The Bloom Titan (1/2)

CH.20: The Female Titan

"Thank you, Hanji." I thank her.

"No worries." She sighs again. I stand up and jog over to the Commander. He was looking down at the Titans with a horrified look, yet his lips were curled into a crazy looking smile. Levi landed on the other side of him.

"We've been had." Erwin mutters.

"Just look at you. Don't tell me you-"

"This shows the enemy was prepared to abandon everything. To think they'd have themselves devoured to avoid leaking information..." Erwin interrupts Levi. Still a crazed smile spead from ear-to-ear.

"Here we are, after everything we said at the trial... If we go back empty-handed, who knows what'll happen to Eren, Ezlyn and us?" Levi speaks up. He's right. What will happen to Eren and I, even the scouts. What'll happen to them?

"Let's consider that after the fact. We should concentrate on getting back with minimal losses first. For now, at least." Erwin then says.

"I'll call up my squad. Ezlyn go find them, they should be south of here." Levi orders. I nod and quickly head south to go find them.

I wonder if Eren knew about the plan. No, he wouldn't have been informed. I think they trust me since they have known me since before the Collossal Titan first appeared. Maybe they think that Female Titan snuck in during that attack... Who knows, maybe she did.

I see my squad perched on some branches. "Hey, guys!" I yell waving my hands about. Petra turns around to face me and smiles. I land on a close branch.

"Where have you been, I've been worried sick!" Petra runs up to me, wrapping her   arms around me.

"I was assigned to the Command Squad on special orders." I tell her. She nods and steps back.

"I'm glad your safe." She then says with an angelic smile.

We all hear a flare go off and I turn to see a blue flare, meaning retreat. "Looks like we're done here. Mount your horses! Prepare to withdraw!" Gunther shouts.

"Guess so. Why don't we go see what the shitty bastard that was inside looks like?" Olou remarks.

"But-"

"Did we really get them?" Eren interrupts me.

"N-"

"It's all thanks to you." Petra interrupts me again. I sigh. I'll just let them find out themselves that the person was eaten.

"I didn't do much." Eren responds.

"You believed in us, remember? It's because you stuck with us then that we arrived at this result. It's rather difficult to make the right decision, you know." Petra adds. I start filling up my gas tanks.

"Hey, don't spoil him so much Petra. What are you saying he did?" Olou stood on a higher branch with his hands on his hips."He was just shamefully making a racket, no?"Well, I guess returning alive is enough the first time. But you can't be sure of that until the operation's over. Listen, brats. The expedition's not over until you're back home."

I roll my eyes. "Jeez, I get it already." I groan, slipping my tanks back into place. I stand up and follow the others that just took off and Petra and Eren follow behind.

"Olou, Petra, you two have come a long way since wetting yourselves on your first mission." Eld smirks. I snicker a bit as Petra starts shouting in fustration.

"Don't tell them! What'll you do if they lose respect for me, Eld?!" Petra yells at him. I keep laughing at her.

"Can you deny it?" Eld then asks her. "For the record, I didn't wet myself, you two."

"Idiot! I'm the one who has the better record in kills and everything! I'm better, you dolt!" Olou shouts.

"Kill records alone can't indicate a soldier's worth."

"Shut up, stupid!" Olou yells back at Eld. I wipe away my hysterical tears and smile. This is my new Squad, and they're rather funny.

"Petra, does that mean it sprayed everywhere in midair?!" Eren asks. I nudge him with my elbow.

"Too far, Eren." I mutter.

"That's enough already! You lot on a picnic or something?! We're beyond the wall, you know!" Gunther shouts back at us. "Just saying, I didn't wet myself either, Eren, Ezlyn." I continue to laugh at them hysterically.

"Cut it out, Ezlyn!" Petra shouts at me.

"Okay, Okay. I'll stop." I sigh, wiping my watery eyes.

I hear a flare go off again and it's green.

"Oh, That must be from Captain Levi. We'll meet up with the Captain. Save the rest for after we're back." Gunther says. He stops and lands on a tree branch. He fires off a green flare and joins us again.

Moments later a hooded figure flys up a few meters away from us.

"Levi?" I whisper.

"No, that's not him!" Gunther shouts. "Who're you?!"

The hooded figure flys out in front of us, swords drawn. They go by Gunther and he falls to the ground limp. He sways against the wind as his line is still attached to a tree.

"G-Gunther!" Eren yells.

"Wait, what happened?!" I shout.

Eren falls downwards to see if Gunther is still alive and I follow him. I see that his throat has been slit, and his head is hanging by a thread. I wince and drag a shell-shocked Eren forward.

"Keep moving!" I yell at him.

Is that possibly... The Female Titan?!

To Be Continued...