He tricked me, told me he would stay, but he took the opportunity to save himself. I was making plans to escape and get back. Equip ourselves with gear, use the abandoned supply cart. I looked around into the trees, taking in who might be around, if anyone.

One low hanging soldier with a missing leg had lost the attention of the titan that used to stare at him. Now this titan stared at me. They did not care for the dead bodies, they only wanted you alive. I wanted them all dead, and now I was left for dead.

Some odd chance I was brought here to this hell, woke up in a field on the outside of wall Maria years ago. Not long after, I was picked up by a man running from a titan on horseback, and I then enter the walls of Maria.

I had a good run, did not expect to end up titan food in the beginning, but I made it alive. Here I was, ten years later, food again. Sitting in a tree I scouted three below, one off to the side hiding behind a tree. All abnormal, the three normal ones followed Detros the second he mounted a horse.

I waited until night fall, the titans falling asleep below me. I do not know what told me this, but it felt like a distant memory. I made my way to the hanging scout, pulling him up to a branch by his grapple.

Eric, I held my mouth. I thought he made it out. Tears fell as I rolled him over. He was a good man, tenacious flirt, but I enjoyed that distraction. Of all the ones I chose, I was pulled to this one.

I liked how he would comb through his hair like he was the hottest thing around. Could not tell you how many times he tried to bed me, and I would miss his asking's. He was the only one who offered. Even if he asked others, it made me feel pretty, feel wanted.

His gear was busted too. I took one trigger and exchanged blades. The rest was worthless, including the tanks. Putting my gear back together, my small band aid for now. I ripped his badge off, stuffing it into my pocket.

I moved between the tree branches spotting the cart. All directions scouted, not a titan in sight, I scaled down, and to the air tanks and gear. I changed it all out for new, I filled tanks, took two spares, and packed a bag with as much food and supplies as I could carry.

I feasted on what I would leave behind, drank all the water I could. Then took off to the branches. If I went now, I might be able to get to wall Maria. I felt I should wait one more day, give me as much time as possible to walk to Maria and fly over the wall.

I gazed to the unknown. I used to have back up, told to rely on others here, now I had myself because one failed me. I was the newest recruit here by transfer, maybe that was why that cold eyed man saved me from the jaws of another, I'll never forget it.

I sliced through my first titan, but as I turned to get my next point of contact, a titan stood with its mouth open. Blood splashed behind it, and it sunk, but I was still headed for it. I was grabbed by the waist and pulled up to the trees.

"Are you alright?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine. That was close, thank you."

"Don't die after I just saved you."

I took a breath before I peered up at him, he glanced back, then was heading back out to fight the titan hoard that swarmed us. That dead cold look he had as he glanced back before he took off engrained in my mind.

I watched his style, tried to copy his moves. I flipped my blade backwards, spinning out. I was amazed at how efficient it was. I went in for the third, killing the titan when I was smacked by another titan, busting my gear I hung there. I dug my blades into the tree trunk, climbing up to a branch where another stood.

He looked back, he was fresh from the corps boot camp, not even a survey scout yet. "Shit, there leaving us, we don't have any way to catch up."

"We do have supplies; we could wait it out."

"We'll die or be titan food before the next expedition. It's fine, we should stay together. We will make it, just like you said."

He wasn't wrong, there was to many to kill them all. At least he had the right attitude to staying here. "If we think this through, we can make it."

He gazed around to the fallen, to those unlucky to have another breath. "Your right, look there's a small clearing, we might be able to circle round and get out." I looked, then I heard him take off. I turned, and he was making a descent to the ground.

He mounted a horse, taking off after the others. One titan following behind him. He looked back, and I stood in the trees, fist over the heart. He mouthed something I did not understand. I assumed it to be an apology.

I slept through the day, when I woke, I found they had wandered in and perched themselves at the bottom of my tree. These bastards can sense us. I made no sounds, and I was alone when I fell asleep. As the sun fell again, so did they.

I made my move as the last one closed their eyes. I got to the edge of the forest, checked my map, and chose a direction fitting the stars. He told me not to die after he saved me, and I very much like to survive out of spite. With tanks half empty, I started my walk to the west side. The closest part of the wall.

It was creepy out here at night. Every sound I flinched, every stir I was barring for a fight. Light thumps made my heart stop. I brought my swords up, ready to fight the unthinkable. Hoping it was a deer of all the things I could encounter.

I beautiful black mare walked by me with reigns on its face, it looked at me then continued to go past me like I was nothing. I held my hand up and it nudged it. Friendly, tame. No gear but the reigns, I could only speculate she was a lost horse from many expeditions ago.

I stepped too her flank; she looked back. "I need a ride, mind helping me?"

Her tail swished and she sniffed at the ground. I hopped on, the horse steadied, but did not buck me off. I was relived. This was my lucky day, for I got to live another, and maybe another after if I made it to the wall.

I wasn't even a scout yet, I had to make it back from my first expedition for that. Lame rule, but If I did make it, I might be the first to have soloed it. That would be a nice legend. It would circle for a while, but it would be lost in months to those who did not care.

I kicked the sides gently and flicked the reigns. My chance of survival just increased by twenty-five percent. Not a lot, but every percent counted out here. She was fast, by the light of day the wall was in view.

Thunder rumbled the ground. I looked back, damn these things all to hell. I flicked the reigns, and she galloped faster. "Were almost there."

The horse slowed; fatigue hitting us both. I knew with what I carried it was slowing us down. The feet of the titan just on our heels. Two more turned and joined the chase, I wouldn't make it at this rate.

I dropped the backpack. A titan stepped on it, and the tanks exploded, it dropped a one to the ground, tripping others. I created my owe distance and the horse picked up speed again. A choice well made; I wouldn't need it anymore anyways.

Three hundred yards away, and with the amount of noise I was making, I did not understand why there was no reaction on the wall. The titan was gaining again, my horse slowing.

"Almost, please, just get me in range." Two hundred meters to wall, it was only a hundred away. One hundred meters, it closed in by fifty. I was so close; I was almost there. I looked back, a hand was reaching. I shot a grapple to its face.

I flicked around, cutting its nape and began running to the wall. I had two quickly approaching, but I was there, I was at the wall. I grappled as one leaped for me. It's head hit the wall, crushing my leg at the same time with its head.

It knocked back, and I was free. I grappled up. I flicked up on top, landing on the concrete, screaming as I rolled on to my back. My leg pulsed and sharp pains were moving from my leg up my body and down to my toes.

Well, sir, I didn't die, and Detros, fuck you. I made it to the wall, but I don't know how much longer I have with a broken leg. Not a man in sight was up here, there sound be a whole squade up here watching for security.

I took my pants off, then my shirt. Thankfully there was no wounds, I felt round, only a broken bone in my calf. This might be manageable, but I still needed to get down.

I Crawled to look over the south side wall of the west city. Not a soul in sight, never learned the names of all the districts, this one was hardly mentioned by people. If at all. I wrapped my short blade with the shirt, then cut the pants in half.

Using them to tie my leg straight. I just needed to get down there and I knew I would be okay. Someone would help me. They would fix my leg, and I would be fine. Why did it feel so dead. I saw not a single ant sized human anywhere.

Using the swords as a crutch, I hobbled the ten meters to the lift. On the way down, I saw no one. No merchants, no people. It was abandoned. There was no indication of a fight, no fires, no anything.

The boats were gone too. The streets were in shambles. Things knocked over, and it was recent. There was still fresh fruit in the stands. I took an apple, sitting on a crate. It would take me all day and night to make it anywhere.

Alone, and how long would it last? Not everyone should have left, right? I spotted a small wooden wagon on four little wheels not far off, that was my ticket to travel. No horses, or other animals. I was completely alone.

The office building was not far from here. My hope that a person might be there. Maybe they could tell me what's happening. I dug those blades in the ground and dragged my body in the wagon to the building. I broke one, in the struggle to shove forward.

I panted, laying back as I looked up to the massive building. I laughed hysterically. "They all better buy me a beer after this, it's earned. I swear, if I make it, I'll need a promotion." I ran a hand through my disheveled hair, laughing harder.

The pain in my leg was coming down, or I was getting used to it, but it was not enough. Every movement pained me to no end. The doors were wide open, and my heart sank. Tears rolling down my cheek as I went inside. Not a soul, just a mess. I dropped my gear, made it to the infirmary and went through everything.

I downed the pain killers, and when they kicked in. The world was like a bright sunny day again. I felt around my leg. Broken, and I would have to set it myself.

'I Trained on this during the reassessment for switching corps. They showed me how to do it on a test dummy.' I reassured myself. 'Now I'm the dummy.'

Each movement was horrible, if not for the drugs, I would have given up. When I knew it was firmly in place. I gingerly wrapped it, adding more than I should have of the hardening goop to the outside. It was sloppy, but it was good enough for an attempt on myself. I laid back on the bed, passing out.