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No one made any objections to my orders. Not even a whisper of disagreement was made. But I sensed it, I sensed their hesitation to follow through.

I knew they would do it, however. I was their Squad Leader. I was fully aware of what I was doing.

I was going to prove I'm no idiot in battle. If Levi's squad can take down three Titans at once then my team can double that. A sort of adrenaline rushes through me, fueling my strength and whatever high I was on.

Seeing both Petra and Eld killing the last Titan another two pop out of the forest. I pull out my blades, it was now or never.

"Keep them away from the Titans!" I shout. "Those are our kills!"

I latch my wire to the nearest tree and launch myself into the air. I see Levi marking them as his next targets. I grit me teeth and push myself relentlessly towards him. It was my time to prove myself. It's time I show how reliable I am in battle.

"Em, what are you doing?!" Edward screeches as I zoom by. I ignore his shouting for me to stop as well as the rest of Levi's squad members. I steal a chance to glance over my shoulder.

My eyes widen at the sight of Edward actually being held back. Nat was gripping Edward's arm to keep him from chasing me. The others, however, were distracted. The rest of my members were doing their best to slow them down.

I was surprised, I didn't think they would hold them back like that. But what does it matter? As long as they don't get in my way I didn't care.

I was close enough to Levi to hear him say a few insults to the Titans before us. He raises his blades, ready to make the crucial blow.

"Out of the way!"

Levi falters, his body flinching to the sound of my voice. He glances over his shoulder before his eyes widen in surprise.

"Emma?"

I took it as my chance and latch my wire on to the Titan's head. I zoom past the startled Captain and ready my blades. I decided to go for a downward slash since the dumb monster was still fixated on Levi.

I drove my blades towards its nape, slicing through the thick skin. I smirk in triumph as the Titan falls to the ground. There was now only one more to worry about.

Through the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a large hand. The one last Titan was about to snatch me, I breathed out a curse. I wasn't expecting it to attack me immediately but, no longer was I frozen prey.

Determination was my sense of drive causing me to ready myself to slice off his fingers. Although, when I swung my blades they never made contact with the Titan's flesh. Another set of blades did.

I blink at the quick flash of a raven-haired man driving his blades savagely through its fingers. He came out from my left, his attack splattering blood over my front side. Hearing the Titan roar in both surprise and pain, I quickly launch my wire to the nearest branch and reeled myself towards it.

With my feet making contact with the wood, I glower at the Titan's pitiful sight. Once again, I failed to make two killings in a row.

"I can take care of myself, Captain," I grumble bitterly when Levi lands beside me. "I had that Titan." His wires retract back into the gear as he releases a small sigh while he stood.

"I told you stay with the horses," he reminds irritably, ignoring my comment. "Why the hell are you here?"

I came up from my crouched position. My eyes were still fixed on the Titan as they regenerated their severed fingers. I glance to my far left seeing how both my and Levi's squad struggled in the branches. I set my gaze into a nasty glare and bared my teeth before whirling to Levi.

"You got no right to tell me what to do," I snap. "I'm not some fool who's only good at sitting back and watch the fighting happen."

"You're being a fool for pushing me aside like that!" Levi bellows. "Don't you realize how stupid that move was?! Your wires could've tangled with mine and we'd both be dead!"

"But we're not, are we?!" I shout and point to the monster below. "That's my kill and whatever future Titans we'll see is mine as well! It's your turn to sit back and watch."

Levi looks up at the sky in disbelief before releasing a loud groan. I've never seen him this animated before. It took me by surprise.

"What the hell are you talking about?"
Looking back at me, red gleamed in his eyes. If it were possible, smoke could emit through his ears. Levi points down at the ground with gritted teeth. "You get your ass and your squad members back to the horses! You're not needed up here!"

I flinch at his words. My eyes widening only for a second till they narrow back into a pointed glare. Anger swirls inside me fueling the temper I so wished to bring out.

Not needed, huh? I'll show him who's not needed around here. Before Levi could jab another insult I jump off the branch.

He shouts behind me for being an idiot. It only made me smirk deviously. The Titan barely finished regenerating, it wouldn't notice how quick I came after him.

His death was swiftly written when I sliced his nape in a smooth swipe. Landing on a tree trunk, I look up at the glowering Captain. When I meet his gaze I couldn't help but widen my smirk.

My sense of triumph was short-lived, however. My ears perked to a loud curse then to a bunch of wires being launched near me. Both Levi's and my squad had ended their struggle and made way towards Levi and I.

"Bad news," Petra shouts with a grave expression. "Our horses are gone."

I found myself staring blankly at the woman. I wasn't sure if I heard right but, judging by the worried looks upon everyone around me I knew I heard clearly. With the horses gone, we were without an escape plan. We're left as nothing but deserted cattle.

A sudden sickening feeling plummets my heart into my stomach. At least one or two people were to stay with the horses in order to keep them in order. But no one did such a thing.

I couldn't look into the eyes of my fellow Scouts around me. I do my best to ignore the guilty thoughts swarming in my head and set my eyes into a narrow glare at the faraway ground. It was when I heard the sound of someone propelling their wire down to me that I knew I would be in for it.

"Great job, Lieutenant," Levi sneers besides me. "Look at what being stupid got us in."

"Shut up, I'm not stupid!" I defend. "Those horses couldn't have gotten far."

"Are you suggesting we chase them down?" Petra questions with a worried gaze. "That'll be impossible considering how big this forest is and the amount of Titans in it. We'll be eaten before then."

"Petra's right," Levi nods to her. "If we chase them we'll die before finding them." A small smile ghosts Petra's lips despite the predicament we're in.

I scowl with a scoff, "Of course she is." I mutter sarcastically. It was loud enough for Levi to hear but he made no remark. Instead he glared at me threateningly. I brush that aside with a loud sigh. "Look, it's not the end of the world. We'll just continue to head northeast as planned."

"Using our ODM gear?" Edward repeats in surprise while sitting on a branch. He gives me a quizzical look. "Won't we run out of gas before reaching Commander Erwin's and Hanji's squad? That's about eighty miles away or something."

The Cadets mutter in agreement and I caught Eld, Oluo, and Petra nodding as well. Glancing to my right, Levi had placed his pointer finger and thumb over his chin with a thoughtful look. Were they really reconsidering this mission?

With our horses gone doesn't mean the end for us. It would be difficult to reach checkpoint but, we have no choice but to try.

"I know it's a stretch," I condemn. "But we have close to a full tank of gas in our ODM gear. That's more than enough to travel close to checkpoint."

"You're forgetting about the Titans," Levi points out tersely. "If we make reserves then a few of us will die."

"Then don't die!" I snap. "We'll make it if you guys quit complaining like wusses! We got no other choice but to push forward!"

I was right and they knew it. We can't stand here and wait for Erwin and Hanji. We'll attract Titans and even if we did killed them more will come.

It's wise to try our best to make it close as possible to them. I gesture my head to Elise.

"Shoot the red smoke signal. Let's hope they'll see it. For now, we keep moving." I could sense Levi's hateful gaze before turning to him. Whatever words he wished to say he left them unspoken.

From the look from his eyes I was well aware of how much he despises me in this moment. Even if it was wise to move forward it was highly dangerous. I swallow thickly at the sudden weight befalling my shoulders.

A sense of a dark deja vu started to swarm in my mind. It didn't sit well in my stomach.

\/\/\/\/\/\/

Maybe my plan to take every kill from Levi and his squad was a dumb thing I did. No, maybe the dumbest idea out every plan I came up with. I became ashamed of my title as The Genius Scout.

I shouldn't be called that, considering the situation I had put us in. Once again, like repeating the past, I drove my squad and another's into hell. Four hours had gone into our new mission, and killing five Titans as well drove the majority of us with less than half a tank of gas.

During those grueling hours I wasn't greeted with a green stream of smoke in the air. I was willing to place my money that Hanji and Erwin didn't see our signal. Unsure if we made it somewhat close to the checkpoint or not had placed a wave of uneasiness in my heart.

Slashing yet another nape of a Titan, I hooked my wire on a trunk and hung like a spider. I was breathing heavily, my shoulders rapidly rising and falling in the process. I take a look around me to see mostly everyone copying me.

We had to stop moving forward. To my dislike we had to conserve the little gas we have. But seeing how swarms of Titans made their way to us to no end, that idea was immediately tossed to the side.

I was tired and so was everyone else. Fighting started to become a nuisance and my body began to feel heavy. I wasn't sure how long we could keep this up.

A loud scream engulfs my ears sending a wave if chilliness down my spine. I whirl my head to the scream. Nat had got herself caught by an abnormal.

Her body was strained under its tight grip and her teeth clenched in pain. I watch in horror as she struggled to somehow survive. Instantly I clicked my trigger, aiming the gear towards the Titan.

However, nothing happened. My wires didn't launch themselves.

"What the hell?!" I click the trigger twice before frantically repeating the action. Dread began to fill my veins.

A shiver crawls over my skin with cold sweat coating my temples. Looking down at the my gear a sharp breath hitches in my throat. A bit of smoke escapes the tanks and a gurgling sound was made each time I pressed the trigger.

I was out of gas. I still continued to press the trigger hoping there's at least a drop left. I knew I was all out though. I used it all on that last Titan.

Whirling my head back to Nat, I found myself starting to shake. Was she going to die too?

"Let her go, damn it!"

I was startled by a flash of a green cloak and a head full of brown locks. My eyes widen to the sight of Edward and his snarling face. Bits of relief overwhelmed my core.

He aimed for the wrist intending to free Nat first but, he never made it. I was startled by a sight of a smaller Titan, one that smacked Edward from behind into a tree across from me.

"Edward!" My breathing ceased, my heart was thumping loudly in my ears. With Edward's body hitting the tree he falls limp atop a branch. Blood was coating his forehead, his chest has stopped rising.

"No," I murmur. "No, not again." Blades falling out of my hands I helplessly watch as the Titan make its way to the Cadet. I couldn't move no matter how much I wished to.

I started to see Edward's limp body and another's flash before my eyes. It was just like last time. My nightmare was coming to life again.

Sharp uneven breathes took over my lungs. My body shook violently while my skin turned white. I was a demon.

A demon who sends their comrades to their death for their own selfish accord. I was no better than the Titans around us. I was basically a shepherd who led their sheep into a wolf's den.

I wasn't sure if Levi or anyone else was struggling or dead but what did it matter? We're all dead anyway.

"Soldiers head forth for a frontal attack!"

Greeted by the sound of launched wires and a stampede of horse hooves against the dirt, I wasn't sure if I was dreaming. Slowly, I look to my left. I had no strength to smile in relief at the sight.

Erwin finally came to our aid.

/\/\/\/\/\

Just a thought; do you think Emma acted out of line in this chapter?

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