Content Warnings:

•Season 2/3/4 Spoilers
•Strong Language
•Violence
•Blood
•Injury

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Flashback

"Hurry up, Y/n! The sun is about to set!" Quincy called from the doors of the workshop. "I have to check my gear before we leave!" You responded and pulled out your ODM Gear you had hidden inside a missing parts crate. "There's no time for that, you should have done it earlier! C'mon, already!" Quincy ran out the door, not waiting for you. You sighed and buckled your things all together, chasing after him.

"How much longer until the sun is down?" You asked as you both sat on top of a church's bell tower. Quincy paused and watched the sun gradually make it's way behind the wall. It was hard telling when exactly it would kiss the horizon but the sun was fastest once it was in the final descent. "It should be totally dark in about thirty minutes but I don't think anyone will notice once the sun is completely down. They'll assume we're military or just not care enough to tell. How about fifteen more minutes?" He tightened a few more belts on his thighs that felt loose. "Yeah, sounds good." You agreed with his suggestion.

When the sun was gone and all the beautiful colors were stolen with it, the moon took over and was accompanied by her scatters of stars which sprinkled the once glowing sky. Your district fell silent, the only sound was the wind and the creatures of the night. A few civilians roamed the streets as they made their way home or into a bar. You only had to give your brother a glance to ask if he was ready. His response was a smirk and he raised his fists, holding the hand grips. You grinned to yourself and jumped over the edge of the tower, shooting your anchors into the closest building.

You heard Quincy follow after you, the sound of the wind whipped past your ears and blew through each strand of your hair (disregard if you don't show, have, or have very short hair). You both zipped through tight alleys, past sharp turns, then sprung yourselves high above the buildings. You and Quincy always played free-falling games to see who lasted the longest without deploying their anchors. Usually, he won but sometimes he let you win because he had an ounce of sympathy. He eventually caught up and turned his head to face you, to which you looked back at him and nodded. In unison, you both released the gas triggers to let yourselves fall. The weight of the ODM Gear pulled you back down to the surface below. It felt so peaceful up there. That's what freedom felt like.

The ground came faster as you both plummeted towards the hard dirt surface below. It would only be a matter of seconds until you were flattened upon the hard impact. You peeked at Quincy whose (color) hair was ruffled and blowing into his face as you both fell back-first. He looked over at you again and smiled like a douche, his eyes asking if you were about to give up. You weren't going to let him win.

3...

Your pupils narrowed on his hooded eyes, communicating back that you were in this as much as he was. He only smiled more, almost mocking you and attempted to make you second-guess yourself. You still wouldn't let it happen.

2...

You shut your eyes, the last thing you saw was the star-speckled sky. The most beautiful one you had ever seen. That could have been your last second in the world. You could have let yourself hit the ground. Would that make you the winner?

1...

The sound of Quincy's gear filled your ears as he took off, a trail of gas followed him as he flew up and away from the surface. A devilish smile took over your face as you followed after him. Your anchors hesitated but deployed into two houses parallel to you. Your tailbone and ODM Gear grazed the dirt before you thrusted yourself back into the air and followed after your brother. You had won.

Quincy sped much farther ahead, you knew he was irritated you didn't back-out before him. Oh well, you would claim your victory and annoy him for the next two weeks or at least until you played again. Having two brothers made any competition worth winning. The sky was darker than before and a few lights lit up the street you were above. Other than that, you were in complete darkness. The wind continued to whip by you as you soared throughout the city. You hadn't even noticed how far ahead Quincy had gotten and you were pretty far behind. He was probably embarrassed that he lost and didn't want to hear you boast just yet.

You looked at the sky again to embrace the wondrous stars and the full moon. No other thought took over your mind. You wanted that escape more than anything. Nothing mattered while you were in the sky. Not even the looming thought of skipping the check on your gear's functionality beforehand. None of it mattered. You knew the city well enough to barely open your eyes as you soared through the night. You trusted yourself enough to not rely on sight. You've already done it hundreds of times. Nothing had ever gone wrong, so why would it then?

When your eyes fully shut, you deployed your anchors parallel to you again. Only that time, your left anchor shot out. You heard a clicking sound which alerted you to open your eyes. Looking down, the right anchor was caught with a tangled wire inside of its barrel. "Shit..." You cursed under your breath and simultaneously pulled the top trigger on your hand controls to release the anchor.

*Click*

*Click*

*Click*

It was stuck and would not come out to save your life. It had never happened to you before so you did not know how to fix it while in mid-air. You only had seconds before you'd splatter against a wall. You frantically checked between the incoming wall and your right anchor, beyond frustrated. If only you had checked your gear instead of listening to Quincy, it wouldn't have been a problem. "Come on, come on!" You pleaded and glanced back, and forth anxiously. The closer you got to the wall, the looser your left wire became and the uneven weight on your left anchor caused it to slowly slip out of the wall it had clung to.

The relieving sound of your right anchor washed away your fear as it finally shot out, however, it was already too late. It clipped the wall because of the short firing distance and with its speed, it bounced back and struck the right side of your head instead. You lost your breath at the sudden pain, unable to process what happened after you saw the anchor fly back towards you. Then, you slammed against the wall, desperately trying to cling on before it slipped out. Blood leaked from your skull, dripping down the side of your face and over your eye. Your vision became weak from the adrenaline rush and shock.

Then, your left anchor fell out of the wall. The hard slam against it crushed your left barrel, unable to retract the wire even if you pulled the lever back. You couldn't retract the right anchor either as it was pierced into your skin. Slowly, you felt the air push against you as you fell back to the surface. There was nothing you could do. There was nothing to worry about in the sky because nothing mattered. It was quiet as you fell back to the surface. The sky above you was a serene painting in your eyes. Each blink became slower and slower, not a thought nor worry on your mind. In a sense, you were still flying. Nothing bothered you, so you finally let your eyes fall shut.

The wire attached to the right anchor eventually tangled around your right arm while the left anchor hit a shorter wall which broke off two of it's blades. There were no sounds as you fell back-first. In your mind, you thought you were playing another round with Quincy. You were going to win.

The ground had caught up with you. The impact was enough to pull the anchor out of your head and retract into its half-crushed barrel. The abrupt retraction had dislocated your shoulder and the left wire had wrapped around your leg as well. The last sound you heard, was the crunching of either your anchor barrels or bones. You did not have the power to differentiate between the two. You felt nothing at all afterward. You saw nothing. You heard nothing. Not even the screams of your brother who had found you after the fall.

Flashback End

It was early in the morning, the sun wasn't even awake at this hour. Your luggage was ready and now all that was waiting was you. You put on a fresh pair of clothes and brought your suitcase out to the living room, ready to be taken down when your carriage arrives. Your father was in the kitchen, preparing some bread and soup for you for breakfast, so you enter the small kitchen, greeting your dog before him. "Hey, (dog's name). I know, I'm going to miss you too." You sat on your knees to hug the small/large animal. She/he licks your face, making you smile at the interaction. "I trust you'll take care of her/him with me gone, right?" You ask your father as you stand back up. "Of course I will. I know neither of us trust Quincy, the kid can barely take care of himself." The man chuckles, pouring the broth into a bowl before handing it over to you. "Thanks." You reply, grabbing a piece of bread before sitting at the table. Before joining you at the table, your father feeds the dog some leftovers in her/his bowl.

Now, sitting across from you with his own bowl, your father lets out a sigh. "'Ya sure this is the right way to go?" He looks straight into your eyes, wondering what is going through your mind. You think about it for only a moment, already knowing the answer but you don't want to seem closed-minded. "I believe it is. I should see the world and at least try to push humanity one step further to freedom. We can't get anywhere unless we try." You respond, picking up your spoon to have a taste of the vegetable soup. Your father hates to admit that he is proud of you, slightly because it will push you further and further away. He still wants you to be careful and not leave, although, that is not his decision to make.

"You'll do good but listen to your superiors and don't get yourself killed, kid." Your father says in a gentle tone, taking a bite of his bread after. "Of course, dad. I'm pretty disciplined just from growing up with my brothers." You lightly chuckle. "I guess that is true." He agrees, ruffling your dog's head when she/he returns to the table for attention. "I want 'ya to be especially careful now that the Walls are speaking of people turning into Titans. One of 'em is even inside the Military system, they say." He adds, eyes on the dog. "I've heard." You say, looking at (dog's name) as well. "I'm sure my superiors will be responsible enough to inform us about everything regarding that though." You shrug, to which your father hums at, not so sure about that final statement from you.

"We'll see about that. The Military Police are not so great but I'm glad Tristan is there to hopefully straighten things out in the future." Your eldest brother, Tristan, has been serving the MP's for about eight years now. With that, he's maintained a spotless reputation and is respected by citizens all over Wall Sina. Many people despise the Military Police for their laziness and the two other branches face the same criticism, unfortunately. However, people knew your brother in the interior and had hope for the MP's with him serving them. Its his goal to become a Captain or Commander to change things for the better.

You missed your brother greatly, having not seen him in a very long time. Although, you were able to exchange letters with him from time-to-time, it was never the same. You also wonder how his relationship is with your best friend's older sister, Miyuki. The two of you had set them up after hearing about their crushes on each other for years. When he had a day off years ago, they went on a date and they hit it off. Katsumi mostly liked the idea because if they are to elope, the two of you can be sister-in-laws. The thought of your older brother and best friend brings a smile to your face, only making you want to join the Scouts even more. You want to give them the freedom they deserve outside of the Walls. It will solve a lot of the world's issues.

After you finish eating, the both of you get up to clean the dishes and head downstairs. Quincy had been up in the workshop, unable to sleep that night because he worried about you joining the Military. The older boy comes out of the workshop, meeting you and your father at the front door to your house. "Already leaving?" He asks, stretching his arms over his head. "Yeah, the carriage should be here at sunrise." You nod, setting your suitcase down beside you. "That's a shame, I'll have no one else to pick on with you gone." Quincy frowns, dreading the idea of being alone. "You can still make fun of me through letters." You suggest, making him laugh. "Yeah, I'll do that. You better get out there now before they leave without you." Quincy opens the front door and pushes you outside. Your father and him follow behind, bringing out your suitcase. (Dog's name) runs over, sitting at your feet and begging for you to stay. "I'll come back and visit when I can, sweetie." You whisper to the dog, kneeling down to kiss her/his head, earning you another lick on the cheek.

When you stand back up, you hear a carriage in the distance along with horses' hooves trotting on the ground. "I hear my ride." You mumble, turning to face your father. "Come here, girl." He wraps you in a tight hug, even if you were being squeezed to death. "Now remember, (nickname), no relationships in the Military. Your duty is to serve and not to... sleep with people. Understood?" He raises an eyebrow as he stares down at you. "Yes, dad." You sigh, chuckling anyway. He is always strict about those things and won't let you date until you're married which makes no sense to you. Quincy snickers at your conversation, shutting himself up when you turn to face him. "I don't feel like touching you so," You hold your right hand up which he slaps with his own. "Thanks for saving me from the hug." He grins, placing his hands on his hips after. "Yeah, shut up, asshole." You laugh, noticing your father roll his eyes.

At this time, the carriage pulls up with a Scout member sitting atop the box seat. The man hops off, holding a folded paper in his hands. "Y/n (Last name)?" His eyes then land on you. "That's me!" You grab your suitcase and smile at the young man with light brown hair and matching eyes. The man folds the paper again, gently smiling back at you. "I'm Moblit Berner, pleased to meet you. Let me take your luggage." He then opens the door to the carriage. You turn to face your family one last time, feeling sad you have to leave them but also excited for the adventure coming your way. "I'll write to you as often as I can." You smile at your father and brother. "Take care of (dog's name) for me, too." You add, petting the dog goodbye. "We will. Stay safe out there, (nickname). Make us proud, okay? I love 'ya." Your father replies, holding back his emotions. "I will. I love you too." You smile at him, waving at the two of them. "Kick ass, sis!" Quincy exclaims before you step inside the carriage. You chuckle and thank Moblit, waving again once settled inside on a bench.

After Moblit puts your luggage on top of the carriage between the railing, you feel the wagon begin to move. This was your final day as a regular citizen and your first day as a member of the Survey Corps. As scared as you are, you are more than thrilled to finally be a part of the Military, serving your people and home for the better. As you look outside the small window, you hear Moblit speak to you. "The ride will be quite long from here to Karanese. However, we will be meeting the Scouts in Stohess District to hand over Eren Yeager to the Military Police." He informs you. The name sounds a bit familiar to you but does not ring any bells right off the bat. It sounds like it was the kid who transformed into a Titan. "Okay, thank you for telling me." You respond, leaning back in your seat.

More thoughts begin to swirl in your mind. Your first day as a member of the Scouts will be conducting an operation to give the MP's custody of the Titan kid and who knows how dangerous that's going to be. Something else then comes to mind after that, though. Tamara's surprise visit last night and how she cried for two hours it seemed. You still can not believe that your friend had died. Her daughter. The more you think about it, the more it hurts your head, so you try not to focus on the subject but it is hard not to. She was an innocent girl. You hadn't seen her in years since she went to Cadet Corps. You just hope she's able to rest now.
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Later that day, you make it to Stohess District. You were able to get a little nap during the long ride, relieved about that. You do not know much about what is happening today besides the Scouts handing over one of their members to the Military Police's custody. Moblit had given you your new jacket and cape, as well as ODM Gear, and belts. Then, leading you to the squad he is in, you meet the Captain which is Section Commander Hange Zoë, a very energetic and loud person but they have a brilliant mind. You are going to stick with them during the operation, being told more info while you get into your places.

On top of a roof, you hear a loud crash of thunder, shaking the ground and buildings. "What was that?" You ask once the dust settles. Section Commander Hange grins. "Our backup plan is working... the Female Titan will be here shortly." They hum. You've never seen a Titan before, all of this being new to you. Moblit is also with you and you are grateful you get to stick around someone you already met earlier. "So... the Female Titan is suspected to be a mole inside the Military Police?" You ask for clarification, still in shock. "That's what we think and if our theory is correct, our troops will lead her straight into our trap." Section Commander Hange grins sadistically, chuckling. "Yes... Yes!" Their smile becomes even wider as you watch. "Commander, you uh... you've got that look in your eye again." Moblit comments, watching his leader. Just then, two boys zip past you with their ODM Gear. In that moment, Section Commander Hange stands up, pulling the trigger on the barrel underneath their foot. Right in front of you, stands the Female Titan. Your eyes grow wide, pupils smaller than a grain of rice as you stare at a Titan for the first time. She's bigger than you had ever anticipated, granted, the Colossal Titan is much larger than this one.

Hundreds of spears shoot out, piercing her skin. You cringe at the sight, feeling the pain just from witnessing it which makes you subconsciously touch your head. The Spears pull her down to the ground and two Scouts throw a large, spiked-net over her. You and Moblit stand up, looking down at the Female Titan, relieved she had been caught. Section Commander Hange spins one of their anchors, very pleased with themselves. "Nice! And here I was convinced having a plan "C" was nothing short of paranoid. Oh, Commander Erwin, you genius." They smile, grabbing the anchor. "Right, so," Section Commander Hange jumps off the roof, maneuvering safely to the ground to approach the Titan. You stay back with Moblit, still cautious about the beast. You'd rather not be chomped up on the first day. You hear Section Commander Hange mutter some words to the Titan as they hold a sword to her right eye. The whole situation does not sit right with you. This is not a good idea.

I hope Tristan isn't stationed here.

Your mind suddenly tells you to speak up, so you listen to it. "Watch out!" You shout just as the Female Titan swings out her leg, sending barrels and Scouts flying. "She broke free?!" You hear a raven girl exclaim. "Dammit! We didn't have enough time to set traps!" Section Commander Hange curses when they get back on the roof. You watch as the Titan sprints off, wired-spears still attached to her. "Don't let her get away!" Section Commander Hange shouts. You focus your attention on the Section Commander, following their lead after the rogue Titan. You aren't used to having to carry swords on you, so the extra weight is something you have to get used to as you fly through Stohess. The raven from before goes after the Female Titan, being kicked at. She roughly hits the ground, causing one of the boys who lured the Titan to gasp. "Mikasa!" He shouts, looking over his shoulder. You glance back as well, worried for the girl but you have to keep going and follow Moblit and Section Commander Hange. That's when a second strike of lighting and thunder is heard. The entire sky turns yellow again, startling you.

Is that Eren?

Before you know it, a second Titan emerges. This one is about the same size as the Female Titan but with skin and brown hair. He runs towards the Female Titan, swinging his right fist and punching her into a building as he let's out a loud scream. You and the others retreat to some roofs, standing by as the second Titan goes after the Female Titan. The Female gets up from the crushed building, running towards the Wall now.

She's going to escape!

The other Titan, which you presume to be Eren, chases after her yet again, not letting her get away. Section Commander Hange orders you to follow so you oblige, following them along with the two boys from earlier. "Well, I dare say it looks like our boy's in control over himself this time." Section Commander Hange mentions once the four of you land on a roof as Eren runs by. "Yeah, still though, there's no guarantee this will turn out differently than their last meeting." The blonde boy comments. "Come on, he wouldn't have transformed unless he knew for sure he could take her this time. He's got this, okay?" The other, a taller, sandy-brunette boy, replies. "I don't doubt that but determination alone isn't enough to win a fight. You of all people should know that. It'll take more than that to beat Annie. A lot more." The blonde says, turning his head back towards the Titans. "He's right." You decide to chime into their conversation. "Determination won't get you anywhere unless you recognize the enemy's weaknesses with no hesitation." The three of them all look at you, surprised. "I may be new to this whole field but I'm not new to fights. If Eren wants to win, he can't rely on determination alone."

Eren and the Female Titan square up, throwing powerful punches and kicks, knocking down multiple buildings. "Section Commander, I hate to say it but the city will be debris and corpses before long, even if we manage to catch her." Moblit warns his leader, worried that the mission is going to cost the Scouts a lot from the aftermath. "Well, then, that's how its going to be. We're sticking to Commander Erwin's plan, got it? So stop babbling and ready the nets." Section Commander Hange responds, not willing to change the plan. "Right." Moblit listens. You still feel bad about this. Everything is overwhelming but you can't back down now. Not on your first day of your new life and career. You wanted this.

The group moves forward, following the Titans in order to be on the ready. Eren goes in but the Female Titan hardens her shin, kicking his leg off. Eren throws another punch before falling to his knees, roaring loudly. She then kicks him in the face, causing a huge dust cloud to sweep the streets. All of you cover your faces, bracing the strong gust of wind. This is not going well. You are genuinely afraid of what is going to happen after this battle. The Female Titan had crushed Eren's head, running away towards the Wall again.

Oh God... we're doomed.

Just when you thought Eren lost the battle, he emerges from a slightly collapsed building, in flames. He's beyond angry at this point. Eren runs and tackles the Female Titan to the ground, just in front of the Wall. You all stand on guard on a roof, swords in hand. The raven who was knocked to the ground meets you there, worried for the boy named Eren. "Help him!" She says as soon as she lands between Section Commander Hange and the sandy-brunette. "No, with the state he's in its probably best that we keep our distance." They immediately respond. Eren roars again, grabbing the Female Titan's face and squeezing as hard as he can, crushing it. The sight is nothing less than disturbing but this is all part of the job.

She manages to escape once again, dashing towards the Wall, leaping and climbing her way up. "She's headed up the Wall!" The sandy-brunette exclaims. "She's trying to escape!" Section Commander Hange says, running towards the edge of the roof. Eren is able to bite onto her right leg, pulling half of it off after she kicks his face. "No, no, no! We can't let her get away!" The blonde boy shouts fearfully. "I won't let her!" The raven girl swings up towards the Female Titan, cutting off her fingers so she can't climb. As soon as she hits the ground, Eren jumps on top of her, absolutely tearing her apart. "Oh no! He's going to devour her whole!" Section Commander Hange gasps. "Eren, back off!" "Don't do it!" Everyone frantically shouts at the Titan.

Eren rips the flesh off of the Female Titan's nape, exposing a blonde girl inside of there. You intently watch, in awe, and fear over the situation. Eren hesitates, not pulling her out, confusing the onlookers. Then, the Female Titan hardens her skin, creating a crystal-like shield around herself. The hardened skin begins to connect the two Titans, worrying the others that he may become stuck. Before the raven girl can get to Eren, a man comes out of the sky, cutting off his nape to pull him out.

You all stand by the decomposing Titan bodies and investigate the hardened crystal the Female Titan has put herself in. The sandy-brunette tries breaking her shield with his sword but its too hard. The surface breaks his sword down to the nub. You still can't tell if the mission has been a success or not. Although you had captured the Female Titan, you can't get any answers out of her now. This is just your first day and things are already a shit show.

That evening, out of nowhere, you feel something strange. You're used to headaches and all but this time is different. The right side of your head, specifically where you were struck by an anchor, pounds, throbbing with pain. Then, a vision flashes before your eyes. A blonde man accompanied by a brunette. Their faces are barely visible and you are only able to catch the blonde's hazel eyes. The vision disappears in an instant, leaving you more dumbfounded than before it appeared. "What the hell was that...?" You mutter to yourself, not realizing someone behind you heard.

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

Words: 4,831

08/31/21
Hello, readers! I hope you enjoyed reading the very first chapter of this book! I'm very excited to continue this storyline and uncover all the secrets about you, the main character. <3

Enjoy your day or night!

~AlpineBreadStick