Life within the walls was getting harder. The devastation had caused a tremendous downturn on everyone. Many people were struggling to survive with what they had. The Survey Corps had made it their duty to find a way to reclaim Wall Maria once again, but as per usual the loss was great for them. Each venture came out with nothing as everyone was beginning to lose hope.
It was Keith's job to assist in structured planning. He reviewed the amount of people and related it to the amount of rations they were able to provide. Thanks to the education he had received through many of his peers through the circus as well as the continuing growth he has had within the walls, Keith was deemed as a fairly intelligent man. It was his duty to maintain the structure within the walls. He along with Nicholas and the commander initiated camps. These camps were designated as refugee camps for farming. All those from Wall Maria were given the direct order to cultivate the lands and maintain it to account for the amount of lost land that was used for farming in Wall Maria. However, their efforts were not showing signs of any improvement between the starvation and the amount of food they were able to bring out from the newly established lands.
On top of the farming problem, there was an increasing rise in crime within the walls. Most of the crime was within the Underground as most people had fled there. Everyone in the Military Police Brigade was wearing themselves out. Although they had received much hate for having the appearance of slacking off, the reality was they were working just as hard as any of the other factions.
Keith returned to his home within Wall Sheena where his wife Robin and son Sebastian were casually going about their normal lives. They had yet to feel the repercussion of the fall of Wall Maria. Robin's sister Alexandria was away assisting in any way that she could with the situation. Keith was exhausted both physically and mentally.
"It's good to see you Keith," Robin quietly said as she was rocking their son. "How are things going?"
"I don't know what we are going to do. The Survey Corps are doing all they can but the results are all the same. Meanwhile even with all the refugees turning forests into farmland, we are still battling this never ending fight."
"There is nothing else?"
"We're turning up with nothing."
"Now this is just a thought and it really isn't my place anymore to discuss the matters but what if you come up with a proposition."
Keith sat up to listen to what she had to say, "What sort of proposition are you talking about?"
"Well, we are in desperate need of reclaiming the Wall for the land because of the amount of population we have. Now what faction is the one always going out into titan territory in effort to expand?"
"That would be the Survey Corps."
"Right, now which faction is also the one that loses the lives of their soldiers the most?"
"Again the Survey Corps."
"Right…so why don't we use the faction as a further advantage."
"I'm not sure I follow."
"Draft the refugees into the Survey Corps. They will be put to good use, and if sacrifices are made then the population will decrease and we will be able to have more sustainability."
"You're talking about sending these inexperienced men and women to their deaths!" Keith shouted abruptly sitting up from the chair. In the process he woke up the baby.
"Shhh, it will alright," Robin whispered trying to calm the baby. "I know but think of what would be good for everyone."
"This is considered to be a mass genocide, I can't go through with it."
"Think about us Keith, your family. How much longer are we going to last at this rate?"
For the next few days Keith thought long and hard over what Robin was suggesting. He knew that at any rate the problem will increase affecting not just those within Wall Rose but Wall Sheena as well. He was already seeing signs of it starting within the capital.
He sat at his desk with a blank sheet of paper in front of him. He kept going back and forth on the idea. Finally a decision was made and he wrote down what he wanted to plan. He presented his proposition to Nicholas. It was a long while before Nicholas had agreed and presented it to their commander. It didn't take long for him to approve of it and set Keith out along with Nicholas to complete the job.
Nicholas and Keith arrived within Wall Rose where most of the refugees were. One by one, many were gathered to a building. Most were older people while a few were close to Keith's age. As he sat at a table before them, he wore nothing but a solemn expression. He regretted what he was about to do as each person was preparing themselves to step before him. The line-up of people consisted mostly of people who were being summoned, while there were a few volunteers. A representative of the Survey Corps stood nearby as they awaited for the procedure to be over. Nicholas was standing on the other side prepared to fit them with a basic uniform. Many were drafted into the Survey Corps. The few who volunteered knew of the situation and were prepared to lay down their lives for the cause.
That night Keith was wide awake once again. He very well knew what he had done to those people. Wondering if he was doing the right thing, he remained in his bed staring at the ceiling feeling hollow.
Three years had gone by since the fall of the wall. Keith had continued his efforts in combating the effects alongside the rest of his squad. With the drafts that had been initiated, improvements within the walls had greatly increased. The sacrifices that were made were for the sake of society.
It was a warm day as Keith and Nicholas were brought to the training camps for new recruits. They had finally reached the point where they no longer needed to draft people to be a soldier. Standing below was the newly announced 104th division. Many of the faces standing there were young, much younger than the soldiers that were present when Keith was going through his training. He watched as they were being lectured and saw the stern faces of a select few people. The look on their faces was something he could relate to.
A meeting was arranged with the following commanders of each of the factions. It was Keith's and Nicholas' job to monitor and listen in. They set themselves along the back wall as they awaited for the others to arrive. The commander of the Garrison was the first to arrive. Behind him were two soldiers one male and one female. They didn't say a word and promptly stood behind their commander. Next the chief instructor of the Cadet Corps made his way into the room. He was the very same man who was lecturing the cadets down below just before. Not far behind him was commander of the Survey Corps followed by one other soldier behind him.
All of the commanders remained seated while all of the respective soldiers were positioned behind their commanders. They all waited in silence for the arrival one more person. Darius Zackly was the last person to arrive, the Commander in chief to all of the military factions within the walls.
"Thank you all for coming here. Now let's quickly get on with this I'm sure you are all busy," came a loud voice.
A well-dressed man came into the room and seated himself at the head of the table. Keith had never before met the man but immediately felt intimidated by his face. It was kind yet stern, a force to be reckoned with. Right away he could tell that this man was confident and the rightful man for the position as the Commander in Chief.
The meeting was to discuss and review any information in regards to the attack that had happened a few years ago. It was then that they would discuss the possibility of another attack. It was determined that the fall of the wall was planned. The titans in questioned, the Colossal and the Armored titans, were reported to have a level of intelligence. This was unheard of according to the Survey Corps and was deemed as a new threat. If there were titans with levels of intelligence that meant that it was only a matter of time before they would attack again. The titans themselves disappeared without a trace and no further evidence could be gathered within the years since the attack.
"Then we need to come up with a strategy," proclaimed Darius.
"Sir, I am all for the idea but how do you suppose we do this and if the strategy is necessary," the Garrison commander stated.
"There is some reasoning behind why this attack was made. There is no evidence to prove or disprove another attack. We need to stay on our toes and be one step ahead if such a circumstance would arise yet again. We can't risk the fall of another wall."
The strategy was set into motion. A trench was dug in front of the gate within the Trost district and cannons were placed all along the perimeter. Everyone was confident and ready for the next attack if necessary. Granted the people were uneasy, but they had faith.
The year was 850 as Nicholas' and Jack's squads were currently stationed in the district of Trost. It was their duty to escort the new recruits that would be joining their faction from the 104th training corps. Like they had done so in the past, they waited and proceeded to patrol the area until night would fall. The sun was shining bright as the thrill of graduation was flowing through all of the new soldiers who were roaming the city on duty.
"What do you expect will come out of the new recruits?" Jack asked Nicholas.
"They all seemed hopeful. There seemed to be enthusiasm and I like that. The kind of enthusiasm Lana had."
"Here you go again, talking about her, would you just let it go!"
"How dare you! HOW DARE YOU TELL ME THAT! Lana was as close to me as my feet are to the ground! She meant everything to me and you have the tenacity to tell me to let it go! How could I let someone like her go?" Nicholas shouted at Jack stopping in his tracks.
"By moving on Nicholas," Keith stated catching both of their attentions. "It's been almost ten years now. When are you going to stop this? Day and night you look for signs of her being out there. You question the Survey Corps reports so often that I have lost count. How much more of this can you take?"
"You don't understand, you never will."
"That's where you're wrong. Lana was dear to my heart and it was shattered that day. There is no recovery from what we did. Even if she were out there alive and well, she had probably moved on from us. To her we were a circus troupe who sent her to her death."
"But we were her friends," Lucas stated placing his hand on Keith's shoulder. "We weren't just a circus troupe, we were there for her when she needed someone the most. Look I miss her just as much as all of you, but Keith is right Nicholas. When are you going to move on?"
Nicholas began storming away from them. Lucas was going to go after him but was stopped by Jack's arm. With a simple shake of his head. They let their Vice-Captain, their ringleader, cool off for now and collect his thoughts together.
Since the time that they had been within the walls, Nicholas had developed an obsession he could not get over. Although on the outside in front of the other soldiers he was a well-respected man who was full of confidence and leadership. On the inside those who grew up with him saw the ugly truth. Nicholas would scan over every single Survey Corps expedition report that would come into the Military Police Brigade. He would order Keith to review it and pick it apart to see if there was any sign that Lana was out there. When that was turning up with nothing, he started adding observation reports from the Garrison stationed alongside Wall Maria. Nicholas studied maps that were drawn up by the Survey Corps and proceeded to come up with many scenarios. It had gotten to the point where he himself had tried to leave and join the Survey Corps to search for her. The obsession was concerning the others as it had started affecting his leadership in the years since he had become the Vice-Captain. Others in the squad were starting to take notice of the behaviour. When they questioned it, Keith only replied with the idea of stress being the cause. He was afraid to tell them of the real reason thinking that it would cause the others to think less of Nicholas. In his mind he still loathed Nicholas, but the relationship between the two had greatly improved since they had become soldiers.
"What are we going to do with him guys?" Keith asked.
"Whatever is going through his head is something he needs to figure out on his own. No matter how hard we try, we will never get through to him," Jack stated.
"Jack's right, let's just focus on our duties. Things may have calmed down a lot but there still is a problem with crimes. Let's just keep our eyes open and hopes that he returns."
Everyone agreed and continued to patrol the area. After Wall Maria had fallen, there was a significant increase in crime. As years went by, things started to return normal. Life within the walls had quietened down but the underlying threat was still present. It was their job to protect the people from the people.
As the three of them wandered the streets they heard glass shattering. They didn't think much of it until they started to hear yelling come from the same direction. As a squad leader, Jack ordered the others to run towards the sound and investigate the situation with him. When they approached the scene, there was a group of men and women who were antagonizing a shop owner.
"You promised to give us the money before the morning. Here we are, the sun is shining and what's this, no money!" yelled a man who appeared to be the leader of the group.
Everyone surrounding the owner had sadistic grins on their faces. A couple of them were giggling in delight knowing what was going to come next for the owner.
"No please, don't hurt me! I'll have your money!"
"That's what you said last week," yelled the man swinging a bat.
Just before the bat was about to hit the man it was caught by a muscular hand. The man was startled at the sight of the perpetrator before him.
"Hitting people is not very nice now is it?" Lucas questioned ripping the bat out of the man's hands.
The others in the group stepped back and prepared themselves for what was going to come. The facial expression of the leader turned from a scared look to a devilish grin.
"It's seven against one and I'm not the only one armed," the man said through his smile as the sounds of guns being cocked could be heard.
His henchmen lifted up various guns and blunt weapons preparing themselves to take down Lucas and flee from the scene.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Keith said through a smile of his own, lifting up a pistol to the head of one of the women. "Now what is a beautiful woman such as yourself doing with a lowlife such as this," he said pressing the gun to her head.
The woman panicked and spun around to fire. Keith stepped and hit her gun in time to cause her to shoot upwards. He twisted her around and managed to restrain her which caused her to drop her gun. Everyone reacted to the shot and proceeded to take action. With Keith's keen eyes he shot his gun aiming for the two who had knives. There was no expression to his face as he was completely focused. The two fell to the ground yelling in pain. As his shots were fired, Lucas jumped out of the way of an enemy shot and pinned down the leader. Right behind Lucas was Jack with a sword drawn as the bullet missed him. Although he was in the Military Police Brigade, Jack still fancied his sword as his weapon of choice. Using his sword he approached the two using the guns. He swung his sword underneath and in between the arms of one of the gunman. This caused the man to lose his grip of his gun as he stepped back to avoid his fate with the blade. With the gun in the air the other gunman pointed his gun at Jack and was prepared to fire. With a gun pointed at the woman he restrained Keith used his free hand to reach down and grab a knife that was sheathed within his jacket. He threw the knife with such precision and strength that it struck the second gunman in the shoulder and hard. The gunman collapsed to the ground dropping his gun in the process. The last person dropped their bat and grabbed one of the guns while unnoticed by the others. In a split second a shot was fired at Jack but was missed. Jack looked back to see what had happened and prepared for another fire. However the woman who made the shot was restrained by a blade at her throat. A second blade was used to angle the gun away from Jack. Everyone relieved to see Nicholas apprehending the woman.
Everyone was restrained and taken into custody. Those who were severally injured were brought in for medical attention. The shop owner explained that he owed them money for gambling. He had lost to the leader which had put him in the spot that he was in. He thanked the four for their actions but was ashamed that the situation happened to begin with.
As they were about to leave the area Keith was approached by a fellow soldier.
"You there, I managed to see the whole thing. You all have incredible skills."
"Gee thanks."
"Don't mention it pal. Hey listen, someone with your skill especially could have other uses."
Keith was concerned about what the other soldier was talking about. In fact it was at that point that he didn't recognize his face at all. He had dark short hair and sharp facial features. There was something about him that was suspicious.
"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."
"Listen, there is somewhat of an exclusive group of people I'm sure you know us. Let me tell you something, how about I have you meet someone. Then you could decide…"
A loud bang could be heard that shook the ground.
"What the hell was that?" Keith shouted.
Keith looked over in the direction that sound came from. A large amount of smoke was forming over the wall. Within that smoke was something that sent chills down Keith's spine. Standing well above the wall was the Colossal Titan. His skinless grin peered over of the wall through the clouds of dust and steam.
"Keith!" Nicholas shouted from behind him snapping him out and getting him to focus. "You and Lucas need to proceed with the evacuation procedure immediately!"
"YES SIR!" Keith yelled in response as he began to take off from the scene. However, he quickly stopped and realized something that he took notice of earlier.
Earlier that morning he remembered being present at recruits of the 104th were being assigned their duties. A small squad was assigned to maintain the artillery on the wall. The same wall that was about to be torn down.
"NICHOLAS!" Keith shouted back as cannons were being hit off the wall. Nicholas was bewildered at Keith as he continued. "There are children on the wall. Recruits of the 104th are up there!"
"This is what we are trained for. If they die there they at least die as soldiers now move!"
Keith was off put by Nicholas' words, but he spoke of the truth. They were trained to take on titans. They were trained to take on an attack such as this. Without any further words, Keith ran to catch up with Lucas. As they were clearing the scene to start the evacuation a loud bang could be heard. Keith turned back to see large boulders being flown towards them.
"Lucas take cover!" Keith shouted.
The two of them braced themselves as large rubble was coming down like rain on them. Parts of buildings were coming down in the process. As the two of them kept running, a giant boulder came crashing down behind them. The sheer force of it hitting the ground was enough to send them flying in the air. Keith fell to the ground hitting his head in the process. His glasses shattered as he tried to maintain consciousness. He looked back in his daze and witnessed the Colossal disappear within the smoke. Although his vision was blurred without his glasses and from the injury to his head he was sure of what he saw.
He could feel something grab him and help him up onto his feet. A small amount of blood was trickling down his face which triggered him to place one hand over the wound. He began to regain his thoughts as Lucas was helping him walk. Keith was conscious enough to pull himself off of Lucas and run alongside him.
"Are you sure you're alright! You took a nasty hit to the head!" Lucas shouted as the two continued to sprint.
"I'm fine," Keith replied wiping the blood from his head. At that point the bleeding had stopped.
"What about your glasses!"
"I can manage," Keith replied tripping in the process from not making out a rock.
He shook his head to shake it off but knew he was going to be unable to continue like this for much longer. He grabbed a hold of his face and focused hard as he ran. He looked up and stared straight ahead. Using what he was able to see, he was capable of maneuvering though the street without further problems.
They met up with others and began to evacuate people from within the Trost District. Nicholas and Jack had caught up with them once informing the others of the plan that was set in place. With the few Military Police Brigade there were, it was their job to maintain order within the chaos. They were directed to proceed over the wall and continue guiding people to a safe house and prepare for a further evacuation if the Armored Titan were to show and break the inner wall. As they were following through with their evacuation orders, those within the 104th were split up into separate squads to assist the Garrison. It was proven that the strategy of the trenches had failed as titans had begun entering the district. The Garrison and the 104th were sent out to attack the titans as the citizens were escaping.
Keith was shouting out directions and remaining calm as people were in a rush to get within the safety of the inner most wall. Lucas was already ahead making preparations in the off chance that the inner wall were to fall as well. He had people starting to gather on the boats and was prepared to send them off to Wall Sheena. Tensions were high as they were trying to minimalize the lives lost this time in comparison to last time.
The amount of people coming through the gate was starting to decline. The more that Keith thought on it, the more he realized that there should have been more. He ran towards the gate to find that it had been blocked. There was yelling on the other side as the entire gate was blocked by a cart. He knew that there was no way that the cart was going to be able to make it through with the heavy load it was carrying. People on the other side were yelling at each other as no progress was being made. Concern fell over him as he was unsure of what to do. That was when the sounds of large footsteps could be hear. He knew right away that those people were sitting ducks in this position. He used his vertical maneuvering device to launch himself over top of the wall. He ran over to the opposite ledge drawing his blades in the process. He was prepared to face the titan head on. However, as he had reached the ledge he realized that someone had beaten him to it.
On the ground was the titan with a teenage girl on top. He figured that the girl had to have been with the 104th division given her appearance of age. She stood on top of the head of the titan and questioned what was going on. He watched in silence as she jumped off of the head and didn't not hesitate to threaten the perpetrator. In fear, the man in charge of the cart removed it from the gate entrance allowing everyone to complete the evacuation.
The girl had a great amount of strength in her. It was proven to Keith after taking down a titan all on her own. He was impressed with her actions and knew that the district was in capable hands. Without any further hesitations, Keith made his way back down and continued on with the last of the evacuation.
Everyone was finally removed from the Trost District allowing Jack to sound the alarm for the retreat of the soldiers. One by one they began to make their way up the wall. However, they returned in few numbers. They manned the cannons and prepared themselves for the worst to come.
The fight continued on for hours until those from the headquarters trapped in the Trost district had finally returned. Keith was relieved to see so many of the 104th finally returning. The girl he saw earlier was carrying an unconscious boy alongside someone who appeared to be a friend.
The captain of the Garrison approached Keith and startled him.
"I want you to restrain that boy right now," he sternly said.
Keith was utterly confused as to what was going on, "Wait, that boy right there. Why, he's unconscious and I can't imagine that he's done anything wrong."
"Just do it!"
"Look sir, with all due respect, I do not take orders from someone else besides by superiors of the Military Police Brigade. If you want that boy restrained you're going to have to do it yourself. I have no reason to restrain him."
"That boy is a titan!"
"Impossible, I can see him from here he looks like a normal human clear as day," Keith replied walking away.
Keith looked back to see the infuriated man as he wondered about the boy. He stopped in revelation of a memory. It was the conversation that he had overheard years ago in regards to the serum. He knew that the serum had to exist if so many people have knowledge of it. He gave up on his search, but with this new found evidence before him he couldn't resist to find out for himself whether or not the serum may actually exist and whether or not this boy fell victim to it.
"Well, I know that shifters really do exist so maybe…" he spoke out loud.
Realizing what he was doing, he quickly shut his mouth and looked around to make sure no one was listening in. Nearby were three 104th soldiers who wore concerned looks on their faces. Keith believed that they had been traumatized by the events that had taken place. He couldn't blame them. It was something that would be hard for anyone to witness. It was even hard on Keith to just think about what they could have seen as he remembered the sights of the troupe being attacked by titans on their way to the walls.
Out of complete curiosity, Keith became a bystander to the show that was about to happen in front of him. He stood in the distance and watched the Garrison Captain and his troops hold their guns up to the unconscious boy. However, the girl and their friend didn't leave his side. Keith was further impressed by their bravery. Whatever was going on was serious and it peaked his interest even further. He could feel the general fear that was within the Captain's voice.
The young boy regained consciousness as the Captain questioned him. He asked him if he was human or if he was a titan, to which the boy responded with him being a human. Keith was beginning to lose slight interest in the interrogation and believed that this was all for nothing. As he began to walk away, he could hear them trying to negotiate.
With his arms behind his head Keith walked away from the scene. However, he didn't make it very far before a loud bang and a flash of light occurred. He tripped over his own feet and braced himself for impact. Once on the ground he turned around and squinted to make out a giant skeletal like creature in the corner where the young cadets were. Surrounding the area were the Garrison soldiers on the ground. The giant creature resembled a titan, but there was something about it that wasn't right. It was almost as if it were partially formed. It was still, but its large arm was raised out to its side. He clenched something within its fist.
"That was quite the fall, are you alright?" came a voice of a man with his hand reached out.
He looked up to see who it was. He was able to recognize the face enough to realize that the person before him was Dot Pixis, the Commander of the Garrison. Keith assured him that he was ok and he was helped up from the ground. He watched as the Commander made his way to his Captain and interrupted the interrogation. Keith remained still and watched as the partial titan began to disintegrate in steam. This was nothing like he had seen before. It was a combination of the titans outside of the wall, and almost the type of titan that Lana was. The build of a titan and yet he maintained the human intelligence. He was unsure of what to believe anymore. Just when he thought he had seen it all, there was another who had a shifting like power. He dropped down to his knees as Dot walked off with the three cadets. Keith was learning more than he had wanted. He just wanted to move on, but he was brought right back. His desire to know more began to rise again. The desire to learn of the serum, to figure out why Madame Nina wanted the serum, to figure out what the Crovus Clan was going to do with the serum, to figure out what Lana had to do with all of it and why Jack was involved. The thought of everything was beginning to hurt his head.
"DAMNIT!" he yelled in frustration.