845-847

Keith Shadis retired from the Survey corps not long after the wall fell and got a new job training new military recruits. He also visited Carla. Carla politely declined his offer for monetary support but she expressed nothing but gratefulness to have one of her old friends back, especially after losing her legs, husband, and parents in one day.

In the two years since the fall of Wall Maria (one year following the culling of Wall Rose) Eren, Krista, Mikasa, and Carla have grown as a family (as well as Armin, who has been unofficially adopted). All of them did their part to help their crippled mother when they weren't working in the fields, while Carla did the best she could to support her family at the small shelter they were provided using disability checks. Krista also got a job at the shelter to help provide for her fellow refugees, but the young girls talents were best suited to tending the fields and raising the animals.

Ever since the royal government made their announcement regarding how to identify a Titan-Shifter, Eren has been suspiciously watching everyone he meets. He would always look at people's hands and feet in the field to see if they would release steam if they bled. Eren himself was brushed or cut in the field many times but just bled normally. Although, he could occasionally hear a tiny voice in his head:

"Dont heal, dont heal".

Over the years, all the children grew healthy and strong (although Krista and Armin remained pretty small). In 847, Eren was officially of age to enlist in the military. He enlisted despite his mother's protest, followed by Mikasa and then Armin, while Krista stayed behind to help support Carla and their fellow refugees.

"Keith, there is nothing I can do to convince Eren otherwise," Carla tells Keith, as they sit at a bar together having drinks.

By this time, Keith has lost all of his hair and his eyes have become sunken, though Carla remains as beautiful as ever.

"But when he enlists in the military you will be his commander. So, you will be training him to be a scout."

"I will be training him to be a soldier," Keith tells Carla. "If he chooses to become a scout that is his decision. Did you want me to reject his application, Carla?"

Carla sighs. "No, I can't do that to my son. He's dead set on this and if he finds out I sabotaged him then he will resent me. I just…really needed to talk to someone about this." Carla takes a sip of her drink.

"I imagine that Grisha would be fully supportive of Eren," Keith says. "He was always taking Eren to see the scouts return. He called us the greatest people in the walls."

"Did he?" Carla asks. She sighs.

"I can promise you this, Carla. If he fails, I will not hesitate to remove him from the military. He would not last long anyway."

"Thank you, Keith."

'And I will make sure Eren never knows we had this conversation,' Keith mentally adds.

847

Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie are working in the fields. Both have grown much since they first broke through the walls. Reiner has grown taller and started to develop his muscle mass. Bertolt shot up taller than him, as he always was. Annie, through still small, was developing into the figure of a young woman. A beautiful yet deadly one.

"So not a single member of his family has died thirteen years apart? You're sure?" Bertolt asks as he helps Reiner remove a stump.

"Positive," says Annie. "And we all know the current king has been on the throne for far longer than thirteen years."

"I see," Reiner says as he works to remove a stump with Bertolt. "As we thought that King Fritz is just a decoy."

"It's not just the old man," Annie says. "The whole family is a sham. They're just puppets with no real power of their own. They're probably not even Subjects of Ymir. The one's controlling the interior are probably non-Eldians or Eldians of another lineage that buttered up to the king a hundred years ago."

"The real king must have let them rule in exchange for their silence since they were unable to have their memories altered by the Founding Titan," Reiner deduces.

"But surely they must be connected with the real king somehow," Bertolt says. "So, let's infiltrate them."

"How?" Annie asks.

"We need to enlist as soldiers," Reiner says. "And get close to the Military Police. They are the only ones close enough to the king and the only people from the other walls that can walk within the interior freely."

Annie kicks a stone. "I know you guys don't want to hear it from me, but even this small sliver of information took two whole years to get."

"And in the meantime, we've been pulling tree roots," Reiner muses. "Because you're the only one who can co into the capital and back."

"We have ten years left," Annie reminds him. "You really think we should spend those ten years playing soldier?"

Reiner internally sighs. Nothing about this is happening as he thought it would when we was a kid. He curses his child self for being so naïve. He really thought that he could just show up on the island, break down a few walls, fight he king and crush the devils then go home a hero. There are times that Reiner even questions if that last part is really worth it, considering that most of the people he's met have been rather friendly and civilized. Sure, there were a few jerks, but home was the same. Overall, the "devils" of this island acted like…actual people (in other words, the exact opposite of what he was raised to believe they are like). But Reiner knew that Marley would demand that he kill them all anyway, so every night he refreshes himself with the sins of Eldia's past to remind himself that they need to pay for it.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Reiner asks Annie.

Annie is silent.

"Come on," Reiner says. "Were old enough to enlist here and training only takes a few years to complete. What do we have to lose?"

Annie and Bertolt exchange glances. Neither has anything to argue against that.

Meanwhile, Krista Lenz-Jaeger is handing out food rations for the underprivileged refugees. She hands each begging hand a loaf of bread and water before moving on to the next one. She greets every face she sees with a smile. Today is her first day, so she is trying to make a good first impression on the people who need her help.

She hands a piece of bread to a tall and freckled girl with slightly darker skin. She had seen that girl looking at her as she made her rounds, but she wasn't sure why.

"Here you go," Krista says. The girl examines the bread. "I'm sorry, that is all we can give you right now. But I think I heard there will be a vegetable stew soon." The girl doesn't say anything. "My name is Krista, what's your name?"

"Ymir," the girl answers.

"Ymir? That's a nice name."

"God given, you could say," Ymir says. "I wanna know why you act like this."

Krista is confused. "Act like what?"

"Every other worker here is courteous and does their job. But you seem to be making an extra effort to be nice," Ymir says.

"Well, you need it," Krista states.

"I'm getting the feeling that you're just making an effort to be nice."

"Huh…?"

"You always give a big smile. You always ask if we need anything more. Also, your supposed to be on your break now."

"I…"

"Krista!" one of the other workers shouts. "I need you to take care of something for me!"

"She's on her break!" Ymir shouts.

"Coming!" yells Krista.

Ymir grabs her hand before she can walk away.

"Just be careful not to let anyone take advantage of you," Ymir says. "Trust me, that is not what real care is built on and it will just end up biting you in the ass."

Krista hears the freckled girls' words. She thinks about what she said and about some of the things that Eren would tell her whenever she was acting, as he described, "creepy". She feels her tummy rumble, and she wonders if she could take a break and eat first.

"Krista! Help!" the worker yells again.

Ymir pulls Krista in.

"In half an hour!" Ymir yells. "After she has her lunch."

"…Ugh, ok," the other worker says.

Krista looks up at the freckled girl and Ymir winks at her.

"Oh, and by the way, I think your way too cute to be working in this dump," Ymir says.

A Few Months Later,

Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie have been part of the 104th training corps for some time now. The instructor, Keith Shadis, is intimidating but neither of them were unfamiliar with harsh instructors. Thanks to their previous military training they are able to complete their drills without too much effort. They have already placed themselves at the top of the class, which pleases Reiner as only the top ten graduates are allowed to become members of the Military Police so they just have to keep it up. Thankfully, they were able to get away with faulty records because of the falling of the walls. The superiors attempted to draw out shifters by requiring "Blood tests", involving the pricking of their fingers. But thankfully they were able to will their bodies not to heal as fast or release any steam.

Now, Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie stand amongst the new recruits as Shadis gives them their "initiations". You know, building them up and tearing them back down. Fun stuff.

Among them is a boy named Marco who voices his desire to serve the king but seems friendly enough. A boy named Jean who shamelessly states that he wants to be a MP solely for comfortable living for himself. A boy with a shaved head named Connie that is hazed by Shadis for giving the salute wrong. And a girl named Sasha, who is bold (or stupid) enough to eat a potato she stole from the kitchen during the initiation. That scene makes Reiner and everyone else gawk at her in shock. Shadis tells her to either run until the sun went down or go without dinner that night as punishment. She chooses the latter and now is known as Potato-Girl.

Other recruits that catch Reiner's interest are a trio from Shiganshina (the very district that Bertolt and Reiner broke through). There is Armin, a small but smart blonde who seemed to exchange recognizable glances with Annie when they saw each other at the initiation. Then there is Mikasa. Reiner was quite surprised to see a girl of Asian descent in Paradis. While it is known that Hizuru is one of Paradis' allies, they meet in the formers country, and no one is allowed entrance to this island. But he and his friend figure that she is one of those non-Eldian descendants. For some reason she insists on wearing a red scarf in the middle of summer, but she is presented as an aloof and dedicated soldier. The scary look on her face reminds Reiner and Bertolt of Annie, and Reiner has already dubbed her Dark-Haired-Annie in his mind. Then, who Reiner is most interested in, is the person that Mikasa seems strangely attached too, Eren Jaeger. That boy with dark hair and intense green eyes who out of all the devils seems most eager to fight. Reiner also thought that if was strange that he has the same last name as his fellow warrior Zeke, but he figures that they could just be distant cousins or more likely just from two different families with the same name.

Reiner watches as Eren recounts seeing the Colossal Titan from a crowd of curious recruits.

"How big was it, really?" asks Samuel.

"Big enough to look over the wall," Eren replies.

"What!? I heard it stepped over the wall!"

"Me too!" shouts Hannah.

"That's what they said in my village too!" shouts Franz.

Reiner internally rolls his eyes. It was just like people to over-exaggerate like that.

'I'm not even sure if the Founder is THAT big,' Reiner thinks. 'Of course, his and the others mission would probably been over by now if THAT was the case.'

"No, it wasn't that big," says Eren.

"What did it look like?" Mina asks.

"It had a huge mouth, and almost no skin."

"What about the Armored Titan that broke through the wall!?"

Eren shrugs. "That's what people call it, but it looked like a normal Titan to me."

Reiner just drinks form his mug, not showing any emotion.

'A normal Titan? Is he blind? Maybe he didn't get a good look at me from the boat. It's amazing through, just a few years ago hearing that would have sent me into a frenzy.'

"T-Then what are ordinary Titans like?" asks Samuel.

"It doesn't matter," Eren says. "They can be easily taken down with Titan-rifles. Hell, even swords and ODM gear work on them."

"But they were people like us once," Mina says sadly.

Eren scoffs. "Most of them were criminals who deserved to die anyway. And the ones that aren't were dying anyway." Eren glares at the table. "It's a terrible fate, but Marley forced the government to do that to them. Those sea-shell bastards have been threatening our existence for a hundred years and then they sent those monsters to kill us for them. I almost lost my mom, and now she's crippled for life. That's why I'm here. I'm going to join the Scouts and raze that shitty country to the ground."

Reiner's eyes are dead set on the boy, as the others around them gasp and whisper amongst themselves.

'That drive. That hate and fire. It reminds me so much of my youth. Had Eren been born in Marley he would have been an ideal Warrior candidate. But now he's the one I probably have to keep the closest eye on.'

Jean laughs. "Are you crazy? Did you really just say you want to join the scouts and fight Marley?"

"Yeah, that's right," Eren says. "Someone needs to do something before they kill us."

"Were developing weapons for that. The scouts won't even be a thing soon enough."

"At least I want to help my country instead of wanting an easy life," Eren snarls.

Jean shrugs. "I'm just honest, is all."

Eren stands up and yells. "Unless your one of those Marleyan Titan-Shifters! Trying to weasel your way into the interior to spy on the king, is that it?"

'No, that's me,' Reiner thinks. 'And he reminds me A LOT of my kid self now. I must remember to apologize to Porco when I see him again.'

"Are you an idiot?" Jean asks, not even taking his accusation seriously. "I would have had to be twelve at the time. No one in their right mind would give kids the ability to become Titans and make them soldiers."

'Except that children are easier to manipulate,' Reiner thinks. 'And they likely don't want us living long enough to have more kids.'

"You know what I think?" Jean asks Eren. "I think that your just some loser who acts tough but is actually scared shitless."

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" Eren yells.

Marco gets between them. "Stop! Come on now!" he yells. The bell rings immediately, breaking the tension.

"Whatever, I'm sorry," Jean says in a tone that indicates he doesn't actually mean it. "I didn't mean to dismiss you. Let's call it even with this."

Jean extends his hand and Eren shakes it, but his tone and expression indicates that he is no more sincere. "Yeah, I'm sorry too."

Eren walks away and Mikasa goes to join him. Jean immediately notices the Asian girl and becomes flustered. Reiner watches with disinterest as Jean tries to compliment Mikasa's hair, which she simply sys "thanks" too before leaving to join Eren. Jean follows them (really Mikasa) outside, and Reiner wonders how he would have reacted to Pieck if she had been sent here.

Annie sits apart from Reiner and Bertolt as she watches the exchange. She decided that she would keep her distance from Reiner and Bertolt in public in case one of them came off as suspicious to prevent anything from being traced to the rest. As she hears one guys suspicious rants, one though crosses her mind.

'Idiot.'

She catches someone approaching out of the corner of her eye. She looks up and sees the familiar blonde boy looking at her. Armin, she believes his name is.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Armin asks.

"Sure," Annie says, not caring.

Armin sits down. "Annie, right? You look familiar, have we met before?"

"You look familiar too," Annie says. "But I don't think we have. Armin, was it?"

"Armin Arlert."

"Yes..I think that name is vaguely familiar," Annie says. "I'm Annie Leonhart."

Annie extends her hand and Armin shakes it.

"You did well in training today," Armin says.

"Yeah, I came in last season, so I already went through training," Annie says. "Also, I have some prior experience. Being taught by my dad, I mean. You looked like you were struggling though."

Armin rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm just glad that I was able to pass and that I haven't been sent home yet. I guess I'm not completely weak."

Annie smirks a little.

"Just barely passing isn't enough if you want to move forward through," Annie says. "If I were you I would start doing exercises on your own. Build some muscle and endurance. Maybe practice your drills."

"Oh, thank you," Armin says.

Annie looks at Eren as he shakes Jeans hand and walk away with Mikasa, causing the latter to stutter and run after her like a eager puppy.

"Your firend is kind of a idiot," Annie says.

"Yeah, Eren can be a bit hot headed," Armin says. "But I admire his drive. We hope to one day see the rest of the world together."

"You mean the world that hates us?" Annie asks, eye raised.

"I know it will be scarry, but it's worth seeing," Armin says. "How will things get better if we just hide in these walls all our lives?" When Armin says this, Annie is suddenly reminded of the boy she met when she first arrived at the walls. "Besides, I know that Erne wants to get out more than anything. We've been best friends our whole lives, and he and his family are basically all I have after the culling took my grandfather.

"Hmmm. Well…in that case. I wish you luck," Annie says. "I for one intend on joining the Military Police so me and my dad can have a good life. But good for you."

"Thank you."

Neither Armin nor Annie see Bertolt spying on them from another table. His eyes are focused on Annie while occasionally glancing at Armin.

The Next Day…

Sasha had been found that morning passed out and laying on the ground after running. Shadis barely gave her time to get cleaned up and eat breakfast before joining the rest of the recruits for Omni Directional Maneuver gear training. Shadis told the new recruits that they would be tested for their aptitude and joked that those who fail wouldn't even be considered bait.

Reiner internally chuckled at that, and now he is demonstrating his use of the ODM gear effortlessly. Reiner considers the ODM gear one of Paradis' most impressive pieces of technology aside from air travel. It was difficult for him to get used to at first, but he found his balance.

He looks around at all the other recruits, they all have various levels of success. Connie and jean struggle but manage, while Sasha isn't too bothered at all. But Reiner's eyes widen when he sees Mikasa. The new recruit who has never used this before yet is balancing effortlessly and perfectly.

"Observe," Keith tells the other recruits, complimenting Mikasa. "Completely steady. She intuitively knows what she's supposed to do. That's what aptitude is all about."

'I can only imagine how proficient she will be with more training,' Reiner thinks, a little intimidated. 'I can already imagine her tearing my Titan apart with those hand-operated missiles the devils call Thunderspears.'

"It looks like we have many talented trainees this year," Shadis says.

"Uh, what about him?" Sasha asks, pointing at Eren.

Reiner internally chuckles when he sees him. Eren Jaeger, the boy who was boasting yesterday about how he would join the scouts and destroy Marley, was dangling upside down. Completely failing to use the ODM gear, looking like a complete idiot. Everyone else laughed and whispered amongst themselves while Shadis knelt to eye level.

"What the hell are you doing, Jaeger!? Raise your upper body! I told you before that I wasn't going to give you a pass just because I know your mom!"

A part of Reiner considers laughing himself, but he suddenly has flashbacks to his own time as a warrior candidate. How he continually ranted about wanting to be a great warrior and beat the island devils, only to continuously come in last for every exercise. But unlike him it doesn't seem that Eren will have anyone pulling strings to make sure he stays.

Later, Reiner sits with Bertolt at dinner the table. They can see Eren talking with Armin and Mikasa, likely about how he needs to improve, but they can barely hear them over the rest of the noise in the room. Annie sits behind them to it doesn't look like she is part of their conversation.

"I'm concerned about Mikasa," Reiner says. "She's already proficient with the gear that that was one of the hardest things to master."

"Relax, their swords still can't break through your armor or get through my steam," Bertolt says. "As skilled as she may be, she's only human. Well devil, but still."

"I don't know about that," Annie says. "While I was in the interior, I heard rumors about them working on blades that are supposed to be able to break through Titan crystal."

"There are also their Thunderspears," says Reiner. "And that's in addition to all their Anti-Titan guns. Hell, they have gun swords for God's sake."

"Which means that we can't just turn into Titans and tear up the place," says Annie. "We need to be strategic. But at least some of them are going home, like Eren. If he goes then his girlfriend will likely go along with him. And I imagine Armin will too if he can't stay with his friends. So that's three less soldiers to worry about."

Reiner remembers the last words that Porco said to him before he was eaten by a Titan.

"Reiner, I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to be chosen as a warrior. I talked you up and criticized Porco to our superiors. I influenced their decision. I wanted to protect my brother, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I guess it's a good thing," Reiner agrees.

Sometime later, Reiner watches as Eren pleads with Jean and Connie for tips on how to use the ODM gear. As more and more flashbacks of his training days flood Reiner's mind, he tries to push any sympathy he feels for the devil out of his head. While simultaneously trying to remind himself that Eren is a devil.

'He wants to destroy your country,' Reiner tells himself. 'He said so. Don't feel sorry for him.'

"You're asking me for tips?" Connie smugly asks Eren. "Sorry, I'm just naturally gifted. All I can say is you gotta feel it."

"How about you give me a tip?" Jean mockingly asks. "How to stay sane after completely humiliating yourself."

Reiner has another flashback. 'What's your strong point?' Porco asks him. "Your strength? Your brains? Your aim? Combat ability?'

"Didn't you say yesterday that the untalented should just leave?" Jean asks Eren.

"If anyone's the worst, it's you." Porco told him when he was twelve.

Reiner grunts as he tries to push those old memories out of his head.

"You ok?" Bertolt asks.

"I'm fine," Reiner says.

Then his heart races when he sees Eren approaching with Armin, really hoping that he isn't going to ask what he thinks he is going to as. The last thing he needs is to help an Island Devil so he can fight against Marley.

"Please!" Eren begs him and Bertolt. "I heard both of you are really good! Bertolt! Reiner!"

Reiner scowls and crosses his arms as he tries to steel himself.

"Sorry, but I don't think there's really a trick to hanging still. I don't think I can give you any real helpful advice either."

Eren looks at him dejected, and Reiner knows that his intention was successful.

"I guess we'll have to hope for the best tomorrow," Armin says. He turns around to leave but Bertolt asks him a question.

"Um…You two are from Shiganshina, aren't you?"

Reiner isn't sure what Bertolt is doing. Curiosity maybe? But it makes Armin turns around and keeps him and Eren from leaving. But Reiner decides to play along.

"Yeah, we are," Armin says.

"Then you should know first-hand how terrifying Titans are. So why are you trying to become soldiers?" Reiner asks.

"Unlike Eren, I didn't witness the Titan threat with y own eyes," Armin says. "It's just I decided I couldn't just sit here and do nothing after the royal government forced people into that awful retrieval operation."

'Annie did say that he was motivated to be here party for Eren, since he doesn't have much else after the culling.'

"Yes…That was quite awful of the government to do all things considered," Reiner says.

"I lost my grandpa to it," Armin says, looking down sadly. "He was my only family I had left."

"D-did your parents die when the wall fell?" Bertolt asks, sounding guilty.

"No, my parents were Titanized long before that," Armin says.

"But he wasn't your only family, Armin," Eren says. "You still had me, and Mikasa, and my mom, and Krista. If only the damn Titans hadn't crippled my mom though!"

"Whose Krista?" Reiner asks.

"Oh, my sister," Eren says. "Well, she's not actually my sister. She's my sister the same way Mikasa is. My dad brought her home around the time the wall fell and we just got stuck with her after he vanished. But she's a sweet girl. A little weird about trying to be nice sometimes, but sweet."

Reiner thinks about Eren's mother in wheelchair, because of the Titans apparently. He wonders if her legs were crushed from debris from the wall, or if a scout sliced a Titans neck just as it was about to bite her in half. Either way he feels a bit of sympathy for Eren. He also thinks about what Eren said regarding his dad. On how he just disappeared from his family. Reiner is feeling like he has more in common with him than he wants to know.

"Wait, Mikasa is your adoptive sister?" Bertolt asks, with a bit of disgust.

"Yeah…"

"I thought she was like your girlfriend or something! She is very clingy with you!"

"Yeah, she's always been overprotective of me," Eren says. "I'm annoyed by it, but she did help rescue mom after she was trapped under our roof when the Titans came so I can't complain anymore. So, what about you two?"

Reiner and Bertolt exchange looks. Bertolt then recites their cover story, the same one that the man that killed himself told them. He got all the way to saying he didn't remember what was happening until Reiner decided to stop it.

"Hey, why are you suddenly bringing' that up for?" Reiner asks.

"Anyway," Bertolt says to Eren and Armin. "My point is that you guys are different from them."

"Them?"

"The people who have never experienced the true horrors of life. The horrors of war."

"Mikasa lifted a roof off my mother with her own two hands," Eren says. "And were developing new technology every day. We survived up until now. Whatever horrors we face, we will get through them. And I want to be strong enough to do so!"

"Eren…" Reiner starts. "You remind me…so much of me when I was a kid. So much its scarry." Reiner turns around. "Come on. Let's go someplace private?"

"Private?" Bertolt asks.

"Outside the base."

"I don't think were allowed to do that," Armin says.

"Well then, don't tell Shadis then." Reiner looks at Eren. "He himself said he won't give you a pass just because he knows your mom."

After several minutes, Reiner and Bertolt are leading Eren and Armin outside through the forest. They are lighting their way with some flashlights.

"So Bertolt, what do you mean people are only there to protect their own interests?" Armin asks.

"Your seen as a coward if you choose industrial work when you turn twelve," Bertolt explains. "Society has pushed them into becoming trainees."

Reiner looks down. It has become more and more common to be called a coward in Liberio if you don't enroll in the Warrior program. One of the reasons he was motivated to help his family and be seen as a hero. Although that doesn't mean what Bertolt is saying isn't true regarding the society of the walls.

"I'm no different. I enrolled to join the Military police so I could live safely in the Interior. If that doesn't happen, I might just give up entirely." Bertolt says, using the excuse they came up with to cover their true reasons. "I don't have a free will of my own, you see."

"There is no shame in valuing your own life," Armin says.

Reiner can imagine his younger self calling Armin a coward and saying that is expected as a self-serving devil. But now he just wants to keep is moth shut. Until they reach the edge where the moonlight shines down at the land and trees below. It is a beautiful sight.

Reiner absorbs Bertolt's words, and the view. This place he once deemed an island of devils was filled with as much beauty as they is pain. He expected this place to be a hell hole which he would have to be on constant guard to survive on. But the people didn't look or act like devils. Most of them didn't talk about wanting to trample the world or rebuild the empire. And even if they remembered the past he couldn't imagine many of the ones he's met like Connie or Sasha rejoicing at their ancestor's bloodshed. But Reiner tries to push those through's out of his head the best he can. He thinks about his family waiting back home in Liberio. How they will be punished by Marley if he fails in his mission. It doesn't matter what the people of this island are like. He made his path in life, and he has to follow down it. No matter the cost.

"I intend to join the Military police too, just to help my family have a better life," Reiner says, truthfully. "But I don't intend to stay there forever myself. I miss the home I came from before the wall fell. It wasn't perfect, but it was mine." Reiner can see Eren staring at him amazed through his peripheral vision and turns to face him. "I'm going back to the hometown we lost. That's all I care about now. I will do it, no matter what."

Reiner can't get over how Eren is looking at him, like he's some sort of great figure. He never imagined a devil looking at him like that.

"I…I have to fight Marley!" Eren states. "I have to slaughter them before they slaughter us!"

Reiner wants to argue against that. But a part of him also wishes that his commanders would just let some of the least devilish people live if he put in a good word for them. Though he highly doubts that will happen.

"So, your encounter with the Titan-Shifters didn't break you?" Reiner asks.

"No," Eren says. "For now, I'm just worried about becoming a soldier."

'He has drive, I'll give him that,' Reiner thinks. His emotions and sense of pity (self-projection it might be) gets the better of him. 'I could get reported for this. Whatever, he might still fail anyway.'

"Start off by readjusting your belt," Reiner tells Eren. "You'll do just fine tomorrow."

"Reiner?" Bertolt asks confused.

"Eren Jaeger, was it?"

"Yeah, thanks. Your Reiner Braun, right?"

Reiner smiles and nods. Eren pats Reiner's shoulder.

"Thank you."

"We should head back," Armin says.

As they make their way back to the base, Bertolt walks beside Reiner.

"Are you sure about this?" he asks.

"Eren might fail anyway," Reiner says, thinking of excuses. "We have to build trust so that HE of all people doesn't see us as suspicious. Let's just act friendly for now."

"I saw him talking to Annie earlier?" Bertolt says. "Armin, I mean. Apparently, they met before when the wall first fell."

"So?" Reiner asks.

"Annie seemed strangely casual around him."

"I'm sure it's nothing," Reiner says. "And Bertolt, maybe you should confess to Annie."

Bertolt blushes. "I don't know what you mean."

Reiner sighs. "Never mind."

The Next Day,

Reiner watches eagerly along with the rest of the rectuits as Eren attempts to keep his balance on the ODM gear, again. If he fails, he will be sent home a failure. He knows that Armin and Mikasa are hoping that he will succeed. Annie and Bertolt are likely hoping that he will fail. Reiner, he knows he should hope for one, but half of him hopes for the other.

Reiner's eyes widen as Eren manages to keep himself upright. His heart races, his breathing heightens. A part of him actually feels proud of Eren. Then a few seconds later he falls.

"No! Not yet! I can still do it!" Eren yells.

Reiner sighs in disappointment seeing Eren dangle upside down, looking like he is about to cry. Shadis tells the cadets to let Eren down, and Eren is lowered to the ground a look of hopelessness on his face that Reiner knows too well. Reiner glances between him, Mikasa, and Armin, looking at their saddened expressions.

'Eren…Oh well, one less soldier to worry about. Or maybe three less. It's for the best.'

"Wagner, exchange belts with Jaeger," Shadis tells Thomas.

"Y-Yes sir!" Thomas says, taking off his belt.

Reiner isn't sure what the commander is thinking. Until Eren using the other belt and balances himself effortlessly. Reiner's eyes widen at Eren's excited expression, and he looks back at Shadis, who is inspecting Eren's gear.

"Your equipment was defective," Shadis says to Eren. "The belt you were using had a broken clasp. I've never heard of this part breaking before. I guess we'll have to add it to the maintenance checklist."

"Even with broken equipment I still managed to hang on a few seconds?" one of the cadets asks shocked.

"Whoa!" says another.

'Yes, he did,' Reiner thinks. 'I'm proud of him. Wait, no, this is a problem. This is a problem…'

"Then what about my aptitude evaluation?" Eren asks Shadis.

"You pass," Shadis tells him. "Train hard!"

Reiner watches as Eren throws his hands up in the air and cheers, so happy. And he can't help but let a small smile creep up on his face as well.

"Looks like things worked out for him," Reiner says, trying not to show emotion.

"His eyes say: "What do you think of that?"" Armin says.

"No," Mikasa says. "He feels relieved that he doesn't have to leave me now."

'I'm not sure about that, Mikasa," Reiner thinks. "Well, congratulations. Eren Jaeger. You're now a soldier of Paradis.'

A Few Days Later,

Carla is at the living space that the government provided her and Krista. It is a small space, but it has every basic necessity that they need to live. She does the dishes while talking to Eren on the phone and Krista eats rice and fish. The hearing piece is turned to its highest and laying on the counter so that both females can hear him as they work.

"And after I changed my belt I was able to use the ODM gear just fine!" Eren exclaims on the other end.

"So, you passed then," Carla says, a little disappointed. "I'm happy for you, Eren. I guess you can go through with being a soldier."

"Yeah, sorry mom. But I'm not stopping now," Eren says. "Although some of the assholes here are better than others. Before I found out that a part of my gear was broken, I tried asking for help and no one did a thing!"

"They were probably mad because you accused some of them of being spies," Mikasa's voice says.

"…Yes, thank you, Mikasa," Eren grumbles. "But there was one guy that helped."

"Mikasa?" Krista asks. "Armin?"

"No, his name is Reiner Braun," Eren says. "He's such a cool guy. One of the best in our class. I think you would like him. He's been really friendly with me since we started our training. He's like the big brother I never had."

"Oh, that's great, Eren," Carla says. Meanwhile, Krista is already eager to meet this Reiner Braun. "Maybe I will see him this weekend when me and Krista come and visit."

"Yeah, I think Krista would like him," Eren says. "Reiner's the help-others type too. I think they would get along. I can't wait for you two to meet."

"I can't wait either," Krista says. "Hey, do you know if Reiner is allergic to anything?"

Days Later,

Reiner watches from the sidelines as Armin chats with Connie and Sasha while Eren engages in another argument with Jean.

Yesterday's events replay in his mind. They had finished their training exercises. Eren collapsed to the ground from exhaustion as Mikasa kept going. Eren, in a state of self-pity, asked Reiner why he can't be strong like Mikasa…or him. Once again, Reiner couldn't help himself and told him to just keep moving forward.

'I have to stop doing this,' Reiner thinks. 'Trying to keep my cover is one thing, but I'm taking too much of an interest in this boy. I can't forget my mission, or why I'm here. I'm here to kill him and all the other devils of this island. That's that they are. They are devils. They are devils. They are-'

"Mom! Krista!"

Reiner looks over to where Eren was yelling, and his eyes widen.

'I-is that an angel?'

A beautiful blond-haired girl has just entered the facility. All eyes are on her as she strides toward Eren and Mikasa, who look happy to see her in other ways. Sasha loudly asks if she is a goddess and all the guy's drool over her (except Jean, who is still focused on Mikasa). She is pushing a middle-aged dark-haired woman who looks like an older female version of Eren. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa run up to them. Eren hugs the woman as Mikasa hugs the girl. Then they exchange.

"Eren, I'm so happy to see you again."

"I missed you too mom."

"Hey, Aunt Carla," Armin says happily. "Krista, hello."

"Hey, Armin," Krista says. "Has training been hard for you?"

"I manage."

"Krista, how have things been?" Mikasa asks.

"Things are good at the shelter."

"Woah, Eren, who is this?" Connie asks.

"Oh, everyone, this is my mom, Carla. And my sister, Krista," Eren says introducing the women.

"Nice to meet you all," Krista says, making a cute face.

"I'm glad to finally be here," Carla says.

Connie glances between Mikasa and Krista and back again, as Reiner walks toward the group, eyes focused on the beautiful girl.

"Dude! What's with you and having ridiculously hot sisters!?" Connie asks.

"You're not actually related to any of them though, right?" Jean asks.

"Oh, shut it, horse face!"

"Eren, I raised you better than that," Carla says.

"It's our dynamic mom," Eren says. "And at least im close to mine," he yells at Jean. "Oh, Reiner, come and meet my family."

Krista looks at Reiner, who tenses.

"Oh, your Reiner Braun?" Krista asks with a smile.

"Y-yes."

Krista grabs a place that was on Carla's lap and walks toward Reiner with it. She hands it to him, and he removed the foil wrapping. It is a dozen chocolate chip cookies. His favorite.

"Eren said that you have been there for him in training," Krista says. "I wanted to thank you."

"I…er…your welcome," Reiner says.

'No! Don't! She's a…She's a de-…'

Reiner can't even bring himself to think it. He just looks at Krista with a goofy smile and blushing deeply.

Meanwhile Krista gazes up and down the trainee. His tall, broad body. His handsome face and his manly form. Large biceps and broad shoulders with perfectly chiseled abs and pecks visible through the outline of his fabric. That, and all the things that Eren says he's done for her brother. Krista decides she likes this guy. She likes him a lot.

All comments and kudo's are appreciated, thank you.