Silas Marks expected a lot of things from the 108th Military Trainee Squad. They were sharp cadets, some of the best. The top ten were absolutely incredible. Of course, he had never expected to be one of them. He always tried his hardest, and he supposed that's what put him there. He never had any desire to join the Military Police, so top ten wasn't really a goal of his. But it sure was nice.

 The scene in front of him was definitely [i]not[/i] one of those things he expected from the Trainee Squad.

 His heart beat pounded in his ears. His breaths were short and panicky. All his training, all his hard work, all his courage, was sapped away in a few seconds. He stood there, mouth agape, rooted to the rooftop. Ever fiber of his being was telling him to run. It's too late, just run!

[i]Ka-thump, ka-thump, ka-thump.[/i]

 The only thing he could hear besides his own pulse was her scream. Try as he might, he couldn't move. Not even enough to look away. “Silas!” The voice was distant, and didn't even register as he stared. He watched as the Titan clamped it's jaw shut, ending the girl's screams. Hot, sticky red blood splattered across the side of Silas' face as his fellow cadet was bitten in half.

“Marks! Move, damn it!”

 Slowly, painfully, Silas pulled his eyes away from the sight before him and searched for the owner of the voice. One of his comrades, and friend, landed at his side. It was Walt, his face twisted in such an expression of horror Silas almost didn't recognize him. Across his face, chest and arms was a fine sprinkling of blood. They looked almost like red freckles across his pale cheeks. [b] “It got Kay.” [/b] Silas murmured, though it was obvious his friend had seen the entire thing. He also was close enough to get spayed with their partner's blood.

 Walt's expression changed from one of despair, to rage. He revved up, bringing one hand above his shoulder, then smacked Silas across the face. “What the hell is wrong with you! We need to get out of here! Snap out of it!” He screamed. The Titan was finished with Kay by now, and it turned it's attention on her two remaining companions.

 Silas was in shock for a second or two longer before he was able to pull himself together. His eyes hardened, and he glared at his friend, a red hand print now visible on his cheek. He felt obligated to return the favor, so he slapped Walt before he spoke. [b] “Let's move.” [/b] His voice sounded unfamiliar. It was steady and firm, though still not calm. How could anyone be calm, given the circumstances? 

 Walt nodded grimly. Then the two of them simultaneously fired the cables of their 3DMG at building on either side of the Titan. 

 Silas felt the familiar thrill of weightlessness as he leap from the rooftop. The whirring of his 3DMG was almost comforting. The wind whipped the hair out of his face as he moved through the air, circling around the Titan. It was an ugly thing. It looked like an old man, with a long white beard, now stained red, and a balding head. It's eyes were dark and beady, obviously lacking intelligence. It had a freakishly large mouth, as many Titans' do, and appeared to be grinning in a sadistic sort of way.

 Walt came around from the other side, in an attempt to throw the Titan off. It worked, because the creature was completely focused on Silas. “Keep 'em busy, Silly!” Walt called. He readied his blades, pausing on a rooftop behind the Titan.

[b] “Hey, ugly!” [/b] Silas cried, waving his arms above his head, [b] “You want a piece of this?”[/b] He shot out of the way as a large fist smashed into the building when he had been standing. He shot a spear right into the Titan's shoulder, using it to swing to the next building. [b] “What are you, blind? I'm over here!” [/b] Although he knew it didn't understand, it felt good to insult the thing.

 Silas and the Titan carried on like this for a short while. The boy would shout and wave his arms around, then flee when the thing got close. The Titan at one point actually made a sort of grunting noise, as if it were frustrated.

 When Silas landed on the next building, the roof underfoot gave way. It caught him off guard, and he slid off the slanted roof. He caught himself before he hit the ground by firing his maneuver gear at the side of the building. To late, he noticed an enormous foot swinging toward him. He desperately fired again, trying to get out of the way, but the Titan's foot grazed him, and it was just enough to send him sprawling, landing in a heap on the street. His head hit the bricks hard and spots swam in his vision.

 “No!” Silas heard the buzz of Walt's 3DMG. He struggled to get up as the Titan approached with slow, almost wobbly steps. It grinned down at him, as if mocking his failure.

 A fierce scream caught it's attention. The bearded Titan turned towards the sound, spotting Walt swinging towards it. The cadet had a grim look on his face and held both blades ready.

 [b] “Wait!” [/b] Silas squeaked, reaching toward his friend as if he could stop him. Walt ignored him. He gave a battle cry, spewing a string of creative insults. Silas saw it coming – he could feel it, sense it. Walt's 3DMG whipped him around so he was behind the Titan, but one of his hooks missed it's mark. Walt lost his momentum, and slammed into the side of the house. He had never been real good with his 3DMG, so he didn't know he could just use a little more gas to propel himself out of reach.

 [b] “Walt!” [/b] Silas' voice was a panicked screech. He struggled to his feet, his head still spinning, and went to move to his friend's aid. The Titan slammed it's giant fist into the wall where Walt dangled from his cables. The bricks crumbled under it's force, and blood erupted from under it's hand. [b] “WALT!” [/b] 

 Silas felt the pain in his heart. Instantly, all the pain from his physical injuries disappeared. His vision cleared, allowing him to see the scene perfectly. The tears streaked either side of his face. He watched the Titan pull it's fist from the wall and turn back to face him. Blood dripped from it's hand. Silas knew he couldn't take on the Titan by himself, not in his current state. He forced himself to flee, flying over rooftops like he had never before.

 He had to find the other top tenners. He knew most of them well enough, and they would work best if they stuck together in a group. He was not ashamed of his tears. He had been unable to protect his friends. He was hurt, and he was scared. There were Titans all over the place, and he did his best to avoid them. 
 
 He noticed a group up ahead and called out to them. They were moving fast, and with a purpose. He struggled to catch up. Hopefully, it was the Tenners. He had composed himself a little, but his eyes were still wet. He called out again, [b] “Hey, guys! Wait for me!” [/b]