BLOODSPORT

Episode 29 [II]

Rhea watched from above as the Scouts took out a couple of the Titans before Lynne made her way back up to the group, explaining that Titans were in the castle. "Get below and improvise some sort of a barricade! Be careful. Retreat back up here only as a last resort! Now hurry. The rest of us will keep any more from getting in as best we can. There are quite a few. So this might be it for us. But by god, we'll fight to the last breath. Our heart and soul to the cause, right? Now go!"

Adrenaline pumped through Rhea as she and Reiner were the first ones down the stairs. He grabbed hold of one of the torches and voiced, "I'll go see how far they've gotten in. You find something to board up the entrance! Whatever isn't nailed down!"

"Reiner, wait!" Krista protested.

Bertholdt ran after his friend. "Hang on, we're coming!" He bolted ahead of the group.

"Are you kidding me? Why's he always gotta be the first one to step up?" Connie ranted. "Give us a break!"

"I know," Bertholdt replied. "It's a habit of his." Rhea tried to keep up with Reiner but her leg was killing her. She knew she should sit and rest but with Titans inside the building she had to give it her all. But the pain, instead of just penetrating from below her knee, it moved up toward her hip. Every time she took a step, she felt the sharp jolt of discomfort.

"They're in the tower! Get down here and help me!" Rhea heard her friend call out from below. Bertholdt grabbed a spear he found and went off to help Reiner with the Titan. Rhea looked around the room and suddenly found what she was looking for.

"There!" she pointed toward the old cannon that was hidden beneath scraps of fabric.

"Rhea, you're a genius!" Krista exclaimed as the four of them made their way toward the weapon.

"Ugh, there's no cannonballs!" Connie grunted, throwing his hands up in the air in despair.

"We don't need them." Rhea got behind the machine. "Just help me push!"

The group rolled the cannon to the edge of the stone stairs. "Guys! Heads up! Incoming!" Ymir shouted as the entire group pushed the machine down the steps. Bertholdt and Reiner just managed to jump out of the way as the cannon came toppling down the stairs, crashing through the door and making impact with the Titan behind it.

"May miracles never cease. Huzzah," Ymir breathed out, making her way down to the others. Rhea slowly but surely limped down the rest of the staircase. Her hand rested against her hip, which was now throbbing.

"Yeah. It's not getting up from that," Reiner added. "Good thing it was a little one."

"What now? A knife is the only thing we got," Connie stated, worried that their time was almost up.

"I think it would be best if we head back upstairs for now," Krista suggested. Rhea wanted to agree but she had just trekked down the stone steps. She couldn't even fathom the idea of going back up. "We have no way of knowing if that's the only one who got in."

Rhea winced as she turned on her good heel. She could make it up the steps. The pain wasn't that bad, she told herself. Glancing up at her friends Rhea screamed, "Connie!"

It all happened so fast! Just as Connie was about to be Titan chow, Reiner pushed him and the Titan's jaw out of the way. However, in the midst of action, the Titan bit down hard on Reiner's forearm, locking its jaw. Rhea could hear her friend's bones crunch but it didn't seem to faze Reiner as he lifted the Titan overhead and made his way towards the open window of the tower.

"Reiner! What are you doing? If you think you're going out of that window, you're wrong!" Rhea cried.

"I've got no other choice!" Reiner grunted, ready to take flight with the monster.