Devoid of Logic

Uma's POV

Within minutes, the Titans had completely broken our lines, sending the remaining units charging into the town outside the Wall in a desperate retreat. The scent of blood and fear permeated the air, the desperate screams of once steadfast men filling the streets. Buildings crumbled around us, being torn apart by rabid abnormals as they clawed at us with ravenous desperation. We were no longer fighting. This wasn't a battle. We were merely trying to stay alive. How could the tables have turned on us so quickly? It was almost like this attack was orchestrated. We had the taste of victory instantly ripped from our mouths and then beaten down ten times over.

"Everyone to the gates! Retreat to the gates!" The order was passed down the line by whoever was around to hear it. Our ranks had been all but obliterated. Order of command no longer mattered much less existed anymore.

Even though all of Squad Levi made it to the town, the abnormals converged on us quicker than we could have imagined. We were soon separated in the pandemonium, trying to regain our bearings as well as avoid being eaten. But it seemed there were too many Titans to properly regroup. At one point, I found myself completely alone. Shooting down a narrow side street, I saw Petra up ahead of me.

"PETRA!" I called out to get her attention. She too was alone.

Frustrated and scared, she whipped her head around in my direction. Her adrenaline-filled eyes finally caught mine and she pulled back to join me.

"What the hell is happening?" She cried. "I've never seen so many abnormals… and they're attacking all together!"

The situation was a frightening anomaly, but there was no time to think about it. We had no choice but to keep pushing forwards towards the Wall. Survival had to be our main priority at the moment.

"We have to get the hell out of here," I told her, both of us launching forwards. "Tsss… Yell out if you see anyone," I said, making the mistake of wincing as the harness yanked me forwards.

"Okay… are you alright?" She asked, glancing over to get a better look at my face.

I knew I looked like shit. It was clear by the way I felt. But there was nothing to be done about it now. I just couldn't allow myself to lose focus.

"I'm fine," I lied, trying to focus on maneuvering. The truth was, my body ached all over. Despite my insistence, I knew I wasn't in good shape.

"There they are!" Petra gasped in relief.

Following her line of sight, I saw Levi and Oulo charging across the rooftop to our left.

"Uma!" Petra called out.

"I know! I see them!" I answered.

Petra shot up above the rooftops to reach them. A bit slower, I prepared to follow. That's when a Titan's hand snatched her out of the air. My heart leapt into my throat and I immediately went after her. Clearing the top of the building I saw a black-haired Titan gripping onto Petra, pulling her towards its open mouth. Levi and Oulo were on their way to her, but I was already there.

"Let go of her you piece of shit!" I huffed, shooting in range and bringing my swords down across its wrist and into its tendons. My arms felt like jelly, but it seemed to do the trick because the Titan's hand fell open releasing Petra. Like a human hand, severing the tendons in a Titan's wrist rendered its hand immobile. The only difference was, a Titan could heal the wound on the spot.

Unused to my body's obvious lag-time, I could not jump out of the way of the Titan's other hand fast enough to avoid being swiped across the boulevard and into what used to be a vendor's stand. I felt myself go flying over the wooden counter, taking the supports for the awning out with my legs and finally crumpling into a heap under the newly formed wreckage. The only upside to this was that the bastard Titan hadn't gotten a hold of me.

I must have been too busy coughing up phlegm and dust to notice that Levi had taken out the Titan because the next thing I knew, he was standing above me, looking down at me with those steely gray eyes.

"Uma…" Levi murmured, tossing away the wooden planks that had fallen on top of me. I could pick out the concern in his voice and it made my heart clinch even more than the pain did. I must have looked so much worse than I had thought.

His lithe silhouette blocked out the sun as he bent down, grabbed me above the elbow and hauled me up from under the fallen overhang. Even though I was on my feet again, I saw he had his hand at the ready in case I lost my balance.

Levi… I thought to myself, sad to see that he really cared for me. It wouldn't do anyone any good. I told him before that I was a lost cause. And everything I've done so far has only proven what I said to be true. So why? Why did he care? It wasn't because of that stupid oath I made to him. He wasn't the kind of man who gave a shit about things like that. It was just an excuse. I couldn't have him become attached to me because if something happened then I wouldn't be the only one who got hurt.

I don't know how strong Levi is in that way. I don't know if his emotions balance on the edge of a knife, like mine, or if he is as hardened as the steel of his eyes. Regardless, the only way he can avoid the pain is for him to feel nothing for me at all. Looking at Levi, though I hated it, all I wanted him to do was turn away and leave me in the dirt like he used to.

"Why didn't you say anything before, idiot?" He demanded, gripping onto my shoulders. "Do you have shit for brains?"

"I knew you'd be pissed…" I managed a weak grin, knowing full-well none of this was funny.

"Tch, just get out of here. That's an order," he told me.

Just then, Franc came flying in, dropping down in front of us, alongside Petra and Oulo.

"Uma's sick and can't fight. Take her and get behind the Wall before they close the gate. Make sure the others follow you."

"And what about you, what are you going to do?" I quickly snapped under my breath.

He shot me a harsh glare before looking back at the two men who were standing by.

"Don't wait any longer," he said, purposely disregarding my question before launching back into the air. I watched as he disappeared over the tops of the buildings.

"Alright, let's go." Franc waved me over, eager to get out of this hellhole.

Still wondering why Levi wasn't retreating with us, I shuffled over to where the group was standing.

"If we create a V formation, you'll be safe in the middle," Oulo said.

"I don't need to be fucking babysat," I grumbled.

"Who cares? Let's just go!" Yelled Petra.

Just before we took off, we saw two black flares shoot up from the sky from the east side of town.

"What the fuck? How did they get all the way over there?" Franc muttered, his eyes squinting against the sunlight. A group of survivors must have been cut off from their squad during the Titan charge and gotten caught up in that end of the town.

"Only two flares… there's not a lot of them, maybe ten, they'll never make it back to the gate on time." I said, watching with the group as the black flares hit their zenith and arch over the buildings.

"Shit. I know what you're thinking but we have to retreat! Those are our orders, Uma, now come on!" Franc yelled, waving for me to move it. However, I stayed glued to my spot.

We could make it back to the gate, we weren't so far away… but the others, they would never make it on time without help. Right now, we were their only chance of survival. I knew Levi would kill me when he found out I ignored his order to retreat, and the last thing I wanted to do was disobey his command again, but what if he were in my position? What would he do given the same situation? Those soldiers out there weren't just worthless individuals or Titan fodder as we so often called ourselves. They might have families, loved ones, people who depended on them.

The more I stared down that road with these thoughts swimming in my head, the more I realized I couldn't just run for my life. At this point, it wasn't even an option because I couldn't live with myself if I did. That's just who I was.

"UMA!" Franc yelled, knocking me from my thoughts. Shit, he sounded desperate to get out of there and I'm not going to lie, I was too. Still, that road called to me… those black flares…

"Please, Uma," Petra begged. "Let's just go."

"No, I can't," I sighed, pissed at myself for being so fucking predictable. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

I was already backing away from them as I said this- already on my way to fighting the abnormals.

"Are you kidding me?" Oulo snorted. Oddly enough, he seemed far calmer than Petra and Fanc… maybe even calmer than myself. I had to wonder what he was thinking.

"We HAVE to GO!" Franc barked, immediately triggering my own short fuse.

"THEN GO!" I yelled, shaking. "Everything's gone to shit anyway so what does it matter?" Turning I ran off in the direction of the flares.

AN: REVIEW FAVOR FOLLOW! Sorry I've been gone for a while! I just finished moving and now I'm settled in. I hoped everyone liked this chapter. Uma is about to push herself to her limits and learn what it means to involve others in her crazy missions.