Choices

Chapter 16

Six months later

Eren flew threw the fields of Wall Maria with his ODM gear. He used the bodies of the hoard of Titans that they had run into. They had beenon this expedition for a week and were heading back. It was another meaningless expedition in the trees.

He flew past another Titan, slicing the nape in the process, that was another one to add to his, if he was correct, fifty-seven Titans that he had killed. He had been recruited into the Levi squad and had been with the Survey Corp. For around a year, he hadn't changed much except a few scars and had to shave every morning.
His had a five o'clock shadow every morning and it got on his nerves. He shaved it of course. His hair was the same and he was more muscled than before. His skills with ODM gear were well known among every branch, maybe even the Trainees. He didn't know, and didn't care to know. He just knew that with every expediton, his abilities and skills increased.
He was at the vanguard like he was every expedition, it was where he racked up his kills. Miche was at his right slicing through a nape and Sarah was at his left doing the same. The hoard was massive, far more than any other time he had left the wall, but it didn't faze him one bit. He had the skill and instinct to survive, their only worry was that damn abnormal, they had only seen one other time after the first one and it just watched them from the distance before sprinting off. It was weird.
He looked ahead of him, a Titan was approaching, around fifteen meters, he judged. Eren accelerated his speed, shot a cable into the Titan's face and flew forward. He readied his blade, planning to take out the eyes. As he got closer the Titan's mouth started to open he would fly right into it. Crap.
He retracted the cable mid air and fired into the shoulder of another Titan, loopong around and slicing the fifteen meter. It fell to the ground, steam consuming it. He shot his cable into another, and slicimg its nape as well. The formation was about to break if his unit died. They could save hundreds of soldiers' lives, or they could cost them.
They were close to the walls and his unit, and a few others hold off the hoard as the rest of the Corps. Poured into the gates. Speaking of the gates, he could see them on the horizon, they were getting closer. He sliced another nape. Then another. Then another. His blades shattered and he switched them. Another nape. Then another. He had barely put a dent in the Titans' numbers and he only had two more blade sets.
He heard the horn, they were going to break formation and head toward the gates. If his unit broke it was over, they were the only reason the formationnhad lasted as long as it had. He thought about it, should he leave? Or should he hold off the hoard? Miche killed another, he saw at the corner of his eye. He sliced another after maneuvering around it.
To hell with it!, he roared in his head as he whistled and went free flying. Sarah and Miche saw this and did the same. The three rode cloe to eachother, the simultaneous thunder of the Titan sprinting behind them put them on edge. Eren turned his head, as he thought, they were right on their heels. He saw Miche jump out of his saddle and shoot toward the Titans.
Hope he knows what he's doing, I'm almost out of gas, Eren thought as he focused back in front of him. He heard the faint sound of blade on flesh and knew what was happening. He had confidence that Miche knew what he was doing. Sarah kept her eyes in front of her, he ponytail whipping in the wind. She was stiff as a board as she sat in the saddle.
Miche suddenly landed back on his horse. Eren looked back to see the hoard still afy0ter them, but the number noticeably smaller. They continued riding, gaining ground against the hoard. Eventually they met the wall, its menacing shadow swallowing them... as well as the Titans as they followed.
The other support units were already hooked to the wall their gear cables. He recognized a few of them, and they were all nervous, including himself. The swarm sprinted toward the gate, and the combined units attacked as the gates closed. They noticed that many of the soldiers that would have went through the gate had climbed the walls instead. That was way easier than using the gates.
Once the gates were closed the units climbed the walls with minimal casualties. He stood there. His cloak billowing in the wind. Miche stood next to him. It was brutal, steam from dead Titans covered the fields beyond the walls. Why there were so many on this expedition, he did not know. Although he did realize that it was almost like they had a strategy. And that scared him.
"You did good Eren," he broke the silence. "How many do you have?" He asked.
"After today, I have eighty four," he replied. Still looking across the fields.
"One hundred fourty two," he told him with a smirk.
"I'm catching up," Eren cracked a smile and punched Miche in the arm.
"Come on, let's get debriefed," Miche told him, slinging a an arm over Eren's shoulders. The two had become pretty good friends in their short year or so together.