"That's what you get for flapping your mouth on horseback." Petra shook her head as Oluo nursed a bitten tongue
"The rookie needed to know his place, first impressions are important."
"Well, you made an impression alright. Whether it was the one you wanted remains to be seen." Evangelica said sardonically
"I think so. Our exchange went exactly as planned."
"What...happened to you? You never used to talk like this. I mean, it's not my business but if you're trying to sound like Captain Levi it's kind of embarrassing. You and Levi couldn't be more different if you were born into different species."
"I definitely agree with that statement."
"Ladies ladies, if you're going to vie for the privilege of hounding me like wives there's alot more of me you need to get acquainted with."
"Your manhood is so small not even Bro could cut it." Isabel called and Evangelica snickered.
"Go back to shovelling dung brat!" Oluo called back indignantly
'So this is the legendary Special Operations Squad.'
"Hmph!" 'Isabel Magnolia: 34 Kills, 6 assists.'
"You're honestly kind of pathetic Oluo." 'Evangelica Tybur: 51 kills, 12 assists. Top of the 102nd Cadet Corps.'
"You can say that again Eve." 'Petra Ral: 10 kills, 46 assists'
'Then there's Auruo Bossard. 39 kills, 9 assists'
"Jesus. This place has really gone to the dumps hasn't it?" 'Furlan Church. 36 kills, 4 assists'
"It's covered in weeds too," 'Gunther Schultz. 7 kills, 40 assists'
"What do you expect, it's been disused for years." 'Eld Gin. 14 kills, 32 assists.'
'These are the elite of the elite. Handpicked by Captain Levi due to accomplishments in the field. That and...they're my executioners'
"Probably a sea of dust inside," Isabel moaned,
"Then we have a problem don't we?" Levi said menacingly, Isabel flinched at what was coming next. "Best grab a broom and get to work."
Isabel and Evangelica groaned simultaneously.
Four Hours Later
'Sometimes. I wonder why I came here. This is one of those times.' Evangelica thought to herself as she swept through the castle's foyer.
Second Floor
"Done with the upstairs Captain!" Eren unveiled his dust mask, "If I may ask, where will I sleep?"
"The cellar." Levi said nonchalantly,
"Again sir?" Eren said
"The condition for your custody was that you were kept under strict surveillance day and night. You'll be entering dreamland in chains." He turned towards the door, "I'm going to check the rooms. You do this one."
"You've got quite the despairing look on your face." Petra turned in the doorway, startling Eren.
"I do?" He asked
"Oh, can I call you Eren? Captain Levi does. Here his word is law."
"Sure I guess… but did I really have a despairing look on my face?"
"Don't worry about it! The Captain is pretty off putting to most people. He's not quite the hero everyone makes him out to be. And he's a lot shorter too."
"To be honest, I expected him to be more…"
"Roguish?" Eren nodded, and Petra continued. "According to rumors there was a time he would've lived up to your expectations. Apparently Isabel, Furlan, and Levi were notorious thugs in the Underground, and Commander Erwin, or Captain Erwin back then, had to drag them into the Corps kicking and screaming."
"Really?" Eren asked.
"I don't know for sure. There are only five people who know that story. Isabel, Furlan, Miche, Levi, and Erwin."
"Oi! Eren!" Petra scrambled to get back to work as Levi entered the room, but Levi took no notice of her.
"Yes sir?!"
"Your cleaning is abominable. Redo it from scratch."
"Yes sir!"
Erwin sifted through a stack of papers, his eyes falling on one particular report. He picked it up, and silently read it.
"In 30 days we're going on an expedition to establish a supply base outside the walls. Not to mention we'll be taking the new recruits with us." Miche summarized
"If we even get new recruits." Erwin said pragmatically.
"In my opinion this is too hasty."
"Eren's current position is a temporary thing. We need to prove his usefulness to Sina, and quickly. Otherwise we risk Military Police action-"
"Are you still investigating Astell's death?" Miche said suddenly.
Erwin fell quiet. "Yes." He said at last, "Ever since you mentioned Astell had the same scent as the mysterious abnormal that saved Isabel, Furlan, and Ilse. And with the discovery of Eren's titan shifting capabilities… I'm positive that Astell was like Eren. An Intelligent Titan."
"Astell was always very secretive of his family." Miche added,
"If only he was alive right now...maybe he could give us some insight onto what Eren is."
"If he was alive we'd have two Titan Shifters instead of one."
Erwin paused, then said "Maybe we do."
Miche turned to him, "Elaborate."
"Assuming Shifting is an inherited trait. What if one or all of his children inherited his abilities."
"But his entire direct family died."
"Not so. There were only 6 bodies accounted for, but including Astell and Victoria, the Burke family had 7 members."
"The last body may have burned in the fire."
"About that, I discovered something else. At the same time Astell's mansion caught fire, there was a large scale Military Police exercise involving cannons nearby. In fact, it happened just within range in case someone wanted to shell Astell's home." Erwin handed Miche the report.
"A mysterious fire. An exercise completely out of routine for the MPs. A series of systematic murders in which all the victims had questioned the government in some shape or form. The government is hiding something, and it's something big, something that will likely change the fate of humanity its
"When did you last change shafts?" A bored looking MP asked.
"Six days ago. Similar to Cadet Braus." Alto replied stoically.
"His story matches with the records." An equally bored MP said
"Next."
Alto walked off to the side, with the other Cadets. 'Is Jean really serious about going into the Scouts?' He wondered.
Connie cried, his hands on his head. Jean looked down on him.
'Everyone here is regretting it. If I'd known it'd be this hellish, I'd never have chosen to be a soldier. Now that I'm exhausted, It's all that goes through my head.' Jean walked over to the fire, and picked up a charred bone, 'I don't even know who's who anymore.' He thought. 'If I'd never become a soldier, I wouldn't be worrying whether I'd be the one who's remains they burn next.' Eren's words played through his head once again
"Is that it? We roll out the red carpet and say 'Here we are! Eat us please!'?!"
'I know I have to fight now, but not everyone can throw themselves headfirst into the charge like you.' He looked down,
"Hey Jean." Marco came over to him, "Remember what I said...back at HQ?"
Jean looked at him, "Yeah."
"Remember that." He said nothing more
'What should be done…' He stood up, "Hey guys. You know what branch you're going to join?" Connie looked up at him "I...have. I...I'm...I'm joining the Survey Corps!" He began to cry,
"Hey, Mina." Alto went over to him, "Do you think...Jean was serious? He's really joining the Corps."
"He was. And I am too."
Alto whirled on her, "Come on! You can't be serious?!"
"I am. And don't bother changing my mind."
"You barely made it into the Top 10 even with my help!" Alto said harshly "You nearly died at Trost without my help! How can you honestly expect to survive constant expeditions?!"
Mina looked at him, "Is...that really what you think?" She said quietly, Alto fumbled for a response,
"Am I just some damsel in distress? Completely dependent on your protection?!" She snapped at him.
"Well no but-"
"I can't believe you!" With a grunt of disgust she stormed off to another side of the room.
"That went well." Alto could hear Williams slow clapping in the back of his head,
"I swear, where does this Hero Syndrome come from all of a sudden?" Alto ranted.
"The girl made her own choice. You should accept that if you ever want to be together." His mother said calmly.
"Be together- Hold on! Who ever said I wanted to be with her like...that!" Alto stammered
"You're my son. I know you better than you know yourself." She said amusingly.
"And I can testify to the fact that girls don't like their abilities being questioned." Annabeth chimed in.
"When did my head become the family living room?!" Alto said to himself
"You barely made it into the Top 10 without my help!"
"You nearly died at Trost without my help!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sought privacy. 'Am I really that weak?' She asked of no one in particular. As she ran, she ran into someone.
"S-sorry!" Mina wiped the tears from her face.
"Why are you crying, Mina?" She looked up into Mikasa's expressionless face.
"It's nothing." She began to walk away when Mikasa grabbed her shoulder.
"It's not nothing." She said sternly, her face was cold, but deep down, she knew Mina needed someone to talk to.
"A-alright." And so she began to explain what Alto had said to her…
"...It's really just..I feel like he's right. I don't belong here. I'm just a girl trying to play at being a hero." She sniffed
"He didn't mean it like that." Mikasa said assuredly.
"...What?" Mina said questioningly
"He didn't mean to put you down. He just wanted you to be safe."
"H-how do you know that?"
"Look at Eren and I, from the outside, it doesn't exactly look like we have the greatest relationship does it?"
Mina thought back to all their interactions, and it seemed like Mikasa was always trying to protect Eren, while Eren was always trying to squirm out of said protection.
"I suppose not."
"Eren...can say a lot of things. Hurtful things. But at the end of the day, I know he just cares about me. And that's why I treat him the way I do. Because I care about him, and want him to be safe." She paused, and then continued, "What Alto said to you...It's nearly identical to something I said to Eren three years ago."
"What?" She'd never heard this before,
"When Eren was first having trouble with ODM gear..I told him he should give up on being a soldier." Mikasa explained,
"He definitely didn't listen." Mina chuckled sadly, and even Mikasa's mouth turned somewhat upwards in a smile.
"Yeah. But he was mad at me that day. But I think it's because he felt like the one person who'd always believed in him, had betrayed him in the worst way imaginable. By telling him to give up."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Everything. Instead of giving up, he let it light a fire under his feet, from then on, he trained, everyday until he improved to Top 10."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that instead of proving him right, make sure you prove him wrong. Show him that you're his equal, not his burden."
Choosing Ceremony, Later that day
The Cadets of the 104th milled about. Waiting for the Branch officers to arrive and begin the ceremony.
"You should apologize." Astell advised, "She's going into the Corps with or without your blessing. You don't want her to die with regrets."
"You say that like she's assured to die." Alto said mirthlessly
"I tend to have a healthy dose of pragmatism on hand."
Alto thought about it, 'He's right...I don't want our last words to be insults. We are still friends after all.' He plunged into the crowd and began looking for Mina. Finally finding her talking to Floch and Sandra.
"H-hey Mina. Can I talk to you?" He asked,
"Oh! I was actually about to look for you…" She trailed off.
"Listen I…" He hesitated,
"Stop being proud! Out with it!" Astell snapped,
"I'm going to need you to be quiet for a little while." With that Alto's spirit shield went back up.
"I want to apologize." He said at last. "What I said was insulting and wrong. You're strong Mina. Don't forget that."
To his surprise, she shook her head, "No. You helped me realize that I still have a long way to go. So..thanks." And before he could react, Mina gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Good luck."
Alto gasped and stuttered out. "S-same to you." And he staggered away like a drunk man. Inadvertently dropping his spirit shields.
Kyren whistled, "Not bad."
"Shut up you dolt."
"I'll cut straight to the point. I am Erwin Smith, 13th Commander of the Scout Regiment. Today, you will choose a Military Branch, and I am here to persuade you to join the Survey Corps. However, I will not spoon feed you lies about glory and honor like my predecessor did. There is no point to that, during the Battle of Trost you learned exactly how terrifying Titans can be, and how little you alone can do against them. But! This battle brought humanity closer to victory than it has been for five years through Eren Jaeger's existence! By risking his life he has proven himself to be a formidable ally. With his help, we did not just halt the Titan advance, but we have a means to discover their true nature!"
This sparked gasps amongst the crowd of Cadets.
"We believe that in the basement of his home in Shiganshina lies the answer to all our questions about the Titans and the world outside. If we reach that basement, then we will gain a clue vital to ending one hundred years of Titan dominance!"
"His basement?"
"We've advanced that far?"
"If we know what Titans actually are- we can finish this!"
'Going public with this information to get recruits...is that really the best course of action?' Armin wondered. 'Is there some hidden motive? What is he looking for?'
"When ready, we will head for the basement in Shiganshina! However, that requires for us to retake Wall Maria. In other words, our objective is still the same. Retake Wall Maria! However, the Trost route we were planning to use is now out of commission. We spent four years building that route, over those years, over 60% of the Scout Regiment perished. With another 7% suffering severe mutilating wounds. Beware that any Trainees who join us, will be participating in the 57th Expedition next month. At least 30% will not return." Erwin said grimly, he paused, letting it sink in.
"Within Four years, most will be dead. But those who remain will be amongst the most capable soldiers alive! So ask yourselves, Knowing all this, Can you still sacrifice everything for humanity? Your homes, your lives, perhaps your very souls?! If not, then leave now."
The cadets looked among each other nervously, then one by one, they began to leave. Alto looked at Mina, and for one brief moment thought 'Why aren't I standing with her?' Then he remembered, cast her one final salute, and walked off. Leaving his friends behind for what may be forever.
'You're strong Mina. Never forget that.'
