You were practically drowning in the sheets of steady rain that poured down on your head. Your little legs burned from the quick sprint you were using to get across the slippery, muddy terrain beneath your leather knee-high boots. It took everything in you to keep up with the leading group of a large crowd of kids; the heavy weight of a full backpack and the slender rifle in your hands didn't help much either.

In through the nose, out through the mouth.

"Faster! Run, you filthy seeds of swine!"

An older man sat on a brown steed, his brown eyes watching over all of you with the upmost attention. Commander Magath; a man with tanned skin, thin facial hair, and sporting a black buzz cut. He was searching for any signs of failure that he could beat out of you all later. His steed sat just beside the muddy dirt path you all ran on, trailing through a thick forest filled with tall pine trees that gave off an earthy smell because of the heavy rain.

Magath's shouts boomed through your ears harshly. It annoyed you like a persistent fly that wouldn't go away no matter how many times you swatted at it, nonetheless, you ran even faster. You weren't in a position to slack today; you've already been falling behind the last few times you trained.

"Don't you want to become honorary Marleyans?!"

More than anything.

But as much as you pushed, your efforts still failed you. You watched as a boy ran apart from the rest, gaining speed further ahead. He quickly sped between the two soldiers who stood apart in the near distance; the finish line. He won this round.

"Marcel Galliard! You pass!" Magath boomed out.

The blonde haired boy who ran beside you slipped, falling on all fours into the icky mud with a loud plop. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see his rifle slide across the ground towards your still-running feet. To help or not to help. Stick with a friend or keep running.

You chose the latter.

The rain had finally cleared up by the time you all were done training, now being replaced with a bright sun looming overhead tall grey brick walls adorning sharp barbwire. Those walls are what separated you from the rest of Liberio, essentially a cage to keep all of the 'filthy' Eldians in their place.

Along a cobblestone sidewalk, passing by various brick buildings that were home to either families or small businesses, you walked joined by others.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help, Reiner." You felt bad for leaving your friend behind by himself. Any other time you probably would've stopped to help. "Magath was watching us extra hard this time. I couldn't stop."

"It's okay, (Y/n). I understood." Reiner accepted your apology with understanding. His golden eyes had been focused on the ground the whole time you walked. He seemingly didn't have the nerve to look anyone in the eye, a telling sign that he had received yet another punishment.

"Another beating?" Bertholdt asked gently. The tall boy towered over you and the others. Short black hair made up his head while soft green eyes gracing his face watched Reiner in sympathy. "At least you kept up with us this time. You were doing good."

"Yeah...I was." Reiner's blank expression soon shown a glint of pride, a small smile curving up onto his pale face as he thought over his mini victory.

Reiner Braun was what you'd consider the quiet underdog of the group. He had the potential to do great, but it always turned out bad for him in the end somehow. There wasn't a day that went by where he didn't get called out for something by Magath or teased by the other kids for not doing as good as them. Nevertheless, you all still befriended him. No one deserved to be treated like an outcast.

"Yeah, if it weren't for the slippery mud, you'd have been right up there with us!" Bertholdt stated with more confidence, a smile breaking out onto his own face at rising his friend's mood.

Bertholdt was the gentle giant. He was quiet as well most of the time, but never hesitated to show his support for his friends. He was the voice of reason among you all and was usually the one to go to when something dire happened.

It was only then that the boy behind you all scoffed loudly, "He would've fell regardless of the mud; he always does. In fact, I'm surprised he didn't fall earlier."

Of course the rude comment was from Porco Galliard. A boy with honey blonde hair pushed back over an undercut, hazel eyes that rolled back into his head whenever he heard even a syllable of Reiner's name, and a snub nose he scrunched up occasionally.

While the boy was great in training and had massive potential, Porco was terrible with teamwork. He was too much of a hothead; the type to lash out and react before thinking it through. Most of the kids feared him because of his 'bad boy' reputation among the others, but you saw right through it. You didn't hesitate to give the boy a challenge.

"Shut up, Galliard. That run was actually hard, especially with the rain. Even you were struggling to keep up." Your comment earned a hint of a laugh from Annie, the girl who'd been silently walking beside you for majority of the path.

Her sunflower-blonde hair was clipped into a messy low bun while her icy blue eyes only focused on the space ahead. She probably thought the two mile race was no big deal. Training might as well have been play-time for her.

Annie was well reserved and held a nonchalant attitude when it came to most things; you'd see a flicker of some emotion on her face every now and then, but it definitely wasn't a thing that happened often. She does her own thing most of the time, but oddly tended to stick around you more than the others.

"Coming to your boyfriend's rescue again, huh?" You could just hear the devilish smirk in Porco's tone. He teased Reiner relentlessly and you in addition since you were the one who'd usually

defend Reiner. Sometimes it felt like he'd poke at Reiner just to get a rise out of you, and as usual, you'd fall for it every time.

"He's not my boyfriend!" You spun around to face the irritating boy, only to be greeted by that same annoying cheesy smile.

He's enjoying this! Big idiot.

"Oh yeah? So he wouldn't mind if I did ... this?" It took merely seconds for Porco to grab ahold of your wrists, pull you in, and cage you in his arms. While you immediately tried to break free, his hold only grew tighter. "Oh, c'mon. Y'know you want a hug."

"You're sweaty, Porco." You grumbled in response, somehow finding a way to wiggle around in a 180 in his arms. Anything to avoid the disgusting, annoying, irritating grin that sat happily on Porco's tan face.

"Porco? We're on a first name basis now?" Porco taunted.

"Let her go, Pock." Reiner protested, looking over his shoulder tentatively. You could tell that he was hesitant in the way he flexed his fingers out of nervousness, but he still was going up to the bat for you.

"Or what?" Porco sneered.

"Or this." A boy answered followed by a resounding slapping noise being heard through your ears. You were instantly let go, finally free from Porco's sweaty hold, as you turned to look back once again.

Porco was rubbing the nape of his neck, a deep scowl sitting on his face as he stared daggers at his brother. Marcel Galliard. Although he was older, Marcel was the same height as Porco. Unlike his brother, Marcel sported short chocolate brown hair swept back over an undercut, in addition to big hazel eyes that watched over his brother possibly 24/7 and an upturned snub nose.

Although Marcel was around the same age as you all, he shown more mature traits in his personality. He was a natural-born leader among the group and never failed to think fast and logically. He was seen as the friendly and warm one compared to his evil brother, who he practically had to keep on a leash from attacking others.

You stuck a tongue out at Porco as soon as you caught his eye, a symbol of your victory this round. You got an eye-roll in response as Porco finally backed down. Thank god for Marcel.

"Congratulations on your win today, Marcel!" You burst out excitedly, running forward to give the grinning boy a hug. He caught on fast, hurriedly spreading his arms to catch you in them.

"Thanks! That was nothing but pure luck." Marcel chuckled sheepishly as you two unwrapped yourselves from each other.

"That was pure luck," Porco mocked Marcel in a faux whiny voice before grumbling, "Shut up."

"That wasn't luck. That was all you!" Bertholdt chimed in, giving Marcel a cheerful thumbs up. "I knew you could do it. You've always been known for being fast."

"I'm just glad it finally came in handy." Marcel laughed, scratching at the nape of his neck in embarrassment. He wasn't used to all of the attention just yet. He suddenly perked up as if he remembered something, "I have to let our parents know the news! I'll see you guys tomorrow." He announced before quickly grabbing Porco by the back of his collar, much like a dog picking up its puppy. Porco immediately protested as they went their own way.

Next up was Annie, who said her goodbyes as she veered off the path you all shared with nothing more than a simple "Bye."

"I'm gonna go too. Don't wanna be late for dinner. Bye guys!" Bertholdt waved you and Reiner goodbye before following behind Annie, jogging to catch up with the fast-paced girl who paid him no mind.

"I guess I'll go too." Reiner said, finally looking at you with the ghost of a smile still written on his face. "I'll see you tomorrow. Be safe walking home."

"I will. Oh, and don't beat yourself up about today, okay? You did your best." Your hand landed on his shoulder with a subtle squeeze, earning yet another smile from the blonde boy's face.

He quickly pulled you into a tight hug. It was short-lived, only lasted maybe five seconds before he broke away and hastily jogged off on his own path. "Bye, (Y/n)!"

And then there was one.

You took your time walking the rest of the way home, kicking at stray pebbles on the ground, adjusting the yellow armband that wrapped around your left arm, even counting the birds that soared in the sky overhead. Anything to make the commute just a little longer.

If you had to pick any part of the day to be your favorite, this was it. It was the only time you got to really be at ease; no adults shouting down at you, no heavy weight on your shoulders, nope. Just walking through town with no worries. It was also the best time of the day to people-watch.

"Hey, kiddo!"

In the courtyard you walked past, there was an older man, no later than his thirties maybe, who stood next to a woman around the same age. You presumed they were husband and wife as they spread their arms out wide, patiently waiting for the kid who ran towards them. Big smiles graced each of their faces, relaxed postures, eyes that lit up at the sight of each other. They smothered the kid with kisses and hugs when he finally made it in his parents' arms.

They looked like a happy family.

You wondered when was the last time you got to experience that, if ever.

"So how was training today?" Your mother asked. The question seemed genuine, even her tone was sweet. It coaxed you into opening up fairly quickly.

"I think I did good!" You burst out with a little excitement. You were happy to let them know about training today, seeing as it was one of the better times you didn't get called out by Magath. "I even kept up with the top group today!"

You and your parents sat at the dinner table together, a thing you'd do if the two weren't busy with something else. It was becoming more rare to have them both there, but with them both sitting at the table this time, you found dinner to be a little better.

"That's great, bunny." Your mother seemed happy for you today as well, a small smile gracing her face. "I'm glad today was a good day for you."

She's happy for me. Your mother's comments brought a smile to your own face before you dug into the food sat before you. It built your confidence up once more, but then he started talking.

"You think you did good?" Your father cut in, "There should be no room to second guess yourself. This training is vital to our lives, honey. You have to start taking it seriously."

And just like that, he brought a hammer down onto the crumbling confidence you just built. The food on your plate didn't seem as appealing anymore.

"Don't you want to bring pride back to the family name? Prove that we're not the same as those devils beyond the sea?"

You did. You wanted to so badly.

Your family was known for being involved with an old radical group called the Eldian Restorationists. Well, your aunt specifically. She was a top member of the Restorationists and was discovered along with the rest of the group before you were even born yet. Although the group, including your aunt, received a hefty punishment and was sent to Heaven; the families involved still weren't spared.

Any family member related to one of the Restorationists had to find a way to prove their innocence, or else they'd be sent to Heaven as well. You were forced to devote your heart to the Marleyan military as soon as you were born. Joining the Warrior Unit was the only way your family could live.

But you couldn't just stop there, no, you needed something bigger. You strived every day towards becoming an honorary Marleyan and truly restoring pride to your family name.

You thought that if you did this for them; get that Titan and that honorary title, your parents would give you the affection you craved so much. A simple hug would be enough to ease your mind for days, maybe even an 'I love you' to leave their mouths for once. Even if you knew that they didn't mean it.

But all you gave was a simple nod in response.

"You have to toughen up, kid. I thought that you wanted to be an honorary Marleyan as much as us?" Your father questioned, watchful dark eyes watching you as you sunk into your seat.

"Samuel, she's doing her best." Your mother spoke against your father for once, her voice a little above a whisper. "She hasn't gotten called out—"

"Dammit I'm tired of this! This is all bullshit!" Your father yelled, slamming his hands down on the table with shaking force. "She's never going to make it! If I knew that she'd turn out like this, I'd have just went to make another one!"

"Don't say that, Samuel! You don't mean that! We need to be more supportive of her!" Your mother cried out, attempting to console your father with trembling hands. "She's just trying her best!"

"Trying her best?!" Your father shook your crying mother off of him before storming out of the room, his harsh yells still echoing throughout the house and into your ears. "Her best isn't good enough! She'll never become a warrior like that! This family is doomed! We'll be sent to Heaven just like Simon!"

As usual, your mother went to his rescue, leaving her child behind to tend to her husband. She'd always go run after him and leave you behind.

Every time.

A multitude of emotions were running through you. Sadness, shock, anger, the whole book.

But most of all, you felt exhausted.

With each passing day, a new test was administered to gauge every individuals' potential. And with each one taking a new victor, your chances of being a Warrior candidate were growing slimmer. There were a total of eight spots that needed to be filled for the Warrior unit, and four were already taken.

In a test featuring hand to hand combat, you were among the best. You dodged your opponent's hits swiftly, gave quick hard hits in the right places, you even managed to pin them down. But in the end, it was Annie who took the crown, demonstrating a powerful roundhouse kick that knocked her opponent out of bounds in mere seconds before you were even done.

"Annie Leonhart! You pass!"

Three spots left.

A test featuring an obstacle course is where you truly lacked. You weren't quick enough to make it throughout the course without getting stuck in certain places you found difficult. Porco unsurprisingly took this win in a landslide, earning himself a definite spot.

"Porco Galliard! You pass!"

Two. Spots. Left.

You found that coming home to announce your loss after each trial was even harder than the actual tests. Your parents were growing frustrated, time was running out, and that honorary title you wanted— no, needed — was slipping further from reach. You'd almost given up hope and accepted defeat.

Then came the firearm test. You were being tested on your accuracy and aiming as you held a familiar slender rifle in your hands. On the dusty ground, you lay on your stomach, joined by others beside you. Your rifle was propped up on a mound of dirt in front of you, just enough to be in your line of sight, as you squeezed one eye closed. You were utterly focused, zeroing in on the thick slab of wood propped against a wall of dirt ahead of you, that acted as your target.

Beads of sweat collected along your forehead from either the heat of the sun bearing down on you or your own anxiety. Your teeth bit down on your bottom lip as your fingers closed around the rifle's trigger. All you could hear was the rapid thumping of the muscle in your chest before you pressed down.

"Fire!" Magath instructed.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three consecutive shots rang out from your rifle, each one making your ears ring slightly from the harsh noise. You opened both of your eyes to get a better inspection of your work. Each bullet made it to the target, leaving behind three rounded holes in the slab of wood ahead of you. But their location is what stood out to you the most.

They all landed in the middle.

Apparently Commander Magath took an interest as well. He towered over your body, holding chunky metal binoculars to his eyes as he took a look at your target. After an intense silent minute of inspection, he reached down to pull you to your feet, to which you hastily obliged.

"(Y/n) (L/n)! You pass!" Magath boomed, and it took everything in you to not collapse to your knees.

Every kid's gaze was quickly averted your way. Some held looks of disbelief, disappointment, sadness at another spot being gone. But most of all, there were looks of anger, envy, and hate. You were just another target in their eyes.

843

"Did you guys hear?" Zeke tossed an apple between his hands as he announced, "They say they'll be attacking Paradis Island in a few years, meaning it's about time for us to inherit our Titans. Out of us eight, seven will be made Warriors at once."

Zeke was an older boy, a tall teenager with wavy blonde hair that fell just at his ears and excited light baby blue eyes. He looked eager, a smile on his face as he sat in front of your group.

Marley's military force depended on the power of Titans, and with the world catching up with new inventions daily, Marley would be in some trouble soon if they didn't find new resources. At least that's what Zeke told you. Marley reorganized their army's structure to include the Warrior unit as a part of it's plans. They planned on sending a group of Titan shifters to Paradis Island in the near future to take back the missing coordinate; the Titan that held the strongest power.

While everyone else seemed somewhat excited, the thought of turning into a Titan only made your stomach churn. You'd be injected with the infamous Titan serum before having to eat your predecessor in the form of a pure mindless Titan, only then would you be able to truly hold the powers of the Titan you seeked.

Zeke tossed his half bitten apple over to Marcel, who bit into the apple with no hesitation before passing it on to Porco. Porco spun the apple around to find an untouched spot before taking a tentative bite. Zeke probably couldn't tell but he had a major impression on the two; they thought he was the coolest thing walking.

Unlike the rest of you, who had to really work to show off your potential, Zeke's position was practically given to him. He was already chosen to inherit the Beast Titan, handpicked straight from his own predecessor.

Your group, however, hadn't been told which Titans you'd receive yet. As far as you know, you were just in the group of potential candidates. You'd come so close to the endgame; you'll be able to give your family the title of honorary Marleyans.

"I'll finally become Marleyan!" Reiner cheered, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet as he ran his hands over his short blonde hair. His golden eyes flashed with happiness.

"What are you getting so excited for?" Porco questioned as he scrunched his eyebrows up at Reiner, "If anyone's getting left behind, it'll be you."

"What?" Reiner's joyful smile was instantly wiped from his face. His own eyebrows scrunched up as he turned to Porco in confusion.

"What do you have that the rest of us don't?" Porco snickered, "Are you real strong? Real smart? Good with a gun? Great in a fight, maybe? No. You only made it this far by constantly going on about your love for Marley in those written tests we took." Porco put his hands in a prayer position as he made a faux whiny voice, "Yes, sir! I'll slaughter those island devils for you, just as soon as I've licked your boots—!"

Reiner got ahold of Porco's wrist, making the boy cry out in pain. "Are you seriously making fun of the mission?" Reiner snapped, his golden eyes were widening by the minute as he stared daggers at Porco, "How dare you? You almost sound like a stray Restorationist who supports King Fritz. You traitor! I knew it! I'll report you to the commander for this!"

It was a threat that shouldn't be taken lightly. You were surprised that Reiner even went that far, but knowing Porco, he'd take it even farther. The fight would begin any second now, per usual.

"Report this! You little shit!" Porco brought his free hand back to throw a hard punch at Reiner's face, instantly knocking the boy to the dusty ground.

"Leave him alone!" You yell at Porco. You were annoyed with his unprovoked bullying. "He's already down, what more do you want?"

"Oh here we go! (Y/n) coming to the rescue once again!" Porco yelled back, stopping in his tracks to look at you, "I'm starting to think you two like each other for real." Porco taunted, an evil smirk growing bigger on his face.

You'd never look at Reiner in that way; you thought of the boy as a brother before anything else, but it wouldn't hurt to tug on Porco's leg just this once.

"Maybe we do. You jealous?" You shot back, earning a look of complete surprise from Porco. It only lasted for a second, but you all easily caught it. He had expected you to deny his accusation, as usual, not confirm his teasing remark.

Porco's face quickly morphed into heated irritation as he kicked at Reiner's leg, who was still curled up on the ground. "Get up, you coward!"

"He's had enough, Porco!" Marcel yelled, snatching the seething boy behind him.

"Anyone can whine about how much they hate that island! That's why you'll be doing it here for the next thirteen years!" Porco shouted down at Reiner's trembling body, "We'll be the ones leaving, not you!"

And with that, Porco stormed off, shoving his hands in his green khaki short pockets as he stomped away.

Zeke took that as his cue, getting up from his perch on the steps to follow behind Porco, "Well I guess we should go too. C'mon Pieck, let's go."

Pieck was a shorter girl around your age with shoulder length black hair and dark brown eyes. You'd usually find her running behind Zeke somehow; they were practically a package deal since the choosing of the candidates. She followed the boy instantly, jogging to catch up to his side.

"Reiner, hurry after us as soon as you're done crying." Zeke yelled over his shoulder, "I'll catch another beating if you're late."

"Reiner, I'm sorry." Marcel shot an apologetic look at Reiner before running off to catch up with the others.

And so then there were four.

You and Bertholdt made your way over to Reiner as he lay face down on the dusty ground. You could hear his sniffles get louder as you got closer to his shaking body.

"C'mon Reiner." You said, grabbing one of his hands while Bertholdt grabbed the other before Reiner finally helped himself up to his feet.

"I had to become a Marleyan," Reiner sniffled, "so that I can live with my mom and dad. Can't wait thirteen years. But it's like Porco said, I-I'm weak." He stared down at his hands, dirtied from the ground, before letting his tears drop freely.

"We still don't know who's going to have to wait behind." You said, "It isn't Porco's decision to make; it's the army's, so don't listen to that idiot."

"But he's right." Reiner huffed, "I'm in the bottom of the group."

"You may not be the strongest, but loyalty's more important than you might think." Bertholdt assured, giving Reiner a soft pat on the back before turning to the girl who lingered behind you all, "Right, Annie?"

Annie looked up at you all from her shady spot underneath a tree, "Huh? Dunno'. I wasn't paying attention." She shrugged before beginning her walk back to the training grounds, "C'mon."

You all quickly fell into step beside her as you walked past the tall stone walls, another reminder of the cage you all were living in.

"Y'know as good as being a honorary Marleyan seems, we'd only get to enjoy the life of one for thirteen years." Bertholdt burst out suddenly.

Yet another downside to becoming a Titan. You'd be shaving years off of your life in the process. But it was worth it right? You knew that all good things came with a price. You thought back to that night of joy shared with your parents, the praise, the affection you finally received after years of work.

Yeah, it made everything worth it.

"I'd still be a hero." Reiner declared dreamily, "If I can punish those devils, I'd be able to save the Eldians— no, the whole world. And then, I'd make my parents the proudest of all."

You figured you and Reiner shared something in common after all.

You stood in Commander Magath's office; a spacious room including a long meeting table, a wooden office desk and bulletin boards among the walls loitered with a variety of maps and posters.

Today's the day you all finally figure out who'd inherit a Titan, and the even bigger question; which Titan would be given to who.

It was nerve wracking and impossible to remain calm. So you all stood around the room— or in others' cases, paced— anxiously awaiting the man who's words would determine the rest of your lives. The room was hushed with thick silence as you paced the length of the table and back in a repeating routine. That is until you were suddenly halted by Porco who grabbed the crook of your elbow.

"Would you sit down, idiot? You're even making me nervous." He admitted. He was leaned against the wall casually, his palm still wrapped around your arm as he spoke.

You swatted his hand away before continuing your pace, "You should be nervous. Don't you realize how important this is?"

Porco scoffed, "There's nothing for me to worry about." He glanced over at Reiner who sat at the long meeting table. Reiner's head was held up by his hands, his legs jumped out of nervousness as he waited. "Unlike some of you dorks, I got this in the bag."

"Don't get too cocky now.." Marcel mumbled. He sat at the table as well on the far end. His head was perched lazily on his folded arms that lay on the table. "We still have no idea who's going or not."

And with that, Commander Magath's tall frame suddenly burst through the door. His arrival prompted everyone to hastily get to their feet before filing into a single horizontal line in front of his desk.

A unified "Sir!" echoed around the room as Magath got settled behind his office desk. He held a thick pile of papers in hand as he organized them.

Magath's strong voice soon boomed around the room, "As you all know, the Paradis Island Operation is approaching fast. With that being said, new inheritors for the Titans within Marley's usage are in high demand. If you're here, it's because I saw potential in you to fulfill that duty. But out of the eight of you here, only seven will inherit a Titan. Let's begin.

"For the Beast Titan, Zeke Jaeger has been chosen as the inheritor. I think it goes without saying that you and this Titan go hand in hand, thanks to your personal abilities. You're the perfect fit for what we envision for the Beast Titan." Magath read off his list, "Next up is the Cart Titan. Pieck Finger has been chosen as the inheritor. You show strong judgment and we trust that you'd use the Cart Titan's abilities to their full extent."

Magath's words didn't surprise anyone just yet; you all were expecting this information to be relayed. Now came the part that everyone was dying to hear.

"As for the Colossal Titan, Bertholdt Hoover has been chosen as the inheritor. Although you were noticed for your physical skill, your personality is what landed you the spot. We believe that you'd be a good candidate for the 'God of Destruction'.

"The Female Titan will be inherited by Annie Leonhart. This Titan's abilities put with your experienced knowledge of martial arts will make for a destructive force on the battlefield.

"The Jaw Titan will go to Marcel Galliard. Your fast thinking is perfect for the Jaw Titan's swiftness on the field. You'd be able to lead the way for the others on the battlefield easily.

"The Spiked Titan will be inherited by (Y/n) (L/n). This Titan's launching abilities combined with your sharpshooter skill will surely knock opponents off the map. You also shown off skill in hand to hand combat, making you the perfect fit for this Titan's abilities."

You were nearly ready to leap for joy. I got a Titan!

But Magath wasn't done just yet, finishing his speech with just one more Titan, "The Armored Titan will be inherited by ... Reiner Braun. His stoic nature fits this Titan well and would mesh easily with its specialized hardening abilities."

Oh?

You swore you could feel the heat of Porco's anger rising as he stiffened up beside you, seeing as Magath was seemingly done with the naming of the inheritors.

Only then did the question arise in your head: How did Reiner beat Porco? As much as you found Porco annoying for his relentless teasing, in the back of your mind, you always knew there was some truth to his rude remarks. You were almost sure Porco would be the one to take the Titan.

"The Beast and Cart Titans will stay here in Marley to deter enemy nations, so Pieck and Zeke, you two won't participate in the Paradis Island Operation." Magath continued, "And so the plan to retake the Founder will be carried out by the Jaw, Armored, Colossal, Female, and Spiked Titans. In other words, Marcel, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, and (Y/n) will be sent to Paradis."

Your reaction to this news wasn't clear; you felt conflicted. You'd be an honorary Marleyan, something you'd been working towards for so long and now it was finally in your grasp. But in turn you'd have to be one of the leading Titans to bring hell down on Paradis. But it was just as you thought before: all good things came with a price.

Magath concluded his speech before exiting the room, thick pamphlets in hand as he went to the next meeting. A thick silence fell over you all yet again as you thought of what this news meant for everyone.

Porco was fuming, a fire burning from the inside out as he shook with rage. All that work to get to the finish line just to get pushed back. He couldn't believe what he just heard, the name that Commander Magath called out instead of his. Out of everyone, why Reiner?

Porco was the one getting left behind.

You all couldn't deny the intensity lingering around in the air, just waiting for the right moment to snap and break all hell loose. Zeke was the first one with the bright idea to walk away, quickly creating a domino effect as everyone else turned to follow.

Porco wasn't having it though. He couldn't deal with the swell of hot emotions running him wild, so he did what he did best.

Snatching Reiner by his collar, Porco slammed the terrified blonde into the wall before getting dangerously close to his face. He was practically growling as he yelled out, "This doesn't make any sense! You're at the bottom of the group, so why would they pick you." Porco said the last word as if it was the most disgusting thing on earth, laced with venom.

Reiner's terrified demeanor was quickly diminishing right before your eyes. A lazy smirk curled up his face as he chuckled, "Don't you get it? This just means you were at the bottom this whole time, Pock."

That was Porco's final straw. With a shout, his fist was flying at Reiner's face just before Marcel caught his arm. He tugged at his brother to no avail, "Porco, you need to stop and calm down. Do you really wanna be the one to go against the army's orders?"

And with those words, Porco collapsed to his knees. It was the first time you've ever seen the hotheaded boy cry and show any other emotion besides annoyed and angry. This was a stature of defeat. Reiner had finally won a victory over Porco.

While the rest of you stared down at Porco with shocked faces, Reiner on the other hand wore a look of pure relief. He wiped the sweat away from his forehead with a small smile, glad that Marcel caught the punch right in time.

You don't know what possessed you to bend down to Porco and help him up, but you did. Maybe you felt sorry for the boy or was perhaps so much in shock from seeing a crack in his hard demeanor that you were stunned into doing the unthinkable. But what was even more surprising was that Porco let you.

His cries didn't stop, the sniffling loud and messy as he sobbed. His face was buried into the crook of his elbow as a last minute resort to hide his face while his free hand clung onto the sleeve of your uniform jacket like a life line to help him from his drowning. You concluded that Porco needed a friend.

Reiner didn't feel the slightest bit of satisfaction as he watched Porco shuffle sadly out of the door with you by his side. Even when you think you've got it all, Porco still has something better. That familiar feeling settled over Reiner's shoulders once again as a scowl sharpened on his face.

Jealousy.

The destruction was never-ending. Miles of what used to be buildings, now crumbled to fiery heaps of debris. It was hard to see through all the thick smoke, the dusky night sky not making it any better for any survivors on the military base.

While there weren't many soldiers left on the other side, they still didn't give up the fight. They crowded together on tall artillery towers scattered across the burning land, their mechanical cannons blazing away at anything in their sight. Others attempted to run through the debris, their guns held tightly in their shaky grips, but they didn't last long.

As mentioned before, the billowing smoke added on with the darkened effect of the night. It was the root of their downfall, essentially creating a smoke screen around them that made them blind to their surroundings.

The Female Titan sprinted out of the smoke, not even a full second passing by before it roundhouse kicked a tower right in half. The soldiers on the tower were instantly killed as it collapsed on itself.

While the Female Titan took down towers on their own side of the base, the Armored Titan led a large crowd of warriors through the middle of the battlefield. Its armor acted as a shield as it stomped in front of them, multiple cannon fire bouncing right off of it.

And not too far behind that group of warriors was the Spiked Titan, both of it's arms outreached and it's fists balled as spikes of hardened Titan skin launched from it's knuckles. They were aimed and launched at fast speeds, a trail of powerful steam pushing the spike to it's target with precision. Cannons were blown away, towers crumbling from the multiple blows, soldiers being either punctured or smashed to death.

The Jaw Titan soon sped past, it's small figure being used to it's advantage as it jumped from fixture to fixture in the blink of an eye. With each new landing, it dodged a round of cannon fire before it ultimately landed at the source. Its strong jaws crushed through the artillery with ease.

A cluster of boulders crashed down on another unsuspecting part of the base, adding onto the piles of destroyed brick and stone buildings. The Beast Titan watched the catastrophe from afar, its claws crushing up yet another handful of rock before it took a swing.

Just behind the base, The Cart Titan discretely crawled its way out from the sea and to land. It dropped the metal container it held between it's teeth before slithering back into the navy blue waters. In the container was Marley's biggest weapon.

In mere seconds, the Colossal Titan materialized, a fiery blast similar to one of a nuclear bomb following soon behind. It was enough to blow away the rest of the base in its wake, delivering the final blow that pushed the enemy nation to its drastic loss.

"They're incredible. Even stronger than expected." Commander Magath watched on through his binoculars, a look of pleasant shock settled onto his face.

"I almost feel bad for those island devils. Those monsters will appear from thin air and start killing them, someday."

"We've been training the members of this warrior unit since they were practically infants. It's clear that they're stronger for it, but why send these kids to retake The Founding Titan? Frankly, I think it's a bit insane."

"But those same kids just brought an entire nation to its knees right before our eyes."