Attack On Titan: Nightfall

by Mr-Worth-A-Read

A team of Survey Corps soldiers are sent on a rescue mission beyond the walls. However, the situation quickly develops into a desperate struggle for survival as they are hunted by a terrifying enemy. Stranded in Titan territory as darkness falls, resources dwindling; cornered with nowhere to run… It's gonna be one hell of a night. Rated T for violence, horror and language.

7. Chapter 5: Natural Causes

Chapter Five: Natural Causes

The next morning, Tommy slowly sat up as he awoke. A back landed on his lap, causing him to jump. "Up you get, Tommy." Colin said, standing over him.
"Hey, what the hell is Morse doing?" Terry asked as he and Jack walked over to see her hunched at the top of the gorge, staring at the dirt. "Tracks." She said. "Something or someone was here." Terry winced at her. "What? How? We would have saw them!" He spat. Morse shook her head. "Guess not. Could've just been a wild animal, the prints are too distorted to tell. But whatever it was; it was watching us."

Later, the six soldiers hiked over the hills further and further north. Jaxx stopped and took out a map, gesturing Colin to come over. "I should have spotted it sooner, Sarge. There's an old abandoned farm a few miles from here. If there's anywhere the other squad will be; it's there." She said. Colin grinned. "Great. That makes things easier."
"Holy shit! Sarge!" Jack called out. "You might wanna see this!" he said, running back to what he and the others had found.

It was a dead titan. It had been killed recently as it had not fully melted away, but the skeleton and a few bits of flesh remained. It would have been about seven-eight feet tall standing, but somehow, it was face-down dead in the dirt.
"What the hell happened to it?" Jaxx asked. "I don't know. Maybe the other squad?" Terry answered. Morse shook her head. "No. No it couldn't have been." She said. "Look at the wounds."
The skeleton was covered in deep claw marks, carving into the bone and rotted tissue. "It was killed by an animal." She concluded.

"Whatever killed this thing took out its' legs first, then went straight for the neck once it was down." She said, pointing to the lower legs of the skeleton. Tommy was worried now. "I don't know any animals that would take on a titan." He said. Colin walked past him, observing the giant body. "Nah, another titan could have done this. That would class it as natural causes in my book." He said firmly. "Why would titans kill each other?" Jaxx asked. The Sarge shrugged. "Food? Maybe two of them got into a fight over one of the members of the other squad."

"I don't know but I just wanna get the hell outta here." Tommy said, visibly shaking. Seeing the state he was in, Colin looked at the others, "Alright boys and girls let's get a move on. I wanna be at that farm by sundown." He said.