reality. "Am I boring to you, Pabst?" Oskar asked, giving Eric an intimidating glance.
"N-No! No, Sir." Eric replied, gulping in worry now that he was put on the spot.
"I asked if you wanted to volunteer." Oskar lied, feigning disappointment in his voice.
The other four recruits glanced at Eric, anticipation and some fear in their gaze as they worried that they might be punished alongside him. "O-Of course, Sir! I'm willing to do so, Sir!" Eric hastily replied, not knowing what he was getting himself into.
"Wonderful!" Oskar proudly said, "I'll be sure to assign you to the first cleaning shift of the night." Oskar told Eric with a satisfied smirk. Meanwhile, out of the corner of the man's eye, Vinzent nudged Eric's side with his elbow, holding himself back from outright snickering at his friend's misfortune. Oskar decided not to bother, instead choosing to go to whoever was next in line.
Fourth was the only girl assigned to the squad: Vera Sommerfeld. She was light-skinned, wore her light-brown hair in a messy bun behind her head and her brown eyes appeared sharp and at attention. Her button-up, white shirt was a little wrinkled thanks to the setting sun's light that gave it away, but it was nothing Oskar really cared about. Regardless she too had the look of a professional soldier in the way she stood at attention, but unlike those before her, she had seemed to have the skills to prove it more or less. The comments about here were positive. Vera's skills in hand-to-hand fighting were decent, but not amazing, her skill with maneuver gear was passable, but she seemed to lack any drive or ambition save for following orders. Oskar was glad that at least someone held up standards, but getting her use to garrison duty would take time.
Finally, there was number five of the squad: Alex Stahl. He stood as the tallest of the five by just an inch, but in response, he seemed to be a little leaner than the first three. His skin was a little pale, his short dark-brown hair was strait and well kept, barely reaching his ears. What stood out most was instead the pair of glasses strapped to his head which shielded his brown eyes with a white, button-up shirt of his own as was standard with plenty of trainees and recruits alike. Strangely enough, he seemed to consciously avoid meeting Oskar's eyes, preferring to keep his gaze strait and unwavering for now. The man couldn't really blame him, evidently Alex would have rather keep his head low and out of the spotlight unlike a certain pair from earlier. He was more or less the opposite of Vera if their Instructor's note were to be believed. He excelled at using his maneuver gear and had a decent drive behind him, but it falls flat in the face of hand-to-hand. It was something to be worked on, the whole squad could use some work, really, but they'd be good enough for the job of taking care of people here.
The older man moved on from the last recruit and took a deep breath. After returning to stand at the center before the five recruits, he spoke, ""You lot have chosen to join the Garrison Regiment, meaning you have a good head on your shoulders. Now your friends in the top ten may laugh that you didn't make it with them. Those that joined the Scouts may scold you for not being brave enough, but in truth, it is the Garrison that does the real work within these walls!" Oskar proclaimed. "Now, each of you will uphold security and order within these walls." He stretched out an arm to show off the towering fifty-meter-high walls that surrounded the Shiganshina District and beyond, "Keep in mind that you are the first line of defense not just for friends and family, but for every living soul in this city. Outside is a hellish landscape of monsters, death, and grief, but in here, you are all that keeps the cruel world out there at bay. Do I make myself clear, recruits?"
"Yes, Sir!" The five said in unison.
"Good." Oskar smirked, "Now I'll lead you into your first assignment: Patrolling the city."
The newly formed squad marched through the winding jungle of cement and clay. Their leader was quick to point of various points of interest to serve as reference points so that the younger soldiers could slowly learn the city. It would take a long time to keep a mental map of the whole city, but give them around a year and it could be done.
Hues of green and orange painted the sky as the sun slowly started to shrink over its artificial horizon, a sight that had continued each day the lively residents rose and went to bed. With the day reaching for its sunset, large church bells echoed within throughout the city; the day had come to an end and night would be upon them soon. It was a city filled with idle laughter from children and adults alike, stalls were starting to close down for the day in preparation for a new wave of customers tomorrow, and the soldiers were out keeping the streets safe however they could.
Oskar's squad entered into a small plaza with a small, peaceful statue of a woman in the middle. A few men and women still outside threw either a greeting or insult depending on their mood, but Oskar couldn't really blame the latter all things considered. "Maisel," Oskar called, pulling his squad to a halt, "Front and center."
"Sir!" The boy acknowledged, running up to the older man and presenting himself with a proud salute.
"Can I trust you to help me lead this squad?" Oskar questioned, hands behind his back.
"Of course, Sir." Leon nodded.
"Good to hear," Oskar began, raising his voice so that the other four could hear, "I want any small report filtered through you first before they come to me." Oskar looked back to the other four recruits, "Unless it is a serious offense or dire situation, try and seek out Maisen here first before coming to me.
"How will I- How will we know if it's serious or not, Sir?" Leon asked.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you all to fend for yourselves," The man chuckled, putting a hand on Leon, "I'll help you bunch along the way, but remember that in the future you might have to act on intuition alone. It's best to learn early, and learn quick."
"Yes, Sir!" Three of the five recruits confirmed.
"Regardless, I'll organize you into your first patrol." He continued, "Redler, Pabst," He called out, the two boys stepping forward, "Take the path on the east, you'll end up following a main road. Patrol up until you reach a crossroads then come back." The boys affirmed with a 'Yes, Sir'. "Stahl, Sommerfeld, I want you two on the western path, closest to the wall. Won't be much of a 'scenic route' but you'll manage. You'll reach another plaza and should meet another pair of soldiers, once you reach it and see them, you can come back and we'll call it a night. This small patrol should take about an hour so I expect you all to be back here by the time night falls on us."
The recruits acknowledged his orders with a unified 'Sir!'.
"Good. One last thing: watch each other's backs and never abandon your partner. Remember: One hour! Dismissed!" Oskar barked. Leon was a little confused as he was not assigned a patrol, but the older man had not forgotten him. After the other four left, he called for Leon, "Come, Maison, we're taking the center route."
- o -
A young girl was pulled along and forcefully sat in a seat at the end of the family dinner table. Her shoulder-length, platinum-blonde hair was disheveled and held a fresh layer of dust and dirt while her white skin had been marked with a few new scratches, one of which forming a single drop of blood that needed to be cleaned thanks to the jagged edge of a stone. Unfortunately for her mother, the girl's narrowed, amber eyes did not bother to show any sense of shame or regret, as if the girl still expected to get her way even after whatever mess she had got herself into today. Eriani swore that every other week was like this. Her daughter, Jexia, the youngest child of the Asiada family, may have inherited her mother's eyes, but everything else seemed to come from her father, including pride, carelessness, and a bit of an ego.
The long-haired brunette eyed her daughter with a look of disappointment. Eriani's husband had always come back from each expedition to tell Jexia stories of what lie beyond the wall, further fueling the girl's drive to seek danger and adventure, but quietly leaving out just how horrific the world outside the walls was or how many lives were thrown away in the process. At home, the woman could barely keep her three children in line as she was the only parent around most of the time, but when her son, Mason, decided to join the military, Jexia too made the decision that she too would do the same when she was old enough. They both claimed to want to follow in their father's footsteps despite their mother's protests, but by now, Eriani had all but stopped caring. She vehemently opposed it and though she was unsuccessful with her son, she had hoped to get through to her two daughters; one of which never intended to join anyways.
After finishing cleaning up her daughter from her wounds and fixing her hair again, Eriani opted to talk some sense into Jexia. "Why don't you try being a little nicer to Melina?" The woman began, taking a seat for herself to get comfortable while they talked, "You two have known each other for so long and not once have you tried to apologize and get along."
"She never would in the first place." Jexia angrily muttered, folding her arms across one another as she looked away in disgust.
"That's because any time she did come to apologize, you turn around and rub it right back in her face." Eriani pointed out, looking unamused.
"Ugh, when's dad and Mason coming home?" Jexia rudely changed subjects, disinterested in continuing the conversation about Melina.
"In about a week's time." Her mother answered, "You know they always head into the inner walls after a trip outside the walls, Mason too had to go with them since his training ended a week ago." Eriani finished. The woman sighed, it wasn't unusual for the Survey Corps to come home battered, broken, and missing a chunk of their original numbers, but today looked to be the worse so far. She could only hope that her boy wouldn't be among the dead or worse: not return at all. Eriani needed to get her mind off the constant reminder of death, "Speaking of," She started, remembering that her son wasn't the only one they knew who joined the military, "Mrs. Stahl's son also came home. She was delighted to hear that he had joined the Garrison and is stationed here!" She clasped her hands, putting on a hopeful smile, "Maybe we could see him on a patrol, or maybe he could visit some time!"
Jexia looked a little taken aback, her surprised expression gave way for one filled with a hint of disappointment. He was one of the few that she got along with well enough, though in fairness, association with Jexia's brother helped. There was a painful moment of silence before Eriani spoke up again.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, curious as to why her daughter was not at least interested in knowing more.
"I thought he'd join the Scouts like Mason." The girl muttered, resting her arms on the table to provide some comfort for her head, "He said he would."
"Hun, it's been three years. I'll bet he had a lot of time to think about what he really wanted to do. Small changes can make a big difference in life, he is no exception. Now, cheer up," Eriani said in a lighter, reassuring voice, "Now we get the chance to see him every day." She finished with a clasp of her hands before running one of them over Jexia's head and hair before embracing her daughter with a small hug.
A thunderous boom alerted the two girls to a coming storm. There was so much work that had to be done and only the two of them to do it. Eriani was about to call for Jatsune, the eldest daughter and her second child, to help her bring in the clothes and sheets, but Eriani remembered that she had sent her to Trost to pick up good-quality medicine. Winter was around the corner after all and, call it a mother's intuition or just plain paranoia, she would rather be safely prepared and not need it than risk going another winter without it. Last time had been a mess without some on hand, practically every house along their whole street had someone coming down with a cold or worse.
Eriani let go of her daughter and hastily got up to go grab their things from outside before the rain came in, but it was a little strange. The woman was sure she didn't see too many clouds, it was a clear day. Not thinking much more of it, she opened the door to their home to step outside, but a silhouette caught her eye, blocking the sun itself before it could even touch the top of the walls. Her fingers clung to the sides of the door on reflex, terror running through her body, rooting her in place as the back of her mind already knew what lie in her sights.
Jexia raised an eyebrow as she saw her mother stand motionless. Getting up from her seat, she cautiously approached Eriani, carefully calling out for her before eventually standing outside with her. Jexia's amber eyes followed her mother's gaze, widening too once she saw it in the dwindling rays of sunlight with her own eyes…
- o -
A colossal, skinless head stared back down at them from above the walls. They were supposed to be their shield, their glorious defense against the flesh-eating Titans outside that towered above any structure built by mane, yet here was a Titan, able to not only grab the top of the walls with ease, but also crush them with terrifying power. The citizens of Shiganshina were dumbfounded, too afraid to move else they incur the wrath of the monsters outside.
Almost out of breath from a full sprint, the five newest additions to the Garrison and their leader had regrouped as quick as they could after seeing the head. Barely able to catch their breath, each member of the squad was broken out of their trance when a deafening crash was heard.
The sky darkened with smoke and dust, from those clouds, rock and rubble rained. The shrapnel like debris showered and devastated the city as the populace fled in terror. Once calm, quiet air had been quickly transformed into fearful cries and agonizing screams in a matter of seconds. No one needed to see the gate to realize that the creatures outside were now starting to wander in.
Vera fell to her knees, her 'tough-girl' façade having vanished as she whimpered to herself over and over, "Impossible… Impossible…"
The others too were ready to break.
"T-The gate… The gate c-couldn't have been…" Leon stuttered, but as he took his first step back, Oskar clenched his teeth together and grabbed the boy by his uniform.
"P-Pull yourself together!" The man exclaimed, managing to find strength even if it was just to keep his recruits together, "Stahl, pull her to her feet, now!" He ordered. Alex did as he was told and the rest of the squad then had their eyes on Oskar. Now would be the moment that he'd have to make a choice. He hated it. Oskar let go of Leon, clicked a blade to the either of the handles which operated his gear. "You are all soldiers of the Garrison, sworn to defend humanity and all the inhabitants that reside within these walls- within this city. So, our priority isn't killing Titans." He stated, using his gear to climb into a roof, "Our job is to protect the people," He began, raising his voice to both inspire some confidence in the recruits and to be heard above the screams, "And we will fulfill that oath. Squad, with me!" He yelled, raising his sword as the recruits reluctantly joined him on the rooftops.
He had the squad divided into three groups, the same ones as the patrols. Alex and Vera on the right, Eric and Vinzent on the left, and Oskar and Leon leading the middle. They were partially spread out, specifically ordered not to separate from their partners and to keep and eye out for any survivor that was trapped or otherwise needed help. However, as the squad, one of many, pushed closer to the front of the city, a sense of uneasiness slowly started to spread amongst them. No one was prepared for something like this, no recruit, no veteran, not even the commanding officers in charge of this city's Garrison detachment. Not a soul was prepared. Worst of all, each squad was left to act on their own. Waiting for direct orders meant more innocents dead, but acting alone meant almost certain death. In the end, there was only one real choice: Sacrifice.
The squad passed dozens of homes and other buildings, the squads that had joined them with a similar mindset growing thinner in number the closer to the frontlines they came. It was unclear when, but at some point, fires started to break out across town, engulfing entire residential blocks into a wild inferno. It was unavoidable, but some people had to be abandoned to the flames, but more painful was seeing Titans walk through the fires with little care- not that the fires did any lasting damage anyways. It was then that the squad encountered their first real challenge: A single ten-meter class Titan sporting short brown hair, a drooling, bloodied mouth, a large belly, and dark lazy eyes. Just as the six soldiers spotted it, it too spotted them, stumbling toward them with heavy stomps in each of its steps.
The Titan was fixated on Vera and Alex who were the closest. Their first action was to run, too afraid to even try to face the Titan as self-preservation became priority. Luckily for them, it was a distraction Oskar was happy to exploit.
With a squeeze of his triggers, Oskar hooked to the Titan's cheek and reeled himself toward it. With a single slash, the man had cut out is eye, dodging out of the way as the Titan slapped its own face to crush its attacker. "Leon!" Oskar called, "Do it!" He yelled before kicking off the Titan's scalp once again missed him.
With another hiss of cable and gas, Leon reeled himself to the Titan's now exposed nape and with one determined yell he sliced across it with his two blades. Blood spewed from the gaping wound but the Titan would fall to its knees before hitting the ground. Catching his breath, Leon looked back on his first Titan kill. A small, insignificant victory. The team couldn't even celebrate the occasion when Vinzent notified the others of another Titan approaching, eleven meters tall.
Fueled by his renewed spirits Vinzent charged forward, using his gear to hook onto a neighboring building to dodge an incoming hand that was aimed at grabbing him. He launched a second hook to the side of the Titan's neck, but before anyone else could move to help, a figure stirred from the shadows. "Redler, Wait!" Oskar shouted as a smaller, second Titan leaped from between two buildings and snapped its prey in half with its powerful jaws. Vinzent's upper half flailed in the air and tumbled to a stop across the rooftops.
The squad was stunned, by the sight. From the shadows emerged a smaller Titan, occasionally twitching, with a disproportionally larger head, its mouth and teeth not coated in a blood. Slowly backing away, the squads' trance was broken when Vera cried out about yet another Titan approaching. It was a few streets down, not far from them, but it was after something, something other than them.
"S-Squad!" Oskar shouted, "Retreat, I repeat: Retreat!" He ordered. The others already started turning on their heels but Eric stood firm. Squeezing the grips in his hands, Eric let out a furious yell before attempting to avenge his fallen friend.
"Eric, wait!" Leon called, running after him which prompted Oskar to call for them to return, but when that failed, he could only curse repeatedly while stomping his foot in frustration. Now he was alone with Vera and Alex. The two of them were either more obedient or they were just too afraid to help, but from the looks on their faces, Oskar could see it was the latter.
"We need to leave!" Oskar said, mostly to himself.
"A-Are we going to leave them?" Vera asked the older man, "We- We can't just abandon them…"
"No, no, no." Alex grabbed her shoulders, "W-We just have to go or else- or else-" He tried to get the words out, but gave up and turned to his superior, "We just have to go, right Team Leader?"
Oskar looked at the two frightened teens. Both of them expected an answer from the man, but he wasn't sure what to do. Oskar turned to see his other two subordinates stepping closer to their deaths, they didn't have a chance on their own, especially now with that abnormal Titan. So, what was he to do? Lead his entire team to their deaths, satisfied that they 'tried their best'? Maybe he could save the only two who remained and guiltily live the rest of his life knowing that he abandoned two others. The two recruits called for him again to answer, but Oskar just grabbed his head, angry again but this time at himself.
Just when he was about to scream out and give up, a third answer presented itself: It was a faint, child-like screaming for someone to help. It sounded like it was coming from several streets over, the same street that third Titan was traveling through and just like that, Oskar's choice was clear. "Vera, Alex, you two need to help whoever is calling. I'll assist the others."
The two turned and fell into a sprint, hopping from building to building to close in on the source of the cries for help. They turned to see their squad one last time, but instead of a valiant last stand that they expected, it was a one-sided slaughter. In the hand of the large Titan, Eric was pleading for his life, desperately hitting the Titan's fingers with his fist in a futile attempt to escape, but his pleas were cut short as the Titan crushed Eric's head between its yellowed teeth. Vera dropped to her knees and grabbed her stomach and mouth as the giant happily tore away at its victim's body before swallowing lifeless, bloodied legs whole but was avenged by Leon and Oskar. Heavy thumps reminded the duo of their current task and in a moment of courage, Alex pulled Vera up to her feet again, "He said we have to go!" He told her. Seconds later, the same Titan that had killed Vinzent had started climbing onto the houses, a new body in its mouth as it shredded one of their squad mate's bodies like a wild dog. Alex looked to Vera, "Vera… That's an abnormal…"
"Wait-"
"I'll buy you time, but someone needs help," Alex shouted, pointing one sword to the third Titan, "So, go!" He finished, lightly pushing Vera back as he turned heel and ran the opposite direction. Vera reached out a hand but had no time to object. Now all alone, she had to keep herself focused on her mission…
Alex dashed across the same roofs he had come from, pushing himself as hard as he could to reach the whoever was left alive and the Titan that was tearing through his squad. He jumped over gaps between the buildings when he could, used his gear when he couldn't but no matter how fast he thought he was, he just couldn't seem to get there in time. In the back of his mind, this choice was foolish, but if he could save one person, even if it's just one person, he believed it would have been worth it. In a desperate gambit to gain speed, he jumped off the roof and down into the streets below, using his gear to hook onto the walls and fling himself forward. Faster, faster, that's all he cared about right now as he dodged rubble and stone that got in his way. His plan was working, faster, faster, and in seconds he had returned to his team, reeling himself in the air just above the roofs so that he could land safely, but his eyes met with two others. Two, giant eyes watching him with his team leader in its mouth barely holding onto life with whatever strength he could muster to keep the Titan's mouth from shutting. Eventually he landed on the roof not far from the Titan. What the hell was he doing here? Why had he made such a stupid choice? This thing had wiped out half his squad alone, what had he planned to do?
The sight of the terrifying beast broke froze him in place. He hadn't the skill to do it and he was too late...
The Titan crawled toward him, prompting Alex to tense up his arms out of reflex, but his reflexes proved to be his salvation as his hooks had impaled the Titan's eyes. With a scream, the monster let Oskar free from its jaw. The older man, with his last ounce of strength used the opportunity to swing himself onto the Titan's back and cut its nape in one last strike. The beast was dead, and with it, Oskar could relax. The man collapsed off the side of the steaming Titan and onto the roof, his blood pooling from his open stomach as Alex rushed to his side. "Y-you idiot..." The man coughed up blood. He reached up and grabbed the boy's uniform. "You shouldn't... abandon your... partner..." Oskar finished, his body falling limp. The boy rose back to his feet, taking in the sight of the destruction and dozens of dead before him. He took a step back like he couldn't believe his own eyes, but after a quick slap to his own cheek, he turned back to the First Titan. It was still chasing its prey, only this time it was weaving through the buildings.
"Vera..." Alex whispered, tightening his grip around the handles of his weapons. With that, he broke into another sprint, filled with one last breath of determination.
- o -
Jexia watched her mother try and fail to pull Melina out from behind a blocked door. The girl's house was crushed under its own supports thanks to a large stone that had crashed through its roof. Now those same supports turned Melina's room into a prison with no way of escape it. The beams were too heavy for Eriani to pull by herself no matter how much she tried, and no one was left to hear her or her daughter's cry for help because by now, most people had deserted this part of the city. The woman's hands were covered in blisters and a few splinters, but no matter how much the pain hurt, she refused to give up on the little girl in front of her.
Jexia could do nothing as she stood there in awe. She wanted her eyes to be fooling her, but they forced her to take in the sight of two mangled bodies mercilessly crushed and impaled by the very house they called home. The crimson liquid pooled into a larger and larger puddle as the seconds passed and the earth trembled under the weight of countless Titans, each scouring the city for their next meal. She wished she could close her eyes and wake up from this terrible nightmare, but this wasn't a mere bad dream, it was their life.
Her voice was hoarse from all the yelling, but in the distance, she could see an approaching, humanoid figure standing above the houses. Her eyes widened as she opened her mouth to scream again, this time in uncontrollable terror, but above her was the distinct sound of military maneuver gear that hissed and zipped. Its owner, a young woman not too much older than Jexia, fell to a jog. She was the same age as her brother, but her uniform bore two red roses instead of the pair of wings she had grown up with.
The older girl was quick to see the issue and rushed over to Eriani's side and with their combined strength, they managed to lift the wooden beam just long enough for Melina to crawl under and escape her room. Unfortunately, their problems weren't over as the house creaked and started to fall apart bit by bit. Grabbing the two girls, Eriani and the solder jumped outside to safety. "Thank you, uh..." Eriani began.
"Vera." The girl answered. However, their moment of rest was cut short as they looked up to find a Titan drawing closer them, close enough that they could make out a lazy smile plastered on its face. The monster was chewing on the upper half of a body and had the crushed corpse of another Garrison soldier in its left hand. Vera's expression dropped, fearing the worse as she forced herself to her feet with Eriani pulling the girl along before she too fell prey to the giant.
No breath was spared for words as the mother, the young soldier, both carrying a child each, used every ounce of their energy to run as fast as they could their legs could carry them After running for another block, the four made a quick turn through an opening between the buildings hoping that the houses would at least buy them a little more time. They did this for a few minutes, the Titan slowly gaining on them before Melina managed to squeeze out of Eriani's grasp and run back the way they came, crying and ounce calling for her parents whom she refused to accept were gone. She turned a corner, but skid to a halt went she came face to face with the Titan that was after them. She was frozen in fear as it reached out to grab her, but Vera, seeing the threat, acted on instinct. She abruptly dropped Jexia to her feet and dashed for Melina shoving her out of the way just as a large, bloodied hand grabbed her by the leg.
Vera's mind was blank with shock as she felt herself lifted into the air with Eriani and the two children being helpless to do anything but watch. The young soldier's eyes met with the Titan's and in that instant her training, her childhood, everything that had been taught to her had disappeared, leaving her nothing more than another scream to be drowned out by the rest of the dying victims. She flailed and tried to kick at the Titan's hand, in a vain attempt to free herself, but it failed. Sweat trickled across her face as adrenaline and panic took over, leaving her a flailing mess as her mind rattled back and forth with its imminent demise.
There was a hiss.
Out of all the begs and cries in the city, it seemed that it was hers that was heard and, from the corner of her teary-filled, blurred vision, she saw someone else approaching at a quick speed. It took only a second before she was sprayed with blood from the Titan, its eyes now sporting a large slash across them. Vera was freed from the Titan's grasp as she watched the figure sling shot itself back to the Titan and slash out its nape in one clean strike. Vera cleared her eyes and rose to her feet, feeling a hand help pull her up. Alex had returned, but with a grim look and clearly not wanting to waste any more time staying around. Meanwhile, Eriani grabbed a fallen Melina, looking to her second savior with a heartfelt smile when she realized who it was.
Alex grabbed and held Jexia with one arm while his other tightly held onto Vera's hand, making sure she wouldn't fall behind them from the shock. Their path was clear, or as clear as it could be, as they made their way to the rear gate. Fortunately for them and any survivors left, the Titans hadn't made it this far into the city, and the Garrison troops still active were already setting up defensive cannons to hold back the advancing horde while evacuees flooded into the safety of Wall Maria.
On the outskirts of the town just beyond the gate, evacuees were huddled at a staging area which was carefully kept in order by a detachment of Garrison soldiers. Carts were being loaded with people but as the crowd grew larger and larger, it was obvious to those at the front and to the soldiers that there would not be enough for everyone. Braving the fearful, restless crowd, Alex led the others to the front before being stopped by an older soldier. There was some back and forth and arguing but after bringing forth Eriani and the two children with her, the older man made the tough decision to allow them through. "This one's only got room for two." The man said after taking a quick count of those in the cart.
Alex furiously cursed, but Eriani was first to act. She pushed Jexia up into the cart, her child aided by those inside as they helped clear a spot for her, but as she turned, she saw that it was not her mother that would be joining her. It was Melina who was carried inside by Alex. Jexia grabbed her mother's hand refusing to let go when their chance to escape was so close. Eriani wrapped her arms around her child, tears streaming down her cheek as she squeezed her daughter, but their embrace was cut short as panicked shouts and the rapid explosions from cannons rang out. Something was coming. The woman let go of her daughter, letting two soldiers assist and finally order the cart to start moving.
"Mom?" Jexia questioned, barely able to register her mother's decision.
"Please, look out for each other." Eriani told Jexia, them being her last words. Behind them, the defensive cannons relentlessly fired again and again upon the approaching Titans at an alarming rate. Heavy footsteps accompanied the barrage but the Titan that was approaching didn't seem to stop, it only got faster and faster...
The rest of the soldiers hastily ordered all the filled carts to get moving and finally Eriani let go of Jexia's hand. She looked at the girl, presenting herself with a warm, reassuring smile to comfort her scared daughter.
"Mom!" Jexia yelled as the horses drew her away, forced to watch as her mother and two rescuers stayed behind.
Only seconds later did the Nexia's heavy steps of a Titan finally reach its destructive end, an end which resulted in an abnormal, bone-covered Titan smashing through the rear gate. Another spread of rock and debris were sent into the air along with a number of the defensive cannons and their crews. As the bodies of Garrison troops and a deadly hail of rock and stone rained down, the people tried to force their way onto the carts that remained, pushing past the guards that remained. Those still under control were quicky sent away despite the outcries of the survivors that tried to stop them, but those left to desperate wolves that made up the crowd were torn apart or otherwise collapsed under the extreme weight of people that piled onto them.
With no other alternative, others fled on foot to the plains, woods, and hills between this wall and the next, their hope being that they could outrun the inevitable. In the midst of the destruction, as bodies and blood and rock hit the ground, Eriani grabbed Alex and Vera in either of her arms and huddled together, giving them some solace as best as she could. As if they were her own children, she instinctively shielded their eyes and ears from the horrors around them, an attempt that was pointless at best. Nothing she did could drown out or muffle the sound of the constant screaming, the bodies breaking and splattering under the rocks and rubble, even the horses, trapped under the weight of collapsed carts were left abandoned and crying near them. There were only minutes left at best, their time shrinking every second. Hopefully it was enough time to come to terms with the horrible amount of death and destruction this day. Slowly, Eriani started to accept whatever fate was in store for her. Her children were safe, that was all that mattered now. However, her peace was cut short by Mrs. Stahl's son, "Mrs.- Mrs. Asiada, Ma'am?" He politely asked.
"You can still call me Eriani you know." She chuckled, a little surprised at herself as she wiped away her tears. She placed her hand on his head, it was time for the inevitable question, yet she wasn't prepared to answer it, but she didn't mind. Underneath the uniform, the years of training, and even after she had watched him kill a Titan, she could see that he was still the polite young boy she watched grow up even after all these years. Nothing could change those lovely memories, not even the end of the world.
"My... My parents, are they- Did they-?" Alex stumbled over his words.
"I don't know..." She answered. She wouldn't dare lie to him, to give him a false sense of hope, but she did not have the answer he wanted to hear. Eriani embraced him and Vera into a tighter hug, "I don't know..." Her soft voice fell to a whisper. As the boy wept for his lost family, as Vera did the same for her own and was too terrified to leave the comforting embrace, as Eriani's wept for her Jexia and Jatsune's safety, the three awaited their end. The mother looked up to the gate, her amber eyes shifted to the newly made hole. The dust would settle and the cannons would fall silent, and, from the newly made breach, a Titan shuffled through, searching for more of its prey to devour.
A.N.: This one's mostly based of old, and I mean very old, material. After deciding to go back to it, making it something new from it, and tidying it up, this was more or less the end result (Minus extra/alternate scenes). Felt like a bit waste to just let it sit around, so... Here.
As always, enjoy!
~Firetoast312