Never let me go

7: A soldier fights

Trost District Year 850 - West flank of the middle guard:

Jean slumped on top of the roof next to her. He rested his forehead in his shaky hand; the same hand that still gripped the device handle of his broken blade. On the street below them to the left, the little titan they had sliced lay decomposing. Steam rose off its body, and Iris imagined she could feel the heat coming off it in it's time of dying.

The city around them seemed still and peaceful. Earlier the air had vibrated with screams, running footsteps, and the sounds of windows shattering. Now a deathly silence loomed around them. She felt an uneasiness creep into her bones. There was something wrong about this scene. Looking around she could see no titans poking their ugly heads up above the rooftops. Neither could she hear their rumbling footsteps close by.

"Hey," Jean said, "how much gas do you have left?"

"Enough to try get some more of them."

"In truth, two, three more short fights. Then I'll be out unless I can find the supply divisions."

"This place feels empty, so where have they gone?" she mused.

"What's this, eager to hunt them down and get eaten?" Jean grumbled, but then he stopped himself. Rising to his feet, she saw him scan their surroundings thoughtfully. "Actually, where is everyone?"

For a moment she did not comprehend his meaning, but then it hit her too. Not just the civilians and the titans seemed to have gone elsewhere. She listened for voices, any voices, or the zipping swoosh of their manuevering gear. But there was nothing. All the soldiers had gone as well.

"But gone to where?" she thought.

"Something must have happened behind us, or on the right flank, that drew the troops that way. If titans broke through on the right, the rear guard should be able to hold them off for a while. They have the best garrison soldiers and Mikasa," Jean muttered. He chewed his lip as if wanting to bite back the words he was about to utter, his expression strained. "Either way we need to head to the right flank and see if we find titans... or corpses."

He looked like he wanted to punch himself in the face for being so rational, instead of urging them to go to hide with the rear troops.

"Careful, you're looking more and more noble when you speak this way." she smiled wryly. It earned her a scornful look from Jean.

" He wants to tuck his tail and run, but then his more decisive and morally superior self takes over." she thought.

"You're too calm about this, asshole. I've been way too close to getting chomped, and we've seen people, our comrades die. And you're smiling? Show some decency," he spat. His words stung, but he was forgetting something, something that made all the difference.

"Jean," she put her hand on his shoulder. "Our comrades were soldiers, and so are you and I. Soldiers die all the time."

Her body felt like it was singing; fingertips tingling, heart pounding, and her mind had an icy clearness to it. She wondered where this strange calm had come from. She felt... acceptance. They were soldiers now. How they felt about the orders given did not matter, they should just fulfil their duty. Jean knew that too she thought; but he resented it.

He shrugged her hand off, harshly.

"I'll take the lead, you cover our backs and to the right." he bit off, and with those words he turned and went.

Iris followed close behind, keeping her eyes open for both friends and foes. Traces of titans were apparent everywhere. Stalls trampled, personal belongings scattered around the streets, broken things strewn across the cobblestones, broken bodies here and there. It was as if the titans outside of the gate had been waiting for it to be smashed open. These fringe districts were there to attract larger amounts of titans than the other areas, but were there always this many lurking about outside? They'd just come marching in the moment the gate was broken; big and small, all together, waddling along like some kind of army of the witless and hungry. At the thought of it, she felt a cold chill down her back.