Surrounded
Uma's POV
Once we had left the safety of the gates, the entire expedition team sped onwards through the town beyond at breakneck speed in order to clear it. There were several casualties in our attempt, however, far fewer than usual. If this were any indication of what the rest of the mission was going to be like, it seemed promising.
When we reached the field beyond, we were able to spread out into the Long Distance Scouting Formation where we'd be much safer. Invented by Erwin Smith, the Survey Corps had perfected this tactic over the years and it saved many lives since its implementation. Now, instead of having to fight every Titan we ran across, we could work on avoiding them during our rout to Verga. Commander Erwin could certainly be criticized for many things, but this was not one of them.
The further we rode away from the Wall, the fresher the air became. I drew in deep, almost desperate breaths to get that intoxicating taste. Every lung-full smelled like freedom. Many soldiers of the Survey Corps paid for this opportunity with their lives.
This time, however, the taste was soured by another that had been building for several days now. The soreness I felt in my throat had grown from just a mere irritation to an itchy, swollen mess. I was dealing with this along with a nasal drip that only worsened the longer we rode. It was coming on quickly in the rushing air and all I did was sniff it back, telling myself it was nothing and to keep going.
I should have known better. I always got sick around this time of year… something about the changing of the seasons. But, hell, there was nothing I could do about it now. I was already beyond the Wall. And, yes, maybe it was a dumb fucking decision for me to go on this mission, but I don't think I could have stopped myself even if I tried. It was impossible for me to fight my own resolve.
Reaching the town of Verga, we were ordered to fan out and to begin clearing the city. Now that we were closed in by buildings, the Long Distance Scouting Formation was rendered useless. We would have to operate differently in this urban environment. The upside was, there were plenty of buildings to use as moorings for our 3D Maneuvering Gear.
Each unit split off into different areas of the city. This was where things would get messy and confusing. Snorting up another round of goddamn snot, I followed Levi as he led our squad through the town.
We delved deep into the winding roadways and alleys, zipping through the narrowly built infrastructure. At some points, we the walls were so closed in, that I could feel the startling push of the wind on my face and shoulders as we whipped through the streets.
Looking down at the rubble and seeing all the different things the previous residents had abandoned, my mind began to wander to what it might have been like for them the day the Titan's came. That's when my arm grazed an outcropped windowsill and knocked me off course. My heart caught in my throat as my shoulder on the opposite side skidded against the wall before I was able to catch my balance again.
"Whoa! The fuck… what happened, Princess?" Franc called from behind me. Oulo, Petra, and him had seen what just happened. I could spot the worry etched across their faces, like they were already looking at a dead woman. The fear I saw in Franc's eyes is what struck me the most.
"I'm fine. These fucking walls are just tight," I reassured him, already pissed at myself for losing focus. I couldn't afford to do it again. Looking forwards, I saw Levi's eyes on me, his brow knit in confusion as he glanced over his shoulder. He was probably wondering what the fuck just happened. He had the responsibility of leading the group. He didn't need to know I was sick. It was my job to take care of myself, anyway. I was just going to have to straighten out.
"Up ahead!" Called Levi, warning us there was a Titan.
Shooting up from the streets, above the rooftops, we formed an attack from our higher vantage point. The Titan was a small 4m class, wandering one of the larger main streets. Its long, black hair swayed along with its lolling stride. Drool dripped from its gaping mouth. God, these bastards were ugly, I thought as I watched Levi and Eld quickly take it down.
If there was something to be said about these narrower streets, it was that it gave us some good coverage, allowing us the element of surprise. Still, who knows how long that would last… once the Titans got wise to our presence, they would converge on us.
Spotting another monster down the way (a 5m class), Franc and I split off from the squad. Running across the orange tiled rooftop towards it, I could see Franc looking over at me out of the corner of my eye. I knew he didn't like the situation.
"You sure you can do this, Princess?" He asked, probably hoping that for once I'd admit my limitations and bow out.
"Of course I can!" I called back, straining my voice so he could hear me. Fuck, that hurt my throat…
Swallowing a few times, I readied my swords before we launched off the rooftop. I could see our target's body language suddenly change as it recognized our presence. Although his back was turned to us, the slight movement of his muscles and posture was telling. He knew we were there and he was ready to snap at us any moment.
Sailing through the air, I was able to kick off his hand as he whipped around and reached for me. Franc shot his grappling hook into the monster's palm and gave him a strong yank that prompted him to turn around. Distracted by Franc, I used a burst of gas to launch me forwards and across the back of his neck. Delivering a killing strike, I latched onto the eaves of the building across from me and watched as the Titan fell to the ground.
I felt the weight of the roof above me shift, which startled the shit out of me. I looked up to see Levi staring me in the eye. I hope he didn't notice how winded I was.
"There are more a block over," he said, motioning behind him.
Nodding, I followed him and the others to where the Titans were. Swinging through the alleys to the street over, I began to see fresh blood on the walls, painted in gruesome splatter patterns. Another squad had been here before us, and had been decimated by the look of it.
A shadow appeared over us then. A severed limb dropped from the sky, hitting Franc on the back. He swatted it away with a yelp as Levi called out for everyone to split up. Racing our separate ways, we avoided the swiping hand of the Titan that loomed above us. That one attempt to snag us left two buildings in ruins. All these fuckers did was destroy, destroy, destroy. If they ever had a purpose other than that, I wouldn't give a shit to know what it was. They were killers… the bringers of the apocalypse and the end of mankind. I couldn't be persuaded to show them any sympathy or understanding… no matter how much information Hange dug up on the fuckers.
Following Levi's lead, we used one of our new maneuvers we practiced over leave time to kill the monster that was swatting at us. It wasn't vengeance for the soldiers that were devoured before our arrival. We were simply picking up where they had left off and continuing the mission. Despite my own faults, it was better that none of this became too personal. Once it did, people started dying.
We continued like this for the rest of the day until the yellow signal flare was released, letting us know that the expedition was complete. There were a few close calls, more so than normal for me, but luckily, Franc was there to save my ass when I needed him. Regardless of my stupid decisions, I avoided death once again. It was good the mission ended when it did, though. I don't think my stamina could have lasted much longer.
Riding back, I felt that something was wrong… or at least it ought to be. Yes, I was sick, my body was aching, and we lost plenty of soldiers, but it all seemed too simple. Could it be that the Survey Corps had finally found their stride?
As this thought left my mind, an ear piercing roar rippled though one end of the formation to the other. A bolt of fear shot through my chest, knocking me out of my sickly haze. That scream was something I had never heard the likes of in my life. It rattled my very bones.
We all looked around at one another barely hiding our fear as we tried to figure out what was going on. Even the horses were startled. That was what tipped me off to the fact that we were in huge fucking trouble.
"The fuck was that?" Franc snapped, edging closer to me.
"Probably an abnormal," Oulo sniffed, trying his best to seem disinterested. However, I could see nervous beads of sweat glisten as they rolled down his temple.
Like clockwork, four black flares shot into the sky from the left, signaling an abnormal. We waited to see the green directional flare shoot up from the center, only six more black flares were launched from the right before it could. We were being attacked from both sides. As more and more black signals filled the sky, I could feel my heart sink in my chest. It was now very clear to us all; we were being overrun by Titans.
There was nowhere to divert the troops. The only direction we could move was forwards towards the Wall. So, when the blue signal flare ordering our retreat was released, it pointed us towards the town beyond the Wall. I was not surprised by this, however, it scared me. It would be a killing field in there. Still, what fucking choice did we have?
Where all these abnormals came from, I had no damn clue. But if we didn't fight them in our retreat, we'd be decimated. It seemed that the Survey Corps would know failure once more.
AN: REVIEW FAVOR FOLLOW! Hey everyone! I hope you find this chapter enjoyable. I've been waiting to write this particular arc for a while now. My guess is that it will be about 3-4 chapters long. So, if you like action... then these next chapters are definitely for you!