Whispers & Wildflowers {Levi Ackerman} {AoT/SnK} ~Book One~

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight
Broken

"Commander! Permission to assist! They need help back there!" I argued. "And what do you expect to do?!" he replied. "I don't know! But the Scouts need help in the rear!" I answered. "You have your orders, Lewis! And they have theirs! You've gotten lucky once! Who's to say you'll be lucky a second time?!" Erwin retorted back. "I have to try! Those wounded deserve a fighting chance!" I argued, halting Dakota and turning around. We raced towards the rear of the formation, flying past others. I could hear Commander Erwin scolding my back as I rode towards the rear of the formation.

I ran on the outskirts of the fleeing group, earning weird looks from those I passed. They were trying to run from the danger, not greet it head on. Not to mention they had their orders. So why would some random soldier willingly go towards it? Surely there were enough Scouts dealing with the problem, right? What was one measly newbie gonna do in this situation?

As Dakota and I galloped towards the back, we could see the upcoming mess unfolding. Titans had caught up to the medical wagons due to how slow they were because of the weight. The soldiers on wagon duty were doing their best to keep the Titans at bay, but it wouldn't be long before more giants caught wind of human scent and would join in on the rampage. Getting my gear ready and hoisting up on Dakota, I took a deep breath and just as before, joined the battle. Latching onto the nearest Titan, I flung into the air, adjusting my flesh-parring blades and preparing for the initial hit. I felt the tug on my arms as the blades ran through the Titan's thick nape of skin and muscle. The smell of exposed flesh circulated through my nostrils. I kept in my early-morning breakfast at the pit of my stomach and moved on.

I retracted my grappling hooks and moved on to the next target, making sure to use as little gas as possible and relied solely on gravity and the pull of the grappling hooks to assist in my movements and travel. The sound of screams echoed around me as soldiers who weren't as lucky to escape the grasp of the cannibalistic monsters rang out around me. Their screams...their cries for help...it was so deafening... While trying to locate those who needed saving, my eyes focused on the medical wagons. There he was, Darren. And an approaching Titan slowly stalked towards him.

"Shit, Willis!" I yelled, making every attempt to get to the wounded Scout. Darren stared up at the approaching Titan, unable to move. Unable to retreat. Unable to resist capture. He spoke words that I was not able to hear, but his mouth moved quickly. Darren's eyes showed nothing but fear as the Titan grew ever closer, like how a wolf closed in on a wounded sheep. That's when he finally found his voice box. He screamed. Titan after Titan seemed to ambush me in attempts to eat me or put a stopper in my plans. Regardless of their intentions, I had to get to Darren. I promised him. I rounded their napes, digging out each one to ensure that they stayed down and didn't regenerate.

"Willis!" I yelled out of desperation, having lost sight of my wounded comrade. I'm taking you home, you're not gonna die out here! I heard his anguished calls for help. I finally found him and not in the way I wanted to. "Let him go, you piece of shit!" I secured my hooks onto the Titan that had Darren tight in its jaws by the waist, his upper-half hanging out like a dog's chew toy. Darren laid limply, his eyes still held life. But his face, oh his face. Tears streamed from his eyes. Blood trickled from his lips and nose. I had failed Darren Willis miserably. My promise was nearly severed, just like his stomach that was between the teeth of a Titan.

My own eyes seemed to fill with tears as I ricocheted over, hoping to make it in time before the beast devoured Darren whole. "Lewis, move!" As if everything unfolded in slow motion at the sound of the Captain's voice, I looked to my right to see a large Titan, something in the twelve or thirteen meter range. It came bolting towards me, its eyes were bloodshot, intense. An Abnormal... Its mouth opened wide, ready to swallow me whole in one, quick bite, ignoring the urge to savor the taste. But before it could, I felt an arm wrap around my waist and harshly yank me away out of harm's reach. My grappling hooks disengaged from my desired target and recoiled back. I looked up to see none other than the short-tempered jerk himself. Levi's hold around my waist tightened ever so slightly, not at all painful or uncomfortable. But securely and might I say...warm?