invidia 『Hange Zoë』

4: "go careful"

(Gore and Death warning)

『❀』

Whilst trips outside of the safety of the Walls are definitely exhilarating, freeing in a way nothing else is, like escaping the shackles of life and making a break for a new future, it's absolutely terrifying at times too.

"Another seven metre headed this way!" Alice yells, shooting a red flare into the sky in the hopes there are other people alive to relay the message towards command. This is the fifth titan you've encountered in the space of about thirty minutes, your team's position on the outer left wing of the formation at the rear. "(Y/N), someone needs to break off and explain the situation to command properly! There's something wrong here!"

"Not yet!" You call back, throwing a sideways frown at her as she groans in annoyance. "Alice we need all of us here if they get too close!"

As the expedition continued on, having been outside the walls for nearly seven hours now, you'd regrouped as a team at the sight of a purple flare from Pyotr and Alice, who had been stranded by their horses after fighting an abnormal. You and Emmeline had arrived first with a spare horse followed by Theo and Finnegan, completing your team, and upon being almost immediately followed by a small group of three titans, decided to stay together until you were in the clear. So far, there was no sign of relent from the onslaught.

"Eight metre behind that one!" Theo shouts, and you feel fear begin to grip your system, hands shaking where they hold the reins of your horse. "This really isn't good, why isn't anyone copying our flares along!?"

You'd barely noticed the lack of corresponding flares from ahead, only one from the right hand side shooting off in the distance, but looking up into the sky confirms his comment. That's definitely not good. "There must be a reason, but until we know, we should keep going!"

Reading your team is a sixth sense, and you can tell they aren't happy with your order, but they follow it regardless, knowing better than to mistrust you. After all, it's been your orders that have kept them alive this long. Their trust in you is hard-earned and well deserved.

A quick glance to the titans following you reveals the lack of safe distance from the huge creatures. 'We need to engage them both, they're getting much too close!'

"Okay, Alice and Finnegan, take the one to the back, Theo and I will take the one in front, Emmeline grab two horses and Pyotr take the other two!" You order, deciding that at their current distance, these two titans pose too great a threat if they were to get closer. "Theo, slash it's eyes, I'll get the nape!"

"Yessir!" He calls out as he grapples his ODM gear to a tree near the titan, you doing the same, flying towards the beast.

Your mind almost shuts off when you're killing them, shifting into autopilot, years of experience making doing this like second nature. Pushing yourself up above the titan's head, you watch as Theo takes out its eyes before falling back to safety, and you strike, your blades slicing through the flesh at the back of its neck like butter. Hot steam erupts from the area you cut out, blood staining you and your swords, the titan falling face first into the ground. You ride it down before rushing back to your team, hopping back onto your horse and doing a quick headcount.

"Great job everyone!" You cry out the compliment, breathing harsh and voice a little shaky, but still strong enough that the others can hear you. "Let's keep going!"

The blood evaporates, but it leaves your (H/C) hair somehow a little wet still, and you frown. It doesn't normally do that.

"(Y/N)! Is it raining?!" Emmeline worries from your left side, holding one of her hands out and catching a few of the drops on her hand. "That's not good!"