Humanity's Future

Panic

Rachel's P.O.V

   The pounding in my skull eventually lulled me into a drowsy awakening, and I couldn't help but feel sluggish as I glanced around me.

   The first thing I noticed was that I was in a... tree.  What happened...?  I glanced around, taking in the larger trees around me and the lack of life before it finally hit me.  Spark!  Pain shot up my leg as I attempted to disentangle myself from the tree, and I glanced back to see it twisted at an odd angle, wedged in between two smaller branches.

    I carefully maneuvered my body until the pain was still noticeable, but reduced to a dull throb.  Squeezing my eyes shut as I pulled my limb from its position, I grit my teeth as I inspected the damage.  Well, nothing I can't heal with time.  The only problem is that I can't begin the healing process until it's reset– which is something I can't exactly do on my own.  I shook my head as I pumped my wings heavily, landing softly on the ground and putting most of my weight on my good leg.

   "Spark?"  I called tentatively, hoping that my friend had merely been knocked out similarly to me during the explosion.  A heavy feeling of dread settled in my stomach when I got no reply.  "Spark!  Can you hear me?!"

   Still receiving no response to my shouting, my hands curled into fists as I glared at the ground, frantically thinking of what could have happened.  After the bright flash of light, I had lost track of Spark.  Furthermore, the explosion immediately following the light had been so forceful, it was as if the cause had been activated right next to us–

   A sudden scowl marred my face as I realized the source.

   That was the reaction of a Titan-Shifter.

~~~~

   Making my way across the plain was difficult.  I relied heavily upon my wings, resting them frequently before traveling a good distance by hovering near the ground.  It was an exhausting process– but it was the quickest way without my horse, which hadn't returned after I awoke in the tree.  Shaking my head as I stood from my short resting period, I spread my wings and began to fly close to the ground, boosting my progress by pushing off the ground with my good leg.

   The village shouldn't be far now.  I spotted the tops of buildings in the distance, not far from my current location.  I began to shorten my breaks, desperation pushing me to hurry before something happened.  If an attack were to happen now...  Shaking my head, I focused on the task at hand, the small buildings temporarily obscured by a group of trees.  I navigated through them quickly, feeling immense relief when the small outpost came into sight once more.  When I got close enough to the town, I rested for a short period before flying up onto the roof, muffling my cry of pain at the rough landing.

   "Ouch..."  Deciding to take my mind off the pain, I quickly began to survey the area, uneasiness working its way into my system when no signs of life greeted me.  "Hello?"  I tentatively called, listening for any indicator that I wasn't alone.  And– unfortunately– this indicator came when an Abnormal Titan suddenly blocked out the sun, flying right towards me.

   Snap!

   I jumped out of the way just in time, my heart racing as I watched the 13 meter Titan remain stock-still for a moment, head buried in a now demolished roof, before slowly lifting its head.  A crazed grin stretched its mouth wide, eyes glimmering in hunger.  I scrambled to get somewhere safe before the beast began to move again.  My salvation came as I shimmied into a crevice between two buildings, hunkering down and keeping an eye out for the Titan  from my hiding place.  I focused my hearing, listening intently for the creature's movements.

   Where are the Corps?  This is definitely the place Levi marked on the map...  And Spark confirmed we were going the right way after we raced across the plains...  My brows furrowed as the minutes ticked by, silence my only companion in the outpost.  Is it–?

   The feathers on my coal-black wings stood on edge, outstretched as I cautiously made my way closer to an opening leading to the small courtyard.  Breathing deeply, I glanced around once I was close to the opening, spotting nothing as my gaze roamed around the open space.  The Titan had disappeared without a trace.  The creature didn't have intelligence, that much was clear– but how could it just vanish?

   Steeling my nerves, I shot out into the open, twisting in a full circle to see if the Titan had been hiding above my safe place the entire time.  Nothing.  I glided up on to a rooftop once more, highly aware of my surroundings as I scanned the area.

   "I'm going to have to be more careful from now on.  That Titan certainly was strange..."  I muttered, still unsure as to whether or not I was completely alone.  The silence was stifling– so much so that I began to scan the area again for any Recon Corps members in order to take my mind off the encounter.  "They must have moved on; but to where?  Levi said they should have been here for another few days at least– what caused them to leave in such a hurry?  Surely they could have taken care of a lone Abnormal had it attacked..."

   A quick but thorough search of the buildings revealed nothing left behind, and I frowned as I attempted to get to a good vantage point to better see my surroundings.  Squinting heavily, I could made out a faint cloud of dust somewhere in the distance.  Horses!  Readying my wings in preparation for a short flight, I glanced back at the abandoned outpost one last time.  Seeing as here was nothing left for me to look for, I took a large, leaping jump off my good leg and spread my wings.

   The appendages stretched out widely, catching air easily and carrying my across the plain and a group of trees effortlessly.  I glided forward, keeping my eyes firmly on the ground once I spotted the horse tracks.  So they did come this way.  Raising my head once more, I made as much progress as I could, hoping I could catch the group in time to warn them about Spark's disappearance.

   It would take me the rest of the day to catch up with them.