Hometown

Chapter 10 - Stained Blades and Damp Streets

We were commanded to advance towards the Titans. We zipped ahead over streets, past roofs and buildings. My heart raced and I felt the sweat on my face that cooled while the wind forced itself upon me as I moved forward. Our three years of training amounted to this moment. I assured myself, There is no way we can fail! We're fine... We'll all be fine...

"An Abnormal!" Eren shouted. The Titan leaped in our direction, plunging head first into a clock tower we had passed.

We landed so abruptly and hastily on a nearby roof. The landing was so harsh that pain shot up from my ankles into my whole body. We gazed at the Abnormal Titan before us, and watched in horror as we realized Thomas had not dodged the Titan's mouth. Our hearts must have fallen out of our chests as Thomas was eaten right then and there.

"How dare you!" Eren exclaimed to the Titan as he launched himself forward in its direction.

We followed him, but we became overwhelmed as more Titans arrived. One after the other, my fellow cadets were eaten. But it caught my eye most of all when Eren collapsed onto the nearest roof. His leg was nothing but a bloody stump after a Titan had jumped up and bitten it off.

"Eren!" Armin shouted. I stopped myself on a nearby roof next to Armin who was shaking uncontrollably as we watched Eren frozen, immobile. The screams of our comrades ringed in my ears. I wasn't shaking or crying, I only felt a rage boiling inside of me. A rage directed towards Reiner. I couldn't shake him out of my mind, no matter the horrors that surrounded me.

Before I could move, a bearded Titan grabbed Armin right next to me. The Titan lifted Armin, placing him in his mouth.

"No... not Armin– please–" I almost pleaded to the Titan, when I realize I was speaking to quietly for anyone to hear. My disbelief and shock left me standing there, unable to even take a step forward. The moment was drawn out and long, when in reality it must've been shorter than it appeared.

Suddenly Eren zipped over to the Titan. He placed himself in the Titan's jaws, and pulled Armin up, tossing him over to me. When I caught him, I found myself staring at Eren, who was unable to move in the Titan's mouth. He held the Titan's jaw open, pushing against the pressure that could bite down on him at any second.

"Eren! Hurry!" Armin pleaded as Eren reached out his hand. Tears welled in Armin's eyes as I held him. It was too late. The Titan closed his jaw on Eren; his arm came flying out towards us. The Titan swallowed him whole. Armin shrieked an ear-piercing shriek as he reached out in futile effort at nothing, just the Titan who had consumed our friend.

I held Armin, while he shook and cried. As the Titan walked away, we sat there for a long time in silence, until Connie, Ymir, and Christa from another team found us. Rage continued to simmer inside of me.

"I've had enough of this," I exclaimed. "Stay with Armin! I've got to do something." I launched myself away from the scene, hearing Connie yell from behind me.

"Oi! Aren't you going to tell us what happened? Hey! Stop!" His shouts fell on deaf ears. Our entire team was gone. Shouldn't it have been obvious to Connie? It was only Armin and I left. Anger welled up inside me while I soared over the streets now damp with blood. I had only one goal in mind. I would find Reiner.

I dropped myself onto a nearby roof and gazed at the entirety of the district, filled with Titans and death. Where was Reiner placed for his patrol? I remembered seeing Bertholdt in the courtyard, right before we were deployed for battle. If I could remember correctly, he had been headed towards the area to the right of the clock tower. Knowing Reiner, there was a high chance he was with Bertholdt.

I thrust myself forward and past the bloodstained clock tower. On a roof to my right, I saw Bertholdt, Annie, a few other cadets, and Reiner. I shot a wire towards them and landed swiftly on the roof. They all gazed at me in alarm.

"Hey!" One of the officers among them shouted. "Shouldn't you be with your team?" I glared at him with my ODM blades in hand by my side. Isn't it obvious why I'm not with them?

"They were wiped out," I said coldly. The officer backed off and apologized.

"[Y/N]..." Reiner spoke compassionately, but all his words did was anger me. "Who was in your group?" He asked. I looked at him, and for some reason I could feel myself smirking.

"Eren and a few others," I said.

 Reiner was taken aback. Suddenly I began to laugh, it wasn't a happy laugh, but it seemed to be the only way I could cope. Reiner moved towards me slowly and turned his head to the others.

"Guys... head over to HQ and see why we haven't gotten any supplies yet. I'll meet you in a second." He gestured for the others to leave. Annie and Bertholdt hesitated for a moment before leaving, then glanced at each other as they zipped away. Reiner then moved toward me with a sympathetic glow in his eyes. He opened up his arms to embrace me. My mind raced and my thoughts consumed me. My rage had consumed my reason.

I don't want to embrace him. I don't want to look at him. I don't want to hear him breathe. He's responsible for all their deaths, isn't he? Thomas, Mina, Eren, and the others...

I quickly raised my blade up to his neck, and pinned him against the chimney to our left.

"Woah! [Y/N]! What are you doing?!" Alarm rose in his voice and his eyes widened.

"Reiner, I swear to god, if you're not honest with me, I won't hesitate to kill you, right here and now!" He strained as I shouted at him.

"[Y/N], stop! This is crazy!" He exclaimed as he tried to push me away. I forced my blade closer to his neck, preventing him from moving any further.

"I just watched Eren and all my fellow comrades get eaten alive, so if I seem a little crazy right now, I have good reason." I scowled at him and moved closer.

"Now tell me Reiner... Why did you want me to get off of that wall so goddamn badly?"