Today was the day.
The day Asami of Shiganshina District would join the Cadets. Or at least, try to.
5 years ago, the Colossal Titan appeared, destroying the gate of Shiganshina, and allowing the Titans into the city.
After that, the Armored Titan appeared, breaching Wall Maria.
Asami had been in a camp for a year, working, trying to make up for the food shortage within Trost District.
Anybody who'd escaped Maria old enough to join the military was sent on a mission to, "reclaim the wall", but Asami knew better.
It had been the military's way of thinning the herd, trying to make the situation better.
20% of the population had left. Less than 200 returned.
Asami's father had passed during that operation. Her mother had gotten lucky, and made it back. She'd died after.
This all came flooding back to the girl, as all of the applying Cadets stood in the dirt field, waiting for their instructor to welcome them.
The instructor walked to the front of the rows and rows of Cadets.
The teenagers saluted him.
Instructor Keith Shadis was a tan, bald man with brown, sunken eyes. "Welcome, cadets!" He shouted. "This place is going to be your hell for the next three years! As of now, just for having the stomach to be here, you are certified titan fodder! For the next three years I'm going to push you so hard you'll want to crawl into a hole and die! I'm going to push you so hard, 20% of you aren't going to have the stomach to continue. I am going to push you so hard, that by the time you leave here, you will be certified bad-asses! Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir!" The cadets shouted.
Asami was ready.
She was ready to be worked. She was ready to be pushed to her limits- hell, she wanted to know those limits. She was ready to climb up the ranks, the hard way.
Because more than anything, she wanted to see the outside world.
Because, more than anything, she wanted to join the Scouts.
She'd been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed Keith Shadis making her way towards her.
He'd been interrogating the cadets. And Asami was ready for her turn.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two people. A tall man, with slicked-back blond hair, and a short man, with parted black hair, and bored, yet interrogating black eyes.
And they weren't cadets.
"You!" Shadis shouted, coming to stand in front of Asami. He towered over her, him being tall, and her being short. "Who the hell are you, shorty?"
"Asami Suzuki, sir!" Asami chanted up at the man.
He grabbed her face, squishing her cheeks in between his fingers. "You look more like a doll than a fighter! Where the hell are you from?"
Asami, staring right up at the instructor, took his hand, and slowly removed it from her face. "Shiganshina District, sir."
Everybody around gasped, either because she'd had the guts to touch the Instructor, or because of where she came from. Even the two men standing off to the side raised their eyebrows. Well, the blond man did. The short one continued to look bored.
"I see." Shadis said, crossing his arms. "Why are you here?"
"To contribute to humanity's battle against the Titans, sir."
"Asami," The man mused. "Can you fight?"
"Yes, sir." Asami answered.
"I see." He murmured.
Completely out of the blue, he lunged toward her, grabbing the collar of her shirt.
Out of instinct, Asami pulled on his right arm, took his left hand, and tripped him, throwing him to the ground.
Realizing what she'd done, she held onto his arms, stopping him right before he hit the ground.
Everybody gaped at the girl. The blond man looked shocked, but Levi's face looked as steely as ever, with the exception that his eyes had widened.
Asami pulled the man up. "Sorry, sir. You startled me."
Shadis looked her over. "Very good, Suzuki. You have my respect." The man responded, before nodding and walking off.
Asami gaped. She'd heard stories of that guy, about how horrible and rotten he was. She'd just flipped that guy, and he respected her.
Shadis had started to walk past the blond boy next to her, when he slowly backtracked. "You!" He yelled. "Coconut! Who the hell are you?"
"Armin Arlert of Shiganshina, sir!" Armin yelled back, trying his best to sound brave.
Oh God, it's Armin! Asami thought. She'd run around and played with him and Eren and Mikasa all of the time when they were little- Or, whenever they could.
Asami's dad had been, well, difficult, about playing with the doctor's son and his friends.
He'd referred to them all as peasants.
And every time he'd done it, Asami had yelled at him, told him not to talk about her friends that way.
Eren, the brown-haired boy who'd always wanted to see the outside world, had yelled at the man, too, telling him his daughter could be friends with whomever she wanted.
Eren had been especially set on convincing Asami's father to let them be friends. Eren and Asami had gotten along so well. For Christ's sake, they shared the same dreams. Asami just wasn't as quick to announce it.
Shadis spun Armin around, so he faced some of the other cadets.
"Psst! Armin!" Asami whispered.
The blond boy looked at her, surprise sparking in his eyes. "Asami?" He asked.
"Long time no see, blondie!" Asami grinned up at the boy. She was short; shorter than everybody else excluding the blond girl a few rows away.
"It's so great to see you!" Armin whispered.
"Yeah, you too." Asami said, smiling sweetly at the boy. "You're here. That means you survived the attack. That makes me so happy. Are Eren and Mikasa…" Her sparkling eyes clouded with dread. She was going to ask if they were here as well, but another possibility was there. She didn't even finish her sentence, the thought of her childhood friends being dead unbearable.
"They're fine. They're here, too." Armin assured her hastily, upon seeing her expression darken.
Asami perked up. "Thank God! I was really hoping we'd meet in the refugee camps, that is, if you guys were still alive."
Armin chuckled. "Yeah, we were there. I thought I saw you a few times. Eren kept telling me I was lying. He kept saying you'd probably gotten away to Wall Sina with your family. He's going to be ecstatic when he sees you!"
"I know! I can't wait to see him and Mikasa again! I really, really hoped we'd meet again. Thank God you're all safe."
Armin chuckled again. "Same to you. I was worried you hadn't gotten out safely. Same goes for Mikasa and Eren. I could tell he still worried you hadn't gotten out of the city, despite what he said about your going to Wall Sina. We all really missed you."
"I missed you guys, too." Asami replied, smiling at the boy.
"Suzuki! Arlert! Did I say you could chat?" The instructor barked.
Asami looked forward again. "No, sir!" She and Armin chanted.
"Good! Now, shut your pie-holes or I'll make you run laps!"
They decided it was best not to respond. He had told them to shut up.
Asami giggled quietly. "Talk later." She whispered to Armin, who she could see smile and nod.
Later came quickly.
At dinner time, the girls and boys filed into the mess hall from their barracks. While the staff were preparing dinner for the cadets, Asami stood out on the porch, watching the girl who'd been eating the potato at the initiation run.
She giggled to herself, remembering the instructor flip out on poor Sasha Braus. Asami made a mental note to slip the girl some food later on.
"Asami!" Someone called. She matched the voice to Armin, who emerged behind a small crowd, pulling somebody behind him, a girl following the two boys.
The protesting boy Armin had been dragging behind him was Asami's age. He had short, chocolate-brown hair and emerald-green eyes that were always on fire.
"-No way!" He was saying. "You're lying. She had to of left."
"Look for yourself!" Armin said, pulling the boy forward so Asami Suzuki and Eren Jaeger stood face-to-face.
He looked shocked. "Asami… but how… I thought…" He didn't even get to finish. Asami tackled him in a hug.
Despite her size, the girl was strong. Asami knocked Eren right on his butt, and she clung to him.
She'd been at the refugee camp for an entire year, and hadn't seen Eren, Mikasa or Armin once. She'd assumed they'd died. The thought had broken her heart.
They'd been best friends when they'd been children. Can you imagine how devastated Asami was when they hadn't turned up at the refugee camp? To have your best friends suddenly die when you're eleven years old? It's hard.
Eren pulled her back to study her face. "It''s definitely you. Strong as hell." He muttered, then laughed. "It's great to see you, Asami. We missed you."
The girl hugged him again. "I missed you guys, too. Armin and I were together at initiation. He told me you guys made it. I was so excited to see you all again." Asami giggled, overwhelmed with joy. She stood, and extended a hand, which Eren used to hoist himself up.
She turned to Mikasa, and hugged her as well.
Mikasa didn't like many people. She didn't open up to anybody. So you could imagine Asami's joy when Mikasa had taken a liking to the small girl.
"I missed you, Asami." Mikasa said. Asami breathed in the larger girl's scent. She smelled like flowers, just like she always did.
The girl pulled back, admiring her three childhood friends, so thankful that they were alive and well. "I miss you guys, too. A lot." She sighed dreamily. "To think that the last time I saw you all we were just eleven years old, horsing around in Shiganshina."
The four walked inside and sat down at a table together, Asami's friends wanting to catch up with her. Everybody else filed inside after the, eager to hear their stories. Food was passed out, so the cadets ate.
Those two adult soldiers sat at a table a bit farther away, eating, talking, and watching the group.
"So, Eren," Asami started, smiling at the boy across from her. "Are you still set on joining the Scouts?"
"Of course." He said. "How about you? You still want to join?"
"Definitely. I can't wait to!" Asami replied giddily. She really, really wanted to join the Scout Regiment.
The blond man at the table raised his eyebrows, but the group didn't notice.
Armin laughed at Asami. "Whoa, Asami, you're getting way ahead of yourself! It's only day one!"
"Sorry. It's just-"
"The Scouts, huh?" Someone asked.
Asami spun in her seat to find a tall boy standing behind her, arms crossed, smirking deviously. He had light hair, shaven on the sides. His face was long, giving him a horse-like appearance.
Eren narrowed his eyes. "You're that guy who's aiming for the MP's, right?" He asked, referring to when he'd been interrogated at roll call. "I remember now. The guy who got head-butted for saying he wanted to live comfortably in the Interior. Jean Kirschtein, was it?"
"What's it to you, punk? I was just being honest. But joining the Scouts?" He gave a low whistle. "That's suicide."
Eren stood and walked around the table, fists balled.
Everybody turned to look at the confrontation that had broken out.
Asami stood, laying a hand on Eren's shoulder, and walking in front of him, so she faced Jean.
His mouth widened when he saw her. Jean looked her over, taking in all of her beautiful features; her dark hair, and how it cascaded down her back. Her emerald-colored eyes boring into him. Her pale complexion shining in the torchlight of the mess hall. Her full, pink lips drawn in a frown. Her slim figure, now posed so her hand was on her hip.
"And what," Asami asked, her voice cold and intimidating. "Is wrong with aiming for the Scouts, Jean Kirschtein?"
The boy blushed a deep shade of pink. "N-nothing! It's just…" The color in his face vacated, and he regained his composure. Jean smirked. "I mean, I could see this suicidal bastard wanting to go." He gestured at Eren. "But why would a doll like you want to go outside? I mean, I think you'd be much happier in the Interior with the MP's."
Asami narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Dolls like me don't give a shit what you think." She proceeded to knee Jean Kirschtein where it hurt. "And I suggest you don't criticise. I also suggest you don't insult my friend for wanting to go outside."
Jean gasped, clutching between his legs.
Everybody gaped at the girl. The room was dead silent for a few moments.
Asami held out her hand for Jean. "I'm not trying to make enemies, Jean."
He smirked up at her, despite the pain she'd just inflicted upon his being, and took her hand. "You've got skills, Asami, I'll give you that. Sorry for criticizing you."
Asami smiled at the boy.
"Friends, then?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Sure." She said, shaking his hand.
"I'm sorry for criticizing your dreams. It's none of my business." Jean said to Eren, though he didn't sound half as genuine as he had when he'd apologized to Asami." He held out his hand.
"Yeah," Eren said. "I'm sorry, too." He slapped Jean's hand, and the boys sat back down.
Eren sat next to Asami. He slung his arm around her shoulder. "Man, that guy pissed me off. I could swear he was hitting on you. Kept looking you up and down. No self control." He said to Asami, rolling his eyes.
She giggled. "It's okay. He learned his lesson."
Eren laughed. "Yeah, that was great. You're still bad-ass. You kicked his butt, then befriended him." He laughed again. "I see nothing's changed."
A short boy with a clean-shaven head walked over to the groups table. Asami remembered him as the small kid who'd gotten picked up by the head during the interrogation for doing the salute backwards. Connie Springer. She giggled at the thought.
"I heard you guys talking earlier." Connie said to Asami and Eren. You say you're from Shiganshina?"
"Yeah." Eren said, uncomfortably.
"That means you saw the Colossal Titan!" He exclaimed, rather loudly.
Silence fell over the entire room.
The kids from Shiganshina.
Everybody crowded around them, pushing Mikasa and Armin back to get to hear Asami and Eren's answers. Even the two male soldiers had drifted over, and now leaned against the wall across from the two.
"Uh, yeah, we saw it. Or at least, I did." Eren answered, glancing at Asami.
"Eh? Yeah. I saw it, too." The girl answered, trying to keep cool. The Colossal Titan and the pain it had brought her wasn't something she liked thinking about.
Everybody gasped.
"How big was it?" Somebody asked.
"I heard it stepped over the Wall!" Somebody else offered.
"That was the rumor I heard in my village as well!" Someone agreed.
"It wasn't that big." Eren said. He'd been swirling his spoon around in his tray of soup, bored. "Just big enough to look over the Wall."
"Yeah." Asami agreed half-heartedly.
"You guys want to join the Scouts, right?" Somebody asked.
"Yeah." Asami answered. She shrugged. "So?"
"You guys already witnessed the horror of the Titans!" Somebody exclaimed. "Why would you ever want to see one again?"
That question made the two pause. Asami had no idea about Eren, but she'd been at the mercy of the Titans before. And that was something she definitely didn't want to relive.
Asami's breath caught.
Eren dropped his spoon and covered his mouth.
"Enough with the question, guys." Said a freckled boy, standing. "I'm sure there are things they don't want to remember."
Asami left, wordlessly, despite everyone gazes following her out.
"You idiots." Jean said, his tone suggesting he was angry yet couldn't believe the cadets. "They're from Shiganshina. That means either their parents were eaten when the Titans breached the Wall, or their parents were sent on that mission to 'reclaim the wall'. Who in their right mind would let their kid join the military- the Scouts, of all places? What did you expect?"
Eren excused himself, and left, but not before shooting Jean nasty looks.
He mainly went to find Asami, and didn't even notice the two soldiers following him out.
Mikasa and Armin had been about to follow, but when they'd seen the soldiers leave behind their friends, decided it was best to not intrude.
Asami sat on the steps of the girls barracks. She noticed a tall, brown-haired figure walking out of the mess hall, and towards her. She managed a smile as Eren got close.
He sat down next to her. "So, you've got bad memories too, huh?"
"Yeah. My parents actually made it out. My whole family. Dad…" Eren winced when she heard her speak of her father.
Man, Eren thought. I hated that guy. He was such a jerk. But he was her father. No matter how much she hated him, she still cared about him. It makes me hate him even more, that he had to die and leave her and her mother alone.
Of course, Asami's mother hadn't been any better, always following the dad's lead. But, she'd wanted what was best for Asami. Her father hadn't wanted her daughter's mind to be corrupted by the "peasants".
"Dad…" Asami continued. "Was sent on that mission to 'reclaim the Wall'. So was Mom. Mom made it back. My father… he… he died. My mom died shortly after… because… because…" Asami seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. "I'm sorry. I don't want to think about it." She gave Eren a sad smile.
It fascinated everyone; Eren, Armin, Mikasa, how Asami could smile no matter what.
The two soldiers approached the children sitting on the porch. They stood, and saluted their superiors.
"At ease, cadets." The blond one said. "We're here to talk." The two dropped out of their salutes.
The men had seemed so familiar before. Asami hadn't even realized it.
These guys…
These guys were from the Scout Regiment.
The insignia on their cloaks said so.
The Wings of Freedom.
"I'm Erwin, Commander of the Scout Regiment." Said the blond man. "This is my subordinate, Captain Levi." He gestured to the shorter man. "We heard you were interested in joining us."
"Yes, sir." Asami said.
Commander Erwin chuckled. "What are your names, cadets?" He asked.
"Asami Suzuki and Eren Jaeger of Shiganshina District." Asami said formally.
The Commander arched an eyebrow. "Suzuki, huh?" He mused.
"Yes, sir." Asami silently pleaded he wouldn't bring up her family. Thank God he didn't.
"So, you're the two from Shiganshina, huh?" The short one, Levi, asked. He even sounded bored. "We saw your stunt in there, Suzuki. Nicely done, putting that boy in his place."
"Thank you, sir." Asami thanked, which earned a chuckle from Erwin.
"No need to be so formal, cadet. But I must say I was impressed. We would be very lucky to have a soldier like you in our ranks."
"Why is that, sir?" Asami asked, confused.
"We saw you throw the instructor today. We also saw you stand up to that cadet in the mess hall. It's clear you've had former martial arts training. You know where to draw the line. You're aware of your duties as a soldier. We need more soldiers like you."
"Tch," Levi scoffed. "We still don't know what she can do, Erwin. You're getting ahead of yourself."
Erwin chuckled again. "Yes, I know. There is still much to be proven. And her mind could change over the course of three years."
"I've been set on joining the Scouts for years, sir, as has Eren. I don't think my mind will be changed." Asami answered.
Levi raised an eyebrow. "You're, what? Twelve? You've been set on this for years, huh? May I ask why?"
Asami's face hardened. "I don't want to sit back and have the easy life… Not like..." She hesitated. "Certain people wanted me to."
The men could tell she was holding information, but they decided not to pry. Only Eren knew the information she was withholding.
What she'd said was true, but there was another reason.
"We want to see the outside world." Eren said.
"Really?" Erwin asked.
Asami smiled, a small smile. "Yes, sir." But she wanted to know something. "Commander," She started.
"Just Erwin." Erwin corrected, smiling at the small girl.
"Erwin," She tried again. "I don't want to sound rude, but why are you here? I didn't know Scouts saw to training."
Erwin chuckled. "We aren't here all of the time. We'll be staying a few days to scope out cadets with potential."
"It's too early to tell just yet." Levi pointed out. "The brats haven't even been through training."
"We'll see, Levi." Erwin muttered to his subordinate, smirking. "Curfew is soon, cadets. We'll be watching the both of you."
The cadets hadn't even noticed the sun descending from the sky. "Yes, sir." They said in unison, saluting the soldiers.
"Especially you, Princess." Levi said, nodding at Asami.
She smirked. "I'll try my best, Captain Shorty."
He looked about to make a snide remark, but he closed his mouth. "Hmpf."
Asami really didn't have the right to call him Shorty, he was taller than her. But hey, if she got a nickname, he gets one, too.
Erwin laughed. "Goodnight, cadets. We'll converse more tomorrow." With that, Commander Erwin and Captain Levi left, talking to each other as they disappeared behind the barracks.
As soon as they were out of view, Asami hugged Eren, who was taken by surprise.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"No," Asami said. "That was terrifying." But when she looked back up at him, she smiled.
"I can't believe we met them." Eren said. He didn't even seem down that they hadn't acknowledged him much, which relieved Asami.
"I know. I really, really hope we make the cut." Asami said.
"Don't worry about it." He patted her on the head. "We'll push each other forward. We stick together, right, Princess?"
Asami smiled. "Yeah."
She didn't even care that Eren had called her Princess. She knew that was a nickname she was going to have the rest of her life.
She absolutely loved having her friends back.
Clueless anybody had been listening, the two walked back to the mess hall.
Erwin and Levi had heard their conversation.
"What do you think?" Erwin asked Levi. "Looks sure can be deceiving."
"I think she'll be an exceptional soldier." Levi admitted. "Though her attachment to her friends is what's going to get her killed."
"I see what you mean. She is quite fond of that Jaeger boy. Friends? Definitely. More than friends? Quite possibly. They share the same dream. At least, if they make it, they'll know what they're jumping into. I admire the girl. She's seen hell. They both have. Yet that day seems to have no effect on her."
"You're right. She smiles and laughs like she doesn't have a care in the world, but she knows when to get serious. She's broken, though." He paused. It was easy for him to read people, something he could do just by studying someone. "Her family?" He continued. "No way in hell they're alive."
Erwin nodded. "Then we've both reached that conclusion. She has a history. A bloody one, at that. Jaeger as well. But we need not get into that now."
The Commander and Captain left.
Training would start tomorrow. Everybody was anxious to get started and prove their worth.
But they didn't realize the hell they'd signed up for.