Attack On Titan Book 1: The Elites

A Rough Road Ahead

Smoke Plumed over the medical building. Military police were scrambling around bailing water onto the building and evacuating people. Bystanders watched with horror as they brought out stretchers of the dead and carried the living in their arms. Julie, Umer, And Mary arrived on the scene. "This doesn't look good..." Umer said. Julie stayed silent for a moment. With a sudden jerk, she ran towards the burning building. Mary tackled her before she could reach the doorway. "ARE YOU CRAZY? YOU CAN'T JUST RUN IN THERE AND PLAY HERO!" Julie squirmed to try and break free, but Mary held a firm grip. "I CAN'T JUST LEAVE TOBY IN THERE!" she said. Mary tightened her grip.  "We were just here an hour ago and he couldn't even stand! You and I both know you aren't strong enough to carry him for more than 5 seconds!" Julie turned to Umer. "I know...UMER! YOU LIFT WEIGHTS!" 

Umer's eyes widened. "This is suicide! The whole building is coming down! Going in there now would be too dangerous!" Julie pulled at his pant leg. Her eyes full of tears. "HE IS GOING TO DIE IN THERE!" she screamed louder and louder. her voice still didn't draw attention among all of the panic. Umer was near tears at this point himself. He pressed the release button on his belt. his ODMs fell to the ground as he rand through the only doorway not set ablaze. "Dammit...the things I do for these guys...." The flames were eating at the building's support beams. He had to find Toby and get out. fast. He heard the faint cries of dying patients. "324....325...326!" Umer knocked down the door to find Toby trying to crawl to the exit. He smiled at the sight of his friend. "About time you showed up!" he said sarcastically. Umer smirked "Save the small talk. The facility is going down. Hop on!" Umer grabbed Toby and piggy-backed him through the hallways. They stopped in the middle of the hallway to hear a loud groaning in the ceiling. "Uhh Umer..." Toby pointed to some of the support beams. fire was burning through them quicker than before. the ceiling groaned again. "GO GO GO GO GO GO!" Toby shouted. The roof began to give way. Umer's legs had never moved so fast in his life. Dodging falling debris, he slipped through the doorway just as the 3-story building came down. Umer slammed to the ground outside as Toby slid across the concrete off of Umer's back. Julie knelt down and embraced him. "You gotta stop scaring me like that...." Toby gasped for air from the strong hold Julie had on him. Umer got up and dusted himself off. "I'm fine too by the way. Thanks for asking..." he said as he put his ODM gear back on. As paramedics were lifting Toby on a stretcher, Lorenzo landed on the scene. "Ma'am. We have really big problems. Riots are breaking out all over. business and residential areas are being robbed and vandalized. The Cadet school is under attack by a strange group of people wearing outfits similar to our own. Worst of all, the chaos is attracting titans and is increasing the amount of activity outside of the walls. Our cannons are barely keeping them in control."  

"And why is this my problem? what about General Smith or Commander Pixis?" Mary replied. Lorenzo quickly responded "Neither General Smith nor Commander Pixis are anywhere to be found. They are out on a field mission to reclaim maria as we speak. According to your Ranking, You are next In command of the military in their absence."

"I forgot about that. Dammit...Well...The wall is our first priority. Have the Garrison move every cannon we can spare to the defending area. Any able-bodied Garrison are ordered to take the 4 meter tall titans we cannot reach with cannons out with ODM gear. As for the riots....Send In the military police. Get them do do something for once in their lives. The cadet school should be fine...There is a lot of talent this year." Lorenzo turned to a cadet standing behind him. "You heard the General. Let's go."

Mary turned to Umer and Julie. "I have to take care of things at HQ. Can you guys keep Toby from getting himself killed? I swear danger always seems to find him. whether he causes it or not..." Toby smiled weakly. "No promises...." He joked.  Mary zipped away. Julie and Umer followed Paramedics to a first aid tent set up for refugees. 

The next week went by smoothly. Mary kept the rioting under control, but Titans kept coming. Garrison worked around the clock. Countless hours were spent trying to thin the herd of beasts. Commander Pixis and General Smith's Army still had not arrived back yet. With cannonball and gunpowder supplies at an all time low, and an increasing number of Titans outside of the walls, The military was forced to take desperate measures...

"You're doing a brave thing...all of you." Mary stood in-front of a group of soldiers from the scout regimen. "By your sacrifice today, you save humanity and give us a chance to live another day. You have my utmost respect." The scouts gave a loyal salute. Family members sobbed uncontrollably. The scouts lined up on horses. Lorenzo handed each a high-pitched whistle, extremely sensitive to Titan ears. Umer and Julie Watched Toby, finally able to walk again, distribute whistles as well. Umer Walked up and stopped Mary before she could order the gates open. "You really are going through with this? This is murder! There has to be a better way than sacrificing our soldiers to Titans." Mary turned away. She climbed up the ladder to the gate controls. "If you have a better idea, i'm all for it, Umer. We're out of options. Drawing them away with live bait is all we can do at this point without endangering even more lives." Umer looked at Julie. Her face was as grim as his. "We could man fight them..." 

"How is that better?" Mary asked. "We have already lost hundreds of lives that way. I'm not going to lose anymore than these next 400 on my watch."  Umer turned to Toby and grabbed his shoulder. "You can't seriously be okay with this?!" Toby Finished handing out whistles and looked at Umer sadly. "I'm not. There's no other option. 400 lives for millions is what we have to sacrifice." Umer couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to accept the fact that they were just throwing lives away. He was about to give up until he heard terrified shrieks outside of the walls.  The shrieks of Titans. Toby's eyes widened as he heard the calls. "They're calling in MORE of them?" Julie stood completely still in a state of shock. How could there be more? Soon after the shrieking ended, The group heard a faint, far away response. Mary stiffened, "They succeeded! More Titans are coming!" The crowd fell silent. all listening to the screeching. Umer couldn't control himself. He looked up at the sky. ".........DAMMIT!"  His ODMs whirred to life. Everyone turned their heads toward the blur heading up the wall. 

"That idiot is gonna take them all on himself..." Toby said, shocked. "He finally snapped."

Umer stood at the top of the wall, looking down at the horror. With a whine, His ODM gear pulled him down into the herd. One slice and a Titan fell to the ground and began dissipating into thin air. One chop after another sent Titans to their grave. Umer went in for another kill when he felt a yank on his grapples. In the blink of an eye he was dangling above the mouth of a Titan. 

Tears came to his eyes. The Titan lowered Umer closer to his mouth. Just as he though it was all over...

"UMER YOU IDIOT!" Umer's cable was sliced clean and was pulled away before the titan could close his mouth. Uer dried his eyes and looked up. "Toby...?" Toby, without saying a word catapulted Umer on top of the wall. He tried to fling himself up as well but was grabbed by the hand of a giant beast. 

Toby sliced the hand and with a dark, emotionless face, ripped the nape out.