She winced. A flash of light seared her eyes as the rumble of heavy foot-falls clipped off in the distance. Abnormal . . . She felt the words drip, that would make two she had come across in such a short amount of time. And by the way it was running, there was little doubt Mora had that it had set its sights on a group of cadets.

Her gut twisted, heavy with unease as the bounding steps rattled no longer. Faint memories of wet bones snapping tried to bubble forth to the front of her mind; only to be quickly squashed back beneath the murky waters. This was not the time to lose her nerve. So she pressed on; huffing as she ran deeper into the heart of the city.

A low rumble caught her attention as she watched a massive titan hover briefly over a rooftop. Her fingers quickly flicked to her blades, finger tips gracing the triggers as she looked for an opening. To attack a titan alone was almost suicide, but one of this size—Mora was possibly insane.

Her steps faltered as she noticed a familiar figure come into view. Tanner? The woman’s frame was turned towards another female cadet. While the behemoth titan had turned, almost as if it was disinterested in the two women and instead turned its focus to a small horde of titans that clamored closer. I don’t understand, her mind twisted over the information her eyes fed it. Titans always killed humans, always.

Her gear hissed as she quickly swung out into the air. She needed to get them away—far away—from here, while the giant was preoccupied.

Her boots dug into the rooftop as she skidded to a halt, heart hammering away beneath her rib cage as Tanner turned to face her with mild surprise.

”Mora? I thought you were one of the lucky ones not to experience this." Tanner questioned. "Not that it matters right now. We have a situation on our hands." Tanner commented, pointing to the tall Titan. “We have little gas, one of us is dead, and Gabriel..." Tanner paused, hesitating to speak before she continued. "...is missing. An abnormal caught him hard enough to send one of his legs flying. Mary went to evacuate Gabriel, but there was a bright light, and then next we knew Gabriel was missing and then that Titan appeared out of nowhere." Tanner let out a sigh as she explained the situation.

Mora stood there, silently, as she let the woman fill her in. Not Gabriel. Her heart mourned. He was surely broken, crushed betwixt the cruel lips of the ever smiling monsters that plagued them. She felt the cold settle further in, Mora had been too late—too slow in her attempt; she was no hero.

"For all we know, the Titan is abnormal. It could have, even as we speak now, devoured one of us,” Tanner picked back up. “But it stands ready to protect us." She sighed once more, irritation sparking. “I don't know what the hell is going on. First, the vanguard crumbles and the Titans start to eat us, then Gabriel disappears and this Titan shows up..." Tanner begins to rant, kicking a roof tile down to the streets below in obvious stress. ”Where is the resupply, anyway? What about the rear guard elites, who get to sit comfortable while we get mauled and chewed on?" Tanner announced, somewhat loudly as she pointed to the bloody mess of leftover cadet and civilians.

She shakes her head, and Tanner looks back to Mora. "I can't complain. We signed our lives away the moment we joined. I'm stupid enough to think of flocking to the Survey Corps in pursuit of my own goals, but dying is currently an option we can prevent. We need a plan. Got one, Mora? Any ideas?”
Ideas, ideas. Yeah, I have a few. The words come tumbling fast and hard across her brain, like a nervous bleeding of disbelief and anger. Her cautious eyes flickering between the two women and the titan. It was surreal, too surreal, as if at any moment it would turn and wipe them from existence. Tanner obviously felt some sort of trust in the monster but Mora couldn’t pull the same faith as her blood thirst raged at the thought of digging her blades into the creatures neck.

“HQ is surrounded,”θshe chirruped. Spitting back the information Connor had given to her earlier. “We’re to retreat.” Mora’s fingers moved to tap the flares. ”Connor found us, Lauren and I. She’s bad—real bad.” Mora tried to quell the noticeable pitch in her throat before continuing, ”So, there’s no backup coming. No gas. No anything.” Her body let out an involuntary tremble.

“My plan is simple. Run.” She quickly shot off her flare as she looked Tanner square in the eye. It was amazing, seeing her now, the softness that still lined her face. And despite the war that raged around them, the death and the bitterness that clung to the air, a faint and joyful memory pulled at Mora as she recalled Tanner's once mistaken identity. Simpler times.

Around him Trost burned. The fires that were tearing through some of the buildings closer to the breach were getting out of hand, and the air was full of a steady stream of ash and ember, had it not been for the earlier rain it could have been surmised that much of Trost proper would have been ablaze. Emil watched blankly as embers fell around him, their warm orange glow snuffing out the moment they touched the wet tiles of the rooftop he was on, each embers life was fickle, easily stomped out by the forces of nature. Emil thought there was a cruel beauty in the delicacy of something with such destructive potential as an ember, as if there were a parallel between them and the lives of the soldiers of Trost. Each theoretically had the potential to wreak havoc amongst the Titans, but they were as easily snuffed out as an ember on the wet ground.

Emil found himself rising to his feet, he tapped the gas canisters at his sides and sighed, they were too low to make it up the wall if he used them to get to it. He could run his way to the wall, although he had little doubt that he would end up a small morsel for the Titans if he tried to run along the streets in order to conserve gas and climb the wall. He turned back toward the Headquarters building, it was far. But he could make it even using his gas, maybe he'd have to run the last block or so, but it could be done. But his hopes were dashed when he noticed the distant silhouettes of larger titans beginning to work their way toward the headquarters building, converging on it. 'There must still be soldiers trapped inside it to garner such attention from the Titans...' he thought as he tried to reassess his options.

The wall was simply to far a run on the ground, and if he used his gas he wouldn't be able to scale it. Headquarters was doable if he were careful and avoided any fights, but even then he wouldn't have enough gas to make it onto the building which left him at the mercy of the small horde of Titans around the area that was ever growing in size.

Emil let the blades from his handles clatter to the tiles at his feet before he slotted a fresh set into place, "Guess this is it then." he said to himself quietly, his demeanor oddly calm for the current situation, he began to walk toward the group of Titans that was devouring Helen below him. He was gripping the handles so tightly that his knuckles were beginning to turn bone white. He counted six. Two 3 metter titans, two four meter titans, a 2 meter titan, and a 6 meter titan. The one with it's hand on the roof was the six meter Titan, close enough that Emil was confident he could take it out by simply jumping off the roof, then he'd have to move for the next closest one, a four meter class. He'd die after that. He was sure of it, but at least he avenge Helen at least a little, everyone else had been avenged. It would only be fair.

He took a deep breath, his hands trembling now as he did. He hadn't wanted this. He'd have been happy living his life on the streets of Wall Rose, dirty and hungry. But he wouldn't be dying right here, right now in Trost to fight an enemy that humanity would never win against. He cursed the judge that had set him up to this, decided his fate for him, placed him where he was now.

He was about to jump onto the six meter Titan when there was a flash of bright light from behind him. He turned quickly to look in its direction but caught no sight of what caused it. Behind him the Titans turned to investigate the light as well, the six meter Titan finally taking notice of Emil as it did. Emil heard the Titan move its hand from its resting place on the edge of the building and instinctively dove forward away from the edge that he stood at, the Titan's hand slamming into the roof where he had just been in a shower of dust and shattered clay tiles. He pulled himself away on his hands and knees until he was confident the Titan couldn't reach him, it's hand blindly reaching at the top of the roof in hopes of snagging another meal.

He turned back in the direction that the flash had originated from, only now to spot a red flare arching high into the sky, "A retreat order..." he said aloud, stunned at the fact that the soldiers were still organized enough to communicate after what seemed to have been a defeat that resulted in the slaughter of most of the forces deployed in the Middle and Vanguards.

He began to run for the other edge of the building, his feet carrying him with a new, vague sense of hope that he could still get out of this. Still survive and live his life as he wanted. Not die to the hands of the inhuman monsters that threatened him here.

He leapt from the building and shot a hook for the bell tower that he had used to land on the roof originally. He swung around the tower and began to make his way toward the origin point of the red flare. Moving quickly and trying not to use much gas, Emil found himself passing the street that his squad had been wiped out at when he saw a girl standing in a large puddle of blood.

Without thinking Emil changed his direction and fell down to the ground landing at a run. He approached the girl from behind, her twin tails and cadet uniform keeping him confused as he ran up. As he passed an intersection he came face to face with a ten meter titan that had been sitting, concealed behind the buildings. It lazily looked his way and began to stand to come after him. Not willing to die anymore he fired his hooks as he ran, aiming for about halfway up the buildings on either side of the road and reeled himself in so that he would run right into the cadet ahead of him.

Emil slammed into the girl and hugged her tight as they shot up into the air, she screamed and began to beat at his arms, the blades of her gear getting uncomfortably close to his face as she did so. Emil aimed for a roof top and set them down, both of them coming apart as they rolled across the wet tiles of the building. He shot up to his feet and ran for the girl, "Helen?! Helen I thought you had died..." he said astounded at her survival, the images of the other cadet being eaten by the group coming vividly to his mind.

"I don't... I thought I was dead..." she said to Emil as she knelt on the roof, her eyes looking directly at Emil but seeming to stare past him at the same time. She shook her head and looked back in the direction of the ten meter Titan that was lumbering toward them, passing the spot where the squad had met its fate. "I thought everyone was dead... To that Abnormal that almost got me, it was so close but Lauren saved me, and then it got her instead." she said, her eyes blankly watching the Titan as it approached.

Emil knelt down and placed a hand on Helen's shoulder, "Hey look we have to get moving, we'll figure out what happened later, but for now we have to go." he said as he lifted her up to her feet and walked to the edge of the building, "We head for that tower," he pointed his blade at the tower that had been the source of the smoke signal, "if we make it there should be more soldiers there, we can make it out of this if we have a bigger group." he feigned confidence as he spoke to her. A larger group meant more chances of survival, but only at the loss of members of the group.

Helen nodded her head at Emil as he spoke, still seeming to focus on something past him before the two stood and shot off for the tower.

As they neared they noticed a few more lone cadets carefully making their way as well although they were too far off to make out or communicate with. But the sense that they were doomed began to wane as they saw more cadets making their way toward the Headquarters. Emil shot his hooks for the top of the tower, the whir of his wires filled his ears as he reeled up to the top of the tower and crested the edge to land on his feet atop the flat roof with Helen following quickly behind, confirmed by the sound of her landing. He looked around the group and noticed Connor "Conn--", and the cadet in front of him, "Lauren!" he yelled as he pushed past a cadet he didn't recognize and grabbed the girl pulling her into a hug, "How." was all he said as he hugged the taller cadet.

The Mysterious Titan continued to stare at the group, waiting for them. Occasionally, it would look back at approaching Titans and engaged them with a strange ferocity and fighting skill the likes not seen in regular Titans. Even stranger was that it was almost...similar in movements to those seen during Shiganshina; the Armored Titan moved as tactically as this one was now. Every movement it made was intelligent and self-aware, like it knew exactly what it was doing. Of course, even with their hatred towards the beasts, the group was able to stave off attacking it, since it was 'helping' them after all. So there it stayed, keeping it's eyes on the group. It's eyes seemed to linger on Tanner specifically, but the large, glowing eyes would find there way at the others. It seemed to pierce through Mora, like it had known every little thing about. The calm state it was in however only served to make the Titan appear more mysterious, since it's behavior was...unnatural compared to those around them; even for an Abnormal.

As Mora and Tanner conversed, the Titan slowly looked over towards the Headquarters that the Cadets were to retreat to in the scenario that they were to retreat to or recover from their mission. As it stared off into the distance, there seemed to be some kind of understanding within it's head. Looking down at the three in front of it, the Titan quickly grabbed on to them all...before placing them on it's shoulder. The beast seemed to only get stranger and stranger as time moved on. Was it really as intelligent as it lead itself to be believed? Was it on their side? Such questions could not truly be answer at the moment as it began to walk slowly, making it's way towards the Headquarters. A useful form of transportation, considering that their gas was beginning to run low. As the Mysterious Titan made it's way towards the Headquarters, it appeared as though it was deliberately taking a path with as little resistance by Titans as possible, as if to protect itself or them.

Finally reaching the Headquarters at long last, the Mysterious Titan immediately spotted a swarm of regular, mindless Titans huddled around the Headquarters, trying to find a desperate meal. With careful movements, the Mysterious Titan took all three of the Cadets and placed them down on a nearby roof. Surely they would be devoured! It was bringing them straight into a feeding grounds! That was, until the Mysterious Titan drew attention to itself. What the Cadets would have been faced with were now engaging the Titan that had brought them there just then! Slowly, the Mysterious Began to dispatch the mindless Titans one-by-one, with Titan limbs being ripped apart or utterly crushed by the brutal efficiency that this strange being had unleashed. As the last Titan slowly made it's way over to the Mysterious Titan, it was met by an overhead swing that knocked in down. The Mysterious Titan let out another loud roar before stomping it's foot down onto the Titan's head. The Headquarters, at least for the time being, was now safe. It looked back over at the group and stared at them, before kneeling near the front entrance of the Headquarters, as if waiting for them to enter. Not even a moment after, the rain began to drop heavily...

"So, there’s no backup coming. No gas. No anything.”

The words were sweet to Tanner's ears, like a mother's gentle whispering to a baby in their arms. Tanner had struggled so hard to keep at least Gabriel and Mary alive so that the two of them might see the light of tomorrow, and now, even if the mysterious Titan had saved them, they were now all destined to run on their own two feet. "Ah, I see..." Tanner mumbled, just loud enough for the two girls next to her to hear. Just for a moment, it had seemed that the one who tried to seek even perhaps the impossible, had lost hope. A lost hope brought upon seeing all their efforts crumble in vain.

By the walls, what could they do? Running on their own two feet was a death sentence against such great beings. They were nearly out of gas and blades, which Mora only served to put the nail in the coffin. No resupply, nor would any reinforcement come. Everything Tanner fought to protect--Gabriel, Mary, Hannah and everyone else the cadet knew--were slated to die if they couldn't get through the gates that opened to Wall Rose or over the wall itself. Was it worth to continue fighting against certain death, or should they just accept their fate? A part of Tanner cursed the names of the elites held back while the cadets suffered through hell.

Yet then, the unexpectable... the unpredictable had happened once more. Something to give Tanner hope once more, despite it being something that she struggled to fathom. Like it was ready to devour the undersupplied cadets, the mysterious Titan had picked up the three girls from where they stood on the orange red roof. Nonetheless, it still had no desire to chew on a human, just like it had done earlier when it saved Tanner from certain death before. Placing the humans on its shoulder, the Titan understood that the cadets had needed to reach headquarters and started to walk at a slow pace. It wasn't as fast as the gear, but it was more than enough to protect them from other Titans.

"I don't know how or what's going on, but at least we're not dying yet!" Tanner shouted loud enough to be heard over the loud crushing footsteps of the Titan that had been so fixated on them. Some cadets whirled past the Titan with faces of surprise and confusion, wondering how exactly they had managed to convince a Titan to aid them. Even Mary--who tried her hardest to live--was a nervous wreck being so close to the humanoid's powerful jaws. Whatever the case was, the cadets still strayed far from the mysterious Titan--their confidence in the abnormal not yet as great as Tanner's.

As the Titan walked through Trost, they came to a crossroads right before reaching the headquarters. A swarm of small Titans, like the one they had faced earlier, stood before the cadets and headquarters. With the care of someone trying not to break fine china, the Titan placed the girls down on a nearby roof, yet right into a possible slaughter, but it was not the cadets who were going to die. The mysterious Titan that had saved them swooped down on the smaller Titans, ripping limbs apart in a bloody mess. An arm was flung in their direction, slamming into the roof tiles in a violent manner. Each roar was loud enough to force Tanner to cover her ears lest damage was done to them.

Once the swarm of Titans were obliterated and dismembered, the Titan looked back down on the three girls with quite the protective gaze. It was oddly familiar to Tanner, reminding her of her still missing beloved. Looking down to the ring on her finger and then back to the Titan itself, Tanner nodded. Gabriel would want her to stay alive, and for some reason, the mysterious Titan knew, especially with the fixated gaze it continued to give the cadet. "Right, Mora, Mary. You've... ah, heard the Titan. Let's go inside." Tanner explained, still somewhat confused as the Titan knelt down and protected the main entrance from Titans.

Inside, the atmosphere was hardly different from the entire district. Despair loomed over the entirety of the headquarters, with some cadets burying their heads somewhere and others struggling to stay alive due to some painful injury. Nonetheless, whispers were certainly directed towards Tanner. A minority went as far as to call Tanner a traitor for bringing a Titan here, but most were confused or amazed that she was able to use a Titan to her advantage so easily. Tanner tried her best to ignore the whispers, focusing more so on the multiple corpses strewn throughout the fortress. Mora was quickly dragged elsewhere by a cadet calling her name, and so all that was left was Tanner and Mary.

Looking around, Tanner spotted some familiar faces here and there. To Tanner, it was good to know that her friends were still alive, despite Gabriel being missing in action. "It seems like it's left to us to figure out how we're getting out of this mess, huh?" Tanner asked as she approached Reese, Grant and Jade with Mary following the cadet like loyal pet. "We've got the score and the skills, it's time for us to use them again." Tanner went on to explain, her lips showcasing a half-assed smile. Even with the Titan guarding the outside, they were fucked in a fucked up situation.

---

The rush of adrenaline flowed through Jade's veins with an intensity she had never felt before. Had she really just helped take down a titan? Had Reese or Jay made it out okay? Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to catch her breath frantically. It was a sudden sound of the gas running out that brought Jade out of her reverie, back into present time. "Crap. We gotta go back." The petite, young woman looked around as she desperately tried to find her comrades. Fortunately they were only a couple of buildings away, which helped Jade reserve the gas that was left in her tanks. "Grant! You did an amazing job!" Jade ran up to the young man and practically tackled him in a hug, glad to see that he was alive and well, but most importantly that he had not left them hanging. "I'm glad we're on the same team, Grant." Jade grinned as she let go of him, turning to see Jay checking his blades and Reese keeping watch for other titans.

"Grant is right, we need to get back to HQ and get more gas. Let's go. Don't engage unless absolutely necessary." Getting back a quick nod from her team, Jade was the first to take off. She made sure to keep a good pace as to not leave the guys behind, and keep from running out of gas.

Once the small group had made it back to HQ, Jade looked around to see if everyone had returned yet. Her mind was partially consumed with the thought of all the titans outside of HQ, but she had to make sure that her squadron was still intact. Pushing past a few people, Jade quickly made eye contact with Lauren, a sigh of relief leaving her body as she waved back to Lauren. Something was wrong though, the young woman could feel it as she walked closer to her friend. "Lauren are you okay?" Jade kept pushing past others, her hand grabbing Emil's shoulder at one point, squeezing it, then softly nudging him out of her way. "Lauren what's going on? Are you hurt?" A crack in the girls soft voice gave away that she was on the verge of going into a panic attack as the realization of her friend being injured settled in.

Once Grant and his team had returned to the HQ, there was a cluster of cadets who were now seemingly lost for words at the disaster that was happening. Almost all of the soldiers here were involved or survivors of Shiganshina, if they hadn't come from the upper-classed districts. It was worrying for everyone to be living this nightmare. No doubt the supply room was flooded with the hostiles that preyed on the soldiers and trainees. It was why everyone was upstairs here rather than down there. It was perfect sense. Grant, whilst Jade had wandered off to check on Lauren, began to wander, looking for the wooden-lift shaft. It took only a small amount of navigating, but when he looked down the small edges, he could make our several splatters of blood and the occasional dead body that was yet to be devoured. His eyes widened a thick width, and his mind vomited into his throat. This was it, his first official time seeing what a soldier would eventually become accustomed too. Even in Shiganshina, Grant was blessed with not seeing as single corpse lying around. And now, well...Here it was. Staring up at him, at least he presumed it was, were the cold deathly eyes of the fallen. He couldn't actually make that out, but it was a cold and desolate figure that pushed itself into his eyes and mind like an illusion from the bowels of hell and beyond.

Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore, and returned to the large gathering. More cadets began to arrive one by one, in squads or alone, trying to figure out what they were going to do. Grant saw no-better feeling but to stand at the back of the now crowding group. People were questioning one another, a few arguing over ideas for tactics, but no one was really sure of what to do. No one was. No one ever was. Eventually, a voice came over the lot, a familiar voice. Tanner stood out to the crowd, addressing them that they had the abilities, the inspiration and the skills to pursue a goal and survive. It was just a matter of how.

The room fell silent, aching in its fear to even remotely speak about what to do. The arguments had left most people stumped as to what to do. Grant thought for a short moment about what he saw, about who these people were and who did what best. Eventually, through the silence left by Tanner's short speech, eventually someone stepped forward. Through the crowd, slightly and gently moving his way to where the rest were, Grant had finally emerged from his usual recluse spot that he'd suffered within for the entirety of his training to speak.

"I have an idea..." Grant's tone was low, serious in his mind. As he entered the centre of the group, he gently paced from side to side, thinking and refining his plan as he processed it in his mind. "There's a lift back there, leading directly to the supply room. But it's obvious that not all of us can just go down there and start killing, no...We need something a bit more...thought through. Call my criticism as you wish, but I think we can pull it off this way. We need the most skilled, if not the more skilled, cadets and soldiers to have what gas we have left. Anyone who has a good quantity of gas should hand it to them. Now, I believe we need to mix both the fast and the strong here. Those with gas and ODM gear will be vital, but then saying that...so will everyone."

He paced around, looking everyone in the face every now and then. Grant noticed Jade's on-edge activity, so he wandered over, giving a slight and just audible mumble of reassurance that he wanted to make sure she understood was all he could say to not interrupt his speech and planning being shared with the rest of the survivors.

"Those we'll give the gas too will be in charge of either drawing the Titans away or killing them. I want, if possible, two groups or duos or whatever to handle this. The first will go down first, start herding the Titans into a group and keeping them away from everyone else. Now, now that's the dangerous job...I only think someone should volunteer for this but...but I won't be surprised if any of us back down. The second group will make sure that any Titans that leave this herd get killed as soon as they are far enough. Now, I mentioned a lift earlier, and with that I mean the rest of us will need to control this lift. With those on the ODM gear mobilising and trying to keep the herd moving away from us, we'll need two more groups on foot. We'll keep the lift low so that anyone can return back up when or if shit goes wrong. The fastest of us on foot will have to run over to the gas dispensers and fill up as many canisters as they can. This...this sounds fucking...fucking suicidal now that I think about it...But the second group needs to have the strongest, able to carry multiple canisters at a time to load them into the lift. If we can get as many canisters as possible into the lift, we can try and bring them to this higher level of safety and use them to at least escape this building. Now this plan...this...Plan...I don't know how much you trust me to do this, because I can't guarantee anyone's safety. Never. Those who don't want to participate, don't be afraid to say...You can stay up here and lower or raise the lift when needed. I know the plan is not safe at all, but no plan is ever safe with a Titan down there...So...Do we have a plan?"

Tanner felt herself groan internally upon Grant's speech and plan.

It wasn't a bad plan by any means, but Grant had essentially volunteered Tanner to become cannon fodder. The cadet was hardly keen to fight inside a enclosed space with Titans with little to no maneuverability, and being both one of the fastest and most skilled with the ODM gear meant that Tanner would be apart of the first wave. Grant offered the cadets a chance to back out and stay behind, but Tanner had felt compelled to partake in the plan due to her status in the rankings.

"Stay here and keep an eye out in case Gabriel shows up," Tanner explained to Mary, stepping forward into a crowd of unsure and afraid cadets. The cadet's gaze was turned towards Grant, who looked on for potential volunteers. "If we live through this, Grant, you owe me big time." Tanner commented with a long sigh of her own. No matter where they walked or stood, it was life or death--outside, or inside. It was only a matter of surviving through hell itself.

Tanner flickered her gaze towards the shaken cadets. Some were eager to volunteer, but the majority had an expression of refusal--that they would refuse to sacrifice anymore after the hell they just went through. "Even with the abnormal protecting us, without gas, escaping will only lead to our deaths. If we sit in here and mope, death will surely come for us as well." Tanner explained, her sight darting through the crowd to ensure she was talking to everyone and that they were all listening.

"Nonetheless, if there is a chance to live another day, I'm going to take it, but I'm not going to die alone if Grant's plan fails. We knew death was a possibility from the moment we joined the Trainee Corps. It's okay to be afraid. Everyone here is, in one way or another." Tanner went on to explain, remembering that only a few moments ago she attempted to sacrifice herself so others may live. Many would consider the cadets' actions foolish, but Tanner knew it was her duty to give everything and even more some.

"However, what isn't okay is to abandon comrades in need. What would those who fell to the Titans think of us if we didn't keep struggling until we saw the light of day? Were their sacrifices worth nothing? That they died just to see us wait until a Titan decides to eat us while we're trapped like birds in a cage?" Tanner continued, her tone growing more serious. It seemed her words were slowly working, as the cadets began to glance around at each other.

"I lost nearly everything in Shiganshina, and I'm still looking for answers, but until I find them, I will fight not just for myself, but for others as well. Now, who's with me?" Tanner asked, waiting for someone to step forward. Her words were first met with silence, and then mumbling. Seconds later, a few nameless cadets stepped forward, standing by Tanner and Grant. Their faces told a story of melancholy, but their smiles told one of heroics. They were the reluctant heroes, and they would fight until the end.

---

Emil tucked his hands and legs into himself and pointed his feet forward as he crashed into one of the many windows of the Headquarters building. He rolled across the wood floor a few times before coming to stop in a puddle of something wet. He dropped his gear handles from his sides as he found himself staring at the ceiling, the cold wet biting at his back as he stared for a few moments. Finally he rolled himself over and hoisted himself up on his hands only to find himself staring at the source of the wetness. A puddle of cold blood that had streamed forth from a soldier that was laying less than a meter from where Emil had landed, his head caved in on one side and completely missing on the other.

He held back his vomit as he grabbed his handles and made for the door, stumbling past a desk and knocking it over in the process before he burst into the hallway of the Headquarters. Expecting salvation from the gruesome sight he was once again assaulted by the smell of the dead and scene in front of his eyes. There was blood strewn about the hallways and bodies lay haphazardly throughout. He swallowed once before gingerly stepping over a body and following the stream of surviving cadets to their new rendezvous area.

As he walked a few cadets whispered to one another, wondering just what went on in the Headquarters for all of this to have happened, others still trying to figure out how they'd now get out of the headquarters, and the rest seemingly silent like Emil himself. Once into the armory Emil quickly found Lauren who was sitting atop some crates, he made his way over to her and then stood silently as he lost himself in thought. He hadn't notice Mora pass by and talk to Lauren, nor had he noticed other cadets that he knew as the streamed slowly into the room, all he could think of was the hell he had just lived through, and the very real fact that he was still very much stuck in it. The Headquarters offering only a short respite from the reality of the world outside. Even that would soon be ruined.

Emil snapped back to reality as Jade squeezed his shoulder and silently pushed past him to get to Lauren. He didn't smile at the girl, or utter any words, merely a small nod as she passed which he was sure she hadn't even noticed as she did. Then as if ushered on by the act the group began to talk. Emil wasn't sure when a plan had begun to sprout in the room, having been zoned out for so long that he only keyed in on the conversation as Grant was explaining his plan, 'Titans in the supply depot...' he thought as he continued to listen to Grant. The boys plan was as good as they were going to get right now, but it meant that people would be dying in the supply depot, and more tahn just a few if what they knew of the Titans held true from an open space to a confined space, it was essentially a death sentence.

He shook his head as he imagined trying to use his gear in the depot itself. Ceiling was vaulted offering some room to move, but the struts were mostly metal beams, nothing that the hooks could reliably catch onto. Which left the walls, the ceiling, and the occasional stone pylon scattered about. "This is going to get very bloody." he said to himself as he stood in place, not yet decided on whether or not he'd be volunteering himself to die once more.

Not to Emil's surprise no one seemed to be willing to throw their lives away after having survived the initial Titan assault on Trost, at least not until Tanner began to start speaking. As he spoke Emil began to fidget in place, a growing sense of guilt rising in his stomach as Tanner spoke of a righteous, "bigger than thou self" game to the rest of the cadets, pushing the idea that if you died it would at least be so others would live. That every drop of blood they had shed was part of something bigger. That together they could overcome the Titans unlike the hundreds who had met their gruesome fates to them before. As he finished his speech, a few cadets stepped forward, some looking more keen to volunteering than others, and some seeming as if they wanted nothing more than to head down into the supply depot and give their everything for what mattered right now.

Emil picked out a cadet that stepped forward, his eyes darting from side to side and sweat running down his forehead as he did. He knew the cadet, Bradley if he remembered correctly. He was terrible with his gear. The fact he was in the room right now spoke of immense luck on his part or that he had suddenly gotten a whole lot better in the last few hours. Forming fists at his side he pushed past a few cadets in front of him and walked straight to Bradley. Emil ejected his worn out blades from earlier, the metal clattering to the ground only briefly. He reached forward, pulling two pairs of Bradley's spare blades from his gear and slotting them into his own, and then connecting his gear to the final pair of fresh blades. Bradley;s confused look grew as with no words he pushed the younger cadet back into the bigger group and moved a bit closer to Tanner.

"You're crazy." he said blankly to Tanner, "You're seriously insane," he shook his head, "I think I might be too."

There had been an audible pause in the air between the trio—like the acceptance of death itself, but that was the life the cadets had signed up for. Wasn’t it? Mora grimaced as her mind poured over the details. The mysterious titan still loomed large before them, setting her already fraying nerves on fire. She felt blistered and raw from the emotions that raged inside, her mind dashing at thousand miles per minute. They needed to run, hard and fast if they were going to make it out of here alive. We’ve got to make it through this, her mind hissed. She needed to stay alive, needed to make sure that Lauren was okay.

The guilt only built up further within her, if only she was a little bit faster.

Pressure snapped Mora back from her thoughts, as the titans hand wrapped around the trio. Her mind burned as she silently cursed herself. This was it, it was going to crush them with a single blow—all because she put her faith in Tanner's judgement. Mora burned with self loathing as she believed her hesitation had just cost the them their lives.

But the pressure faded as the mysterious titan released them upon it’s broad shoulders. Mora blinked once, twice—looking at Tanner in sheer bewilderment. ”Oh.” she said in shock. Her fellow cadets looks at each other in mirrored surprise, Tanner shouting something above the heavy crunching of the titans footfalls. It didn’t make sense, this was nothing like what they were taught. And it went against everything Mora believed in, but there was something new rising in her.

A surge of hope.

A hoard of titans came into view as they neared HQ and Mora let out another shiver. How many were still alive? Dead? These questions buzzed in her ear despite her best intention at squashing them. Death was a way of life, a hard truth she was forced to face that day. It took indiscriminately, but the horror it inflicted never lessened. The weight of each soul settling on her shoulders. 'Hero.’ Shultz’s voice tumbled through the back of her brain. He was an ass, but his lessens burned deep inside of her. His brutality had nothing on the reality the surged around them.

The titan lifted the cadets off its shoulder and set them down once more, Mora quivering beneath the sheer strength and gentleness it showed them. But the hoard of titans were not shown the same mercy, as she watched it turn and dismember them one by one with grim satisfaction.

"Right, Mora, Mary. You've... ah, heard the Titan. Let's go inside." Tanner explained, still somewhat confused as the Titan knelt down and protected the main entrance.

She nodded her agreement and followed the duo inside.

An air of tension was thick inside, everywhere she looked there was death or carnage. People huddled together, seeking a brief moment of respite in the madness. While others glared at the trio—as if they had brought the plague straight to their doorsteps. But Mora didn’t have time to quell their fears, or indulge in their sorrow. Her eyes hungrily swept the area. Where is Connor and Lauren?

”Mora!” a voice called out over the gloomy din.

”Law?” she answered, turning to face another unknown cadet. Oh . . . her mind trailed off in disappointment.

”Your help is needed, it’s urgent,” the cadet said as she motioned her to follow.

Mora nodded and followed behind. Her eyes fixated on the back of her head as they wound a little deeper into the heart of HQ. The scent of blood lingered around her, sharp and foul. She couldn’t help them. The severed limbs and corpses that mingled around the living. Someone will need to clean this up, she thought dryly. Someone would need to collect the dead, chart their identities so that their family could be informed. Mora shut her eyes as she pushed away her thoughts. She didn’t want to imagine them, the pain that would crease their faces as shock and despair shot threw them like hot lead. There was enough sorrow around her, she didn’t need to add to it with her imagination.

The familiar site of Jade and Emil's back came into view and tears of relief sprung to her eyes. They’re alive! her heart cried out, a small blessing among the carnage. But something was wrong. They were huddled around a fallen cadet, as they neared a sense of dread filled her.

The stain of blood was the first thing to catch Mora’s gaze. Fresh and bright against the whiteness of her uniform. Lauren's pallid face, drawn and slick with sweat was the second. Mora's heart skipped a beat. She was here, alive, but on death’s threshold.

Grant's voice caught her attention, she hadn’t noticed him at first—stuck on the sight of Lauren before her but his voice was clear and calm. It rose above the bleakness that pressed around them and spoke of a plan that flirted with sheer insanity. But he wasn’t wrong; the plan was solid, if not entirely crazy. Mora paused long enough to let give him a moment of respect. Grant wasn’t known for being the most vocal but he had a good head on his shoulders. She respected him for that.

As the place set ablaze with fevered chatter, she jogged ahead of her messenger, fingers trembling as she bypassed Jade and Emil.

”Law!” the words came out with an edge of panic as she knelt beside her. She needed a medic. Mora glanced up at her friends, worry painted in their features. Her mind raced, they had called for her—to help.

Be a hero, Mora. Her mind raced as she tried to recall Lauren’s teaching. The girl’s mouth quirked in a smile as she started to say something. ”Hush up. Talk later, first we need to look at your wounds,” Mora forced a confidence she didn’t feel.

She peeled back Lauren’s jacket, her shirt soaked with fresh and old blood beneath. With careful fingers she began to peel away the slick fabric, pausing every time Lauren took in a pained breath.

Below, her flesh was mottled with blooming bruises, a coat of dried blood mingled with sweat and dirt. A long gash split Lauren on her side, reaching from her rib cage to her hip. Mora couldn’t tell the depths of the wound beneath the oozing fresh blood, she needed to get it cleaned.

”Jade,” Mora's voice wavered as she spared a glance to look up at her. ”I need you to fetch me some water and bandages. Antiseptic cream if you can, I can’t—” she hesitated to wet her lips. "I can’t see how deep. We may need to stitch the wound but I need to clean it first. Can you guys do that for me? Please?” her voice clouded with emotion as she shot her a pleading look. It would be faster if she went to look, Lauren had been thorough with her teachings but nothing would tear her away from the wounded cadets side.

Oh, Law. Mora brushed the girl's cheek with blood stained fingertips.

Not everyone seemed to be on board with the plan, but what else was he to expect. As soon as those who decided it was their only hope had stated their involvement, Grant felt a sensation fill his heart and mind. A universal sigh from the winds seeping through open windows brought his mind to where it was. He saw the faces of the worried step forward, or stand back, at the idea of going down there. Why hadn't there been more time to plan this? Grant wanted more time, just more. There had to be another way, right? Some stated that it was their "only" chance. It can't be. Grant didn't want to live with this. This wasn't what he had in mind. Ironic. Wasn't it? The dread began to flow through his blood, into his heart...

Everyone began to follow him, as if he were a leader of a battalion of men and women prepared to fight against odds harshly against them. The lift was their destination for now, as Grant began to load those one by one inside. He waited. Only a few had entered, and some more were still psyching themselves up for what lied beneath their very trembling feet. A theatrical fate was what awaited them. It was just a question of who was going to meet the negative fate...or if all of them would. This was the thought sticking deep into his mind, like a knife in the gut. A killer instinct rested upon his own muse when he thought about whether this plan was made to expend his humanity to give others hope. Seeing Jade preparing himself gave him a moment to think; thinking about the past he's had with the Training Corps and what it's led to. Will he be forgiven by anyone for this task? Will he be alive to face that judgement hour? Will anyone be alive to judge him?

Grant's hands trembled, as did his back. He needed to speak, but his mouth remained shut. He couldn't talk to Tanner, Lauren or anyone else around him. They were already prepared, mostly, or occupied with whatever measures needed to be attended to outside of this mission. He sought only one person who was free, Jade, at that very moment. He jogged over, as if going to prepare and attend to more people. No one could see his anxiety...It would only hinder the mission.

"Jade...A m-moment please?" His voice screamed of nerve and fear, as most people would have. The clear picture of anxiety rested in the area they stood in. A single drop of liquid began to form from his right eye as he quickly continued, knowing there wasn't enough time to vent his fear. "I...I need to vent...I'm not ready for this...Not the mission, I'd do that alone if I could. But I-I...I'm not ready to see people die, Jade...Not by my command. I can't expend these people, no matter who they are. I d-don't want names haunting me for a plan I made in limited time...I don't want this to be someone's fate because I had a single idea of how to get gas.

His trembling hands thrusted upwards to clear dust and sort out his composure on his jacket. A tremolo dynamic of sighing heavily with a worried smile crept onto his face, looking around. He knew Jade was busy, helping the others. He didn't want to keep her for long.

"Ironic, isn't it?" He began to speak once more. "I finally speak to help others, to talk to others...and all it's going to do is put me somewhere cold and desolate. A place of regret, right? It's...ironic. Lord...I'm a mess, aren't I?" A smile and uneasy chuckle left his lips as he wiped his tear away, listening to what she had to say back. Jade was nice to talk to, out of all the people he'd trained with, he was glad to have given her the horse during Shiganshina.

Grant departed from his interaction with Jade feeling slightly better from venting his thoughts. But his thoughts were still there, and they would be for the rest of time. But for now, all that mattered was that he was to go down with those who chose to follow-suit with his plan. It was his mind-set to be the last one to leave the place. But that wouldn't be possible, especially when others were going to die. It was as if death itself had selected Grant as his messenger. Why must this be my decision? Who decides such things? The lift was spacious, enough for cannon movement and repairs. It could support the weight of a lot of soldiers, just as it was intended to do. It was a perfect movement contraption for the situation. Hopefully it would bring more than a few up alive with a successful mission.

As soon as the large group of Cadets who had decided to commit to the plan had arrived, Grant began to nod to whoever controlled the lift, asking them to lower it slowly and carefully. From here, he began to express his plan in specifics to those doing what role...

"Those with gas left, you need to first cooperate to round up as many titans as you can. You've been split into two teams to decide who herds the majority and who kills the stragglers. Those who kill the stragglers will be the protectors of the ground group. Ground group will run out to open areas to grab the gas, fill up canisters and return to the lift. When we fill the boxes, providing things goes well, we will then retreat back upwards. Those who are about to run out of gas...Please retreat...Retreat as soon as you can to ensure you don't waste your life. If you wish to carry on though, it's your choice. I don't want you to die, any of you...But I thank you all for helping me with this. Now let's go give our friends a chance to escape, even if we don't..."

As soon as the lift was lowered enough for them to leap down, those who had gas began to leap into action. When the lift was low enough, those on foot ran quickly, gas canisters in hands and hearts content on getting what their friends needed. Grant himself also left the lift, taking a run with a few cadets he didn't know. They looked frightened, but also determined to act. He did too. As soon as they reached the wall, they thought it was going smoothly. No one in their group had been caught, so the filling process was easy to start. They fiddled with their gas canisters as they filled them up as quickly as they could. The thundering thuds of feet behind them grew louder as an individual 7 metre titan began its slow approach. Grant stared into its eyes, then at the cadets he was with. Without saying much, he gave his canister to the nearest cadet.

"Take this, I'll draw its attention away. Remember. As soon as these are done, bring it back up to the lift." He began to move as quickly as he could, starting to catch the titan's attention. It was clear that it was seeing him, the tallest of the small group, as more to eat. Though they ate for only pleasure, it seemed unlikely that he would survive without the help he ordered. Running to the side, luring it away form his group as best as he could, he called out with his lungs content. "I need someone with gas! 7-Metre not following the herd!"

It had seemed her speech drew more attention than Tanner bargained.

Several cadets stepped forward, from those of lesser skill to those of greater renown. Nonetheless, some of the prodigies, like Emil, had chosen to take the burden of the task from the rookies themselves, perhaps lessening the amount of bloodshed that was surely expected in coming minutes. It had been something Tanner agreed with, but deep inside, she knew there would still be death and blood. "If I weren't insane, I wouldn't have joined the military, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Gabriel... would understand such words." Tanner replied, swapping out her own worn blades and canisters with what could be spared. Thinking about Gabriel had brought a momentarily pause, but Tanner shook her head to focus back on task at hand.

Once the supplies were refreshed, Tanner made way to the lift that connected the headquarters to the refueling station. While there were many cadets willing to fight, only a few could be considered ready in any aspect. Some were saying their prayers, hoping to die, while others, like Grant, were fearful of atoning with what might be their death. Seeing their sorrowful faces caught Tanner wondering what she would do if she was in their shoes. After all, none of them wanted to die, but Tanner had felt there was a greater force at play. They had to fight to protect what was theirs, especially their loved ones. It was in their blood and their culture, molded by the monstrous savages that thought them to be an afternoon snack until they were full and vomited what was once human beings inside slimy chunks of flesh.

Eventually, the group had rallied to the lift, and Grant gave the signal to a cadet to lower them into Titan territory. On the way down, Grant explained the plan once more, while Tanner glanced towards Emil. Together, they were some of the quickest and skilled cadets in the entirety of the Trainee Corps, both of them having ranked in the top ten. According to Grant's plan, they could fit in both roles he had set out for the cadets braving the depths of hell. Deciding on the former, Tanner wondered what Emil would choose. In all regards, death would become a slim possibility if someone like Emil was aiding Tanner in covering the cadets on the ground. It was only a matter if Emil had felt the same as Tanner, just as he did moments ago during her speech.

Once the lift had fully descended, the cadets were quick to do their respective duties. Some had used the gear to reach the beams above, running around in attempt to round up the Titans in a group, while others sprinted as fast as they could to the refueling stations. It had seemed Grant's plan was perfect, and working with out incident. Almost too perfect. Out of the corner of her eyes, Tanner had noticed--aided by Grant's shouting--a seven meter Titan walk towards the cadets refueling the canisters. "Damn it," Tanner spoke, more or less to herself. "Keep them busy! This one is mine!" The cadet shouted, sprinting along down a center beam. Hooking her wires into the Titan's back, Tanner spun like a circular saw blade, slicing deep into the nape.

Landing quickly with a loud thud behind her, Tanner turned to Grant. "Don't worry about me. Keep on refueling, and get as many canisters as you can to the lift." Tanner stated, although it was more of an order than a simple remark. Without waiting for an answer, Tanner ran back into the fire of hell, shouting at a Titan that appeared capable of breaking rank. "Hey, ugly! Come get me!" Tanner shouted, staring death straight in its face as the Titan turned its attention to the girl. Using the gear, Tanner swung herself out of the Titan's reach, but close enough to where it could still see her. Come on, Grant. Hurry up the process! Tanner thought, watching the Titan grasp empty air. Hopefully Lady Luck was smiling down on them, and everything would be all over soon and safety would be in their reach.

---

Emil found himself stifling back laughter at the ridiculously idealistic sense of duty coming from Tanners words, 'Sacrifices aren't always necessary, can't do your job and keep others safe if you're dead' he thought to himself as he simply nodded at Tanner blankly. He checked his blades once more, and gave a tap to his almost expended gas canisters just to be sure there was at least something left in them before he slowly followed Tanner to the lift at the center of the room.

As he'd stepped on the lift he couldn't help but wonder just what was waiting below. The reports had said that the Titans were in the storeroom, but who was to say that they hadn't wandered off by now? 'Wishful thinking...' he realized as he squeezed the grips on his blades tighter. Around him the other cadets that had volunteered, out of a skewed sense of duty, an over inflated sense of honor that comes with dying, or simply because it had to be done by someone seemed to be preparing themselves in their own little ways. Some cried. Others embraced. A few seemed to be saying a quiet prayer or two. It didn't matter to Emil. He was pretty sure at this point that nothing mattered, that life just didn't make any sense. That it never would.

The lift began to move and Grant once again grabbed the cadets attention as they went down, explaining the plan one final time before they'd be within reach of the Titans below. Emil felt a sense that he already knew what was expected of him, and it only made sense considering what the others knew of his skill with the maneuver gear. He sighed, wiping away the small beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead as Grant was speaking before turning his attention to the wall as it disappeared above them, opening them up to the expanse that was the supply room below.

The lift came to a sudden halt just short of the ground and the cadets were off to fulfill their tasks. Emil hooked into the ceiling above and reeled himself quickly up to one of the beams at the ceiling. Landing on the beam on his feet he quickly went about getting a grasp of his surroundings. The supply room wasn't very well lit, it was likely that some of the torches had been put out in the chaos when the Titans broke in, and to top it off the beams in the room made it a whole lot harder to see and maneuver using the gear then he would have preferred, far tighter than the Forests of giant trees they had trained in.

He heard Tanner yelling somewhere off in front of him, followed by the crash of a Titan being done in which made him feel slightly better about the whole situation. Until he heard Tanner acting as a decoy. 'Hey hey we both know that's not where you're needed.'he thought to himself as he lodged a hook in a pillar to his front and stepped off the beam, sending himself reeling in toward the pillar. As he flew forward he noticed the Titan that Tanner was leading away from the main group of cadets that were hastily filling canisters at the supply point, it reached out for Tanner but but came up empty, a smile appearing across Emil's face as he pivoted in the air to put his feet in between him and the beam.

He landed sideways against the beam just a meter off the ground. Quickly gaining his bearings he shot his remaining hook past a steel beam to his left and used what gas he had to accelerate toward the beam on a course that would have him pass it on the opposite side of his wire, hopefully pulling him to the right around the beam and interesting across the nape of the Titan as it followed Tanner. Hopefully.

As he flew forward he readied to release his hook as not to kill himself by wrapping around the steel beam and grunted as the sudden change in direction seemed to yank him from his course at full force. He released his hook and use a burst of gas to ensure he was on course, just a moment later his blades would slide into the nape of the Titan following Tanner, slicing cleanly through with ease as Emil flew past it. The Titan dealt with Emil would land on the ground running to keep from face planting before turning to Tanner, "We have to make sure that the others are okay, that was not your job to lure them out!" he yelled before sprinting off in the direction of the others, deciding to save his gas for when it was really needed.

Jade had been overcome with a million emotions as she stood in her spot and blocked the world out. Her eyes stared at those whom she believed were her friends, yet she felt nothing anymore. No ties to them, no emotional connection. It was as if, due to everything that she was feeling, her body had shut down and gone numb. She tried to grab on to every word that Lauren said to her, but it was as if everything was just slipping out of her grasp. It wasn’t until a familiar voice rang in the petite girl’s ears that had her turn slightly to focus on Mora’s face. Jade still felt nothing as Mora threw demands at Jade, in which she did not respond to. After a while of Jade just staring at the two, she finally seemed to get a grip on reality and shook her head, which seemed to take more muscles than she ever imagined. “I…. I think you should tell one of the other little medic cadets to do that, Mora.” With that being said, Jade motioned for another fool nearby to help out the two girls, hoping that they could get something done while she went out and found a way to take out her anger that had slowly began to rise up inside of her.

She had barely began to turn around when she her her name come from a voice behind her. It was Grant, who seemed to be unraveling at the seams. He always kept such a cool and collected demeanor, but as Jade looked at his face she could see something was more than bothering him. “Hey Grant,” she was able to find her voice and was thoroughly surprised that she didn’t sound like the completely mess that she felt she was, “Is everything okay?”

As Grant spoke, Jade couldn’t help but to feel slightly guilty for not having backed up Grant back when he was telling everyone what the plan was. She watched as he dusted himself off with trembling hands and offered the young man a warm smile as she reached up and took his hands with hers. “Grant, we signed up for this. Each and every one of us knows exactly what we were doing when we made our decision. If anyone dies, it won’t be because of you. They will be sacrificing their lives because they want to help our people. Please don’t let that distract you… If it makes you feel any better, I’ll stay by your side the whole time… We’re in this together.” Even though the young woman felt as if she were about to run off screaming, she had to keep herself together in order for her peers to not lose it.

At that point, all Jade could do was hope that Grant took every word she said to him and it helped him gain some sort of comfort. Unfortunately, though, he still seemed distracted. With that observation in mind, Jade gathered her thoughts and prepared herself before going after Grant and keeping up with him. He was distracted, and a distracted fighter was a liability. Jade would make sure that Grant carried out his master plan without a flaw and lived to tell the tale. She got on the lift and readied herself in case she needed to use her blades. She had enough gas in her tanks to take to the air, but she refused to leave Grant’s side just in case. The brunette followed suit as soon as the lift was low enough, keeping up with ease as she kept an eye on the surroundings. Her attention was quickly grabbed by a 7-meter titan, a look of disgust falling on Jade’s face as she made eye contact with it. Grant was the first to respond, heading after the monster without thinking twice. Jade was the next, taking to the air with a sudden jolt, seeing as how her body responded much quicker than her actual mind. “Grant! Like before, I’ll take the knees out and you hit the nape!”

With her hair flinging back as she flew with an incredible speed, a sense of satisfaction grew inside of Jade as she imagined taking out the titan. Her eyes had been so focused on the back of the knees that she hadn’t seen that the giant had begun to reach over to her. A single scream escaped her lips as she tried to react quicker than the titan. She had merely escaped the titan’s grasp before the other hand reached for the young woman. She had not calculated her speed and had reached the titan faster than she had anticipated, and to add on to her failure, she had not expected for the brainless cannibal to react to her. “Fuck! No!” Another quick miss on behalf of the titan which threw off Jade from her plan, and sent her rolling through the air and onto the ground, skidding to a stop.

A small groan could be heard emanating from Jade, but she didn’t let the fall stop her. Disoriented, she stood up as quickly as she could before making herself a bit more steady and getting away from the 7-meter before it could step on her.

"We have to make sure that the others are okay! That was not your job to lure them out!"

The words rang like a clear bell in Tanner's ears, yet they were something she could not abide by. "Would you rather seen it maul and devour someone? I can handle my own, but what about them?" Tanner exclaimed, her voice echoing over the thud of the fallen Titan that Emil had slain. She knew Emil and herself didn't always see eye to eye, even more so with Tanner's recent actions. They were both skilled with the ODM gear, but there was considerable difference in the thinking process between a criminal who just wanted to keep himself alive versus someone who had been determined to reach their goals.

Still, Tanner wasn't here to debate philosophy. There were Titans to slay and cadets to protect, and Tanner needed to get a move on. Hearing a loud “Fuck! No!” come forth from the surrounding battlefield, Tanner quickly darted her eyes around to locate who was in trouble. Spotting Jade from a distance, Tanner knew she had been in trouble when she saw the seven meter Titan attempt to pounce on the cadet. Sprinting headfirst into danger, Tanner slung herself forward by embedding a hook into a wall. Using the velocity of the swing, Tanner swung around the Titan while it was distracted by a fleeing Jade.

Testing the limits of what gas she still had, Tanner struck her hooks deep into the Titan's nape. Reeling herself forward, Tanner cut into the Titan with her weathered blades, slaying the beast before it could take a juicy bite from Jade. Moving in to ask if Jade was alright, Tanner was quickly cut off by the sudden appearance of a green cloak... and then two more green cloaks of the Survey Corps. Despite the battlefield raging around them, Tanner froze upon seeing one of the females of their scout party. "I-It couldn't be..." Tanner mumbled, her body going numb in surprise. Had her longtime search finally ended? Would she no longer have to pester soldiers for information?

Whatever the case was, it would have to be dealt with later. Closing her eyes and sighing, Tanner quickly went to resume battle alongside the rest of the cadets--now with the aid of fresh and veteran soldiers.


"Well, ain't this just a right fucking mess?"

Fresh from the battlefield, Marissa was no stranger to the death that was the Titan menace. The expedition had split into two groups, and Marissa and her squadmate Mateo were to follow Captain Alice into the heart of the mess that befell Trost. A trail of smoking Titan bodies littered the path the scouts took, each slain by the veterans that were ordered to seek intel and find survivors from what surely was a costly battle. Along the way, the scouts encountered a lone Garrison soldier, having fled with fresh canisters from whatever fate his comrades were forced to accept.

Marissa couldn't blame the soldier for wanting to flee. They had only fought Titans from above the great walls that surrounded humanity, and it was a human's natural instinct to keep itself alive. Still, Marissa was at odds with the soldier for fleeing as well. Marissa struggled with the concept of abandoning her fellow comrade to the Titans, a thought process forged by the training of scout veteran. Escorting the soldier alongside their advance, the scouts eventually reached the headquarters, seeing both what they expected and something they did not. They knew that there would be blood and death, but seeing so many cadets struggle instead of fleeing was surprising sight.

"The captain is always eager to fight the Titans, don't you think, Mateo?" Marissa noted with her usual charming smile, as Alice leaped down to where the battle was. "I'll sweep low, and then upwards, while you handle the opposite." Marissa went on to reply, following the captain downwards to where the Titans and humanity were battling it out. Using her gear, Marissa hitched her hooks deep into a post as she swung towards a Titan, slicing the calf muscles as the scout glided underneath its legs. While Mateo went for the nape, Marissa continued her glide and threw herself upwards, striking the nape of the next Titan once Mateo had forced the Titan to kneel.

With a quick gaze around, Marissa noticed that the numbers of Titans began to rapidly decrease. Maybe humanity will win this day... Marissa thought, returning to aid Mateo and the Captain in their conquest. Maybe.

---

Grant kept moving, seeing the ceiling be littered with the flailed hooks of those fortunate enough to have gas. They were fast, faster than those stuck on their feet like Grant was. As his vision remained somewhat blurred due to his panic, he could still make out some small travesties across the other side of the supply hall. A few cats, caught in the hands of the great beasts that plagued the room, district and world. Everything was terrifying to even take in, and he couldn't help but feel nothing but fear and anger at his own plan. There would've been the time for a better plan, if they had just waited longer. But they couldn't, there was such a panic from Grant that they were now being forced to withstand the hellish area they were now within.

So far the group on the ground had each made around 4 trips back and fourth, giving everyone upstairs at least two canisters each. This was the plan after all, but the losses being shown from loading the canisters into the lift were apparent, and the death toll began to slowly grow. Not only those helpless on the ground were being picked off, but those in the upper levels in their gear were also being caught in the moment of death and dishonor. It was painful to witness; it was hideous to deal with. It was finally the time for Grant's morals to take its toll on the situation. As he ran, with two final full canisters resting tightly under each arm, he called up to those on the ground and those in the roofing. They needed to understand what was happening before he could even think about putting any plan of action into play.

"E-Everyone! F-Fall back to the lift, we can't continue for any longer!" As he made he was back, almost lobbing the canisters onto the lift, he waited, pulling as many of those scurrying around on the floor onto the lift. Those who were still fighting were dependent on keeping the Titan threat away from the lift in order to save those who were helpless in the fight. Once everyone was aboard who was without their ODM gear, he called up the shaft for those in control to start hoisting them up with the built-in mechanisms. The lift shunted, as if it hesitated at first, before it began to rise slowly with the creaking sounds of wood holding the weight of the loaded canisters. It was a lot of cargo to be lifting in such a short notice, but Grant hoped to the walls and stars that they would be able to lift themselves up in time. The lift continued to ascend and Grant called out to all of those who were still fighting in the Cadets. He wasn't aware that there was anyone else from the senior and veteran corps of the military. They were all called to rejoin the lift, seeing as it was now halfway up its ascent and out of most of the Titan's reach...

---

A stern look struck his face, splintering the room with a dismal look. Mateo was no stranger to the conflict, not anymore than Marissa, his closest companion, was. To some degree, he was used to it and accepted it only as his life. This, however, was not a reason to excuse his remorse for witnessing such disaster and defeat throughout the city. On the journey to the headquarters, which involved countless attempts at cutting down opposing titans, Mateo had seen countless bodies littered around the area, still not consumed by the dark entities that plagued the face of the earth. It was a bleak day indeed, even for someone as used to death as Mateo. He was sure that his more formal brother, Johan, would also be less pleased by the sights of the young and old dead, despite their differences in personality. But then there were Captains like Alice Hart...

Captain Al' Hart wasn't someone that was acquainted with the previous Squad Leader, but Mateo knew many things about her from rumors and past experiences with others. In all honesty, he thought she was no different to him before he was discharged. They had finally been paired, and he knew exactly that the Captain would have no idea who she was partnered with. Two veterans, probably serving only a year less than herself, who were removed from the frontlines due to their decisions on the battlefield. Johan would have been a much more satisfying Captain to watch over them, but he was with the second group of soldiers that made up the initial expedition. It was a price to pay, having someone you didn't know and weren't quite sure to trust, but Mateo held his composure and accepted it.

Marissa stated that their Captain's enthusiasm and eagerness to fight was quite humorous, but Mateo found it worrying. Knowing Marissa like the back of his hand, and vice versa, she could only expect for him to share his own true opinions on the matter. You can't suppress a soldier's own mind, after all.

"It's her ego that is keeping her from being restrained. I should know from my own behavior, after all." He nodded at her callouts for a plan as the two sprang into action, finally covering the last time the lift was returning to the safer upper-layers of the headquarters. It was unfortunate however that he hadn't yet spotted someone that would light up his mood once more.