"I want a transfer."

"Hmm." The Sergeant looked up from his desk, actually doing some work for once because of the shortage of hands. "What was that? Sounded like you said you wanted a transfer?"

"That's because I did say that Sir." Lukas responded with.

"Look, I get that this place is a shithole now, especially after what happened." The Sergeant replied. "But we are understaffed as it is, even with you serving in the invasion and the retake of Trost, it'll be very difficult to find a district on the interior that needs more MP's."

"No, I don't want to move to another district Sir." He told him. "I want to change regiments entirely. I want a transfer to the Scouts."

"For..." The Sergeant stopped himself from swearing. "If it's because of that Titan kid, you'd be better off waiting to see the outcome of the trial at least." He suggested. "No point in switching before it happens, because the Military Police won't take you back, you'll have to go through the Garrison, only after your first expedition though."

"The Scouts are bound to get a chance to use him in the field." Lukas told him. "I believe that they have humanity's best interests at heart, and I want to join them."

"Alright then." The Sergeant pinched the bridge of his nose, rummaging through the drawers in his desk for the papers that were needed. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He handed him two sheets of paper. "Fill these in, hand one back to me and keep the other, give it to the Scout recruiter when the cadets pick their regiments."

"Thank you Sir." He nodded in appreciation, one of the first times he had done that while in the MP's, it was rare to see his commanding officer sober, usually he was drinking and playing cards, but it was refreshing to not smell the stench of alcohol.

Now the only thing left for him to do was fill in the forms, join the Scouts and try to keep Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt away from Eren all while keeping his identity as a Titan hidden. He had a few ideas up his sleeve with how to go about that.

The next few days were quite the ride to be honest, the recruiting day was pushed back so that the outcome of the Eren Yeager trial was settled before any decisions were made, then there was the fact that the two Titans that the Scout Regiment had captured had been killed by two assailants.

He knew it was those three that did it, and it made him angry to know they did it without even coming to find him and at least tell him first. It was a very stupid thing to do, because they weren't actually likely to learn anything from those Titans in a short space of time.

The worst part was the ODM Gear inspection that took place afterwards, he cursed those three and hoped that they got caught because of this, because they'd get what they deserved and he'd be able to do things his way.

Nevertheless, nobody was arrested by the Military Police, and Lukas could go on his way to joining the Scouting Regiment at their recruiting ceremony or whatever it was that they called it.

It was basically pitch black by the time it started, with the Cadets all lined up in formation facing the stage, torches lit up all around to provide light for the speech the recruiter was about to give.

A tall, blonde man walked out onto the stage as they finished lining up. "Good Evening." He greeted them. "I am Erwin Smith. Commander of the Survey Corps, also known as the Scouting Regiment."

"Today, you will choose your regiment," he informed them. "Let's cut to the chase here. The Scouts need you. We need all the warm bodies we can get. After the recent Titan attack, you now know firsthand the horror of which they are capable...as well as the limits of your own skill. However, this battle's aftermath gave humanity a big chance for victory. I refer to Eren Yeager. After selflessly risking life and limb, he has proven beyond a doubt his unwavering loyalty to our cause. Hope lives in him. Eren didn't just help deter the Titan invasion; he's offered us a means to discern the truth of their origin."

Now that was a very specific thing to reveal to all the potential recruits, he was either really desperate for more recruits, or he knew that there were others like Eren, ones that weren't on his side, that was the only reason Lukas could think of that he'd reveal such classified information here.

Erwin then continued his speech. "Intel suggests that the cellar of Eren Yeager's home in Shiganshina holds a vital secret regarding our enemy. We will form an expedition to find this secret. We find it, and use it to break free of the Titans' tyrannical hundred-year reign once and for all."

"Before we can reach the aforementioned cellar in Shiganshina." He went on. "Another problem must be dealt with. We must retake Wall Maria. Of course, this is much easier said than done."

Right on cue, two soldiers came out holding a crudely drawn map of the walls and the new path they would need to take. One of them was another tall male, and the other was Petra.

"Of course she'd be here." He thought to himself. Truth be told, he was hoping that he'd be able to join the Scouts without her noticing, that way he could avoid the embarrassment of admitting that he had switched regiments because of the idea that Eren had the potential to retake Wall Maria. "Just my luck." He cursed inwardly.

"Now that the gate in Trost has been rendered inaccessible, we'll be forced to stage future operations from the Karanes District further east. Thus, the battalion route we've been establishing is now completely useless to us." Erwin explained.

"Over the course of those four years, we've incurred losses in an excess of sixty percent. Sixty percent in four years! That's a horrifying figure. One month from now, we will conduct a recon mission outside the Walls. Recruits among your ranks will be expected to take part. I estimate a third of them will die. After four years, most will be dead."

Now Erwin wasn't pulling any punches, he was telling them the cold, hard truths of what it was like to be in the Scouts. Lukas had known it was bad, but he didn't realise how much soldiers they had lost.

"But those who endure will amongst the most capable soldiers alive." Erwin assured. "Now having heard this dismal state of affairs, whoever still wishes to put their life on the line and join us...remain here. But first, ask yourself: can you give your heart? Can you give everything for humanity!?"

"That is all." Erwin finished up. "Those wanting to join other regiments are dismissed."

Slowly, a large number of cadets turned to leave the area, there were only a handful that were remaining, it was like watching a slow stampede of people trying to get out of the area, and by the time the movement had stopped. There were less than two dozen still there.

"I ask you, if you were ordered to die... would you do it?" Erwin posed the hardest question of all to those who still remained.

"We don't wanna die, Sir!" A voice shouted back.

"Of course. Let us hope that you don't then." He spoke. "You who stayed, you are now one of us. Welcome to the Scout Regiment. This is a genuine salute soldiers! Together we give out hearts!" He saluted them all, fist over heart.

"Sir!" The response came, along with the salutes.

Erwin continued to look them over, everyone standing saluting back, aside from one in the back. Perhaps he was indecisive, but on closer inspection, the badge on his shoulder was not a shield and sword, it was a green unicorn.

"Those of you still standing here have worked through your fear. You have proven yourselves courageous. Each one of you has my respect." Erwin finished off with.

Now for the MP Officer in the back, Erwin made eye contact with him, and once he had his attention, he gestured for him to come up to the stage. He was obviously here for a reason, and when he started moving, Erwin noticed he was holding something, a document or a letter perhaps?

"Yes, what is it officer?" Erwin asked him, but now that he was closer, he vaguely remembered him from somewhere before.

"Commander Erwin." Lukas held the piece of paper out to him. "I was told to hand this in to the recruiter at the ceremony."

As Erwin accepted the folded paper, and as he opened it, Lukas' attention was drawn passed his shoulder, where Petra had noticed, and was looking at him, she looked very confused, mouthing the words "what is it," at him from the side of the stage.

"Hmm." Erwin read over the paper. "Transfer papers." He murmured. "Military Police Officer Lukas Tybur, is that correct?"

"Yes Sir."

On the side of the stage, Petra was trying to listen in on what Lukas and the Commander was talking about. Unfortunately for her, Mike had noticed her trying to look around the Commander.

"Do you know that MP?" He asked, lowering his head down to her level as to not have to talk too loud.

"Yeah, he was in my cadet class." Petra responded with.

"Hmm, I know him from somewhere." Mike mused once he got a good look at his face. "I remember, he was laughing at us when we came back from that Expedition one time. Good for nothing..."

"He was laughing at me." Petra cut Mike off before he could say anything else. "That was my first expedition."

"Ah, the one where you..."

"Yes, that one." She cut him off once again. "He's not a bad guy, he just has a different perspective of the world." She defended him. "Though he is very closed off sometimes, I actually think he's quite nice."

However, as Petra defended him and the ideals she thought he stood by, at the moment, Erwin Smith was currently asking him a great deal of questions, probably trying to determine whether or not he would be better suited with the fresh cadets, or if he was more experienced.

"How long ago did you join the Military Police?" Erwin asked him.

"Three years ago." Lukas told him.

"So you started your training in 844, correct?" Erwin asked, getting a nod from the MP soldier in confirmation. "What rank did you graduate at in the cadets?"

"Number one Sir."

"And during the battle of Trost, how many Titans did you kill?"

"I wasn't keeping count to be honest." He told him, he could've lied, but something tells him Erwin would've been able to tell.

"An estimate then."

"Maybe six, seven." He had a guess in the general area, he hadn't been counting at all, he had been too busy worrying about others for once.

"We'll need to get you a new jacket, but in the meantime, you have my utmost respect for switching regiments soldier." Erwin saluted him, with Lukas saluting back. "It takes a lot of nerve to join the Scouts, you have a lot of courage."

"Thank you Sir." He responded. "Where will I need to go in the morning."

"You needn't join the cadets in the morning. They have a separate initiation into the Scouts." Erwin dismissed that idea. "Come, I'll introduce you to the other Scouts here with me."

"The Commander's coming back." Petra whispered off the stage. "Why's Lukas coming with him?"

"If I could all have your attention." Erwin spoke to the few Scouts that weren't trying to eavesdrop. "This here is Lukas." Erwin introduced him. "He's decided to transfer from the Military Police to the Scouts."

"You did what?" Petra asked, and she did not look happy at all, in fact, it was a far cry from the smug face he imagined she would be putting on, she looked absolutely furious at him.

"If you don't mind Commander, I'd like to be the one who shows him around the headquarters." She requested.

"Permission granted." He nodded at her, it was obvious now that Petra and Lukas knew each other. "As long as you don't take too long, Levi will need you back in the morning."

"Don't worry Sir, I'll show him around." Petra replied with, and Lukas could practically hear her teeth grinding together.

After being shown what was quite possibly the quickest tour of his life, and that was no joke, Petra had basically ran throughout the castle they were staying in during the middle of night. His jacket had gone as soon as they arrived, he'd get a Scout one in the morning, but he still had to deal with a raging Petra, who didn't look like she was cooling off anytime soon.

After what felt like seconds of being shown around, Petra showed him into a room and shoved him inside, closing the door behind her. And once her gaze was set on him, he was genuinely frightened.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"