I hurled my blunted blades in the air behind me, instantly reloading a new set and dashing behind the eagle-like corporal in the air. The sound of horse trotting grew fainter and fainter behind us as the orange sun above started to slightly touch the horizon line, signalling the near to closing of another day.

“Pick a side.” The corporal called out to me as the route we took slightly narrowed, the tree line slowly closing in on the dirt path. The tip of my blade was pointed at the right flank of forestry, my eyes setting on the huge monster with a blood smeared mouth which seriously looked like ketchup from afar.

My new pair of coils ripped through the air, pulling myself over towards the dopey looking titan at the right side, claiming my kill. Levi immediately nodded silently as he wedged over to the left, initiating the titan massacre of his own effortlessly.

Levi and I skimmed down the narrowing dirt trail, stealing as many kills as possible. Surprisingly, I felt really secure to be alongside with him, even with the fact that civilization was at least a few miles away and he was the only person I’ve got out here.

Another big build of a titan prancing towards us easily drew my attention. Considering its classy form of moving, which was just basically like a 6 year old girl skipping to school, there was no doubt that it was an aberrant. Or maybe the creatures within these woods were undertaking such extreme measures of mutation that even we couldn’t tell what was normal anymore. Humans were always behind on understanding about the outside world.

I couldn’t help but let out a petite laugh as I observed its belly bounce up and down as it ran in its awkward position, closing the distance between us. Might as well kill it off now since we’re here.

My little light figure dropped to a lower level as I slashed the nape of a little 5 meter class in our way, its fingers wiggling with desire, trying to grope onto our swift passing form. The cables of my new gear whipped me back up into the higher airs, levelling with the inflight corporal who waited quietly.

Suddenly, he wedged his nape-slicers back into his blade sets and grabbed hold of my arm. I recoiled in shock to his sudden move but without further ado; he tossed my figure towards the direction of the skipping aberrant. I soared through the air, an undetected smile on my face once I realized that Levi was actually giving me a boost.

“I’ll go for the head.” He muttered before flying off, his rapid shadow drifted above me. My ears slightly picked up his low muttering, uncertain if they were his exact words or not.

“I trust you.”

I aimed my piercing edges at the skipping titan’s bare legs, mentally swearing to myself that I will fulfil my duties, with no regrets. My eyes narrowed at the stupid monster prancing towards us like a naked ballerina with no tutu. It was quite disturbing, honestly.

You are fucking dead.

****

The sight of the orange semi-circle of the sun dipping into the horizon line gave me a good sense of time. Night was going to kick in soon and I wasn’t too certain if that would be a good thing. We were both still on enemy territory, and even though Hanji has publicized that titan activities naturally deduce during nightfall, we still had other things to worry about.

Like that hooded figure for example.

Who knows, maybe that guy doesn’t even sleep. I wouldn’t want my throat slit in bed during the night.

“Shouldn’t it be about time we head back?”

 My voice trailed off as I noticed that Levi was hunched down and fidgeting around on the other outstretching branch, his blood-splattered cape was facing me.

“Levi?”

I hopped off my branch easily and landed on his, hesitantly tapping him on the shoulder. Failing to lure an answer from him, my tone enhanced to a more serious one, snarling at him.

“Short stack, answer me.”

Levi ignored me, which was quite strange bearing in mind that I was deliberately trying to piss him off with the height theme. His back was still facing me even though I’m pretty sure he heard me loud and clear. I rolled my eyes and placed my hand on his shoulder, literally prying his position around 180 degrees to face me.

Frankly, I wasn’t too surprised to see him clutch onto his arm, his sleeve soaking up some of the plasma that was seeping out. Levi was trying to patch-up his injuries, his other arm struggling to hide the wound from me. What was with people and wound hiding? It could be fatal, and I’ve learnt the hard way a couple of times.

Never hide your wounds, especially in a zombie apocalypse.

“What is it?” Without bothering to wait for him to utter something stupid in return, I swiftly stretched over and placed my hands around his arm, raising it high enough for observation. Levi was hesitant to my touch, but he didn’t refuse. My worries were dismissed as I could see distinctly this time; it was just a mild scrape on his skin. Better than a missing limb I suppose.

“You could have just told me earlier.” I snickered as I reached over for a water flask tied to my side.

“I can handle it myself.” His voice was cold, just like the first day I met him. He really hasn’t changed that much, which was relieving and disappointing at the same time. I’m not a huge fan of change myself; I’m insecure about what was going to hit me in the face as I expressionlessly stared out to the future, unable to see anything.

 “Fine.”

I bluntly answered as I brushed my hair away from my face, dropping his injured arm back to his side. His shady eyes stared blankly at me, and then at the leather flask I was offering in my small hand. Seeming like he wasn’t going to pull a move anytime soon, I swiftly scooped his arm back up in my grasp again.

“I don’t pamper people, you should know that already.”

“Shut up.” Levi grunted as I let out a little chuckle. His arm shifted restlessly in my hold as the water trickled onto his arm, washing away the debris on the surface of the wound. My pupils lifted up, peering impatiently at the position of the orange, reddish sun in the dome. It was so dangerously low, almost vanishing out of sight behind the horizon.

My hopes in getting back to the walls slowly bleached out as logic made it clear that making it back before the sun sets was highly doubtful.

“We’ll have to spend the night out here.” Levi muttered next to me. This was nothing new to me, but I still hoped to return back within the walls as soon as thinkable. I nodded in response as my hand reached over for my cape, again ripping this new replaced fabric into strips to dress the wound.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Levi’s face was written with an uncertain expression, looking at me suspiciously as I tore out a smaller, workable piece.

“It’s called a tourniquet, idiot.” I retorted irksomely.

“It’s a disgusting piece of cloth, dumbass.” He revised, his face wrinkled as he rummaged within his thoughts, probably calculating how many germs could possibly accumulate in his soon to be bandage.

My eyes rolled at the usual complaints escaping the corporal’s mouth, dragging his arm closer as he reluctantly attempted to tug away.

“Well, you must live a pretty hard life then.”

Managing the corporal was like trying to get an annoying, squeamish kid to have broccoli. Constraining him down was a considerable option at the time, as he was constantly complaining and jolting every second. I have to admit, Levi was so unexpectedly childish at times, no different from an annoying kid you find off the street; continually screwing up his face as he watched me bound up his wound uneasily, muttering under his breath about filthy shit and more filthy shit.

Instantly, I hastily released Levi’s covered forearm, startling him a little and halting probably another complaint that was about to escape his thin lips. My throat was folded in anxiety, holding in my breath as my body remained completely motionless, listening out again for the sound I dreaded the most at such time.

Please let it be my imagination.

Please tell me it was my imagination.

My hands slowly slid my blades out as I shifted around; still keeping an ear out for that same noise I prayed only present in my imaginings. My fully drawn blades immediately directed towards the sound echoing in the distance, within those dark thick trees where the sunlight could never radiate through.

The hiss of gas tanks.

Levi pulled me awkwardly close to him; his narrowed murky eyes indicated that going after them was absolute suicide, like walking across a floorless room with animal traps arranged everywhere at the bottom of the dark hole you’re most likely to fall into.

My hands slowly curled into tightened fists as I recalled what this person has done, how many lives they’ve taken. Yet, I had to supress all those emotions of hate and anger that could possibly drive me to more impulsive actions, as Levi beckoned for me to be patient.

Did we have time to be patient?

Fuck no.

Dark was slowly crawling closer and closer, replacing the current dusk as it slowly drains the vibrant colours out of the sky and gently drapes the entire dome in black, little by little.

His hand was gently placed on my arm as he slowly whispered.

“We’ll get them. I can promise that.”

I buried my head in my hands and a muffled sigh of frustration was released.

Time waits for no one, does it?

****

I spoke too soon, did I?

My head quickly spun around, moving away from Levi’s grip as the dark pupils of mine glowered at the approaching hooded figure in the remaining light radiating into the scene.

We didn’t have to go after them. They came for us.

The edges of my lips lifted into an unwavering sneer as the clean sharp sound of my drawing blades resonated into the open.

Perfect fucking timing.

This time, I daringly pointed at my blades at the looming figure, I’ll settle the score with you.

Head to head.