Later that evening, Kuro was walking through the halls having just finished his evening chores, and a bright voice called out suddenly.

"Moblit! There you are, get in here!"

He knew that could only be the Section Commander. "It's not Moblit, Section Commander. Would you like me to find him for you?"

"Oh." Hange looked up from her microscope. "No, that's alright. Thank you." She looked back down into the little scope.

The room's walls were white and the floors were dark oak. There was a dark red oval rug in the center of the room, and a large desk was positioned with a tall window behind it.

There were papers EVERYWHERE. Science equipment, books, handheld mathematical devices... it was clearly the space of a scientist.

"Actually," Hange looked up again. "Maybe you can help me."

The room was a mess. How she was allowed to get away with it with a clean freak like the Captain around, he would never know. "I don't really know much when it comes to science... but I could help if you want me to, Section Commander."

"That's fine. See that parchment there?" She pointed without looking up from her microscope. "Write down information as I give it."

"Yes, Ma'am." He picked up a quill next to the parchment and leant over it. At least that was one thing he could do.

It was fairly quiet, save for the soft flickering of oil flames on wicks and Hange's occasional muttering to herself. Things like, "Huh... interesting!" or a softly maniacal chuckle. Every now and then she'd wag her finger toward Kuro and give him something to write down.

He wrote down what she asked of him in his neatest hand writing. It wasn't too bad. Slightly reminded him of when he helped his mother and father out, writing down measurements for them.

"So... Kuro, is it? You're from Shiganshina." Hange didn't look up as she adjusted the knob on the side of the microscope

"That's right, Section Commander." She must have read their files. It probably stood out. It always did. That little fact.

"Mmmmmm....!!" A smile curled her lips and she looked over to him, placing her palms on the table on either side of the microscope. "Describe it to me! That day, I mean."

"Oh... well..." Kuro hadn't actually spoken about it to anyone in detail... but he might as well do it now. "It started out like any other day. Me and my little brother were running errands for our parents. We were in the main street when everyone just stopped and stared at the wall. It was silent like the calm before a storm. Then this hand appeared above the wall and it grabbed hold of it. Then there was a gust of wind and the gate was gone. It was just chaos after. I dropped the stuff I had been carrying and picked Ryu up, making sure his face has hidden in my shoulder and ran as fast as I could home."

He took a deep shaky breath... and then carried on.

"When I got there... our house and shop had been destroyed... I saw my mother crying over my father... well... the top half of him anyway... there was a huge titan coming closer. Mother was screaming at me to run. To get away. To keep Ryu safe. So... I did. I followed the crowds and managed to get me and my brother on to a boat. I thought everything was fine. That we'd be safe... until I saw another titan bursting through the gate of Wall Maria. Then the rest of the day... I spent making sure that my brother would be fine. To be honest... all of that happened probably in a short amount of time. The fine details are a little fuzzy... being a kid when it all happened... but that's generally what happened. At least my view point. Eren, Armin and Mikasa will have a different version of events."

"Hm..." Hange sounded thoughtful. "...can I share something with you, Kuro?"

"Of course Section Commander." He would be more than grateful if she just started talking for a bit.

Hange still stood with one palm on the table as she turned to face Kuro, resting the knuckles of her other hand against her hip. "I was always wary that what happened that day wasn't an accident... and now I'm sure of it. It stands to reason that the Colossal and Armored Titans are shifters- just like Eren!" She tipped her head, a sweetness in her normally crazed brown eyes. "Which means... we can beat them. Things aren't always as hopeless as they seem. I've lost people too... we all have. But doing what we do? It's for them. Victims and soldiers alike. And when humanity finally wins this wretched war? You'll be a part of that victory... and so will they."

He looked at the Section Commander before looking down. His father. His mother. His brother. That's what this was about. He was fighting for them. "Thank you Section Commander. I think I needed to hear that, but... there is another reason I'm here. I promised Ryu that I would see outside the walls for both of us. Which means I need to help you reclaim Wall Maria."

Hange nodded. "Something to fight for... that's good! Hold onto that, soldier." She lowered her brow and smiled, the wildness reappearing in her eyes. "Let it drive you... and give em hell!"

He looked up at her. "I will, Section Commander. I've already taken out the titan that ruined my eye and assisted with another. I hope I can add a few more to that tally."

"That's the spirit!" Hange gave his upper arm a playful punch... a very uncustomary action for an officer to an inferior, but... well, Zoe Hange wasn't just any officer.

Kuro chuckled. "If you don't mind me asking, Section Commander, were you in the Scouts before Wall Maria fell?"

"I was, yes." Hange nodded.

"When I was about 6, a Scout came into my father's cobbler shop. He was from Shiganshina. He told me and my brother that outside the walls, there are rolling hills and trees bigger than titans. Is that true?" Kuro eyes sparked with life, like a little kid again.

Hange smiled. "Yes, it's true. And there's a lot more out there too, according to Pre-Titan Age volumes."

"Wow." He gave a small sad smile. "Glad the last thing my brother heard was true then."

"Oh, it's true alright!" Hange started to sound a little excited again. "And we're going to make these ugly bastards pay for depriving humanity of the world outside the Walls. But one way to do that is through research... I should get back to work. You can go now... I appreciate the help!"

"No problem, Section Commander." He saluted before heading out of the door and began heading to the barracks. Kuro had enjoyed working with the Section Commander. She was nice and was surprisingly good at providing motivation.

When he returned to the barracks, the only one back from chores was Jean. He was sitting on the floor with his back against his cot, his knees up and his arms flopped between them. His far away expression was one of pain and intense sadness, like he was crying only he wasn't really. He didn't even seem to notice Kuro enter the room.

Kuro knew that position all too well. He carefully walked up to the ex-Wannabe MP and crouched down in front of him. "Jean? What's wrong?"

Jean's head came up, an expression of quiet surprise passing over his face. "Kuro... I didn't even hear you come in." He looked away and rested his elbow on his knee, bringing his hand to his forehead with his fingers lacing up through his soft, brown hair. "I just.. keep thinking about what happened to Marco," he said quietly.

Kuro moved to sit next to him, one leg pulled up and the other out straight. An arm rested casually on his bent knee. "It's always the good ones that go first," he mused. He looked over at Jean. "War is war, and sometimes all it feels like is that it just takes."

"Yeah, well..." Jean's brow was lowered, and his fingers tightened a bit in his hair. "...I'm more than ready to start taking it back. What happened in Trost was just the beginning." He grit his teeth. "It's why I joined the Scouts, damn it. Because I can't allow them to get away with this!"

"You make a much better Scout than you would an MP." Kuro looked up at the ceiling. "I was talking to the Section Commander just now. She said that when we are victorious over the titans, both those who are alive to see it and those who we lost will be part of that victory." He turned to face Jean. "Beat them for Marco. Let every titan feel both of your strength when you kill them. Make it hurt."

Jean felt tears stinging his eyes, but like hell he was going to let them fall. He nodded tightly and swallowed.

"Before he died... he told me I was a good leader." Jean shut his eyes. "I've never seen myself as a leader... or someone anyone would ever look up to. All I ever wanted was to be an MP. That was the dream... set myself up for a good, safe life inside the Walls. I was so determined until Marco had to go and say all that shit... go and make me realize that maybe living just for my own damn self wasn't the right thing to do."

"You know... I also had a person who changed my mind. Before him, I had planned on going to work in the fields but he caused a change of plan." He sighed. "There are certain things that can change us as people. Trost was a big one. For some, it scared them. Made them want to hide. For others, we just wanted to fight. To get revenge. Trost split the 104th." He rested his back against the cot. "We may fight to kill... but we are also protecting those who stayed behind the walls."

Jean was quiet for a moment before asking, "So who changed your mind?"

"My little brother, Ryu." Kuro gave a soft smile. "He was the sweetest little kid you'd have ever met. Heart of gold and more. We both made it to Wall Rose, though living conditions were poor, so he got an illness from which he never recovered. Before he died, I told him a story about outside Wall Maria. I promised him that I would see outside Wall Maria for both of us, and you can't do that working in a field, so I signed up with my sights firmly set on the Scouts."

Jean was quiet as he listened. Finally, he sighed and dropped his hand from atop his head to flop over one knee. "All I've ever done has been for myself, really. It feels pretty different thinking of someone else for a change... but a good different." His eyes stared at a spot on the floor, his troubled brow lowered above them. "Marco and everyone else who gave their lives in Trost made me see myself differently. Guess I'm still getting used to it..."

Kuro looked at Jean. "That is the ultimate sacrifice. Giving everything you have so that others might live. They are the reason we are all still alive. We owe it to them to protect each other and win this war."

Jean sighed and squirmed a little. "Well, thanks for the pep talk." His voice was tight... but he meant it.

"No problem. We're all in this together. I wasn't gonna let you sit here all by yourself." He placed a gentle hand on Jean's shoulder. "Come find me if you need someone to talk to."

Jean's body language was a bit stiff. He wasn't exactly the most touchy-feely person, and any exchange of emotional feelings made him painfully awkward, even if it was a good thing... but he nodded. "Thanks," was all he said.

"You're welcome." Kuro moved his hand and stood up. Stretching his arms above his head, he moved over to his own bed. "Let's hope we don't get interrupted during training again tomorrow. It might be useful having a Titan on our side but... I just wish he could transform quietly."

At, that Jean smiled. He couldn't agree more.