Attack on Titan: Bloodline -- Version 2

• Chapter 40 •

Caven watched as the three small barrels were rolled down the crystalline steps and into the center of the cavern. She gasped, watching as Sasha swiftly aimed her bow and a flaming arrow directly at them. She exclaimed, "Shit! Gunpowder!" She looked around and said, "Judging by those fires, those barrels have bags of oil on them."

Levi pulled the triggers of his ODM Gear handles and growled, launching himself upwards into the crystalline structures. He and Mikasa drifted left and right while below them the other Scouts launched signal flares up into the chamber, clouding everyone's view with shades of green, purple, and red. Caven cursed aloud.

Levi said, "Right. Thirty-five total! In the upper part of the pillars!"

Lorraine gasped, hearing Levi's voice through the smoke. She ran to the cage door and shouted, though her mouth was still gagged, so her words were muffled and her throat still burned from her previous tireless vocalization.

Levi shouted, "Continue the plan! We'll take them all out right here!"

Caven yelled, "Everyone, scatter! Let them spread out, then surround them!"

Lorraine watched as Military Police and Scout Regiment soldiers flew up, down, left, right, and every direction in between. Shots were fired. Sasha shot another one of those explosive barrels, causing a huge blast and more smoke to envelop the area while Armin let off smoke flare after smoke flare. She kicked and threw herself at the bars again, noticing that the nearby blast had loosened the bolts holding the cage together.

Mikasa swung herself around the pillars gracefully and swiftly, taking out soldiers. Connie dipped in and out of the smoke screen. Levi searched for Kenny and Lorraine, taking out soldiers along the way. He set his sights on the blonde leader, Caven, but just as he pressed his button to speed forward into action, he heard a shot behind him.

"Woo-hoo! Hey, Levi."

Kenny hung on one of the pillars, watching as Levi hid behind another. He chuckled, "I don't exactly have time to waste on ya, but I just can't have ya gettin' any further." Levi growled as he heard Kenny's machinery clanking together.

Lorraine called out to the best of her ability, hoping one of her friends would hear her and come for her. She kicked at the rattling, metal bars over and over. The more she kicked them, the looser they became. Crystal shards fell from the ceiling where the metal had been drilled into it and the hinges of the gate shrieked with every impact her foot made. Outside, shots continued to ring out, shells fell to the floor, bodies collapsed onto the stone ground, and explosions and smoke flares went off repeatedly, making it nearly impossible to see into the air where her comrades and Kenny's men were fighting. As she kicked at the gate, another huge explosion went off right next to the gate, sending the door falling off its rusted hinges to the ground next to her. She seized the opportunity and ran out of the gate, hiding behind one of the nearby pillars.

Levi and Kenny swerved in and out of the smokescreen, dodging the pillars as they danced around, each skillfully dodging the others' attacks. Kenny boasted, "I taught ya this one, boy!" He pulled a trigger and pulled behind Levi, firing his weapon into one of the wooden platforms posted at the top of one of the pillars, shattering it.

"When you're chasin' your enemy, you shouldn't just stare straight ahead!"

Levi shot down into the smokescreen. He rolled to the ground, grabbing a bag of oil that hadn't been ignited yet, then launched himself back up into the air, attaching himself to the top of a pillar. Beside him, Kenny lunged at him, his curved dagger in his hand. As Levi dodged, he felt the sharp edge slice open his cheek. Blood dripped backwards with the wind into his ear. Ignoring the blood, he spun around and threw the oil-filled bag into the air between him and Kenny, who fired his gun at Levi, hitting the bag instead. It ignited with a loud bang. Levi took the opportunity to lunge through the flames, but as he brought down his blade, Kenny held up his dagger defensively. Kenny snarled as Levi pushed the blade out of his grip, letting it fall to the ground beneath the smokescreen, then slashed through his stomach. Blood sprayed into the air and Kenny hid behind a pillar. Levi landed on one of the wooden platforms.