Shadis stood atop a wooden platform suspended from a tree with a clipboard in hand. He wore a stern expression, as per usual, as he graded the cadets and critiqued their performance in a group assignment. He studied each one carefully, then scribbled profusely on his clipboard.

Their assignment took place in a huge forest. The main focus was to showcase the ODM experience accumulated over the three years they've been training and their ability to strike down a Titan.

The cadets were split into different groups. Each teammate was tasked to eliminate a wooden Titan figure; teamwork was crucial for this task. Failing to do so or showing unskillful performance would be a point deduction, hindering the chances of making the top 15.

Reiner zipped through the air, a blur against the green backdrop of coniferous trees. Metal cables trailed behind him like silver ribbons as he carried an injured teammate on his back, unwavering under the weight.

'Reiner Braun, a strong soldier, physically and mentally. And trusted by his comrades.' Shadis noted down.

Armin launched into the air, following behind Reiner. Yet he was caught off guard as a giant gust of wind slammed against his body with unexpected force. He struggled to maintain stability and control, arms flailing slightly as he was sent rolling backwards.
Feeling the strain of the muscles in his core, Armin channeled the last of his strength and hooked onto a nearby tree, finally stabilizing himself.

'Armin Arlert. While he's demonstrated an extraordinary aptitude for his studies, he lacks in physical strength.'

Meanwhile, a few meters away, an unsuspecting wooden Titan lay hidden behind the trees.
Suddenly, three figures flew down from above, holding their swords high above their head. Each one dealt a swift, precise slash on its foam one after the other, before flying off to the next prop.

'Annie Leonhart. Strike form is flawless but she works poorly with others, often isolating herself.'

'Bertholdt Hoover. Great potential, but he lacks initiative.'

'Jean Kirschstein. A master of Omni-Dimensional-Maneuver Gear, yet his brash personality causes friction with the team.'

Shadis let out a bored yawn, thinking of the lunch he'd have later. He'd honestly rather sit in a dull conference room than have to be out here with these brats.

He continued to observe and jot down:
'Sasha Blause. She has unconventional, good instincts, but they make her unsuited for teamwork.'

'Connie springer. He demonstrates superior physical agility, but lacks mental agility.'

"They're coming!" A few soldiers called out, pulling on the ropes to prop up more wooden Titans.

Before they saw it coming, Mikasa zoomed through the trees with exceptional speed, her red scarf trailing behind her. With a deft twist of her body, she executed a flawless flip, thrusting herself forward to slash down with a prodigious swing of her blade.
Eren followed closely behind, soaring through the air to land his own blows. His sword made contact, though leaving cuts not nearly as deep as Mikasa's.

'Mikasa Ackermann. A master of all subjects and widely considered one of the best in our history.'

'Eren Jäger. He has no outstanding talents but he's worked harder than anyone to improve his marks, more motivated to attain his goal than anyone.'

'And finally, his sister Y/n Jäger.'

Y/n cruised through the air below the canopy of the trees, her gear whirring in harmony with every movement. Surprisingly, she had grown relatively skillful with ODM-gear, swinging and grappling from tree to tree with a fluid grace. The feeling of the wind whipping past her face so high up was exhilarating. Briefly, she lost herself in the moment; The earthy scent of pine and mud filled her nostrils. Dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting intricate patterns on the forest floor. The peaceful feeling was surreal.

Suddenly, she heard rustling from beyond, accompanied by the wooden creaking of a Titan being set up. With a quick flick of her wrist, she activated the gas canisters, propelling herself forward with a sudden burst of energy. The familiar hiss of escaping gas filled the air.

Y/n zoomed past the wide tree trunks, her heart drumming in her chest as she accelerated. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a teammate heading in the same direction, quickly overtaking her.

'Shit, he's going too fast,' she observed, her teammate accelerating way beyond his control.

As Y/n predicted, when he tried to boost himself again, he lost it completely and accidentally unhooked his left cable. At the speed he was going, there was no time to stabilize and he was heading to slam into a tree.

Y/n acted quickly, adjusting her position as she dove forward with a powerful thrust to launch herself at him. Adrenaline coursed through her veins.

Just before his crash, she latched onto her teammate's side with a grunt, pulling him away from the tree.
Y/n gripped him tightly with all her strength, twisting her body to redirect their path. She steered themselves in a fast, spinning motion to break their momentum.

As they gradually slowed down, she seized the opportunity to grapple onto a nearby tree branch to set her teammate down. His eyes were nearly popping out of his sockets in shock, processing everything.
Had Y/n not saved him just in time, he was sure to have lost his life.

"Are you okay? Can you hear me?," she asked firmly when he wasn't responsive.

Coming back to his senses, her teammate grabbed her hand and thanked her profusely. He decided to stay there for some time to recover and Y/n was off again, flinging herself into the air when she made sure he was alright.

From a distance, Shadis watched, taking note with his pen. Though he didn't show it, he was quite impressed.
'Y/n Jäger. Though she exhibits a dangerously clumsy behavior, she acts decisively when the moment calls for it, prioritizing her comrades' lives above all else.'

Now zooming through the forest, Y/n looked back, smiling at Shadis mid-flight as a pride swelled within her. She was searching for any approval in his face. And she had every right to be, what she did was pretty fucking cool. Maybe he'd stop calling her "piggy" all the time.

Still looking behind her, Y/n replayed the moment in her head, unknowing of a fellow cadet soaring past, right in front of her.

"LOOK OUT!" Was all she heard before she had the time to turn her head around.

Crash.

A body collided with hers, sending them both tumbling to the forest floor. Fortunately for them, a large bush underneath was there to break their fall.

"Goddamnit, pork chops! That's the third time this week, you're on latrine duty for the rest of today!" Shadis barked from his post, no longer impressed.

Dazed, Y/n laid flat on her back, the wind was knocked out of her. Branches and pointy twigs jabbed at her skin. She was seeing stars, her vision blurring as her head pounded with pain.

"You fucking broke my nose, fatass!" She recognized that voice, and groaned in annoyance. Of course it had to be Felix, a green eyed, dark-haired cadet who made the past 3 years a tormenting hell.

He never let go of the incident at the enlisting ceremony. Y/n laughed when Shadis punched him in his gut for calling him "ma'am" on accident. How was she not supposed to laugh? It was hilarious.
Ever since, he'd been teasing and bullying her, always seeking to crush her and her self-esteem in whatever she did, even trying to sabotage her a couple of times. That insecure little shit.

"Oh, fuck off. You can cry about it like a little bitch once we're out of this bush," Y/n shot back with a furrowed brow, climbing out of the dense bed of leaves and dusting herself off. Her head was buzzing. She closed her eyes in an attempt to keep the aching at bay.

She couldn't wait to finally be graduating tomorrow.

⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅

Night had fallen and the cadets sat in the mess hall for dinner. Idle chatter and the clinking of cutlery filled the wooden, dimly lit space. Their food was bland as ever; the same chunky soup and a stale loaf of bread.

After cleaning more than 20 disgusting, shitty toilets all day, Y/n sat at a table with Mikasa and Sasha. This would be one of the last dinners she would spend with them as trainees. After that, they'd finally graduate as soldiers, much to her excitement. Y/n chewed on her food as she reflected on her time spent as a cadet.

The past 3 years had been grueling, trying times, though they were sprinkled with moments of glee and fondness. She particularly enjoyed dinners like these in the mess hall, even if they were simple; the chatting and laughter with her friends, the heated arguments between Jean and Eren and even the glances she snuck at Reiner. If there was one thing she would miss, it would be this.

Those joyful moments aside, of course it didn't mean she didn't face any hardships; the back-breaking training, the amount of times she fell on her ass, bust her head open or ran till her lungs burnt, and the harsh, unforgiving winters. Y/n would definitely not miss Shadis chewing her out all the time nor her interactions with Felix. She was still pissed at him for that one time he personally went to speak with Shadis to bring her grade down when she scored higher than him in an assignment.

And of course, Y/n couldn't forget about her dear roommate Annie, whom she was so close with, not.
Over the years spent with her, Y/n tried a few times to connect with her and build a friendly relationship, but she was always pushed away with harsh rejections. It wasn't just with her; Annie shut herself off from everyone. Y/n soon realized it was best to let Annie go her own, separate way; if she minded her own, so would she.

Other than that, there were funny moments she shared with Armin too, when they became academic rivals.
Y/n was not as strong or fast as other cadets and decided the best way to make up for it was through her studies in Titan-Theory, yet one person had to stand in her way, Armin.
The two would often compete for the highest test scores, who raised their hand more in class, who worked better in assignments or who was smarter in general.
This was a relentless struggle; Y/n was honestly surprised to see how competitive Armin really was when it came to grades, but she gave back that same energy too of course and often enjoyed their spirited debates.
She had to admit it though, the guy really was a genius. He often came up with solutions to complicated problems within seconds that no one would've thought of. Armin would definitely be crucial for humanity's survival.

"An easy life deep inside the walls?" Y/n's attention was caught by Eren. She looked over and saw he was staring daggers at Jean. Here we go again.

"Sasha, pass me more bread, it's about to start again," Y/n reached out a hand, not looking away from the scene.

"Until five years ago, Wall Rose was considered deep inside the walls," her brother continued from his table with a pitcher in his hand, pouring himself some water.

"What's your point, Eren?" Jean turned to face him with a furrowed brow.

"You don't need to go to the Interior. You've gone soft in your own head."

His retort was met with soft chuckles from some of the cadets. Y/n exchanged glances with Sasha, both trying to stifle a laugh. Mikasa, however, maintained her gaze down at her bowl, chowing as if nothing was happening.

Jean's face twisted with anger. An eye twitched as he zeroed in on Eren.
"You-"

"Don't you think it's strange that we're training to fight titans, just to end up farther from them?"

"Who cares? For my own sake, I hope they keep this stupid system."

"You piece of shit!" Eren sprang up from his seat.

"Shut up! This is reality!" Jean got up too, slamming his palms on the table.

"Here we gooo," Y/n took a sip from her glass with anticipation as the two got in each other's faces, Eren grabbing Jean by the collar of his shirt. Tension now thickened the air.

"Stop." Mikasa stood up suddenly, grabbing Eren's hand to pull away from the fabric. She gently put it back to his side, yet her hand never left.

Jean was now seething, his blood boiled when his eyes landed on their hands. "Screw you!" He lunged, latching onto Eren's shirt.

"Let go, my clothes will rip!"

"Who cares about your clothes?! I'm so envious!"

"What are you talking about?!"

Y/n observed all of this with precise detail. Her eyes darted from Eren, to Mikasa, then to Jean and widened in realization, a grin tugging at her lips.

In a split second Eren took Jean's hand, pulling it away from his shirt with a firm grasp. With his free hand, he thrust his palm into Jean's face, forcing him back. Eren then pivoted, delivering a swift kick to Jean's leg, sending him crashing to the floor with a thud.

Jean groaned, clutching the back of his head. "What the hell was that?!"

"The martial arts I went through a world of hurt to learn while you were screwing around."

Y/n shifted her gaze to Annie. She recounted her brother getting his ass kicked during training earlier that day. He picked it up pretty quick, didn't he?

"You think taking the easy way out, doing as you please, is reality? And you can call yourself a soldier?"

Silence fell amongst the cadets. No one dared to speak or move. The tension was now suffocating them.

Suddenly, the sound of a creaking door cut through the air. Everyone turned to see who it was that opened it.

Shadis.

They all froze.

His eyes were wide, almost haunting, and his voice was menacingly low. It sent shivers down their spines.
"I heard quite a commotion. Would someone like to explain?"

For a moment, no one spoke. The once lively dining hall only echoed with the quiet footsteps of Eren and Jean heading back to their tables.

As they took their seat, Mikasa finally rose a hand to explain. "That sound was Sasha's fart."

"Huh?!" Sasha snapped her head in embarrassment.

Y/n shoved her mouth with bread to smother a laugh. She absolutely would not be running laps around the training grounds for 5 hours again.

"You again?!" Shadis shot a hand to pinch his nose with a grimace.

Sasha looked mortified. She let out another gasp caught somewhere between horror and anguish. She couldn't even defend herself as the words caught in her throat. All the other cadets fought to keep it together.

"Learn to control yourself! All of you, head to bed now, that's enough nonsense-horseshit for today," and with that, Shadis stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

In the end, 218 trainees out of 596 managed to hang on till graduation. Most of them couldn't stick it out through the rigorous training, leaving after fatal injuries or frustrations with ODM use, with a large sum giving up after the first couple of days in the beginning to work the fields. Some had even died during their time as cadets due to the harsh environment and conditions.

It was now the night of the Closing Ceremony, the night they'd be graduating. From cadets to real soldiers, serving, protecting and fighting for humanity.

The graduates stood in columns side by side in the space of an arena. The light of two, large torches illuminated their faces subtly, their expressions hard and serious with unwavering determination.

"Dedicate your hearts!"

They swung their left arms over their chests, almost in perfect synchronization. The thuds of their arms as they executed the salute was harmonious, a melody of camaraderie and dedication.

"Today, you graduates will be given three choices," an instructor began from the front of the stone steps.
"You can join the Garrison, protecting towns and reinforcing walls. Or the Survey Corps, who risk their lives beyond the walls, in Titan territory."

He paused, scanning the crowd, zeroing in on the graduates who ranked the highest among the other trainees. "Or the Military Police, who serve the King, lead the people, and protect internal order."

Shadis took a step forward, continuing:
"Of course, only the top 15 students, whose names will be announced shortly can join the Military Police. Step forward if you hear your name and line up in a row at the front."

Another one of their instructors began to read the names from a piece of paper:

1) Mikasa Ackermann (a surprise to no one really)
2) Reiner Braun
3) Bertholdt Hoover
4) Annie Leonhart
5) Eren Jäger
6) Jean Kirschstein
7) Felix Willems
8) Erik Abendrot
9) Connie Springer
10) Marco Bodt
11)  Armin Arlert
12) Sasha Blause
13) Nia Kühnert
14) Christa Lenz

"And finally..."

15) Y/n Jäger

"Huh?" Zoned out again, Y/n was finally pulled from her train of thought.

Realizing what was happening, her eyes widened, taken completely by surprise. She looked around her as if to see if there was another Y/n Jäger among the graduates.

"Yes, you... If you could please come to the front."

She sheepishly shuffled her way forward to the row, an awkward silence with nothing but the squeaking of her shoes against the ground.

Eren was baffled. Glancing at his sister, he never in a million years thought she would managed to crack the top 15.

Y/n was caught in a nervous sweat, standing next to Christa. She didn't believe it herself, grappling the reality of the situation. Y/n knew she was never the best at the physical parts of her training; strength, speed, agility and especially not the hand-to-hand combat, often injuring herself in clumsy accidents.

The only thing that could have saved her was her academic scores. Probably, that was mostly the reason why she was standing there now. Even though she came in dead-last, a firework of emotions set off internally, feeling very proud of herself and all she went through. A content smile made its way onto her face.

Eren took notice of his sister smiling to herself with a twinkle in her eyes. Deep down he was happy for her, glad that they stood together in the same row.

They enlisted together and now they were graduating together. After all the trials and tribulations they went through in their lives, they always had each other's backs, never leaving their sides.

'We finally made it this far,' Eren shifted his gaze forward.
'Now it's our turn, to devour the titans!'

⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅

The new soldiers had now changed out of their uniforms, enjoying their last evening in a grand hall with celebration and joy. The space was much, much larger than the dining hall at their training camp, big enough for large, stone pillars, illuminated by wax candles with a warm glow.

The air was filled with lively chatter, laughter, the clanking of ceramic cups and the sweet scent of mead. At the tables, they were served pretty decent food, a specialty for the occasion; eggs and boiled potatoes, a pleasure they rarely got to enjoy, and a hearty vegetable stew, a flavorful contrast to the usual stale bread and watery soup.

The soldiers were even able to roam about freely, enjoying their evening with their friends among different groups. Yet at a lone table in the corner sat a brooding Jean, sipping from his cup with a bubbling irritation.

"How did I score lower than Eren?" He took another sip to drown out his crippling jealousy and bruised pride.
"Damn it!"

A few feet away Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Y/n were huddled together in a group with a few of their other friends like Marco and Thomas, discussing the paths they'd take in the future.

"Y/n, if I have to be honest — and I mean this with no disrespect at all — I didn't think you'd make it to the top 15," Marco said with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, I didn't think so either. But I think my scores in Titan-theory are what saved me", Y/n chucked, taking a sip from her cup. She looked over to Armin and nudged him playfully.
"Guess our struggles were worth it after all, huh, Armin?"

Armin choked on his mead, a heat rose in his cheeks, tinting his face a subtle pink.
"R-Right."

Thomas chimed in, "so how are you guys feeling? Are you excited to be joining the Military Police? You're lucky you won't be growing hungry anymore."

Eren let out a sarcastic snort, "to hell with that. There's no way I am joining something so cowardly."

"You seriously aren't joining Eren? You did all that hard work to make it to the top 15," Marco raised a brow, trying to wrap his head around his logic.

"I'd already decided when I began. I wasn't training to live in the interior," Eren paused, allowing the others to soak in the clarity of his words.
"I was training to fight the Titans."

"You'll never beat them!" Thomas yelled out, an unexplainable fear etched in his eyes.

Without meaning to, he rose his voice so much so that the celebration in the hall stopped completely as the heads of all the cadets turned to him and Eren; a tense silence settled over.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Thomas decided to continue nonetheless: "You do know how many tens of thousands have been eaten? We lost over 20% of our population, so we know for sure, that humans... They cannot beat the Titans."

Sweat beading on his brow, a great despair flickered in Thomas' eyes.

"So?" Eren's defiant voice cut through the tension like a sharp knife. "If you think we can't win, you'll just give up?"

"Well..."

"It's true that humanity has only suffered defeat until now. But we didn't know anything about the Titans then."

Y/n listened intently, watching her brother give his speech as he commanded all eyes towards himself.

"Fighting them head on is useless," Eren continued.
"But the information we gained gives us hope for next time! Will we abandon the tactics that cost tens of thousands of lives to develop, and let the Titans eat us without a fight? Hell no!"

Eren clenched his hand into a fist, his knuckles turning white. "I am going to exterminate all of the Titans, and escape these cramped walls — that is my dream — humanity isn't finished yet!"

He spoke with such confidence, such sureness of himself that it captivated everyone listening. The burning passion, the determination he felt, ignited the hearts of the other soldiers.

Y/n saw the tears now beading in his eyes, knowing exactly what her brother was thinking of. She felt her own threatening to roll down.

When he was done, Eren ran off, refusing to cry now in front of everyone. His friends went after him.
"Eren, wait!"

Sitting on the stone steps by himself, Eren wiped his tears away with his sleeve, his eyes red and puffy.

He turned his head at the sound of approaching footsteps. Armin, Mikasa and Y/n took a seat beside him on the steps.

For a brief moment, no one spoke. They didn't need to, Eren was already content with the comfort of their presence.

Armin broke the silence, "Eren, when you were talking about your dream..."

"Yeah I got that from you — to live outside the walls, not inside."

Armin turned away to stare down at his hands on his lap. Then, the blond spoke up again,
"I'm joining the Survey Corps," taking Eren aback by the suddenness.

"Are you serious Armin?! You got the best written test scores, so you should use that!"

"I won't hold you back, even if it kills me."

"I'm joining the Survey Corps too," Mikasa interjected, bringing her red cardigan over her chest.

"Huh?! But you're the valedictorian, you deserve to join the Military Police!"

"Eren. If you join the Military Police, then I'll do the same. If you join the Garrison, then so will I. You'll send yourself to an early grave without me."

"Agreed. Which is why I'm joining too."

"Y/n? You?! Of all people, I beg you specifically not to join. Please, I'm not even joking, it's for your own safety."

"Don't be stupid. With your rash, impulsive behavior, who'd be there to clean up your mess?" Y/n folded her arms with a look as if to say 'don't argue with me on this.'

Eren sighed in defeat, a small guilt tugged at him for dragging his friends through the mud along with him.
He soon brushed it off however, knowing there was no changing their minds.

"No one asked you to do this..." he muttered as a final, last-ditch effort.

"I don't want to lose any more family."

Eren jerked his head to Mikasa, meeting her eyes. Mikasa didn't look away, not even once, maintaining her firm gaze. Eren knew she meant it, feeling a little warm inside.

He spoke not another word and turned back to the sky. The others did the same, gazing up at the stars in silence and soaking up the moment together.

Whatever they'd face, they would never do it alone.

⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅

Today was their first day enacting their duties as soldiers. The new graduates would have to tend to the cannons on the Walls of Trost District, setting them up and repairing them or maybe even shooting a little at the Titans.
It was so that the soldiers could get a feel for a snippet of their lives later down the line, whether part of the Garrison, Military Police or Survey Corps.

In the streets of Trost, the people and soldiers alike paraded, gathering together to watch the Survey Corps making their way through the city. They were on their way to another mission. Unlike five years ago, the crowd didn't seem to berate them, but praise them this time.

"Commander Erwin, kill the Titans for us!" A person from the crowd called out to a stern-looking man with thick eyebrows, his features sharp.

"Look! It's captain Levi!"

Armin, Mikasa, Eren and Y/n turned their heads with curiosity.

"They say he's as strong as an entire brigade."

The people marveled at him, as if he was a mythic being, though the Captain payed the praise no mind. He rode on his horse, looking rather bored.

Meanwhile, Y/n felt a sudden grumble in her stomach.
'Guess breakfast was not enough.'
Barely paying any attention, as per usual, her mind drifted off to her next meal. She had heard of a popular cafe in Trost called 'Rose's.' It was a nice play on words, named after the Wall. Making a mental note,
Y/n would have to grab a bite there later with Eren.

"Hey, you guys!" A familiar voice called out, one they hadn't heard in a long, long time.

"Hannes!" The four said in unison as wide grins broke across their faces.
Y/n stepped forward, beaming at the pleasant surprise. Her eyes lit up and her heart raced with joy, she was always fond of him.

"I heard you graduated yesterday," Hannes smiled, walking towards them.
"Hard to believe you're the little kids I remember."

"What about you? You've gone from a drunk to a captain of the combat engineers," Eren's teasing was met with a playful chuckle from Y/n.

"Why you little..." Hannes poked his head, laughing.
He pulled back, but his expression suddenly darkened. Hannes was no longer smiling, yet very serious. Y/n knew what he was about to say next and pressed her lips into a tight line.

"I'm still sorry. I wasn't able to save your mother," he turned to the twins.

"It wasn't your fault Hannes," Y/n shut down his guilt, taking him slightly by surprise.
"What's happened has happened, there's no changing the past anymore. And if it weren't for you having to make such a difficult decision, we wouldn't even be standing here."

Eren continued for her. "We aren't ignorant anymore. Now, I'll never let anything that sad happen again."
Eren paused, hardening his expression with resolve.
"We will defeat the Titans."

After catching up, Hannes watched as the four set off to head to their own posts. He still needed the time to process the fact that they actually had posts now, like soldiers. How time flew by. But a feeling of unease churned in his stomach, mixed with worry.
'I don't know whether to be happy that you've grown up or not. Please don't die.'

*   ｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈•ﾟ｡   *

Of course Y/n had to be stationed with her arch-nemesis, Felix. Her luck was terrible as always.
Standing atop the wall, she was carrying three large, metal poles, all by herself, while the fucker brushed right past her, joking around with his friend Erik.
Her arms ached and her back strained under the weight as she turned red in the face.

Y/n couldn't take it anymore and called to him:
"Hey, dipshit. Think you could make yourself useful and take some off my hands?"

"Nah, I think you can handle it all by yourself. You did make the top 15, didn't you? Would be a shame if someone undeserving was in such a rank," Felix turned back to Erik. "So as I was saying, I thought I'd visit my Mom later..."

Y/n stamped her foot with a grunt. She stomped over to Nia in annoyance, who was loitering near a cannon, set the poles down next to her, before walking over to where Eren was stationed nearby. She couldn't take a second of their incompetence anymore. Talking with her friends would be a nice break.

Y/n caught sight of Sasha, hiding something behind her jacket and looking around sneakily before reaching the others.

"Whatcha got there, Sasha?" The girl was startled at the sound of Y/n's voice behind her, grabbing the attention of Eren and the others.

"Well... Guys..." she then began to pull out the thickest slab of ham Y/n had ever seen in her life from under her jacket.
"I brought meat from the officer's storehouse."

Y/n was baffled, not sure if she should laugh or reprimand Sasha for her recklessness.

Luckily, Eren decided for her. "Sasha! Do you want to end up in jail?!"

"You really are an idiot..." Thomas remarked

"Idiots are scary..." Connie added.

Sasha was unaffected by their words, seemingly not hearing them at all. Her eyes sparkled as she relished in her fantasy, drooling at the mouth.

"Let's all split it... We can slice it and... And... Make sandwiches!" She cheered, her heart racing with excitement. Sasha looked like she was about to faint from overwhelming joy, twitching and tweaking at the thought of the smell of grilled meat.

"Go put it back!"

"Otherwise you'll get in trouble!"

"After all the land we lost, meat is really valuable!" Mina tried to make her see reason, yet Sasha refused to change her mind.

"It's fine!" She walked over to a storage crate, hiding the meat inside. "Once we retake the land, we can raise cows and sheep again."

They all ran out of things to say to Sasha, deciding to finally give up.

Y/n too was about to drool at the mouth. She was starving, and Sasha had made it sound so delicious too...
"I- I'd like to have some of that..." Y/n spoke up, letting go of her shame.

"Well... Me too! Get it ready," Connie replied.

"I guess I will as well," Marco gave in.

"Why are you standing there, Eren? We need to get back to work, or they will find out." Thomas bent down to grab a box of repair tools.

His sister turned on her heel to assist him, "it's not lunch time yet."

Eren was now left there to stand alone to ponder. He watched as all his friends worked together, chatting and grinning, their laughter ringing in his ears.

'It's been 5 years since then... Humanity is finally regaining its dignity. He then looked over the edge of the wall, observing the landscape of houses before him.

We can win, our counterattack has finally begun!'

In that instant, a giant, yellow bolt of lightning descended to the earth from right behind him. A deafening thunderclap erupted, crackling the air and charging it with pure energy.

Eren snapped his head and saw it; the colossal beast from all those years ago, the one who stripped him of his life, his home and his mother.

Time seemed to slow down, as all of them could only stare in shock. Before Eren had the time to react, he was sent flying backwards in an explosion of hot, suffocating steam. It burned his lungs.

Debris and cannon equipment hurtled through the air as the gate exploded open. The soldiers were forced off the walls, soaring through the air as they coughed up the smoke.

Eren managed to hook onto the wall, planting his feet on the stony structure for stability. The friction fought against his momentum, sending a wave of heat through his feet. He looked down; the gate was gaping wide open, burdened familiarly with heavy, ominous implications. The Titans would breach the walls again, but he would not have it. He could not have a repeat of last time, he could not let someone else lose their mother, father or loved one, like he did. He swore to annihilate all of them before they even got the chance.

"Fixed cannon maintenance team 4, prepare for combat!" Eren drew his swords, launching himself into the air.
"Our target is the colossal titan, kill it before it gets away. This is our only chance!" He activated the gas canisters, boosting himself up over the wall and twisted his body into a front flip. His feet slid on top as he landed.

Eren looked up at the monstrous, skinless Titan, steam was spewing out from its back. His grip on his swords tightened as his breathing quickened. Eren flared his nostrils and knitted his brows together.

He would kill it right here and now, he had to. Nothing would stop him.

⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅୨୧⑅

A/N: We finally made it to the battle of Trost 🥹 Read on in the next chapters about what happens next, I kinda added some extra scenes 🤭 Btw y'all, what do you think of the pics in between? Should we keep 'em or scratch 'em?