AN: Feel the need to mention some things due to learning some things about the AOT universe as well as spoiling myself of a lot of it. First off Marley will not be another nation that's been at war with Eldia here it's just the name of the Hometown that Annie, Reiner, and Bertoldt came from outside the walls. Second 'The Curse of Ymir' will not be a thing, although in saying that Ymir Fritz's legend and accomplishments will still be a thing. Thirdly due to the anime causing me to like their characters I will be saving the three titan shifters and changing the reason they attacked the walls. Fourthly the mindless titans will not be humans who became them through serums and will be explained later on. Fifthly the titan shifters thing will however be used, with them being created by serums and there only being nine of them due to Ymir. So as you can tell this is going to get pretty AU during and after the Beast Titan arc. If this turns you off the story I am sorry, but this is fanfiction and if you just want to read a rehash of canon go watch the anime or read the manga.
AN2: This is a bit of a filler chapter to get the plot moving. However next chapter there's going to be lot's of action and lot's of bad-ass Eren!
Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan
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Year 847, Cadet training HQ
The 104th cadet corps were all lined up in the courtyard in their trainee uniforms standing at attention. The Training Corps Cheif Instructor Keith Shadis was walking in front of their rows inspecting them and asking them questions.
He suddenly stopped in front of Armin. "You there! What is your name?" He asked him shouting.
Armin saluted him and answered nervously. "Armin Alert from Zhiganshina sir!" He said with nervous conviction.
"I see you came from that hell huh? Row 3 about face!" He shouted grabbing Armin's head and spinning him around before moving on.
He stopped in front a guy with short blonde hair and yellowish golden eyes. "Who are you!" He yelled at him.
"Thomas Wagner, from Trost!" He answered back.
"I can't here you!" Shadis yelled back at him.
"Thoma-" Thomas's answer was cut off though.
"Too soft I can't here you go practice in the shed!" He yelled at him.
Whilst this was happening to them other instructors were walking around the cadets in a circle observing them.
"There he goes, when you were a trainee, your first day was just the same." The first man spoke. He was an older male with silver hair and round glasses on his nose. He wore the same outfit Shadis wore as a trainer of cadets.
"It brings back memories." The younger blonde one spoke.
"Wrong! You are from the pig shed, worth less than cattle." Shadis spoke down to a girl with black haired done in low hanging pigtails.
"Yes, sir! I am less than cattle!" The girl yelled back at him.
"Whats the point in screaming at them?" The younger trainer asked.
"It's a rite of passage." The older one answered. "We force them to abandon who they are, then raise them from nothing as pure soldiers. It is a necessary process." The older man explained.
As they were walking the blonde haired one noticed something. "Huh? It seems not all of them are being subjected to that process." He said confused.
"There is no need for those who have already undergone the rite of passage. If I were to guess, they probably already lived through hell two years ago. You can see it in their eyes." He explained to the younger one.
Then he heard him gasp and turned around curious. "What is it?" He asked.
The younger blonde one pointed to one of the cadets who was wearing a red scarf around his neck. "I-Isn't that?" He asked shocked.
"Yes that's him. The hero of Zhiganshina." The older one explained as he looked at the cadet as well, who was facing forward with an unbreakable expression.
"But why is he here? Shouldn't he just be allowed to enter straight into the ranks?" The younger one asked.
"He was just a child at the time, even people like him need to go through the fundamental training all soldiers are required to attend." The older one explained. "Now let's go." He said turning away with the younger one following him.
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Keith then continued to question the cadets whilst ignoring some of them. One named Jean admitted he just wanted to become a military police member to live in the interior while another named Marco said he wanted to be military police to give his life in the service of the king. Keith laughed at the two and told them the king wouldn't give a damn about their lives.
Another named Connie did his salute wrong and was held up by Keith who berated him all until one idiot female cadet did the most shocking thing of all right in front of their trainer.
"Hey, you. What do you think your doing?" Keith asked as he walked up to the female cadet with brown hair done up into a ponytail. In her hands was a potato that she was currently eating.
"You! The one I'm talking to! Who the hell are you!?" Keith yelled in her face when she bit into the potato again.
She introduced herself as Sasha Braus from Dover Village on the south side of Wall Rose.
"Well Sasha Braus. Whatcha got in your right hand?" He asked her.
"A steamed potato! They had some in the kitchen and I couldn't resist!" She stated still in salute.
"You snatched it then? Why'd you start eating it here?" He asked her seriously.
"It doesn't taste good cold. I figured I should eat it now." She answered him.
"Y'know. I just don't get it. Why'd you eat a potato?" He asked her.
She looked at him confused. "Are you asking 'Why does man eat potatoes'?" She asked him. A few seconds of silence went around the field as the cadets looked at her shocked.
Then Sasha looked like she figured out what he wanted and split a small piece off of her potato. She looked annoyed as she held it up to him. "Please have half of mine." She said looking at him.
Keith grabbed it and looked at her shocked. "Half?" He asked. Sasha gave him a goofy smile.
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5 hours later Sasha could be seen running laps around the clearing.
"Hey, Spuds still has to keep running." Connie said from the front of the mess hall.
"She's amazing. She's been running for five hours straight." Eren said looking at her.
"Actually she was more shocked when he said no meals more than when he told her to run until she was about to drop." Connie stated.
"Dover is deep in the mountains, a sparsely populated village of hunters, right?" Marco asked.
"Oh? What's that?" Eren asked looking at a cart that was leaving the campsite.
"They dropped out and asked to go to the reclaimed wasteland." The pigtailed girl from earlier stated.
"But...it's only the first day." Armin stated surprised.
"What choice do they have? If you're weak, you gotta go." Eren said surprising them as they looked at him. "Back to hauling rocks and picking weeds.." Eren stated looking at them leave.
Marco then turned to him. "Say, he didn't ask where you're from." He said to him.
Eren smiled and placed a hand on Armin's shoulder. "I'm like him from Zhiganshina." He answered them.
"Then you were there on that day. You've seen the colossal Titan." Connie said looking at him shocked that he survived that.
"Hey!" Marco said to reprimand Connie from asking such personal questions.
"Well yeah I was." Eren said pulling his scarf closer to his face. At this point the three cadets looked at before widening their eyes and looking at Eren in shock.
"W-Wait...your him right?" Connie asked surprised.
"The Hero of Zhiganshina! The kid that took a dead soldiers ODM gear and slaughtered twenty titans to held the evacuation!" Marco said surprised.
Eren just nodded.
"But why are you here I thought you would have already been apart of the military?" The girl asked.
"Hmm well I was too young to enlist at the time and I have to go through basic training like everyone else." He stated to them.
"Wow to have someone like you here." Marco muttered to himself.
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Later that night
A bunch of cadets were crowed around Eren asking him questions about the attack on Zhiganshina as well as what the titans were like along with the armored and colossal titan.
His answer caught the interest of three certain cadets who were off on their own. The first was a tall man with short blonde hair and a broad chest. The second was a taller lankier man with short black hair. The last was a girl with blonde hair held in a short ponytail and bangs hiding the right side of her eye.
"It just hammered in the fact that we are nothing but prey to the titans, and that our ODM gear does not give us the advantage but instead gives us a chance to fight back. That's why I plan to enter the Scout Regiment and kill every single titan." He answered them seriously.
This sparked an argument between him and Jean who wanted a peaceful life in the interior through his position as a member of the Military Police that was broken up by Keith coming in and telling them all to go to sleep for tomorrows training.
Jean and Eren ended up apologizing to each other before they headed for the barracks.
Whilst outside Sasha finally collapsed from running and was met a by a pretty blonde haired short girl with blue eyes who gave her bread and some water. She gushed over her before passing out. Another tall tan skinned girl with short brown hair held in a ponytail joined them before saying she would pick Sasha up and carry back to her bunk as long as she owed her one.
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The next morning the cadets were lined up to train with the ODM gear. The three instructors were walking around and observing the various cadets as they hung in the air to show their potential with the ODM gear. However the stopped in front of Cadet Yeager.
"Why does he seem to be having trouble using the gear if he had already used it in a live combat situation?" The younger instructor asked as they watched Eren struggle to remain in the air.
"I'm not sure mind finding out Keith?" The older instructor asked. Keith nodded and walked up to Eren.
"Cadet Yeager! Have you not already used ODM gear in live combat!? Why are you struggling with it now?" Keith asked him as Eren continued to struggle.
"The gear is broken Instructor Shadis, I am attempting to learn how to operate it in case this ever happens to me in combat." He answered calmly as he finally gained control of himself for a couple of seconds before sighing as he continued to struggle. All the while not seeing the wide-eyed looks of everyone there.
Keith was stone faced as he looked at Eren calmly attempt to use the supposedly broken gear. "Springer come here." Keith suddenly said.
"Sir!" Connie said coming up next to them.
"Exchange out gear with Cadet Yeager." He ordered. Connie nodded and the two changed out their gear. When Connie was hoisted up he immediately face planted and couldn't right himself at all whilst Eren was hanging in the air not moving at looking bored.
"Wow that guy really managed to hang in himself in the air with damaged equipment." One Cadet said amazed.
"Well he is that Hero remember." Another Cadet whispered.
Meanwhile Keith was looking intently at Eren. 'Grisha your son became a soldier today.' He thought to himself as Eren effortlessly balanced himself in the air.
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Later that night Eren and Armin were talking when two of the cadets who were interested in Eren when he talked about the attack on Zhiganshina showed up. They introduced themselves as Bertoldt and Reiner. They explained that they lived in a town deep into the mountains of the southeast side of Zhiganshina and that unlike water way towns they didn't get the news first but instead seen the titans first.
The four talked deep into the night about how they were the only ones there who knew the true terror of the titans. From this a bond of friendship was born between them.
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Two years later, year 850
The sky was in a downpour, whilst below it in a forest a troop of cadets were outfitted in gear as they traversed the forest.
"Hurry, keep your feet moving!" Keith yelled at the from atop a horse before he fell back.
"What's wrong Arlert? Your falling behind." He said to a tired Armin.
"This too heavy for you? Will you be the only one to remove your equipment? If this were the real deal, you'd be titan fodder!" He yelled before advancing forward again.
"Damn it..." Armin said breathing heavy as he continued to run before he felt his load lighten completely.
"Give that to me." Reiner said as he lifted the backpack from Armin and put it over his own. "Keep this up and you'll join the dropouts. Today's training exercise is being scored to." He said to Armin.
"But they will dock points from you too..." Armin said.
"Then let's not get caught. Hurry, before I change my mind!" Reiner yelled to him.
Keith meanwhile was looking back at them. 'Reiner Braun, He's sturdy and gutsy, and has the trust of his comrades.' Keith thought as he looked at the man charge forward.
"I won't be a burden if it kills me!" Armin said to himself as he ran up to Reiner and grabbed his backpack again and ran with all his might back to the line whilst breathing heavily.
Keith then looked at him. 'Armin Arlert...He lacks physical skill, but shows moments of brilliance in the classroom.' He thought as he looked at him.
The next day the cadets were in the forest again training but instead this time were striking at Titan dummies napes to test their skill to maneuver as well as strike whilst using the gear through a forest.
Keith was patiently observing them. He spotted the girl with the short blonde hair in a small ponytail and ice blue eyes that gave away no emotions. 'Annie Leonhardt. There are no weaknesses in her attacks, but she is a loner who has difficulty's working with others.' He thought while assessing her.
He then looked at Bertoldt. 'Bertoldt Fubar...He has potential, but lacks aggressiveness.' He thought assessing him.
'Next up Jean Kirstein. His 3D maneuvers are top class. But his cocky attitude makes it easy for him to cause friction.' He though as watched Jean traverse the forest.
"Damn! I can't beat those two when it comes to attacks. So I'll just have to find a titan first!" He said aloud as he sped through the forest. 'I'm the one who's going to join the Military Police!' He though before smirking as he found an unmarked titan dummie.
"Thanks Jean! It was a good idea to go after you!" Connie yelled going for the titans nape. However before he could strike it was already marked by Sasha who blasted through.
"Yay I did it!" She laughed as she bounced around with her gear cheering.
'Sasha Braus...She has unusually good intuition, but due to that, she's not suited for organized activities.' Keith thought as he observed her.
'Connie Springer...Especially talented in moves that require flexibility, but he's not the quickest thinker...' He thought as he scored him.
In another part of the forest a couple of instructors were raising a dummy titan. "He's coming." He told his partner as they raised the titans.
In a split second a flash passed them by as the napes of both titans they raised were slashed through to the wood. Looking up they spotted Eren as he continued through the forest. 'Eren Yeager...He has a complete understanding of every subject. Suffice it to say that we have never seen the likes of his talent. Furthermore, his desire to achieve is far greater than the others.' He thought to himself as he marked Eren's scores.
Behind Eren came a short blonde girl with a low hanging ponytail as she slashed at the two titans Eren hit not leaving a mark as deep as his but hitting the spot all the same. "Tch still not as deep as his and not as fast." She muttered to herself as she followed after Eren. Behind her a tanned skin girl followed and struck the targets deeper but still nowhere near Eren's level. She frowned but then shrugged as she continued.
'Krista Lenz, despite not possessing outstanding capabilities her desire to improve and learn from Eren is amazing.' Keith thought as he observed the blonde.
'Ymir, possesses great capabilities with the ODM gear but seems to have no desire to improve upon herself and only seems to want to protect Krista.' He pondered as he marked her scores.
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The next day the trainees were learning close combat with other humans as they paired up and fought. Eren had just slammed Reiner down on the ground and held out a hand for him.
"Ow." Reiner muttered as he took the offered hand.
"Sorry, I can't gauge my own strength." Eren stated.
"Tch, freaking monster. Next time, your gonna be one of the bad guys." He said handing Eren a wooden knife.
"Hey Eren look." Reiner said nodding his head towards Annie.
"Oh Annie huh? She's hiding from the instructors and slacking off again." Eren said looking at her.
"Okay, Eren. Let's teach that slacker a lesson. Let's teach her how to be a soldier." Reiner said looking at Annie.
"Huh?" Eren muttered.
A few seconds later Annie was stopped from walking around by walking up to Reiner. "Do you want a head butt from the instructor? If you don't want to get any shorter, then remember why you came here and start taking it seriously." Reiner said smirking down to her.
"Hey, that's no way to talk." Eren said walking up in between them. He looked at Annie to see her glaring at Reiner. 'She's pissed...she always looks mad...but this doesn't compare to those other times.' He thought before Reiner grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Come on! Let's go Eren." He said pushing him towards Annie.
"What?! Me?!" He said shocked.
A few seconds later Eren was holding a knife as he settled into a stance and looked at Annie who had also settled into a stance with her hands held up high and her left leg behind her right one.
"Oy look Eren and Annie are about to go at it!" Connie said excited to see the two top trainees go at it. The others looked at the fight as well.
Eren just took a deep breath before he opened his eyes and gained a calm detached look. Annie seeing that look tensed as she prepared for him.
Eren tensed for a second before charging with the knife held behind his back. Annie aimed a low kick at him that he jumped over and threw a kick at her to distance himself. She grabbed his leg before he swung the knife at her arm causing her to let go of him to jump back and let him land on his feet.
They stood across form one another before Eren threw the knife at her like a throwing dagger surprising her before he ran behind. She caught the knife and raised her leg for a high kick but was unprepared for Eren to duck under it grab her waist and kick her behind her other leg and toss her onto the ground onto her back.
While completing the exercise by grabbing the knife she still took a heavy hit which was why she was giving a dark glare to Reiner for starting this. She stood up and nodded to Eren before throwing the knife at Reiner with a pissed look.
"What-?" He said as he grabbed the knife reluctantly looking at a pissed Annie.
"Do it Reiner, You're gonna teach her the responsibility of a soldier, right?" Eren asked with his own dark look on his face.
Reiner closed his eyes whilst he sweated a bit. "Yeah...There are times when a soldier can't back down. Right now is that time!" He yelled opening his eyes.
5 seconds later his back was on the ground with his ass in the air. "You have amazing Technique. Who taught you that?" Eren asked her.
"My dad." She said brushing her hair back.
"It's your dad's technique?" He asked.
"Yes, who was that taught you?" She asked him.
"Oh uhh no one, I just do it naturally." He said laughing.
"I see a natural born monster then, anyways it doesn't matter this training is pointless. Martial arts against people doesn't earn you points." She told him. "I usually ignore it like earlier. The only ones who earn the right to join the Military Police and go to the interior are the ten with the top scores. The only ones taking it seriously are monsters like you and plain idiots." She said as she watched Connie get reprimanded by Keith again for playing around.
Annie then rushed at Eren with the knife but he was fast enough to grab her wrist to stop her from reaching him. "For some reason the stronger you are, the further you're placed from the titans. Why do you think this happens?" She asked.
"Who knows? I wonder why?" He yelled yanking her arm back with the knife in it before kicking her legs out from under her and planting her on the ground.
"Is this...the true nature of people?" She asked looking up at him. She then stood up.
"Anyway, I'm not stupid enough to play soldier in this pathetic world." She said walking away ignoring Reiners comment of her not being cut out to be a soldier.
'This whole time I was so focused on becoming strong I didn't notice. Their honing their titan killing skills to get away from them.' He thought watching her walk away.
Krista then interrupted his musing by running up to him and wanting him to show her a good way of doing the training to which he sighed and smiled before nodding and helping her until the training was over.
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Later that night
Jean and Eren managed to get into an argument again over joining the Scouts or Military Police to which Krista tried breaking up by grabbing Eren. However this pissed Jean off more who said he was jealous of Eren before Eren planted his ass on the ground by using the Martial Arts Annie used during Reiner's fight with her. Gaining her and Reiner's along with Betoldts attention.
It was stopped by Keith coming in and scaring the shit out of them before Ymir ruined it by saying Sasha farted embarrassing her when Keith accepted and left quickly causing the cadets to laugh.
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A few weeks later the 218 cadets that made to graduation stood in front of Keith and the other instructors with their salutes as he spoke to them.
"From today, you will no longer be soldiers-in-training. You have three choices. The Garrison Regiment, where you will be protecting cities, working to reinforce the walls. The Scout Regiment, where must be prepared to take on the Titans outside the walls. The Military Police, where you will protect the people and preserve order at the side of the king." The head instructor said to them.
"Naturally, the only ones who can join the Military Police are the top ten scorers who were announced earlier!" He spoke as the top ten stood in front of the rest of the Cadets.
Going 1st to 10th they were Eren Yeager, Reiner Braun, Bertoldt Fubar, Annie Leonhardt, Krista Lenz, Jean Kirstein, Marco Bott, Connie Springer, Sasha Braus, and Ymir.
'I finally reach this point...Now it's our turn to decimate the Titans!' Eren thought to himself as he stood proudly.
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Later that night the cadets were partying for their graduation. A clink of glasses could be heard. "Yes I did it! I can now join the Military Police!" Connie cheered.
"Now we wont have to worry about food." Sasha said cheering with him.
"Why am I below Eren." Jean tch'ed as he drunk his beer.
Meanwhile Eren was surrounded by a few of the cadets. "You're not joining the Military Police? Are you serious, Eren?!" One of them asked him.
"You're the top scorer!" He said surprised.
"It's what I cam here for." Another said.
"I didn't train t live in the interior. I wanted to fight Titans." He spoke to Thomas.
"You can't beat them!" Thomas yelled gaining everyone's attention. "You should know. They've eaten tens of thousands of people. When we lost 20% of the population the answer was clear. Humankind...can't defeat the Titans." Thomas said bringing a depressed mood to the room.
"So?" Eren spoke getting their attention again. "Do we just give up because we think we can't win?" He asked.
"Well..." Thomas muttered backing up.
"You're right we've been on the losing side, But that's because we didn't know how to deal with Titans. Standard warfare is meaningless against the Titans. We may have lost, but everything we've learned in battle will be key to bringing back hope. Are we going to abandon everything we have learned, after so much sacrifice and just become Titan fodder? Your joking right?" He yelled.
"I'm gonna drive out every last one of those Titans and leave these cramped wall! That's my dream! Humankind hasn't lost yet!" He spoke to them before gritting his teeth and leaving the room.
"Wait, Eren!" Armin yelled chasing him along with Krista who was followed by Ymir.
'Fine. Go outside the walls and any damned place you like! I'm gonna join the Military Police...' Jean thought to himself watching him leave.
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Meanwhile outside on the streets Eren sat on some steps looking out into the night before looking behind him to see Armin, Krista and Ymir join him.
"Eren, that thing about your dream..." Armin said.
"Yeah, I just repeated what you said. I wanna go outside the walls not stay in." He stated calming down.
Armin seemed to come to a decision. "I'm going to join the Scout Regiment!" He stated.
Eren looked surprised. "Are you serious Armin?! You were the first in the classroom so put that to use!" Eren told him.
"I don't want to ever be a burden on anybody." Armin said.
"I'm joining the Scout Regiment too." Krista stated.
Eren turned to her. "Oi! You can join the Military Police you were in the top ten!" Eren said to her.
Krista smiled at him. "If you going to join the Military Police then I will too, if your going to join the Garrison Regiment then I will too. You showed me how to be strong so I will follow you wherever you go." She stated with conviction.
"I never asked you to follow me." Eren mumbled looking away.
"Hmm well wherever Krista goes I will too. Someones gotta watch over her and make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble from following you around Eren." Ymir said with a grin as Krista blushed and looked away.
The four friends then looked out into the night sky.
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The next morning the Scout Regiment could be seen exiting the Trost district.
"Commander Erwin! Please kick some Titan butt!" A civilian stated.
"Look it's top sergeant Levi! I heard he has the strength of an entire brigade!" A cadet said pointing at him.
"Tch, Shut up..." Levi mumbled looking at them.
"Things are completely different from five years ago. People are so excited about the Scout Regiment." Eren stated looking at them.
"There's hope since there's been no attack for five years." A female cadet stated.
"The stationary cannons have been improved too. Maybe giant sized Titans won't come around." A tall man stated next to her.
"You're right!" She agreed with him.
Eren looked at them annoyed. "You stupid couple! What're you talking about?!" Eren griped at them.
The girl turned away and waved her hand. "N-No way...We aren't a couple." She said.
The guy blushed. "Don't jump to conclusions Eren." The guy said.
"Hey you guys!" Someone called them. Eren and Armin turned to them. It was one of the guards from Zhiganshina that worked with Eren.
"Hey Eren! I heard you graduated yesterday. You're really something you know." He said shaking Eren's hand.
"I'm sorry about Zhiganshina." He stated suddenly. Eren looked down before he looked at him.
"It's not your fault. I wont let such sorrow happen again. I'm gonna beat the Titans, I swear it!" Eren stated to which the guard smiled and saluted.
"Then I will look forward to following you into battle again Eren Yeager!" He said before smiling as he left.
"Wow so your really famous after all huh Eren?" Krista asked as she watched numerous guards salute Eren as they went on their ways.
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Later Eren and the squad he was assigned over were atop the walls cleaning the cannons. "Huh?! Your really joining the Scout Regiment!? I thought you wanted to join the Military Police?" Eren asked him surprised.
"Well yeah after first, but..." Connie mumbled.
"It seems your soapbox speech worked earlier Eren." Mina stated cheerfully.
"S-Shut up! I decided this on my own." Connie said embarrassed.
"It's okay. Your not the only one..." Thomas said scratching his head.
"Thomas don't tell me." Eren said surprised.
"Uhm everyone...I brought some meat from the officer's pantry." Sasha said coming up to them with said meat under her jacket.
Everyone looked at her shocked. "Sasha you'll be thrown in solitary confinement!" Eren yelled at her.
"Your such an idiot." Thomas said.
"Idiots are scary." Connie stated.
"Let's split it up afterwards. We'll slice it up and put it in between slices o bread." She said drooling.
"Put it back." Connie said.
"That's right. Since we have less land, meat is incredibly valuable." Mina told her.
"It's alright." Sasha said opening a crate and putting the meat in it. "If we can reclaim the land, we can raise cows and sheep again." She told them.
A few seconds later the trainees were all stating that they would have some of the meat.
"What are doing standing there Eren, If we don't get back to work, they're going to find out!" Samuel stated.
"We still have time before lunch." Mina said.
Eren just smiled before looking out over the city. 'It's been five years since then. Humankind is finally regaining some dignity. We can win. Man's retaliation had just begun!' He thought smiling as he looked out over the city.
It was silent for a few seconds before all of a sudden a huge flash of lightning appeared behind him. Flinching Eren turned around and came face to face with the colossal titan.
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Anddd done! There chapter 2, as always please fav and review it!