[center][h2][color=9e0b0f]Emil Burton[/color][/h2][/center]
[center]Somewhere Near the Breach, Trost District[/center][center][@jinxer][@SheriffLlama][/center][center]-----[/center][center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xat7mhoKTLQ[/youtube][/center][center]-----[/center]

Around him Trost burned. The fires that were tearing through some of the buildings closer to the breach were getting out of hand, and the air was full of a steady stream of ash and ember, had it not been for the earlier rain it could have been surmised that much of Trost proper would have been ablaze. Emil watched blankly as embers fell around him, their warm orange glow snuffing out the moment they touched the wet tiles of the rooftop he was on, each embers life was fickle, easily stomped out by the forces of nature. Emil thought there was a cruel beauty in the delicacy of something with such destructive potential as an ember, as if there were a parallel between them and the lives of the soldiers of Trost. Each theoretically had the potential to wreak havoc amongst the Titans, but they were as easily snuffed out as an ember on the wet ground.

Emil found himself rising to his feet, he tapped the gas canisters at his sides and sighed, they were too low to make it up the wall if he used them to get to it. He could run his way to the wall, although he had little doubt that he would end up a small morsel for the Titans if he tried to run along the streets in order to conserve gas and climb the wall. He turned back toward the Headquarters building, it was far. But he could make it even using his gas, maybe he'd have to run the last block or so, but it could be done. But his hopes were dashed when he noticed the distant silhouettes of larger titans beginning to work their way toward the headquarters building, converging on it. [color=9e0b0f][i]'There must still be soldiers trapped inside it to garner such attention from the Titans...'[/i][/color] he thought as he tried to reassess his options.

The wall was simply to far a run on the ground, and if he used his gas he wouldn't be able to scale it. Headquarters was doable if he were careful and avoided any fights, but even then he wouldn't have enough gas to make it onto the building which left him at the mercy of the small horde of Titans around the area that was ever growing in size.

Emil let the blades from his handles clatter to the tiles at his feet before he slotted a fresh set into place, "Guess this is it then." he said to himself quietly, his demeanor oddly calm for the current situation, he began to walk toward the group of Titans that was devouring Helen below him. He was gripping the handles so tightly that his knuckles were beginning to turn bone white. He counted six. Two 3 metter titans, two four meter titans, a 2 meter titan, and a 6 meter titan. The one with it's hand on the roof was the six meter Titan, close enough that Emil was confident he could take it out by simply jumping off the roof, then he'd have to move for the next closest one, a four meter class. He'd die after that. He was sure of it, but at least he avenge Helen at least a little, everyone else had been avenged. It would only be fair.

He took a deep breath, his hands trembling now as he did. He hadn't wanted this. He'd have been happy living his life on the streets of Wall Rose, dirty and hungry. But he wouldn't be dying right here, right now in Trost to fight an enemy that humanity would never win against. He cursed the judge that had set him up to this, decided his fate for him, placed him where he was now.

He was about to jump onto the six meter Titan when there was a flash of bright light from behind him. He turned quickly to look in its direction but caught no sight of what caused it. Behind him the Titans turned to investigate the light as well, the six meter Titan finally taking notice of Emil as it did. Emil heard the Titan move its hand from its resting place on the edge of the building and instinctively dove forward away from the edge that he stood at, the Titan's hand slamming into the roof where he had just been in a shower of dust and shattered clay tiles. He pulled himself away on his hands and knees until he was confident the Titan couldn't reach him, it's hand blindly reaching at the top of the roof in hopes of snagging another meal.

He turned back in the direction that the flash had originated from, only now to spot a red flare arching high into the sky, [color=9e0b0f]"A retreat order..."[/color] he said aloud, stunned at the fact that the soldiers were still organized enough to communicate after what seemed to have been a defeat that resulted in the slaughter of most of the forces deployed in the Middle and Vanguards.

He began to run for the other edge of the building, his feet carrying him with a new, vague sense of hope that he could still get out of this. Still survive and live his life as he wanted. Not die to the hands of the inhuman monsters that threatened him here.

He leapt from the building and shot a hook for the bell tower that he had used to land on the roof originally. He swung around the tower and began to make his way toward the origin point of the red flare. Moving quickly and trying not to use much gas, Emil found himself passing the street that his squad had been wiped out at when he saw a girl standing in a large puddle of blood.

Without thinking Emil changed his direction and fell down to the ground landing at a run. He approached the girl from behind, her twin tails and cadet uniform keeping him confused as he ran up. As he passed an intersection he came face to face with a ten meter titan that had been sitting, concealed behind the buildings. It lazily looked his way and began to stand to come after him. Not willing to die anymore he fired his hooks as he ran, aiming for about halfway up the buildings on either side of the road and reeled himself in so that he would run right into the cadet ahead of him.

Emil slammed into the girl and hugged her tight as they shot up into the air, she screamed and began to beat at his arms, the blades of her gear getting uncomfortably close to his face as she did so. Emil aimed for a roof top and set them down, both of them coming apart as they rolled across the wet tiles of the building. He shot up to his feet and ran for the girl, [color=9e0b0f]"Helen?! Helen I thought you had died..."[/color] he said astounded at her survival, the images of the other cadet being eaten by the group coming vividly to his mind.


[color=f49ac2]"I don't... I thought I was dead..."[/color] she said to Emil as she knelt on the roof, her eyes looking directly at Emil but seeming to stare past him at the same time. She shook her head and looked back in the direction of the ten meter Titan that was lumbering toward them, passing the spot where the squad had met its fate. [color=f49ac2]"I thought everyone was dead... To that Abnormal that almost got me, it was so close but Lauren saved me, and then it got her instead."[/color] she said, her eyes blankly watching the Titan as it approached.

Emil knelt down and placed a hand on Helen's shoulder, [color=9e0b0f]"Hey look we have to get moving, we'll figure out what happened later, but for now we have to go." he said as he lifted her up to her feet and walked to the edge of the building, "We head for that tower,"[/color] he pointed his blade at the tower that had been the source of the smoke signal, [color=9e0b0f]"if we make it there should be more soldiers there, we can make it out of this if we have a bigger group."[/color] he feigned confidence as he spoke to her. A larger group meant more chances of survival, but only at the loss of members of the group. 

Helen nodded her head at Emil as he spoke, still seeming to focus on something past him before the two stood and shot off for the tower.

As they neared they noticed a few more lone cadets carefully making their way as well although they were too far off to make out or communicate with. But the sense that they were doomed began to wane as they saw more cadets making their way toward the Headquarters. Emil shot his hooks for the top of the tower, the whir of his wires filled his ears as he reeled up to the top of the tower and crested the edge to land on his feet atop the flat roof with Helen following quickly behind, confirmed by the sound of her landing. He looked around the group and noticed Connor [color=9e0b0f]"Conn--"[/color], and the cadet in front of him, [color=9e0b0f]"Lauren!"[/color] he yelled as he pushed past a cadet he didn't recognize and grabbed the girl pulling her into a hug, [color=9e0b0f]"How."[/color] was all he said as he hugged the taller cadet.