We made it about a block in before more guards came charging at us. Honestly, that's farther than I thought we would make it before we had to deal with more people. I don't know how much longer we can keep this up. I mean we are trying our best to still hold on to nonlethal methods, but that takes a lot more energy from all of us. We have to use more and more of our powers to try and keep them safe which honestly is getting quite frustrating. We are doing everything in our power to keep them alive, but they are doing everything in theirs to kills us.
It's a waiting game at this point. We've already told everyone that it's okay if they do kill someone, but who will be the first one to snap and finally initiate it. I thought people would do it after I did, but no they are still holding out. I can tell they are wearing themselves down in the process. Honestly, I'm surprised that more of the people who had voted to just start killing haven't already, then again we were all angry and letting our emotions decide for us so that might have had something to do with it.
I mean I wish I could say I could kill without hesitation, but I can't. Earlier was just a moment of pure unfiltered rage and I reacted before I was fully able to understand what I was doing. Do I regret it, no, but does that make it any easier to get more blood on my hands, also no.
Staring down this new lineup of guards it was easier to see that these weren't rookies. There wasn't going to be any talking to them or trying to break through and get them to change their mind. These people have been doing this for years, some little speeches aren't going to change their minds.
"This is your only warning, we will not hold back any longer. Either get out of our way or we will go straight through you," Mikasa said, giving them the warning. None of them seemed phased. It seems like they already knew that shooting her would be a waste of time because none of them even bothered. I could see as their eyes traced along our barriers looking for any gaps they could shoot through.
"What's the plan this time?" Levi asked.
"Same thing unless anyone has any different ideas?" I asked, looking around. I was waiting for someone to tell me they didn't have enough energy to do that again, or that they were ready to break the nonlethal streak, but no one said a word.
"Alright, you heard him," Levi said, getting everyone's attention.
"These guys are going to be harder to take down with hand-to-hand combat," I warned everyone. They just faced off with the rookies, these guys aren't going to go down as easy. I know they can handle their own, but I also need to remind them since we might be a little out of practice. It's been a while since we've had an actual mission involving this much hand-to-hand combat.
We started up the exact same way. Mikasa taking out and disarming a few people, Sasha's doubles disarming and holding off whoever they can, Connie swooping in and stealing their guns. Petra turning their guns into a puddle. Levi and I were isolating and pinning them as much as we could.
When all of these guys were disarmed and unconscious we started walking again. I can tell everyone's just about hitting their limits. We can't keep this up, we have to go about this in a different way. I think this is the last batch of guards we can use the nonlethal takedowns on, if we don't everyone is going to be experiencing backlash before we even hit the halfway point.
As more guards came around the corner I looked around at our team who only had two minutes to breathe from the last fight. There's no way we can do this any longer, I know it, and I'm sure they are starting to realize it too.
I wasn't going to tell them what to do, but so someone will have to. "Alright, guys-." Levi's voice cut through my thoughts. I looked at him and he gave me a nod. I could tell what he was planning on breaking the news. The look he gave me alone said it all. 'Fine I'll be the bad guy and tell them what to do,' is what that look said. "We can't keep this up, whoever is comfortable with being more violent, do it, please before all of us get burnt out at the start."
Everyone was staring at him, no one said anything. I could see they were still fighting with themselves whether or not they could actually do this. If he's going to finally break it to them then I'm going to help.
"Please, now isn't the time to freeze up, we don't have many options, we told you guys from the beginning we wouldn't be able to keep this up, some of you are already almost at your limits, we don't have time to sit around and debate about it, more guards are coming as we speak. We can't wait too long or they will find a way around us. Then we will really be cornered with no other options."
"You heard him," Pixis said, taking a deep breath, "we are out of options at this point."
Hearing the three of us tell them how it is, started to get more and more people to agree. "Alright, we will do what we need to," Annie said, looking around nudging a few other people."
"Okay, but tell us if there is an efficient, but nonlethal way to use our powers if there is one," she mumbled before agreeing to help.
"We will do our best," I said with a nod, "most of your powers will work fine for nonlethal methods, but some of you have to go out of your way for them. If you don't have to go out of your way then keep doing what you're doing. It's up to your judgment," I said looking around at everyone.
I guess the guards got tired of sitting around and watching us talk. They threw what looked like a grenade at first, but it went off way too quick. Everything around me was white and my ears were ringing. I thought I had died for a moment.
"Eren, Eren are you okay?" I heard Levi's voice ask me. His hands were on my shoulders.
"What was that?" I asked, blinking, trying to get the white blotches out of my eyes.
"I think it was a flash grenade or something?" he said. When I managed to get my eyes to focus on him he looked like he was also having trouble. He was blinking trying to get his own eyes to focus.
"Yeah, I got that, but why?"
I'm not su- tell everyone to get really close together, close in the barricade on both sides," Levi cut himself off in a rush. He must have heard one of their thoughts. "They used that as a distraction, they got around us," he said before yelling at the others to close the barricade.
Shit, I knew we were taking too long. I watched as Levi looked up before he instantly yelled, "get down, hurry, they're-."
He was cut off as we heard a thud. We all turned to see Gunther on the floor with a hole through his head. "The snipers," I whispered, feeling sick to my stomach.
It was taking too long to move the barricade so Pixis just made a huge forcefield around all of us so we could finish making the rest of the barricade to protect ourselves. Once the barricade was secure Pixis put the force field down. I could tell that took a lot out of him, but the look in his eyes held regret. I know what he's thinking. 'If only I had acted just a few seconds sooner.' I walked over and put a hand on his shoulder knowing now isn't the time for regrets.
"We all knew this mission would be dangerous, you can't blame yourself," I said, trying to get his head clear for just a moment. I know we are all bad at self-blame when it comes to this. I mean I can feel it too. These people are in this situation because my plan didn't work. I pushed those thoughts aside knowing that people will die no matter what, there was no plan that guaranteed everyone made it through till the end. We need to keep moving, as much as I hate to leave him here we don't have much of a choice.
I had to pry my eyes away from his body. Once we were all safe I looked over at Nanaba and Rico. Nanaba's eyes were closed and she was taking some deep breaths trying to keep herself calm and not break down. Rico looked like she had murder in her eyes. I don't have to convince her to kill, she was definitely already on it.
"Let me out," she said, staring daggers at me.
"No," I said, and before I could explain she grabbed me by my shirt.
"Let me out! You were the one saying we need to have a more lethal approach, now you aren't letting me kill these fuckers?"
"I'm not saying no to you killing them," I said gently putting my hand on hers where she was practically choking me with my shirt. "I'm saying no because you're going to get yourself killed if you go out right now. Which might be what you are going for, but we need you alive. We can't lose anyone else, especially not you," I said before wrapping my arms in and hugging her. Her hand loosened on my shirt before tightening again, but in a different spot as she clung to me. This was the first time she's actually looked this vulnerable. It only lasted for a second before she cleared her throat and lightly pushed me away. "Then what do we do?"
"We need to disarm them first. Then you can do whatever you want."