Hey people! I just had this idea for an SnK story. It's set before the Female Titan arc and, well, stars an OC. I hope you all enjoy it!

CHAPTER 1

MOUTH

A young woman sat down on the branches of a tall tree, leaning against it, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Tears streamed from her eyes, although she made an effort not to make noise.

Aileen Hars was alone, afraid, and knew full well that sooner or later, she was going to die.

It took two outside expeditions, but now, on the 56th Survey Corps expedition to the hostile lands of Wall Maria, her luck had finally run out. Her group was run down by a group of Titans before an Aberrant jumped in front of them, blocking their path and causing them to be surrounded on all sides by the abominations. Aileen had used the 3DMG to swing to the nearest trees and, by sheer luck, the Titans failed to notice her.

The cries of her comrades who entered the Corps together with her as she fled the scene like a coward, as her closest friends screamed at the knowledge that they were going to be eaten alive haunted her nightmares for the past night. They had cried out to her to come back…and she had done nothing but run away…

She hoped that they met a quick end.

There was only one sword left. Her 3DMG was out of gas, so there was no clear way to escape any Titans now other than leaping between the trees. She had heard some old legend about Oriental warriors who would stab themselves with a sword to die an honourable death than be slain by the enemy. Would she do the same to herself?

Aileen took a deep breath, and positioned the blade above her stomach. She lifted it, ready to stab.

And then her grip faltered. The sword dropped. Aileen was panting in fear as she realized what she was about to do.

This was not honour. This was cowardice. Would she want to be remembered as the mouse who ran away before killing herself to be spared a horrible death? Would her fallen friends have approved of this?

This was not the way to go. She had one sword left. She gazed up as she remembered the night she and her friends made up the choice to join the Survey Corps. Not for wealth, or ranks, or promotions, but for humanity. She had broken down in tears as she was declared an official member of humanity's best hope and put on the robes with the Wings of Freedom on them for the first time.

She looked back at her sword. It was still sharp, but not for long. It would probably dull out or break after just a few more uses.

She had made her decision. For the sake of humanity, she would kill at least one Titan with the sword. Once it became useless, only then would she welcome death, knowing that she died for the greater good.

She crept along the tree branch, and hesitantly leapt over them one by one. There didn't seem to be any Titans here for some reason. It felt almost too quiet-

And then she saw it. As she jumped over a large gap, she saw the same Aberrant that ruined her life, jumping up with its mouth wide open.

"NO-" Aileen said as her body was enveloped in the Titan's mouth. The jaws slammed shut, and she fell down into the abyss.

Fate was cruel today. She could not even carry out her final wish before being eaten by this eldritch monster. But for some reason, she didn't feel herself landing into the chasm that was the Titan's belly, surrounded by the corpses of its previous victims. In fact, it felt like everything was…going black…

Darkness overcame Aileen, and she fell unconscious.

When she felt herself coming to, she could hear…birds?

What the hell?