He kept his head low watching his feet as they walked. His attitude had changed since they left the dug-outs and he began to drag his feet.
Pieck and Annie walked slower to keep pace with him and soon they reached the midway point a little later than expected.
"Reiner. We should rest here. We can set out again after we've taken a break" Annie stated pointing to a clearing in the thick woodland.
"Let's just get this over with." He turned back to the two women. "If we rest now we won't reach the walls by the time McGath calls the signal."
"We have plenty of time Reiner. Let's just wait." Pieck sat down on a log yawning.
"You two can wait but I'm going ahead." Reiner continued on not turning back.
"Fine. Do what you want." Annie sat down and took a swig of water.
Reiner set his hazel eyes on the path ahead soon he would reach the enemy lines and he needed to be ready to fight them.
He cracked his knuckles. He thought about what Elouise must be doing. He salivated thinking about the freshly baked cookies she would bring him on an almost daily basis. He hoped that she wouldn't be too disappointed in him for his actions.
He gritted his teeth. Why did it have to be this way?
A pain shot through right shoulder and he slid down against a tree holding it.
Steam burst from the bullet wound as he looked in the direction the shot had come from. The Forrest was thick with shrubs and bushes.
He honed his hearing listening for signs of movement. But there was nothing. He stood up brushing himself looking left and right before continuing on his way.
Reiner was determined to make it to the walls without any more hiccups. He was sure y/n would have tried to come after them but clearly Bertholdt had been enough to stop her.
CLICK
A misfire.
He paused staring into the brush a pair of large brown eyes staring back at him from his left. He pretended not to see turning his back and hearing the reloading of a rifle once more.
Without hesitation he slit his hand with his pocket knife and transformed. He reached down and grabbed the covering made from branches and leaves and plucked it from above the pit of soldiers.
His large titan form looming over the trench that was now clearly visible. Most of the soldiers shook in fear too frightened to even cry out but the one that had shot before raised his rifle once again taking a deep breath.
Reiner watched closely as they stood mere metres from each other.
Marco watched from across the path in his own hiding spot. Jean attached his thunder spears to his hips and nodded to Marco before they both took of out of position and swooped towards Reiner's nape.
The wires of their ODM made a zipping sound and Reiner turned his head towards them. As he did so several other cadets flew up their swords drawn and ready to fight. Reiner let out a roar attempting to swat the pesky human flies from around his face and took off running.
"KEEP ON HIM!" Jean called out as they followed closely behind.
"I'M RIGHT WITH YOU!" Marco also called out flying along in line with him.
Reiner still could not see the walls in the distance and he paused momentarily to check if he had been followed. He spun around and seeing two figures shooting straight for him he swung his arm outwards towards Marco.
"MARCO!" Jean called out changing direction to get between him and Reiner's fist which sent him careering through the air and into a tree with a nauseating crunch. His lifeless body falling down sliding down its trunk and catching on a branch by his wires causing it to dangle. His head lulled back.
"No! Jean!" Marco cried out as he flew down after him abandoning his task to follow Reiner in favour of checking if his closest friend was alright.
Reiner was pleased to have them off his back and slowed to a walk looking for more enemy dug outs.
He found several clustered together on the edge of the Forrest and he swiftly stamped on them burying or crushing whoever sit inside them.
The walls were in sight now. He'd covered far more ground than he needed to. He slowed to a halt looking for somewhere to wait for the signal. He spotted a trench not to far away and he approached slowly scooping up a handful of soldiers and tossing them aside before they even had time to react, leaving his titan in favour of resting in the now vacated pit.
He yawned stretching and rubbed at his darkened eyes. Then leaned back and stared to the sky waiting for the signal. A few hours later with Pieck and Annie nowhere in sight, a streak of yellow lightning shot into the sky from the docks.
"Porco. Let's go." Reiner got to his feet shook off his hands and feet and then sliced the blade across his palm, dark crimson flowing from the wound.
Time to finish this.