"How's it looking?" I asked the second I reeled up next to Linda atop Wall Rose. She gazed at the scene.
"Not good. There's a lot of Titans wandering around the Water Gate there but apart from that, no other groupings. Should we get some Survey Corps soldiers for back up?"
I shook my head as I counted the number of Titans and noted their location. 11.
"Our squad should be more than enough and I don't want any more lives than necessary put at risk just for freeing a Water Gate. Let's just get this done as fast as possible. Linda and Brian, you guys come from the East. Sophie and Steve, the West. Jack and I will barrage from head on and we'll meet at the actual Gate. Clear?"
"Crystal." Brian replied and the pair left.
"Aye aye, Cap't." saluted Sophie and she left with Steve.
"Let's roll." Jack motioned and I followed after him. We headed straight to the Water Gate, where three Titans huddled around. Luckily, their backs were to us, revealing their vulnerable neck flesh. Nodding at Jack, we instantly separated as I headed to the one of the right and he on the left. I flew past one, dragging my swords through the flesh, removing the target. The Titan collapsed on its feet, gas pouring out of it. As I focused on the next one, a giant hand swooped out of nowhere. I barely managed to dodge it, flipping through the air and the thumb grazed my right ankle. A sudden pain tore up my right leg and I swore loudly. It was dislocated.
"Rina!" Jack yelled. I waved a hand as I retired to a nearby roof.
"I'm fine! Keep focused! I want to give this Titan a piece of his own medicine." I warned and gritting my teeth, returned to my own job. Using the gas to propel myself forward, I attached a cable to the attacking Titan and served him a taste of his own medicine, severing his Achilles heel tendon. I rolled clumsily, as I landed to spread out the force but also tried to keep most of the pressure off my right foot. Jack leapt from above and finished it off, the massive body slamming to the concrete. My comrade zoomed over to me and grabbed my waist to steady me. Pain continued to throb at my right ankle.
"Tch."
"Are you all right? How is it?" he asked, concerned.
"I'm all right. It's just dislocated. I can still work." We looked up at the remaining two Titans and I nudged away from his help. "Come on, we can't leave the others hanging."
Sending me one more concerned look, we leapt from our position towards the unsuspecting opponents. We swooped around them, drawing their attention away from the Water Gate. Mine was easy enough to handle, slow and steady. I flew under its arm, the momentum and gas pushing me high into the sky. Gravity overtook and drove me straight onto my target. A slice of flesh detached itself and gas erupted from the wound, the Titan losing its balance and smashing to the ground. glancing over at Jack, he seemed to be faring well, despite his being an Abberant. However, the Titan was fast, spinning around keeping an eye on Jack, as well as keeping his neck away from my squad member. I pulled myself to a close roof and decided to give a hand. Balancing one of my swords in my stronger right hand, I readied into a stance. Then I waited. The Abberant turned, twisted, watching Jack as he swung around in circles, trying to find a weak spot without getting killed. Then, the Titan's face came into my view. I quickly aimed and thrust the sword out to its eye. A burst of blood exploded from my target and the Abberant's hands automatically covered its face. Jack swept in and sliced it swiftly. He held his weapon up as acknowledgement and I replied, doing the same.
As I gazed over to the Water Gate, it was now free of Titans and the miniature figures of the rest of my squad at the Gate invited me to join them. Jack and I glided to their position and I hobbled over closer.
"Any idea what's the problem? Any major damage?" I questioned as Jack and I reached the group.
"The Water Gate itself seems to be fine. The problem with the water is unkn-"
"-uh, you better take a look at this, Rina." Steve interrupted Linda from the other side of the Gate and wordlessly pointed to something.
Cautious, the rest of the squad walked towards him and turned. Linda gasped and her hands flew to cover her eyes. Sophie blanched and covered her mouth. Brian immediately turned and emptied his stomach. Steve remained silent, unable to look away. Jack gritted his teeth and looked away. I instantly turned my head away from the gruesome sight but I knew that I had to look nevertheless. Biting my tongue to hold in the rising bile, I moved my gaze back. Blocking from the river's water gaining and passing through the Water Gate was a pile. A pile of leftover Titan bones, human corpses and building debris.
"Lord have mercy." I muttered, running my eye over the filth.
"If He had mercy, I wouldn't be seeing this." Steve replied quietly.
Trying to ignore the flies, shit and blood, I took notice of the water itself. The water, despite the pile of hell, was still relatively clean, so the pile was only recently formed. A section of the water would have to be wasted but it was doable to restore the supply. First things first, we had to inform Commander Erwin of the problem and also get Hanji to begin on inventing some kind of crane we could use to shift all that shit out of the river. Second, we had to get a small battalion to guard and prevent the Titans from getting too close while we worked on this. Third, we had to figure out a way to circumvent the poisoned water from entering Wall Rose and then restore the Water Gate to its usual activity.
"Well we know what the problem is, let's get back to HQ and let Erwin know. I don't want to spend another second looking at this pile of hell and being Titan bait at the same time." I commented.
The rest of the squad nodded mutely and we whisked back to safety.