The Alpha in the Omega (EruRi omegaverse )

13 - Expedition

It is time for Erwin to show his skills in leading. The first expedition with him as commander is around the corner, that he had started to prepare days before he became commander. Erwin wanted to sleep tightly the night, but for a few days he couldn't sleep more than a few hours per day. He is tired, he is in a bad mood and he is unconcentrated. On top of that he ignores Levi and Mike and literally evades every alpha as much as possible. He tells himself like a mantra ever time he is alone, that he doesn't need a nest to soothe his mind. He doesn't need an alpha to keep him calm. No Erwin Smith spend his whole teenage years, half of his childhood to be like an alpha and alphas don't need anything or anyone.
His face is serious and Stern, his shoulders upright and broad as he sits on his horse now waiting for the gate to open up so they can rush outside. They need to be fast and need to evade a few little forests until they reach the destination Erwin wants to reach.
Just a bit outside the walls, the survey corps once found an old fortress, but ever since the day they discovered it, they weren't able to get back to it. Erwins aim is to make this a stationary station for them to store some supplies to venture from that point further into the land. Before the long distance scouting formation, the expeditions were mostly centered around killing the titans in sight. With Erwins way they evade any contact as far as possible, but he as the commander needs to be very attentive. He only hopes, that it won't rain like the time when Levi lost his friends and the survey corps lost so many good soldiers. As much as he tried to he wasn't able to find a satisfying solution for this problem. He did found one, but that carries a huge risk with it.
In case the weather turns into rain or fog, the scattered groups are obliged to close together so much that they are either in sight or hearing sight. To let one rider go to every group is impossible if they need quick movements and to prevent chaos and a further scattering a tighter formation is better.
Erwin just wishes, that it won't come to this point. It's a test and he need to excel this test to prove himself worth to be called commander, even as an omega. Even just an beta or an alpha would have the it trouble with organizing this mission and to keep every possibility in their head.
Erwin managed to build groups of 3 for each formation point, that got a newbie and a more trained one with them. He himself is in the front, Levi is a bit behind on the right, Hanji is in the middle, but she will most likely try to get to a titan. Erwin calculated that in, because Mike is on his left and so Hanji is to 90% surrounded by people that know her and that can keep her safe, not that she needs it. Mostly Erwin picked this formation to be assured that his commands are carried out immediately and that the front is saved from titan sightings.

The day is bright and they have no trouble to venture a good way without any titans close by for a longer time. Erwin almost thinks that everything goes smooth, when red flares circle into the air to his right. He averts their course to the left with a green flare from himself. He nods pleased as he sees the other green flares going up into the sky to inform everyone about the change of course.
Another red flare springs up closer this time, it must come from Levi's group. For a second Erwin hesitates. His omega is screaming in him and he wants to urge his horse towards Levi, fearing for a second for the alpha he cares so much for. However the bang from a flare rings in his ear. His head shoots up. Red. He looks a bit further ahead and right there is a titan charging to them.
"Commander!"
"Further to the left!"
His voice is deep, but without any panic in it. If one has to be calm then it's him. He readies the green flare and just before he is about to shoot it, another red flare circles up into the clear sky to his left this time. The tip is surrounded by titans now.
"We engage and keep the course!"
"But there is a forest right ahead!"
"There is no way, be careful."
Erwin shoots the black flare up into the sky and his two comrades engage in a fight with the titan. Luckily it is a normal one and easy to take out together, but what worries him is the forest ahead.
A collection of trees, that block the way and give little space to act, even tho the 3dmg is more useful there than in the open field. However this time they need to venture into it.

Hanji passes by the vaporating titan and she whines loudly.
"Ah this is not fair! They all see titans and I am stuck here in the middle where nothing happens at all!"
"Squad leader please. Lower your voice. We can be happy to be in such a safe position."
Suddenly Hanji's look changes and a wicked smile appears.
"Ohhh but that will change now ~"
Laughing she embraces the darkness of the woods. Only slightly she is worried if Erwin really knows what he is doing. They are a little bit off course right now and would actually need to change direction to the right again in he middle of the woods, but in this dense surrounding they can't see the flares, nor can they ride fast enough. They just simply follow the way Erwin led them a while ago.
Erwins group is split, because he urged one of them to get to the groups behind them and let them know that they stay on this course until they leave the woods again. Right now Erwin is alone with one other comrade and they slowed down a little bit. His eyes dart left and right, his ears try to hear any suspicious sounds, but still the titan behind the tree surprises him and throws him off his horse.
"Commander!"
The soldier screams and leaps into the trees to circle the titan and get a good position to kill him. Erwin scrambles to his feet again and brushes the branches off. He isn't hurt or anything and he reacts quickly to evade the attack. In the woods it's difficult to get yourself into a good position to make the final strike, but together the two manage to take him out and just when they called for their horses again a smaller titan comes running up to them and bites the head of the soldier off right infront of Erwins eyes. Not even a second passes by when Erwin is in the sky. He manages all alone to take the small one out and leave the place as quickly as possible. There is no way he can contact anyone of the other groups and he hopes no more titans have heard them, but this hope was destroyed quickly. The last thing he knows is the scream of his name and the tree trunk coming closer to him. Then darkness surrounds his mind.

Levi already received the message that they will head through the forest, when he hears the sound of battle. As soon as he gets to the spot he sees blood and steam everywhere. For a moment the faces of Farlan and Isabel pop up in his mind and a panic gribs his heart.
"Where is Erwin? "
He utters loudly and they search for the commander. Of course they don't scream for that would only lure more titans their way and most likely endanger Erwin. They can't find him, but one of them finds tracks of Erwins horse and Levi doesn't hesitate to follow them right away.
A little bit ahead Erwins horse comes running his way and his panic rises. He whispers Erwins name to himself and launches into the trees. The gear is much faster with enough gas used than any horse and he is just in time to see Erwins body hit the tree trunk and fall down like a lifeless body. Blind rage clouds his vision and the attacks the titan, that just picked the poor body up.
Swoosh, the hand is cut and Erwin hits the ground hard again, but there is no sound coming fro him, that would show that he is still alive. Yet Levi has no time to bother with it right now. First off he has to take out this titan and that he does. Sliced into many tiny pieces he lies there scattered on he ground.
"Erwin! Erwin? "
Levi carefully gets to Erwin and checks qucikly his vital signs. Breathing, there. Heartbeat , there, but very irregular. Some cuts here and there and most likely broken ribs, but he is alive. Ere Levi can breathe relived another shadow darkens the light on Erwins face. He turns around to look into the masks of human faces, grinning like brainless monsters at him.

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Quick note from me to you: This will be the last chapter that is available here. I will publish further chapters on my Patreon page (Name there is BunyRock). For information check it out and make sure you follow me on Instagram. News will be updated there and further information will be given there as well. Thank you for reading till now. I really enjoy this project and it is not done yet.