Three years have passed, and I have been training hard every single day since I started the Training Corps. I've built my confidence up higher each day, and built long-lasting friendships with people I will never forget. Now the time has finally come to choose which regiment to join. The Garrison, the Military Police or the Survey Corps. I knew which one I was going to choose, and I would not hold back in my decision. I had to avenge my mother, and I had to take after my father. I was determined to become one of the best - if not the best - soldier in the Survey Corps. Levi had given me my father's possessions, and I had hidden them away in my safe box under my bed.
"Hey Marlie, do you know which regiment you're going to join yet?" A voice asked from behind. I turned to see who it was, and came face to face with Marco.
"Oh, hey Marco. I'm joining the Survey Corps. For sure. What about you?" I asked, tilting my head.
"I'm joining the same as you. Jean is too. He changed his mind about joining the Military Police. Felt bad about something or other. I don't really know the reason." He said. "Shall we go and meet everyone else?" He said, putting his arm out. I agreed and slipped my arm through his, and we walked together to the training field.
We arrived a little early, because only Armin, Eren, Mikasa and Luke were there. Everyone else must've still been getting ready.
"Hey guys." I said, letting go of Marco. "Where's Willow, Chad and Fern?"
"Chad's just taking a shower. I don't know about the girls. Hey Marco." Armin said, walking up to us. I couldn't help but think to myself how incredibly adorable he looked when he was being smart. I don't have a crush on him, I have a crush on someone else...
"Oh OK, cool. Hey Luke, sleep OK?" I asked, walking up to my best friend.
"Yeah, I slept OK for a while. Until I had a weird dream. I was a huge beast rampaging around the town, slicing at everyone and everything with my claws. And the weirdest part is, I woke up half naked." He said, making a weird face.
"Ooh, nice. Great information, thanks." I said, cringing at that thought. "Though that still is a little weird though. Where were your clothes when you woke up?"
"I don't actually know. I looked for them, to put them away but I couldn't find them anywhere. Weird, right? And, I found a bite mark on the bedpost. Not human, it looked like an animal bite. So, unless one of the guys has a pet dog hidden somewhere, I have absolutely no clue what's going on." Luke said, looking as confused as a lost puppy.
As I was about to reply, Shadis came out and yelled at us to line up. It was about to begin; we were about to choose our life-changing job.
- 3 weeks later -
"Guys, are the cannons prepared yet?" Luke asked, drowsily.
"Yeah Luke, they're all set." I called over from the cannon I was setting up. I went and stood next to Eren, and took everything in. We were stood on top of the wall, and I could see all the Titans swarming below. They disgust me.
"Well, I think we're done for now. Anyone want to - " Eren began, just as the earth shuddered. There was a huge shadow cast over the wall, and we turned around to see what was causing it. A huge, red face stared back at us, an evil look in its eye.
"You! Long-time no see. I'll kill you!" Eren yelled, running up to it. He attached his 3DM gear to the creature's gigantic arm, and ran up to the top of its shoulders, heading towards the neck.
"Eren! You're not going to kill it, you'll die!" Armin shouted, just as Eren dug his blade into the nape of its neck, and a huge gust of red hot steam surged out and blasted Eren. He stood his ground for a while, but then was sent flying off the creature and onto the wall below. He stayed on the side of the wall, just out of the swarming group of Titan's grasp. When we looked back at the huge red monster, it was just a cloud of disappearing smoke.
"What the heck was that thing?" Luke yelled, helping Eren up again.
"The Colossal Titan. That is the one that kicked that great hole into Wall Maria." Eren scowled.
I heard screams from below, so I looked down into Trost District to see what was going on. The military were evacuating the citizens. The Titans had entered the district. My eyes widened and I alerted the others.
"Oh no. Guys, the Titans have entered Trost. What do we do?" I said.
"I'll go and see what's going on. They're bound to be making preparations for evacuation. Meanwhile, you guys go and defend the town from Titans. Willow, you come with me." Mikasa said, flying off the wall and into the district below.
I turned to those who were left. We split up into groups, and all set off for the town, where the Titans had begun to enter. I was with Thomas, Nac, Mylius, Mina, Armin, Chad and Eren. We were to go and assist the other groups in defending the town. I must admit I was petrified, but full of adrenaline too.
"Hey Luke, don't you dare go and die out there. You're my best friend and I cannot live without you. You won't die, will you?" I asked, grabbing his arm.
"Well I'll certainly try not to." He laughed. "You don't die either, OK?" He said, pulling me into a hug. I hugged him back and then let go. I waved to him as we set off in our groups, and that's the last we saw of each other for a while.
"Come on Chad, make sure you don't die either OK? You're practically Luke's brother, so make sure you're alive when we all meet next. I didn't see Fern over there, did you?" I asked Chad.
"No, I didn't see her. I think she's with Mikasa and Willow." Chad said, shaking his overgrown fringe out of his face. "Hey guess what! I think Armin has a crush on Willow!" He laughed.
I looked over at Armin. He blushed and hung his head, screwing his face up. I punched Chad hard. "He does not! And this isn't the time to be joking around Chad, get serious already. You don't know who could die at what time. Take this seriously." I said, angrily. How could anyone joke at a time like this?
We soon reached the town, and everyone split off into their own sections of it. We were positioned in the east of the town.
"Everyone alright?" Asked Thomas. We all nodded and checked our 3DM gear was working properly. It was, so we were all good.
"Hey! 34th Squad, advance!" Someone shouted from a rooftop beside us.
Eren looked over to them and nodded. "Right, let's go!" He yelled.
"Yeah!" We all shouted in agreement, and followed Eren through the town. We whizzed past all the houses at high speed, not thinking about the danger risks that followed.
Suddenly, a Titan appeared out of nowhere, and we all went flying. I landed on the rooftop beside me, and so did everyone else. Or so we thought.
"Guys." I said, looking around. "Where's Thomas?!" Everyone fell silent, as we all turned our heads to where the Titan had landed. It moved its ugly head, and we all saw Thomas, dangling out of the beast's mouth.
"We've got to go and help him!" I said, beginning to run towards Thomas.
"NO! Marlie, there's nothing we can do for him. It may even get one of us eaten too." Armin said, grabbing my arm to stop me. I was about to pull away and continue with my rescue, but I pulled back. I couldn't afford to die that day.
Suddenly, the Titan bit down, and Thomas was gone. It began to lumber away, like nothing had happened.
"Get back here! You're gonna pay for killing my friend! You're not getting away with this! You won't get away!" Eren shouted, as he shot off after the Titan.
"Eren, NO!" Chad yelled, going after him.
"Chad! Urgh, idiot!" I said, going after Chad to bring him back. From a distance. I saw a Titan jump up and it bit off Eren's leg. He yelled out in pain, and twisted through the air, landing on the roof of the closest house.
"EREN!" Armin shouted.
"No!" Mina yelled. And that's when everything went wrong.
Before I knew it, Nac was splattered against the wall, Mylius in the grasp of a Titan, Mina too. Armin was nowhere to be seen, neither was Chad. I was looking frantically for somewhere to land and hide for a while, until the Titans departed. But I looked around a little too frantically. Next thing I knew, my body was slammed against a house, and I fell to the floor. I was cornered. The floor was shaking, and I instantly knew what my fate was. As the beast lumbered towards me, I reflected on my life. It wasn't all that good. I was ashamed to even call myself a human. The Titan drew closer, and I knew there was nothing I could do.
It reached down, but something was stopping it from getting to me. I took the chance to look up, and saw a huge, beastly mouth enclosed around the Titans arm. I got up instantly, and ran closer to the wall of the house behind me, to get a better look at the beast. It stood on four legs, and took the shape of a doglike creature. A long mane ran down its back, from its head to the end of its body, where it formed into a tail. But what I found the most intriguing and strange about it, was the colour of its hair, and the way it stood over me, like it was protecting me.
Suddenly, it lunged at the Titan, taking it down in one blow. It ripped at its head and neck, until there was nothing left but a dissolving body. It sat back on its hind legs, and roared. The roar was like any other Titans, but somehow it felt familiar to me.
The Titan - if you could call it that - looked down at me, and bounded away from the town. I stood up and watched it leave. The creature leaped over rooftops, and eventually, over the wall. I stood there, bewildered by what had just happened.
Then a familiar scream pierced through my ears. Armin!
"Armin! Where are you?" I yelled, running through the town. I used the last of my gas to get myself onto the rooftops, and I saw him. He was kneeling on a rooftop, with a Titan right in front of him. It lumbered away, ignoring Armin, who was trembling so much, it looked like he was having a seizure.
I reached to roof at the same time a Conny, and we both tried to shake Armin out of his trans.
"Armin, wake up! I need you to talk to me, say something!" Conny yelled, shaking Armin's shoulders.
"What is that all over you, it's so slimy." I asked, sitting down next to him. "Armin?"
His face changed into a look of despair, and he began to hyperventilate. Suddenly, he screamed and grasped his head in his hands.
"You're worthless! Why can't you just die? Damn you!" He yelled.
"Pull yourself together Armin! Where is everyone in your squad?" Conny asked.
"Forget it guys, just leave him. Can't you see he's the only one left? Typical. Eren and everyone else get killed, and he's the only one left standing." Ymir said.
"That's it, you stupid bitch! I'm gonna shut your mouth permanently!" Conny said, drawing one of his blades.
"That's enough you guys! Stop it! Can't you see we're all on the end of our tether here? We're seeing our friends be killed like animals, it's normal that we'd be upset!" Christa said, breaking it up.
"Look at my Christa, keeping the peace! You are so gonna have to marry me when all this is over!" Ymir said, throwing her arm around Christa's neck.
"We can't just stand around here. Can you stand up, Armin?" I asked, reaching out my hand to him.
He took my hand and stood up, brushing himself down. "Sorry to be a burden to you, I'll go and join the rear guard." He said, his head hanging low.
"H - hey! Armin, wait!" Conny said, turning towards him. Before he could hold him back, Armin was off, flying through the air, and out of sight.
"Hey Conny! Our orders are to keep advancing!" Ymir shouted. Conny turned around, and came back over to us.
- Willow POV -
'Damn abnormal, slow down!' I thought to myself, as I flew through the air beside Mikasa. An abnormal Titan had turned up in the Trost district, and was running rampage through the town. It was headed straight for the crowd of citizens - trying - to evacuate the town.
"Mikasa! Fern! Shall we take this dumb-ass down together?" I shouted.
"Yeah, let's do it!" They answered. Together, we struck the Titan down, and it skidded to a halt on its big ugly face.
We all landed on the Titans back, and hopped down to the ground where a crowd of grateful people gathered.
"Thank you! You saved our lives!" A little girl told us. Mikasa saluted and walked away from the girl.
"It's OK kid, don't thank us. It's our job!" Fern said, ruffling the girl's hair. She beamed at her mother and we both walked over to Mikasa. She was talking to a fat guy, trying to get a cart full of food through the gate, which clearly wasn't going to fit. After a while, the man agreed to let the people go first, then the food could be transported to the other side.
"Hey Mikasa, what was that all about?" I asked.
"That fat jerk was only bothered about getting the food to the other side, he didn't care about the lives of the people." She replied. "Let's go."