Blood rained from the sky, red blotches appearing on the back of her hands. She couldn't look up, refused. She kicked her horse harder, racing, hearing the thumps behind her. She turned, Gregory had been behind her. He wasn't anymore. A titan was, on all fours, teeth snapping, eyes crossed, fingers bent like spider legs. The floor cracked and her horse couldn't find her balance.

Keep your feet loose in case you need to move.

Her boots slipped out of the stirrups and her hands were on the handles of her blade, her breath the only thing she could focus on.

In. Out.

In. Out.

Jump.

"You think that keeping Levi Squad together will lower the death numbers and contain the titan?"

Elsie nodded, rubbing her throat. There was green smoke to their right but she knew it was all a lie. Either Annie was there or on her way, she couldn't tell how long they had been out here. Their ride was smooth and straight, a report of nothing unusual.

"I'm certain. Please, Commander Erwin, you have to keep them with you and cut the jaw, if it screams-" The pain came back.

"Elsie, you are here for a reason. Tell me where you need to be to prevent more disaster."

Erwin turned, brown eyes glinting in the sun. The answer was daunting, palm sweeting obvious. Did she have the guts?

"The right wing."

Elsie had warned them.

Her hip burned as she twisted, her wires snapping back as she free fell. Her blades were raised above her head, glinting with blood as she dug them as hard as she could into the neck. Steam rose, she flew back, blindly sending her wires out. They tugged her to the right and she went, looking, and felt a strange tug on her side.

A titan had grabbed her wire. She pulled it back, it sliced through its palm, and it looked up. Elsie panicked, having no tree to shoot at, and gave her best first prayer to live. She shot the wires to her right, flying to the floor, the titan hands were reaching where she had been. They smacked right where she landed, sending her back first flying to the ground.

She had no time to feel the pain. Her wires went once more, dragging her body away from a snapping mouth. She jumped to her feet, pushed as much oxygen as she could as she latched her wires to its rolling shoulder. She flew towards it, the eyes so large and glassy staring at her, and she saw death, but then she rolled and sliced, the blades dragging blood out of its neck and onto Elsie's cheeks.

She landed on the other side, panting, and the titan fell. She crouched beneath its neck, holding her hip, taking notice of what was happening. Most of the titans had stopped looking for humans, standing and eating what had been the right wing. She'd lost sight of Reiner as soon as the titans had came down the hill, lost in the fray of blood and fear.

Elsie had barely survived. If Gregory hadn't... She tutted under her breath, looking to where the center wing should be. Elsie had to find Reiner before he told Annie. Either to slow him down or kill him, and after this blood bath, she felt that she could finally do it.

"Please! Please! Help, God, no!" Someone was screaming above, a disgusting squelch ending their pleas. Elsie held her breath, pressing herself into the steaming flesh. It burned through her clothes but she figured it was better than running blindly out there.

She needed to be out there. She needed a horse. Elsie bowed her head, the pain finally manageable. If she moved the wrong way the pain was unimaginable but she found a way to sit and contemplate her way out.

And miracle have it, a horse was grazing the grass ahead. A good mile run. Her gear would slow her down, her hip. She would have to fight. Unless... She glanced above at the base of the titan's neck. Elsie closed her eyes and plugged her nose, using all her strength to cut the neck wide open.

Steaming, burning, blood covered her. She didn't take long to think about it and ran, darting out from underneath and straight towards the horse. She whistled, loud and clear, feet pounding, and the horse's tail flickered in recognition but made no move to run towards her.

Fucking animal.

But she made it. Shockingly, she'd made it. The blood was half steamed off by the time she straddled the horse, looking back to make sure that the titans were still distracted with the dead. That was all there she had time for before she kicked the horse into gear, racing towards the center.

She had to find Reiner. Her best bet was hoping to see Annie's titan form above the hills.

Elsie was nervous riding alone to the right wing. Erwin had nodded and she'd parted to the right, her horse breaking formation. It felt wrong to break from the pack, to go out on her own, but it was for the best, and if she was going to face the right wing she needed to be brave.

But her nerves only grew as she rode silently. She passed three other formations before reaching the right wing, thanking God that Levi had gone over the plan so much that it was ingrained in her. Eventually she saw Reiner, just where she needed to be.

She came to a pace beside the squad leader, "Sir, Commander Erwin sent me as addition support."

"Very well, get in formation! Constant vigilance!" He yelled back.

"Sir, there's been reports of an attack on the right-"

"There have not!" The commander looked ridiculed. "I have gotten every report and none have said that. Who told you that?"

Elsie glowered, "Commander Erwin, sir."

"Bunch of shit. Look, there goes a green spark." To the right the sky had two green streaks. The commander shot off the third.

Elsie bit her tongue.

"Armin!"

She raced up the hill, just short of Krista with her extra horses. Reiner had just finished his bandages, the boy trying not to wobble as he mounted the horse. Krista glanced at her, confused, Jean pleased to see his horse.

"Elsie! I thought you were in the front with Commander Erwin." Armin was puzzled, looking up at her as she stopped beside them. The horse kicked at the ground, nervous. They all were.

"I went to the right to help support."

"Funny, you knew about the attack before the reports started coming in." Reiner commented over his shoulder, fixing his horse for riding.

They looked at her, having the same looks that Sasha had when she whispered Elsie was scary. She finally understood what Eld had meant and locked her lips, choosing to watch Armin mount his horse. Reiner had less interest in her than he had any other day, and she didn't know if he was playing or not.

All she knew was that she was late. He had already given the message.

"I also know that the female titan had just passed by. Actually, that she headed for the center when before she had been wandering wildly around," Elsie's tone was heavy with accusation, Reiner finally turning and looking at her like she was someone new. "Funny that all the sudden she would know where to find Eren."

"How-How do you?" Jean was confused, looking at Armin to translate.

"I know things, why do you think I'm on Captain Levi's squad?" She snapped, frayed from their morning. "We need to go before more titans come."

"She's right, let's go." Armin nodded and walked away from Jean, eyes lost in thought. Jean didn't look any more comforted by her words but listened to the boy.

"Why do you think she started to head for the center?" Armin asked once they were riding.

"I think someone left her a me-" The pain returned, cutting her off. Armin and Krista glanced at her with concern. "Probably makes sense to have Eren there."

"That's what I thought." Armin looked forward, aging with every second.

Elsie glanced back at Reiner, his eyes on her back.

"Sir!" A man rode from their right, voice high and stricken. "Sir, the first group has been wiped out! A wave of titans are approaching, full of abnormals!"

"What? Fuck, there isn't much we can do in this terrain! Everyone at the ready, we're about to go through hell first hand! If you want to get back to your families, you fight with all you got!" The commander bellowed, turning to stare at them all.

The horses never once slowed. They felt the ground move, shaking like an earth quake. The first large body came swinging down the hill, arms broken as they swung uselessly at its side. Behind it came dozens more, blocking the horizon.

There was no time to be scared. Elsie pulled out her blades, swallowing thickly. She looked back, Reiner facing the wave. The man to her right shakily pulled out his swords, catching Elsie's eyes.

"Second mission," He gulped. "Gregory."

"Same. Elsie." The titans steps were getting louder.

"Good luck."

"You too."

They reached the trees. They were bigger than she could have imagined, the leaves brushing the heavens. There was no relief like the one she felt when she zoomed up the tree, finding a nice branch to relax on.

Armin stayed close to her, not as put off as the others. Elsie offered to check his head wrap but he waved her off, looking below at the titans. Reiner stayed on the other branch, arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her. She inhaled before patting Armin's back and skipping to Reiner's branch, slowly approaching him.

"So you know things. Kind of freaky, if you ask me." Reiner said not kindly.

Elsie looked below at the titans, "How do you think titans came to be?"

"Have no idea. I'm sure there's a book out there documenting it."

"I'm sure you could tell me more than a book."

The wind played with the leaves. Reiner stared at her. They heard an explosion from behind. The wires had been sent off. She looked over her shoulder, wondering where all her nerves had gone. Had she left them in the field?

"Why do you think that? I'm not getting a very friendly attitude from you, Miss Commander Erwin sent me," Reiner stood straight. "Do we have a problem?"

Did he not recognize her? Had he even seen her slit his throat? Had it all been in her head?

"We do. You know why, it's a secret that only your friend knows," Her eyes darted to Bierthodlt crouched beside Krista. "That's why we have a problem."

Reiner's eyes narrowed, stepping close, "You. You're the one who tried to off me in my sleep."

Elsie was being held upside down by her chords. She'd taken down two titans, she'd actually done it. She'd been high on it, that she had managed to not be wiped out immediately, and she hadn't even noticed the titan still alive below her. Her wire had went too close and its large hand had grabbed, pulling her to the ground and swinging her like a toy.

A green streak flew by, the tendons cut on the arm. Elsie fell to the ground, not taking long to get back to her feet. She looked up, cheering, "Thanks, Gregory!"

A fifteen meter titan leaped from the ground, eating him like a frog would a fly. Elsie felt his blood splatter across her hair like a sprinkler had been released.

Elsie lost her breath.