So this is what it feels like. To be free and see the outside world. The tingly sensation you get when you feel the wind blow through your hair and cool off your skin. The act of being in the moment and enjoying every minute of it. For normal people this is an everyday occurrence a daily notion that goes unnoticed by the busy people. For me, this is my first time experiencing such a thing.

My name is Mikasa Ackerman and as long as I can remember I have been a member of the elite assassination organization whose headquarters, and training grounds are literally located underground. We are trained from birth to be the strongest, fastest and most competent to complete our missions. Our mission is to fight the darkness that threatens the human world and eradicate all monsters created by that darkness. These monsters, or titans as we call them, prey on the innocent, they kill and eat anything living and they will not stop until all life is destroyed. Not everyone sees us as heroes though, to many we are seen as cold-blooded killers; lethal killing machines with no form of emotion. People such as the scout regiment, another organization that once upon a time use to have similar goals as us. I was told that the scouts use to fight alongside us but several years before I was even born that alliance came to an end. The truth about the titan's creation came to light, as it turns out titans were once humans. Humans with normal lives that had no say in the matter. After undergoing titan transformation, the process cannot be undone. The scouts do not believe in killing unless they have to do so. Instead they capture titans and imprison them underground until they can come up with an antidote that does not exist.

On my eleventh birthday I was given special orders which to this day I still do not quite understand. I was taken out of my training battalion and I was confined to a three man unit, I was to be monitored at all times. I was told it was for my protection but what did I need protection from…I never got an answer. As time went on the days mixed in with each other, I worked hard until I was one of the best. I was known as the girl worth a thousand assassins, but it never felt like enough. I wanted more. I longed for freedom, excitement, fun and someone I can confide in, to be normal. All the things I have never had.

Six years later and all I have known is fighting, training, missions and the three guys on my team. For a seventeen-year-old this is quite sad, but everything changed the day when I was given a new solo mission. I was currently doing some drills and blowing off some steam on a punching bag when I heard footsteps.

"Morning squirt. Its Saturday. Why are you up so early?"

I inwardly groaned. I hated that stupid nickname. Furlan only calls me that to get on my nerves, has done so ever since the day I met him.

"That doesn't even deserve a response. So what if its Saturday? Everyday feels like the same day here plus there's nothing else for me to do, now is there?"

I heard a sigh. I turned around and saw him running his hand through his hair.

"Im sorry Mika. I know this isn't the most ideal situation but try to make the most of it."

"Make the most of it?" I scoffed. "It's easy for you to say you, Isabel and Marco are all able to leave this place, but I'm not! Why? Why am I different?"

"Look, Ill explain it to you another time. This is not what I came here to-

"No! I am sick and tired of hearing the same lame excuse everyone seems to use to avoid this conversation. I'm not a little girl anymore I won't be satisfied with a simple 'Ill tell you later'. You'll tell me right now damn it or I swear ill-

"You have a mission."

"...what."

Suddenly, Furlan took a few steps toward me and pulled out a rolled-up scroll from his pocket.

"I put in a good word for you and I managed to get you cleared for this mission. It wasn't easy so be thankful squirt."

I stood there shocked out of my mind. I honestly couldn't comprehend how this was happening. I looked at his out stretched hand and then I looked up at his face searching for any signs of deceit. There was none, all I could see was his usual warm smile he always gave me and eyes full of care, sadness and something else. I took the scroll from his hand and opened it up to read it.

"How did you do this?" I asked as I continued reading my orders.

"Well, like I said it wasn't easy I had to do some major convincing and ultimately lay my career on the line…"

"YOU WHAT?!"

"Just kidding! No, but seriously, I did go through hell and back for this but only because I knew it's what you've always wanted even though you don't say it. I honestly do want to see you happy Mikasa. More than anything else in this world."

I didn't know what to say. For years Furlan was like the older brother I never had, pushing me to be the best I could be, always lecturing me how its my duty to follow orders no questions asked but silently watching over me making sure no one ever got close enough to hurt me. As much as he cared I never would have expected him to try so hard to get a mission for me. I couldn't help it, I closed the distance between us and hugged him so tight it thought I was going to break him in half.

"Thank you Furlan. You're the best."

"Well actually don't thank me yet…"

"I'm sorry Furlan. I'm not following." At that moment he motioned for me to read. In all my excitement I didn't actually catch the specifics. Solo mission… Undercover at Trost university… university students have been mysteriously disappearing…. possibly turned into titans…indefinite time for completion. Nothing was really out of the ordinary until I read the last sentence. 'MUST HAVE ESCORT WITHIN A MILE RADIUS AT ALL TIMES'

Great. Here I thought I finally got the freedom I've been so desperately wanting.

"You've got to be shitting me Furlan. It's a fucking solo mission! Having an escort defeats the purpose of a solo fucking mission! How the hell am I supposed to keep my cover if I have some shadow following me around 24/7?"

"I'm sorry Mikasa but I couldn't get you out of that one. It was either take the deal as it was or not take it at all."

It surprised me that I wasn't angry or annoyed in the slightest. I stared at the paper in my hands still not completely believing it was real, still half expecting for someone to jump out and snatch it away saying it was a mistake. When that didn't happen it finally sank in. I'm leaving the underground. I'm meeting new people. I get to be normal for once. I will no longer be just an assassin confined to this base. I will be a student attending classes and living with other students while doing my job simultaneously. This was the best day of my life so far. In that moment I felt nothing but joy.