✓ Blood Lust (Levi Ackerman - Attack on Titan) #wattys2021

Chapter Six

The Colossal Titan has intelligence. Their goal is to kill us, wipe us out. He's taken out our weapons and our gate, making it between two choices of 'save Trost' or 'fight him'. I hope Forest is able to get his mother to safety, because I can't go home right now. 

Eren runs along his arm, taking a swing on his weak spot. More mist comes out, forcing Eren away from him, and with a sinking realization, we can't get close to this asshole.

Then, he's gone, and Eren is slicing at the air. I stand in shock, uncertain as to what just happened. 

"I'm sorry," Eren says when he returns to us. 

"It's fine. We need to focus on the breach, now," I say, looking over at Connie who nods. 

A man from Garrison jumps up beside us. "Operation Colossal Titan Response is in effect, I expect you to take part! Report to HQ! If any of you got close to it, we expect a full report!" 

We stand to attention, the salute over our heart. "Sir! We pray the advance team will be victorious!" Connie says as the man zips off. 

It's chaos inside HQ. Cadets crying or hastily putting equipment together with shaky hands. I fill back up on gas for my gear, knowing that without it, it could be the difference of dying or not. When finished, I go out to the courtyard, lining up with my comrades. A leader goes over the plan, and from the sounds of it, he doesn't expect any of us to survive. Where is my father in all of this?

"Defend the Wall until the evacuations are done!" He goes further to say that desertion is punishable. "Dismissed!" We salute, but I know that most of their clenched fists are shaking. Everyone scatters after the higher ups leave, most going to throw up, others curling into a ball to cry. All of these must be potential Military Police.

"There are people out there dying because you are sitting here crying!" I scream at a couple consoling each other. "Our mission is to evacuate everyone, but if you stay here, there won't be anyone to evacuate!" I channel my inner-Sergeant Sadie, glaring at them. They stand to attention, making the salute on instinct. "Go, you fucking Titan fodder." They scurry away, and I feel bad. They were a day away from Wall Rose. 

I hear the familiar sound of Eren and Jean fighting, and I rush over to break it up. My leadership seems to be running on adrenaline and I kinda like it.

"Break it up, you two!" I yell, cutting them both in the throat so they will let go of each other. 

"We aren't all as suicidal as you and Eren, Eliora!" Jean yells at me, and before I can smack him, Eren pushes him up against a pillar. 

"We're trained for this! What do you think the last three years were for?" This stuns Jean speechless. I don't think it ever sunk in that this is what training was for, not a rite of passage so he could go wipe the King's ass. "We survived. We stared death in the face and we lived. Not everyone can say that, can they? Some people couldn't take it, and either they ran or were thrown out. Hell, some people actually died, but not us! Am I right? We powered through for three years! What's one more day? You can do this, Jean. Alright? The MP will still be there waiting for you tomorrow." Eren lets him go, taking a step back. 

"Shit," Jean says in defeat, the words of Eren sinking in. 

"You done being a scared little shit, Jean?" I ask, shoving him. 

He glares at me before turning to a crying kid. "On your feet, Dax. Stop bawling." Together, we walk, ready to take on the problem. Eren's right. The MP will be there tomorrow for Jean, because we are sticking together. We'll be okay.

Together, we tag team taking down Titans, but the number only seems to be growing. 

"Dammit!" Jean yells, landing beside me. We're both out of breath and I'm wondering where Eren and the others are. Finally, I see him and about six others flying through the air, passing Jean and I.

"Wait, there's an abnormal!" A large Titan jumps through the air, smashing the building we're standing on. Jean grabs me, flinging us onto another roof, but we make a crash landing. I grunt, sliding down the shingles, my ODM gear desperately reaching for any kind of hold. Finally letting gravity do it's work, my cords shoot onto the abnormal, using him as leverage to get back onto higher ground. When I'm stable, I look at the Titan, gasping when I see him bite into a cadet. As if satisfied, the abnormal turns, walking away nonchalantly. A moment later, Eren flies passed me, pushing me to follow in his dust. 

"Eren!" I scream at when the Titan knocks him off balance into the roof. I look behind me, seeing that half of the cadets have dropped off from Eren's group, and I can't see Jean anywhere. "You need to stay higher, soldiers!" I swipe the back of a Titan's neck that goes for my cord, my blade going deep enough to take it out. I can't focus on the other cadets anymore, focusing only on the Titans that seem to be solely focused on me. It's just a continuous arc between rows of houses, my jumps having to stay high, or they'll grab me. Finally, I make it to Eren. He's in a bad way, blood pouring down his head and a leg missing. Shit, and I really thought he'd be one of the ones to make it.

"Eren!" 

I turn, watching in horror at Armin screaming, his body slithering down the Titan's throat. I jump towards him, being knocked into the roof only moments later. How did the Titan grab me that fast?

But then I realize, I wasn't knocked away by a Titan.

I was thrown by Eren.

Armin falls beside me as I reclaim my balance, turning back towards the Titan. Eren is on his teeth, holding his mouth open. I jump towards it's neck, but the sickening crunch tells me I'm too late. In his state of euphoria, he throws his head back, knocking me off completely before I can land the killing blow. 

I land on my feet from a good twelve feet, crying out from the impact. I didn't have time to react and cushion the blow from the fall. 

Where the heck is everyone else?