"That's how you conserve fuel," Jean said to a group of recruits. Wander rolled his eyes and continued to eat his soup. This guy was rather annoying. He talked about being good at his game, but Wander had managed to ignore the big brute this far into training, he knew he could continue. "You let the momentum to the work for you," he continued to explain and someone gave him an ego-boosting comment. "Duh, it's having a sixth sense for the finer points of your gear," he bragged and Wander snorted.

"Too bad that sixth sense doesn't actually extend to the use of your gear," Wander muttered. Jean slowly turned to him and glared.

"What was that?" he growled and Wander shrugged.

"I'm just saying, I know firsthand that the colos-titan's are capable of," Wander said over his porridge, "and I highly doubt you will be able to use said six sense," he explained to the hot tempered Jean. Eren was smirking over his bowl.

Wander had expected Jean to lash out, it was actually what he wanted to see, but Jean gave him a smile and returned to bragging. The smile got on Wander's nerves, as most things did these days. He soon realized after the first year of training that his hot temper was resurfacing as well. Mostly with Jean and instructors. Besides, he was in this to kill these flesh colossi, not get yelled at about how he was useless. How the hell was that supposed to help him in the first place. Knowing he'd get enraged with whatever Jean would say, he became his prime target to let loose steam. That meant fist fights at night.

"Man, that would be amazing," said the teen to Jean's left, "working within a stone's throw of the King. No greater honour than that," he replied, sipping his water casually. Wander began turning around his porridge, playing with it over actually eating it. It was odd. During these past years, he felt stronger than before, but he had a quite an inkling on why that was. The demon, Dormin, there was still a fragment of his soul in him. It explained his strength, endurance, and speed. Along with his other natural talents boosted due to the corruption. Not that he wanted that, thinking of it always made his heart drop with panic, but he knew that it would help him greatly with killing these titans.

"Shut up, Marco," Jean cracked the back of the guy's head with his hand. His drink spilt all over his face and Wander glared at Jean while scraping the bottom of the bowl with his spoon. The loud scraping noise continued. Mikasa muttered in annoyance about the scraping. "We're not children, you can drop the misty-eyed BS," he smirked while leaning in close to the startled guy. Wander furrowed his brows in confusion. BS, BS, he searched his mind for what it meant and finally leaned over to Armin.

"BS?" he whispered and Armin bit his lip to hide the smile appearing.

"Bull shit," he answered and Wander nodded. He wasn't used to these terms, so it was hard to understand these people sometimes.

"Honour doesn't have any damn part of it," he whispered, loud enough so that everyone could hear him anyway, "You just want a nice cushy job in the interior playing glorified sentry," he smirked and the spoon under Wander's hand slowly began to bend with the pressure. Honour? He had it once and he was proud of it. Now? Well, more like then. Then, he had stolen the sacred sword, a mighty crime. Did he regret it? Not a chance. But his honour was hurt, and honour was something that was very important to Wander. It's what he used to stand for.

"That's not true, that's not me at all!" he argued, his eyes widened with fear. It was almost like he was nervous that it was true.

"Listen to you guys," Eren growled and Wander looked up in surprise. Usually it him who started this. "Interior," he said spitefully, "Five years ago this was part of it," he took a drink and Wander cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"You got a point to make friend? I'm right here," Jean threatened and Wander leaned back and smirked.

"Jean, Jean, always the coward," Wander tutted sadly. Armin glared at Wander, a usual sign to tell him to shut up. A usual sign that never worked.

"Poor Jean, so misguided," Eren added on and Wander smirked and rested his chin on his hand to watch the show. "And besides," Eren continued, "I don't think your head will fit in the interior anyway," he mocked and the colossi slayer's smirk turned into a full out grin. This guy…

Jean's eye twitched and Wander watched as everyone began to chuckle, even Armin cracked a smile. "Very funny," Jean said over the table and Wander watched Eren throw back another comment.

"Seems a little backwards to me," he snarled and Jean clenched his fists. "Fine tuning your titan killing skills so the brass will station you somewhere you'll never see one."

"You rather I was good at getting killed?" he asked and Wander laughed.

"The whole point is to save everyone and humanity, but you consider that you would train to get killed while trying to kill titans, but train to kill titans and never fight them. Jean, your theory is flawed," Wander interrupted and Jean glared at Wander.

"Shut up, Wander," he growled and the colossi slayed shrugged.

"You come to join with the military, train quite sometime of your life to throw it all away. What, to spend time in the interior for how long until your titan food too? I'm sorry," Wander hissed, "but you shouldn't even be allowed to talk. Maybe," he got up as his anger began to spiral, "if you actually showed some honour, people could respect you. Instead, you seem to want to do nothing about your future," Wander raised his voice and Jean got up to.

"At least I don't lie to myself, I want to live," he replied.

"And I don't either, but for some reason my honour exceeds yours. Tell me how that works?" he asked and Jean took a step towards Wander, who in turn stepped towards him.

"You think you're better than me? What, because you're little Mono was killed? Because you had sacrifice and I didn't? I'm sorry, but you should know very well what death is like then, does that mean you really want to go through it?" he smirked and the slayer stumbled back. How could he possibly know? "That's right, I saw that whole scene. By the lake, balling your eyes out like a child. Pathetic," he smirked and everyone began to watch him. His whole body began to shake. Eren got up and began to walk towards Jean, but Wander got to him first.

"HOW DARE YOU EVEN SPEAK HER NAME!" he screamed and slammed Jean into the wall. The building slightly shook from the impact. Jean slammed his head into Wander's, but the slayer's rage was impossible to beat. He punched him back, blood pouring out from the once mocking guy's tone. "You have no honour, no life," he hissed and threw Jean across the floor. Jean also wasn't ready to give up either. He quickly got up and threw a punch at Wander, who caught the punch in his hand.

With the punch, pain circulated through his muscles, travelling through his arm and the pain spiked at the end and he gasped. His body flinched back and he looked at his hand through tear sprung eyes and instantly clenched it to hide his secret. "Done already?" Jean grinned and slammed his fist straight up Wander's jaw. He flew back and landed on his back. His hand pulsed and anger lifted. He wasn't going to be beaten by this guy, not when he spoke her name.

In a flash, Wander grabbed onto Jean's neck and threw him against a pillar. A crack sounded through the room and Jean groaned. But Wander wasn't done. He slammed his foot into Jean's gut and the big headed guy coughed. As he went for another punch, someone grabbed him from behind. He resisted the hands at first, anger taking control over him, but then he slowly allowed the person to hold him back. He raised his hands in the air to show them that he was alright and his face was squashed into the pillar in front of him. He instantly knew who it was and he sighed. Well, this wasn't going to be good. But watching Jean scurry away from under him made him feel better.

"Sir," he said respectively, as if nothing was wrong.

"Oh don't give me that sir bullshit," he growled into his ear. "You mind telling me what just went down over here," he asked and Wander sighed, only to get more splinters on his cheek. "And you can leave the sighing out of it," he added and Wander nodded.

As he opened his mouth, Jean cried out his 'story'. "Wander was easily set off with a joke and he began attacking me, so I was defending myself," he replied.

"A joke?! You call that a joke you son of a bi-," his head was pushed harder into the wooden pillar.

"Actually, Jean it looked more like you were getting your ass handed to you. If that's what you call defending yourself, you can kiss your chance at being an MP as it leaves out that door," the instructor mocked and Jean shut his mouth. For now at least.

"Along with that, Wander, get your ass together, or you'll be out of here in no time flat," he growled and Wander glared. "Oh and guess what? You two both bought yourself clean up duty," he said and Jean coughed.

"Sir, my stomach is-,"

"Oh, is it hurt Jean? Well, you should have thought about that before telling your little joke. You both still have cleanup duty," he told him with a fake smile and walked out the door. Jean glared at Wander, who was casually taking out the thin wooden shards. Wander glanced at him and glared. He wasn't letting this go. If Jean ever thought he could beat him, he was wrong. But how could he have known? Wander trusted Armin and Jean wasn't in the same cabin as him. He adjusted his clothing and walked outside.

The slayer looked to the skies, a sudden depressing feeling reaching into his chest. He was never like this before. He was calm, now he was this ball of anger. He looked down at his clothing, the one from where he called home, and sighed. The only thing left of his home. Eren walked out and sat on the stairs.

"I was about to punch him, actually," Eren admitted and Wander looked down at his friend and shrugged. "You know he was just trying to prove himself to everyone," he said and Wander smirked.

"It doesn't matter to me, actually," Wander continued to look at the stars, wishing Eren would go away. "If he wanted to prove himself, he shouldn't have said that. All it did was prove he was a dick," Wander sighed and Eren laughed.

"You don't seem to be phased by the cleanup duty," Eren noted and Wander ran his fingers through his hair. The horns had finally healed and now his hair was long enough to hide it without the headband. Although his fingers did still feel the horrid truth in the calloused stumps.

"I'm not," he answered back bluntly and walked back in, everyone already packing up. He guessed that the evening entertainment made them tired. The plates laid discarded on the table, since they were going to pick them up anyway, what was the point of putting them back? He grabbed them and brought them to cleaning pot by the fire. As he scraped the porridge off, Jean walked by and slammed his shoulder into his. As he walked past, Wander extended his elbow, as if cleaning, and it hit Jean in the gut.

He gasped and Wander smirked. What an idiot. Jean began scraping and Wander calmly continued to as well. The cabin was quiet and he began thinking, something he began to get nervous with. If he didn't think, he wouldn't think about her. Mono. His chest swelled with inward pain, his eyes slightly tearing up. He leaned down to hide his tears and Jean stopped cleaning.

"How many?" she asked. Wander rolled his eyes.

"You know I can't read minds," he sighed and she plucked at his hair. The twenty year old raised an eyebrow at her. She giggled.

"Children, Wander," she smirked and he blushed brightly.

"Oh-um, well," he stammered and she continued to giggle. He looked away and glared. She continued laughing, barely able to move correctly and touched his face. He felt her hands shaking with laughter and he continued to look away.

"My goodness," she gasped and kissed his cheek. "You're such a baby," she giggled and stood.

"I went too far this time, didn't I?" he asked and Wander continued washing the dishes, "I'm sorry about her, Mono," he said and Wander dunk his hands in the water, watching the blue vital lighten dangerously under the water.

"Don't mention it," he whispered and Jean ducked his head in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go that-,"

"Shut up," Wander hissed and Jean looked down. After a couple of minutes, the light dimmed and he finished his half of the dishes. He stood and walked out, leaving Jean behind him and his anger.

The announcing ceremonies. Wander ranked second, Mikasa ranking first. They were both strong, but Wander was ready to admit that she was better with the ODM gear than he was. His felt eyes on him and he stared at the commander, his salute still sloppy and obviously not taken as seriously as everyone else. The feeling of angered eyes continued to press on his back and he looked to the side. Sure enough, Jean was glaring daggers through him and he allowed himself to smirk slightly. It had been about a month since that night, where he felt the anger boil into him.

The thing is, he realized that he was becoming a different person here. He needed to keep his head leveled. He needed to stay the same as before, with Mono and him. He was going to return to her the same as before.

He continued to stare forward. But could he really say that he was now the same person? He stared at the five men and women in front of him and shut his eyes, listening to their speeches and explanations of what is what. All he knew was to join the Scouts and he would be fine.

"These are the top of your class!" he shouted in that same annoying scream that every higher up seemed to have. Wander looked around and stared at all the people. Some of them had that day dreaming faraway look, probably about their future. Thinking of joining the MP. Others were straight- or blank-faced, looking at their superiors, but not really. It was the look he had seen in many of the emotionless men that joined the army back home.

These people. They were kids! Teenagers thrown into a fight that they could barely understand. He shut his eyes and looked away. It was sad, that's all.

"MP here I come!" someone shouted in the crowd and Wander muttered in slight annoyance. When was he going to be reunited with the Levi squad?! His hands clenched the mug and he tapped his toe with annoyance. Tomorrow, he had to wait until tomorrow. Jean was looking angrily at Eren and Wander couldn't help but have a smug look on. Eren had outranked Jean and it was great. Although, he still wasn't humble in the slightest, but that was nothing he could fix.

"You really going to turn your back on the MP?" someone asked Eren and Wander sighed. Once again, Eren was a good guy, but once you got him started on this…

"The scouts have always been my goal, but I don't want the easy life," he admitted and Wander rubbed the back of his neck and walked outside. He didn't feel like hearing this conversation. But as he walked to the door, he heard someone shout at the top of their lungs, making the slayer jump.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" he shouted and Wander turned around. His eyebrows were raised in a mix of surprise and boredom. He continued in a quieter tone once everyone stared at him. "How many people have died? We're talking a fifth of the population!" he hissed to Eren, although everyone could hear him. "If that doesn't paint a picture for you, I don't know what will," he sighed and looked away. Wander snorted and leaned against a post. "This is our life now, we can't beat them," he sighed and Wander snarled in disgust.

"Yah, so what?" Eren and Wander said at the same time.

Eren looked to Wander and the slayer straightened, as everyone looked to him. Whispers began to circle around the room, he heard things like that's the guy, his sister died, his family was killed, he faced a titan, and the worst, Mono's name being thrown around. But the slayer didn't hear them, or rather, chose not to.

"You don't let that influence you, or you'll die in the first second you walk out that door," Wander growled. Everyone stared at him, their eyes wide and ears sucking in everything he was saying. "Maybe you are a flea to them and I know that that is a very, very, influencing factor." He thought back to the first colossus he had fought. He had been pissing his pants. "Maybe you don't think you have a chance," Wander told him, "or maybe you have a sliver of a chance," he said, his chin raising. "But what about those people who can't even say they have a chance? What about them? Innocent people who don't even know how to look at a titan without shitting themselves. What good will it do if you are the last one left all because you were trying to save yourself?" Everyone was staring at him and Eren nodded at him. He shook his head in disappointment and walked out.

As he walked away, he then heard it, the hate filled rage in Eren's voice. He began to talk to everyone and Wander leaned against the side of the house and shut his eyes. He was tired of all this. This waiting, this training and these weak people. At home, he was able to say that the army would lay down their lives to save the people. They were assholes, yes, but they would still protect anyone who was in danger. These people are in it for themselves. They train here to protect themselves. He rubbed his eyes and looked to the sky, wondering where these people went wrong.

Stomping came from the inside a minute or so later and Eren ran past him. He could hear sniffling and Wander watched as Armin and Mikasa ran past too. He knew he should give him some space, but curiosity got the best of him and Wander listened in. Of course he heard bits and pieces, his eyes squinting to see them.

"I'm joining the scouts too!" he heard Armin and Wander grunted in surprise. Armin? Hard to picture him as a military man, more so as a Scout. Eren began trying to convince Armin not to become a Scout and Wander rubbed his temples. He wanted to go to sleep, but everyone in there was less interesting and even more of a group of miserable people then Mikasa.

"Guess it's the Scouts for me too then," Mikasa replied and Wander exited the shadows.

"Oh come on! You're top of the class, you'll be wasting your shot!" he argued and she cocked her head to the side and squinted slightly. Wander began walking towards them.

"Understand this Eren," she said to him quietly, "where you go I go. I made a promise to your mom before she died. I'm not letting you die," she said and looked away. Wander sat behind them, quiet and far enough that they couldn't hear him. "I've got your back whether you like it or not," she whispered and Wander cocked an eyebrow. She really didn't think that he couldn't take care of himself? He wasn't great, but there were worse people for the Scouts.

"Yah, well mom's not here," he said while also looking away.

"A lot of people I care about aren't here either," she lowered her head and Wander got up slowly, feeling like he was intruding and walked back into the cabin. It was obvious that he should start to think about the people he cared about. But tomorrow…he was getting back into business and he hadn't been in that business for a while.

Wander stared at the five cloaked people coming towards him and an immediate smile crawled on his face. It had been too long. Two of the figures began to run towards him and his body stiffened as they tackled him into a hug.

"Look how much he's grown!" Hange cried and he awkwardly smiled, feeling like a child coming back home to his parents. On Hange's back was his bow and his eyes drifted to it greedily, he also noticed his sword tied to her side.

"Hey, where's your uniform?" Petra asked him, her eyebrows raised in chastising look, a smile still on her face. Wander rubbed the back of his head and Hange grabbed his hair and pulled down.

"Damn, what do you think you're doing?!" Wander shouted and her fingers brushed his horns. He looked at her through his long bangs and she smiled.

"So they don't grow back!" she exclaimed and he pulled away, rubbing his head with annoyance.

"You could have just asked," he muttered and once again he looked to his bow. Her smile widened and he watched as Petra raised an eyebrow.

"I've made some modifications to your bow, hopefully you won't mind," Hange exclaimed and Wander noticed Oruo shaking his head. Hange was supressing a smile as she handed him the bow. He didn't notice a lot, a wheel was added to each of the ends, but he noticed that his arrows were very different. He recognized the razor tips that were usually on the swords. "Go on, give it a shot," she giggled. Wander aimed at a building, making sure that it will hit the wall and not the window and grabbed an arrow. He knocked the bow and tried pulled back. The draw back had shifted and he realized she must have tinkered with it.

Suddenly he stopped and Hange burst out laughing. He rolled his eyes and pulled back. "You know, tightening it by a little isn't that big of a prank," he said over his shoulder and shot the arrow. It slammed into the wall and was imbedded into the bricks. Everyone, including Wander, had their mouths wide open. Hange blinked and then adjusted her glasses. Cracks had rippled on every brick close to the arrow.

"Holy shit," Bozado croaked. Petra gaped at him and he stared at the bow.

"So what do these wheels do?" he asked and Hange cleared her throat.

"Um, they um, well they increase the draw back," she whispered.

"Oh? How much did you increase it?" he asked, staring at the arrow that lay in the wall.

"It was a joke," she muttered, looking up, "to prank you by increasing the draw back to two hundred," she said while rubbing her hands through her hair. Wander stared at the bow. Two hundred?! An explosion made all of their heads snap up and Wander stared at a huge titan. By huge, he meant HUGE. The whole squad (plus Wander) stared as the titan slammed his foot through the fifty meter wall.

In an instant, Wander grabbed his sword from Hange's belt and raised it. The beam aimed right at it, but after an explosion of green, the beam dimmed. The slayer ground his teeth. What the hell just happened? A titan there and then gone, a titan that was taller than the damn fifty meter wall! Anger rose and then fell from Wander's chest. He would find it, and once that's done, he would kill it.

I am so sorry about the long ass delay! I was really busy with school work and then when I'd get home I'd be really tired and too lazy to go over the anime! I'll try as much as possible not to do that again, since I hate it when my favourite stories take eight years to get another chapter up. So, stay tuned I guess! ^ ~ ^