Atlas city, the most well protected and technological advanced city. Just above Mistral a city of struggle and humbled people. James Ironwood the general of Atlas's army and headmaster of the academy sat in his office with papers stacked. Demands for safety and rations from the people of Mistral flooded his desk, a task he didn't ignore. Much of the people of Mistral struggle and the general didn't want that to continue. But helping two cities was hard.

The general leaned back into his chair running his hand through his hair. Tired to all hell he placed a paper weight on the stack of papers that still needed to be checked while placing the ones he finished into his desk drawer. Making his way to his room the general heard sudden bursts of lightning making him see that it was about to rain. Prompting him to get a umbrella. At the edge of mistral a shift and what seems to be some kind of split in space and time. A 40 ton metal body appeared burnt and nearly destroyed the left arm of the titan was melted with its right arm being completely gone. The legs were burnt and had embers on the wires. The green and orange colors were completely black.

"P-p-pilot." A garbled voice spoke as on the inside of the machine sat the pilot as his visor color was off before fading in.

"Stryder?" He groaned holding his side as Stryder did the same with his melted hand. "What happened?" He coughed looking through the red F.O.V of the titan.

"It I-i-i-i-it appears th-th-th-that we teleport t-t-t-to a unknown a-a-a-area." It spoke before its protocols appeared on the screen.

Protocol 1:link with pilot Y/n L/n.

"How does that work?" He coughed making Stryder calculate a reason.

"I believe it was due to the prototype phase shift we agreed to test." Stryder garbled as the two noticed two blips appear on the hud.

Y/n p.o.v

"Hey what do you think this is?" A male voice asked as Stryder and I stayed put.

"Looks like a paladin. Do you think we could salvage it for parts?" A female voice asked as she stood next to stryker and knocked on it.

"Like hell you're salvaging my titan."

I looked up at the screen seeing what could move and what couldn't. Seeing that the legs were damaged but still operational i shifted them before using Stryders melted hand to lean on.

"What the hell it's still operational?" Ths male yelled as I leaned Stryder forwards as we both struggled to walk scaring the two.

Looking down I noticed they were on their backs before getting up and running. Struggling to walk forwards Stryder and I made our way into the city before us. Multiple people watched as we continued our walk.

"Pilot, my systems are beginning to shut down." Stryder warned me as we turned a corner.

I jumped out of him feeling my body ache from the battle of Demeter as I held my arm. Stryder sat next to me, before placing his hand on his lap.

"I have failed you pilot." He said sounding disappointed.

"No...you did good Stryder. You'll still be operational right?" I asked slowly starting to sound desperate. If stryder fully shuts down I won't know anyone here.

"Yes pilot. My systems are simply out of power. I need a new source to continue. I suggest finding a replacement battery." He said as his blue lights died down.

"Stryder." Mumbling to myself I sat against his leg.

Leaning back I looked up at the sky seeing the multitude of stars and a broken moon.

"Huh. Isn't that peculiar." I smile before yawning. "Seems like my body is finally taking its toll. I think closing my eyes shouldn't be too bad."

---------------------------

On a small farm, a fifteen year old boy held up a wrench as his father was working on two titans. A Stryder and Atlas titan. The two were nothing but scraps when the boys found them. The father pulled back showing oil on his hands and cheeks.

"How are they dad?" The boy asked as his father pulled away from the hood before nodding.

"I think they'll work fine. But we don't have the parts for that Stryder over there." He motioned to the Stryder that sat across from them. "It might take a bit to fix that one. But when we do we'll have the necessary requirements for our tree harvest." He smiled as the boy looked at their trees across from the barn.

"Do you think everyone will enjoy these trees?" The boy asked as they both looked at the ranges of trees.

"I'm sure they will. Our family is known for our trees Y/n. You know this." He smiled as the two looked on.

Suddenly the entire area changed as the sound of a missile coming into contact with the ground set the tree farm ahead on fire. Y/n, now eighteen,, ran with his father as the two entered the barn, quickly closing the barn doors the two managed to close them but was blown back a few feet. Landing on their backs the two noticed a IMC Atlas titan aiming its gun at them. A powering up sound whirrled as one of the stationed titans turned on disarming the titan before allowing Y/n's father inside as his father glared at him.

"Get away from him you dick." He yelled before getting into a brawl with the titan.

"Dad!" His son yelled to him as the two battled it out.

Doing close combat the two fought to their last breath but it proves that the IMC had the better training as his father was killed by being ripped out and thrown through the walls of the barn killing him.

Running to his father corpse Y/n collapsed on his knees before putting his head on his fathers chest.

"Please....don't leave me like mom." He teared up.

A brown mechanical hand reached down for one of the massive wooden poles used for the barn. The IMC titan extended his gun at the boy but was knocked back as the pole slammed into its side causing it to fall through the side of the building.

Kneeling down to the boy the dirty brown titan stared at him.

"Are you okay pilot?" It asked making the boy look up with streaks of tears on his face.

"Stryder?" He asked as the titan grabbed him and placed him inside the cockpit.

"You want to avenge your father?" He asked as the chassis turned towards his fathers corpse.

Grabbing the IMC titans gun Y/n and Stryder made their way to recovering IMC titan. Kicking it back down Y/n glared at it with tears still falling down his cheeks as he unloaded the chain guns bullets into the titan before being kicked back. The atlas titan stood up before trying to get its gun back but was punched by the Stryder titan. Turning his body back to the pole Y/n reached down and picked it up before slamming it over and over onto the titan. Standing over the down titan he repeatedly slammed it into the titan as the wood shattered. Forcfully opening the titans cockpit Y/n pulled the pilot out with Stryder opening his cockpit allowing the IMC pilot to look at him. Ripping off his dog tags he looked at the name and the military he works for.

Looking back at the pilot Y/n placed his dog tags in his pocket before jumping out of his titan and onto the ground as Stryder kneeled down and had the pilot face him. Taking his helmet off Y/n noticed that it was a middle aged male with brown hair and blue eyes. He had a brown complex with a scar that went all the way down his face. The man looked at his titan as it was stepped on by Stryder.

"You're gonna tell me everything I want to know on why you're here and why you killed my father." He said but Stryder used his giant fingers to gently picked up a pistol.

"What is this Stryder?" The boy asked as the titan dropped it into his hands.

"This is an IMC exclusive Smart Pistol. The ability of this gun allows you to lock onto enemies with a red infrared. On pilots its capable of killing pilots with three shots." He said making the boy look at him in shock.

"A automatic lock on pistol? How do you know all this?" He asked as his titan pointed at his eye.

"I can scan the weapon and get the history and ability of the gun. Much like my brother and sister titans. It is the pilot's job to adapt to the art of war." Explaining he looked at the enemy pilot and back to his "pilot".

"What about him?" The boy asked his robot as it looked at its fallen brother and his pilots father.

"I believe it is our job to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone anymore. I suggest getting a feel for that weapon." He motioned towards the pistol making the IMC Pilot go wide eyed.

A high pitch hum came from the weapon as a red dot appeared on the mans head, then another and a final red one. Hugging the trigger with his finger, Y/n started to shake, looking to the side he saw his dads corpse before pulling the trigger as the gun shot the two final shots itself. Collapsing to his knees as he held the gun out.

"I just." He muttered looking in horror.

"You did what was necessary for survival. It was all we could do." Stryder said before standing up and dropping the corpse. "I suggest taking the pilot's armor and jump kit. Scans indicate you and this pilot are same in size."

Y/n slowly took off the armor and placed it onto himself along with the jump kit. The only thing that wasn't on was the helmet. He stared at the helmets red visor color as his hands shook the fresh kill he did still played in his mind and even now he wore the blood stain armor.

"Is everything okay pilot?" Stryder asked making Y/n look up at him.

"What do you think." He asked making the titan look at him.

"Scans indicate that it is with our current situation. The only thing that is not okay is your emotions. I sense fear, confusion, sadness and stress." He said making the boy sigh. "What we are doing doesn't feel right with you. But it is the only chance for survival."

"But I've never done hand to hand combat. If it comes to it."

"Pilots are virtually better in shooting. Your father has taught you how to use a gun, Plus with the smart pistol, you'll just have to focus on using that R-101 Carbine." Leaning down Stryder saw the boy look at the helmet as his reflection came off of it. "If you need help I will be there for you. This is for survival until we can reach your grandparents."

Sighing he agreed knowing there was no way out of this. He's in war now, what he did put him in this mess, and now he has to fight his way out of this war. Grabbing the IMC pilot corpse he dragged and buried it under fallen straw and hay.. He looked at his fathers corpse one last time. "Right...Right.." putting on the helmet he looked up at Stryder as his armor glowed in the flames.

"Let's go and save the rest of my family."