Soldiers in a Broken World

Adriane Matthews - The Wall

"Hey." Hange stirred him from his sleep. "Time to get up."

Adriane blinked and got his bearings again before looking around and sat up. The sun had set hours ago, and torches lit the area. "How long was I out?" He fumbled for his watch.

"Long enough." Hange said. She was standing and looking out towards where Erwin went. "We need you now."

He stood, looked where she was, seeing horses and torch light on the ground coming to them. Erwin's team was returning. At first, he was smiling but then he realized something. "There are so few...what happened?" He said that louder than he wanted.

She looked like stone. "We will find out. Get ready to help the injured."

Things were bad. So many dead, mostly MP's and most of the veteran Scouts. Eren was back, Mikasa was hurt. Ymir was still gone, Historia was trying to get them to go back for her. Erwin was missing an arm and Mr. Hannes was dead. So much was going on and none of it seemed good. It was as if everything was falling apart. About one hundred had left for Eren, only about forty came back. Adriane helped those he could until they made their back, a slow ride.

"So wait, Eren actually was able to CONTROL the Titans?" He asked Armin. "How?"

"I don't know." He said. "One moment it seemed that it was all over for us. Reiner throwing Titans at us, Mr. Hannes being eaten, the Commander missing an arm and Jean and I about to be eaten. The next, the Titans were attacking one of their own. The one who ate Eren's mother and Mr. Hannes. Eren punched it and then..." He looked at Adriane. "When we were leaving, he yelled at Reiner and the Titans attacked him. That is how we got away. But Ymir went back..." He looked at Historia. "She was going to come with us, but she chose to go with Reiner and Bertholdt."

Adriane looked at Historia too. The small woman looked broken, but there was still a fire in her. "Well, I don't know what is going on but at least we are all alive."

"Yeah..." Armin looked down.

Adriane did too. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."

"It's okay. I know what you meant." He looked up. "Thanks."

-

When we got back, Pyxis listened to what happened. He nodded and said that they had to find if there was a hole in Wall Rose. He and Levi were talking as Erwin was out and Hange was elsewhere. I had to help somehow.

-

"Sir, I will help survey the Wall with your team." Adriane said, offering his help suddenly. Pyxis looked at him with regarding eyes. Adriane realized that he just blurted it out, knowing he wasn't part of the conversation. "If, you will allow and have me, sir." He said with care.

Levi was the only one who was of rank for the Scouts. Hange was getting ready to go to Connie's home and Erwin was being looked after. "Fine. As long as you stay with whoever Commander Pyxis puts you with. We don't have enough Scouts anymore." He looked at him hard. "Don't you dare die."

"Yes sir!" He saluted.

Before long, they went off to the southern part of the Wall. Hange's team was riding with them, at least until Ragako Village. There was a northern team as well and the plan was for the two teams to meet and go back over their own paths to double check. Four teams, two from each side would carefully look at the entire Wall.

Adriane had heard about Ragako, Connie's home. The Titans came through there, but there was no blood, no bodies and the horses were still there. A Scout had tried to convince Connie that everyone got away, but nobody was sure. There also a Titan there that couldn't move.