Author Note: Hello All! This will be the first fanfiction that I ever posted on this website. I'm still a beginner so please take this story with a grain of salt. I fell in love with Attack on Titan, and most particularly, the Attack on Titan 2 video game where you are able to create your own character. This made me interested in oc's and oc centric stories, so I decided to search through numerous oc fanfic of attack on titan. In all fairness, I was not fond of what I discovered and read so I decided to make a fanfic of my own with an oc. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter!
Chapter 1: In The Beginning
-Year 845 Shiganshina District
The sun shined down on the busy town of Shiganshina. Hundreds of people walked the streets, busy as ever. Collecting wood, selling food, living their lives as best as they could despite the threat that lurked beyond the colossal walls that guarded their town..
The titans
The titans have been a threat to humanity for over 100 years now. Not much is known about them, only that they appeared out of nowhere and devoured any humans they could get their hands on. Humanity could only live behind the walls where they were truly safe from the threat of the titans.
Although some were fine living behind the walls in safety, there were others who sought to adventure beyond the walls, in an attempt to discover uncharted lands and perhaps even the secrets of the titans that constantly threatened humanity.
The thought of it sounded foolish to the average person.
Most of the citizens who roamed safely behind the walls sought to ignore the threats of titans. Majority believed that they would never see a Titan in their lifetime due to the safety that the wall provided.
On this day in particular, it was an uneventful one. The birds chirped within the city walls and the people moved about.
A certain family in one of the many houses of Shiganshina worked in peace, underneath the shadow of the wall. A small family of 3 lived inside that small house. A mother who washed the dishes with a small smile on her face, and a father who was outside, carrying heavy wooden boxes.
The mother looked outside, through a window and spotted her husband. The smile on her face grew as she walked out the door of the house.
"Need a hand with that?" She asked while she leaned against the door.
"Heh, I got it, Sandra. Though I doubt that'll stop you." The husband replied to his wife with a knowing smile.
"Oh, you know me so well." The wife giggled, moving out of the house and grabbing one of the wooden boxes from her husband's arms. "Where to?"
The husband gestured his head over to a nearby road in reply to her question. The couple moved toward the road and gently placed the boxes down. The husband wiped the sweat from his brow as the sun within the cloudless sky peered down at him. His gaze was then shifted over to his house. A slight frown grew on his face as he stared.
His wife followed his gaze to see what he was staring at. Her face softened when she followed his gaze straight to the top window of their house. It was the window to the room of their beloved son.
"Tarek? Are you still with me?" Sandra asked her husband with a knowing look.
"Huh? Oh, yeah." Tarek responded as he continued to stare at the window. "Is Saladin still asleep?"
"Probably. I didn't hear him get up when I was inside." She answered with a small smile.
"So he's oversleeping again?" Tarek asked with a frustrated sigh. "That boy…"
"Go easy on him, honey. You two went hiking behind Wall Rose yesterday." She explained. "It's no wonder he's tired. I'm surprised you're even awake."
"You know me better than that." Tarek looked at his wife with his eyebrows raised.
"Hehe, I know." Sandra giggled under her breath.
Tarek let out a sigh and walked toward the house. Walking up the wooden steps and into the house, he let out a small breath as if contemplating on what he will say to his son. He moved upstairs and came to a stop at a wooden door, slowly opening it to peek his head inside.
"Saladin? Are you awake?" Tarek asked upon looking inside the room.
In the small wooden room layed a child under sheets on a bed. The blankets shifted a bit as the child poked his head from under the covering. The dark haired little boy's blue eyes pierced his father's own when he heard his name called. That boy's name was Saladin Synder. Son of Tarek and Sandra Synder.
"Yes, father?" Saladin pretty much whispered, just waking up from his slumber.
"You've been sleeping all day today. C'mon, get up. It's time to make our delivery run." Tarek said, gesturing for his son to rise from the bed.
Without a word of complaint, Saladin slowly rose from his bed, rolling his small shoulders and stretching. Tarek could not help but smile slightly as he watched his son yawn.
"I thought we could take this day to rest, father." Saladin muttered out while he started to get dressed.
"Remember what I always say, son. It's better to get jobs done early, so you have a proper reason to rest during the night." Tarek explained as he left the room. "I'll be waiting downstairs for you."
Saladin nodded his head then began getting dressed. He threw on his normal set of clothes then began making his way out the door. Suddenly, he came to a stop and gazed over at his nightstand. On his nightstand lay a black facemask with golden circles in front of it.
He stared at the mask for a few moments, pondering whether he should wear it or not. The mask was passed down from his now deceased great grandfather, who made the mask himself from materials outside the wall. His great grandfather was a part of the Survey Corps before Saladin was conceived. Saladin didn't know much about his great grandfather's life, although he knew that his father revered him. Saladin did not know much about his family before his own father, as most of them had died before he was born. He knew that his mother, Sandra had married into the Synder family.
All that was passed down was this mask, and a journal that Saladin's parents always kept to themselves. His parents would never let him read it, saying he was not ready yet. However, he was given the mask, although it looked a bit silly due to the fact that he had not grown into it yet.
"Saladin! Your father is waiting for you!" Sandra called out to her son from downstairs.
The sound of his mother's voice quickly snapped Saladin out of his trance. Nodding his head, he grabbed the mask and quickly rushed downstairs. The sound of small footsteps could be heard rushing down the wooden stairs. Sandra looked over with a smile as she saw her son.
"Good afternoon sleepy head." She said while she smiled fondly.
"Good morning mom." Saladin replied, rushing to hug his mother who he loved dearly.
Sandra smiled down at her son and rubbed his head soothingly. However, it didn't take long for her to spot the mask that he held in his hands.
"Must you really take that mask with you sweetie?" She asked, moving her hands to his shoulders. "I don't want you losing it. You know how special it is."
"I won't lose it mom. I promise." Saladin replied with a small smile as he looked up at his mother.
"Alright. Remember to stay close to your father, ok?" She warned. "No wandering off this time. I mean it."
"Yes, mother." Saladin sighed, slightly annoyed from the restrictions given to him.
Sandra gave a small chuckle and gave her son's cheek a soft pinch between her fingers. Saladin tried to bite back a smile but could not hold back the grin on his face. He then quickly pulled away and rushed outside the house to meet his father.
"Stay safe, both of you!" She waved as she watched her husband and son leave the front of the house. "Dinner will be ready when you both get back!"
"Ok! We'll be back in a few hours!" Tarek yelled back while he waved his hand.
Saladin let out a mental sigh within his mind. A few hours making deliveries? That is a lot of walking ahead of them. Although, a part of him didn't mind. He enjoyed spending time with his father, even if it was an uneventful day.
He and his father began moving away from the house and toward the stack of wooden boxes that were placed there earlier. Tarek began rubbing his hands together, in which Saladin would notice and copy him.
"Alright. You get 1 box. I'll carry the rest." Tarek explained, looking down at his son.
"Are you sure father? I'm sure I can carry more than one." Saladin objected.
"These boxes are pretty heavy. Are you sure you can carry 2?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
Tarek looked at his son with an expression that Saladin could not read. Saladin wanted to be as much help to his father as possible, feeling as if carrying 1 box barely helps.
"Go on then." Tarek said as he took a step back.
Saladin gave a small smile and reached toward the stacked wooden boxes. He wrapped his hands around the second box on the stack and attempted to lift that and the one on top of it. As he tried to pull to lift them, they barely moved an inch. Saladin gritted his teeth as he tried to lift the boxes with all his might, shame slowly sinking into him as they refused to move.
After a while, Saladin gave up, letting out a sigh of humiliation. He looked up at his father who was not even looking at him, but looking at the boxes in front of him. There was silence for a moment until Tarek moved and lifted the 2 wooden boxes with ease.
Saladin's eyes widened as he watched his father lift the 2 boxes that he had struggled so hard to lift. More shame setting in as he felt weak at that exact moment.
"There's no shame in admitting you are not strong enough." Tarek said with the 2 wooden boxes held tightly in his arms.
"I know dad. I just wanted to carry a bit more today, to help you." Saladin said, shame within his eyes as he looked up at his father.
"You are helping me out by carrying one of these boxes, son." Tarek said with a stern expression, giving his son a lesson. "Help someone within your limits and Work smarter, not harder."
"Yes father." Saladin said with a nod of his head.
Saladin picked up the last wooden box and held it tightly in his arms, making sure to show no signs of the box being too heavy for him. Tarek watched him in silence as he lifted in then walked away, in which Saladin followed close behind. The 2 walked for a few minutes through the town of Shiganshina, through the crowded streets with hundreds of people walking by. Saladin watched as a few people greeted his father. Tarek was a well respected man in the town, despite not being very famous. He helps people in the town as best he can, through simple deliveries, helping with construction, and even giving supplies to the needy in the underground behind Wall Sheena, despite the amount of times the military police refused to let him.
He was considered a hard working man with a "heart of gold", at least by a few people.
Saladin admired this and dreamed of being like his father. He wanted to learn how to be compassionate like him but also wise to the fact that not everyone will be welcoming of help. Saladin knew he was much too small and naive to help people as much as his father did, but he wanted to gain as much knowledge from his father as possible. While he continued to follow his father, Saladin's eyes caught wind of something in Tarek's back pocket.
It was the journal of his great grandfather.
Saladin's eyes widened in wonder as he gazed at the journal. His father and mother would never let him read it but always told him that one day they'll read it to him. Saladin gulped a bit, building up the courage to ask his father if he would finally read it. However, before Saladin could open his mouth, the sound of bells caused his ears to ring. Both Tarek and Saladin came to a halt.
It was the town bells that would ring whenever the gate was being opened.
"The scout regiment has returned." A woman behind a stall said, looking at the direction of the gate.
"Oh boy. Come on, let's see how many were killed this time." A man said as he walked by.
Saladin turned to see the city gate slowly being lifted. Numerous people began surrounding the gate, awaiting those that were coming through. Saladin stood there and watched the gate with wide eyes. This would be his first time seeing the scout regiment return from an expedition from beyond the walls. He looked back at his father and saw a frown on his face, his eyes gazed on the city gate as well. Saladin wondered why his father was frowning before the regiment even entered the gate, until Saladin turned his head back.
A gasp escaped behind the mask that Saladin wore when he saw people on horseback entering the gate. Markings of blood were all over their uniforms, their faces deprived of all emotion. There was almost complete silence from the surrounding people. Little whispers could be heard here and there under the sound of horses hooves and the wheel of a wooden wagon. Saladin watched as the rest of the regiment entered the gate, even in worse conditions than the ones in front. Some of the scouts had bandages with blood marks wrapped around their faces or eyes. Several of them were either walking or being carried with missing limbs. Saladin nearly wanted to puke at the gore fest before him, but his eyes shifted to his father who only seemed to frown at the sight.
Tramutized looks were noticeable on every scout's face as they all looked down at their feet. There was no fanfare, no shouts for joy or relief, there was nothing but empty silence.
"Tch, looks like another failed expedition." A man from the crowd whispered.
"Where are the rest? Is this all that made it back?" A woman asked, keeping her voice low.
"Is this really where all our hard earned money is going? What a joke." Another man whispered.
Saladin looked around at the faces of the crowd. Mixed expressions could be seen throughout them all. Some of them had sad and sorrowful looks on their faces while others looked disappointed and displeased.
"Let's go, Saladin." Tarek ordered, catching his son's attention. Saladin looked away from the scene and nodded his head.
"Ok." Saladin replied.
The 2 turned away from the crowd and began walking away. Saladin didn't understand it all completely, but he could only guess that the titans outside the walls had managed to beat the scouts badly, and judging by the blood, it was pretty severe. Saladin tried to keep the scary thoughts in the back of his mind and focus on the task with his father.
"WE STILL HAVEN'T MADE ANY PROGRESS!" A voice full of pain suddenly shouted behind them.
Saladin came to a halt and turned his head to see who had been shouting. His eyes had immediately found one of the older looking scouts kneeling in front of a crying woman who held something within her arms.
"I'M A FAILURE! I'VE GOTTEN SOLDIERS KILLED LEFT AND RIGHT! AND WE HAVEN'T LEARNED ANYTHING USEFUL ABOUT THE TITANS!" The scout screamed out with tears rolling down his face.
Saladin felt stomach sink at the screaming and crying coming from the scout. It scared him, in all honesty. Seeing one of the adults, a soldier in the military no less, crying and screaming like that. Saladin turned his head to look at his father, wanting to ask him what was happening, only to find him staring back with that same frown on his face. It was the only thing Saladin needed to know that this was not the place to talk about it.
Saladin kept silent throughout the entire walk. The images of the bloody scouts flashing within his mind. He questioned why these people would go outside the walls if that type of stuff happened to them. Furthermore, he questioned if this is what the scouts do, how and why did his great grandfather join them? It was all so confusing. He wanted to ask his dad these questions but kept his mouth shut.
For what seemed like awhile, Saladin and his father had finally reached their delivery point at a small tunnel in the center of town. Saladin looked from behind the wooden box he was carrying to see 3 soldiers talking while leaning against the stone walls of the tunnel. He had seen these types of soldiers before. They had an emblem with roses on their backs. If he remembered correctly, they were a part of the garrison regiment.
"Hey hey! Tarek!" One of the soldiers shouted and waved, snapping Saladin to attention. "About time you got here. We almost thought you weren't going to show."
"Heh. Sorry about that. These old bones don't move like they used to." Tarek replied with a chuckle.
"Ha! You aren't old yet, buddy!" Another soldier replied as he slapped Tarek's shoulder. "Not yet anyway."
Tarek would share a loud laugh with the 3 garrison soldiers as Saladin watched in silence, slightly wondering if any of them would see him. The 2 wooden boxes that Tarek was carrying were carefully placed on the ground. Saladin mimicked his father's actions and placed his wooden box right next to the other 2.
"Thanks again for the delivery, Tarek. At least there are some people in this town that care about us soldiers." One of the soldiers laughed out loud.
"Don't thank me." Tarek said with a wave of his hands. "I'm just doing what most people should be doing."
"Oh, there he goes with that humility nonsense."
"Ha! Well the garrison regiment still thanks you. Though most of them won't admit it." The soldier said with a thankful smile. His eyes then looked at Saladin, who jumped a bit from being spotted.
"Who's the kid with the mask?" The soldier asked, looking back at Tarek.
"This is my son. Saladin." Tarek said with a proud smile. Saladin noticed this and could not help but smile under his mask where no one could see.
"That's little Saladin. Heh, didn't recognize him with that silly thing on." The soldier laughed. "What's the deal?"
"That mask is a family heirloom. He enjoys wearing it despite being too small to fit it." Tarek said with a slight chuckle. "Go on, Saladin , say hi."
"Hello, sir." Saladin said, stepping forward with his hand held out. The soldiers stared wide eyed at the kid before them.
"What's this? A kid with some manners? You don't see that everyday." One of the soldiers noted.
"Yeah, you don't." The other soldier said with a smile as he reached out and shook Saladin's small hand. "Nice to meet you, kid. Can see your father is already starting to rub off on you."
"Heh, he's getting there." Tarek noted as he placed his hand on Saladin's shoulder.
"So, Tarek." One of the soldiers began. "I heard the scout regiment came back. Word already got back to us but we didn't see them. How bad did it look?"
Saladin heard his father sigh at the question. He looked up at him to see that same frown he had when they watched the scout regiment return with all those injuries. Tarek did not answer immediately, but eventually opened his mouth.
"As bad as it was all those other times." Tarek responded in a low voice. "I may have to try and deliver them extra supplies this time. It looks like they've lost a lot."
"Tch. I wouldn't if I were you. They'll probably waste them again." One of the soldiers said while shaking his head. "No use in giving supplies to dead men walking."
"Heh, I'll take that into account. You 3 have a good day." Tarek said with a smile.
The soldiers didn't know it, but Saladin could tell by the sound of his father's voice that he was slightly irritated by the garrison soldier's words. The smile on his face was a facade to what Tarek really wanted to say.
"Right. Take care Tarek." The leading garrison soldier said with a nod of his head.
Tarek wrapped his arm around Saladin's shoulders, the 2 walking away from the small tunnel. Saladin looked up at his father to see the fake smile gone, now replaced with a determined glare while he gazed off into the distance. Saladin wanted to know why his father was making that look, and he would ask him when the time was right.
I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this story. Obviously, this story begins where the series begins. I don't plan on making this story the exact same as the show or manga with just an oc going for the ride, and adding a few lines here and there but make him actually have an impact on the story. Stay tuned!