Alrighty, here's chapter 5. I hope you all enjoy, and as always I do not own AoT or any of the characters except my own OC's. Please comment, I really do enjoy your feedback, and thank you to those who have favorited and follow this story, as well as those who have commented. It really means quite a lot and keeps me motivated to writing more chapters sooner!
P.S. Brunevde - thank you so much for your continuous support and help with bouncing these different ideas. Without you the past couple of weeks, I would've still been stuck and pissed off with the results that I was coming up with. You sir, are a life saver.
Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong. The bells chimed loudly around us as the Corps sat waiting on their horses. The titans have been cleared out in the surrounding area, and now it was our time to get this expedition situated. There were children staring from windows as well as many people watching us from the crowd. My hands clenched the reigns of my horse nervously, this being the first time I've ever left the comforts of the walls. This was it, I may have to kill a titan or two, if I'd even be able to.
"Hey no worries, we got this." A whisper from Petra came my way. I nodded, though I couldn't get the shakes in my chest to stop. In a time like this, I was glad she was at my side. Having probably the only person I trusted here made doing something like this far easier. I stared ahead, the jet black hair of Levi catching my attention. It was probably nothing for him to go out on an expedition. Humanity's best chance of survival, looking so nonchalant as always, was babysitting the shifter Eren on his first expedition as well. I had to keep myself sane otherwise I could jeopardize everything. This squad had enough on its hands with the potential threat Eren provided; I couldn't be the one to mess that up.
"Just keep forward and listen to the Captain. Trust his judgement and his word and you will be fine." I smiled at Petra, my nerves calming a little.
"Thanks." I whispered back before she smiled and turned back on her horse. The worst part about this so far was just waiting to get out of those gates.
"The time has come!" The pit of my stomach got heavy once more. "From this moment, humankind takes another step forward." I bit my lip nervously, glancing around at something to keep me calm. And there, I found it. Rather, I found him. My brother off to the side smiling at me, made my eyes widen. This could be the last time I see that goofy smile. I think he realized that too because he crossed his arms over his chest, now standing stiffly and his smile faded completely. "Show us the fruits of your training!" Everyone around me lifted their fists or weapons to the air, cheering, completely ready to show what they had. I for one just turned my head forward, gritting my teeth at the thought of whom and what I was leaving behind. "Open the gate!" And here we go.
"Move out!" I could faintly hear Commander Erwin yell. Off the horses started, walking, trotting, and then galloping. We moved swiftly, my eyes glancing up at the gate as we rode under it. Goodbye, everyone. I set my eyes forward now, though loud crashing had my head jerk sideways. Barreling around the destroyed buildings was a huge titan. My gut clenched, but the sight of the beast, but again Petra was the one to calm my nerves.
"Just keep moving, the others will handle it." I nodded to her, doing my best not to watch the titan. We continued to rumble forward as one large mass, finally splitting off into our formations. Now it was just us in our small group, supposedly in the safest part of the formation. I couldn't help but get lost in my own thoughts; the rumbling of the horses moving forward soothing my mind.
Amongst the enemy, everywhere I turn. From the people, to the beasts; all of them were enemies. Technically, that is. From the wind catching Levi's dark hair, whipping it around wildly, to the terrified green eyes attached to the young titan shifter. This would the ideal place, if any, to carry out my mission. Even though I haven't gathered any real Intel on the boy, I should just take care of it here. I need to show my loyalty to the MPs and my family. Erwin, the snake, was riding where I couldn't see; I should target him too.
The drumming of the hooves helped me think about everything that had happened these last few weeks better than my quiet room back at HQ. I could clearly see what I needed to do, but there were a few hurdles to deal with. I couldn't let them catch me, so if it was to happen, then I would need some serious chaos in order to do it. Secondly, Levi. The one who threatened to kill me if he knew my true intentions, and yet here I was, an open book for him to read, and for some reason he still did not throw me away like yesterday's trash. How could he sit there on that horse of his, with his back to me, knowing what I had intended to do? Not just that, why did he let me go? He hasn't even scolded me for it as a matter of fact. My eyes narrowed at the back of his head.
It's true, though, that I had admitted that Eren was a nice kid and that I didn't want to kill him. Since I had shown up, he's been nothing but kind to me and everyone around him. It could be only for the fact that he's a shifter and doesn't want everyone to be uncomfortable, but part of me thinks he's genuinely a nice kid. Maybe that was why Levi didn't do anything yet; or maybe he was just being friendly? My jaw clenched as we pushed forward. No. It was my duty to kill Eren, and God knows Levi doesn't make friends. Comrades' maybe, but no way that man has real friends. I had a job to do, and killing Eren was that job. No more acting like a little bitch about it. My head was finally screwed on straight, and I was not going to let anything get in my way. A loud bang pulled me back from my thoughts. I looked up at Oluo who shot off a green flare into the air.
"I have a report!" A man's voice yelled riding up to our group. "It's a verbal message! The search squad on the right flank suffered a devastating blow!" Seems like the chaos I need might be coming sooner than I thought. "They have lost the ability to scout the enemy! Please relay this message to the left flank!"
"You heard him, Petra. Go!" With Levi's words came Petra's nod and departure. The one person in this group whom I trusted enough may not be here for the devastation I may cause soon. Good.
"Black smoke? A variant?" We all turned our heads to the right at the sight of the black smoke. Hopefully this chaos I hoped for wouldn't be too chaotic that it gets in my way.
"Eren, you fire it." Levi's voice called out. Eren agreed, firing his flare. From the looks of it, things weren't going well around us. If those titans make their way towards us, my plans may be put on a back burner. I growled internally at the thought of letting this opportunity pass me up. Ahead of the forest outline grew larger as we approached. Maybe this opportunity won't get passed up after all. Into the forest we rode, the view growing darker with the increasing number of trees.
"Captain! Captain Levi!" Eren called out.
"What is it?"
"What? This is a forest! If only the center column enters the forest, we won't be able to see Titans coming! They seem to be coming from the right. How are we going to avoid the Titans and protect the supply wagons?" He had a point, but honestly Eren, what do you have to be afraid of. You can turn into a titan, I'm pretty sure that you're more of a threat to us than they are.
"Stop whining about the obvious. There's no way we can do that anymore." I was so wrapped up in my own head, I hadn't realized the plan had changed. Although, was that even the original plan anyway?
"Wh-why?"
"Look around you, Eren, at all these uselessly tall trees. It's the ideal environment to make use of our 3DMG." Basically it'll make it easier to cut you down, Eren. Now think with that mediocre brain of yours. Think really hard if you don't want to die." But, it will also make it easier for them to protect you too, kid. Eren glanced around at everyone in our group, all of which were wrought with fear. His eyes landed on mine, and I couldn't help but give him a wink. With all of the thinking I had been doing, I didn't give myself time to dwell on the impending doom that was following us. He turned back on his horse, probably to think more about what the Captain had said to him. My eyes glanced to Petra, who gave me a nervous look. We must really be in trouble.
A gunshot sounded behind us, and the sight of the black flare made my nerves twist slightly. Now I was certainly getting uncomfortable with how close these titans were getting. I agreed with Eld, whatever it was, it was what came from the right flank. Whatever it was, it was moving quickly too.
"People, draw your swords." Ah shit…"If it shows itself, it'll only be for a moment." No, I change my mind, I don't want to face a titan. My hands grasped my sword so tightly that my knuckles began to turn white. The sound of Maneuvering Gear behind us made my stomach completely drop. I turned to see one of the Corps guys in mid-air, and it was as if time slowed down right then. The booming footsteps of a titan came up so fast that I couldn't even blink before she was on us. Her hand came out smashing the Corps soldier, killing him instantly. Blood and death don't bother me, but the sight of a titan that size, with that intense murderous look doing it certainly made my stomach turn. Shit, we need to get out of here. From the looks of this titan, she wasn't just a normal titan, she was intelligent and she seemed to know where she was going.
"Move it!" Levi yelled, all of us following him as quickly as our horses could run. The female titan's feet pounded away behind us in full sprint. She jumped partially over us, her hand swiping down towards Eren. Luckily she missed, but the debris from the tree she smashed fell around us. Holy shit, what I wouldn't give to be back inside the inner walls right now. I clenched my jaw tightly, wishing I'd be back home in my warm bed right now.
The titan gained her momentum again, pursuing us closely, and from the looks of it, her eyes were set on Eren. Wait a second…she must know who, or at least what, he is. She's here to kill him I bet. Well at least someone was about to do it.
"There's no way to run from it in this forest!" Gunther yelled out.
"It's gaining on us!"
"Captain! Let's switch to 3DMG!" Petra called. Yes, can we please get the fuck out of this situation?! "Captain!" Reinforcements swung in behind the titan, working hard to keep up with her pace. One of them shot his cable towards her but she managed to move out of the way, grabbing it instead and smashing the soldier into a tree with her shoulder. Holy mother of…She quickly grabbed the cords of the other soldier, killing him instantly and tossing him to the side. I do not want to be here, I do not want to be here. Humming these sayings to myself didn't help a damn thing, and yeah I felt like a bitch in this situation, not the mean type but the terrified type. Anyone in this situation would feel the same with something like her chasing us.
"Captain! Your instructions!" Everyone was hysterical now, freaking out at would could be our deaths any minute. Levi kept silent, his face forward, just pushing on. Come on, you can't be that crazy. Everyone, including myself kept calling after him. Damnit what the hell are we supposed to do?
"Captain, please!" I begged. You damn bastard say something.
"Cover your ears everybody." Uh…what? Of course I didn't react in time, my ears immediately ringing after the loud shot of the Captain's flare gun. God damnit, that's your big idea? No one is going to see that flare in this thick part of the forest. "Tell me, what is your job again?" The Captain turned to us. "Is it simply to surrender to your emotions of the moment? No it's not. This squad's mission is to do everything possible to keep this brat unharmed." His eyes met mine for a brief moment, as if telling me to keep myself in check for now. "Down to our last breath." His eyes came back to mine before turning back on his horse. I am not dying for him, sorry Captain. "We're going to keep pushing ahead on horseback. Got it?"
"Understood, Sir." Woah, woah, we're actually going to listen to him? Glancing around at all of the determined faces made me sigh. Shit, I guess we are in this aren't we? And here I thought they were loyal lapdogs to Erwin. It seems when Levi speaks, they are willing to die by his word. I shook my head, though I know it's just how loyal soldiers are. Captain, if they're really willing to die for what you say, then maybe you do have friends. That, or they are incredibly loyal soldiers.
Eren's hysterics started, and to my surprise, I was agreeing with the rest of the squad. Kid, I do NOT want to help take that bitch down, turn around and just go forward. The sounds of the crunching bones of the reinforcements behind me enforced my mental state. I don't want to be a crunched up bag of bones today. Eren's play by play was not helping anything at all. Just let the reinforcements die, this squad has orders to follow, and listening to you is not one of them. I can't believe I'm saying this.
"What are you doing, Eren?" Petra yelled. "You're only permitted to do that when your life is in danger!" Oh shit kid really? Don't you dare go titan crazy right now, I am in no mood for extra surprises.
"You're not in the wrong." Levi's voice chimed. Hey dickhead, that would mean us stopping to help him. "If you wanna do it, do it. I can tell, he's a real monster, and not because of his titan ability." I watched the Captain intently now. "No matter how hard he's restrained, no matter what cage he's put inside, no one can ever tame him." So does that mean I can kill him now, or are you going to take my pleasure and do it yourself? "Eren, our difference in experience is why we don't see eye to eye. But you don't need to rely on that. Choose, will you trust yourself? Or me, these guys, and the entire Scout Regiment? I don't know the answer to that. I never have. Whether I trusted myself or the choices of my dependable comrades, there was no telling how things would turn out. So just do the best you can and choose whichever you'll regret the least." I looked down at my horse that explanation of his getting caught in my head. A heavy, pitted feeling swelled in my chest. Even though that statement was directed at Eren for this situation, it rang loud and clear in my ears.
"Eren! Please trust us." Petra's voice rang as Eren nearly went with his original decision. I don't know what it is and this damn squad, or even entire Regiment, with this trust issue. Everyone trusted each other, or at least they said they did. But as it came down to these crucial moments, when some of us start to wavier, they push the issue. Trust us. Trust me. Trust him.
My eyes darted back up to Levi, his grey ones glancing back, catching me off guard. He was thinking it too wasn't he? Was he also subliminally telling me to trust him, and everyone else? Petra, who always came to my side when I stood off alone and away from everyone, constantly making me smile. Gunther and Eld, both of whom keep good conversation. Oluo, who even though he annoys the hell out of me, always makes me laugh with his stupid antics. Levi…who I drunkenly confided in and dropped my mask, by accident, for…Trust him? He's already seen through me. It was like when you hold a piece of blank paper over a drawing that you want to trace. If you hold it to the light from a distance, it's blurry, but the closer you get, the clearer the picture. He somehow could see those lines pretty clearly, and I was the asshole moving it all closer to the light.
The pounding feet of the female titan seemed to disappear as our eyes stayed locked. That's it. That's why he didn't kill me. He was putting his trust in me, his comrade, to do what was right. My mouth opened slightly, almost as if to say something, but I shut it quickly. What could I say to him? Thank you for trusting me? Screw you, I'm killing him anyway? Damnit, that asshole had to go and complicate things even further. Why should I trust you? I paused at that question. He didn't kill me and showed trust in me, and in turn it meant I needed to trust him, didn't it? I sighed, nodding at him. I understand now, and even though I may not like it, that unspoken agreement could be my saving grace. The Captain glanced back forward, and even though he didn't make any gesture of understanding, I knew we were on the same page.
"Eren, hurry and decide already!" Levi growled. Eren must've been lost in his own thought as well, but he finally said it; that he will go with us. Good boy.
Faster the titan ran, gaining even more momentum. She pushed forward hard, taking out more reinforcements. We barreled down the path, determined to out run her. Could that even be possible? Who knows, but I wasn't about to take my eyes off Levi to see the result.
Glimmers of metal caught my eye. Other soldiers? I glanced to my side and realized it then. This was the mission, wasn't it? Along our sides sat the rest of the Corps, in position behind wooden objects. They were going to take her down, and we were the decoys. Well shit.
"Fire!" Erwin's voice rang out, echoing in the forest. The shots of the harpoons sounded like cannons, piercing the female titan from all directions. But on we continued until the noise died down a bit.
"Hitch your horses a little further ahead, and then switch to ODM. I have to leave for now. Eld's in charge of the squad. Hide Eren a suitable distance away from that titan." Wait, no, I just agreed to trust you, I did not agree to trust everyone else. "Look after my horse." With that the Captain took off through the trees, and I couldn't even protest.
"Don't underestimate the might of the Survey Corps, idiot." Oluo called to Eren, but I couldn't help but laugh.
"Aren't you so intimidating?" I joked. Maybe…Hopefully…it would be okay after all.