Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin belongs to Hajime Isayama.
Important!: I promise there will be no pairings at any point in the story. Unfortunately, the break in the middle of the first episode only happened because my doc was getting really long and some issues occurred on my laptop. Unless that happens again, I will try to cover a full episode in a single chapter from now on.
"Over a hundred years ago, humanity suddenly found itself faced with a new predator," the narrator voiced over a slide of Titans eating people.
Zeke quirked a brow. "Interesting choice to narrate us information now of all times."
"I think it's supposed to be setting the scene," Reiner explained. "Well, that's what my mom told me whenever she read stories to me as a kid."
The camera zoomed around to continue to show the Titans' reign of terror.
"Shut up about your mom for a second," Porco said as his eyes scanned over the humans wielding spears. "Are those people from the Dark Ages?"
They all leaned closer towards the T.V. after Zeke rushed to pause it.
"They were far more powerful than humans."
"Take a closer look at their clothes and remember the person who's narrating. This might be a glimpse of their first attempts at fighting the Titans Marley sent to their island," Zeke said and adjusted his glasses to see some of the finer details.
Titans were shown preying on a large number of humans in a canyon.
"But shouldn't the Walls have been built to protect them already? If this isn't just for effect like he said," Pieck asked.
"Now that you mention it. I remember hearing the first shipment to the island did happen sometime after they built it. Hmm, it does sound exactly like Marley to wait a while before taking action, wouldn't you agree?" Zeke corrected himself and unpaused it. Could it be showing their altered memories? Or maybe The Tragedy of Lago then? I can hardly believe I'm getting the chance to prove if my father was wrong after all-
His train of thought came to a screeching halt when the screen showed them next one of the most horrifying sights for any race. Like the sea itself, the amount of Titans stretched on seemingly forever.
"Humanity was immediately pushed to the brink of extinction."
"All those Eldians..." Bert whimpered, his nerves were still pretty shot since the last episode but the scene playing sent in a fresh wave of panic.
They all shivered at the prospect of so many people transforming into ravenous man-eating beasts. Men, women, and children; no one was spared from being sent to Heaven or turning into disposable weapons.
"...This," Zeke gestured toward the T.V., "is what will happen if Marley stops finding use for us as humans. If they don't outright kill all of us instead."
Pieck hugged herself tightly. It was a small comfort to the possible horrifying fate for Eldians just told to her.
"But they need us for war!" Porco hated to say it even though it was the bitter truth about the world they live in.
"How long will that last, however?" he replied with a grim expression. He stopped himself from going on about the technological advances replacing them and instead came up with another plan for his own benefit.
He side-eyed the young trio on the other couch. "Unless we retrieve the Coordinate, the full potential of Eldians will be held back for years-generations even. Until one day the governments from all over the world decide it's too much trouble to keep us possible threats alive."
Reiner's breath hitched, as realization dawned on him and the others. "No-No it won't happen! We'll make sure to prove to Marley and everyone that all of us are good Eldians!"
For once, nobody completely disagreed with him.
"The survivors built three walls: Maria, Rose, and Sina. There, they enjoyed a century of peace. However…"
A leg or perhaps a body came into view. One bloody arm crushed under a boulder nearby was pecked at by a crow. Looking up from its meal, the black bird's caw echoed throughout the ruined city. Smoke and ashes rose out of the dilapidated buildings.
Porco grimaced a little and hoped he wouldn't regret eating that sandwich earlier.
"Until that time a wretched soul and parted," a preacher yelled despite the danger around him. He waved around a broom in one hand and a book in the other.
"I feel like now isn't the greatest time to show your devotion," Pieck commented.
"Why isn't he running away?" Bert asked.
"The idiot might be in shock," Annie said. Her knowledge of mental health wasn't the greatest, but she had seen what stressful situations can do to a person.
"Now as you see, I am punished for it!"
Titans roamed around the ruins in the hope of finding prey. Inside one of the buildings, a mother held her child close as one of the giants passed by.
He knew it was wrong and irrational of him, but Bert tensed as if he was the one hiding.
The preaching man ignored the people fleeing the opposite direction for safety. "What avarice does manifest here? In purgation of these souls converted, and no bitter pain the Mountain has."
A woman ran only to trap herself in a dead-end. She muffled her panting by covering her mouth, tears were at the corner of her brown eyes.
They knew what it meant when a large shadow loomed over someone on screen.
The woman didn't get a chance to run, helpless, all she could do was scream for help when the Titan picked her up by the head. "Stop! Let me go!" The last reminder of the woman was the shoe that fell in the midst of her struggling.
As the only non-shifter in the entire room, Porco felt distinctly uncomfortable at seeing a Pure Titan so close in such an unsettling angle. If he ever found himself face-to-face with one of them he would be at their complete mercy.
"Hey, you guys would help me if something like that ever happens right?"
"Why would you be in the middle of a Titan infested area in the first place?" Annie shot back.
"I think you'd die if I had to transform," Bert said.
"Pock, don't you remember that Pure Titans are usually deployed far from our troops?"
"Point taken," he grumbled. Christ, so much for having each other's backs.
"What more, O Avarice, can you do to us, since my blood so to thyself hast drawn," he continued to shout. No one listened as they were too busy running for their lives. Many who didn't die from the debris were snatched up by a Titan. Their last sight most likely being shoved into its gigantic maw.
They found it easier now to stomach everything happening in front of them. Zeke's reminder about the importance of the operation really did help relieve some of the uneasiness from before. Besides, it meant fewer threats to the world the more who perished within the Walls. So it was good all things considered…right?
The preacher stopped his rambling at a bridge where a 15-meter Titan loomed over him.
"Oh, Avarice!" he continued in the middle of the Titan's grip. His voice quavered as it brought him closer to its mouth. The book slipped out of his hand, its pages staining from the puddle of blood it landed in.
"There goes another one," Reiner said, not at all bothered.
In a significantly less chaotic part of the district, Hannes kept running with the two children in his arms. Supported by his shoulder, Eren's haunted face morphed into anger. Without saying a word, he punched the soldier's head.
"Eren, what are you doing?"
"We were so close to saving my mom...Why the hell did you do that?!" He slammed his elbow down on him.
Denying what happened won't change anything, Zeke thought coldly as the boy was thrown face-first onto the ground.
"Get a hold of yourself!"
Mikasa squirmed her way out of his arms in order to run towards the boy.
"Eren..." Hannes began solemnly. "The reason you couldn't save your mother-"
Here comes the motivational speech and white lies to feed his denial, Zeke mused.
"-is because you're weak."
The group was taken aback at the harshness of Hannes' words.
"I see the pot's calling the kettle black now," Porco said flatly.
"That's not the point Hannes is trying to make," Annie surprisingly defended the soldier. "Hearing the truth will either make him stronger or break his will." She doubted the latter will happen knowing the boy's stubbornness in the beginning.
Despite his loss mere moments ago, Eren flew into a rage and threw a punch at him. Hannes proved his point when he caught his fist and held it in place with ease. "The reason...The reason I didn't fight the Titan was that I lacked the courage!" He lifted his head to meet Eren straight in the eyes. Tears poured down both of their faces.
"I'm sorry," Hannes said before leading the two children to someplace safe.
"Lacked courage..." Reiner muttered. The words repeated over and over again in his head until there was a flash on the screen.
Ah, it's happening again. Mikasa looked back from where they came from with her hand on her forehead.
"Whoa, whose bodies were those?" Reiner gasped.
"I...don't know," Bert replied quietly. What does she mean by 'it's happening again'? They couldn't have been Eren's parents, so were they her own then? I feel like there's more to this...
He didn't have time to dwell on it as the viewpoint switched to a man being plucked from the ground.
A mob of people ran away from the approaching Titans. "Hurry!" A Garrison guard waved them over. "To the inner gate!"
"Use all ships at the pier for Shiganshina's evacuation! Hurry! They'll eat you!"
The boat filled to the brim with survivors took off. "There are small areas that protrude, like Shiganshina, all around the Wall. Their purpose is to attract the Titans, thus reducing the cost and manpower of defending the Walls."
"Maybe we can use that to our advantage," Pieck mumbled to herself.
Since he was sitting right next to her, Zeke silently agreed and wondered what ideas she would make out of that.
"After the people of Shiganshina had fulfilled their function by drawing the Titans to them, they were forced to evacuate by a single gate."
The one I'll have to destroy. Reiner gave a hard stare at the gate. It was nothing more than another weak point in the Wall to get in the way of their goal.
"Don't bring anything aboard!" He tossed the bag full of belongings into a ditch. "We're taking as many people as we can!"
On the boat, Armin looked for his friends in the crowd.
"Armin, please sit down," an elderly man ushered him.
"But...Eren and Mikasa aren't here yet." Right as he said it, his friends and Hannes emerged from the crowd. "There they are!"
For a brief moment, everyone wondered how the three managed to get all the way from Eren's house and to the boat in such a short amount of time.
He actually does have more skill than I expected, Annie thought. She imagined it was no easy feat trying to evade Titans and escort kids at the same time. For someone who ran away, the Garrison soldier went up a smidge in her book.
Too caught up in his relief at seeing them safe, Armin raised his arm to wave them over. A hopeful look on his face despite his surroundings. It was short lived, however, once he saw their haunted expressions. "Eren..."
"Just let him be for now." His grandfather looked down sadly. "Those poor souls. You can tell what happened by looking at them."
"Huh?" Armin turned to him, not understanding what he meant.
Zeke was reminded of the traumatized patients he saw at his grandfather's workplace. If he went even further, he could have included the aftermath of both Marleyan and enemy troops.
He dismissed those pointless thoughts and focused back on the T.V.
On the other side of the gate, Garrison soldiers manned the cannons and made sure any stragglers got to the boats.
"Why are you just standing there? Hurry the hell up!" One of the guards ordered the others frantically. "Where are those cannon shells?!" Not too far from them, a Titan crashed through a stone arch. It didn't look bothered whatsoever with the destruction it created, in fact, the structure only slowed it down for a second.
"The music..." Reiner said out of nowhere. They all turned to him in confusion.
"Yeah, what about it?" Porco asked.
"Um, I mean it's starting to get really grand and loud. So that usually means something big is about to happen," he explained.
He frowned. "I have a pretty good guess on what it'll be."
"Get those cannons loaded! Hurry! They're closing in on us!"
Hannes watched, panting, at the rows of cannons being lined up. He took off running a second later.
"This can't be happening..."
"Oh God, Oh God, Oh God..."
"Hey?!"
They looked up to see the Garrison remove the bridge leading to the ship. A measly three guards acted as a barrier holding back the crowd.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
"It's at full capacity! It has to leave!"
Annie, Bert, and Reiner each made a mental note on the max amount that were allowed on the boats.
"No! Please! At least let our children on!"
"Shouldn't they have more ships?" Bert fidgeted in his seat when it showed the massive crowd left behind. "It doesn't make sense since the entire point is to lure the Titans then evacuate."
"None of them probably expected their fake peace to ever be broken," Zeke explained. "Add in how they had years to increase their population and it becomes obvious that they were ill-equipped for an attack since the start."
"I'm sorry, but we can't!" The soldier yelled to the ship, "Go!"
One man ran past the soldiers, who were miraculously holding almost everyone back, and took a leap of faith towards the boat. Others soon joined him and latched on to the side. Some plummeted to the water below.
While Pieck could understand they were desperate, she knew that going over the maximum capacity would cause more harm than good. Her Titan could only carry so much before the weight would take a toll on her speed and agility. However in this situation, speed would be replaced with more dire consequences she frowned.
The abandoned crowd looked back in direction of the gate where cannon fire rang out.
A Titan walked towards the group Garrison guards from before. Multiple cannonballs were fired but each ended up hitting buildings next to it.
"You idiot! What are you aiming at?!"
"B-But, sir, this thing doesn't have that kind of accuracy!" he shouted as another Titan approached them.
"I don't give a shit! Get 'em reloaded at once!"
"I can't!"
Behind them, the gate began to lower, which would effectively seal out both the soldiers and Titans. "The gate's closing! They're...We're gonna get left behind!" Soldiers began to abandon their stations.
Bert wondered for a moment if there would ever be a situation where he would abandon his duties out of panic or something of the like.
He shook his head and glanced down at Reiner. A Warrior is expected to give their all to their Motherland! That's what he thought- no, knew for certain his friend would tell him.
Their superior shouted after them.
Inside of the gate controls, Hannes was seen arguing with another soldier. "Don't shut it yet! Hold on a little longer! There are still lots of people in there!"
Porco crossed his arms. Huh, I never expected him of all people to have the balls to take charge.
While they weren't feeling pride, they had to admit Hannes managed to keep surprising them.
"If the Titans get through, the city being overrun will be the least of our worries! Humanity will be forced to withdraw behind the next Wall!"
"But that doesn't mean we can let these people die!"
Two soldiers ran to where they stood. "Close the gate now!"
"The Titans are coming!"
The Garrison he was arguing with didn't waste a second, "Get that gate shut at once!" As soon as he gave the order the gate started to lower faster.
"Stop!" Hannes stepped forward but the two soldiers restrained him. The struggle ended instantly when footsteps thundered in the distance.
Reiner clenched both his fists and leaned forward the second he heard that sound. Come on, come on...His eyes darted across the screen in the hope of catching a glimpse of his Titan.
An armored foot came crashing down on the streets below. Stepping out of the cover of buildings, the Armored Titan stood ahead.
Despite not responding to his attempts after the end of the last episode, Bert silently cheered Reiner on just as he had done for him.
The intensity of Reiner's stare at the moment could have set the T.V. on fire.
Annie realized the huge amounts of attention her two mission partners were getting. Don't get her wrong, she's not jealous by any means, but it would've been nice to have some assurance for her and Marcel.
Only taking a moment to get into position, the Armored Titan charged head-on towards the gate. Shock waves sent cracks through buildings and kicked up huge pieces of the ground.
"What...Is that thing..."
"Fire!" The Garrison soldier shouted once he came to his senses. All of the cannons they had went off. Cannonballs whistled through the air and only one managed to hit its target. With a metallic pang, it shattered the moment it made contact with the armor.
"No effect?!"
"Shit! Run!"
Reiner bite back a grin as he watched the cannonballs actually work against a smaller, regular Titan but not him. He couldn't celebrate until he knew for sure he'd break through.
"It's coming! Retreat!" they screamed and ran. Time slowed to a crawl as the hulking Titan headed straight at them. "The Titan's coming! It's going to ram the Wall! Close the gate!"
The Armored Titan steamrolled everything in its path. Bracing for impact, it crashed through the gate and sent everything in the way flying. Rocks and soldiers were blown back like ragdolls by the sheer force.
"The gate..." Hannes gawked. Those who remained watched as the armored beast hissed a jet of steam. Slowly it straightened itself in front of the hole where the gate once was.
"That was awesome!" Reiner jumped from his seat and startled everyone in the process. "Ha! I can't believe I actually broke through it!" A wide, almost childlike smile spread across his face in a manner similar to when he first told his mother he was a chosen candidate. She would be so proud of me right now. If only she could see this too.
Bert stared at him for a moment before patting him on the back. A small smile also on his own face. Though Annie didn't break out into a grin, she didn't seem too bothered by all the noise her couchmate was making.
Porco was tempted to tell him to shut up and sit back down, but he held his tongue. "Not bad, Braun..." he gritted out. If anyone asked him, he would still say he could've done the same or even better if he had the Armored Titan instead. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he tried to soak in the satisfaction that they were a step closer to completing the mission. A step closer for his brother to return home.
Pieck was glad her fellow Warriors were happy but she kept in mind the mission wasn't over yet. Regardless, she scooted forward so he could hear her better. "Congrats Reiner!"
Ever the realist, Zeke held up his hand to signal them to stop. "Wait a moment before celebrating. We still don't know if the Founder will come out and do anything once the news reaches them." His tone wasn't harsh but it effectively put a damper on the mood.
"Within a few hours after Wall Maria had fallen in the southern district of Shiganshina, the news of it spread through the human territories like wildfire."
Zeke narrowed his eyes and wondered if the king truly did refuse to fight.
In the Trost District of Wall Rose, a group of men sat around a table.
"Who are they supposed to be?" Porco asked.
Pieck shrugged. "Maybe they're officials," she gave her best guess.
"Is it true Shiganshina was invaded by the Titans? Unbelievable," a finely dressed man said. "How could the Wall fall after lasting an entire century?"
Another man turned back to him. "The truth is out there. A ship carrying refugees is already here!"
"It is reported to have over five hundred people onboard," a bearded man said to the group.
Pieck eyed each of them from their clothing to the way they carried themselves. There was something about them she didn't trust nor like and it wasn't just because they were devils.
"The question is whether Shiganshina was all we lost."
"But there is no way they could invade Wall Maria..." another said, his tone full of disbelief. A silence fell over them.
"Anyway, let's contact the Royal Government and wait for orders." He leaned forward in his seat. "We can't handle such an emergency by ourselves." The first man nodded at him.
Suddenly, a soldier slammed open the door. "Excuse me! We just received word!" He gestured to the land outside. "Wall Maria has fallen and the Titans have invaded the area beyond!"
A wounded Hannes stood on the top of a building, staring at the horde of Titans ahead. "This is the end..."
He's still alive?! Porco and Reiner thought at the same time.
On the ship where the three friends were. "It's over...The Titans will eat us all" one man whimpered.
It's over? Eren thought back to his family. I'll never be able to go home again.
He thought back to his last conversation with his mother. Why was I so immature and argued until the very end?
Reiner thought he wouldn't be able to accept himself or handle the regret if he was in Eren's shoes. He never dreamed of disobeying his mother but the what if was enough to stomp on the remaining joy in him.
Mom is gone...She's gone... The screen flickered back and forth between Carla's death and peaceful moments. Why?
"Because you're weak," Hannes' words came back to him. I...Us humans are weak. It's because we're weak. Tears rolled down from his shut eyes, and fell onto his hand. Is crying the only thing the weak can do?!
There was something in his words that shook the Warriors to their cores.
Balling his bruised hand as if to crush the weakness in him. Eren stood and marched to the edge of the ship. "I'll erase their existence from this world..."
Now they all found themselves engrossed by his words for a different reason. Their backs straightened at Eren's vow as if he was directly threatening them.
Mikasa watched the boy from where she stood.
"What's gotten into you, Eren?" Armin walked up to him and grabbed his arm. The boy didn't turn back as he shoved him off. "Eren?"
He slammed his hands onto the railing. "I'll kill them all!" His face twisted.
"Not even a single one will be left!" Hatred and determination filled his voice.
Zeke stared at the boy's face and soon the image burned itself into his mind. The world isn't that simple Eren. His face darkened. It doesn't matter how determined you are or how much you want something. In an instant, all of your work and dreams could become meaningless.
"That year, the Royal Government decided to withdraw all human activity inside Wall Rose. An estimated ten thousand people were eaten by Titans during this time."
In the forest below, Eren's father hurried on his carriage. Eren, Carla, Mikasa, please be safe!
Zeke watched the scene with a hint of interest. Oh, so he's still alive, he thought.
A fire flickered in the darkness. "Eren! Eren!"
"Dad! Please, stop, Dad!"
Confusion and dread flooded over them.
"What's going on?"
"What's he doing to him?"
Zeke's grip on the remote slackened.
He held a syringe in his hand. Its barrel full of an off-yellow fluid.
"Is that what I think it is?!" Reiner gasped.
Pieck's jaw dropped open in disbelief as they watched on in stunned silence.
Zeke, however, felt as though the air was being strangled out of him.
A disheveled Grisha appeared for a frame. "What are you trying to do?!"
He couldn't breathe. He couldn't look away from the screen. He couldn't stop the feeling of the floor sinking below him.
The flame and darkness came again.
"Just give me your hand!"
Zeke let out ragged gasps through clenched teeth, fully realizing his father's intent. He can't possibly- where could he have...Eren don't listen to him! Run!
"No! Mom's death made you go crazy!"
The longer the other Warriors stared at the screen the less they could believe what's happening.
The flamed morphed into the cellar key, twirling in the darkness.
"Eren!" he called out.
"Let go, Dad!"
"It's for your own sake!"
Eren dug his fingers into the dirt, his body convulsing. "What do you mean?!"
"Listen to me! Don't forget the key!" A slideshow of the serum, Grisha, and Eren rushed through the scene. "You must reach it! Until you learn the truth someday!"
The key rattled against the stone it landed on.
Why would he do this again... was Zeke's last thought before Eren's eyes snapped open. The bells in the distance sounded so far away.
"What just..." Annie muttered under her breath.
Bert had yet to shut his dropped jaw. Beads of sweat fell from his face and to the floor.
The pencil in her hand was shaking. Pieck didn't know how she was supposed to make sense of what happened with so little information given to her. Nevermind where to start her notes!
Porco was the first to come to his senses once he realized the T.V. was still playing.
"Eren, are-"
The boy snatched the remote from the floor and quickly paused it.
Reiner shook his head and he went over the scene that played mere seconds ago. How could one of the devils have gotten their hands on that? Reiner could never forget the color of the fluid and shape of the syringe that blessed him with the powers of one of the Titans. To see it in their possession made him grit his teeth.
He slowly turned to where Zeke sat. The Boy Wonder was cradling his head in his hands, shadows blocking a clear view of his face. "You know something don't you?" Reiner started, his eyes wide.
Everyone snapped their attention to Reiner and then the trembling form of Zeke.
"You know something because you know who that devil is...Admit it, you're a spy aren't you?" The young Warrior stood from his seat. "What else did you give to those filth besides one of the Nine Titans? Why are you helping the enemy, Zeke?!"
His march over there was stopped when Annie kicked him swiftly in the leg, the pain making him fall to the floor. "You aren't going to get any answers from him if you keep shouting like that," she said icily over him.
Once Reiner picked himself up, they waited for Zeke to answer.
Every now and then they would sneak a glance at him. Even Porco grew restless the more he looked at Zeke and the longer the wait stretched out. Finally, he removed his glasses and placed them gently on his lap. "I'm not a spy, Braun and to anyone else who's thinking that."
He let out one long sigh. I never imagined myself in this predicament. If I don't say something it'll raise their suspicions about me and I'll never be able to find out what happens to Eren in peace. Considering the episodes might reveal any lies, maybe being honest is the best option. He looked down at his glasses and took in a deep breath. Right, Mr. Xaver?
"The man who was on screen, Dr. Yeager, is also my father." He paused once he heard gasps. "Do any of you remember the Eldian Restorationists?" There was a mix of yes and mostly no. "My father was the leader of it, and he aimed to bring Marley down in order to restore the glory of Eldians. I turned in him and my mother to the Public Security Authorities when I was little, effectively destroying their group."
"Believe me," his face darkened, "when I say I'm just as surprised as you are right now." He unpaused the T.V.
"-you okay? You were crying in your sleep," Mikasa said to him.
None of them could focus on the two children on screen. Eren in particular now stood in a new light to them as Zeke's younger brother.
While a part of him dredged up some respect for the level of loyalty Zeke displayed to Marley and crushed any ideas of him being a spy. Reiner couldn't shake off the itch that he was missing something. He eyed the Warrior with an unsure face.
I knew he was on our side...Porco thought but didn't completely believe himself. He had a real reason to turn in his family-and what's to stop him from turning on us? The last part invaded his thoughts, which he shoved down.
Bert kept thinking back to the ruthlessness of their Warchief's actions, and the possibility he was even younger than himself when he did it. "W-What kind of person would do that..." he muttered, thankful Zeke probably won't hear him.
Pieck stared at him and determined Zeke was, for once, telling the truth. She wasn't sure if she would be more or less comforted if he told them some excuse, however.
Annie kept her sights on the screen but none of it truly registered in her mind. What Zeke said wandered back into her thoughts and she had only one response to that: Marley loyalty and Eldian glory can go rot in hell before I give up my father.
Eren sat up. "I felt like I just saw Dad."
"No, you were dreaming."
"I see..." Eren stared at the bronze key before tucking it under his shirt.
Meanwhile, Zeke wanted to rip the key off the boy. When the day comes I'll rescue you, little brother. I promise I won't let him do this to another child!
Pieck noticed in the corner of her eyes, the determined expression he suddenly had.
"Let's go," Mikasa said and stood up. "They're handing out rations." The two walked outside to join the mass of people. "Apparently this was their food storehouse. They've gathered all the ship refugees here."
One blond-haired girl went to get a single loaf of bread.
Momentarily forgetting the situation earlier. "Hey, Annie look it's you!" Reiner said, genuinely glad she's okay.
"My eyes work just fine, Reiner."
"Hey! Get in line, will ya?!"
"Shut the hell up! I ain't eaten anything since last night!"
The trio grimaced at the food situation they'll have to face. Sure they were grateful the Founder didn't do anything yet but by the looks of things they were going to infiltrate the Walls. A solid and somewhat less risky strategy if Marley didn't mind waiting months if not years.
Porco wondered if he was allowed to give his brother some food or something to trade with before the mission. Though the list of approved items would be really small. "Ugh, nevermind. He can figure something out on his own."
"We will still struggle for survival," Mikasa said, watching the two men start fighting.
"Eren! Mikasa!" Armin ran up to them. Three stale loaves in his arms.
"Armin..."
"Here!" He gave them each one loaf. "Just in time! My grandpa got us some saying it was for children." Mikasa thanked him.
Behind him, a Garrison soldier made a face before walking away.
"What's the matter with him?" Eren and Porco said at the same time, making him scowl.
It deepened when he heard Pieck laugh.
"You can't blame him. There's probably not enough food to go around," Armin explained. "This is an entire day's worth."
As a growing boy, Bert was honestly saddened. The Internment Zone lacked almost everything the Marleyans had, but a decent meal wasn't too hard to come by.
"There are just too many refugees," Armin said as his friend stared down at the bread. "There was already a food shortage going on, plus the people here aren't treated as well as citizens on the outer wall."
The two men fighting had turned into a struggle between four. Watching from the distance, two guards did nothing to stop them.
"Why should we have to give our food to some lousy outsiders?" he said loud and clearly. "If the Titans got through the Wall, they could've at least eaten some people, if you ask me."
"Why does this feel so familiar?" Reiner frowned.
"Do you really have to ask?" Zeke sighed and reached to scratch his ear.
"Eren!" Armin called out when he started to make his way towards the soldier.
"Does this kid have a death wish?" Porco said. "We've only seen him for an episode and a half, and he's managed to start more fights than I care to count."
"This is just gonna make the food shortage even worse." The soldier didn't stop his complaining until Eren came up and kicked him in the shin. "Ow! What the fuck?!"
"You damn brat!" He and the other guard stuck Eren down.
"You don't know what it's like! You've never even seen it happen with your own eyes! You've never seen what the Titans do to people!"
The soldier's surprise quickly morphed into anger. "Shut up!"
Zeke glared daggers at the older man, just daring him to strike his brother down again. Would it really be too much for him to hope he would drop dead? That should help solve the food problem you were whining about.
Armin stepped in between the two. "We're sorry! He's just ticked off because he's hungry. That's why he's acting like a brat. We're really sorry!"
The Warriors nodded along with Armin's excuse. Some of them were no stranger to witnessing people sucking up their pride and apologizing in order to avoid punishment.
The chatter grew as a crowd formed around them, now watching the scene unfold. The Garrison soldier noticed this. "Whatever...You would've been dead without us!" He turned to leave the three. "You kids ought to show us some gratitude!"
"Of course!"
"Damn it," Eren scowled. "I'd rather die than leech off people like him..."
"I'll be back inside Wall Maria and kill all of the Titans," he continued to fume.
"Eren, you're not serious, right?"
For all your brains that sure was a dumb question, Porco thought.
"I've never been more serious! I'm not like those guy who only act tough inside the Walls" He took one look at his bread and threw it. "I don't need this crap!"
Pieck jolted a bit when she saw the bread fly through the air. Since her only guardian is sickly, she wouldn't dare waste any piece of food they can afford.
Bert held up his hands out of reflex. "Ah! No, don't let hit the floor!" he blurted out.
Zeke could only bury his face in his palm at the boy's actions.
"...No offense Zeke, but your brother is kind of a dumbass," Porco said.
He found himself agreeing more than he wanted too.
Armin fumbled to catch it. "Eren! You'll starve to death!"
"Doesn't it piss you off?!" Eren shouted. "It's because we take everyone's charity that we can't beat the Titans!"
"Wait, what does that have to do with skill and supplies or-"
"Don't think about it too hard Reiner," Bert advised.
If-no when we meet in real life, we're going to have a long talk about reckless and idiotic behavior, Zeke mentally groaned.
"It's impossible!" Armin yelled back. "There is no beating them! All we can do is live inside the Walls! If we try anything, we'll die! Just like my mom and dad!"
Pieck took note of what Armin said. It was most likely by Titans but she left the cause of death blank. He said their government made outside knowledge and interest taboo...
"So you're just gonna grovel to them then?! That's not shameful to you?!"
"There's nothing we can do for now!"
"That's just an excuse! If you wanna live like livestock forever, go ahead! You weak piece of shit!"
Though Annie found his drive to be interesting, the way he spoke to his so called best friend made her frown.
Mikasa stepped forward and punched Eren square on the face, knocking him down.
She noticed the girl held back a lot on that punch. Most likely to not give her friend a concussion.
"Mikasa?" Armin asked. He looked down at Eren on the ground.
"If Armin's a wimp, then so are we. Whether it was running from the Titans or fleeing town, we didn't manage anything on our own."
They thought back to Hannes and wondered if he survived since the last time they saw him.
"WE even had help finding food today. There's no way such powerless people can defeat even a single Titan," Mikasa continued.
She realized he won't admit he was wrong. "Staying alive is what matters most. Just like your mother told us," she said before taking the bread from Armin and shoving it in his stubborn mouth.
"Mikasa!" Armin gasped.
"You have to eat and stay alive."
"Uh, can someone die from bread?" Bert asked a bit scared and amazed.
"Well people can choke on it but I'm not sure if this still applies," Pieck said.
"I think she's cutting off his air supply."
If he had to be honest, Zeke was glad Eren had someone like her around to set his mind straight. Even if she used more... unconventional methods.
"I won't let you starve to death."
Eren relented and began to eat the bread.
"Several days later, the refugees were all sent to cultivate the wastelands and secure food." The trio and Armin's grandfather worked in the fields alongside others.
"However, a food shortage was unavoidable. In the following year of 846, the Royal Government sent a multitude of refugees on a mission to retake Wall Maria."
Reiner and Bert perked up at seeing their other selves.
Porco, on the other hand, grew more agitated. Why hasn't it shown Marcel yet?
Armin's grandfather handed him his hat.
"250,000 were sent, nearly a fifth of the population."
Bert gawked at the massive number, but the somber tone made him doubt they would succeed.
With hollow eyes, the thousands of refugees followed the Survey Corps on foot.
"A death march," Annie observed.
Pieck nodded. "Sacrificing thousands of lives to save a million others. A choice I'm sure their government was aware of."
"But how could they do something so monster-" Reiner started.
"The Marleyan government isn't above using such tactics," Zeke interrupted. "I'm certain they would sacrifice every Eldian in the Internment Zone if it meant saving half the amount of Marleyans."
"Not even 200 survived."
Swords littered the desolate battlefield. The only ones standing were the Titans.
Chills prickled their skin at the bleak sight.
"Although it wasn't much, their sacrifices did improve the food shortage situation for the rest of the population."
Armin sat against a wall, clutching his grandfather's hat close as he wept. His two friends stood close by.
"It's all the Titans' fault. If we could just subdue them, our place in the world could be ours again, Armin." Eren sat next to him. "I'm going to apply for the military next year." Mikasa sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm going to gain the strength to fight the Titans!"
"Me, too."
Their heads shot up at that. Most of them expected the boy to accept his loss and move on with his life.
"It makes sense," Pieck muttered. "He'll want to follow wherever his remaining family goes."
"Armin?!"
"I'll join you, too."
"Mikasa, you don't need to! You said it yourself staying alive is what's important!"
"That's why I'm doing it. So you won't die," Mikasa said flatly.
He stood up. "Alright. The three of us, then."
A flicker of jealousy started in Bertholdt's chest. Here these three kids just barely younger than him decided to join the military. There was no real pressure or anything certain to be gained, but they threw caution to the wind and picked a career that might end up killing them.
Have I ever done anything out of my own free will? He stared down at his hands, his memory finding nothing.
"You are now officially members of the 104th Training Corps," Keith's voice boomed over the cadets.
"Have we...seen him before?" Porco narrowed his eyes.
"Isn't he the Survey Corps commander from the first episode? Minus the eyes and hair, most of the features are the same."
"Yeesh, I guess his job really took a toll on him," Porco said.
"Unfortunately for you, I, Keith Shadis, will be your commandant!"
"You saw how the mission he lead ended," Reiner said. "It was a complete failure. They came back with no results to show."
"But how does he feel now that he's a commandant? It would be awful knowing the soldiers you trained end up dying," Bert said quietly. The two boys sent him an odd look.
"You actually care about the devil's feelings?" Porco stared at him.
"What? N-No I'm just asking in general," Bert rushed his words out before Reiner could go on another rant.
"Leave him be," Zeke said. "I'm sure it was an honest mistake."
"I do not welcome you warmly! In your current state, you'd be nothing but food for the Titans! You're mere livestock!"
Was that an older Annie? Reiner spotted her in the line of cadets.
"You're less than livestock!"
Porco did a double-take when he saw Bert and Reiner. "What the hell...How'd you get so buff?"
Reiner shrugged but he suddenly couldn't wait to get older.
No one was really surprised to find out Bert would outgrow them all. The true question was when he'll stop getting taller.
"Over the next three years, we're going to train you worthless nothings and teach you how to fight Titans!"
Annie frowned when she heard three years. That's a total of five years I'll be stuck on that island.
"Three years from now, when you come face-to-face with the Titans will you still be fodder for them?!"
"Will you serve as an honorable barrier that protects the king?!"
"Wow, look at how much they've grown!' Pieck said in awe.
"Or will you be a glorious soldier for humanity that drives the Titans out! It's up to you to decide!"
Yeah, don't worry. Eren sent the camera a hard stare. I'll kill every last one of them.
"I didn't hear a single thing about the Founder taking action," Zeke let a rare smile spread on his face. "So let's consider your mission a success so far."
"The Founder is ours!" Reiner cheered and risked hugging both his couchmates.
Annie grimaced, and it took everything in herself not to elbow him in the ribs.
"Hey, I didn't say we already won!" He didn't manage to lower the mood this time around for everyone except for Porco, who was already frustrated.
"I don't get it!" Porco scowled as he used the remote to rewind the last scene. "I couldn't have missed him!"
"Who-"
"Marcel! Who else would it be?!" His grip on the device tightened. "It showed all of you but not him. What if he's hurt or worse?"
"Porco, I'm sure he's fine. He has the Jaw Titan remember," Reiner said more to convince himself than his fellow Warrior.
His scowl deepened. "I know, but I can't get rid of this feeling something awful happened to him."
"We'll...we'll just have to believe that Marcel is fine and continuing his duty as a Warrior and our comrade," Reiner replied.
Porco frowned, he couldn't believe he was actually letting Reiner of all people console him. He also couldn't believe it worked.
After a moment, Zeke called for everyone's attention. "I'll start the next episode in five minutes. Do whatever you want so long as you don't kill yourselves, each other, or break the T.V." He grabbed one of the cooled down mugs and leaned back in his seat.
I downed three cups of coffee for this chapter and my eyes hurt pretty badly, but here's the second episode! I'll probably have something up again by sometime next week and remember you're free to correct any information I got wrong.