Salvation

He hated the Forest of Giant Trees. It was a foul place beyond Wall Maria and the solemn graveyard to countless Scouts, dozens of whom now dismembered skeletons. There'd been many occasions, all of them unsettling, when he'd stumbled across a skull or an arm or other pieces picked clean by carrion birds. And with such poor visibility among the trees, Death was unavoidable in even the best circumstances. So as soon as he saw the black flare rising above the treeline, he wondered what kind of perdition was waiting for them ahead.

"Eyes forward!" Lieutenant Holmwood bellowed. "Target approaching!"

Gunther grimaced at the sight of the titaness. She had to be fourteen meters high, and closer to fifteen than thirteen. Her limbs were long and her ribs jutted so far out from under her skin there was a grotesque hollow under the cage where her internal organs should have been. Her hips stuck out like a wicker basket and her skin stretched and pulled over her bones like leather pulled taut over an anatomy model. As she turned to face them, brushing her long, stringy hair aside, her emerald grin eyes opened and focused on them. Her euphoric, bloody smile broadened and she suddenly shoved the Scout in her hands into her mouth.

Gunther grit his teeth. Had they been the one who'd fired the flare?

"Spread out!" Holmwood's order's came as he drove his grey charger to the side. "Donati, the nape's yours! Schultz, you're with me! Go for her left heel!"

Without hesitation, he fired a grapple into one of those damned trees, launching himself off his horse and soaring past the grinning titaness. His paring blades cleaved deep through skin and bone and she dropped to one knee, screaming in rage. Holmwood slashed open her heel, but instead of stopping her fall with her hands, she swung one of her gangly arms around, aiming for Donati as he went for her neck. Always a quick thinker, the man recoiled the wires and went soaring off into the tree tops, safely out of reach. The titaness growled, her grin no longer quite so wide and she scuttled forward like a weasel, snorting and snuffling in her fury.

Holmwood swore, but before he could issue further commands, another wire was suddenly extending from the titaness' nape. Gunther's line ran out and he braced himself against the tree trunk to watch the newcomer soaring toward the giantess, raising his blades like an eagle swooping down to seize a stray rabbit.

Aakster!

His comrade was silent as he dove, no brazen war cry to give him away. Gunther watched in anticipation, then in horror as the titaness twisted, flinging the Scout to the ground and diving after him, plunging her teeth over the limp body like a starving dog. All in the moment of a heartbeat. Licking her lips, the titaness rose to her newly healed feet and screeched a triumphant cry to the heavens and took a step forward, reaching for Holmwood. The lieutenant was suspended just out of her reach, though she attempted jumping after him, making almost pitiful sounds in the back of her throat as her hands slapped harmlessly against the rough tree bark.

Although safe from her clutches, Holmwood reeled in his line even further, perching atop one of the branches and staring down at her. "Well, this is a fine, bloody mess!" He shouted, crossing his arms and glaring down at his pursuer. "Good day to you, madam! Fancy yourself another human? A lady shouldn't gorge herself, you know." Growling low in her throat, the titaness bunched her legs beneath her and sprang higher than before. Her fingers caught Holmwood's branch, digging her fingernails into the bark. "Whoops." The older Scout backtracked a couple steps and drew a pair of blades.

"Lieutenant!" Donati cried, but before he could spring into action, the titaness slipped and crashed back to earth with a frustrated cry.

"Manners, my good woman!" Holmwood launched himself forward, dropping like a stone right before her grimacing face, then fired a grapple and went soaring away. "You two, go! Now!"

Gunther was flying before the words had left his mouth, not even hesitating when the titaness' hand closed over Holmwood. At the same time, Donati leapt from hiding, fastening a grapple into the back of her neck. She didn't flinch, her mindless stupidity leaving her vulnerable when she was eating. She brought the struggling officer to her mouth, and sensing his comrade would reach her neck before he would, Gunther rerouted his course and made for her clenched fist.

Holmwood spat blood at his captor, snarling obscenities, then widened his eyes in astonishment when he saw him coming. "You fool, why-!" He cut himself off as Donati struck the titaness, one blade carving out the back of her neck. She shrieked in pain once, then the second blade came down and silenced her. Simultaneously, Gunther freed Holmwood with a swift strike to the thumb, and the two of leapt clear of the toppling corpse. Donati followed, slashing open the titaness' belly to slow his descent and unleashing a sea of blood and corpses in his wake.

Gunther yelled in alarm, "Christ, what'd you do that for?"

The man ignored him, as well as their commanding officer, who swore at him. He waded through the ankle deep pool, his head moving from side to side as though looking for someone. Gunther turned away, clenching his fists. It seemed as though this segment had been completely wiped out by the female titan. Three Scouts: Filip Aakster. Desi Rivera. And Petra Ral. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Donati kneel beside a crushed, distorted body. Cornett, too? What was he doing here? He was supposed to be in the squad ahead of Petra's, up with Captain Addario and Kahler. Hell, had the bitch cut them off, too? Just how many victims had she taken? How many friends had he lost today?

Behind him, he heard Holmwood curse and whistle for his horse. But instead of the grey gelding emerging from the shadows, another Scout lowered himself from the trees, leaning heavily on a blade made into a cane. Gilbert Kahler, Gunther recognized, from Captain Addario's personal squad. "Boy, am I glad to see you." The man greeted, somehow limping toward them with the gaping wound in his leg.

"What happened here, Gil?" Holmwood asked, his gray eyes betraying his concern. "You were up again with Renard and Achille, weren't you? And Aakster's group was between you and us. Don't tell me you're the last one!"

Kahler shook his head. "Nein, nein, mein Fruend. Jansen's group caught up to us, so Achille and I were sent back as reinforcements for the Aakster trio and you. The titaness had already shown up by the time we got here, so Achille fired the flare. Damn thing killed Rivera, and Ral just before you got here."

Gunther swallowed.

"And Achille?" Holmwood asked. His friend didn't answer and turned away. "Right. Four dead here."

"Ja. And the formation has to be in shambles now." Kahler sighed. "Been whistling for my mare, but she refuses to come back."

"I'll share my mount with you then. If I can find him, of course."

"Blue flare." Donati announced in a wretched voice.

Gunther raised his eyes to see a trail of blue smoke rising into the clouds, then he lowered them without thinking and saw Petra. She was on her side, still in one piece but drenched from head to toe in crimson, with a long, syrupy rope of hair extending behind her head. Gunther clenched his jaw at the sight of her limp hands, her ruined cloak, and her open eyes, glazed over in death. Part of Aakster's fresh body was beside her, and so was the unrecognizable pulp of someone else. He gagged.

Part of him heard Holmwood's order to retreat, followed up by a sharp whistle for his charger. The rest of him was consumed by what he was going to tell the others. How would they take this? Eld and his family adored her as though she was one of their own; they'd be devastated when they learned she was dead. The damn rogue was terrible with opinions, so Gunther had no idea how he'd take it. Despite the many quarrels they'd shared, Oruo once admitted behind her back he was fond of the girl and would definitely miss her if she didn't make it home. And he himself was going to miss her terribly. He liked her defiant attitude and the way she refused to be intimidated by anyone.

She was strong, and her death-everyone's death-was a grave loss.

They would leave her here, he thought grimly. Better the others, and whatever family she had at home, remember her as she'd been, not as this revolting corpse that reeked of blood. Biting his lip, he knelt and reached out to close her eyes.

Petra blinked.

He stopped.

She was alive.

She was alive….

She was alive!

Upon this realization, an unintelligent, "Oh!" escaped his throat and he gathered her into his arms, ignoring the blood soaking into his uniform and the vile smell that surrounded her. For the first time since he was a child, he praised God, the Walls, the Sisters, and whatever other deity who'd been watching over them and saw fit to give her back. He cradled her against him, checking her pulse over and over to make sure she really and truly was alive. "Oh, thank God!" Hell, was he crying? He screwed his eyes shut and gently rocked back and forth. "Thank God…."

"Schultz!" Holmwood called. "What have you-what the hell is that!"

Donati stared in horror, "Goddesses, is she alive?"

He nodded. "Yeah. She is."

"Holy Sina." Their officer shook his head, then broke into a relieved smile as his charger reappeared, trotting out of the shadows without a scratch on him. "Find your horse and prepare to move out." He ordered as he leapt onto the beast. "We're going home."

Snare came running within minutes of him whistling. She shied away, whickering in distress when she caught the scent of blood, but with Donati's help, they were able to convince her to take Petra. Only one more horse returned after that, so Kahler took Holmwood up on his promise.

They rode quickly toward the flare, out of the shadows of the foul forest and into the open grasslands where what remained of the expedition was gathering among the wagons, tallying the dead and loading their wounded. Petra didn't stir, her head rocking limply against his shoulder as Snare galloped, nor did she wake when Donati helped him dismount. She coughed and whimpered when he carried her toward the medics' wagon, ignoring how their comrades backed away in disgust, both from the sight and the smell.

-0-0-0-

Author's Notes: For some reason, I really liked writing Holmwood's 'proper' attitude.

What's ironic about Annie is in the actual Greek myth, the female titans were opposed to the fighting, and for that, Zeus spared them when he punished the males.

Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama.