Hey guys, here is the first chapter in this fanfic that i posted a trailer for a while ago. This story will use the anime Season One as canon for ground work and it will have spoiler for the manga to the recent chapters that were published. So spoiler warnings for both the manga and the anime if you haven`t caught up yet.
Anyway, read on.
Attack on Titan
The Gray
The Story so far…
They first appeared over a hundred years ago, giant humanoid creatures with a taste for our blood. The brute strength of these apparition trump an average person`s many times over, and we were shoved to the brink of extinction almost overnight…
The survivors erected walls Maria, Rose and Sina, withdrawing behind them in frightened huddles in what was to be a century of uneasy peace.
In the year 845, two terrifying new breeds of Titan appeared in Shingashina District, The Colossal and the Armored, barreling through the outer wall as if wholesale destruction was child`s play. In blood and thunder, our way of life was forever changed. The Titans feed their hunger of human flesh unchecked.
Hours after Shingashina fell, every man, woman in the interior knew the unthinkable had happened. In frightened haste, the Central Government declared the territory behind wall Maria a lost cause and ordered all mankind to retreat behind Wall Rose. Estimate held that nearly ten thousand lives were lost to the Titan offensive.
Five years later, in the year 850, The Colossal Titan reappeared in Trost District breaking the wall that separated mankind and them. The city of Trost was well on its way of being lost when out of the darkness and despair raised the most unlikely ally.
Eren Yeager, having tragically died early in the battle, had under mysterious circumstances possess the power to transform and control a Abnormal Titan and it was with his help that humanity, for the first time since the Titan`s appearance some hundred years ago, had managed to retake Trost, the first true victory mankind had accomplished against the Titan onslaught.
Eren had given humanity a sliver of hope…a hope that was almost destroyed when another Titan shifter came after him with all intention of taking him away…a Titan shifter…A Female Titan with strange abilities.
A female Titan who was revealed to be a classmate of Eren, a young woman by the name of Annie Leonheart, who somehow possessed the same ability as Eren. In a bloody battle, Eren managed to defeat Annie, but the latter completely encased herself into a crystal cocoon before they could capture her…
The revelation of what Annie truly was also give way to another truth.
The Colossal and the Armored Titan are also humans who have the power to create a Titan body, and now the question remains…who give them this power? Why have they come to the Walls? What is their goals in fighting on the Titan`s side rather than of their own species?
While some of the answers may never be answered, Humanity will soon realize that the world beyond the walls, the world that they laid down lives to return to one day, is not the same world they have left behind…
Chapter One
Five Months later…
The sun was shining quite brightly in the sky that day. It started out like any other with the large amount of people moving about their lives. They were still talks about the sighting of the two Titans battling within the Walls and the destruction it had caused to the Interior.
While not a lot of information had been revealed about the event itself, one thing that everyone know is that the Scouting Legion had been ones to finish the trouble and they were the ones who had been responsible for it.
The Commander of the Scouts, Erwin Smith made his way toward where the Cadets had been assembled. Today he will be giving a speech to the newly joined Cadets that had made it through training this year. Honestly, the man isn't expecting anyone to join considering how low the Scout`s reputation had gotten these past few months. While they have gotten the support of the Crown behind them, their public image had been getting down with the rumors of what happened within the Capital five months ago.
Cadets Barrack
A girl was seating alone with a plate of food in front of her. She wasn`t eating much but she was holding a knife and working upon a piece of wood with it, carving it with careful precision and attention.
The girl had dark eyes, and her hair was blonde but it leaned on the white side rather than the normal, the short hair falling upon her forehead, thought she didn`t seem to mind it. She was dressed in a simple long skirt and blouse which looked quite old but the girl didn`t mind neither her clothes nor the conversation going on around her.
"Hey Sarah,"
A young man had taken a seat beside the carving girl, thought she didn`t even acknowledge him. He was quite handsome looking, if not a little muscled. This young man`s name was Caleb Stein. He was one of the top ten Cadets in the class with his skills of the ODM gears quite high upon the list.
"What Regiment are you thinking of joining?" he asked, continuing to talk to the blonde girl, "Me, I`m heading for the Military Police you know, after all, as one of the top ten Cadets."
The girl didn`t answer.
"I`m sure that the Garrison will be quite a good place for you," Caleb continued leaning on the table with a smirk, "You seems like that type of gal who can handle things quite well with your Academic brilliance."
The blonde, Sarah, blew upon the piece of wood she was holding to clear it as she looked at her masterpiece. She had been working on it during the last few days and she was glad that it was finally finished.
It was a horse head, quite well detailed and made.
"You`re always doing these little things," Caleb said, "Who taught it to you?"
"Why do you want to know?" the girl asked.
Caleb smirked a little.
"Well, I`m curious," he said, "It`s not like you talk about yourself a lot. In the past three years since our boot camp begin and ended."
Sarah turned her gaze toward him, her dark eyes seemingly boring right through his.
"It`s my hobby," she said simply, "And to answer your first question, I`m joining the Scout Regiment."
Caleb stared at her, shocked.
"What?" he yelled.
His raised voice drew some looks and a small silence fell within the large room. Caleb glanced around himself at the looks they were getting thought, Sarah didn`t seem to notice them at all.
"You`re joking right?" he said, "Tell me you`re not serious."
Sarah glanced at him.
"I didn`t become a soldier to hide behind a Wall," the girl told him.
"And going straight to your death is what it means to be a soldier to you?" Caleb argued, "Think about what you`re saying here Sarah. Anyone who joins the Scouts is signing their death warrants. You know what the Titans are capable of, with what happened in Trost five months ago…"
Sarah looked toward her food.
"It`s my choice in joining whatever military faction I want," she said to him, "Ever since I joined the Cadets, joining the Scouts have always been my goal…just as the military Police had always been yours."
Caleb frowned.
"Don't you know how many people died in the Expeditions the Scouts took outside the Walls?" he asked.
"Many people die at the hands of the Titans," Sarah said, "Just as many people will continue to die with every battle we fought against them. It`s hardly surprising anymore, after all, if the Colossal shows up again to attack us, more people are going to die. It`s a fact we have to face in the world we live in."
She glanced at him.
"Do you expect me to feel afraid because of these facts?"
Caleb stared at her.
"Are you really set on joining them?" he asked, "Even after all that happened…"
Sarah stood up, leaving her food untouched upon the table.
She left the barrack and walked through the streets of Trost District. Five months ago from today, this place was completely overwhelmed by Titans. She knew the rumors that grew about the young man who could control a Titan body, the young man who had sealed the hole the Colossal had made to stop the Titan`s advance.
The young man known as Eren Yeager.
She looked down at the small carving she had made, the one of the horse. She turned it over and engraved there upon the wood was the symbol of the Scout Regiment.
Sarah had no memory of her life beyond the age of eleven, but she could remember that the first time she had been found was that her entire body was covered in blood and she had almost to no clothes upon her body. They couldn't find any answers as to what happened to her, nor find the ones responsible for it.
She had no memory of her father, mother…or if she had any brothers or sisters…but there was one thing that she could recall from the dead memories that refused to come forward.
The memory of the Symbol of the Scout Regiment.
At first, when she was younger, Sarah had no idea what the two wings she kept seeing in her dreams stood for. She wasn't one to actively seek out things and since she saw them in her dreams, she never really thought much about it…
At least, until she saw the Scouting Legion that day three years ago. She stared at the symbol that was emblazoned upon the green cloak that it`s members wore. She was feeling nothing but shock that day, as she remembered the sight of the symbol that had been hunting her dreams since she was a young child and then at the sight of it, it was like it awoken something inside her.
Something that she felt she had forgotten.
A sense of purpose.
Then and there, Sarah made a promise to herself.
She was going to become a member of the Scouts.
And now, that promise is only a decision away from being fulfilled.
She glanced toward the moon above her, a small smile growing upon her usually blank features.
Back in the lounging room, Caleb was still seating upon the table where Sarah was seating just a while ago. The young man couldn`t understand as to why she would want to join the Scout of all things.
It wasn`t the choice that many people would make, safe for those who wanted to be fodders, or the ones who didn`t make it to the Military Police, they go the Garrison but she had said she wanted to go to the Scouts…
And she wasn`t joking about it either, he thought.
He knew Sarah ever since she first joined the Cadets, six years ago. She had longer hair back then too, but she hardly talked with anyone. He only noticed her because she was probably the best in the entire class academically, and she was pretty as well…thought he didn`t think he ever seen someone that blonde before…
"What`s the matter Caleb, you look a little down?"
He glanced up toward the voice.
"Oh…hey Leon," he said.
Leon placed both of his hand into his pockets.
"What`s up?" he asked, "You don't seem to be in high spirits. You couldn`t wait for us to graduate."
"I`m still glad we graduated," Caleb told him, "It`s just…did you know that Sarah was going for the Scouts?"
Leon blinked.
"That`s the first time I`m hearing about this," he said, sounding surprised, "I wouldn`t expect something like this from her…she doesn`t seems like the time of person to go for the Fodder Corps."
Caleb glared at him at that.
"But why would she chose the Scouts?" he asked.
Leon raised his eyebrow.
"Why don't you ask her then?" he said.
"I did and she got all defacto on me," Caleb said leaning back against the table, "I just don't understand…"
"If you like her so much…then why don't you join the Scouting Legion with her?" Leon smirked.
Caleb glared at him.
"When did I say I liked her you idiot?" he yelled punching Leon in the face.
Leon stumbled backward holding his painful cheek.
"What the hell did you just punch me?" he yelled back.
"You were saying stupid things," Caleb argued.
"Please everyone know you`re in love with her," Leon said.
Caleb stared at him, shocked.
"What?"
"The only person that doesn't know is Sarah because she is too dense to even notice it," Leon continued massing his sore jaws, "I mean seriously…the entire class had a betting pool about which one of you will confess first."
"A betting pool?" Caleb said shocked, "How come I don't know anything about this?"
"Like I was going to tell you about it," Leon laughed, "I wanted to make some money out of it…oh, I wasn`t suppose to say anything about it."
Caleb simply slammed his face into the table in front of him. Leon took the seat across him, still massing his jaws.
"But seriously," he said, "Why don't you join the Scouts with her, if you`re so worried."
Caleb looked away.
"I just can`t," he said, "The whole reason I become a soldier was to become a member of the Military Police and as a top Cadet in the class, I was offered a spot there…to turn it down for the Scouts that `s just…"
Leon hummed a little.
"Well, the Scouts are quite something by now," he said, "Now that they have that kid with them. If the rumors are to believed, he has the power to transform himself into a Titan."
Caleb glanced at him, frowning.
"What are you saying?"
Leon hummed.
"I might go for the Scouts as well," he said.
"But…you said that you were going to join the Garrison during boot camp," Caleb told him.
Leon stood up, raising his finger.
"I know what I said," he said, "A person is allowed to change his mind every now and then."
Caleb looked away from him. He didn`t want to join the Scouts…that`s something he knew that he could never hope to achieve. But deep down, he knew why he couldn`t join the Scouts….he knew the reason as to why he simply couldn't see himself as one of them.
He was afraid of the Titans.
The next night, Cadets started to gather toward the central Courtyard of the Cadet Regiment. The torches were the only source of light around the area in front of them. The stones of the large battlement in front of them stood like a beacon as their teachers stood on the side observing the numerous people who had decided to join the military.
Sarah, fully decked in her uniform save for the ODM gear she usually have upon her. The girl had her hair pulled into a ponytail as she took stand beside another girl. That girl was wearing glasses and she had short dark hair which fell upon her face. Sarah knew her name was Marie. The two had grown a friendship during their boot camp training, having to share the same cabin and all. Marie was a girl who wore her heart on her sleeve, something that makes Sarah wonder why the girl chose to become a soldier in the first place.
"Hey Sarah, are you really set on the Scouts?" the dark haired girl asked her, a worried tone on her voice.
"Yes," she said, "How about you."
Marie looked down a little.
"I think i`ll be better at the Garrison," she said, "My skill with the ODM isn`t as good as yours…if I join the scouts I will probably die first hand."
Sarah glanced at her friend`s worried face.
"As long as you know your strengths," she said.
"ATTENTION," a male voice yelled out.
The conversations that had been going on suddenly fell and Sarah feel herself get a little straighter as she stood in attention. A man stood on the platform now. He was wearing a long green coat upon his form along with his jacket underneath it. He had gray hair and was a little fat around the middle but he had authority written all over his features.
"Today Cadets, you will join your Regiments," he said, "You have three paths ahead of you so choose wisely. The Garrison Regiment, whose job is to reinforce the walls. The Scouts Regiment, whose job is to go out in Titan territory and take back the territory lost to the Titan offensive and the Military Police, whose job is to serve the King. The ones who are going to the Military Police have already being chosen, these are the Top Ten members of your class."
Ten Cadets stood in front the entire 105th Cadet Corps and Sarah noticed Caleb among the group and he was number two at the class.
"Caleb made it," Marie said, "I guess he really will be joining the Military Police then."
"So it seems," Sarah said.
The ten students moved out of the way but Caleb wasn't moving causing a few of the student to whispers at him as he returned toward the group of the Cadets. Sarah was surprised as well. Was he rejecting the MP?
In all of their trainings, Caleb had made it known to all of them that he was going to join the Military Police and the young man had worked hard to get top marks. So why was he still here?
But Sarah didn`t have time to say anything for someone else had taken the stage. She glanced at the new arrival and felt her breath quicken. The man was part of the Scouting Legion, no this man was the Commander…
Erwin Smith.
He was tall, with blond hair and blue eyes. He had both of his hand behind his back as he observed them all. His face was a mask and there was no saying what was going on within his mind.
"My name is Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps, also known as the Scout Regiment. Let`s cut to the chase, The Scouts need you, we need all the warm able bodies we can get. However, I won`t sugarcoat anything for you. While we haven`t suffered any Titan attack these past five months, the Scouts have been laying down their lives to insure our survival and even with our ace in the hole, we continue to suffer losses exceeding 40 percent. Now, having heard this, those who want to join other Regiments are dismissed, but before you go ask yourself, what are you willing to give to make sure Humanity`s continued existence to outlive the Titans?"
Sarah stared at the man as the group of people moved past her. She was here, standing in front of the place where her dream had started. The young woman was staring toward the head of the Scouting Legion, her entire body shaking.
She made her choice.
Caleb on his side, glanced toward where Sarah was. The people were passing past the girl but her dark eyes were fixed forward not even budging an inch. Caleb realized now just how much of a stronger person that Sarah was unlike him, who was afraid of ever being near a Titan. She stood walking the path that everyone was afraid of taking…
Then, if someone like you can make a choice like that, he thought, Then I won't let you walk it alone…I…everything I have done was to join the MP…, it`s what my family expect. My father was a member of the MP…it`s only natural that as his son I follow in his footsteps but…if I continue to let fear make my decision for me…how do I dare call myself a soldier.
He looked up toward the Scout`s Commander.
I will be the first of my family to make that decision, he thought, A long line of soldiers and yet, none of them ever fought a titan, but I will be different…I will fight…
Commander Erwin observed the few that were left in the courtyard. He observed the five soldiers that stood in front of him, a light frown crossing his features. He was hoping for more people but, he`ll take what he can get.
"You who stays," he started, "you are now one of us. Allow me to welcome you to the Scout Regiment. Together we give our heart for humanity."
"Sir," the group of rookies yelled out, all of them saluting in sync.
New rookies join the ranks of the Scouts, their chosen path clear in front of them...
Next Time: The New Rookies
Jacques0 out.
R&R