The Bloom Titan (1/2)

CH.55: Grace

I use my gear to fly up onto a neighbouring house and run along the roof in search of Levi and the other squad leaders. I jump from roof-to-roof, scanning the area before me.

I finally spot Levi standing ontop of one of the nearby roof's, looking over at the wall behind him. But a flying piece of rock captures my attention more than anything else. More pieces go flying by my field of vision.

I turn round to see what it's source was. I see more fragments of rock flying right my way so I duck and cover my eyes. I open one eye slightly to look at the source.

The Beast Titan started standing up straight as if he just pitched something. He done it. All the houses before me started collapsing and high-pitched screams echos through my ear canals.

A piercing pain strikes my right eye and I let out a scream of pain. I fall to my knees and clutch my eye in vain. A sincere pain was screaming through my nerves. Did I get hit?!

I let go and examine my hand and there it is. Blood. Thick, crimson liquid was dripping onto my hand. I wince and stand up wobbily. I go into a pocket inside my jacket and grab a roll of bandage. I pull it out and I start wrapping it around my head, over the eye, until the roll finished.

I tuck the end of the bandage into a bit over my eyebrow and pick my swords back up. It was difficult to look about with one eye as I now have a blind spot to my right.

I suck up the pain and leap over the roof's to where Levi stood. "Levi!" I yell, my voice wavering. He notices me and his eyes widen. He jumps down from the roof he stood on and runs up to me.

"Shit! What happened to you?!" He removes a piece of my hair that was over the bandage.

"I got hit. But, I'll be alright. It'll heal over time, luckily." I glance over to the Beast Titan who was grabbing another boulder and crushing it in his hand. "That fucking monkey just wiped out half of our soldiers in one pitch." I glare at the Beast Titan as it lifted up it's hand, getting ready to throw again.

Wait, it's getting ready to throw again! I turn to Levi but Erwin who stood upon the wall caught my attention.

"Frontal bombardment! All soldiers, take cover!" He shouts down to us.

"Shit! You guys!" Levi takes off towards the soldiers that were exposed to the on coming blast.

"Levi!" I take off after him as the Beast Titan launches the fragments of boulder at us. I reach Levi and jump over the top of him, pulling him down between a row of houses. I hit the ground and Levi rolls off of me. He grabs my forearm and pulls me up to my feet.

The dust around us was a murky red and brown. Screams fill the atmosphere once again and the houses shielding us shake violently.

"Damn it! The recruits!" I wail. "We need to tell them!" Levi nods curtly.
 
I run out of the allyway behind Levi and we use our gear to quicken our pace.

I hook an anchor into the last house and land in front of the recruis.

"The Titan is throwing rocks!" Levi informs them.

"Captains?!" Marlo questions. I draw a sword and point it to the wall.

"All of you take the horses to the wall at once!" I order in a stern voice.

"R-Roger!" Marlo reply's. Another round of boulders is flung and some hit the houses behind the recruits. They all duck and cover their heads and some even fall to their knees.

"Hurry! Stay outta the line of fire!" Levi yells at them. They all get to their feet and grab two horses each.

The smell of fresh blood it strong in the air. It's metalic smell making me want to be sick.

A horse rears up nearby and starts galloping away from the recruit. It's gray coat and ebony mane and tail giving away it's identity. Zip.

I sit my fingers in my mouth and whistle for him. He hears and recognises my whistle and starts galloping towards me. He whickers as he reaches me and nuzzles my shoulder.

"Zip, calm down boy." I glide my hand down his neck soothingly. He calms down and the recruit that was handling him runs over.

"I'm sorry Captain! He freaked out and ran off." Ebony apologises. I hand her his reins and put my finger on his nose.

"Be good for young Ebony, or there will be no more treats once we get home." I scold him. I turn to Ebony. "Look after him, please."

She nods firmly. "Yes, ma'am!" She runs off wih the other recruits with two horses in tow.

I run after the recruits to make sure none of the horses make a break for it again. Levi runs up next to me. "How's your eye?" He asks. I had completely forgot I injured my eye.

"It's painful now that I remember I have it. But I can see it steaming." I reply. Floch ahead of us falls to his knees and starts crying. Levi runs over to him and grabs his hood.

"Hey, stand up! You wanna die?" He pulls Floch up to his feet and pushes him ahead as we'd reached the wall finally.

A tall, blonde commander comes down from the wall.

"Commander!" I hear Marlo shout. I walk up to him with Levi by my side.

"How's it looking?" Levi stops in front of him.

"Terrible. His throws have completely destroyed the front line of houses. If he keeps on throwing, everything will get leveled. We won't have anywhere left to hide." Erwin states blandly. I wince.

"We can't retreat to the other side of the wall?" I look up at him. Erwin shakes his head.

"No... The Colossal Titan is already heading this way. Spreading fire all along his path. Supposing we scale the wall to evade he stones, we'd have to leave the horses." I grit my teeth in frustration. "If we retreat here, there's no hope for victory."

"What happened to Hanji's group? Is Eren all right?" Levi's tone steady but he was certainly worried. I was also worried.

"I don't know. But the majoriy of them were caught in that explosion." My heart drops. "We've been dealt a serious blow. The Beast Titan directed the small Titans so our soldiers would group up in one place. As such, while engaging the small Titans, Dirk Squad, Marlene Squad, and Klaus Squad were all wiped out by the bombardment. In other words, or remaining forces this side of the gate... consists of you new Survey Corps recruits, Captain Levi, Captain Ezlyn, and... me."

Another round of boulders come flying our way but Erwin, Levi and I do not flinch. I was angry. Angry at the fact all my friends could be dead at this very moment. The ones precious to me. The ones that have kept me going strong, could be dead.

"Erwin... Do you have any sort of plan?" Levi asks. I look up into Erwins deep blue eyes, hoping for any kind of assurance of any emotion to say he did.

But that emotion never came.