"Now that you have graduated, you will be eligible to Join the Stationary Guard, Scout Regiment, or Military Police." Keith Shadis announced to the 104th cadet corps. Rows and rows of Cadets stood still anxiously. Blank faces stared straight ahead, they were static. "Only those previously announced that are in the top ten, are eligible to join the Military Police. But since two Cadets had the same score their will be 11 Cadets eligible."

"10th Crista Lenz, 9th Sasha Blous, 8th Connie Springer,7th Marco Bolt, 6th Jean Kristein, 5th Eren Yeager, 4th Annie Leonhart, 4th Mara Cross, 3rd Bertold Hoover, 2nd Reiner Braun, and 1st Mikasa Ackerman."

"From this moment forward you are Soldiers, giving your heart to the cause." He finished, causing all of the cadets to salute, pounding their right fist on hearts with a deafening echo.

...

Mara's Point of View

Everyone gathered in the mess-hall, celebrating their graduation by gorging themselves with either food or drink. Mostly drink, but who wouldn't be buzzed after surviving four years of hell?

I sat with Crista and Ymir munching silently on a piece of bread. Ymir was forcing Crista to chug a pint of ale and by the looks of it, Ymir was pouring the thick liquid down her throat. Ymir had a drunken smile on her face as most of the cadets did. Everyone was drinking to forget what was to come, the inevitable truth.

"You and that shitty bread Mara!" Ymir snorted, while reaching for my beloved bread. Shoving the rest of it down my throat I ignored her comment. "Be a real women and take a sip of this." She slurred and passed me a glass filled with and amber liquid.

"No thanks." I crinkled my nose in disgust. "I prefer the bread." My face changed and I gave her a cheeky grin while picking up another loaf. "I'd rather not be hungover while on duty. Especially on our first day." Placing the tip of the bread in my mouth I ripped a piece of with my teeth and devoured it gleefully.

"Ugh, your no fun Mara." She stuck her tongue out at me. Laughing, I threw a chunk of bread at her while Crista recovered by resting her head on the table in between us.

All was well, for once. But of course all of that soon ended. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I felt someones intense gaze on my back. Turning my head slowly, I saw the one, the only, Jean Kristein. Why he was staring at me intently I will never know. But it was enough to make me uncomfortable. But nonetheless, I broke off another piece of bread and tossed it at his head as soon as it made contact, he broke out of is trance.

Seeing my glares he smiled sheepishly and waved before snapping back to his usual façade. He darted out of sight when I shot him another glare.

"So Eren, what regiment are you going to join?" Marco asked.

Seriously?! I shrieked in my mind but didn't show it. The kid as been spewing nonsense about killing Titans since day one. It was obvious he was going to join the Scouts. But I guess that wasn't clear to everyone else. Dumb asses.

He began some rant or pride filled speech about his dream off riding the world of Titans and joining the Scouts. But I wasn't really listening. He would say the same shit tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, and the next, and the next. I slammed my head down on the table waiting for it to end. Not that Eren was horrible or anything, I actually considered the psychopath my friend, but sometimes his passion and confidence was overwhelming. Why couldn't he be an introvert? Or better yet quiet.

Groaning, I got up and murmuring good night to Ymir whose hand twitched in response. I quietly slipped out of the mess-hall, just out of earshot when Eren asked what Regiment I would join. Of course I could have answered right then and there. But I want to keep them on their toes. It makes it interesting you know?

...

Our first duties as soldier's, was to be on guard at Trost. Basic duties, everyone would be choosing what regiment they would join tomorrow. But by the rumors I've been hearing through the grape vine, majority of the cadets are joining the Scout Regiment. No surprise there. Eren had been talking it up since day one.

"Hey, Mara I guess we're on duty together." A strong hand clapped my back. I turned to see Reiner and Bertolt, we weren't exactly friends. But acquaintances.

"Hello." I nodded at the two, and began messing with my 3D maneuvering gear. Not to fix anything, more like to distract myself. Our job at the moment was to stand atop a big ass wall, waiting for something to happen all day. Worst job ever because nothing really did happen.

"So Mara. You say that you hailed from the same region as us. Is that true?" Reiner crosses his arms and stared me down. I raised a brow, hoping that he wouldn't catch on. Suspicion lurked in his eyes and now it did in mine.

"Well yes, but I left young age. And kinda wandered around until I was old enough to join the cadets." I lied. I never trusted these two. Whether it was the sly glances they would give each other, or how the three of them always huddled together. Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie were everything but trustworthy to me.

"Is that so?" Bertolt mumbled turning his head down to think.

"Yes that is so, but I'd doubt you remember anyways. Well it was a nice chat gentlemen." I hurried off, but kept the two in earshot.

"I'm going now." Bertolt began walking away towards Eren's group.

"Good. I don't know about you but something about Mara is off..." Reiner turned and began toward me, receiving a grunt from Bertolt.

"Hm, where's Bertolt going?" I caught in step with Reiner after he passed my station.

"Bathroom." He was stiff and began walking a bit faster. He was terrible at covering up his lies, I've already learned how to see through most.

"Isn't that the other way?" I interrogated innocently and put my hands behind my head.

"Look," he exploded and grabbed my shoulder pulling us behind a flag to talk, "you forget anything you saw or heard today. Got it? Or something bad is going to happen to you." He hissed at me and my eyes turned stone cold.

"Like the Boogeyman is going to kill me, or something. Jeez your stupider than I thought, you can't just threaten someone. Now, let's get to work before something unfortunate happens." Patting his back, I broke out of his grasp as if to brush off what just happened. I headed toward a pair of cannons. Ignoring his threat, I began working by readying the cannons if a battle insued.

A brisk hot wind blew through my hair. That's weird. I wonder what– My thoughts were stopped in their tracks and about a hundred meters from my current position, a massive red head looked over the wall. The Colossal Titan.

It appeared right in front of Eren's station. Shouting from the other Cadets occurred while the majority we're blow of the wall by his steam blasts. Eren though, the crazy bastard, began attacking the creature.

Dumb ass.

But he quickly disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Eren empty air to cut through.

Wait where's Bertolt?

Chaos insued everywhere. Pushing and shoving, next thing I know Bertolt and Reiner had me trapped between them. My feet above the ground as they hooked their arms underneath mine. And hoisted me upwards.

"Hey let go!" I kicked my legs, the two of them were unmoved, straight faces. I was one of the tallest cadets but compared to these two I was tiny.

The approached the edge of the wall, and dangled my feet over. Everyone was already heading back to command and no one noticed. These two are going to kill me, because they think I know there dirty little secret. And this just proves that I've scratched the surface of a deeper truth.

"We're sorry Mara. We didn't want it to come to this." Reiner sighed and let go of my right arm, leaving it on Bertold to drop me. I was hundreds of feet above Trost, if I fall now it would be an instant death. Well for anyone else. But I can't let these guys know what can I do. Can I?

I held on to Bertolt's arm with a vice like grip and attached my right hand to help me stay put. Either he pulled me up or we were going to fall to our deaths together. He gave me a sympathetic and panicky look.

"Hey! What are you guys doing?! Go get ready for battle, the Colossal Titan broke a hole in the wall." Never in all these years had I ever been happy to here Jean's voice.

"She was pushed off the wall, and needed help." Reiner exclaimed reaching down and grabbing my other arm to help Bertold pull me up.

Once on solid ground, I nodded my head towards the two boys, and grabbed Jean's hand. With him in tow I bolted to get gas and extra blades.

"Hey Mara, where are you going?" Jean asked keeping up my pace.

"To get ready for battle."