BLOODSPORT

Episode 12

It hasn't even been thirty minutes and already red smoke could be seen from a distance.

Rhea stood on top of the Wall alongside her brother and other Cadets. Glancing to and from the Commander back to the smoke, Rhea couldn't help but feel useless just standing there. Obviously some debate was going down between Pyxis and the other section Commanders but Rhea couldn't speak a word to them. They wouldn't listen or let her go figure out what went down between Eren and Mikasa's group.

"Its over. They failed." Marco stated beside her and Armin.

"But how?" Armin questioned before dropping off the extra gas tanks and running towards his friends in haste.

"Armin! Where are you going?" Marco called after.

Rhea placed her hand on Marco's shoulder, "where do you think? To see if Eren and Mikasa are okay."

The squadrons sent out to lure the Titans to the Wall were called back for new commands. "What if he didn't make it back?" Marco asked, staring out in the distance for Jean.

Rhea scoffed, "Come on, its Kirstein. He's too stubborn to die." Her joke brought no joy to her brother so instead she informed Marco that Jean would be back soon, which helped ease some tension in his shoulders.

Rhea's eyes lit up when she caught sight of her friend in the distance. She pointed towards the flying figure, "speak of the devil and he shall come!" relief spread throughout her body as she relaxed a little, knowing Jean was alright. She could see Marco's worry extinguish as well as their friend using his ODM gear to climb up the wall, landing perfectly in front of them.

"Show off," Rhea mumbled.

Holstering his weapons Jean glanced over at the girl, "what was that, Bodt?" He held up a finger stopping Rhea from quipping back, "wait... I don't want to know. What the Hell is up with the red smoke? What happened to him?"

"Uh, I don't know, but Armin's gone to see." Marco said. "But I... I think it'll be alright."

"Yeah?" Jean inquired.

"Of course!" Marco said, assuredly.

"Yeah," Rhea spoke up. "I mean he's in Titan form. Nothing can hurt him."

"Yeah. This is Eren we're talking about," Marco added.

Jean didn't look convinced. "Right."

"I don't want to be that guy but this whole thing feels kind of pointless." Connie said.

"Hell, when's the last time a fight against the Titans didn't feel like that, huh?" Jean remarked. Rhea nodded her head in agreement. "The best thing now? Do what we can to keep from losing any more."

Connie turned around on his heel, taking a few steps away from the group. "I don't like the idea of so many of us being dead for nothing."

"We have to pick our battles," Jean said. He started to sound more like a leader over these past couple days which made Rhea smile earnestly. She was happy that the person she and Marco knew all along was beginning to show. "If we want to wage all-out war someday, we have to conserve all the manpower we can. This was the right call. Just be patient."

"Was it the right call, though?" Connie asked. It was a fair question Rhea thought. To fight and maybe die for humanity especially when knowing your chances are almost one hundred percent fatal, was a difficult choice.

"Yes! Of course it was!" Jean stated with ferocity.

"Live to fight another day, is that it? Right. I'm in." Connie turned back to the group with a sly smirk on his face. This kid, Rhea thought.

The squadrons were made. Team Kirstein was made up of Jean, Connie and Annie. Team Bodt was made up of Marco, Bertholdt and Reiner. The final team was made up of Sasha, Samuel and Rhea. Even though she liked the comrades on her squadron, Rhea couldn't help but feel lost without her brother or Jean. What if something went wrong and this was the last time she'd see either of them?

Walking over to her brothers group she made Reiner and Bertholdt swear to protect Marco and look out for one another. "Promise me!" She practically begged. Reiner of course promised and when Rhea looked at Bertholdt who nodded his head in affirmation. Tears almost ran down her face as Rhea stood on her tip toes and lightly pecked his cheek. She could see his face darken with blush as she eventually went to wrap her arms around her brother.

Rhea whispered in his ear "be careful! Please. I need you alive." Marco hugged her tighter and asked the same of her. They were all they had left in this world. The only family she had.

Slowly approaching Jean's group, Rhea embraced Connie in a huge hug. "Get off me Rhea, what the hell!" She could tell he wanted to hug her back, but didn't want to admit this might be the last time they see each other.

Moving over to Annie, she shook her hand. "Watch out for these losers, hey?"

"I'll do my best."

Finally, making her way towards her best friend she sighed. "You know Kirstein, I-"

"Save it for later, Bodt. You know I'll make it back. Too handsome to die and all."

Rhea chuckled, "in your dreams horseface."

Jean's eyes widened, "who told you that?!"

Rhea glanced at Connie, "you'd ya think?"

"Springer! If the Titans don't kill you I will!" Jean shouted, his face getting redder by the second.

"Come on!" Reiner shouted. The next thing Rhea knew was that everyone jumped off the wall and propelled themselves through the district.

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"Here's the plan," Rhea explained, kneeling on one rooftop, her group surrounding her. "We don't let a single one of these Titans wander out of the corner. We have to buy Eren more time since the red flare shot up. That being said, we need to lure them here and keep them here. That doesn't mean we have to engage. Unless we're in trouble, understand?"

"Yes." Both Sasha and Samuel said.

"Stay on the ground, run as fast as you can to the Wall. The Titans will think they have more of a chance if we're not in the air. Only engage your ODM once you've reached it. The goal is to attract them!"

Sasha was shaking viciously from nerves. "Hey, Sasha. Its going to be alright. I've got your back. Plus I've seen you run. Remember back to the first day of training? You're fast and agile. You've got this."

Sasha closed her eyes, scrunched her face and bobbed her head up and down. "Right!"

"Our first target is approaching!" Samuel stated. Rhea and Sasha turned their heads in the direction Samuel was referring to. There it was. A ten meter Titan, advancing right towards them.

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