Rogue

Part 2: Chapter 30: Carrion

Author's note: Hello everyone! Welcome to Chapter 30 of this fic! This one has been a long time coming! This is the largest chapter to date so get comfy! Also, It has come to my attention that this fic is now a decade old! Originally, I wanted to release this for the fic's ten year anniversary but sometimes life has other plans. I absolutely love writing Rogue and even though I am slow to update, I'm glad many of you have still followed this story since its beginning back in 2014.PLEASE NOTE: THIS CHAPTER DOES CONTAIN LOTS OF GORE AND GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS IN THE LATER HALF OF THIS CHAPTER.Summary: After years of training, it's time for Atlas to prove himself in the duels.

Chapter 30

Carrion

Adrenaline courses rapidly through his veins, receptors in the titan's brain firing off delicious dopamine. His heart is pounding and his fiery greens are focused. His breaths come in quick pants and steam dances delicately upon his skin. He dodges a powerful swing by one of his opponents, replying with his own vicious response to his other foe. Atlas digs his toes into the earth, fists before him in defense. A chittering sound of excitement comes from his chest. This feeling, the sensations, were what every Advancer craved. Training days with full on combat with either one verses one or two verses one were what he looked forward to the most during his sessions.

Sadly, the sessions of intense hours of practice to better his skills would soon end.

Since his awakening, a year of grueling training had passed. Titus and Jade had worked tirelessly to hone and perfect his skills that he needed to sharpen. He could transition from the graceful River Dance technique to the more forceful moves that Titus had taught him. He learned to control his regeneration to proficiency and his fighting skills had improved tenfold. The difficult two verses one duels between him and his mentors were starting to become easy. Besides his main training there were the sessions with his dear friend Eren. Any chance that he smelt the young man, he would venture to his position and the human would proceed in teaching him more and more Sign Language. He had surprised himself with how well he could pick it up. He now knew words and could sign some sentences. Atlas chalked his success up to determination.

Then there were his peculiar abilities that he had not shared with anyone to date. Truthfully, if there were any skills that he still needed to sharpen it was those pertaining to his secret power. With his regular training increasing, he didn't have as many chances to sneak off alone and practice. He was not alone much on his hunts either so he could not try out his odd controlling vocal on a Mindless Titan. A small part of him had a frightening thought that the ability would work on another intelligent titan – like a Hunter. But even if it were possible, that was something he just could not do. It was a barbaric idea, completely immoral. He also often wondered if humans could be captured by his spell, that too was a forbidden practice at his decree. Those ideas were thoughts he preferred not to think about and he often began to wonder what the reason for this power was. What purpose was there if he could control every fiber in a living thing? In the time that had passed, he did still wonder what the answer was to the very question. He supposed that he would find that out in time.

The dreams and fragments that he would view did return on occasion, but they still depicted the same sceneries and themes. There was the titan Rogue, the children with the black and blond hair, the married couple, and regrettably a few bloody scenes. They were still few and far between and he still wondered what their purpose was, but as of now he couldn't really experiment or try to answer his question. He had one thing he needed to focus on at the crucial moment in time. There was no room for him to dolt on anything else.

Right now, his motivation was on fighting to win, to draw blood, conquer, and become the next Mentor.

Atlas watched, unblinking as his two foes got into positon. Quickly, he lightened his frame, preparing himself. In his first session where it was two against one, he was quite sloppy. He was overwhelmed. However, he had learned from the experience and over time. The best way to take down two intelligent opponents was to be hyper aware, fast, and release a torrent of moves that transitioned well into one another. He had to make his moves before his foes could defend themselves. Atlas snarled to initiate the challenge and rocketed forward, damaging the daffodils behind him.