"Whew! That was a tough session today. One slip of concentration and we really could have died out there!"

Armin is possibly exaggerating, or speaking for himself, but he isn't lying. The training the four of us just went through was grueling indeed, especially for Armin. I made him work hard since we both agreed to me helping him out. However, training for two tired me out more than yesterday's mission with the Scouts.

"Yeah, it was a dangerous drill alright," Eren says. He looks at my kneeling form, my body aching for a bed to rest in. "you get through it okay, Elijah?"

I stand, despite my aching body. "It was tough, but we made it through."

"Yeah, that's the spirit. We're finally a step closer to our goal. This is no time to lose heart, is it? I dare say we're gonna have to complete more and more dangerous training exercises. But I say, bring them on! The sooner I'm a full-fledged soldier, the better!"

"Easy, Eren," Mikasa cautions. "It's great to have a positive attitude to your training. But you need to know your limits, and call on your friends when necessary."

Eren frowns angrily. "Give it up, Mikasa! I'm not a kid anymore. Stop treating me like one!"

Mikasa sighs. "Sorry, Eren. But the fact is, when you get worked up, you can't see the bigger picture. You've always been that way. It...makes me worry."

"Like I said, I'm not a kid, okay! I'm not some little brother you've got to protect."

Armin steps between them. "Okay, you guys, settle down! Hey Mikasa, let's go back to the dorm together, yeah?"

As they walk off, I chuckle to myself beside a simmering Eren. Though I kind of know how Mikasa feels about Eren. it's obvious, let's be honest. I decide not to cue Eren in. "You, Mikasa, you two are great friends."

"Huh? Well, we have known each other for a long time, I guess. But how did you get 'great friends' from that exchange?" Tired, Eren sighs, wiping his forehead. "Anyway, never mind. I guess we should be getting back too, right? We've got an early start tomorrow, Elijah."

I nod. "Yeah. You're leaving with the Lieutenant tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yeah. I...wonder what he has in store for me."

"Heh. Better than being with Section Commander Hange, I'll tell you. I hear we're doing something in a few days, something crazy. She won't tell me, though."

"What could be crazy?"

"Hmm… Yesterday, she mentioned wanting to capture Titans, but she's just messing around."

I think...


A few days later…

"Hehe… Between you and me, I've actually got a plan up my sleeve. And not just any plan either-something amazing!"

I am blinded by my superior's eyeglasses flashing bright in my face. That means she's up to no good and I am powerless to avoid my inclusion in it. "What is it, SC?" I started calling Hange "SC" out of respect for her position but saying "Section Commander" all the time is a mouthful. I know she has no problem with me calling her by her name, but I'll wait a while, or when it is needed before I let it become everyday vocabulary.

"I'm actually on my way to speak to Erwin about it just now. If you're interested, you're more than welcome to tag along."

I have a choice? Not like I never had a choice before, but...Hange is the reason I'm the first Scout out of my class. I owe this to her, after all. Her eccentrics are exciting, I will admit, yet as Moblit, Hange's right-hand man, tells me, she might get me killed one day. Or close to it. "I'd be honored, ma'am."

She pats my shoulder. "I knew I could count on you! In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!"


"SHE WASN'T JOKING?!"

"So you see, I think we could really use Eren's powers to help this Titan-capturing mission succeed."

"No," Erwin states. "He hasn't got complete control of his titan-shifting abilities yet."

"Yes, I know, but it's vitally important that we capture some of these creatures. Let's not forget that the Scout Regiment's primary purpose is to understand the nature of the Titans."

"Shut up, Four-Eyes. The commander makes the final call when it comes to how Eren gets used." I'm surprised Lieutenant Levi is here. He left here days ago with Eren for the old Scout Regiment's headquarters, where, to my knowledge, Eren and Levi's squad will be for the rest of the month.

Hange starts to pout. "But what's the problem with it? I feel sorry for Eren, being denied the chance to take part in this."

Moblit shakes his head. "I don't think the kid actually said he wants to, has he?"

"Maybe not, but the point is, there aren't many suitable candidates for the mission." As she finishes that sentence, her glasses flash again, this time in my direction. Oh no. "Ah, here's an idea. How about I take Elijah here? Would you object to that?"

Commander Erwin repeats what he said in my last mission, that he won't force me to undertake a mission. "I understand," I reply, "but I did come here with the intention of joining Section Commander Zoe."

Moblit turns to me. "Let me explain what you're signing up for. Titan-capturing missions are tough. They haven't got a good track record. If you want to pull out, now's your chance. Well?"

I nod. "To be honest, sir. I don't really care much about Titan research, I'd rather see them dead. But as I said before, for Hange, I'll do it." Though I'll probably regret it later.

Hange cheers at my declaration. "You're a good kid! I wish some others were as obedient."

"Who are you referring to, huh?" Looks like Moblit took offense to that. I have a choice, but as I learned, he really doesn't if it means keeping Hange safe.

"Well, if the kid's willing, I'm not going to make a fuss. I'll allow it. Just stay back from the front line, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

Hange jumps and twirls as her mission is officially given a green light. "Okay, let's start making the necessary preparations! We've got a lot to do! Wahoo!" Hange departs, and Moblit worryingly follows after her. I'm left with Erwin and Levi.

"Being around that woman is going to send you to an early grave."

"Levi, you take the other four apart from Eren and act as backup." Wait, the rest of Levi Squad is here, besides Eren? He must be back at the headquarters alone. Hange might be right, he is missing out. "You don't want our new troop to meet a sticky end, do you?"

"Hmph, no...sir."


"The goal of this mission is capture! First, we need to make sure no Titans can get inside the area to distract us!"

"Yes, sir!" We ride our horses to the fields outside Trost, just a little deeper into Titan territory but not too far from the city. The Scouts begin to divide and exit formation, but as I prepare to make the same motion, Moblit gestures for me to stay put.

"Come with us, Elijah! You'll be in danger if we get separated."

"Got it, so what's first?"

"We'll create a perimeter of bases. Creating a base in the right location will make it easier to spot Titans when they're getting close. Now let's capture a nice Titan!" We ride to the south, where I believe Hange plans for one of her capturing bases to be located. We spot some Titans nearby, which, thanks to my liking, Hange orders us to eliminate. Happily, I take one of them down with ease while Moblit and other Scouts take care of the others. With the Titans defeated, the Scouts made preparations for the base.

As that proceeds, Hange waves me over to her and Moblit. "Elijah, since I know you're dying to action, go with Moblit and see to it the other bases are taken care of. I wouldn't want you to sit here in boredom."

I smile. "Thanks, SC!" I ride off, slow enough for Moblit to hop on his horse and catch up.

"There are three more sites. Let's get to them."


Once we were done with that, we met up with Hange again, this time with Levi Squad alongside us. "Section Commander, we've completed the construction of all bases!"

"We'll join forces with you from here on… Since you can't do much on your own."

Moblit nods to the Lieutenant. "Lieutenant Levi, thank you so much!"

"The stage has been set," Hange announces. "It's time at last for my plan to capture a Titan to be put into action! With me!" We rode towards the north, spotting a group of Titans near the base placed there. Since I am riding by Hange, she turns to me, holding a cannon-like weapon. "This is a restraining gun, used to capture Titans. Now the small fry, they're easy, just shoot the gun and you're done. For the bigger guys, you need to dismember their legs, and their arms just to be safe. Don't worry about the regeneration time, they'll be well captured before those limbs return. But whatever you do, do try to capture some Titans for me."

"Yes, ma'am."

She points to the group of Titans we're approaching, specifically a small Titan. "That looks like an Abnormal. Moblit, Levi, leave the capturing to me and the recruit. Elijah, distract the Abnormal. I think we could capture that one, wouldn't you say? Be extremely careful, of course!"

"Alright!" While Moblit and the others fend off the Titans, I do my best to gain the attention of the Small Abnormal. That eventually leads me to cut its arm off, succeeding in gaining its attention. I hurry back to my horse, galloping at full speed as the Abnormal chases after me. Seconds later, I hear the booming sound of a cannon, then the rumbling of a large object colliding with the earth. I turn around, seeing Hange celebrate the first capture of the day around Moblit and Levi.

"We did it! A four-meter Titan is ours!"

"Congratulations, Section Commander! Our mission was successful!"

"Let's hurry up and get out of here."

"Yes… We can really do this! Next, I want one that's seven meters tall!"

Levi looks like he's about to burst a vein. "'Next'? Dammit, Four-Eyes!" We rode to the east, picking up the sight of a medium Abnormal and a few buddies. As before, the others took care of the Titans to be exterminated while I incapacitated Hange's target.

"The legs, the arms if necessary." I hop off my horse and burst towards the Abnormal. Now that it is relatively alone, I have more room to operate. It spots me as I approach, my hooks implanted on its thigh as I head between the knees. "Hiiiyah!" I swing my blades at once, taking out both legs in one move. I keep myself attached as the Titan falls, using the body to swing back around to my horse and Hange. She loads the restraining gun again and fires, making our capture count two.

"Yes! A seven-meter Titan is ours! Woohoo!" I join Hange, though I do not partake in the celebration. I look at the seven-meter Titan, somewhat praying this is the last one, somewhat dreading Hange wants a bigger prize.

"We did it, Section Commander."

"...I'm so done with this."


Our mission is complete after a round of fighting more Titans, I watch with Hange as the Scouts load up the two Titans we captured. It is...quite unusual for me to feel some sort of accomplishment from capturing the enemy, yet it is another victory in my book. "I can't believe we actually captured live Titans."

"Now I'll be able to carry out all the experiments I've been planning. I'll have to put a detailed plan together straight away. I wonder where I should start… Any ideas, Elijah?"

One idea comes to mind. "How about where they feel pain?"

I'm sure Hange missed my dark tone in her excitement in her response. "Yes. We need to see if they have other weak spots apart from the nape of the neck."

"Back of the head to the nape of the neck. Worst comes to worst, you can always just shove one up their ass."

"That's the other weak spot? Are you serious?"

Sasha seems to laugh at my joke, and she even plays along. "Wow, really? I didn't know that Elijah!"

"Come on. Knock it off, Everett. You want your final words to be an ass joke?"

I chuckle to myself as I recall another conversation about Titans having multiple weak spots. It would be interesting if the ass was a weak spot...Actually no. That...is not an entertaining thought.

"First of all, though, we need to gain some kind of mutual understanding," Hange continues uninterrupted."

"Understanding? From what I understand, the only thing that drives these monsters is the sole purpose of eating us, even though they gain nothing from it."

"Perhaps, but there are certain examples from history that suggest something more. We have a notebook left behind by a soldier called Ilse Langnar, for example. She wrote that she encountered a talking Titan! I'd like to ask these two about that. It's the perfect opportunity." She looks up to the sky, a small, seemingly sane smirk on her face. "If there's one thing Langnar's notes tell us for sure, it's that we're still very ignorant about the Titans. We have to keep trying to understand them more. Even if we don't learn much, anything's better than nothing. I believe that one day, research like this is what will allow humanity to turn the tables."

I look to Hange, admiring her dedication. I don't know how, but she convinced me. I never thought that learning more about Titans could indeed help us in the future. It seems logical, now that I think about it. Earlier, I was doing this just for Hange, but now...I guess there's more to the Scouts than just killing Titans and taking back our land. "...I'll do it."

"Hmm? Do what?"

"I'll do whatever I can to help you. I'm not totally with this research thing you have...but if turning the tide means more capturing than killing, then bring it on!"

"Section Commander!" We face the approaching Moblit. He looks hurried. "It's too dangerous to engage in a long debate here outside the Walls. We have to load the captured Titans onto a transport ASAP."

"OH! I haven't given them names yet! I totally forgot!"

I'm sorry...NAMES?!

"With all due respect, I don't think that's important right now." Hange ignores Moblit, running towards the loading Titans. I chuckle as I see sweat drop from Moblit's head. He turns to me. "You're holding up well with her."

"I'm just doing what I can, sir."

"You're a good kid, and an even better soldier."


As the days passed, I found myself assisting Hange with her experiments. At first, there was the attempt to communicate with the trapped Titans, stuck in place by nails and ropes.

"Hello," Hange says to the sitting four-meter Titan. It only groans and pants in response as it tries to get to Hange. This doesn't dissuade her. "How are you feeling?" I'm sure it feels great with all these ropes and nails with a human out of its reach it can't eat. "What's your name? Are you in pain?" The Titan, reacting to Hange's increasing closeness, tries more to reach her with its mouth. The other Scouts start to tense as well, enough for Moblit to warn Hange.

"Section Commander! You're too close."

"Hmm, maybe you don't feel like talking right now. Okay!" She steps away, much to everyone's relief, then heads over to the seven-meter Titan, held down on its belly. Much like the other, it reacts to Hange's close approach.

"Hello! Nice weather, isn't it? Are you hungry?" Apparently, it is, as it lunges towards Hange. The restraints hold it back, but that doesn't stop the heart-pumping reaction we all have. Hange, however, gets a thrill out of it. "Woah! That was close!"

Moblit, however, is such a stick in the mud. "Section Commander! That's too dangerous!" Hange might have ignored him, given that she took three steps closer to the Titan before it snapped its teeth at her again.

We gave up trying to communicate with the Titans, but Hange still had plans for them. First is naming them.

"Once upon a time, there was a tribe that ate humans. I'm not talking about you Titans. I'm talking about a human tribe. They hid in a cave, deep in the mountains, and attacked travelers on the road, stealing their valuables and eating their flesh."

Standing beside Moblit, I look at him in confusion. "What is she doing?"

The man sighs. "This is her naming ceremony. They're going to be named."

"...Oh."

"For twenty-five years, they kept this up. They say that there were more than five hundred victims in all. That's probably even more than the number of humans you've eaten. And they tried preparing them in a number of ways. They made steaks out of butts. Cut thighs into chunks for stew. They would chop up, knead, and bake the tougher flesh as mincemeat. They made sausage of the blood and organs. Yes, they were capable of cooking. That's one difference from you."

I feel my stomach reject the meal I had hours ago for lunch and the meal I'll have later tonight when I meet the others for dinner. My thoughts go to the foodie of our group, Sasha. I wonder what she would say if I recited this story to her.

"But that tribe of cannibals was captured after a single mistake, then executed. Just like you two. You made the mistake of attacking humanity, and you were captured. And so, I'd like to give you the names of the male heads of that tribe." She points to the smaller Titan first. "You're Sawney. You're Bean. But don't worry... I won't have you executed. Nice to meet you, Sawney. And you, Bean. Let's all be friends."

I lean over and whisper to Moblit. "I think Beanie would be better."

"Please don't encourage this."

Next, she tested blocking Sawney and Bean from sunlight to watch their activity. We knew that they use sunlight as a source of energy, almost like a plant uses it for photosynthesis, but we learned something still. Apparently, size matters in terms of activity in the day.

Hange holds up the lantern to Sawneys face. "How much time has passed?"

I look at the clock. "One hour."

"Seems Swaney is tiring out. Mm. You did great, Sawney. Good night. I'll see you tomorrow." We exit the tent and then head over to Bean's. We were there for quite some time, almost enough for me to fall asleep myself. I think I did because I felt Hange shaking me back into consciousness.

"Huh, oh, sorry."

"It's fine."

"How long has it been?"

She checks the time. "Two hours. You really like to stay up late, Bean. That's fine... I'll stay up with you." She turns to me, gesturing to the opening of the tent, I walk out, thanking Hange for letting me go to sleep.

Apparently, Bean lasted around three hours. Hange wanted to see how they would fare under prolonged removal of sunlight but feared they might die. The next set of experiments was more entertaining for me. She called it 'physical contact.' I call it torture. Too bad I couldn't take part.

I scowl as listen to Hange and Bean cry out. Bean is in pain, yes, but I don't understand why Hange is crying. Moblit doesn't either. "Section Commander! You don't need to scream too!"

"How can I not?! Look at how much Bean is suffering..." She removes the spear in Bean's right eye and aims for his left. "Bean, stay strong! Endure it!"

After she was done gouging Bean's eyes, she went to Sawney and stabbed his heart. "Sawney... Look, it's gone right into your heart. Doesn't it hurt? How does it feel?" Sawney, unlike Bean, just sits there like an idiot, breathing loudly.

I sigh to myself. "Maybe you should shove it up his ass SC."

Moblit turns to me, his eyes darkening. "Please don't give her any ideas." We watch as Sawney moves a bit and begins to make a noise, which excites Hange.

"What? What's wrong?" I watch in horror as Sawney nearly bites Hange's head off.

"Section Commander! Please get back!" This time I agree with him. That was way too close. However, our dear Hange starts having a laughing fit.

"That was really close, Sawney!"

"At this rate, you'll really die!"


I returned to our headquarters from a mission alongside Section Commander Miche's squad, the man himself, a woman named Nanaba, and a man named Gelgar. They're not as eccentric as the Levi Squad but they're just as effective on the battlefield. Well, the only eccentric one in the squad is their leader, Miche.

I was on my way to report to Section Commander Hange when a familiar man stopped me in my tracks and started...sniffing me?! I take a couple of steps back with a dumbfounded look. "Section Commander Miche, What are you...!?"

"...Yeah, you still smell the same as before. There's something different about you compared to the others, Everett."

That's right, I remember my mission with Hange to capture those Titans. Miche started sniffing the air and next thing you know, he knew exactly where the Titans were. I still hope that Titans don't truly smell like bacon, as Miche told me. "What do you mean, sir?"

"You... You've got some kind of special ability or skill, haven't you?"

"You mean like a hidden talent, sir?"

"Something like that. Looks like you're not even aware of it yourself, though. Well, whatever it is could be useful for fighting the Titans. Like my sense of smell... I wanna find out just what you can do. One of these days, I want you to come along with my squad on a mission."

Wait, first I fight alongside Levi's squad, then I personally get picked out by Hange, now Section Commander Miche wants me to join him on a mission too? Either I have good luck or I've really impressed the scouts. "If it's not too much of an inconvenience for you and your squad, sir."

"It's not. You're a fascinating soldier, and I want to know what you can do. If you're gonna make a career out of being a soldier, you need to find out what your strong points are. I'm gonna figure out what your special talent is one way or another."

Looks like I'm in for a treat, at least I think.

"Everett, before we move on, I want to test something with you."

I raise an eyebrow. "Yes, sir?"

Miche looks to Nanaba and Gelgar. "Nanaba, Gelgar, I want you guys to do the same thing as Everett."

The woman speaks up first. "Is this still about that 'special ability' you've been obsessed with in this cadet?" The man known as Gelgar adds in. "You've been at this for a while! Even pushing the kid beyond his limits during your little 'one-on-one training session.'"

Gelgar is not wrong about that. Miche has been training with me one-on-one in order to find what 'special ability' I have, or if I even have one, to begin with. Nanaba and Gelgar even started assisting with the commander once they realized what Miche was up to with me. They expressed their concerns, but I honestly think I'm learning a lot. Even if I don't have a special ability, I know I'm growing better as a soldier.

"Everett, I want you to listen to the noise out here, then tell me what's being said."

"...Is this a joke, sir?"

"No joke. Nanaba, Gelgar, I want you to do the same thing. Listen, and tell me what everyone's saying."

"Huh? Why do we have to do it as well?"

"There's a method to his madness, I guess. Let's just go with it."

So the three of us spend the next few minutes listening to people around us. I can hear distinct conversations between a few soldiers, mostly about how much of a pain in the ass their superiors are, or how much their job sucks. I don't understand the point of why the Section Commander is making us do this. I have a feeling we'll get a proper explanation soon.

"Argh! My head!" Gelgar blurts out. "It's killing me to concentrate so hard! Have you got what you need yet, Miche."

"Yeah, with you guys as a comparison, it's clear. I know what Everett's special ability is now... Super-human hearing. The ability to hear minute sounds."

"Huh?"

"Even if you're right about that Miche, it's not much use in battle against the Titans, is it?"

"I wouldn't be so sure. It's a skill we could definitely use."

Has my hearing...actually been useful in battle? I try and think back to any point in my training or any of the missions I've been on, until one specific moment comes to mind. "Wait, I think he may be right," I interject. "It's a little hard to explain, but in battle, I tend to immediately recognize certain sounds. Mostly the sounds of my friends."

"What do you mean?" Gelgar asks.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

That voice. I turn to my left to see my assumption to be true. That voice I heard belonged to Sasha, in the clutches of a medium-class Titan. If I abandon Eren, he'll be at a higher risk of being swarmed by the Titans and humanity can't afford that risk. But...

"Sasha!" I don't even hesitate to make my decision. Eren has Mikasa and Armin to protect him, as well as the elites, but Sasha needs me, and I can't lose one more friend today. I attach my hooks to the monster's left shoulder and flip in the air multiple times to gather enough momentum to cut its arm off. I succeed, and the monster drops Sasha. I turn myself around and eject my blades. Using enough of my gas, I quickly projected myself to catch her before she could make contact with the ground. I forget about finishing off the Titan, instead, I focus on getting Sasha somewhere safe. I land ourselves on a rooftop, away from any more Titans. "Sasha, are yo-"

The girl barely lets me get a word out before she throws herself onto me, hugging me tightly. "Elijah! you... you..."

Sasha couldn't even finish, as her voice started to break. I know what she wants to say to me, but my only concern is that she's safe. I may have not been able to save Thomas...or Mina... But I did save her. "Sasha, can you move?"

Sasha releases her hold from me, wiping away some tears. "Y-Yes. I can move."

"Good. Get yourself to the top of the Walls. I still need to protect Eren."

"Right." I grab new blades from my scabbards and begin to walk off, but I feel a grip on my arm before I make it far. "Elijah..."

I turn around to the young redhead. "Yeah?"

"Thank you," Sasha says with a few tears still in her eyes and the brightest smile I've ever seen from her.

I nod and smile back. "If you ever need me, I'm there, Sasha."

"Back in Trost, If I didn't hear my friend, she would've..." I clench my fists at the thought.

"Wow, I guess your 'ability' has potential after all."

"Either way," Miche adds. "We've figured it out at least. Now you need to think of other ways to put it to use."

"Yes, sir."

"Elijah!" I turn to whoever called my name, seeing Moblit run up to the group. He stops beside me, but at seeing Miche, he salutes. "Section Commander Zacharius!"

"What happened?"

"The test subjects... The two Titans we've captured... They've both been killed."

Miche, Gelgar, and Nanaba look unaffected, but I'm shocked. "What? How? Who did it?"

"We don't know yet. By the time the guards noticed anything, the culprit was long gone. Using ODM gear."

Miche nods. "So it was a soldier? Hm... How's Hange taking it?"

Moblit sighs. "It'll take her a while to get over it, I think."

"You hope you mean."


I rush over with Moblit to the Titan Research Center, just as Hange walks into the area. A crowd surrounds us, but what draws all of our attention is the sizzling sound of decaying Titan bones. Once Hange got a good look it it, she goes hysterical. "Ahhhhhh! Sawney! Bean! This can't be real... Tell me this isn't real!"

I stand alongside Moblit to my left, and to my right, I notice a few familiar faces, them being Captain Levi, Petra, Eren, and Ouro. There were also the other two members of the Levi squad but I don't remember their names. Gunther and... Eld, i think? But i don't give a damn what their names are right now.

"Look... Section Commander Hange's gone nuts." Ouro says with that same stupid look he always has, adding to the anger I'm already feeling. Not wanting to hear any more bullshit out of him, I elbow him in his left side. I guess I wasn't the only one tired of his loud mouth since Petra did the same thing to his right.

I step closer to Hange, who's still losing it at the loss of her experiments, or 'friends' as she probably would say. "Sawney! Bean!"

I tighten my fists in anger. Who could have done this? Who would do this? There's a traitor in our midst, someone who wouldn't want Hange to learn about the Titans. But who?

I sense footsteps approaching from behind. I turn to face Eren, looking at the scene unfold with confused eyes. "What is this?"

"Hell if I know..."

"Let's go." Captain Levi orders Eren. "It's up to the Military Police now."

"R-Right..."

Levi leaves, but Eren remains beside me. I feel another set of footsteps from behind us. I turn my head slightly to come face-to-face with Commander Erwin as he places his hands on mine and Eren's shoulders, while looking at the scene with dark, questioning eyes. "What do you see? What do you think the enemy is?"

While Eren has no idea what to say, I answer for both of us. "I do not know, sir."

"No" Erwin looks away, taking a moment to think about my answer, I think. He sighs afterward, taking a step forward towards Hange. "I'm sorry to ask something so odd."

Eren and I watch him leave, our confusion boggling our minds. Commander... What exactly do you mean?