FicWad

A surprisingly calm aura surrounded the troops as they carefully advanced from Wall Maria to the base position. Without any recruits still virgin to Titan combat, it seemed to calm nerves a bit more, other than the constant vigilance required of the group. Lia was positioned at center right, and they traveled closely packed near another wagon.


Kikka was stationed at a group nearby, and was loudly anticipating any potential battle engagements. "Menace, that woman," muttered one of the soldiers in Lia's group. Lia didn't think Kikka's enthusiasm was much of a problem- if she killed Titans, who cared if she genuinely enjoyed doing it? She began to voice these thoughts to her teammate, but Levi cut her off.


"We do not engage unless necessary. Your friend has a tendency to go looking for trouble," he explained. Lia thought about it and had to agree that Kikka actively seeking a fight was a certain hazard.


She focused her eyes forward and breathed in deeply. Something the interior was missing was the sweet aroma of wildflowers. Already, they had passed a number of different types, and she smiled at cherishing this new thing. Even in the midst of war, there were things to appreciate.


The day was sunny, but not as hot as their previous venture. Cicadas filled their air with their lulling buzz, and other various insects floated through the air around them. It was the perfect kind of weather for daydreaming; this being the case, at least, if they did not have to worry about Titans.


The amount of peace of the ride so far had been slightly unnerving, but they were doing their best at the walls to draw attention of any enemies nearby, so it could be explained. Once out of range, the Scout Regiment was on their own. That time was about nigh, as the city was growing smaller in the distance.


Despite the overall easiness of the soldiers, Lia felt a knot in her stomach at the looming danger. Every instinct urged her to pick up speed, but steadily they moved onward as a unit. She swallowed a lump in her throat and steadied her quivering hands, hoping her nervousness did not show. She was not experienced enough to feel confident in survival just yet.


As though her nightmares were waking, a smoke shell shot into the sky from the back right flank. She watched Levi raise his flare gun and pull the trigger to continue the signal. The group began to move left.


Horrors of the last battle came flooding back to Lia like a tidal wave. What if she locked up again and let her teammates down? There would be nowhere to hide- they were in open spaces. This made 3D Maneuvering Gear nearly useless. The group would need to avoid engagement entirely or greatly risk casualties.


Her breath caught as a black flare came from the left flank. Gradually, most smoke pointed the Titan position out, but there were no choices remaining. A black signal meant an Abnormal had been spotted. These Titans were unpredictable in behavior, and tended to ignore distraction tactics. Most of the giants would reach for the nearest human, but these odd breeds did not adhere to standard mannerisms.


Lia was both mortified and curious, as she had never witnessed one. She glanced to the side and watched from afar as a group of armed warriors attempted to chase it down. As it scooped up an individual, Lia squeaked in fright and faced forward to be attentive to her assigned party.


Yet again, smoke shot into the sky from the same direction as the first flare. She rounded to assess things as Levi readied his gun beside her. Four Titans were charging the group, and fear welled up in her chest like wildfire. This would soon be her fight; four within range would need to be addressed by the individuals she rode with.


"Engage!" came a direct order from nearby as one of the monstrosities lunged forward and narrowly missed a soldier. With adrenaline blazing and muscles giving erratic responses from exhaustion, Lia gave an overly aggressive yank to the reins.


Her horse reared in protest, and she lagged behind as a result. It seemed that in no time at all, she was facing a massive beast with an angry and ugly expression. With a push of her legs, she was out of her saddle and in the air. The steed bolted from beneath her, and she fired a cable at her enemy and pulled the retraction lever.


The wind took her as she propelled forward in a blur. Her braid dropped and smacked her face, loose strands stinging all they touched. She forced her eyes to stay open as she neared her target. With another shot, she latched an arm and swung in front of her enemy's range.


The Titan stretched forward, grabbing at the air where she had just inhabited. Just as she prepared another launch, she came to a complete halt, her skull feeling like it would split. Gradually, she was rising, gripping her head and crying out in pain.


A nearby Titan had seized opportunity of Lia's fight and had gripped the lengthy braid that flitted about behind her in flight. She stopped squealing as she met eyes with certain death. It stared her down, belittling and petrifying. Here was the face of countless others responsible for so many deaths.


Nearby, Levi was in the middle of his own struggle. He whirled at a familiar scream and felt his legs already forcing him toward Lia as though it were a robotic action. Behind him, remaining party members took over. His jaw was set as he readied to launch the moment he came within range.


This had been exactly what he was afraid of when he warned the woman her hair was too long. Now he worried he would not reach her in time, as he watched the Titan bring its prey ever closer to its jaws. He came to a sudden halt as he witnessed Lia's face contort with fury and determination.


A strangled battle cry tore through her throat as she drew a blade above her head. In a flash, she guided the metal through her base of her braid. Free from its captivity, she plummeted toward the ground.


Hastily, she hooked a cable on the Titan's upper thigh and flew around to the back. Kikka came into range, her green eyes wide and alight with glee. As the enemy reached for her, Lia sliced the back of the shoulder in the connecting muscle tissue. Its arm dropped and Kikka zipped past and got a clear shot of the nape.


In a sudden twist of the spritely warrior, the target was eliminated. She rode its back as it fell forward to the earth, her fist held high. She screamed victoriously, lost in the glory of the fight.


Levi sprang into action and began working on the other beast in their wake. The barrage would soon be finished, and the Scout Regiment would need to make haste toward the destination. Lia looked out across the group and observed the damage.


A few other assemblies were attacking remaining adversaries, and others were rushing to assist. Levi dropped down beside her as the heavy thud of his foe's body made the ground shake. Steam surrounded them as the massive corpse disintegrated.


"Find your horse and regroup. We need to get moving," he directed.


"And what are you doing?" she mouthed back as she prepared her fingers for a beckoning whistle.


"Don't be stupid." With that, he was sprinting toward the other soldiers still in melee. Of course, she thought in exasperation at her own foolishness. A shrill note rang through the air as she called her ride. As soon as the horse came into view, she ran to meet it and swiftly saddled herself.


The two of them raced toward the main formation. The back was sparse, and Lia wondered back to those still engaged- how many would rejoin the ranks? Would Kikka and Levi remain unscathed? She pushed the questions from her mind before they made her sick.


The pace of the wagons had been quickened, so it took a while longer to catch up; but soon she was back in step. Although she tried to keep her thoughts in control, she could not help but fret about everyone. It felt as though a stone lay heavy in the pit of her stomach, and she found her eyes wandering for a sighting of black hair.


They came upon the brick building they were attempting to reclaim, and it looked like a peaceful haven in the setting sun. The traveling speed slowed, and they gradually came to a stop. No time was wasted; it wasn't nightfall just yet and Titans were still active.


Lia dismounted and ran her equestrian to a tie post before rushing to help unload. With each trip back out to the carts, she stared into the brightness upon the horizon, in desperate search of silhouettes. As time went on and no sign of the missing soldiers had been spotted, she felt herself swoon with anxiety. The notion that Levi wouldn't be returning made her feel like vomiting. She tried to convince herself she was equally as worried about Kikka, and remained stubborn on the felt self-assurance that she was.


As she placed a crate of replacement blades on the cool floor of the base, she felt a hand on her upper back and nearly jumped out of her skin. Levi stood less than a foot from her, limited light playing off of the streaks of blood on his cheek. Lia felt a wave of relief that gave desire to embrace him, followed by an immediate rush of anger.


"I see you're fine," she said curtly before stepping past him. He followed her, hiding confusion at her upset.


"Would you rather I not be?" he questioned as they reentered the fading rays of sun. She grabbed at a container of gas chambers and realized immediately that it was too heavy. Hard-headed, she attempted to lift it anyway, grunting a dishonest response as she did so.


"I'm indifferent, I suppose." The box made it a few centimeters into the air before he secured the other end to assist. She did not voice gratitude, but merely pursed her lips and looked away. They shuffled it in and placed it against a wall.


"You're in a foul mood for having made your first assist," he observed aloud.


"How good of you to notice," she snapped as they were briefly left alone in their corner of the shelter. A smirk worked its way across his lips, but she felt too annoyed to take surprise at this first change of facial expression.


"You were worried about me," said Levi, testing this theory with an air of matter-of-fact confidence. Lia's face flushed bright pink and she began to sputter. As his hypothesis was proven correct, his simper grew to an outright grin.


"Don't be foolish," she said in a rush, walking away from him. As she was about to exit, Kikka made her way in and lit up at the sight of her friend. Levi's face went lax once more.


"Hey, Lia- that was awesome!" Kikka punched her in the arm. "You're an official soldier now! Oh, that rush!" She balled her hands into fists and curled them to her chest in crazed passion. "Let's do that again sometime."


"Let's not," Lia said in weak amusement. "Come on; we need to get supplies inside. I want to eat and get some sleep."