"You there!"

"Yes, Sir!" Armin instinctively delivered the esteemed salute of the soldiers, his left hand in a fist over his heart and his right hidden behind his back.

"Who are you?" Shadis probed with a sharp tone.

"Armin Arlert, from the district of Shiganshina!" Sweat beaded on his forehead. He was damn near shaking in his boots in Shadis' commanding presence.

At that moment Y/n's lips curled into a brief smile, a reflexive reaction to his anxious demeanor. She thought it was adorable.
Quickly, she attempted to suppress it, squashing her mouth into a tight, awkward line.

"Yeah? That's a stupid name. Your parents gave you that?"

"My grandfather, Sir!"

Shadis leaned in, eyes narrowing. He stared Armin down as if ready to devour him. "Arlert, what are you doing here?"

Afraid to meet his eyes, Armin shut his own tight and yelled out the best response that came to mind, "trying to aid humanity's victory!"

Shadis straightened back up, having heard enough.
"That is indeed wonderful... Then you will feed the Titans well. Row 3, about face!" And he grabbed the top of his head to turn him around before moving on to his next victim.

"Who are you?" Shadis asked another blond, brown-eyed cadet, also finding it hard to meet his gaze.

"Thomas Wagner , from Trost!"

"I can't hear you!"

Thomas shuddered at the boom in his voice before meekly repeating himself: "Thomas Wagner from-"

"Too soft! Go practice in the cattle shed!"

He grilled the cadets one by one. Fear held them in place. They didn't dare to move, so as to not draw his attention to themselves. His looming presence breathed down their necks as they anticipated his next move. But he only did this as a rite of passage to force the young cadets to abandon who they were. Only then could they be built back up as soldiers.

"A horrible name! Change it now!" Shadis snapped at a young man with dark hair.

However, it wasn't necessary for all of them to be subjected to this process. Some had already undergone that rite of passage, having seen the worst of hells already.

"Wrong! You are from the pig shed, worth less than cattle."

"Yes, Sir! I am less than cattle!" A girl named Mina, sporting pig tails, agreed in a nervous sweat.

Y/n was struggling. She tried her hardest to compose herself. Her cheeks puffed out as she fought against the urge to laugh. Her features twisted to hide her mirth, but the ridiculousness of the situation was too comical.

"No, you're a fly swarming a pig's ass!"

She damn near choked at that one. Armin looked over to her curiously as she took in a deep gulp of air looking red in the face.

Shadis took notice of a smug-looking, tall cadet. He was so sure of himself, he didn't even flinch when he was approached.

"Who are you?"

"Jean Kirschstein, from Trost!" The boy swung his left arm over his heart.

"What are you here for?"

His smirk deepened, as if he was already living his fantasy. "Joining the Military Police for a life deep within the walls."

Eren glared at him in disdain. There was nothing he despised more than a coward.

"Oh I see...You want access to the interior?" Shadis leaned forward, his polished forehead gleamed in the sun.

"Yea-"

WHACK. With a sudden movement Shadis launched his head forward, driving it into Jean's.

Jean staggered back as the world around him seemed to spin. Clutching his hammering forehead, he fell to his knees and bent forward, trembling at Shadis' feet.

"Who said you could sit down?! Anyone who can't suck it up will never make the Military Police!"

With that, he left Jean to cry on the ground before moving on. "Next, who're you?"

"Connie Springer, of Ragako Village, Wall Rose South District!" A young cadet with a buzz cut answered. Only, this one had his right arm over his chest. Not the left.
A huge showing of disrespect, and the guy didn't even know it.

'This guy is so done for,' Y/n thought. She looked to the ground, pressing her lips to muffle a chortle.

Shadis' eyes flashed with anger and within a split second, Connie was up in the air hanging from his head.
"You're doing it wrong, Connie Springer..." He wrapped his palms over his temples, glowering at him.
"I explained that this salute demonstrates your resolve to devote your entire heart to the people. Is your heart on your right side?"

Connie was drooling from his mouth, paralyzed in fear before he was let go and met the ground with a thud.

Shadis stepped back to look over the cadets all at once.
"Listen up! I have seen some shit in my time. But you are the sorriest pieces of shit I've ever seen! You're in for-"

He was interrupted by the soft smacking of a mouth. Silence fell amongst the cadets.
Slowly, he turned his head to the noise, eyes wide and mouth agape. Just a few feet away, his eyes landed on a girl with burgundy brown hair. In her hand was a steamed potato, which she continued to munch on, as if nothing was happening.

"Hey, you.." Shadis turned to her menacingly. Everyone remained frozen to their spot, unsure of what was about to ensue.
"What are you doing?"

The girl still payed him no mind, her chewing persisted with a stern look. She didn't seem to flinch even when Shadis' ominous steps got closer and closer, before he was right in front of her.

"You're the one I'm talking to! You! Who are you?!"

The girl swallowed hard and swung her arm over her heart, potato in hand.
"Sasha Blause, from Dauper Village, Wall Rose South District!"

"Sasha Blause... What are you holding in your left hand?" He stared her down with an unforgiving gaze.

Sasha persevered, not cracking under the pressure. Crumbs around her mouth, she answered confidently.
"A boiled potato, Sir! The kitchen had a fresh batch, and I couldn't resist."

"Did you steal it? Why? Why would you decide to eat a potato now?"

Her voice lowered, her expression remained steadfast, "letting it get cold would've been a waste, so I decided it would be best to eat it now."

Shadis was dumbfounded. He truly tried to wrap his head around Sasha's logic and reasoning.
"I still don't understand... Why would you eat that potato?"

Sasha furrowed her brows in confusion, unsure of what he meant. "Are you asking me why people eat potatoes?..." She trailed off.

Realizing she may have stepped out of line, she thought of the best way to make up for it — by sharing with the head instructor.

She took the potato in both of her hands and broke off a small piece, about a 1/4th. Sasha held it up to Shadis, feeling very proud of herself.
"You can have half."

He took it from her hand and brought it to his face for inspection. Shadis was absolutely baffled. "This is half?..."

Snort. Y/n couldn't it hold it in anymore, she just couldn't. She was tearing up, stifling her chuckles as her facade slowly broke away. Her lips curved into a wide, visible grin.

Silence. Immediately, everyone turned their heads to her, caught off guard by her lack of shame. Especially Shadis, who stared at her in disbelief.

Feeling all eyes on her, her smile dropped immediately in self-awareness as she composed herself. She felt a sudden pit in her stomach when Shadis stepped forward.
Bracing herself, Y/n inhaled sharply when he stopped before her.

Eren looked over at his twin anxiously. He was stunned at her carelessness.
'This idiot, what'd she get herself into?'

"You... What's your name?" Shadis began, staring daggers at her.

"Y-Y/n Jäger, Sir!" Her mouth quivered. Trembling, she only managed to execute the salute. She was so self-conscious, that she even checked if she did it right or not.

"Y/n... What was so funny?" Shadis' gaze was menacing, his voice low, radiating a mix of disappointment and fury.
Her heart pounded in her chest.

As his expression darkened, his brows furrowed deeply, casting a grim shadow over cold, piercing eyes.
Never had she felt so small in her life; never so vulnerable under someone's scrutiny. She was about to piss herself.

"I... No.. I- Sorry. Nothing was funny at all," Y/n stammered, her cheeks flushing from the embarrassment. She wished she was anywhere but here.
Y/n was now one of the cadets he was grilling from before, yet she was no longer snickering. The weight of all the eyes felt like a heavy burden on her shoulders.

It was Armin's turn to hide a smile. Despite the pitiful situation, he couldn't help it.

Shadis clenched his jaw intimidatingly as he studied her for a moment; the way she trembled in fear, the stress, the sweat, the bulging eyes.

Each word was sharp, cutting through the air like a sword:
"Is that so?... Then why did I hear you snort? You oinked like a pig just now. So tell us, piggy, we'd like to laugh too."

Really? That was the nickname she received?! That was the name she'd be called by for the next three years?! Y/n searched around, looking for anyone to come to her rescue. Yet all she was met with were the faces of cadets who looked like they were about to burst out laughing at her.
She wanted to cry.

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Y/n was gasping with tremendous effort. Her lungs screamed for air and her legs burned, a painful fire coursing through them. She ran alongside Sasha for what felt like an eternity, as punishment of course for their 'inappropriate behavior.'

'I'm such an idiot.'

How does this keep happening to her? Why did she even laugh? Was it a coping mechanism? It wasn't even that funny now that she thought about.
The only thing worse than this torture was that humiliating nickname. Especially the bullying and teasing she'd face for the next three years.

"They're still going at it?" A freckled boy by the name of Marco remarked, grateful he wasn't in their position. He and a couple of other boys watched from the porch of the dining hall cabin.

The sun dipped nearly below the horizon now, streaking the sky with purple, pink and orange like a bright painting. It was nearly dinner time.

"It's been about five hours. I'm honestly shocked potato girl can still keep going," Eren observed.
Sasha was exhausted, but she surprisingly had enough strength left, skipping briskly around the training grounds.

Eren looked over to his sister and grimaced.
"Not sure if the same can be said about Y/n though..."

Y/n was purple in the face, gasping, wheezing and huffing big gulps of air. Dirt streaked her face and her hair was disheveled, while her clothes were drenched in sweat. At that point she wasn't even running anymore; she was shuffling, awkwardly dragging her own body with her as her muscles burned.

Significantly behind Sasha now, she couldn't take it anymore and her knees wobbled, collapsing from underneath her. Y/n fell to the ground on all fours. Panting, while her vision blurred. With sweat? With tears? She didn't know anymore.

Head instructor Shadis took notice of her as he strode over to the dining hall, clicking his tongue unsatisfied.
"What are you doing? Get those legs moving, piggy!"
He then turned to the cadets watching from the porch.
"You all get in now, unless you want to join them too."

With a lot of "nope, there's no need" and "of course, Sir," it didn't take too long for them to retreat into the large cabin.

Y/n had regained just enough energy to stumble back to her feet and catch up to Sasha, though expending it very quickly.

"How can you hold out for so long?" Y/n sputtered with a raspy voice.

"Uhm, I don't know, I'm just steadying my breathing I guess?" Sasha panted in response.

Y/n looked at her with watery eyes, about to cry.
"I'm trying! Oxygenating my muscles and whatnot — not working," she wheezed as numbness prickled her feet. Her back and arms cramped up, feeling as though they were about to fall off.

"Y'know what? Let's take a break, I can't do this no more — he's not even looking," Sasha said, coming to a halt.

A tightness gripping their chests, their hearts pounded and their heads were buzzing.

Sasha asked with labored breaths, "so, what was really up with you? You were giggling the whole ceremony when he yelled at all of us."

Y/n looked up to meet her gaze as her chest heaved up and down. Her knees and ankles screamed in relief, finally able to catch a break.
"Huh? Oh. I wasn't laughing at you guys."

"At what, then?" She raised a brow, hands on her hips.

"I don't know, something about an angry bald dude is just really funny," Y/n's lips curled into a grin as Sasha burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.

She continued. "What?? Didn't you see how his shiny head gleamed in the sun? It was so blinding, I could barely see his face."

"Okay, okay, I've gotta give it to you. I swear I could peer into the future looking at his forehead," Sasha joked before the two let out another cackle, wiping more tears away.

"And you, was the potato really worth it?" Y/n nudged Sasha with a smirk.

She nodded her head with a satisfied expression,"every bite," making Y/n chuckle.

Night had already fallen and the girls decided to head back already. They were starving, having probably missed dinner time, at which Sasha was especially distraught.

Y/n in particular was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to fall to the floor and hibernate for a week. Speaking of which, she realized her and Sasha had not checked into their sleeping quarters yet.

As they were walking to the dining hall, Y/n turned to her new friend, "Sasha, do you know what cabin you're staying in yet?"

"I think four, I'm not sure though. You?"

"No clue. I don't know who I'll be living with or even who my roommate is. Do you?"

The gravel crunched beneath their feet as they neared the warm light of a fire pit near the large cabin.
Cool night air sent a shiver down Y/n's spine.

"I think I'm gonna stay with a girl named Mina, not sure who I'll be rooming with though. It'll be a surprise then for the both of us." Sasha gave Y/n a smile.
"Who're you hoping to room with anyway?"

"Definitely Mikasa. She's basically my sister, I feel the most comfortable with her."

Before Sasha could finish her reply, they had reached the door of the dining hall. To her delight, Sasha heard voices emanating from within. Her face brightened as she cheered: "They're still eating! We'll still get fed!" And without another word, she dashed inside with an unbelievable speed.

Y/n chuckled as she walked in. The wooden dining hall was dimly lit and dirty; plates and cutlery lay scattered on the tables as crumbs and food were smeared on the seats and floor. Gagging, Y/n was cautious of where she stepped. Most of the cadets had already eaten and gone off to bed, Eren and Armin included.

Mikasa, sitting alone, perked up upon seeing her. "Y/n, over here! I saved some bread and soup for you."

Thanking her, she took a seat at the table. Her stomach grumbled and she was dying of thirst. This was exactly what she needed.

"Have you checked into your room yet, Mikasa?"

"Not yet, but I know where I'll be staying." Her initial smile dropped to a frown. "Sadly, we won't be sharing a room together."

"What?!" Y/n's eyes widened in disappointment. Up until the fall of Shiganshina, Mikasa and Y/n had always slept in the same room at their old house, just the two of them. She had grown used to the comfort of never being alone, often cracking jokes and chatting with Mikasa late into the night. This would be a big readjustment.

"I was just as distraught, I really wanted to be with you. But apparently I'll be rooming with the potato girl."

"This day can't get any worse can it? Do you know where I'll be staying?" Y/n took a big, annoyed bite out of her bread.

"I think you're in cabin seven. Though I don't know who your roommate is. Let's hope she's nice."
Mikasa rested her chin on her palm. She wasn't sure if she hid the twinge of jealousy in her voice well enough.

The two continued to converse while Y/n finished up her meal. Afterwards the two wished each other a good night before heading off to their respective cabins.

The air of the night was now cold and uncaring. Y/n shivered, rubbing her arms for warmth.
"Cabin seven... cabin seven... Aaand it's the farthest one from here..."
Great. She was sure to get sick.

Finally reaching her designated cabin, she crept through the door quietly, so as to not wake up the other girls. A fire burned hotly in a hearth, much to
Y/n's delight.

Warming herself up, she walked around the foyer in search of her bedroom, looking for the name of her new roommate as well. She always enjoyed meeting new people, and was curious to know how her roommate would be like.

Aha. She found it at last. Y/n and...
'Annie?'

Y/n stood there for a moment, curious. The name was unfamiliar as she hadn't heard it at the ceremony earlier today.

"What are you doing?"

She jerked her head quickly behind her, startled at the voice. Before her stood a girl with pale blue eyes and blond hair that was tied up in a bun. Her features were sharp as she wore a skeptical expression.

"Hi! You must be Annie. I'm your new roommate Y/n."
She stretched out her arm, eager to have met someone new.

Annie remained unmoving. She studied the hand before her with a stoic expression. "I'm not going to shake that, you've been sweating all day."

Y/n, slightly taken aback, retracted her hand in confusion.

"I'm going to let you know from the start to save the both of us any trouble. I'm not here to make any friends." Annie added before brushing past her to bed.

Y/n was left dumbfounded, processing the exchange.
"Well, alright..." she uttered under her breath.

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A new day had begun and it already settled into midday. The sun was high up, beaming hotly on the cadets at their first ODM-training lesson.

Before Y/n knew it, the morning had slipped by quickly in a blur. She barely got any sleep last night.
Other than the fact that her new roommate was unreasonably cold and distant, Annie snored to top it off, driving Y/n up the wall with every waking hour.

And in the following morning, when they woke up, she completely ignored Y/n's existence, stalking out of their room for breakfast without a word — not a "hi," hello," or a "good morning." Y/n was beginning to find her downright insolent.

Breakfast was at least somewhat alright; she got to get to know some of her fellow cadets. At first they were skeptical, under the assumption that she was rude and ill-mannered for snickering the whole enlisting ceremony, but they soon warmed up to her when they got to talking. However, that didn't mean she didn't face any teasing or judgment for her newly-given nickname.

But she had to put that aside now. Now, at this lesson, her performance would determine her advancement to the next stage of her training. Their task for today was the proto-type set-up of their ODM-gear. They were to be suspended in the air from two cords at their sides to balance themselves upright. Failure to do so meant you were sent home.

As Y/n stood among her fellow cadets, she fidgeted with her gold necklace, deep in thought. With the rough start she'd had, she needed to make a good impression to prove herself.

However, when she glanced at the many other cadets who were either struggling or completely failing, she began to doubt herself — it looked pretty hard. Even more so when she saw people like Mikasa who were rock-solid and unmoving, passing the test with ease.

"Y/n? That's your name, right? It's your turn."
A tall cadet with a muscular, athletic build pulled her out of her thoughts. His short, spiky, blond hair shone in the sun.

When Y/n turned to face him, her heart skipped a beat. A fluttering sensation in her stomach soon followed when she met his narrow, brown eyes, staring for a little longer than normal.

Finally coming to her senses, she took the gear from his hand with sweaty palms.
"R-Right. It's, uhm — just this clasp over here, correct?"

What was happening to her? Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. And it wasn't because of their task.

From behind her she heard the quiet snickering of a few cadets and a little name-calling here and there. They wouldn't live it down, would they?

"Alright, enough with that. Felix, didn't you fall on your face just now? What are you laughing for? You think you'd do better than her?" The handsome blond said firmly.

Y/n forgot how to breathe, her stomach did another flip. He then lead her to the set-up to hook her gear to the cords.

"Ready?"

She nodded in response before taking a sharp inhale.

He gave her a small smile before pulling the lever.

'Okay, this is it. Just don't panic and you'll be fine. Don't look at him, don't psych yourself out.'

Y/n's feet slowly lifted from the ground, the pounding within her chest intensified.
'Keep yourself calm.'
Mikasa's steady form loomed large in her mind, a reminder of what she aspired to be.

She was now suspended in the air.

Wobbling, Y/n tried to get a hold of herself. Her stomach dropped and she yelped, almost falling backwards. She managed to steady herself just in time and began to balance herself again.
It wasn't perfect. She was teetering here and there, but she did it and that was enough.

Y/n couldn't believe it. She'd actually pass on to the next stage, she'd make it to tomorrow. She couldn't wait to rub it in Eren's face that he'd been proven wrong.
Grinning triumphantly, Y/n looked to the blond cadet. He too beamed back at her.

"Well, well, I didn't think you had it in you, piggy," Shadis walked over, raising a brow.
"Will you fare just as well tomorrow?!"

She gushed, feeling very proud of herself and, without thinking, Y/n instinctively shot her left arm over her chest.
"Yes, Sir!-"
Knocked off-balance she swung backwards with a scream, falling on her head.

Shadis guffawed, tearing at the eyes, before moving on as the cadets erupted in laughter. She was seeing stars, hanging upside down. There wasn't even time to feel embarrassed with the throbbing pain in her head now.

The blond cadet hurried over worriedly to detach her hooks and help her up, asking if she was okay or if she needed to go to the infirmary.

"No, I'm fine — thank you though." Y/n felt a heat rise to her cheeks. She didn't know if it was because she nearly cracked her head open, because of the teasing and laughter from the cadets, or something else entirely.

"Alright, if you insist. If you need anything, just tell me."

"W-what's, uh, what's your name — again?"

"Reiner. Reiner Braun," he flashed her a smile.

There it was, that fluttering sensation again.

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"Ugh, I'm doomed," Eren whined, burying his face in his hands.

It was now dinner time. They sat in the dining hall when Y/n had just finished bandaging up Eren's head after his accident. There was no way in hell he was making it till tomorrow, not after what happened today.
The ODM lesson was already bad as is for Eren, swinging in the air like a pendulum, but when all the other cadets had left, he attempted it a second time.

This time, immediately after his feet left the ground, he swung forward sharply and slammed into the ground head first, leaving a bloody blow on his temple for Y/n to deal with.
What was he doing wrong? Why couldn't it stick? Even Y/n made it, so why was it so hard for him?

"There's no point in worrying. You just have to figure it out tomorrow," Armin offered his consolation, sipping soup from his spoon.

Eren only sighed and rested his chin on his arms. "I'm so pathetic. I'll never be able to kill them all like this."

"You should let that idea go," Mikasa chimed in.

"What?!" Eren's face twisted in a scowl, sitting up straight now.

"Give up on being a soldier, there are other ways to fight than by throwing away your life."

"Listen here, I've already made up my mind on this a long time ago. Do you really think you'll convince me just like that?!"

Amidst their arguing and bickering, Y/n turned her attention elsewhere. She payed Eren's frustrations no mind nor listened in on Mikasa's arguments against her brother, like she normally would with much delight.
This time, her eyes were fixed on a specific cadet from across the room, zoning out as her thoughts trailed back to their interaction from earlier today. She admired from afar the way he smiled as he joked and laughed with his fellow cadets.
'Even his laugh is cute too, huh?'

"What are you looking at?" Eren jolted her back to reality, raising a brow.

"Huh? Did you say something?"

Mikasa's eyes darted to Y/n, then to the table where the blond sat, and back to Y/n. Her lips curved into a small, knowing smile.
"Or rather, who, are you looking at?"

Y/n's eyes widened in realization, a knot tightened in her chest and her face flushed bright red.
"Wh- Nothing — no one!" She glared at Mikasa as if to tell her something.

Even Armin's attention was caught by her jumpy behavior, and looked to the table behind him.
Seeing the blond cadet with a muscular build, he understood. Yet he didn't smile smugly like Mikasa. Instead, for some reason, he felt unease. Why? He didn't know. Looking back at Y/n, he tried to force a smile.
Why was he feeling like this? He thought he'd never looked at Y/n as nothing more than a close friend, so why did it bother him knowing she might have eyes for someone else?

Eren was the last to finally get the full picture. And when he finally put two-and-two together, his eyes widened in surprise as a devilish grin pulled at his mouth.

"Oh my god, Y/n, you have a crush on that guy, don't you?!"

"Shut up! You're being so loud, Reiner will hear you — and stop pointing at hi-"

"So Reiner is his name? We should call him over to our table."

"Huh?! No-"

"Reiner!" Eren waved a hand, catching the blond's attention. "Come over real quick!"

"WHAT are you doing? — oh god, he's coming over."

Mikas giggled while Armin remained quiet, a slight irritation flaring.

"Hey, you guys need anything?" Reiner was now at their table, his dark-haired, tall friend stood timidly behind him.

The color was wiped from Y/n's face. She looked away and hid herself behind a hand.

"Yeah, I heard you two were really good at our lesson today. Do you think you could give me some pointers?"

Reiner slid through between the table and bench to sit down, much to Eren's mischievous joy, while Y/n screamed internally, clenching her teeth as Reiner now sat across from her. Armin was seething.

"Well, I'm not sure. Maybe you need to strengthen your core? Other than that, I can't imagine any other trick to just hanging there. Sorry I can't give you the advice you're looking for."

Eren lowered his head in disappointment. Aside from annoying his sister, he was actually hoping to learn something from Reiner that would help him tomorrow. There wasn't much time left as his test was the next morning. This was his last chance to prove himself. If not, he'd be sent away. How would he fulfill his goal then?

"You four are from Shiganshina, aren't you?" The dark-haired cadet asked, drawing everyone's attention to himself.

"Yes... Why?" Armin dipped a piece of his bread in his soup skeptically.

"Then you should know how terrifying the Titans are. Why did you decide to become soldiers?"

The four of them were slightly taken aback by the sudden question, exchanging glances. After a brief pause, Armin spoke first:
"I wasn't exactly in the same position as Eren, Mikasa or Y/n. I didn't see them at close range. But when I thought about how the government forced people into that insane plan to retake Titan territory, I had to do something."

"I see. What about you? He turned to Y/n. "What made you join?"

"Huh?- Oh, well, Mikasa and I mostly joined because Eren and Armin did as well, but I thought my knowledge in medicine could be of some use too. I could be like a medic in battle."

"Really? Where'd you learn it?"

Her expression darkened as memories of her younger self studying with Grisha poured in.
"My father. He was a doctor."
It'd been two years now and he hadn't returned yet. She missed him dearly.

Mikasa changed the subject, "where are you two from?"

Looking stern now, Reiner's gaze shifted down to the table.
"Bertholdt and I come from a small village in the mountains of southeast Wall Maria."

"But... That means..."

"Yeah... It wasn't like the big towns near the river. The news was slow to reach us," Bertholdt said with a twinge of sadness.

The two of them then began to recount the tale of their first contact with the titans. They explained that it was dawn when the Titans invaded, that they were all terrified at the sound of the thudding footsteps, how they were attacked in their very own homes. It was an experience all too familiar. Y/n felt empathetic towards Reiner and Bertholdt, knowing exactly what they went through.

"We signed up for this hoping to join the Military Police, because they're safe, deep in the interior," Bertholdt turned to Eren. "I know you dislike cowards who exploit and grow too used to the comfort of the walls — believe me, I do too. But there's nothing wrong with valuing your own life."

Eren listened intently, pondering his words.

After a moment in silence, Reiner spoke up:
"I just want... To return to the homeland I lost."

Y/n looked at him with utmost compassion, listening carefully as he spoke, unaware of what he actually meant. She too had the same desire, to go back to those simple, peaceful days.

"That's all I have left to go on. I'm going back no matter what."

That was a promise Reiner swore to fulfill, a promise he would fulfill.

"And you... why did you become a soldier?" Bertholdt asked the last person who hadn't answered yet.

Eren took a moment before responding. His brows furrowed in deep thought as the image of his mother's lifeless form flashed in his mind. A fiery resolve burned within. His goal had been clear since the beginning.

"I decided I had to kill them, for taking everything. I had to kill the Titans all myself... That was what made me join."

"So even after seeing the Titans, you didn't surrender to despair?"

"No. Though I don't know if I can even become a solider right now."

The clacking sound of cutlery being put away rang through the dining hall. The cadets wiped their tables, their conversations came to an end as they began to head out for their sleeping quarters. The once lively dining hall gradually became quieter and quieter.

Reiner looked up from the table.
"Review and recheck everything starting with your belt, tomorrow will go fine. You can do it."
Cocking his head to the side, he smiled: "Eren Jäger was it?"

Eren looked back at him, respect and gratitude evident on his face.
"Yes, thank you. Reiner Braun, right?"

Those bright, peaceful days were far away, long gone as a distant memory in the past.
Though they were now hurling head-first into darker, more challenging times — a pit of endless tribulation and hopelessness, no matter how small, at least one light would always shine through — a dim light amid despair.

⌎⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰⌏⌎⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰⌏⌎⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰⌏

A new day had dawned, the morning dew creating a misty atmosphere. Everyone was outside at the single set-up of an ODM-gear prototype.

The large crowd of cadets looked on at a determined Eren who was hooked to the two cords at his sides.

"Eren Jäger, I hope you're ready," Shadis stood in front of him, his expression hard as ever.

'I'll do this. I can do this! I may not have talent, but I have more guts than anyone! I refuse to fail.'

"Begin!"

Thomas began pulling the lever, the cords stretched out and stiffened as Eren's feet slowly lifted off the ground.

He was now mid-air. Acting immediately, he hardened his core, straightened his back and stretched out his arms. He stiffened his entire body to balance himself. Though his muscles ached and cramped and it felt as if his head was about to explode, he couldn't back down, he wouldn't. This, was how he fought against the Titans.

The crowd erupted in jubilation. All the cadets cheered him on. Eren's heart pounded like a wild drum. The feeling was exhilarating.
'I did it! I actually made it!'

No sooner had he finished his thought than he began to lose control. Off-balance again, he swung backwards and fell with a thud, all the pride and celebration came crashing down with him.

Y/n shot her hands to her mouth in shock while the others gasped.

Eren hung upside down, struggling to lift himself back up. "N-Not yet..." He gritted through his teeth.
"I'm not giving up yet!"

"Put him down." Shadis approached him.

Eren got up to sit on his knees, sweat trickling down his forehead. His hands trembled as tears threatened his eyes.
'There's no way. I can't fail, what's wrong with me, damnit?!'

"Jäger!" Shadis turned to face Y/n. "Switch belts with your brother."

She was slightly taken by surprise, as she unclasped her gear, but it wouldn't hurt to try.
"Yes, Sir."

Y/n handed it to her brother, helping him off the ground and giving him a firm nod as if to wish him good luck.

Eren tried again with the new belt. To his utter shock, he was completely still, having full control over his body. He didn't even have to struggle anymore, balancing himself effortlessly.

Apparently, it was defective. The fitting on his original belt was somehow damaged. All the cadets looked at Eren in disbelief, in awe that he managed to stay upright even with a broken belt.

Y/n was gushing, a pride rose within her for her brother. Deep down she was relieved to know they would continue their training together.

Eren still couldn't believe it himself. Was it finally over? He had to make sure.
"D-Did I pass?"

"You're fine. Training will commence." Shadis confirmed.

At this, he was finally satisfied, finally hearing the words from the instructor's own mouth. There was no need to doubt anymore.

Raising a fist in triumph, he searched for his closest friends in the crowd.
"I did it! I really did it, guys!"

His eyes met Mikasa's first, a wide grin plastered on his face.
'Did you see that Mikasa? I can do this, I can fight the titans! You don't have to take care of me anymore.'
Mikasa looked up at him in awe, staring in admiration.

"I guess it all worked out in the end," Y/n cheered.

Armin chuckled, "he's looking at us as if to say, 'see?'"

But Mikasa maintained her gaze, not looking away from Eren.
"No. He's relieved because he thinks we won't have to be separated now."

Though she didn't show it, she too was gushing with pride and relief.
'Dr. Jäger. Today, your son became a solider.'

Those bright, peaceful days were far away, long gone as a distant memory in the past.
Though they were now hurling head-first into darker, more challenging times — a pit of endless tribulation and hopelessness, no matter how small, at least one light would always shine through — a dim light amid despair.

⌎⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰⌏⌎⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰⌏⌎⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰⌏

A/N: That was a long chapter 😭 but we got through it. I wanted to thank you all for reaching over 100 reads so far, it means so much to me as a first-time writer on this Plattform.
By the way, sorry if Mikasa kinda seems a little out of character. I thought she'd be a little playful and laugh more with the addition of Y/n to the story.
And I promise, next or second chapter after this one will finally be their first battle. We'll move on from the talking only chapters soon, dw yall ☺️