"Sounds pretty straightforward..." I muttered, watching the soldiers swing through the trees. The mechanical whirring of the 3DM gear had my muscles tense. This was a lot more nerve racking than I had thought.

"You'll be fine," My instructor assured me. I couldn't for the life of me remember her name. French? Francis? "You did great balancing in your harness. This shouldn't be too much harder." I gulped but shakily returned her smile. She nodded at me, firing out one of her hooks and motioning me to follow her.

"Now or never, I suppose," I pulled the trigger on the blade handle, startling slightly as a grapple shot out of my gear and latched itself to the top of a tree trunk. I felt the gas release and was suddenly in the air. I landed clumsily on the tree, looking to...Fran(!) for reassurance. She nodded her approval, this time shooting out two grapples in a row. I sighed and readied myself to copy her. This was going to be a long day.

/One Week Later/

Fire. Latch. Swing. Fire. Latch. Swing. Fire. Latch. Swing. Land. Unhook.

I stood on the highest branch of a tree, a grin splitting my features in two. I had expected to be absolutely terrified of using this gear, but I found it being my new favorite thing in the world.

I let myself tip backwards, free falling for a moment before firing off my gear once more. However, I wasn't swinging long before a large wooden dummy swung itself into my path. I eyed the pillow that adorned the neck area of the humanoid cutout, adjusting my grip on my blades like Fran had instructed. They felt awkward and heavy, and yet I felt more sure of myself than ever before.

I sliced at the practice nape, smirking when I made a wide cut in the fabric. I changed my course and headed for the next one. It was the last one of the course, if I had counted correctly. I slashed at it, slicing it just like the previous, and turned back towards the entrance of the forest. I landed in the grass right in front of Fran, releasing the tension in my shoulders and sheathing my blades.

She nodded in approval, marking something down on her clipboard. "Good time." She noted, flashing me a smile. She looked up from the spreadsheet she was scanning. "I have to say, that was an impressive first run. You got here faster than most of our cadets."

My lips twitched up as I fought to withhold a smirk. As a thief in Wall Sina of all places, I had to value agility above all else. I cleared my throat to keep back a chuckle, meeting her knowing gaze. "So, what's next?"

"Well," She said. "We'll be continuing this until you reach a PK (Practice Kill) Count of 48. And, after that first run, you're at--"

"Zero."

Fran and I both looked over at the new voice. A guy stood there, gear on and shoulders stiff. He had dark hair that was neatly combed out, his uniform utterly spotless even after a day of training. I analyzed him, an action he seemed to be returning. He looked to be a couple years older than me, three at the most. He was shorter than most of the men here, although he still had a couple inches on me.

Irritation tickled my mind as he interrupted us. "Excuse me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Zero." He said again without explanation. Fran glanced between him and the forest, chewing her pen in consideration. "Her slices were inadequate."

"What?!"

"Not a single attack would have been fatal,"

"What are you talking about?! Those cuts were perfect!"

He turned to me, his glare dark enough to burn out the sun. "Perfect for a half-wit pickpocket," He said evenly.

I glared ferociously at him, grinding my teeth at being mocked. I opened my mouth to snap back at him, only for Fran's hand to pinch at my shoulder in an attempt to shut me up. I shifted my glare back at her, but she wasn't looking my way. Instead, her focus was on the clipboard in her hand.

"What were the measurements, Levi?"

His blank eyes shifted onto her. "Her slashes were four centimeters shallow."

Fran tsked quietly, scratching out her previous note. I jumped to my own defense.

"Woah, woah, there are specific measurements? How was I supposed to know that?" I asked defensively.

Levi turned and glared at me coolly. "You were supposed to use your head."

"But how can I do that without any instruction?!" I snipped back.

Had I not been so used to ignoring glares, I'm sure I would've pissed myself by now.

"Were you expecting to be spoon fed?" He spat.

"I was expecting to be taught!"

"What kind of game do you think you're in?"

I faltered at his serious tone. "I-I don't-"

"No one is going to be there to remind you how to kill when your squad is surrounded by titans." He growled.

I opened my mouth, but thought better and shut it tight. My head was running through scenarios, each looking scarily close to my father's death. I promised Asikah I wouldn't end up like him.

/Two days before/

"But, where are you going?" Asikah squeaked, latching all of his limbs onto my right leg.

I smiled at his antics, but my mood quickly dissolved as I remembered my purpose here. I knelt down before him, gently unwinding the five-year old from around my leg. "I'm not going anywhere yet. But, we're going to move somewhere nicer. This nice man," I gestured to Erwin, who stood about ten feet behind me. "Has a place we can live and be safe."

Asi blinked owlishly at me. "So...you aren't going anywhere?"

I bit my lip guiltily. I considered just lying to him to keep back the fear and disappointment I was sure to see at my confession. The thought caused me to mentally slap myself. No way in hell was I lying to family. "Actually, Asi..."

How was I supposed to phrase this? 'Oh, sorry, bud! I'm off to get myself eaten by some shit-faced monster while you get put in some strict military home somewhere. Don't worry, they have biscuits'?

"I joined the Survey Corps." I said softly, not even sure if he knew what that was.

Looking up at his face, I found my question answered. His eyes had gone sparkly, his jaw nearly smacking the concrete. "You...YOU'RE GOING OUTSIDE THE WALLS? YOU'RE GONNA FIGHT THE MONSTERS? THAT'S SO COOL! CAN I COME? HAVE YOU BEEN YET? WHEN ARE YOU GOING? ARE THERE A LOT OF STRONG MUSCLY GUYS? I BET THOSE-" His rambling went on for a few more minutes, during which time I was in a similar state as Asi previously was. I'd spent the entire ride up here imagining every worst-case-scenario. I chuckled. I'll never understand this kid.

Standing, I looked to Erwin, who seemed to be observing my kid brother run circles around the room with an amused interest. "So?"

He looked to me, nodding. As Asi ran past me, I caught him by the shoulders and hoisted him over my back, laughing evilly as his playful screams were muffled by my tunic.

"Let's go home, huh?"

Asi's laughter settled down and he relaxed on my shoulder. I felt his small hands tugging at my greasy black hair. "Hey, big sis?"

"Yeah, bud?"

Asi was silent for a moment, completely out of character for him. "You're coming back, right? Cause Daddy..."

I shifted his small body off my shoulder and onto my hip to see his eyes. My arms protested. (He was getting too big to hold like that.) "I'm coming home, Asikah," He nodded, burying his face into my shoulder.

"I am."

/Present/

Levi must have taken my silence as an answer, cause, by the time I refocused my mind, he was stalking back to headquarters, dusting off his blades with a white handkerchief. I cleared my throat again, this time to distract from my humiliation, and turned to Fran, resolve steeled in my eyes.

"When can I re-run it?"

(3rd Person)

A loud knock drew the commander's attention from the paperwork that was currently melting his brain cells.

"Erwin." Levi's voice demanded, though slightly muffled by the closed door.

"Come in," Erwin called, returning his gaze to the documents. He wanted to slam his head into the desk until they just...*poof!*

Levi entered, striding up to his desk and crossing his arms. The two of them were past salutes; Levi was one of his most trusted soldiers. He stayed silent, an unimpressed scowl directed at his commander.

Erwin raised his eyebrows, asking for a response. "Well?" He asked.

"She's a brat." Levi stated without any hesitation.

Erwin chuckled. "Yes, I am aware. How was she doing in training, I mean?"

Levi tsked, turning his head stubbornly. "Why don't you just ask Fran?"

"I intend to. However, it seems Fran has quickly become fond of Onyx," He ignored Levi's scoff. "I wish to hear both sides of the observation."

Levi blinked, wanting to argue but not really knowing why. He leaned against Erwin's desk, looking up in thought. "She has flawless form when she maneuvers. Definitely one of the fastest I've ever seen." He paused, pushing down his annoyance at having to compliment to brat. "But she gets overconfident. All of her slashes today were way too shallow. If she were on a real mission, she would be dead."

Erwin nodded thoughtfully. He clicked his tongue, folding his hands in front of his mouth. "What's her PK Count?"

Levi glared out the window in the direction of the training fields. "Zero."

Erwin hummed. "It's her first run on the 3DM gear. I didn't expect much more than that."

"On my first run, I was on par with an entire squad of veterans." Levi remarked, raising his eyebrow quizzically.

Erwin laughed. "Yes," He looked in the same direction as Levi, watching his new recruit slicing through the practice napes in a row, the raven haired girl getting visibly frustrated with the shallow cuts she was making. "But you were familiar with the gear already. Nyx has crammed three years worth of training into seven days so far." He patted the book containing the mission reports from year 836. "She's an incredibly fast learner. She got that from her father."

Levi looked over, somewhat curious. "Her father?"

Erwin nodded. "Jonah Bently, Eleventh Commander of the Survey Corps. He was the first Commander to die before a replacement had been selected, that's why Commander Shadis was instated so quickly."

Levi studied him, grim realization dawning in his expressionless eyes. "So she's here as a project."

Erwin smirked at the familiar phrasing. "No. She's here as a Legacy."

(1st Person: Onyx)

Fran and I trained for the rest of that day. And all of the next day. And for the next two weeks after that. I became more and more frustrated with my attacks. Every slice I made was too shallow to actually be fatal. We had been training for two and a half weeks, and my PK Count was only up to 13.

Levi was there every day to remind me of this fact. I had to hand it to him, though. He may enjoy being an asshole, but he clearly didn't want himself there any more than I did. I'd come to the conclusion that he was spying on me for Erwin. That didn't surprise me much. The Commander probably wanted a second opinion on me, seeing as Fran and I had become fast friends during our training time.

Fran was a veteran in her mid-forties. She had faded blonde hair that she kept in a low ponytail down her neck. Her face was strong and angular, and yet very maternal. We bonded over our pasts. She had transferred to the Scouts from the Garrison after her husband died in order to keep her family afloat, seeing as the Scout wages were leaps and bounds above that of other Legions. She told me about her son, who was around my age and soon to graduate the Trainee Corps. She was a soft woman, but incredibly strong. Her Kill Count reached up to rival even Commander Erwin's. I became convinced that she would be our next Commander, which she beamed at when I voiced the thought.

Unfortunately, being paired with such an incredible soldier only made me look even worse than I was. At this point, it seemed the only thing I was steady with was the 3DM gear. Luckily for me, however, the Trainee Corps were sending in a fresh batch of Scout recruits, meaning I'd soon be surrounded by my peers. I had yet to meet anyone even near my age here. Well. Besides Levi. But Levi doesn't count as a person, so it's good.

It also meant I would get my uniform.

But. It meant I had four weeks left before my first expedition.

"DAMN IT!" I yelled, barely holding back from flinging my blades across the training grounds. Another run of eighteen dummies and I'd only taken out five. I angrily dug my toe into the dirt. What was I doing wrong?

Fran sighed, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You'll get it, hun. It'll come with practice."

"But, it shouldn't!" I countered, wanting to hit something. "It shouldn't be so difficult! Nobody else has any trouble! What am I doing wrong?!"

She opened her mouth to respond, but shook her head and looked back down. "I have no idea."

I sighed, desperation seeping into my veins. My first expedition was coming way too fast. My PK Count was just barely high enough to qualify me, but I knew that wasn't to be celebrated. As soon as the date was set, Fran and I both knew what was coming. If I didn't get my act together, I was going to die.

"U-Um, excuse me?" A small voice asked.

I turned, dropping my hands from where they were furiously rubbing at my eyes. A Cadet girl stood before Fran and me, her solute so stiff I was sure she'd get stuck that way. She had long, mousy brown hair that was braided out of her face. Her eyes were big and bright, the color mimicking that of fresh summer grass. A light dusting of freckles covered her whole face, making me tilt my head in thought. She was so pretty and young. She didn't look like a soldier at all.

Then again. This was coming from the fourteen year old girl with literally no prior training to joining the most dangerous branch of the military.

What the hell was I thinking?

"Yes, Cadet?" Fran asked tersely, slipping into 'Military Fran' mode.

"Emilee Mora, Ma'am. I was sent to inform Corporal Fran that her presence is requested in Commander Erwin's office."

Fran hummed in thought. "Any inkling to the reason?"

Emilee shook her head. Fran hummed again, turning back to me. "Go get some rest, Nyx. I'll meet you right here at eight sharp." And with those orders, she turned around and stiffly marched off to Erwin's office. I shook my head. That woman was an enigma.

"Um..." Emilee started. I looked back to her, raising my eyebrows. She seemed unsure of how to phrase her question. "A-are you, by any chance, Onyx Bently?"

I dropped any air of friendliness, my hackles raising. "Why?"

She seemed to sense the hostility her question had raised as she shook her head and raised her hands in surrender. "No! No! It's just that earlier today I was given my room assignment and when I got to my door I noticed that it had two names instead of just mine so I assumed that I must have a roommate but I didn't recognize the name as any of my classmates but when I came to give the message I saw you and you look near my age so I thought that maybe it could be you I didn't mean to offend you or anything I'm really sorry!" She rambled out, breathing heavily at the end of her speech.

I didn't really know how to respond so I just nodded. She smiled, taking that as an acceptance, and started walking back to the Cadet Wing. "Well, come on. I'll show you our room."

I hesitated, but ultimately followed her. Might as well figure it out now so that I'm not stumbling around searching for it after dark. We walked in surprisingly comfortable silence until we reached the door marked for female recruits.

The hinges creaked as we entered the space. Several sets of bunk beds were spread around the room, each including a list of one or more names. It didn't take too long to find ours since it was placed beside the only window in the cabin.

"Home, sweet home..." I muttered, running my finger along the grime covered windowsill. I heard Emilee giggle behind me as she jumped up to the top bunk.

"I've kinda already claimed this bed; I hope you don't mind."

I turned back to her, smirking. "And what if I do?"

Her innocent smile tweaked up into a sly grin. "Well I guess that'll be a problem. I'm sure you'll adjust, though."

I laughed, surprised at how quickly she'd loosened up. Holding up a hand to her, I threw on a genuine smile. "Call me Nyx."

She grasped my hand, shaking it. "Good to meet you Nyx. I do hope your bottom bunk will treat you well."