BLOODSPORT

Episode 20 & 21 & 22

BOOM...BOOM...BOOM.

Cannon fire sounds were heard for over ten minutes from where the Survey corps remained on the edge of the forest. But that wasn't what worried Rhea at that particular moment. With her gear and ankle busted there wasn't much she could do for when the Titans below learned how to climb the trees, looking for their next meal.

"They're figuring out how to climb, the bastards." Rhea said, limping her way to Bertholdt.

"We can always move out of the way," He stated calmly as more explosions went off in the distance. He wrapped his arm around her waist, supporting her weight, "don't worry, you can hop onto my back when the time comes."

Rhea nodded in appreciation. She didn't know exactly what was going on inside the woods, but maybe that was for the best. All she could hope for now was the signal to withdraw. Hopefully that would be soon and all her friends could make it back safely.

"What the Hell's with all the noise, seriously. Give me a hand here, Bertholdt. Did you happen to see which tree Krista scuttled up?" Ymir asked.

"Sorry. I don't have a clue." He answered.

Ymir gestured her head towards Rhea, "what about you? Krista was in your group wasn't she?"

"Yeah but she went off with Kirstien and the others. Reiner carried me here, sorry."

A raw scream suddenly blared through the trees. Rhea covered her ears, trying to prevent any ringing that might linger after. "What the Hell was that?" she questioned once the sound was no more. But Rhea never got her answer because as soon as the scream stopped, the Titans below began to take off towards the center of the woods, completely ignoring the Survey Corps ranks.

"Oh no." Ymir stated before leaping off the branch the three were on and jumping right into action.

"Commence Combat!" The section Commander called out. Everyone around Rhea began to zip off after the monsters, trying to get their attention and more likely trying to kill.

"Go!" she told Bertholdt. "Help them in any way you can, I'll be fine up here, I promise." He hesitated slightly but soon nodded and followed the rest of the Scouts in their pursuit.

Rhea watched as all her friends left for battle. She felt completely useless as she just stood from the safety of the trees while the rest of comrades went off to fight.

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The signal to withdraw came shortly after the fight had even begun. It had all happened so fast. The Titans never came back for the rest of the Scouts and instead went right for the center ranks.

Bertholdt came back to get her like he said he would. He seemed a bit off but Rhea didn't question it. How could he be alright when he probably just witnessed a bunch of casualties.

They rode horseback together, until Rhea and Bertholdt met up with the other Scouts. The atmosphere was all but happy. There was no victory today from what Rhea could tell on all the faces of her comrades. Eren was in a cart, with his head badly wounded. Another cart was pulled to the side, the Scouts filling it with bodies.

"Here," Bertholdt said as he opened the cart Eren was in. "You should stick with him, he's the top priority around here, you should be safe."

Rhea took his hand as he helped her up onto the cart. She sat her back against the wood side as he closed the gate. "What about you?" Rhea asked, nervous to leave his side. She gripped his hand tight, looking around at everyone preparing to leave. She couldn't see her friends anywhere. Not besides Mikasa, who was looking after Eren.

Bertholdt chuckled, "I'll be alright. I'll ride next to the cart." Rhea nodded her head and let go of his hand, letting him retrieve his horse. She glanced around the rest of the Survey Corps one last time, she still didn't see any sign of Jean.

Sighing, Rhea leaned back and propped her good leg up, and placed her elbow on her knee. Slowly she glanced over to Eren, who had his head wrapped in gauze and Mikasa's Scout cloak covering him. He took a beating no doubt. The Female Titan got to him.

"Titans!" Rhea heard from a distance. Shit, not again, she thought. She peered back to see two Titans approaching from behind. A red flare was fired as Scouts, including Mikasa, engaged in battle. The fight ended as soon as it started however; Captain Levi ordered the weight of the corpses to be dumped. Rhea watched in horror as she witnessed the bodies be tossed off the cart!

After enough bodies had been dumped, the carts began to pull ahead. Rhea wiped a tear from her eyes and wrapped her arms around her leg. She cried for all the pain inflicted upon her and her comrades. All the sorrow the Titans bring to the world. It wasn't fair! All their lives, Marco's life, they all died in vain. They didn't even achieve victory.

Mikasa had joined Rhea and Eren in the cart. She was worried sick for Eren, but Rhea assured her he would be alright. "He's a Titan after all."

"Yeah, that's what got him in this mess in the first place." Mikasa said quietly. "Well that's not true. He always wanted to be a Scout. Ever since we were kids."

Rhea smiled and placed her hand on Mikasa's shoulder, "He's ambitious and a little hot-headed, but he's also strong. He can take a hit so stop worrying."

Eren gasped awake, "Eren!" Mikasa cried. Well that didn't last long, Rhea remarked internally. "Easy."

Eren tried to prop himself up when Mikasa said he should stay resting. Eren's eyes were wide with fear as he questioned where the Female Titan was. "She got away from us." Mikasa answered, despair in her voice.

"What about... where's? What about the mission?" Eren asked.

"It failed," Rhea stated.

Erens head turned from Mikasa, to Rhea and then back. "Don't worry about that right now, you need to rest. We're almost home."

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Her company remained silent as the Scouting regiment made their way back into Wall Rose. The crowd however mumbled and whispered to each other, probably spreading word about how the mission failed. Rhea tried to contain her anger at the men spitting vomit about their taxes going to waste when she saw two kids looking at her and the rest of the recruits in awe. "These guys must be made of nails, beaten but ready to go. They're unstoppable!"

Rhea glanced around at all her friends, who now were beside Erens cart. All their heads faced down in agony. This is the reality of the Scouting Regiment. The hardships they must face, then the strength they must have to go back into battle. Do it all over again. Fight, die or come home after picking up the corpses of their fallen comrades and friends.

Mikasa held Eren's hand as he began to weep while the crowd screamed at Commander Erwin. They questioned whether or not it was worth it to send this expedition out. Rhea felt bad for the man and what he had to endure. It was tough to be a Scout, but to be a Commander and make those types of decisions? Rhea couldn't even imagine what Erwin must be going through at that moment. 

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