The Titan’s pulsating pink leg moved to crash into the Wall. This had been its third attack on these people. These small frightened humans and that fled like ants upon his arrival. Few were brave enough to attack him; those who did were most likely to die, as he swatted them away like flies. He had attacked this district once before; smoke climbed up from its ruins and painted the sky like leaked ink on paper. As the leg moved away from the renewed gaping hole in the wall, smaller Titans began to rush past the mammoth creature, moving in to dine on the last of humanity. The Titan itself disappeared quickly after the damage was done; and like the prior two times, he escaped with his life, leaving the soldiers and their pathetic civilians in disarray.

Rain battered Sven’s back, drenching his skimpy Military Uniform jacket and soaking his shirt where the coat cutoff. Underfoot, his boots kicked up slings of muddy water where it had gathered in sinks in the dirt ground.

Since joining the Military Trainee Squad, Sven had barely seen his mother. It had been a little over four years since he had signed up. A little over four years of barely speaking to her, or watching little Axel and Diane, his half siblings, growing up.

Behind him he heard an irritated hiss and the unmistakable sound of his sister flinging out her best string of curses. That was typical Beatrix at her best. A foul mouth and a tough cookie.

Had she deserved first rank in the 108th Trainee Squad? Maybe. Sven could have easily named a few others who would have done better with the title than his spiteful twin. But her combination of skills had landed her the position and just like any good first ranker, she would be joining the Military Police Brigade. Sven liked to think of his sister as an opportunist; and an opportunist is always on the lookout for themselves.

“Do we really need to be doing this?” She spat from behind him, water projecting from her lips in small, clear, drops as she spoke.

“Don’t you want to see mom before you go off to live in the lap of the king?”

He couldn’t see her face, but he could almost feel her sneer burning a hole into the back of his head, teasing him because in her mind Sven was childish, clingy. He held onto the memory of a mother he barely saw and would continue to barely see in the future.

“I’ll be the best lapdog possible, in that case.” She proclaimed, “Besides, I don’t think Albert will be thrilled to see us, do you?”

Sven didn’t answer, the veins on his forehead bulging dangerously. If Beatrix took any notice, she didn’t say anything.

And so the two twins plodded along in silence, each enveloped in their own world as they anticipated the next day, the day of their graduation. The day they would go from Trainees to Titan bait.

---

The door opened slowly, and Erika pressed herself closer to her brother’s warm shoulder, the small fight from earlier out of each twin’s mind as they anticipated greeting the family on the other side of the door. The woman behind the old wood door was small and aging; her hair was still brown, but her face was gaunt from years of stress and hard living.

Her eyes seemed to glow upon seeing Sven and Erika.

“Sven,” she whispered, hand reaching up to grasp for messy black hair and instead finding the sleek sheen of Sven’s cropped head. Nonetheless, she snatched his dome, pulling his head down to kiss his forehead.

Then she turned to Erika and said, “Beatrix,” and rushed to embrace the girl. Only her mother and twin called her that name anymore. Everyone else knew her as Erika. She liked it better that way.

Erika responded back in the most heartfelt way she could. Military training and her father’s death had made her stoic and aloof, but she put practice into trying to look genial for her mother.

“Come in, come in,” Charlotte said, waving her hand in great gestures towards the corridor. The twins flashed a look at one another before Sven silently volunteered himself to be their spokesperson.

“We can’t. We have to be back to the ground by morning. We don’t have time to say…sorry.”

Erika could see her mother’s eyes fall. Hopefully Axel and Diane would not choose the same path as Sven and Erika had. It would only break their mother’s heart more.

The minutes after that were filled with rushed conversation about Sven’s haircut and the twins ranking and what small amount of friends they’d managed to make in the past four years. Neither children nor mother dared to speak of graduation; Charlotte had two children that had chosen two very different paths, one for the best, the other…

Not long thereafter the twins set back to the Trainee grounds, hearts filled with anticipation, longing, and maybe a tad of sadness.

---

Smoke curled in Sven’s nose. He coughed and spat, his saliva blackened with the ash that had floated into his mouth through his nose. All around him soldiers rushed to and fro, frenzied and panicked. Sven himself was hiding in a crippling building; at any moment it was liable to fall and crush him, but he needed to rest for a moment. Thus far he had taken out a total of zero Titans, but he had come face to face with at least three, and had nearly lost his arm to one particularly clever one.

His chest was heaving, adrenaline pumping through his body like a fitness enhancing drug. He was excited, he found, much to his curiosity. Excited to die? No. But excitement still buzzed in him finding energy he didn’t think he still had.

Today he was supposed to become a member of the Survey Corps. Today was the day he was going to dedicate himself to a cause. Today had been the day he and his sister would be separated, maybe for life…

“Vogel,” a rough voice barked, “Snap out of it.”

Looking above him, Sven found a commanding officer hanging from the splintered rafts where the houses roof had once been. The officer was a tall burly man with a head of tight curly hair, and though his face looked familiar, a name escaped Sven’s grasp. There was panic in this man’s eyes, and while he waited for Sven to find his bearing, he directed other young men and women to their death.

“Vogel,” he repeated, his face going blank for a moment, maybe as he comprehended his role in the death of these young people, “Stop hiding…Find as many as possible. You, your sister…Anyone skilled enough and take them to the hole in the Wall. That’s where the rest of ‘em Trainees are going. Might as well send you top tenners to your death, too.”

Sven didn’t respond. He just took off, swinging from rooftop to rooftop, flying by the dead bodies of comrades and fellow classmates. There was no time for response. He didn’t want to be stuck thinking about his possible incoming death. He hadn’t been able to find his sister since the fighting had started. But screw her. Gathering a team was more important…Who from the top tenners could he see?

Dash, Xavier, Jemma, those were the first that came to mind. And then there were other people to. Ones he had gotten to know, or had stood out among the crowd. Strangely enough, his thoughts went to Adreana, the cooky girl, who was prone to forgetting things…and then there was Aurora, small and sweet and probably tasty to some Titan…

Shaking his head, Sven took off at a faster pace eyes frantic, and hoping he would find someone…

Jemma loved that split second of calm when she flew in the air. The sound of the battleground below gets drowned by the wind whirring in her ears, and there is a moment of soothing weightlessness. For that split second, she is back at home with a mother who was healthy and a father who never left. But then the sounds rush back all at once, and the pull of the maneuver gear whips her back into reality. Jemma's brow furrowed as she locked her sights on the monster rampaging through the street. Eight and a half meters, slow, with a tendency to use its mouth more often than its hands. The Titan in question stupidly dove headlong toward the base of the building, leaving strewn bits of concrete and a cloud of dust in its wake. This was her chance. She aimed and shot the left grappling hook at a nearby building and twisted into position as she reeled herself in and up onto the roof. The Titan was still on the ground, chomping away at something—at a leg, she noticed after a while, clad in the standard white of the Military. Her heart leaped into her throat, but she stubbornly swallowed it and forced herself to focus.

It would be her first kill, she realized. Jemma shot both grappling hooks at the Titan and watched as they dug into its back. The Titan writhed in discomfort and moved to take the wire out, but its hands couldn't quite reach. With blades at the ready, she reeled herself in and released the hooks after getting the momentum she needed. She swung her blades just as the Titan began to rouse, but before she could reach to cut at its nape, it had already turned around and she cut a chunk of its cheek instead. Unfazed by its cut, the Titan responded by opening its mouth and leaning in to get a bite out of her.

Shitshitshit. Jemma hurriedly pressed on the trigger and blindly released the hook at the building behind her, barely dodging the Titan's bite as she was pulled away. She braced for impact, but misjudged the distance of the building. It was closer than she expected, and she ended up crashing against its walls hard. Her whole back ached at the impact, and her leg started to sting where the Titan grazed it, but she gritted her teeth and readied her blades once again. She kept herself hooked on the building wall, even as the Titan raced toward her with its mouth opened wide in a twisted smile.

Wait for it, wait for it, she chanted, fighting the instinctive urge to dodge the oncoming attack. Jemma stayed rooted until the Titan bared its teeth, then fired the hooks at its shoulders right as it bit down. The Titan collided against the wall as it missed her, with enough impact that part of its head went through the building. It gave her just enough time to move about. Pressing on the trigger for the gas, she released enough to allow her to swing around its body and to its neck. This time, she moved faster, and swung wildly at its nape. Her cut was sloppy and wide, taking out a chunk bigger than necessary, but it had done the job.

Her first kill. It wasn't as epic as she imagined it to be, and she came out more bruised and battered than she would like, but there it was. A soft, slightly sardonic laugh escaped her lips. It seemed like a fitting graduation present, a taste of what she would be dealing with for the rest of her life. She lingered only for a second to watch as smoke rose from the Titan's rapidly decaying body, then started moving toward where the smoke was densest. After the attack, it had been pure chaos and she had been separated from the rest of the squad before she even realized. Jemma couldn't see anyone or anything through the thick smoke, but there was a familiar figure moving away from it that caught her eye.

"Sven!" she cried out excitedly, grinning despite the pain she felt all over her body. The thrill from her success, however ever meager it had been, strangely filled her with energy and a spark of hope. Her whole back was probably bruised and her right pant leg was turning red from the gash on her leg, but she was alive. It wasn't impossible to kill them. Slim as it may be, they had a chance. Jemma picked up the pace to match his, and smiled again, this time in relief. She always felt safer around friends. "Where are we off to?"

The titan's maw gaped stupidly up at the trio on the rooftop, the recruits standing there in stunned silence. It had just crashed it's way through a building, pushing through the timber and stone as if it were nothing more than a house of cards. The bravest of the three gritted his teeth and took a running leap from the rooftop, firing his maneuver gear into one of the surrounding buildings and attempting to swing around the creature to get at its back.

Xavier came around the street corner on foot just in time to see the creature snatch the recruit out of the air with a simple motion, almost casually. The crunching sound as its fist tightened made his stomach churn, blood pouring from between its fingers as it dumped the crushed bot's corpse into its open mouth. Xavier's eyes darted to the two girls remaining on the roof.

"RUN!" He shouted, seeing that they were frozen in place with fear. His words either did not reach them, or they did not hear because neither one of them budged in the slightest. He cursed under his breath and fired his hooks into the remains of the building the titan had crashed through, both finding solid purchases in a plank some thirty feet in the air. It wasn't going to be quick enough, he saw, as the titan swung an arm at the recruits. One of the girls had sense enough to move then, her 3DMG whisking her away just before the titan's hand came down on the roof. The second girl was tossed to the side and sent rolling across the tiles of the rooftop.

Xavier came at the titan's neck from behind, but it was on his right side. He spit, knowing he would have to circle back around if we has to have any chance of injuring the creature, and the girl across the street did not have that kind of time. He'd have to distract it. He clicked the release trigger and swung his right arm with a practiced motion, the blade of his sword releasing at the right moment to be sent flying across the short distance into the Titan's neck. The blade scored a minimal hit sinking into the creature's neck just below the jawline. It didn't even blink.

Xavier continued on his path, attaching another blade to his sword handle as automatically as breathing, while watching as the titan went face-first into the rooftop right on top of the helpless recruit. The rooftop exploded into splinters, and Xavier turned his head in time to feel several sharp stings on the right side of his face. he released the hooks on his maneuver gear, breaking his momentum slowly as he arced through the air, coming to land heavily on the shattered rooftop across from the titan who was still neck deep in the building. He eyed the creature, sizing up his ability to kill it while it was trapped, but its arms were pinwheeling at random, and he could see more titans on the way from only a few blocks down the road. He might kill this one, Might, and then he would almost certainly be killed a few moment later.

Xavier grit his teeth, and looked away, trying to find a suitable escape route. He needed some reliable soldiers around him if they were to make any sort of difference in this fight, much less survive the next hour. He felt a warm trickle of blood start down his face near his right eye, but it was nothing serious.

---

The whirring sound of 3DMG was the only warning the pair had before Xavier touched down a few yards away. He came down at a shallow angle, but still stumbled a few steps on the cobblestones when he landed. He seemed to be unharmed, but as he righted himself there was a trail of blood trickling down the side of his face. A few splinters were lodged into his skin, as well as a couple small nicks from other shrapnel.

"It's not looking good up ahead." he said, only giving a slight nod in greeting. His eyes were vacant, his mouth set in a hard, grim line. A blade was already missing from his sheath on his right side. "This one's the first one I've seen killed." He grumbled, then seemed to remember himself and smiled sheepishly. "Nice job, by the way, Jemma." The change in mood was so abrupt it even seemed to catch Xavier himself off guard, and he frowned a little before the situation seemed to once again overcome his natural cheeriness.

"The last I heard we were supposed to be pushing the Titans towards the outer wall." His mouth twitched, turning down slightly at the corner. "And by push, they meant bait, I do believe." His eyes were hard bits of steel, but there was a struggle there too, the red-head fighting to keep his composure. His left hand clenched and un-clenched against the handle of his sword, his breathing somewhat erratic. He raised a hand and tried to wipe the blood away from his eye, inadvertently smearing some of it across his face and nose.

"Safety in numbers." He spoke up, seemingly to himself. Then to the other two. "We should stay together if at all possible. We have better chances, especially if we can link up with others from the 108th. We're all used to working together."

Soaring across the sky like shooting stars, blades glistening in the sunlight, a formation of three of the 108th's... average graduates. Spearheaded by a young girl with thin glasses and bouncy shoulder-length hair that flew behind her as she floated effortlessly across the cityscape. Their sights were set on a titan of no less than seven meters, no more different than the majority of titans.

Aurora let out a light sigh and looked behind her at her comrades briefly and smiled; partly to reassure them and partly to make sure they were still alive. Aurora looked up at a large tower, jutting out at the sky from the district beneath her feet, she aimed at the top of it, and swung around it behind the behemoth. Meanwhile, the two accompanying her swung themselves underneath the titan's legs, one lands in a roll, bouncing back up like a gymnast; the other crashes, rolling, though none too gracefully.

Using the centripetal force of her swing, Aurora cut a section out of the titan's neck; however, the titan stood firm, having been a little further from the tower than anticipated. He turned about as Aurora quickly swung behind the tower to hide. She peeked out from around the corner as the titan bent over, reaching at the boy on the ground, taking him in it's hand.

The girl, who landed as a gymnast would, looked over, and seeing her comrade grasped by the monstrosity, and sent a spike of her ODM into the monster's face; panicked, the titan withdrew in rage, slinging the girl behind him as he fell on his back. She slammed audibly onto the cobblestone street below and laid motionless. The titan redirected its attention to its original victim; he opened his mouth abnormally wide and holding the boy by the collar of his jacket, dropped him in.

Aurora watched on, petrified, startled only when the titan took notice of her and swung him massive paws at the tower, snapping it in half. Aurora quickly aimed and fired her ODM, soaring away from the failed attack. The ODM whirs and spikes land and fix themselves in the rooftop that the crew have found themselves on, soon after Aurora falls out of the sky, landing ever-so-graciously on the rooftop, "Axel and Carla were lost when we tried to tackle a seven-meter...I uhm... let it get away... sorry, guys..."

The wind was ripe with different odors that penetrated Dash’s nostrils with ever wisp he took with his 3DMG. He was able to define a few every time he landed on top of a different building and had to a chance to slow down to the pace of his own gait. One of a dinner still cooking sullied with the rankness of bowels involuntarily released on top of the next, and at present what he assumed was death or at least blood. These weren’t smells he was familiar with, but knew today was just the beginning of long…wishfully thinking at least long career in the military before him. Only if he makes it through today, only if he still gets to graduate.

As if for exclamation the clomping of two 5 meter titans feet almost made him trip over his own natural cadence. They had been following him a few blocks now, taking notice of him after devouring a small group of cadets he didn’t remember ever actually meeting during their training. Made him think of the friends he would lose today, or those who may lose him if he didn’t think of something quick.

They were moving parallel to one another the buildings Dash resided on acting as a divider between their stomping grounds. The one to the right had a cherub face with a quizzical countenance as if it was confused about its natural instinct to only want to eat and destroy what to them may have looked like miniature clothed titans scattering away from it. The other on the left had a horrifying adult head oversized for its body grinning from ear to ear in pursuit.

Dash got the view of the two as he reached the last building on the row leaping off in stride yet spinning himself to face the two smaller behemoths. He was remembering he studies of the district, and if correct he knew the architect of these buildings was keen on including a window from the kitchen that overlooked the streets that a mother could watch her playing children from.

The Titans were converging on his position in the air both simultaneously catching up and twisting their bodies in an attempt to paw at the snack in the air. Dash squeezed the triggers on his blades tight firing the hooks of his 3DMG into the sides of someones home. The connection was made and the follow through yanked Dash back from their grasps, and slingshotting him through the window into the home. His momentum sent him rolling into an eat in dining set which he toppled over like a bowling ball into pins. A screaming pain rushed through his back until he realized the aches and bruises weren’t audible instead it was the mother, with her children who once played in the street, hiding behind a couch in a living room attached to their living room.

Dash pushed himself up from the ground trying to hush them as quietly as he could as if to lead by example. Why the hell had they not evacuated? Why would they think a couch in their home could block them from a Titan. “Why the hell did you you lead them here?!” the Mother cried out snapping Dash’s focus back from his inner inquisition. The titans outside had began peering inside the windows of the homes bedrooms of the second floor, shaking the foundation of the building as they rested their limbs atop of it to find the best vantage point for their oversized eyes.

It would be just moments until they contorted their ghoulish frames to peer into ground floor, where they’d find what they’re looking for. Dash had put this family into more danger than they left themselves exposed to by staying there. He lead these titans here, and he would need to lead them away. Dash wasn’t sure if it was his adrenaline or sense of guilt that mask the pain in his back, but it allowed him to make a break for the front door her spotted leading him to the street and between the legs of the adult like titan that was on the left. Dash propelled himself atop the building across the pavement as quick as he could. The Titan creating an archway to the home had not quite noticed. But the baby faced one had, without any sense of restraint it began trying to crawl its way towards him. Crushing down on the home Dash just left causing it to buckle under its weight and collapse. Collapse ontop of the family Dash had just exposed it to. The adult Titan fell in with the building not being coordinated with it cherub counterparts pursuit. leaving them both hindered but the remains of a crushed home beneath them.

This certainly wouldn’t stop them, they would certainly regain their faculties and be after Dash again in moments. They were relentless, he would need to move quick. He would need to an exit rout, they would be ontop of him in moments. They were allowing him to think of all this for way too long, did they develop the ability to toy with their prey? What was taking them so long? Why in the hell was he not taking advantage of the opportunity?

They found the family.

Dash had believed the family would have been killed as their home came down around them and that was horrifying enough. They weren’t that lucky. The Cherub held the mother in it’s hand, and the Adult with the kids in it’s, one in each.

Dash began to think of how he could dispatch of the titans and save the family he endangered. The adult was closest to him, and had no means of defending itself against him, but the position of the cherub would be difficult to get around in time, and would notice him again as soon as he made a move anyway. He wasn’t that good, he could think of a million strategies if he had just one other trained cadet of any rank with him, but in this instance he was alone, and he could only save the children.

He would save this children, leaving them with a destroyed home, and without parents unless their father was somewhere out there, but where, and how would they ever get back to him, would they even be able to escape the cherub clutching their mother if he did? They would be alive…

Dash’s thoughts escaped him, with the draw of his 3DMG he triggered it and once again he was whipped into the air, to a building clicks away. He floated thoughtless for a moment, a moment that should have brought him peace, but it was the silence of surviving, and the silence was not guiltless. The pain in his back remained masked but was replaced with pang in his heart. His tears fell behind him in them the reflection of the scene he fled now a few clicks behind him.

His view was replaced with the gathering of some of the top cadets and some of the less ranked but just as recognizable faces of the 108th. If only just one of them was with him moments ago… his last tear fell behind him and he whisked himself towards them. The wind dried his face and eyes before he reached them, but an odor lingered in his nose, a smell he was now and forever would be certain was blood and death. He landed on a knee behind the group speaking as he came to his feet, “We have to do what we can, and we need to do it soon.”

“Sven!”

Sven would have been embarrassed to admit that, upon hearing his own name, the boy nearly smashed head first into the shingles of the roof he had been about to land on. But, saving himself some partial humiliation, he instead managed to skid to a shingle-displacing stop, digging his heels into the roof as he landed.

“Jemma…” He murmured, noticing the red blotch that stained her pant leg and feeling just a small bit of shame for being relatively unscathed. Sven was the one that usually jumped into everything. He had a bad case of “me first”. Yet, since the fighting had started, he had run away from a total of three Titans. Close calls, but no cigars.

Sven glanced behind the girl to see a thick cloud of smoke curling up into the air. Surely, being one of the top ten, she had done that…But what about her comrades? Had she even been put in a splinter group? One of Sven’s small splinter group had already been eaten, and another, Fabian, had disappeared. Sven hadn’t had time to go back and look for him; he had been too busy hiding. And then there was his sister, who had flown off ahead of the group. What a prick…

“You’re hurt—“

Before he could finish his sentence Xavier landed on the roof not too far away. He too, appeared damaged, and Sven’s shame only increased tenfold. Being a part of the top ten had given him certain expectation and titles. Hiding and running away was not one of them.

“It’s not looking good up ahead. This one’s the first one I’ve seen killed. Nice job, by the way Jemma.” A pout donned Sven’s face as Xavier beat him to the compliment first.

“The last I heard we were supposed to be pushing the Titans towards the outer wall. And by push, they mean bait, I do believe. Safety in numbers. We should stay together if at all possible. WE have better chances, especially if can link up with others from the 108th. We’re all used to work together.”

In a matter of minutes of Xavier's arrival, Aurora landed on the rooftop, out of breath and panic stricken by the looks of it. Aurora was no top tenner; however in Sven’s personal opinion, she hadn’t been horribly ranked either. Sixty-eight out of three hundred or so students was a pretty good ranking.

"Axel and Carla were lost when we tried to tackle a seven-meter...I uhm... let it get away... sorry, guys..."

Sven felt his heart drop to his gut upon hearing that. Another two bite the dust. Being himself, or trying to be, Sven raised a hand to the girl, but, on second thought, dropped. It made no sense comforting her now when there seemed to be so much more death and confusion awaiting them in their future. Who was to say they would all make it out alive anyway, this small group that had formed.

Before Sven could begin explaining the plan, or at least confirming that what Xavier had said was true, Dash landed with a thud on his knee behind the group.

“We have to do what we can, and we need to do it soon.”

"Right." Sven nodded, "I've been instructed to assemble a group and lead all to our deaths. Basically, we'll be doing exactly what Xavier pointed out. We're going to be bait...The way I see it, we should head to in a tight conformation, or at least in pairs, rather than spreading out. If one of us gets split from the group there's no saying that someone else can back them up, especially if we're spread far a part..."

Sven looked at every group member, eyebrows knitting together with concern. Everyone else had already sustained some sort of damage. Everyone but himself. Sven decided that he could add that to his set of skills.

---

Erika wiped the splattered blood from the side of her mouth, spitting out on the melting heap of skin she had just toppled. It twitched pathetically, and she watched with gross fascination as the hand she had sliced off quickly began to repair itself. In moments, the large mouthed 5 meter titan was back on its clumsy feet looking like a toddler taking its first steps. It toppled sideways before righting its position and focusing back on Erika. The blonde girl stood aloof and alone and expected no one else to come to her rescue.

She didn't care about them anyway. Well, maybe her brother...

In her mind, she would die fighting, or live to reach the lap of luxury. She would be the best King's watchdog possible and maintain the position for the rest of her life.

Erika glance up as a shadow covered her. The titan's hand, coming down at an alarming rate on her...well her entire body.

"Shit."

Aiming for the adjacent roof, Erika zipped across to behind the blubbering titan. Slowly, it followed her, mouth wide open as it tried to snap her out of he air. It's eyes were eerie, huge, disgusting. Watery and squishy looking, and it made Erika glad that eyes were never that big in real life. Thinking quickly, she began dancing circles around the monstrosity, while it spun around with her, desperately reaching for her, but never bothering with the cords of her 3DMG. Finally, when she had entangled it's sorry face as best as she could, she went in for the kill.

It was quick, brief. The creature was too stupid to react in time. In a matter of seconds, it's body was melting to reveal an abnormally large skeleton and letting out smoke so sulfurous and noxious that Erika was quick to run away. She looked down at herself. She would have loved to brag about being unharmed, but there was a large slice running down her thigh, earned when she had dodged a clever swipe by one of those bumbling oafs. And her back felt like several disks had moved out of place.

As she continued swinging from roof to roof, she came across a group, including Sven, discussing their obvious tactic. Several of the members already looked like wreck, minus her brother, who just had small bruises for proof of anything. Rolling her eyes, she landed on the roof.

"If you all want to be bait, then we should head out now. Stop wasting time. Do you [i]want[i] the titans to get further in?" Scowling, she took off, expecting to hear the wurr of their 3DMG following her.

The first thing Jemma did after she and Sven had stopped to convene at a rooftop was to check the boy for any injuries. She nodded and smiled up at him once her inspection was through, relieved that he seemed unscathed. Her own wounds were gradually smarting less, and she assured herself that it shouldn't be long before she'd be able to ignore the pain. It made her wonder about the others, though. The Titan she fought had gotten to one of their own, and it could be anyone. She had been separated from her group as soon as they were dispatched, but one of them could have easily been around when the Titan was rampaging through the street. Or it could be one of her friends. What if it had been Erika? Sven would be heartbroken.

"Listen," she said, just as Sven started to point out her injuries.

Both of them stopped midsentence when Xavier landed just a few yards away from where they were. She welcomed the bigger cadet with another relieved smile, even though she winced a little at the blood trickling down his temple. It's nothing Big Red couldn't handle, she thought, sure of his vitality. She thought of Xavier as her antithesis: tall when she was small, strong and sturdy when she was light and flimsy, precise when she was reckless. He could definitely brush this off.

After getting praised, Jemma became flustered, like she always gets in the face of a compliment. But then she laughed at the how ludicrous she was being. They were in the middle of an attack, injured and still quite in danger, and here she was being shy about a casual mention of her kill. She shook her head, as if that would throw all the absurd away, and gently knocked her knuckles against Xavier's shoulder. "Thanks," she said and grinned yet again.

Xavier proceeded to get them up to speed with what was happening in all the chaos. Titans. Outer wall. Bait. That was all Jemma needed to hear. She thought she would mind it more, being relegated to live bait, but she felt oddly motivated. If they expected her to die today, then they would be sorely disappointed.

Not long after Big Red had arrived, Aurora arrived with even bleaker news. She didn't know how to respond well in delicate situations like these, so instead she wordlessly walked toward Aurora and squeezed her shoulder in condolence. That was all the time they could spend mourning them, just a passing moment. The death toll only seems to hike up each day, but what Jemma found most terrifying was how insignificant death has become.

Dash came next, with a tear-stained face and a somber call to action that Sven answered. Right. Now that they've all gathered and settled, it was time to do their duty. Jemma desperately wanted to crack wise, to lighten the mood some and up their fighting spirit, but was struggling to find the right words. It was then that Erika came, and she felt another surge of relief wash over her. She always thought losing family was the worst thing that could happen, and she definitely didn't want to see Sven break into pieces if anything happened to Erika or vice versa.

"If you all want to be bait, then we should head out now," Erika had said, sounding as irritable as ever.

Jemma mustered another grin, one that seemed determined and confident all at once despite the slight hint of worry dancing in her eyes. "You heard cranky Ms. Number One. Let's go," she said, firing the hooks on the nearby buildings as she readied to fling across to follow Erika. The pain in her back and her leg didn't go away like she hoped, but couldn't bring herself to care. Instead, she drowned herself in the whirring noises of the 3DMG and steeled herself for the upcoming encounter. "We can do this!" she told the group, even though she was probably trying to convince herself.

Aurora nods to Sven and Jemma as they both try to comfort her in their own way; she smiles to reassure them that's it's alright. Not long afterwards, Dash makes an appearance, landing on a knee with a soft thump, as he rose he said, “We have to do what we can, and we need to do it soon.” "Mhm, over there... isn't that Erika coming at us?" says Aurora; within a few minutes Erika had dropped down onto the rooftop.

"If you all want to be bait, then we should head out now. Stop wasting time. Do you want the titans to get further in?" said Erika, Aurora smiled knowing that it's her quick application of ODM gear that's kept her alive thus far; she makes for very good bait. A gust of wind suddenly rolled across the top of the building; it wasn't not strong, but it was substantial enough to toss Aurora's hair majestically in it. "...I may not be as good as you guys... but I'm definitely not backing down! Come on, guys, let's go be titan bait!" she says before doing a front flip off the edge of the building and firing off her anchors after Erika and Jemma, she let out a very out of place, "Woohoo~!", thoroughly enjoying her ODM as she trails away from the building behind the others.

Aurora thought back to a time in their training when the recruits played capture-the-flag with their ODM equipped in order to help discern those with better grasp of the practical use of ODM. The teams were large, fifty-on-fifty, she can't quite recall who all was there, though it was definitely possible some of the top-tenners were. She remembers the bright green flare being fired over the treetops signalling the beginning of the match. Her omnidirectional mobility gear secured itself in tree after tree after tree as she rushed alongside her team towards their objective; not yet knowing what's in store.

Silas Marks expected a lot of things from the 108th Military Trainee Squad. They were sharp cadets, some of the best. The top ten were absolutely incredible. Of course, he had never expected to be one of them. He always tried his hardest, and he supposed that's what put him there. He never had any desire to join the Military Police, so top ten wasn't really a goal of his. But it sure was nice.

The scene in front of him was definitely not one of those things he expected from the Trainee Squad.

His heart beat pounded in his ears. His breaths were short and panicky. All his training, all his hard work, all his courage, was sapped away in a few seconds. He stood there, mouth agape, rooted to the rooftop. Ever fiber of his being was telling him to run. It's too late, just run!

Ka-thump, ka-thump, ka-thump.

The only thing he could hear besides his own pulse was her scream. Try as he might, he couldn't move. Not even enough to look away. “Silas!” The voice was distant, and didn't even register as he stared. He watched as the Titan clamped it's jaw shut, ending the girl's screams. Hot, sticky red blood splattered across the side of Silas' face as his fellow cadet was bitten in half.

“Marks! Move, damn it!”

Slowly, painfully, Silas pulled his eyes away from the sight before him and searched for the owner of the voice. One of his comrades, and friend, landed at his side. It was Walt, his face twisted in such an expression of horror Silas almost didn't recognize him. Across his face, chest and arms was a fine sprinkling of blood. They looked almost like red freckles across his pale cheeks. “It got Kay.” Silas murmured, though it was obvious his friend had seen the entire thing. He also was close enough to get spayed with their partner's blood.

Walt's expression changed from one of despair, to rage. He revved up, bringing one hand above his shoulder, then smacked Silas across the face. “What the hell is wrong with you! We need to get out of here! Snap out of it!” He screamed. The Titan was finished with Kay by now, and it turned it's attention on her two remaining companions.

Silas was in shock for a second or two longer before he was able to pull himself together. His eyes hardened, and he glared at his friend, a red hand print now visible on his cheek. He felt obligated to return the favor, so he slapped Walt before he spoke. “Let's move.” His voice sounded unfamiliar. It was steady and firm, though still not calm. How could anyone be calm, given the circumstances?

Walt nodded grimly. Then the two of them simultaneously fired the cables of their 3DMG at building on either side of the Titan.

Silas felt the familiar thrill of weightlessness as he leap from the rooftop. The whirring of his 3DMG was almost comforting. The wind whipped the hair out of his face as he moved through the air, circling around the Titan. It was an ugly thing. It looked like an old man, with a long white beard, now stained red, and a balding head. It's eyes were dark and beady, obviously lacking intelligence. It had a freakishly large mouth, as many Titans' do, and appeared to be grinning in a sadistic sort of way.

Walt came around from the other side, in an attempt to throw the Titan off. It worked, because the creature was completely focused on Silas. “Keep 'em busy, Silly!” Walt called. He readied his blades, pausing on a rooftop behind the Titan.

“Hey, ugly!” Silas cried, waving his arms above his head, “You want a piece of this?” He shot out of the way as a large fist smashed into the building when he had been standing. He shot a spear right into the Titan's shoulder, using it to swing to the next building. “What are you, blind? I'm over here!” Although he knew it didn't understand, it felt good to insult the thing.

Silas and the Titan carried on like this for a short while. The boy would shout and wave his arms around, then flee when the thing got close. The Titan at one point actually made a sort of grunting noise, as if it were frustrated.

When Silas landed on the next building, the roof underfoot gave way. It caught him off guard, and he slid off the slanted roof. He caught himself before he hit the ground by firing his maneuver gear at the side of the building. To late, he noticed an enormous foot swinging toward him. He desperately fired again, trying to get out of the way, but the Titan's foot grazed him, and it was just enough to send him sprawling, landing in a heap on the street. His head hit the bricks hard and spots swam in his vision.

“No!” Silas heard the buzz of Walt's 3DMG. He struggled to get up as the Titan approached with slow, almost wobbly steps. It grinned down at him, as if mocking his failure.

A fierce scream caught it's attention. The bearded Titan turned towards the sound, spotting Walt swinging towards it. The cadet had a grim look on his face and held both blades ready.

“Wait!” Silas squeaked, reaching toward his friend as if he could stop him. Walt ignored him. He gave a battle cry, spewing a string of creative insults. Silas saw it coming – he could feel it, sense it. Walt's 3DMG whipped him around so he was behind the Titan, but one of his hooks missed it's mark. Walt lost his momentum, and slammed into the side of the house. He had never been real good with his 3DMG, so he didn't know he could just use a little more gas to propel himself out of reach.

“Walt!” Silas' voice was a panicked screech. He struggled to his feet, his head still spinning, and went to move to his friend's aid. The Titan slammed it's giant fist into the wall where Walt dangled from his cables. The bricks crumbled under it's force, and blood erupted from under it's hand. “WALT!”

Silas felt the pain in his heart. Instantly, all the pain from his physical injuries disappeared. His vision cleared, allowing him to see the scene perfectly. The tears streaked either side of his face. He watched the Titan pull it's fist from the wall and turn back to face him. Blood dripped from it's hand. Silas knew he couldn't take on the Titan by himself, not in his current state. He forced himself to flee, flying over rooftops like he had never before.

He had to find the other top tenners. He knew most of them well enough, and they would work best if they stuck together in a group. He was not ashamed of his tears. He had been unable to protect his friends. He was hurt, and he was scared. There were Titans all over the place, and he did his best to avoid them.

He noticed a group up ahead and called out to them. They were moving fast, and with a purpose. He struggled to catch up. Hopefully, it was the Tenners. He had composed himself a little, but his eyes were still wet. He called out again, “Hey, guys! Wait for me!”

The red-head's smile returned briefly as he felt that much smaller hand push lightly against his shoulder. He was about to speak again when more recruits of the 108th came filtering in and he went quiet in the hopes that they might bring forth some new information.... something that might deter them from rushing into this suicidal mission.

He just stood there, eyes narrow and cautious as everyone landed around them. His ears heard the words they spoke and some part of him was listening, but he found it hard to concentrate, always looking over his shoulder at the area around them. Even in a group like this they were hardly safe. A single titan could kill the lot of them if it caught them flat-footed. The smell of smoke and blood was overpowering, and each new face that showed up seemed more stricken than the last. He was glad fro each recruit that showed up, tears or no, because at least then they weren't dead.

Not yet chimed in some dark voice in his head and his teeth clenched together visibly. His temper flared and some impossible part of his ego exploded furiously back NOT EVER! Now that they're here I can protect them. Nobody will... The voice in his head faltered slightly and images of the recent slaughter came unbidden into his mind, a violent and sickening reminder of his impotency. Nobody else will die.

Erika said something and he realized everyone was still standing around. Yes, no time to lose. It may be his mission to protect the recruits here, but the responsibility of protecting the civilians fell on all of them. He wiped more blood tickling down his face away, squinting his eyes against the sting of it. "Yes, let's get going." He spoke up, partially to himself, fists clenching tighter around the hilts of his swords, testing the resistance of the triggers. Erika was already gone, and he paused a moment to marvel at either her bravery or her stupidity in rushing off alone. Top of the class or not, she was still tempting death by taking off by herself.

"Be careful and stay close, everyone. Remember we're just bait, so we don't have to fight. Only engage a Titan if you have to." Unsure of who was technically in the lead position here, he didn't even know if the rest of them would listen to him. He rolled his shoulders and squared his jaw, steeling himself against what was to come. I'll keep you safe. He finished silently in his head, squeezing the triggers of his maneuver gear and taking off into the air some distance behind Erika. He turned his head to see who was following then, and caught a glimpse of another recruit some distance off. He heard a faint call but the wind whipped it away, though the voice sounded familiar. He kept his pace as slow as he could with the lightning fast maneuver gear, wanting to make sure they kept their group nice and tight.... and maybe to give that straggler a chance to catch up.

The Wall loomed in the distance, ominous and seemingly impossibly far away from their current location. Even now he could see the heads and torsos of numerous titans between them and their target. Today just kept getting better.