A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Enjoy!

edited on august 25th, 2021 @ 7:43pm

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙾,
𝓗𝚄𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙸𝚃𝚈'𝚂 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙴𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺.

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JOSIAH WAS STANDING WITH HIS arms behind his back along with the other new cadets as Keith Shadis walked around to greet them.

Shadis walked up to a blonde-haired boy with a bowl cut.

"You there!" He called out to him.

The blonde did the salute. "Yes, sir!" He shouted.

"Who are you?"

"Armin Arlert, from Shiganshina!"

"Shiganshina? That means he was also there... I didn't think I would meet any survivors." Josiah thought.

"Yeah? That's a stupid name. Your parents give you that?" Shadis asked.

"My grandfather!" Armin replied.

"Arlert, what are you doing here?" Shadis questioned.

"Trying to aid humanity's victory!" Armin responded.

"That is indeed wonderful... Then you will feed the Titans. Row 3, about face!" Shadis said, turning him around before walking to the next person.

"Who are you?"

"Thomas Wagner, from Trost!"

"I can't hear you!"

"Thomas Wagner, from—"

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

"There he goes... when you were a trainee, your first day was just the same." An instructor told the male who walked behind him.

"Mina Carolina, from Karanes!"

"It brings back memories."

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

"Yes, sir! I am less than cattle!"

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

"What's the point of screaming at them?"

"It's a rite of passage. We force them to abandon who they are, then raise them from nothing as lure soldiers. It is a necessary process."

Shadis walked passed Eren, Mikasa, Josiah, Bertholdt, Reiner, Ymir, and Annie. Who all had dead panned faces.

"It seems not all of them are being subjected to that process."

"There is no need for those who have already undergone the rite of passage. If I were to guess, they probably lived through hell two years ago. You can see it in their eyes. Now let's go."

"Who are you?!" Shadis yelled at the sandy-blonde haired male next to Josiah.

"Jean Kirstein, from Trost!" The male replied.

"What are you doing here?!" Shadis asked.

"Joining the Military Police, for a life deep within the walls." He smiled. Josiah could only snort in amusement.

"This guy and Clay would've definitely gotten along great."  Josiah thinks to himself.

"Oh, I see... you want access to the Interior?" Shadis questioned.

"Yes." Jean replied. That's when Shadis head butted him as the male fell to his knees.

"Who said you could sit down?! Anyone who can't handle this will never make it to the Military Police!" Shadis shouted.

Shadis looked over at another cadet who was on the other side of Jean. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Marco Bolt. Jinae City, Wall Rose South District! I want to join the Military Police, to offer the King my body and self in service!" The freckled boy stated.

"Really... I'm glad to hear that. Good luck. However..." Shadis stepped closer to Marco as Josiah watched his face turn into horror. "The King doesn't want your body."

"Next! You! Who are you?" He shouted at a cadet with a buzz cut.

The buzz cut male did the salute wrong. "Connie Springer, of Ragako Village, Wall Rose South District!"

Shadis picked him up by the head. "You're doing it wrong, Connie Springer... I explained that this salute demonstrates your resolve to devote your entire heart to the people. Is your heart on your right side?" He shouted.

Shadis then spotted a girl eating a potato as he released Connie. "Hey, you... What are you doing?" He questioned, walking over to her. The girl looked around as if she didn't know he was talking to her.

"You're the one I'm talking to! You! Who are you?!" Shadis yelled in her face.

The girl swallowed the potato and did the salute with the potato still in her hand. "Sasha Braus, from Dauper Village, Wall Rose South District!" She answered.

"Sasha Braus, what are you holding in your right hand?" Shadis asked.

"A boiled potato! The kitchen had a fresh batch, and I couldn't resist. " Sasha replied.

"Did you steal it? Why? Why would you choose to eat a potato now?" Shadis questioned.

"Letting it get cold would've been a waste, so I decided I should eat it now." Sasha responded.

"Well, I still don't understand... Why would you eat that potato?" Shadis continued to ask.

"Are you asking me why people eat potatoes?" Sasha stated as everyone looked at her.

The brunette could only watch as Sasha took a piece of potato off and handed it to Shadis. "You can have half..." She offered as Shadis took it.

"Half... " Shadis questioned as Sasha grinned at him but as a result, she had to run around the premises.

They all got sent away. Josiah was on the porch if the building with Eren, Armin, Connie, and Marco.

"He's still making that potato girl run."

"Wow, five straight hours? But she seemed more distraught when she told she wouldn't get dinner than when told she must run until she dropped." Eren said.

"If I remember correctly, Dauper Village is a tiny hunting village, deep in the mountains." Connie stated.

Eren then noticed a carriage. "What's that?" He questioned.

"The dropouts. They requested a transfer, to the frontier." Josiah replied.

"What? But it's only the first day." Armin stated.

"It was only a matter of time. If you aren't strong enough, you have to leave. Hard to believe they'd rather go back to weeding and picking up rocks." Eren said.

"Hey, he didn't ask where you were from, did he? Same goes for you, Josiah." Marco said.

"Shiganshina, the same as him." Eren responded, putting a hand on Armin's shoulder.

"From Shiganshina as well." Josiah added, shocking both Eren and Armin.

"I see... that's..." Marco trailed off.

"Then, weren't you there that day?" Connie asked.

"H-Hey..." Marco warned.

"He may not have known what it was like. But Marco knows that what we saw that day was traumatic for us. He's looking out for our well-being." Josiah thought.

"Did you see the Colossal Titan?" Connie asked once more.

"Yeah. We did." Josiah answered. He could still remember how terrified he felt when he saw the skinless hand grabbing hold of the wall. The way Soren grabbed hold onto his sleeve with fright—

Stop. Stop thinking about those two.

They were dead.

Dinner came by quickly as every cadet was dressed in their normal clothing. Josiah was dressed in a black hoodie with a white tank top underneath and black jeans. Eren was being questioned about what he saw that day as he was trying to eat.

"What about the Armored Titan?" Someone asked. Eren continues to get flooded with questions as Josiah was sitting by himself nearby.

Someone then asked him about the normal Titans and how they had acted. Eren froze up and dropped his spoon onto the plate, covering his mouth with his hand as he fought back the tears.

"Guys, let's stop with the questions. I'm sure he'd prefer to forget some things." Marco said.

"I'm sorry for asking—" Connie began to apologize.

"Don't be!" Eren interrupted them. He picked up his bread and bites into it. "The Titans aren't all that tough... if we can master the Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear, they won't stand a chance!"

"Finally I'm able to train as a soldier... I was just so excited I forgot myself for a second. I'm joining the Survey Corps, so I can wipe the Titans off the face of this earth. I'll kill them all—" Eren rambled on.

Meanwhile, Jean was enjoying the show from another table, his hand supporting his head as he let out a laugh at Eren.

"Hey, are you nuts?" He asked, interrupting Eren. "Did you just say you want to join the Survey Corps?"

"Yeah, I did." Eren shot back. "And you said you wanted to join the Military Police to take it easy, right?"

"Not all of us have a death wish, Titan boy." Josiah spoke up, getting the attention of the other trainees.

"You're from Shiganshina as well. I thought you of all people would understand where I'm coming from." Eren said.

"You want to join a Regiment that spent years getting little to no information about the Titans?" Josiah spat at him. "Stop envying the Survey Corps as if they were heroes. If that was the case, then where were they when our home was being trampled on, huh?"

Jean chuckled. "At least he gets me." He said, glad someone was on his side. "I'm no liar... I'm a straight talker, unlike someone who pretends to have balls of steel, even when he's about to piss himself."

Eren stands up, his chair falling onto the ground with a thud. "Are you talking about me?" He asked.

"D-Don't..." Marco intervened.

Jean gets up from his seat. "Hey, I didn't..." He replied as the two had a stare down.

Before they could do anything though, the bell rung, signaling that dinner was over.

Jean sighed. "Well, I'm sorry. I didn't want to say your doing the wrong thing. Peace?" He offered, holding out his hand.

Eren let out a sigh as well. "Yeah. I'm sorry, too." He said.

They slapped each other's hands. "Arrogance will get you killed. Remember that, Yeager." Josiah said to Eren's retreating figure, before pushing past Jean and going to his sleeping quarters.

»»————-　★　————-««

The next morning came along, everyone was at the training grounds to practice using the 3D maneuver gear.

"Those who fail this test are not even worthy to serve as bait, failures head straight for the reclaimed lands!" Shadis explained to the cadets.

One by one, everyone takes a turn trying to balance themselves in the 3D maneuver gear. Some cadets past with flying colors while others failed miserably.

Commander Shadis walks around and observed each cadet, he stops by Mikasa and is impressed by her performance.

Then he walks over to Josiah, who had a perfect balance. Shadis smirks. "Look at them, that's talent right there." He praised.

Shadis takes another look around the training group and looks at others like Sasha and Connie. "Um Commander..." A cadet taps on Shadis shoulder to get his attention. "What about him?"

He points at Eren who is struggling to maintain his balance in the maneuvering gear. Eren was upside down, he looked like he had no idea what was going on or how to work the gear. He kept questioning himself on how he isn't doing it correctly.

"What the hell are you doing, Yeager?! Raise your upper body!" Shadis yelled. Eren tried with all he got but failed. The cadets around him start to snicker. Mikasa rushes over to Eren in order to give him a little guidance.

"Just focus on the basics Eren, I know you can do this." She reassured him.

"He's a lost cause that's what he is." Josiah mumbled as he heard Jean snickering next to him.

"So bitter." He commented.

"Like you're any better." Josiah spat at him before turning his attention to Eren. "Come on Yeager, didn't you claim you were going to wipe out every last Titan? How are you going to do that when you can't learn how to use the 3D maneuver gear?"

"Alright, I think I can do it." Eren said to himself. "Armin, can you lift me up?"

Armin started to lift him up, his feet inches off the ground. Not even a minute goes by and Eren falls to the ground, head first. Armin and Mikasa flinched at the sound of Eren's head making an impact.

"How lame..." Josiah thought as he watched Armin and Mikasa carry Eren to the infirmary.

»»————-　★　————-««

Josiah was in his sleeping quarters that he shared with Jean and Connie. "Say, Verlice. What made you enlist in the military?" Jean questioned.

"Jean!" Connie exclaimed.

"I only have one goal and that's joining the Military Police." Josiah responded.

This made Jean smirk. "Oh? Because they're the best of the best right?" He asked.

"Make no mistake, Kirstein. I'm not joining to have a peaceful life." Josiah responded. "I had a childhood friend who's dream was to join the Military Police."

"So you want to live his dream?" Connie questioned.

"Precisely." Josiah replied. "Actually to tell you the truth, when I was younger, I looked up to the Survey Corps as heroes. I even foolishly told them back then I was going to join their ranks."

"But it's like I said back during the first night. Where were the Survey Corps when my home was being trampled on? When my childhood friends and my mother foolishly got their lives taken away? They weren't there, and that's when I realized that the Survey Corps were nothing. They were no heroes." Josiah ranted on before looking at Jean and Connie who just stared at him.

"My apologies. I shared too much." Josiah finished, returning to his emotionless state. "Titan boy is insane if he thinks he can get rid of the Titans."

"I think you and I will be great friends, Josiah." Jean commented.

Josiah looked at him. "I don't need friends. But if there's someone I need to get along with, it'll be you." He said before shoving the covers on him and turning away to get some sleep.

»»————-　★　————-««

"Are you ready, Yeager?!"

It was already morning and Eren was ready as he could be as he started to adjust himself in the gear. He tried to motivate himself by thinking why he wanted to join the Scouts in the first place.

"For my mother. I will slaughter every Titan."

"You can start now." A cadet starts to lift Eren up into the air by turning the lever on the side of the device. So far, he's doing a great job at balancing.

"Ha! I did it! Look Armin, Mikasa!" Eren called out to his friends as they gave him a thumbs up.

Just as things were going good, he suddenly started to wobble.

"Wagner, let Yeager borrow your belt." Thomas walked up to Eren and hands him his belt. This time, he was able to balance and wobble less. "Your equipment was faulted. If given a piece of functional gear, you might not be worthless after all. I guess we have to visit the supply depot because the clasp is broken on this one."

"He still did it though. Even while wearing that busted gear!" Someone pointed out.

"Does this mean he passes?" Mikasa asked. Shadis sighed and looked at her.

"He's good to go."

Eren jumps up and down in excitement, finally being able to call himself a soldier.

"It seems like things worked out for him." A tall blonde male named Reiner stated.

"Look. His eyes are saying check me out." Armin chuckled.

Josiah looked at Eren. "That's where you're wrong. His eyes are saying that he gets to move on with the rest of us." He mumbled.

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《 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖸𝖤𝖠𝖱: 𝟪𝟧𝟢 — 𝖳𝖶𝖮 𝖸𝖤𝖠𝖱𝖲 𝖠𝖥𝖳𝖤𝖱 𝖤𝖭𝖫𝖨𝖲𝖳𝖬𝖤𝖭𝖳 》

"You're too slow! Run, you laggards!"

Rain dropped on the ground as the cadets were running with their cloaks on, carrying heavy backpacks. From a distance stood Shadis, scanning and studying each and every one of them.

"What's wrong, Arlert? You're falling behind! Is it too heavy for you? Will you be the one guy to remove his equipment?"

Armin was falling behind the others. He wasn't athletic so running while carrying heavy belongings was a task for him.

He was still panting as Shadis continued taunting him. "If this were a real fight, you'd be Titan food by now!" He finished before catching up with the other cadets.

Josiah stopped and ran back to try and help him.

"You okay there, Armin?" He asked as Armin was panting, almost like he was about to give up.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He replied in between pants.

"Give me that." A voice said from behind the two. Reiner ran up and took Armin's backpack, hoisting it up his shoulders. "At this rate, we'll all fail out! We're being graded on this exercise."

"If you do that, you'll lose points, as well." Armin told him.

"Just don't let them find out! And don't make me change my mind!" Reiner stated. Shadis watched the whole scene from in front of them but decided not to step in.

Reiner Braun. A strong soldier, physically and mentally. And trusted by his comrades.

Reiner ran off and left Josiah and Armin behind. Josiah gave one last look at Armin before running off to join their classmates.

"I will not slow everyone down, even if it kills me!" Armin thought, grabbing his backpack from Reiner's shoulder and hoisting onto his back once more.

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

The next day, Shadis decided to test the group of soldiers in training to see how deep they can cut the nape of a Titan dummy, or if they can even cut at all.

A cadet started to pull a Titan dummy up towards Josiah, Jean, Annie and Bertholdt. Josiah charged forward first as he made a deep cut on the cardboard. Annie and Bertholdt soon followed. However, Jean's cut wasn't that deep.

Josiah Verlice. A strong-willed fighter and has top notch skills. Though, his lack of showing emotion can become a problem.

Annie Leonhart. Her strike form is flawless, but she works poorly with others and tends to isolate herself.

Bertholdt Hoover. He has great potential, but lacks initiative.

Jean Kirstein. A master of 3D Maneuver Gear, but his brash personality causes friction with the team.

Shadis glared at the four soldiers and writes down what he sees in a notebook.

Jean disbands from Josiah, Bertholdt and Annie. "I can't strike as hard as those three, so I have to find the Titan first!" He said to himself. "I'll be the one who makes it into the Military Police!"

After flying around for a while, he finally found one. He goes in for the kill but someone else does it too.

"Thanks, Jean!" He looks over his shoulder and spotted Connie coming down on the Titan, lifting his arms as he was preparing to cut the nape. "I was right to follow you!"

Someone else ended up beating him to it. His mouth hangs wide open as he looks around to see who did it.

Sasha Braus. 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 soldier informed. Another pulled the rope Eren and Mikasa prepare to slice the cardboard. Mikasa managed to land a deep cut on the nape of the Titan dummy while Eren's cut looked nothing like hers.

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

Eren Yeager. He has no outstanding talents, but he's worked harder than anyone to improve his marks.

»»————-　★　————-««

The following day, Josiah is training with Bertholdt to disarm a weapon from an enemy. Bertholdt charged at him with the wooden knife.

Josiah could remember his pointless fights with Clayton. One of the memories he has was a time when Clayton had pushed him into the creek. Josiah caught Bertholdt's wrist and flipped him over.

Josiah pinned the back of his wrists and removed the wooden knife, throwing it on the ground.

"Whoa! That was awesome!" Jean commented from where he stood. Bertholdt gets up from off the ground as he tossed Josiah the wooden knife.

The brunette gripped the knife and charged at him. Josiah matched his movements with Bertholdt's as he raised his fists up. Josiah kicked his foot up and made him lose his balance as he fell to the ground and Josiah pointed the wooden knife against his throat.

Connie, Jean, and Marco were looking at him from afar with admiration.

"He's so cool!" Sasha exclaimed.

"Damn right he is. I'm almost jealous." Jean added.

"I definitely wouldn't want to get into a fight with him." Connie stated.

»»————-　★　————-««

Josiah sat as he listened to Armin talk about the history of the ODM gear as he stood next to Jean's table.

"Just give it one strong blast. Use the generated momentum, and you'll conserve fuel." Jean boasts to those sitting at his table.

"You make it sound so easy." Daz gasped.

"Well, I guess not everyone can do it..." He glanced over at Eren and then Mikasa. "But it's worth remembering. If you want to join the Military Police, anyway."

"Yeah, I hope I can get in... I can't imagine a greater honor than serving near the King." Marco stated.

"Hey, Marco." Jean hits him and Marco's drink spilled. "Cut the noble act and tell the truth! You want to join the Military Police because life deep inside the walls is soft and easy."

"No! I really think that..." Marco denied.

"An easy life, deep inside the walls?" Eren interrupted them. "Until five years ago, this was considered deep inside the walls."

"Whats your point, Eren?" Jean asked.

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

Cadets that were listening let out a few snickers. Josiah held back a laugh. He knew Eren always had a great sense of humor.

"You..." Jean said.

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

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

Eren stood up. "You piece of shit!" He exclaimed.

Jean stood up as well. "Shut up! This is reality." He shot back.

"Stop it, Eren." Armin warned.

"Stop." Mikasa took Eren's hand and stared at him.

Jean then grabbed him. "Screw you!" He shouted.

"Let go! My clothes will rip!"

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

"What are you talking about?"

Josiah stood up from where he was sitting and grabbed Jean by his collar, slamming him into the wall as the other cadets watch with shock.

Jean gulped as he stared into Josiah's blue eyes. "You remind me of someone I once knew. Even as a child, he had the same mindset you do. It pisses me off." Josiah began, his voice loud and clear.

"You honestly think the Military Police is a ticket to a peaceful life? The Garrison thought that as long as those Walls were up, they didn't have to fight. Then, Shiganshina happened. At some point, you're gonna have to deal with a Titan." Josiah continued as he looked towards his fellow cadets.

"And that goes for the rest of you who has the same opinion as this idiot."

It went silent for a moment as the door creaked open, revealing Shadis.

"I heard quite a commotion. Would someone like to explain?" He asked.

Jean sat down, followed by Eren and Josiah. Mikasa raised her hand. "That sound was Sasha's fart." She replied. Sasha looked horrified as the other cadets tried to hold in their laughter.

"You again?" Shadis questioned. "Learn to control yourself."

With that, he left as everyone resumed socializing. Jean and Eren continued to stare at each other while Mikasa was shoving bread in Sasha's mouth.

»»————-　★　————-««

Finally, all the training had come to an end, all 218 trainees managed to make it to graduation.

"Dedicate your hearts!"

Every cadet did the salute. "Today, you trainee graduates will be given three choices."

"You can join the Garrison, protecting towns and reinforcing the walls or the Survey Corps, who risk their lives beyond the walls, in Titan territory. Or the Military Police, who serve the King, lead the people, and protect internal order. Of course, only the top ten students, who's names were just announced can join the Military Police."

After three years of training, Josiah had graduated at the top of his class. He managed to place second in the top ten.

Josiah stood in between Reiner and Mikasa. Mikasa had an outstanding performance, so it was clear that she deserved to be first.

Josiah looked at the rest of the graduates.

Tenth place: Sasha Braus.
Ninth place: Connie Springer.
Eighth place: Marco Bolt.
Seventh place: Jean Kirstein.
Sixth place: Eren Yeager.
Fifth place: Annie Leonhart.
Fourth place: Bertholdt Hoover.
Third place: Reiner Braun.
Second place: Josiah Verlice.
First place: Mikasa Ackerman.

After the ceremony, all of graduates went to have a feast. Everyone had smiles on their faces. "Three meals a day for life!" Sasha cheered.

Jean was sitting at a table. "How in god's name did I get ranked under Eren?" Josiah heard Jean mumble to himself as he snickered.

Josiah headed over to where Eren, Mikasa, and Armin were with Marco and Thomas.

"You're really going to turn your back on the MP for the Scouts?" Marco questioned. "Why in the world would you do that? You're in the top 10!"

"The Scouts have always been my goal." Eren looked down onto the ground. "I don't want the easy life. Not with all the work I've put in. I trained to fight Titans."

"Are you insane?!" Thomas leaned forward as he raised his voice.

This caused everyone to look in their direction. Thomas looked embarrassed, but kept his composure.

"How many people have died? We're talking a fifth of the population! If that doesn't paint a picture for you, I don't know what will. This is our life now. We can't beat them."

Everyone took in what he said and frowned. He had made a good point.

"Yeah? So what?" Josiah spoke up, bringing everyone's focus back. "Things have changed since five years ago. We made progress. Every battle we fought, was a lesson. Are you going to let all the death and destruction become meaningless? Are you just going to accept that there's nothing we can do about it? Not a chance! We're going to take back what was ours! We'll drive all those damned bastards out. No matter how many years it has to take. This isn't the end. It's the beginning."

Josiah's eyes met with Eren's as he just smiled. Everyone was watching him with intense stares. Growing up, Josiah was always taken for a fool who had dreams. He was like Eren in a way.

It took a while, but Josiah could finally understand where Eren was coming from.

Eren runs off as Armin and Mikasa soon joined him. Josiah waited a while before quickly following them. They were all sitting on the stone steps a few yards away.

The three of them looked up as Josiah joined them. He sat down next to Mikasa while Eren and Armin were below them.

"That was quite a speech you gave back in there." Armin laughed.

"Why thank you. I had learned from the best." Josiah said. "You as well, Eren. I know you would've said the exact same thing and just worded it differently."

"Yeah well I'm joining the Scout Regiment too!" Armin declared.

Eren looked taken aback. "Now you're just being stupid! Come on! You're not a fighter! Your life is with books!" He argued.

"I'm through with letting other people fight for me..." Armin sighed.

"I guess it's the Scouts for me too then." Mikasa said from beside Josiah.

"Oh come on!" Eren turned to look up at them. "You were the top of the class! You'd be losing your shot!"

"Understand this, Eren." She lowered her voice. "Wherever you go, I go."

"I suppose I'll join the Scouts too." Josiah said as the three of them turned to look at him.

"Not to sound rude or anything. But you somewhat reminded me of Jean." Eren spoke up.

Josiah smiled. "I only wanted to join the MP for a friend. But now, he would probably kick my ass and tell me to follow my own path." The trio chuckled at his comment.

"I did a lot of thinking these past three years, and you're not as crazy as I thought you were, Titan boy." Josiah continued, looking at Eren. "I want to fight for the people I lost, and I'll do it."

"Let's start over. I'm Josiah. Josiah Verlice." Josiah said.

"Mikasa Ackerman."

"Armin Arlert."

"Eren Yeager." Eren finished.

Eren looks up at the sky. Armin, Josiah, and Mikasa did the same.

"Are you up there, Soren, Clay looking down on me? Well, I'm not alone anymore..."

»»————-　★　————-««

The next day, everyone gathered to watch the Scouts come back from their mission. People were admiring Commander Erwin.

"Look! It's Captain Levi!" A girl shouted from behind them.

"They say he's like an entire bridge unto himself." A guy explained.

Josiah glances at the man who said that and mumbled something no one could hear. "He looks really familiar..." Josiah thought when he suddenly came to a realization. "He was the short man that I encountered back then!"

"Feel how excited everybody is? It's like the crowd has a different energy now." Eren said.

"Well, we are going on five years without incident. Seems like a good omen." A girl informed.

"And you should check out all the cannon upgrades. The sight alone should be enough to scare them off." Her friend speaks next to her.

"That's the truth." She agreed with a wide smile.

"Are you in denial cause you're a couple? What's that about?" Eren argued as he balled his fist.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, this isn't what it looks like!" The girl turns away and waves her arm.

"Cut it out, man." The boy blushed. "It's embarrassing."

Josiah snorted, finding the whole thing amusing while Eren trembled with rage. "I'm taking this as my cue to leave." He said, leaving Eren alone.

»»————-　★　————-««

On top of the walls stood the graduating class, cleaning out some cannons and making adjustments to the newer models. Connie and a few others are up there as Connie announced he was joining the Scouts.

"What do you mean you're joining the Scouts?! What happened to the MP? That was your whole thing!" Eren argued.

"Don't worry about it." Connie sighed and focused on his cannon. "A guy's allowed to change his mind, okay?"

"I think your speech yesterday lit a fire under him." Mina came up to them.

"Ain't nobody talking to you!" Connie turned and glared at Mina. "Josiah's speech had nothing to do with it."

"You sure about that, Springer? Those words were spoken from the heart, you know?" Josiah teased as Connie threw a rag at him, to which the brunette caught it with his hand.

"Take it easy." Thomas walked up to them. "It's not like you're the only one."

"What? Are you serious?" Eren looks at him.

"Can you guy's keep a secret?" Sasha came up to them. "Cause I totally helped myself to the Officer's pantry."

Sasha opened up her jacket and showed them a thing of meat. Everyone gasped and looked terrified as she smiled.

"Sasha, you know you can get in trouble for that, right?" Josiah informed, raising an eyebrow.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you?" Eren sighed.

"What isn't wrong with her." Connie frowned.

"It'll be fine. I'm willing to share." She begins as her mouth started to water. "Oh, can you imagine the sandwiches?"

"Put it back!" Connie yelled.

"Do you have any idea how rare meat has been since the Titans took Wall Maria?!" Mina exclaimed.

"Um, a little... yeah." Sasha replied. "Just look at it this way. Pretty soon, we'll take back all the room we need for livestock."

"You're a fucking lunatic." Josiah sighed. "But don't be shy, share some."

"Hey, if he gets one, so do I. Just so you know." Connie said.

"Me too!" Mina added.

"Anyhow, we better get back to work. If they see us slacking, they'll have our heads." Josiah warned. "I'll see you guys at lunch."

Josiah then walked away from the group as he looked out into the town inside the wall.

"Five years, huh?" Josiah thought. "Soren, Clay. I'm sorry I was too weak to do anything that day. But I promise that we're doing our best to make sure history doesn't repeat itself."

Josiah suddenly felt a presence behind him. It was hot and he heard the steam. He started shaking uncontrollably.

"This feeling... don't tell me it's..!"

Josiah turned around and right behind Eren was the Colossal Titan from five years ago. The one that destroyed his home and caused the deaths of people he cared about.

The Titan then kicks the wall, putting a hole through it just like it did back then.

A strong blast of steam comes off it and everyone gets thrown off the wall.

Josiah quickly attached his ODM gear to the Wall to keep himself from falling to his death. He saw that the other cadets did the same thing. Eren was located right next to him. That's when he spotted a body fly past him.

It was Samuel.

"Samuel!" Connie screamed. Sasha unhooked herself from the wall and zoomed down the wall and used her gear to catch the falling cadet.

"Samuel, don't move!" Sasha warned.

"That was close..." Eren muttered. Something had caught his eyes.

"The wall has been breached?" Thomas questioned.

"Not again... The Titans will come inside the walls again!" Connie exclaimed.

Josiah's heart was beating rapidly. Memories of Clayton pushing him and Soren out of the way and getting eaten, Soren being trapped under the debris until he was finally crushed to his death. His mother being eaten by a Titan and him watching.

Eren's voice broke through his thoughts. "Fixed cannon maintenance team 4, prepare for combat!" His voice rang out. "Our target is the Colossal Titan before us! This is our chance! Don't let it get away!"

Eren launched himself onto the wall as Josiah followed him and stood next to him, looking at the Colossal Titan's face.

"You. It's been a while." Eren growled.

Five years ago, Josiah watched as this Titan destroyed his home. That day, he was only a weak child who could only look up in fear.

Josiah took out his blades, preparing to fight as he could feel the heat coming off of the Colossal Titan.

"It's about time I give you hell from five years ago, you bastard."

»»————-　★　————-««

A/N: Chapter One is done! Hope you enjoyed!

Word Count: 5842 words.