"George. The natives are asking for the thing. Again," His associate and most trusted friend, Elliot Johnson, approached him as he worked on a number of illustrations for Jamestowns expansion. The town had long passed the Starving Time, having been fed by his ability to produce quality food with ease. But he had changed too much. The natives were seeking expansion as well, something that could possibly lead the two peoples into conflict. Elliot stepped closer, peering down at his work. "They want to speak with you directly,"

Peering toward his friend, he let out a sigh. "Tell her I'll see her soon,"

Team 53 Arc

~ Chapter 4: Cadet Pt. III ~

March 22nd, 840

As expected, the massive doors to the Middle-Eastern military base swung open upon Team 53's arrival, allowing their entrance. Pieck Finger - who had been hiding behind the Team's formation - jumped away, sliding beneath the gun slots lining the wall. With a bag full of explosives in hand, she began placing charges. Ignoring her movements for the sake of avoiding suspicion, Harry Potter led Team 53 into the base, heading straight for the Middle-Eastern general, who was waiting for them. "They sent kids to negotiate our surrender," The general sneered, his gaze falling on Harry. "Let us get this over with. What are your terms?"

"The surrender is unconditional, sir. Give up your arms and surrender to the Marleyan Armed Forces at once," Harry replied, keeping his voice steady and confident. He was shaking inside, his nerves maxing out as he examined everything through his peripherals. The enemy was tense too, their hands waiting on ready rifles. If they didn't do this right, they would be executed on the spot. Come on, Pieck. We won't have much time to make this work. Harry continued. "Commander Kien will take all those who surrender into custody, and you will live out the rest of the war within one of our camps. Meals are provided three times a day, and conditions are met to ensure your health and safety are protected,"

"Camps? You want to throw us into camps?" The general laughed, holding onto his fat belly as he peered at one of his comrades. "We outnumber your troops three to one, boy. Just because you opened a hole in our defensive line doesn't mean you'll take this Fort. We have more fire and manpower. And no strategy your superiors can create can change that. Understand?"

"Surrender is the only hope for your survival, sir. Yours and your men. Surrender now and Commander Kien will spare your lives. When the war is over, you'll be able to return to your friends, family, and loved ones. Surrender now, and you'll avoid a pointless death," explained Harry, whose gaze was fixed on the General's soul. This man was born with arrogance and selfishness and would be unable to see the truth behind Harry's words. This man would die today, whether he knew it or not, merely because he was unable to accept Harry's words as fact. It made Harry angry, thinking about how avoidable some of these deaths were going to be. They would all die. All because of their self-entitlement as Middle-Eastern soldiers.

The General was staring down at Harry now, his fists clenched in anger. "Who are you...boy...to tell me what to do? We won't be surrendering to the likes of Marleyan scum. Assholes who won't bother to send real men to do their dirty work. They have to send children,"

The feeling of cold rage seeped into Harry once again as he stood up against this man. The General was acting foolish, caring more about his self-image instead of the current situation. Within ten minutes, the entirety of Commander Kien's forces would be crossing the river while launching a full-scale attack against this fort. And in that time, the General would be babbling about how important he was and how evil Marleyans were. It made Harry want to scream. But he kept his composure, freezing the rage inside so that all he felt was numbness. Complete stillness. Complete peace. "Well, boy? What do you have to say?"

Harry decided to be truthful. "You all will die within the next hour. With your defensive line destroyed, Commander Kien will no doubt be preparing an offensive attack to take over this fort. With you inside, any attempt to defend will result in your immediate death at the hands of either myself or someone else. So I say once more, surrender now. Give up on your mission of defense. Give up on the war. Protect your own lives and surrender so that you may live to see another day. Everything else isn't worth it. This war isn't worth it,"

Those in the room had all adopted wide eyes at his words. Those in Team 53 widened their stances, ready to attack. Those who served under the General raised their rifles, aiming them toward Harry and his friends. Reiner and Porco both gasped in shock, but Harry chose not to react. The General expected weakness from him. They all saw him as a child. And rightfully so. But Harry was more than a child. He was a Warrior. One chosen to possibly inherit one of the Six Titans. He and his friend's futures rode on this day. They had already made history with the trench, but if they could successfully take this fort, Team 53 would have won a huge victory against the Middle Eastern Alliance.

"Are you threatening to kill me, boy? You and what weapon?"

"I don't need a weapon, sir. I'm trained in hand-to-hand combat," Harry replied.

"Ha! You, kids, are probably the spawns of some generals in the Marleyan army, too young to change your diapers. Don't talk to me about hand-to-hand combat,"

Harry bowed, lowering his head only enough so he could still see his surroundings. Several soldiers had lowered their rifles after the General spoke, but there were still some who were uneasy. That was good. He needed all of the rifles to be down when the charges blew. If they were still trained on the team, one quick soldier could kill one of them in a single well-placed shot. Grinning, Harry straightened his posture. "Very well. You're right. I'm Commander Kien's nephew. He sent me hoping that you would respond kindly to our ages. But it seems he was wrong. Now, why is that?" As he spoke, Harry stepped around the General, extending his arms outward to ease tension.

"I don't negotiate with children. They have no place on the battlefield, nor in diplomatic affairs. It was a waste of time for your Commander to send you," the General replied. The calm tones of both Harry and the General seemed to ease many people's consciences, as more and more soldiers began to lower their rifles. The General continued. "But now that you're here, you're in our hands. We can either capture you or hold you for some ransom...or we can tie a few loose ends and kill you where you stand,"

"That's true. Our lives are in your hands. But killing us wouldn't do you any good. Killing us would only fuel Commander Kien's rage toward you, resulting in a much heavier attack on your base,"

"But kidnapping you would do the same. He would be desperate to get you back,"

"That is true. But you fail to see the difference each situation has on the human mind," Harry was now pacing around the General, forcing the man to turn to keep up with him. Team 53 was watching Harry with interest while also maintaining their readiness in battle. "Killing us would fuel the Commander's hot rage, making him irrational and insistent on your destruction. Do not take this as him becoming foolish. He will defeat you. He will crush you. Only he will not be brought down by orders from the government. He will do whatever is in his power to kill each one of you,"

"But if you kidnapped us, his cool, collected anger would build. He would be fearful for our lives, yes, but he would step back. He would examine the situation. He would calculate anything and everything necessary to deal a crushing final blow against this fort. You would most likely die, but there is a chance that he would spare your lives to make you stand trial for your actions," Harry explained. "So you have two options. Kill us, and suffer the wrath of Commander Kien and his forces. Or kidnap us, and suffer only a possible death as well as time in our camps,"

"You haven't suggested we let you go," said the General.

"I may be a child, General, but I've studied war more thoroughly than any of your soldiers currently here. I know it would be foolish of you to let us go. We've been inside your fort. We've studied its armaments, its personnel, and its weaknesses. If you let us go, we would just return to the Commander and report to him our findings. You would be at a severe disadvantage,"

The General smiled. "Yes. That is correct. Perhaps the Commander understood exactly what he was doing when he sent you. It's a shame you're loyal to Marley. Your mind would do wonders within our military," Before Harry could respond the General turned to his head lieutenant. "There isn't any need to tie them down. They're children, after all. Take them to the brig and keep them there until I figure out what to do with them,"

"Very well, sir," said the lieutenant, who turned to Harry and the rest of Team 53. "Come with me,"

"Ok," Harry stepped forward, following the lieutenant away from the west wall while his friends followed close behind. It wasn't until they reached a large door going down towards the cellar that it happened. The charges lined against the west wall detonated, spraying dust and debris everywhere as soldiers went flying. In the split second it took for the charges to go off, Harry took action. Taking his foot, he slammed it into the back of the lieutenant's left leg, buckling the leg so the soldier fell onto his knee. Harry then reached forward, removing the man's pistol from its holster. And in a split second of complete fog, Harry aimed the pistol at the back of the lieutenant's head...and squeezed the trigger.

Blood and brain matter splattered against the wall as the lieutenant fell to the ground. In a moment of realization for Harry, he realized that the lieutenant was dead. The very much alive young man who had received an order from the General just moments before was now dead. All because of Harry. Harry ignored the bile building up in his throat and instead took notice of what was happening to the man. A faint ball of dark red light floated out of the man's torso, drifting up into the air. A thin red string connected the man's torso and the red ball. The sound of gunfire and screaming turned his attention to Annie, shoving the pistol in her hand. "Go, find more, and arm yourselves. I'm going to make sure Pieck made it away from the base,"

Nodding, Annie aimed the pistol away from the group and began firing. Reiner and Porco sprinted towards where the General's dead body lay, grabbing hold of three pistols lying nearby, giving the third to Marcel. Harry, meanwhile, sprinted towards the west wall, climbing over the rubble as he stepped outside of the fort. He peered around, unable to find Pieck anywhere in sight. She hadn't been caught. She'd made it. Fantastic. Turning back to the wall, Harry grabbed hold of a rifle much too large for his size, as well as a pistol that he shoved into the waistband of his pants.

Storming back into the battle, Harry was stopped suddenly by what felt like a hand grabbing his ankle. The sudden action caused Harry to fall forward, dropping his rifle several feet away. He turned to find that the man who grabbed him had been buried in the rubble so that only his left arm and head were sticking out. He was bleeding everywhere, but he didn't seem to care. His eyes were so filled with rage that he ignored all of his injuries, intent on killing Harry. And Harry - too shocked to move - would have let it happen. But a gunshot rang out and the man stilled, a new trail of blood opening on his head. It was Marcel. He had shot the man from Harry's left. "Are you hurt?!" The boy exclaimed.

"No! I'm fine!" Harry shouted back, shrugging off the man's hand as he got to his feet. He turned to examine everything and spotted Annie and Reiner in the corner surrounded by six armed soldiers. They wouldn't make it out. Removing his pistol from his waistband, Harry opened fire, taking out three of the soldiers before he was tackled to the ground by another soldier. Once again Harry's weapon fell to the ground several feet away, leaving him defenseless as a battle-crazed Middle-Eastern soldier wrapped his hands around Harry's throat.

But Harry wasn't paying attention to the air depleting in his lungs. His focus was on Reiner and Annie, who were still being pinned in the corner by three soldiers. If he didn't get free soon, they would be shot and killed. Their efforts would be meaningless if any of them died. But Harry was useless right now. Marcel was gone now, having joined Bertholdt and Porco in clearing out the interior of the walls. So he was alone. Alone in death just as the lieutenant had been. Harry would suffer from karma by dying on the same day as his first and only kill. It was ironic. And yet Harry wasn't scared. He closed his eyes and prepared to let it happen. "DIE!" Screamed the soldier, strengthening his grip around Harry's neck. As he lay still on the ground being choked to death, a darkness flooded his vision. Harry Potter was dead.

Annie Leonhart fired another shot, the pistol in her hand feeling unfamiliar and clunky. She fired once more a Pop! echoed through the fort. Her gaze shifted toward the source, and what she saw broke her perception of reality. Harry Potter stood near the outer wall of the fort, only he no longer looked like Harry. His short and unruly black hair had grown and was billowing in the wind. His eyes were now glowing an emerald green color, shining brightly. He also stood tall, covered in what looked like gallons of blood. But the most surprising of all was the wings. A pair of black wings sprouting from his back, each stretching ten feet on either side of him.

But then he changed again. The wings disappeared, his hair shrunk, but his eyes continued to glow. His gaze fell to her right. Turning, Annie spotted Reiner and Bertholdft in the corner of the fort, surrounded by three Middle Eastern soldiers armed with rifles. Before Annie could so much as flinch to react, the three men were dead. The first man collapsed without any cause for death. The second man stilled, standing for several seconds before his upper half slid off of his waist, with both halves of him collapsing to the ground. The third man's skin began to boil, gaining blisters while turning to a sickish red color. Before long, the man's skin melted, with the remains collapsing to the ground.

Harry's eyes returned to normal before he collapsed to his knees. Commander Kien and his forces finally arrived. While the Marleyan Armed Forces raided the fort, Annie sprinted across the compound, wrapping his arm around her shoulders while helping a confounded Harry to his feet. She guided him out of the fort, where Reiner, Bertholdt, Marcel, and Porco were waiting. "What was that back there?" Bertholdt asked as Annie helped Harry to the ground. He collapsed onto his back, his eyes peering up at the sky in a look she didn't recognize.

Annie turned to Bertholdt, intending to answer his question despite her lack of answer. "I'm...not sure,"

Porco groaned as he tried to stretch out on the ground. "What are you talking about?"

"Harry...he killed people...with his mind," answered Bertholdt. That seemed to grab everyone's attention. They all turned to Harry in stunned silence, unsure of what to do with that bit of information. But he didn't turn to them. It was as if he hadn't heard a word they said. Bertholdt continued. "The first soldier exploded. The second died instantly. The third was cut in half at the waist. And the fourth was boiled alive,"

"You saw it too," Annie whispered.

Pieck sat up. "How is that even possible?"

The five child soldiers peered down at their friend, whose emerald eyes were unresponsive. The sounds of footsteps drew closer. "Team 53!" The children all turned toward the fort, spotting Commander Kien as he approached, his hands wrapped around his rifle. "We've successfully captured this fort as well as the survivors within. Well done, Cadets,"

"Thank you, sir!" They all exclaimed, including Harry. Annie turned back

to him to find he was sitting up, his eyes on the Commander. Only they weren't the same as before. They weren't glowing, but they were no longer the same shade of emerald green they had been before. They were darker. As if tainted by the events that had transpired today.

"Thank you, sir!" They all exclaimed at once, getting to their feet as they offered salutes. But they were sluggish and tired, all of them.

The Commander noticed and smiled. "I'll call in an airship to take you guys back to Fort Tatakai. You've done enough on the front lines for your first day. Rest, I'll send someone to wake you when it arrives," They all exclaimed their thanks before collapsing once more onto the dirt. Annie took notice of how Harry rested his head against Pieck's leg. She decided to join them on the grass, lying down and resting her head on his knees. The entire group faded into rest. It had been a long day.

March 23rd, 840

Harry Potter and the rest of Team 53 were greeted with monstrous applause and cheer when they returned to Fort Tatakai. The news of their victory had spread so quickly that many in Liberio even knew. But among those who congratulated and praised the team, many looked upon them with severe scorn and jealousy. Harry was not sure why until the team was called to the Planning Room by Commander Hoyt and General Bonzen. Upon entry, Harry knew instantly what this was about. It was apparently due to the sketches seen on the table. They were here to discuss the murders committed by Harry the day before. His mind took him back to the events in question.

Harry Potter was dead. His eyes shifted and something overtook him. Harry shot to his feet, right through the man that had been situated over him. He stepped right through the man, feeling as his muscles and bones broke and shifted around him. Covered in blood, felt a strength he had never felt before. A sense of weightlessness and strength washed over him as he peered toward his friends. Reiner and Bertholdt were surrounded by three men with rifles. He snuffed the flames from the first man's soul. He cast Diffindo on the second. And he pictured the third man's skin boiling and melting.

The first man dropped dead instantly. The top half of the second man fell from his bottom half. The third man's skin boiled and melted off of his body, killing him painfully. Harry then collapsed to his knees, the sense of weightlessness fading as he returned to normal.

"Team 53," Commander Hoyt's voice cut through the memory, drawing Harry back to the present moment. "Your skill and valor were showcased wonderfully on the field of battle yesterday, and as such, the General has an announcement,"

General Bonzen - a man Harry hadn't met before - got to his feet, straightening his coat as he looked upon the group. "Your show of strength yesterday has gained more recognition than you would think among those in the government. The King has taken notice of you and has given you his recommendation," The children present in the room all took on shocked expressions. It was happening. This was it. "Under the King's recommendation, as well as the recommendations of myself, Commander Hoyt, and Commander Kien, it has been decided that Team 53 will progress within the Warrior Program,"

They'd done it. Harry had been right. Their actions in their first battle had been enough to win them the admiration of the King and the rest of the military. They had done it. They were Warriors now. Well, not yet. Not for another three years. But their place in the Warrior program was concrete now. They would inherit the powers of the Titans. Well, some of them would. Sensing Harry's train of thought, the General continued. "You all received your recommendations upon entering the program, and have since been working hard to earn that position. Each of you will receive your official assignment once we conclude another matter. Mr. Potter's mysterious power,"

Harry stilled. He didn't move.

"Calm down, son. If we questioned your loyalty to Marley, you would be dead or in handcuffs. Your excellent performance both yesterday and during your training here at Fort Tatakai has alleviated most of our concerns. But our concerns over the true nature of your power still stand. Do you know anything that could be useful?"

Harry sighed. He didn't. He knew that something overtook him when his power activated. While he was still in control, he seemed to gain not only the power but knowledge he hadn't had before. The power also originated from his chest, reaching out through his limbs like fire in a forest. But besides that, he didn't know anything. He relayed the second bit of information to the General, who listened while examining the sketches drawn of Harry's victims. Harry didn't want to tell them he didn't have full control of these new abilities. The remnants of the exploded soldier had been drawn. The dead soldier free of bullet or knife wounds. The soldier that had been cut in half. And the soldier boiled alive from the inside. They had all been killed in different ways, something Harry found odd.

"Hmm...very well. If you have nothing else to add, we will have to gain answers through extensive training and tests," explained the General. "If this new power could be controlled, you would be a very valuable asset to both the Warrior program as well as the government. This is where your assignments come in," The other children - who had all been hiding their boredom - perked up suddenly, interested once more. "Reiner Braun. Your show of strength and leadership during training has led us to believe you are the best fit for the Armored Titan within your squad. Congratulations,"

Reiner beamed with joy, appearing ready to scream in pure excitement. Porco, however, seethed in anger. He had also wanted the Armored Titan but had been assigned the Beast Titan upon entry to the program. The General didn't seem to notice Porco's anger and continued. "Bertholdt Hoover, your show of intelligence and resourcefulness leads us to believe you are the best choice for the Colossal Titan. Well done,"

"Annie Leonhardt. Your skill in hand-to-hand combat, as well as defensive fighting, has made you the only sensible choice for the Female Titan," Annie didn't react and chose to instead maintain her expression of pure boredom. Harry grinned. He knew that inside, she was shouting in joy, only she was too reserved to show a hint of that to anyone. "Marcel Galliard. Your show of bravery, quick wit, and loyalty in the face of danger has led us to believe you are the perfect fit for the powers of the Jaw Titan. Congratulations,"

"Pieck Finger. While your role in the battle yesterday wasn't as exciting as those of your friends and teammates, your job was the most important of all. You gave your team the distraction necessary to gain the upper hand within the fort, as well as created an opening for Commander Kien and his forces to enter the enemy fort. For your resourcefulness and outstanding ability on the field, you've been deemed perfect to gain the Cart Titan," Pieck smiled joyfully, nodding her head in thanks as the General moved on. "That leaves the Beast Titan. Porco Galliard, congratulations,"

Porco - who had appeared angry the entire meeting - suddenly looked up towards the General, his eyes glistening in joy. He'd done it. He'd gotten the spot. "However, the powers of the Beast Titan will be inherited by Zeke Jaeger within the next two years. This will mean you will have to wait another fifteen years to acquire the power. In that time, you will assist your team as a soldier. Understood?" Porco's excitement had died instantly. He would not receive his power until all of his friends - and his brother - were dead. He would have to wait fifteen long years.

Turning to a confused and slightly disappointed Harry, the General smiled. "As for you, Harry, your assignment will remain secret until the time is right. For now, you will act alongside Porco, assisting your team as a soldier. In time, we hope you will be able to assist your teammates with the use of your unique abilities. But for now, your leadership and tactical skills should be more than enough to help your team. Does everyone understand their assignment?"

"Yes sir!"

"Are there any questions?"

Only one. From Marcel. "What are we going to do between now and gaining our power?"

"You will continue your training. Some of you are not fit for physical activity as of this moment, so the next three years will be spent on physical, educational, and strategic training. You will continue to go out into the war from time to time to test your abilities in a less controlled environment. But from now on, you will continue to remain in Fort Tatakai. Anything else?"

"No sir!"

"Good. You're dismissed,"

With their cue to leave, Harry and the others left the Command Center with brightened moods. They spoke happily about their assignments, though Porco remained silent, no doubt angry with his assignment. Harry wondered what his assignment was. From the sounds of it, he would indeed gain a titan alongside the others. But which titan he was unsure. The Tybur family had complete control over the War Hammer Titan, and they wouldn't hand it over. So that left the Founding and Attack Titans. The Attack Titan hadn't been seen in seven years, since the discovery of the Eldian Restorationists. So that left the Founding Titan.

It made sense. After all, the government had spoken for years about reclaiming the Founding Titan from the devils of Paradis. Perhaps the plan would be for Harry to acquire the Founding Titan, making it so that Marley possessed eight of the Nine Titans. And if Harry could capture the Attack Titan, then they would obtain a monopoly on the Titans and their power. Harry decided that this was indeed the plan. It made the most sense, and Harry was willing to believe this was the most likely option. He voiced this to his friends, who all took on expressions of shock.

"You think you'll get the Founding Titan's power?" asked Pieck.

"It makes the most sense. They made me the Team Leader, and yet they didn't give me a Titan, which means they have something else for me. It can't be the War Hammer or Attack Titan. The War Hammer belongs to the Tyburs, and the Attack Titan hasn't been seen in seven years. So that leaves the Founding Titan. Marley wants its power and has been planning to retrieve it from Paradis for some time. I wouldn't be surprised if they launched an expedition to Paradis to retrieve it in the next decade, what with the end of the war in sight,"

"You'll do great with the Founder if you get it," said Reiner, who grabbed hold of Harry by the shoulder. "And you'll be a great leader too,"

"Thanks...Reiner," Harry replied. He felt a sense of pride and joy well up inside of him as he looked on into the sky. The next three years would be exciting. When those in the group finally inherited their titans, the team would do great things. They could cripple entire nations in a single night. They would be able to crush the Hizuru and Middle-Eastern Alliance in a year tops. And when the wars were over, Marley would be able to venture to Paradis, retaking the Founding Titan before crushing the island devils that had haunted Eldians on the mainland for over a century. Their time would come. And it. Would. Be. Amazing.