Hello everyone and welcome to my first story. To give you a quick heads up, I do plan on making this longer than ten chapters. Throughout this story, I hope to show character progress and to build relationships. I will do my best to keep characters in their roles and not to truly change how some really are. I will warn you that some people will die. While some we may get attached to, know that they will always live on through select character's hearts. Finally, at the start of select chapters, when I bring in a new key character, I will try and give you all a brief description blurb. This is just so that you all can get an idea of how the character looks, everything else will be revealed in the story. I thank you all for reading my story, and any feedback is appreciated.

Alise Berg

Age: 29

Occupation: Soldier (Survey Corps)

Appearance: Alise has medium dark brown hair and tends to wear her hair up in a tight bun. She has hazel eyes. She stands at 159cm, weighs 63kg, and has an average build. The only areas toned on her are her legs and arms. On her left shoulder she has a scar she received when she was ten years old. She has an above average chest (between a C cup and D cup) and uses wrapping to help make them look as small as possible.

Xevera Berg

Age: 31

Occupation: Captain (Survey Corps)

Appearance: Xevera has short dark red hair that looks lighter under sunlight. Her eyes are gray. She stands at 168cm, weighs 68kg, and has a mild athletic build. She is notorious for wearing a pair of glasses when she is reading and takes them off for everything else. She has an above average chest (D cup) and tends not to show it off even when out of uniform.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Shingeki no Kyojin, they all belong to the lovely Hajime Isayama. The only characters I own are the ones I made up. Also, I did not make the image I am using. That image was found online and all rights belong to original designer.

"It is time to wake up."

Alise could feel her bed being kicked, but it did not stir her to move right away. A quick peek told her that the sun was not even up. If the sun felt like sleeping in, what was the point of her being up before it. She was going to be stubborn today, or at least that was what she had told herself. For as long as she could remember, she had told herself that she would defy this morning routine. Time and time again, she found herself giving in and just getting up.

Today she felt a different urge, the power of defiance ran rampant through her body and she was going to listen to it. Xevera could say what she wanted, she was not getting out of this bed. There were rookies sleeping in this same building that could be awoken before her. The thought of that alone caused her to pull the covers over her head.

"As your captain, I am ordering you to wake up."

"I am choosing to defy my sister at this moment."

Alise did not wince when she felt Xevera punch her in the head. Xevera had named that attack her passion punch, but there was no passion behind it. The rookies and the others could believe that load of crap. Alise knew that it was just Xevera being sadistic and childish.

"When you wake up a few rookies, then I will wake up."

There was no need for her to look at her sister to know that Xevera was pouting. She had lived with her long enough to know her every reaction. What Xevera said next caused her to sit up quickly in bed.

"We had some supplies come in the other night and a few of the rookies may have messed up your organized sections."

It was a well-known fact throughout this squad that Alise liked things to be in order. Xevera acts of cruelty tended to end with her just using her passion punch. While Alise, on the other hand, tended to toss her teammates out of the window. Order was important because it allowed her to locate things quickly and be able to tell what was missing. Without order there was just chaos and chaos left unchecked could ruin a lot of things.

She saw no point in speaking with her sister as she made her way down to the supply room. The area around her was slowly turning red and as she forced open the supply room door, she froze. Everything was as it was left. There was minor dust here and there, but all the supplies were still neatly stacked and in their proper place. She had been tricked and Xevera laughter confirmed that.

"That is the seventh time I got with you."

"Why am I up this early again?"

"As second-in-command it is your responsibility to make sure the squad is up and prepared for today. We are going outside the Walls again and I expect everyone to be ready upon my return."

Alise did not blink when Xevera ruffled her hair. Instead of moving right away, she watched as Xevera walked through the door. It always amazed her at how the sun tended to give life to her sister's red hair. Once her sister was out sight, Alise moved to get ready for the day. There was no point in shouting orders when she was not even ready.

Unlike her need to keep certain things in order, Alise did not stress over everything. Her uniform was always neat and clean. If she wanted she could have everything line up perfectly, but that would have been unnecessary. With all the moving she was going to be doing, her clothing would surely get messed up. When dealing with Titans, it was best if one's mind focused solely on them and nothing else.

"Get a move on it! Anyone that is not ready when Captain Xevera returns will be thrown out the second-floor window. I can promise you, I will not aim for the tree this time."

While she spoke soft some days, whenever she handed out orders, her tone became louder and colder. The rookies had learned not to cross her and the older members new the drill. The once quiet halls were filled with noise and even some laughter. Alise did not mind any of it, instead she gathered her supplies and got herself ready for the day. There was no telling how long they were going to be gone for and she really did not care. As long as Xevera was around, everything would be just fine.

The weather outside was refreshing, it was not too hot, and it was not too warm. This was perfect hunting weather. Unlike Squad Levi, their squad was not assigned to do all the killing. It would have been nice to be on a squad like that, but there was no way she was taking orders from Levi. Xevera was an odd woman. She enjoyed killing Titans as well as studying them. Her need to study them was different than Hange. She did not go about studying them by trying to keep them alive. Xevera was notorious for studying Titans from a distance and then cutting them down. Her notes tended to be brief and to the point. Xevera's discoveries would spark Hange's interest, but the two would always argue when Hange found out that Xevera had the Titan killed. Their relationship was comical to some degree.

Learning about Titans was not their primary objective. For the most part they were tasked with going ahead of everyone and scouting the area. Despite what Xevera liked to say, she knew that Commander Erwin liked to use them as bait. They were not ordinary bait and most of them tended to come back alive compared to the other squads. The fact still remained that they suffered a high loss the last time they left the Walls. Alise was not going to allow herself to remember, it was best to just suppress it.

Alise turned her attention towards the group of rookies that were lined up by their horses. It was her responsibility as second-in-command to make sure everyone was ready. Their attire had to be clean and they could not show any fear. Fear was expected, and she was not real harsh on the rookies. After all, death was just a heartbeat away.

"I know for five of you, that this will be your first time out of the Walls. I sense the fear on you all and try as you might, you are doing a terrible job at hiding it. I am not hear to promise you anything good. The only thing I can promise you is that one of you is going to die. That is if we are lucky. Then again we all could die."

Alise could not help but to chuckle at her own realization. Death was the only thing that could be promised to these rookies.

"You all are more than welcome to prove me wrong. Each of you has a reason for joining the Survey Corps. It could be because you are suicidal or maybe you want humanity to finally get a victory. Whatever that reason is, pull it close to you and use it when you face a Titan. If you lose sight of your goal, then you will be Titan fodder."

The sound of a horse approaching caused Alise to turn and face her sister.

"We leave now!"

Alise nodded at her sister's words and quickly climbed onto her horse. It always felt weird riding through the town and having people look at them. She could hear the comments that some people made. While some were nice, others made her want to punch people in the face. Some of the people in town had nicknamed their squad the Grim Squad. It was not the personality of the squad, but the fact that a lot of people tended to die under her sister's command. There was nothing Xevera could do to change that. Despite it all, Xevera always held her head up high.

When their squad started to merge in with the others, Alise followed after Xevera when she noticed where her sister was going. It was nice to hear Hange's voice, but she was not pleased to see Levi. She hated that her sister compared her organizational habits to Levi's obsessive need for cleanliness. A little dust did not bother her, and she was certain a speck of dust would just kill Levi. While her sister talked, she found herself glaring at Levi all the way out of the Walls. She only stopped glaring when Xevera returned to her side.

"If you keep looking at him like that, someone is going to think that you like him."

It was an outlandish comment and it left Alise turning slightly red from anger. A person had to be out of their mind to fall for him.

"What is there to like about him. It is not like I am looking at his hair or the dark circle under his eye. His body does nothing for me and his personality is awful."

"So you have been observing him."

"These are easy observational remarks. Anyone with eyes could see what I just said."

"Those people tend to have spoken to him more than six times."

"It was eight times and my observations sealed in that he is not my type."

"Whatever you say Alise. Anyway, gather the squad it is time we break away from the others."

They never got to stay in the group for long. That was just the perks of being bait. Whenever they left the walls, they tended to be in the front. On the way back, the held up the rear. Anyone that thought they were not bait on this squad was just plain stupid. She was sure that a few people probably cursed their luck when they found out they were joining the Grim Squad. The way she saw it, everyone was bait, this squad was just the prime cut bait. When they reached the parting marker, Alise let out a distinct whistle and their squad pulled further ahead.

Xevera had her squad broken down into teams of two. They were always spread out to get a better view of the area. Xevera had stolen the idea from their long-distance formation and it tended to help. Signals told Commander Erwin where he needed to go. When it was time to fight one signal would be fired while the rest of them were allowed to run away.

Alise kept her eyes peeled for the red signal. Someone was going to have to spot a Titan soon and she hoped it was not going to be her. Xevera had assigned her to work with a rookie and rookies always made mistakes. They had not even spotted a Titan and the female's hand was already trembling.

"Maya, steady your nerves."

No sooner had the words left her mouth two red flares went off. That was a first time for that, but she was not pressed. Both the Titans were spotted on the left side, so therefore Commander Erwin needed to avoid that area. Spotting them was not the squad's primary objective. If any more flares went off then they would have to be bait. As she passed by a broken down house with Maya, she noticed a 5m Pure Titan. While it was small, it was still a threat in her eyes.

"Warn the others."

Shooting a flare was not hard. Maya was fumbling and when the gun dropped from her hand, Alise made a disapproving sound. She did not bother to yell at Maya, instead she fired the red flare. Three flares had gone off, two more flares meant that they would have to engage.

Alise counted the flares off in her head. Just as the fifth one went off, a sudden one on the right caused her heard to turn. A black flare was never a good sign. They knew where Commander Erwin and the others were. With that knowledge in mind Xevera's bait plan was put into motion. There was a town not too far ahead and it would give them a chance to use their ODM gear. Before she could reach the town, Alise had to deal with the Titan chasing after them.

"Reach the town and put your gear to work. Remember what I said earlier."

Without giving Maya much warning, she pulled the trigger and found herself moving away from Maya. The look on her face was priceless, but there was nothing Alise could do to help her. Instead her attention turned towards the Titan chasing them. It was a male with rather large eyes and an oddly shaped head. It would have been trouble for a rookie, but Alise was not worried. Normally she would have allowed it to chase after the rookie for a few more yards. With everything that was going on, it was best to just eliminate the threat now and reach the town. Alise turned quickly and in a blink of an eye she had cut out the piece needed from the nape of the Titan.

There was no point in watching the Titan die. She had a rookie that needed her protection and a squad that needed her assistance. Thankfully her horse had not gone too far and as she rode into town, she found herself pausing. Emerging at a rather fast speed was an Abnormal Titan. It was not the Titan that caught her attention. Her eyes moved towards her sister as she broke away from the town and challenged the Titan head on. A responsible scout would have continued onward into the town, but she was not responsible. Xevera's life meant more to her and she was not going to let her die.

"Shock and awe!"

Alise hollered out the order when she was certain Xevera could hear her. It was an attack the two had come up with when they first joined. One of them was to be the bait, while the other attacked. While the attacker got the glory of the kill, it was the person that was the bait that got to do all the bragging later. A person had to be fast if they wanted to stand chance. While she had hoped she could be the bait, Xevera had beat her to it.

"It was my turn to be the bait! You can be so selfish."

Alise mumbled the last bit to herself and used her ODM gear once more. Instead of targeting a tree, Alise went right for the back of the Titan. Its height allowed her to use it as if it was a tree and it made attacking a bit easier. The only hard part was turning in time to slice the Titan. As the Titan feel to the ground, Alise landed on the ground and placed her blades away. She was going to whistle for her horse when Xevera suddenly snatched her up.

"We don't have time to waste. Commander Erwin is going to need us for later on. Which means that we need to save as many of our men as possible."

Going out this early in the mission was unacceptable in anyone's book. The least amounts of deaths at the start meant that they had better chances later on. As they passed by the first building, Alise used her ODM gear to go towards where she had left Maya. She could see Maya ahead of her, but Maya was not attacking. The poor girl was terror stricken and looked to be on the run. Only a few feet behind her was another Pure Titan. He was 6m tall and she did not bother to study his body. Maya had gone to turn, only for the Titan to snatch her out of the air.

Why people begged with any Titan was beyond her knowledge. No matter how many times a person said no, a Titan was not going to stop. No words would make a Titan stop. Killing a Titan was the only way to stop them. If Maya had done her job, she would not have been in that predicament. If Alise was harsh, she could have allowed her to die, but that was unacceptable. Even if they were labeled as bait, Maya was still a living human. Anything that lived deserved to be saved.

Just as the Titan went to bite down, Alise sliced into it. She landed on a roof and was about to say something when out of the corner of her eye, a Titan's action caused her to stop. She had no idea where the Titan had come from, but it was clear it leapt from the ground. In between its hand was a screaming man and then there was nothing but blood. Alise had not even gotten a chance to use her gear when the Titan bite down.

"No more."

It was hard to say if the sudden death triggered her or if Maya's actions had played a part. The only thing Alise knew was that she was on a war path. She did not want to see anyone else die. While she did care for the members in her squad, her feelings for them had not fueled her. It was the name calling from the people in town that bothered her. Xevera was a caring person and these people had given her a bad name. If anyone else died, the name calling would only get worse. Alise was not going to have her sister break any more bad news. Bad news could come later on in the mission, right now was an unacceptable start. If she could just kill all of these Titans, then something good was sure to come of it.

Alise had no idea how many Titans she had killed. All she knew was that they had suddenly stopped coming. She doubted she had killed them all and only dared to look up from her last kill when Xevera said something.

"All the Titans that followed us are dead. Levi and the others gave us a helping hand."

"I suppose they did not want their bait to die this early."

"Commander Erwin is a mysterious guy. If he would have told them to stay away, I am sure Levi would not have lost someone in his squad."

"I don't care about his squad, how many of ours died?"

"Just four people. Only one of them was not a rookie."

"I am going to train them harder when we get back."

"It is a good notion, but that is if there are any rookies left."

Alise turned to watch her sister leave. Xevera brought up a good point. Even the ones that had been out of the Walls more than once, were still rookies to her. Anyone that made it back was going to be pushed harder than before. With the rate things were going she was certain the people in town would label them as the Fodder Squad. The thought alone caused her to growl, but she did not stand and think on the matter. She needed new steel and more gas. More land lay ahead of them and she was ready to spill more Titan blood.