The sun hung high in the sky over the Cadets' training camp, the sky a soft blue, dusted with little puffs of white clouds here and there. A gentle breeze whispered in through the trees and kicked up little waves of dust as it reached the open grounds of the training camp. A small Platoon-sized unit of Cadets had been assembled, a hodgepodge of students from several different Trainee Squads across the Cadet Corps. Several Drill Instructors paced around the formation, eyeing them carefully for any loss of military bearing. A flinch or a shift of weight, any movement other than blinking and breathing at the position of attention was forbidden. Though most of the Cadets in this Corps' class had already been here two years, it wasn't uncommon for some of them to screw up the little basics of military life. These Cadets were all well-disciplined however and the Instructors could find no infraction worthy of their ire. Though they came from all walks of life, these young people all had a lot in common. Their uncommonly flawless discipline was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Each of them were in excellent condition physically with combat scores that rivaled those of their instructors. The few who were merely average in combat were outstanding in the classroom, breezing through tests of strategy, tactics and occasionally raw information, with ease. Most of them had something else in common as well, an unusually determined desire to join the Scout Regiment...

Standing a few yards in front of the formation, their hands clasped behind their backs, were three soldiers (two women and one man) from the Army. The two females were from the Military Police (Laura Strasse) and Scout Regiment (Elaina Penny) while the male wore the Rose emblem of the Garrison Regiment. The three seemed to be inspecting the Cadets from afar, eyeing each of the youth like one would a fresh fruit, searching for imperfections.

One of the senior Drill Instructors moved to the front of the formation, his trench coat billowing around him in the breeze.
"Cadets!"
He barked, his deep voice booming across the open stretch of ground they'd assembled on.
"Sir!?"
The Cadets cried in unison, each curling their right hands into fists and placing them over their hearts in a salute.
"Each of you has been selected for transfer to a newly formed Squad due to your career aspirations, combat prowess and academic test scores. Standing here before you are representatives of each of the military branches who will mentor you through the rest of your training and help orient you to your chosen career field."
The Drill Instructor explained, stepping to the side and gesturing to each soldier as he spoke.
"From the Military Police, Laura Strasse. From the Scout Regiment, Elaina Penny and from the Garrison Regiment, Hank Darwin. You will all receive instruction and guidance from each of these soldiers, but depending on your chosen branch of service, you will be directly mentored by only one for the rest of your training."

In the second row of the formation, standing a head taller than most of his peers, Cadet Gideon Wallace felt both nervous and excited at the idea of working and training with an actual Scout. The young woman was only a few years older than himself but her demeanor and the way she carried herself spoke of years of experience. He was both intimidated and inspired at the same time. Meanwhile, the Drill Instructor concluded his introduction and explanation of this new turn of events by announcing, in that inhumanly loud and booming voice,
"Cadets! Break ranks and form into your respective groups. Scouts over here, MP over here and Garrison over there!"
The formation shattered into a disorganized mob almost instantly and the Cadets scurried around for a moment before sorting themselves out.

Gideon, along with quite a few others, fell into a new formation in front of Penny. Though their numbers were surprising, given the low recruitment rates for the Scout Regiment, they were still the smallest of the groups. The majority of the Cadets chose the Military Police with a smaller group choosing the Garrison.

"Very well, now that you've made your choices, it's time you start working toward them. Separate into your respective groups, get to the barracks, get to know your new comrades and prepare for a training exercise this afternoon."
The Drill Instructor ordered. And with that, the separate groups parted ways.

Laura wasn't surprised by the number of cadets intending to enter the Military Police. Afterall, she had been in their shoes once, seeking the fortunes and easy life of the MP's. Uncaring of the hard truths she already knew, only that the military police were among the privileged few to be firmly safe from the Titans. A desire made all the more desperate since the fall of Wall Maria.

"Cadets! Listen up! I am Laura Strasse of the Military Police Brigade!" She announced as the cadets assembled in front of her. "You have all done admirably well to come this far in your training to be recognized as the best and brightest of each of your classes to come here today. Show that kind of dedication and talent to me here, and your efforts will be rewarded according to your ability and due position."

It was double-talk, and she knew it quite well. The question was how many among these cadets would recognize it as such? As she spoke, Laura watched the cadets for those that met her criteria. More to the point, competition for the top 10 slots would certainly be something to behold in this cadet company that was made of the best and brightest of many other classes. Only those who would truely have the qualities of a MP would make it to the top if Laura had her way. But as it was, she had to share grading with a damn Scout and a Garrison officer she knew nothing about. Meaning her job working between them would be just as interesting.

"Assemble at the barracks and settle in. Get to know eachother. By the time I walk in at-" Laura pulled out a pocketwatch and pretended to glance at it, still watching the reactions of the trainees. "Five minutes from now, I expect each of you to know the name and a fact about the person you share a bunk with to share, and I expect it to be a interesting fact! Dismissed!"

With that, Laura stood back and watched the cadets amble around. Pulling a sweet honey candy out of her pocket (a parting gift from Magnus) and popping it in her mouth, she then turned to watch how the other section leaders would handle their charges. In particular the scouts, they looked to have a larger-than-norm complement of aspirants this class.

Sano Takeshi

"Oooohhhh.........Like a melody, Oooohhhh.......Like the end of me. Yeahhh........Ugh. That didn't sound right. Well, actually it's alright if you think about it, which I am I guess. Dammit, i'm talkin' to myself again. But this is so borin' dammit" Sano thought to himself as he stood as still as a trunk. He held his arm in an acute angle as the back of his fist pressed against his chest. In addition, his knees were locked in place as he somewhat listened to the instructor. Sano wasn't one to get distracted by his own thoughts, but the sound of the wind created a tune in his head he had to sing to - therefore did - in his head at least.

His eyes roamed at the other cadets, some he remembered and others he'd never seen. There were some very attractive girls in the crowd, way too attractive. He couldn't keep his eyes off of one of them though - a girl that caught his eye. Short black hair running down to barely touch her shoulders. She didn't have a big butt, but her figure just seemed perfect. It was hard to tell because of that damn jacket everyone wore, bu- "Oh crap" Sano thought to himself as a higher-up walked passed him. He gulped silently and resumed to look forward like he should be.

Sano was there to become a student of war, not to hit on girls that most likely wouldn't like him back. Anyhow, Sano lost the sound of the wind, therefore unable to continue his song. He wish he had his guitar, but all his possessions, like everyone else's, were stored somewhere unknown. Suddenly, the instructor revealed the three new leading trainers. They didn't seem like much any of them, but they were there for a reason - because they were the best of the best. Since he wanted to join the Scout Regiment, he would be trained by Eleina-somthing. Names weren't really important for Sano because he usually never remembered them. He couldn't put a name to a face because he had somewhat of a short-term memory. Well not really, but it just wasn't his forte.

Then the time to breath came forth as the young cadets were dismissed. They were all instructed to go to their according officers and whatever. So Sano moved with the crowd heading towards the Scout Regiment commander. He was impressed how many people headed to the other two groups rather than alongside him. Nobody wanted to give up their lives for a cause anymore, they just wanted an easy way out. Sano knew it would be the toughest challenge he would most likely ever face. To be out there before the Titans was not a dream come true, but once victorious, that's when the dreams become reality.

Once at the precise location, Sano crossed his arms and just stood there, eyes flowing side to side. Since he wasn't the first one there, there wasn't much awkwardness. But what was awkward was that the people he had trained with the previous years weren't by his side. The other students he had befriended had all seemed to go their own ways - to safety. "F#kin' cowards. Nuthin's gonna change if y'all join those guys" Sano thought to himself, staring at the Military Police Brigade. He then turned back to his people. "Oooohhhh............like a melody. Yeaahhhh......."

Shuya's lip quivered a little as his eyes darted left and right, surveying his future comrades in arms, he didn't know any of them and he eventually fixed his eyes on the commanders in front of him. His arm snapped to his chest and he stared forward, he was on the front row and was determined to make a good first impression. The salute held firm and rigid until they were dispersed.

For a very short time he thought about heading over and standing with the scouts, following his original career choice but he soon shook his head and turned to go to the military police. He followed Laura over and stood close, still at attention with his legs spread slightly and his arms behind his back. Again looking over the other cadets who wished to join the MP Shuya swallowed and turned his gaze back to their instructor as she spoke.

Taking the lead over to the barracks he was amount the first to arrive, the cadets grouped outside the barracks. He instantly turned around to face the others, time was ticking and he thought he might as well get it started. "Fellow cadets! I am Shuya Takuto and at my old regiment I raised a bird that was abandoned by it's mother until it was able to fly!" He shouted so they'd all be able to hear him then bowed swiftly and opened the floor to the next one to introduce themselves.

Steph stood, fist to her chest and eyes almost glazed over ahead of her. She stood with a stern look on her face, this was it. She would see her scouting regiment and finally know who her team mates would be. She listened to her superiors intently then, when asked to, began to walk to the Survey Corps. A breeze picked up softly as she began to walk, the people around her thinning the closer she got to the Scouting corp. It was disappointing, seeing people move to safer roles, but Steph knew it was bound to happen.

Her team was smaller, a lot smaller than other roles, and as she looked around her, none of them seemed nearly the picture she assumed a scouting soldier would look like. They where only human after all. She missed her pistol by her side, at training she had it removed. It was a hand me down from her father. It had no real use against a titan, but it was reassuring to have when things began to heat up. She hoped it would be returned after training.

She glanced at her fellow cadets but did not have the courage to talk to anyone, instead she stood and waited until everyone would move away and to the barracks.

D A N I A & R A Y E N

“Danny..” Terror shook through the small raven haired girl in heavy tremors as the cadets around her began to disperse. Her sisters name quivered from her lips in a meek voice, only audible for Dania and herself to hear, as anxiety began to swell within her forcing a terrified look to come into her eyes. Joining the military had been her escape, and with her sister by her side she had barely made it through the past three years, but now that they were separating into their respective branches the girl began to panic. If she joined the Military Police she understood the luxury it would come with. Absolute protection from the Titans, high class living and comfort that she could share with her family, and a heavy paycheck that would leave her set for life. But that would leave her with the constant reminder of the threat her sister would face outside of the walls. The Scouting Regiment was no joke. They were Humanities front line against the Titans, and while she understood the sacrifice and dedication it took, Ray knew she lacked all the essentials it required to becoming a Scout. Despite all this, she was still reluctant about choosing the Military Police. While she wasn’t all the strong, it still scared Ray knowing that if anything were to happen she wouldn’t be able to help, or protect her sister behind the protection of Wall Sina. Indecisive, anxious and about to have a panic attack, Dania finally stepped in.

“You’re going to be fine, Ray.” Calm, reassuring words cut through the girls thoughts as her sister stared down at her with a gentle smile. While Dania wasn’t aware of her sisters true reason for panicking, she still did her best to comfort her. “You’ve worked hard these past few years, and I know you’re going to do great in the Military Police.” Unfazed by her words, Rayens expression didn’t falter as she continued to stare up at the sturdy young woman with fearful eyes. Disappointed that she failed to cheer her little sister up, Dania's eyebrows knitted together in concern as she put a comforting hand along her sisters shoulder, “I believe in you, Rayen. I know you can do it.”

While her sister could’t see it, or rather admit it about herself, Dania had watched the small crybaby she had grown up with grow as a person, and as a soldier. Even if she told her such things, the brunette knew Ray wasn’t going to accept any of it and it would just go in one and out the other. Swallowing hard with an audible gulp she turned her head gazing over at the growing group of Military Police Cadets before returning her attention back on Dania, “You.. you really think so?” A small chuckle slipped out from the older girl as she shifted her stance and went into a salute. “Yes, now hurry up and go, it looks like your mentor is about to make a speech.”

“Wha—“ Looking desperately at the MP cadets waiting for their mentor to speak, and back at her sister, Dania raised her eyebrows and gave the girl a stern look as she continued to stand still beside her, “Go, Rayen.” An audible whimper came from the girl as her eyes widened in fear. With no other choice, the smaller girl bit her lip anxiously before turning her back to her sister and hurrying over to the group of Cadets. Watching Rayen head off to the group of Military Police Cadets with a sigh, the brunette caught sight of another soldier eyeing her sister. Her lips flattened into a straight, firm line as she watched the male cadet, and as his eyes drew south on her sister a sudden rage flared up within her. Vibrant brown hues narrowed dangerously as she shot him the coldest glare she was capable of, and if looks could kill, he would have been dead a dozen five times over. The fist along her chest clenched tightly as the idea of socking the tall cadet in the jaw came to mind. That would definitely make him think twice about checking out her sister again. Turning her gaze as soon as the instructor passed him, the hard look continued to sit along her features as she focused her attention to the Scouting Regiment instructor before them.

R A Y E N

Standing amongst the other recruits waiting to join the Military Police, Rayen found herself surrounded by the-best-of-the-best within her squad. Her strength was nothing to brag about, but she knew the only reason she was here was because of her brains. Small, and not all that strong, the dark haired girl had put most of her focus and interest on the more academic side training. Memorizing all that she had been taught during class, Ray could name a specific type of titan and spit out all the facts, from weaknesses, to habits. During training with her gear, she had taken apart the piece by piece, and put it back together but despite all of this her real talent lied in strategizing. If not for those reasons Ray knew she would have been standing beside her sister with the Scouting Regiment, or with the slackers in the Garrison Regiment. Jolted from her thoughts once again, she straightened up her posture and salute as the Military Police mentor began to speak.

“Cadets! Listen up! I am Laura Strasse of the Military Police Brigade! You have all done admirably well to come this far in your training to be recognized as the best and brightest of each of your classes to come here today. Show that kind of dedication and talent to me here, and your efforts will be rewarded according to your ability and due position.” The girls gaze faltered momentarily as she listened to the woman talk of being among the best and the brightest. “Assemble at the barracks and settle in. Get to know eachother. By the time I walk in at-“ Oh god, now they had to be social with each other.

“Five minutes from now, I expect each of you to know the name and a fact about the person you share a bunk with to share, and I expect it to be a interesting fact! Dismissed!” Given the instructions and still unsure of her decision, Rayen looked back at her sister one last time before following behind the group like a lost puppy as they made their way to the barracks. For the most part her future squad mate didn’t seem all that bad. Knowing a few of them from previous training activities, she unfortunately had never really acquainted herself with any of the cadets in her new regiment before this time. An awkward silence had fallen on the group as they arrived at the barracks, but before long a voice was quick to cut through the silence with a loud, and confident tone. "Fellow cadets! I am Shuya Takuto and at my old regiment I raised a bird that was abandoned by it's mother until it was able to fly!" The sudden outburst caught the girl by surprise as she took a step back, a little thrown off with his exuberant tone.

Before anyone else could speak up, slow, unenthusiastic clapping came from the back of the group. All eyes quickly turned to the source only to land on a tall, radiant brunette that stood within the middle of the group. The girl practically radiated with intimidation, and arrogance as she stared down at the blonde boy with a menacing look in her eyes. Icy blue orbs narrowed, eyeing Shuyo like a predator would prey, before she began to make slow and confident strides towards him. “What a hero,” Her words dripped with sarcasm as a wicked smirk curved along her lips, “Do you have any other incredibly talents you’d like to share with us? No? Good.” The girl gave his shoulder a firm shove, pushing him out of the center of the group so she could take center stage. Crossing her arms, and presenting herself in an aggressive manner, she finally spoke up to the group, “My name is Amelia Voclain and my an interesting fact about me is.. hmm.~” Coming to a pause her hand raised to below her face while her finger tapped calmly against her chin as she pondered on what ‘interesting fact’ to tell her new squad mates.

Before long Amelia began to talk, and talk, and talk. Scrunching her nose in disgust as the girl ranted on narcissistically, Rayen decided to focus her attention to the fair headed boy named Shuya that had just been roughly shoved to the side. With her hands sitting interlocked behind her back, Ray made slow cautious steps towards the boy before speaking up, “Hey, you alright?” Casting a look over at Amelia, the dark haired girl rolled her eyes in annoyance before shaking her head and returning her focus on the blond, “Ugh, just ignore her. I’m sure once she’s done spouting her crap she’ll stop talking.” Giving a playful smile as she returned her gaze to the boy and tried to lighten the mood, Ray raised her hand out in a friendly gesture while she continued to smile, “My name’s Rayen, it’s nice to meet you Shuya.”

Five years ago,
She remembered that day of retribution.
She remembered that sky of twilight.

"Penny, please..."

***

It was that day again.

Elaina Penny wondered why she of all the officers in the Survey Corps had to... well, survey the corps, pun intended. Thinking on it, there were only so few of them remaining, and even fewer squad leaders; it was no surprise that she had to be here on behalf of the legion. Those who survived for over an entire year of expedition after expedition were considered veterans among the soldiers. Some, like her, who was still alive after three, were even promoted to lead their own squads during those expeditions. Though, other than herself, there was only one squad leader remaining, and that man was the only person in the legion to surpass her in titan kills. He was supposedly the Commander's son who graduated as the first out of ten cadets in his trainee squad a year before she did. Had that man been the representative here, the Survey Corps would be a lost cause - he would've scared them all off.

As all of the (few) trainees shuffled before her, Elaina overheard the Military Police's representative; Laura Strasse. Listening to her brief speech nearly made her gag, forcing herself to hover a hand over her mouth in order to not laugh. Just about every single member of the Survey Corps absolutely resented the Military Police and all of its bullshit; made up of only the most skilled, my ass. They've never even seen a titan in their lives, and if they did, they would just quiver in their pants. Yet, the Military Police continued to complain about the Survey Corps and the fact that they were just a 'waste of resources', even though the Military Police was evident in their corruption and stealing from the civilians within Wall Sina. I'd rather be ripped apart by titans then be one of them.

When she saw that the trainees finalized their decisions, Elaina took a step forward to address them, folding her arms together. "At ease, ladies," her bored eyes squinted as she instructed them to lower their salutes, trailing through pairs of (somehow) intimidated eyes. She hadn't even tried to be frightening, and already, a number of the cadets that she was to work with were already trembling.

Elaina stiffed a light yawn, already unwilling to follow through with this; she knew that out of all of the trainees standing in front of her, only a tenth would even consider the Survey Corps. Every now and then, she was able to catch eager eyes that spoke potential interest, but she remained particularly uninterested in teaching people who would not even follow the legion in the end of it all. "Well, I'm Elaina Penny, squad leader and representative of the legion, blah blah blah. Let's just cut out the formalities, shall we?"

---

The first thing that caught Aleron Sinclair by surprise was how nonchalant and... unofficial that the representative of the Survey Corps sounded. For a moment, it seemed like she had been forcing herself to at least make an attempt at sounding like a formal officer, but she hadn't even lasted two minutes like that. It was as if she could not stand it; that, or she was discouraged at how little recruitment the Survey Corps would truly have versus the number of cadets standing before her. It was understandable.

"At any rate," Elaina spoke as she slowly walked around each and every cadet, her eyes trained on nobody in specific. "No need to be afraid of me. I've only killed one human in my lifetime."

Aleron gulped as she passed him, not even giving him a little amount of attention as she continued. Did she really just say that? It reminded him briefly of the first day as a cadet, when the senior drill instructor would walk around and, every now and then, begin shouting at an unsuspecting cadet to question their origin and reason for enlisting while adding in his own personal comment towards the way they looked, or whatever. It might have miffed him at first, but two years had toughened him up significantly.

"If you don't already know one another, well, get to it," Elaina sighed, which continued to bother Aleron - was this woman actually affiliated with the Survey Corps? Was this how all of them really were? Even after she ordered all of them to 'get to know one another', everyone seemed to be just as confused by her behavior, and did not move an inch. He looked to Sano, Dania, all of the faces that he could pick out from the huge crowds. The other two regiments had already begun to disperse under the orders of their own representatives, while the small group of the Survey Corps stood still.

Aleron was unable to brace himself for the sharp kick directed into his torso as it caught him off guard for a brief moment. For the split second, he saw that it was Elaina - why is she attacking me?! Fortunately, he was fast enough to raise both of his arms to deflect a second kick aimed for his head, but the sheer strength of it was enough to knock him to the ground. Close quarters combat was not his strongest suite, but who in the world needed that when you were fighting titans?

Aleron felt a pang of fright as Elaina glared down at him, evident that she was now deliberately intending to strike fear into him. "I said to start getting to know one another, which requires movement of the feet and communication. Did I stutter?"

Lethe's heart slammed his chest as he stood at salute, cold fear coursing through his veins. This was the choice that he'd always knew would come, and Lethe had long ago decided his decision. Now that he was actually faced with the options of the three military brigades, his resolve had melted. Since the moment he had been taken from the cruel underground city, the survey corps had always been Lethe's choice. He had longed for the freedom above the underground, but Lethe had quickly realized that he had no more than he had under the ground. No one would have true freedom until the walls were abolished and the titans were destroyed. But did he really have the courage required to choose freedom over a safe life in the inner walls?

With a start, Lethe realized that he was shaking. Why the hell would he be shaking, he already knew where he needed to be! But why did the choice have to be so hard? And a leisure life serving the king did sound quite alluring... Lethe took a small step towards the Military Police group, safety. But it was that one step that caused him to falter, and he stopped himself. Lethe examined all of the cheery trainees ready to give themselves to the king rather than help pull humanity from the pit that it lie in, was he really one of them?

He wasn't. Lethe realized. He never would be. And with shaky steps, Lethe pulled himself towards the group of the potential Survey Corps. Fear started to envelop the boy, but there was one thing that overwhelmed it - pride. This was who he was, and this is where he belonged. Humanity would have their freedom, and he would try his hardest to make sure that the walls wouldn't be their prison. Still shaking, Lethe straightened into a salute and stared directly at the officer of the Survey Corps, fierce pride burrowing away his fear. Humanity didn't cower away from the titans, and neither would he. He would fight.

---

After the groups were dismissed, Lethe followed behind the crowd heading toward the barracks, albeit at a distance. Being among a group made him feel quite claustrophobic, and it was hard for him to handle. Once he was in the barracks, Lethe politely chose a bunk away from others, choosing the lower one and settling down onto it. This was it, his training was almost over and soon his new life would start. Soon he would be outside the walls, free from the confines of this cage. Whether it took 1 year or a 100, humanity would be free, and he'd fight until his last to make sure of that.

Sano Takeshi

Unable to truly commit his attention to the rather lazy instructor, Sano continued to eye that girl from earlier. For some reason, he was a sucker for girls with short hair. In addition to that, she was skinny, which was also attractive in his opinion. Though a lot of his friends enjoyed the look of woman with a little meat in their bones, Sano didn't get pressured to follow the crowd. So with the girl in sight, he once again took the liberty to check her out. He started from the ground at the sole of her feet, then up her boots and eventually her legs. He couldn't help but stare at her back side again, but quickly continued up to her shoulders. As he got to the back of her head, he was gonna return his gaze to her bottom, but........

"Crap, why the hell is she lookin' at me like that" Sano thought to himself, turning away and back to formation. A shorter girl was staring dead at him at this moment. He could feel her stare crawl through his skin as though a parasite. His heart beat loudly as his entire body began to irritate in heat. Sano couldn't help but think how perverted he had looked - how weird that girl must think he was. He hoped to God that she didn't tell the other girl - it would definitely be the worst thing that could happen to him on this first day of their last year of training. He feared becoming one of those stories girls told each other every time they went to the bathroom together. These girls were most likely gossip queens or whatever - they looked that way at least. Soon enough, his status as a perv would spread like a storm around all the barracks. His life was over.

From the corner of his eye, he could still see her, but could't make out if she was staring anymore. So slowly, he decided to turn his head to find out. Once he did, a sudden explosion pierced his very soul. The heat turned to cold as his body shivered in place. The girl's eyes had locked onto his and prevented him from turning away. It was as though he'd turn to stone at the mere sight of this female. "Medusa....."

In attempt to fix his rather pervy mistake, Sano squinted his eyes, gave a faint smile, and waved normally. With that done, he returned to formation in belief he had fixed everything. Sano's mind was a puzzle - he could never figure out exactly what to do with the mass amount of options before him. His thoughts always ran wild with all kinds of wondrous ideas, questions, answers. But he didn't think he was weird, just normal. Of course, he wasn't the cool guy or nothing, but he wasn't a damn freak. Interaction isn't that difficult for him because he is confident in his looks, so he isn't that shy. He's just a normal teenager he supposed. But this little incident with the dark-skinned girl made him feel rather eerie.

Was this shoerter girl the other girl's friend? Her sister? Her......girlfriend?!! These questions started to roam that maze of a mind. But all was interrupted by a sudden thud from a fellow cadet. For some damn reason, the instructor - Elisa-somthing - just smashed her leg into red-haired guys stomach. The soldier fell straight to the ground, unable to catch himself. Due to Sano's lack of attention, he had no idea what the heck was going on and why the instructor would strike down one of her own. He looked in all directions just watching all the other cadets just stand there in silence. Were they not concerned for their fellow comrades health? He got irritated that nobody was doing anything to this unjust treatment, that everyone just walked to the barracks like nothing had happened- therefore, he himself, Sano Takeshi took lead.

He stepped out of formation and pointed at Elisa. "What the hell was that for?!! He didn't do anything!" he called out, unsure if his argument was valid or not. Regardless her rank, she wasn't suppose to treat them like animals. She could be as hard as she wanted, as tough as she desired, but they weren't slaves or Titans, they were human. "Lady what's your problem?!" If this was the kind of people that were in charge of protecting the walls, then no wonder the Titans broke through. Doing this might not have been the brightest move, but it was the one he chose.

Gideon was impressed by his new mentor. The difference between the Garrison and MP Regiment and the Scouts was already visible. When death was a reality of your day-to-day life and you lived, ate and bled with the same small group of people for any real length of time, any semblance of formality or bloated egos was cast aside. Gideon loved it as few things annoyed him more than pompous, well paid officers throwing their weight around and treating the regular enlisted like children despite their own total lack of experience fighting, suffering in the uncomfortable conditions of the field or even working in general.

Gideon relaxed his posture immediately and glanced over to his right at a female Cadet, about to speak. He heard the quiet THUMP of a fellow Cadet getting kicked in the gut and jumped a little, surprised by the outburst of violence. Once he thought about it however it was fairly predictable. Life as a Scout was brutal and hard and if you couldn't take a beating you didn't belong there. Still, Gideon decided it best to try and avoid raising the ire of his comrades in arms.
"Hey, I'm Gideon."
He said, looking over at the red haired girl (Naomi Falkner) beside him.
"Most of the other Cadets just call me Doc though."
Then one of his comrades decided to mouth off to the mentor.
"Oh crap."
He muttered, looking over at the young man.
"This idiot's gonna' get us killed."
Gideon commented, looking over at Penny and awaiting her infuriated reaction.

Steph glanced as a red haired boy was kicked. It looked painful, a strong leader was key to a strong squad and Steph admired that.
"What the hell was that for?!! He didn't do anything!" a fellow recruit blurted.
"Lady what's your problem?!" He continued

Steph slowly walked over approaching the man who questioned the authority of a superior
"Miss Penny is obviously testing this boys reactions." She spoke clearly and formally looking Sano up and down.
"Do you have a problem with how this squadron is run? Or would you rather go run off to one of the other ones where they might treat you nicer, they will probably wipe your ass for you if you are nice enough." Steph said bitterly.
"Or you can do as Miss Penny says and we can get to know one another, pal"

Steph's heart was pounding, her adrenaline pumping as she readied for whatever came next, it reminded her of school, when she used to speak up for herself and fight the others. Her eyes wavered from the boys eyes to his hands, ready for anything he may do.

Shuya smiled a little as he finished his brief introduction, hoping to encourage the other cadets to take the same efficient and quick method he had. A name and an interesting fact, it wasn't difficult and maybe they'd actually all be introduced before time was up...And then he heard the clapping. The slow and deliberate sound of her advance swiftly wiped the smile from his face, she oozed sarcasm and he narrowed his eyes a little, taking an instant dislike to her.

Shuya watched as 'Amelia Voclain' pushed him aside to take the attention away and begin to prattle on, he didn't try to resist her though, he wasn't crazy about being the centre of attention but he wasn't a shy person either. He was about to say something to her, probably a sarcastic comment of his own about her not being able to come up with an interesting fact because she was a boring person, but his thoughts were interrupted when he heard a girl's voice in his ear.

Turning to face the source of the voice, a girl a year or two younger than himself asking if he was ok. She was kind of cute and in return to her question Shuya gave a kind and slightly dopey smile. "Er, yeah...Yeah I'm fine. I doubt I'll be forgetting her name any time soon." He laughed a little and scratched the back of his head with one hand while shaking hers with his other. "Nice to meet you to Rayen." He pulled his hand back and put them both into his pockets, still giving her the dopey smile. "So er, what's your interesting fact?"

D A N I A

Dania had been ready for this day for years. Unlike her sister the young woman had an incredible amount of confidence in her own strength. Years of tedious training had brought the cadet here, among the best of the best, and she knew this was where she belonged. Any anxiety had been washed away by the eager need to their mentor, and as she watched the stern looking Veteran step past her, the cadet returned her gaze with an equally strong look. Her palms were sweaty as a light tremor ran through hands, however it wasn’t fear that was causing her to be like this, it was anticipation. Some of the more arrogant minded trainees were looking to be called a hero, but the girl wanted so much more. Dania wanted to be a Scout, she wanted the badge, the duty, and the danger it came with.

She could remember the day her step-father returned from the Military Hospital. The man who had raised her and become an important figure in her life had turned into a shell of a man. His eyes were hollow, soulless, and it had become obvious to the entire family that he had lost more then just limbs out there. It was a terrifying reality, but Dania had promised herself that she wouldn’t end up like that, and used it as a crutch to become a adept soldier everyday. She was strong, stronger than her father, and her step-father, and nothing was going to stand in her way from becoming the Scout she had always dreamed of becoming.

Watching the woman make her way through the group, Dania’s stern expression never left her face. Wanting to show just how serious she was about this, the girl kept her posture stiff and straight while holding her salute. Elaina Penny was her name, and the woman looked tough as nails. Her years in the military was clear in her eyes as experience, and intensity seemed to radiate off her. As any cadet would, Dania watched her with unconditional respect, but that quickly changed as she striked the red head behind her. Backing up quickly with other trainees around him, chocolate orbs widened slightly as she watched the scene unfold.

Understanding that their training would be strict, she couldn’t help but agree that the actions were uncalled for. “What the hell was that for?!! He didn't do anything! Lady what's your problem?!“ Her eyes narrowed, glaring at the dark haired boy that had been checking out her sister. ‘Idiot.’ Knowing better then to talk back or call out the Veteran who was currently beating the trainee, Dania rolled her eyes as she returned her gaze back at the two. Most of the Cadets had backed off, circling around their mentor and Aleron as he took another hit. Her jaw tightened in anger as the boy took another hard which sent him to the ground. "I said to start getting to know one another, which requires movement of the feet and communication. Did I stutter?" It had become a struggle now to keep her mouth shut, but as she towered over him looking as if she was ready to strike again, the brunette made an impulsive move that was sure to bite her in the ass later. ‘Dammit—'

Moving quickly, Dania snatched the back of the Alerons jacket collar and pulled him from beneath the woman, dragging him on the ground before she could take another shot at him. “We’ll get right to it ma’am, sorry for the delay!” Making hard eye contact with the other woman, Dania tried to make herself seem as small and docile as possible. Not wanting anymore conflict, or to become the target of her intimidation-tactics, the cadet kept quiet and slowly stood from the ground pulling Aleron up with her. With a firm hand holding his arm, the brunette pulled him back into the crowd of cadets while keeping her eyes set on their mentor. Standing within the confines of the group, Dania released his arm as a heavy frown graced her lips, “That was really uncalled for.” Her words were quiet, only audible enough for her and the red head to hear as she continued to watch their mentors every move. Her actions made the girl question how the rest of the year would be, and what training would be like under the unpredictable woman. Turning her sights on Aleron, the dark skinned cadet raised an eyebrow and spoke up in a flat tone, "You alright?"

R A Y E N & A M E L I A

As a wide smile slipped on the other trainees face, Rayen smiled softly back at him. “Er, yeah...Yeah I'm fine. I doubt I'll be forgetting her name any time soon.” Exchanging a nod with the boy, Rayen looked over at the red head who was still talking about herself. “Yeah.. I’ve had her as a bunkmate for the past three years, so I know exactly what you mean.” Returning her gaze back at the blond, she playfully scrunched her nose before a small chuckle escaped from her lips. The firm grasp of his hand was returned with her own as she shook his hand. Typically more shy in person, Rayen knew she was going to need a friend in this new stage of her life so there was no better time then the present to try to make one now.

“So er, what's your interesting fact?"

“An interesting fact about me?” The girl went silent and looking up at the sky as if she was searching for an answer among the clouds. Her hands had returned behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her heels, thinking quietly to herself. “Well, I was born in Karanese, in Wall Rose, but I guess that’s not very interesting..” Rubbing the back of her head awkwardly as she struggled to think of something interesting about herself, tanned cheeks quickly began to fluster. “Sorry,” She said with a sheepish laugh as her eyes turned to the ground in embarrassment, “I, uh, can’t really think of anything else other then that.” Anxiety began to swell in her chest. Feeling like an idiot, and assuming she probably sounded incredibly boring to the other cadet, Rayen bit her bottom lip nervously and fell silent.

“..and then when I was eleven I—“ The exceedingly long monologue from the red haired woman had finally come to halt as she noticed Rayen and Shuya talking to each apart from the group. The rest of the Military Police cadets that had the misfortune of become her audience had looks of relief on their faces, thankful that Amelia had finally shut up. Unfortunately it didn’t last long as she scowled in direction of the two. The center of attention had always been the young woman’s goal in life. She wanted all eyes and focus on her at all times, and if they weren’t then she was going to get the attention she desired one way or another. “If you two are done flirting over there maybe you should share some interesting facts with the group. I’m sure you both have more ‘interesting’ things to share.” She said snidely.

A look of disgust had come over the dark haired girl before she looked over at Amelia. Bright brown orbs narrowed into a glare as she shot the other girl a look which was only returned with a smirk of satisfaction. While she and never been one for confrontation, Rayen refused to allow herself to become another one of Amelia’s punching bags. “Well maybe if you stopped talking about your rich, privileged life we’d have chance to actually share our facts.” Pleased that she had pissed off the smaller girl, the red head continued to smirk menacingly down at Ray as she spoke up, “Oh? So you think you’re different then me, huh?”

“You’re in the Military Police now, sweetheart. You’re going to be serving under the King in the Capital, and live a life of luxury behind the safety of Wall Sina, while those fools in the Scouting Regiment are going to be dying left and right.” Rayen felt her blood run cold as she immediately thought of her sister, "Right now, there is nothing that makes us any different from each other. Apart from our attitudes of course, but that’s only because I’m not a little girl like you.” Shut down from the girls words, Rayen couldn’t say anything back to the insult because she knew Amelia was right.

The right thing to have done was join the Scouting Regiment alongside her sister, because while she was no where as strong as the others, Rayen still could have assisted with her medical, and academic abilities. Clenched tightly in fists at her side, her hands shook in anger. Even if she wanted to stand up for herself now, Ray knew there was nothing she could say that would change the truth of Amelia’s words. So she stayed quiet, turned her gaze to the ground, and allowed the red head to win. Giving a small laugh as the other girl submitted, the tall cadet turned her back on Rayen and walked back to the group of trainees with her arms crossed, “Now where the hell is our mentor at?”

Sano Takeshi

Before being scolded by the instructor, one who he imagined would be pissed by his outbreak, Sano turned to the girl next to him. Stephanie White - a short female Cadet that always seemed to follow the rules. She was one of the Cadets he had been in training with from the start. Though pretty - like most of the other cadets - Sano believed Stephanie to be quite a b*tch. She never eased up, never went with the flow - merely always strict. She seemed like a robot who would never go against an order, regardless how stupid or bad it was. She was a soldier, a newbie soldier like the rest of them, but acted like a complete expert in her field.

So when she spoke to him as though she knew better, Sano became rather irritated by her words. She acted as though she knew exactly how things run. The problem was, she didn't. Just like Sano, Stephanie was a Cadet, not a Scout. She had been through the same training and challenges Sano was put through in the past couple of years. They underwent the exact same thing, it wasn't like ones training was harder than the others.

Therefore, Sano had enough, eyeing the girl the exact way she had eyed him. His hands clenched fiercely, but had no plan on striking her. "Squadron? Don't act like you are any of these people like one another. A squadron stands up for each other. It doesn't just watch as one of us gets beaten down unconditionally" he started in a whisper, not allowing others to hear their conversation. "And don't talk to me like you know how all this is run, like you know better, cuz you don't" he added, turning back to the instructor before giving her a salute - fist to chest and feet parallel.

"If I shall be punished for my eruption then I will take whatever comes my way!" he shouted above all other noise in the area. He chose to go the route of accepting any punishment, but wasn't going to apologize for what he had done. He believed it was completely reasonable, that his actions were more rational than not. In his mind, he was trying to protect a fellow cadet, if others sought it different then so be it, he didn't care.

Standing in that big room surrounded by those she had trained with for the past four plus years a slight twinge of pain hit her at the realization that this really was the end. After this moment they would decide where they were going to spend the rest of their lives at and how their lives would potentially end. Depressing really, how this choice would determine whether they lived to be a hundred or if they’ll die a traumatic and sudden death. Death was death it really was the same, but life was different. As the cadets slowly bridged apart from each other hesitating and a few directions before finally choosing one, or some directly speeding to the one they already decided.

Of course a few stayed planted in their spot, just like Dia. She wondered if they were considering the same thing as she, Survey Corps. It was something Dia wanted since she was a child, the soldier’s stories and tools looked glamorous to her at first but then she realized the deeper meaning. He knew what it was truly like to be alive, he fought for his life and the lives of those he cared about he got to go as far as his body would take him and see the nature of good and evil. “A life of fear and boundaries was not worth living.” He would say and Dia agreed. So she began walking over to the Survey Corps representative with a small smile upon her face, very different than the looks of fear and general hopelessness on who would be her potential teammates. She was scared too; terrified even as her body trembled.

Dia looked at their squad leader, she looked relatively normal. Her eyes didn’t show that she was a complete monster or dead on the inside, like idiotic civilians claimed Survey Corps members were all her life. It was true that she’d seen things, done things and her aura of lax and at easiness reminded her of the soldier’s behavior. When she wanted them to socialize with each other Dia automatically complied about to turn to the person next to her when Squad Leader put down a boy in front of her. No one else seemed to understand but she did, at least she thought she did. Dia was glad she wouldn’t be the first person to defend Penny’s actions but she thought the girl was only half right. Dia stepped out of the crowd and stood next to the redheaded boy, “No, what you all fail to realize is that she is trying to get us to live in the now. Life, especially for most Survey Corps members according to data, is too short. We don’t have time for bullshit introductions and formalities. No time for hesitation and nerves, we have to be direct take action on moment’s notice. If you don’t you will die or someone you care about will die. At least that’s what I think the Survey Corps is about.”

"My my, such a mouth on a cadet. Such a rare thing in these times." Remarked Laura as she walked in on the barracks of trainees, glancing about at the trainees who had been fixed upon Amelia's tirade. This was one cadet who knew exactly what she was getting into and what she was after. To sponsor her, or humiliate? Ah, choices.

"I'm certain you will perform well in the service of the King and Military Police if your abilities match your tongue." She continued as she walked in among the trainees who stiffened at her gaze. "Hey, hey. Why all the long faces? Isn't this a moment of sharing? Come on, speak. Tell me about the person who stands to your right. No need to feel shy. Afterall, there was plenty of time for Cadet Voclain to tell her life story to everyone, surely someone knows something about someone else."

Laura turned, looking about the crowd of trainees who had been so transfixed by Amelia's speech that they forgot to share amongst themselves, and withered her in eyes to try and hide their ignorance. Such sheep. On second thought, maybe she ought to keep Amelia around, at least she could make them keep their eyes on her, something that could come in handy in the field, if she'd learn to respect her superiors. But for now, to make a statement- "So what have we learned about eachother? Anyone?"

She stopped in front of Rayen and Shuya. "You two, what have you learned about eachother?"

The young man kept smiling as Rayen began to think of her fact, he didn't even notice Amelia had focused on the two of them until she spoke her snide comment. He rolled his eyes a little as he turned to face her, his brow raised a little as prepared to speak, something along the lines of. 'Oh, got tired of the sound of your own voice I see.' Yeah that's good, he applauded himself internally and was about to open his mouth when something surprising happened, Rayen spoke first. His first impression of her had been that she was a very shy and quiet girl, but here she was stepping forward to confront the bully. He just wished that Amelia didn't have such a good point, they were all wanting to go into the military police, presumably because it was the safest and most lucrative of the three branches, nevertheless he would never admit that and their attitudes about joining the police were very different. He stepped forward to stand by Rayen's side and let her continue to talk, when she was done he finally he spoke. "Hey back off, I don't kno-" Was all he managed to get out before she interrupted him to ask about the location of their instructor, his voice had come across a lot less intimidating than he had liked, he'd never been good with confrontation and with a sigh he looked down at the ground and backed down. His head raised once more when he heard the instructor's voice, he turned to look at them and was a little disappointed to hear the almost praise like words she spoke. Is that what positive behaviour is considered to be in the military police? He found himself wondering.

Then Shuya saw that the commander had stopped in front of him and Rayen. Instinctively he snapped to attention fist over his chest. "Ma'am! This is cadet Rayen," He announced loudly as he extended an arm across in front of her body to indicate who he was talking about even though it was abundantly clear. "She is from the Karanese district within wall Rose! And when she was eleven she" For a moment he paused, realising she hasn't finished herself, but he had already started and couldn't just end it there, he would have to make something up. Almost instantly he had an idea and decided to roll with it, in the same loud and clear tone he finished the sentence. "Realised that the military police was the ideal branch for her!" That sounded vaguely believable. "And since then she has never looked back!" He held his salute and glanced over to Rayen with a slight reassuring smile, knowing that he had provided her with the fact that she needed. "On a side note I think she and I are going to be good friends!"

It was a pretty day, to say the least. The sky was a powder blue, and the sun sent its golden rays toward the earth. It was only slightly windy; a comforting breeze blew through the clearing of the training camp, sending waves of dust and grit across the empty area. Cadets lined up in front of three soldiers, each from different branches of the military. Two women and a man. To him, it was strange that women were going to represent the Survey Corps and Military Police. Why? Men had a more intimidating disposition. Women were just... women. Sure, they could be intimidating, but they seemed normal at first glance.

Ferran Schwarz stood amongst the Cadets, making sure that he had a good first impression on the woman that represented the Survey Corps. His green eyes focused ahead of him, and he did not flinch or falter. Yet, the red haired man was basically bursting with excitement. While titans were absolutely terrifying to deal with, the young man was sure that he could handle himself. He would defend the good people behind the walls and make sure that whoever fell under his protection would remain safe. While Ferran was confident, there were many who weren't. On top of that, many would join the Garrison or Military Police rather than the Survey Corps.

When one of the drill instructors bellowed for their attention, Ferran perked up. So, the woman from the Scout Regiment was Elainia Penny. It was a pretty sounding name, but that didn't matter. Ferran tried to hold back a smile as he walked over to where the rest of the cadets that wanted to join the Scouts were gathered. Ferran stood at attention in front of her, until she told them to lower their salutes. As she began to speak, Ferran noted that she was rather... informal. He would have frowned, but he didn't want to show her he was confused. She might call him out. It was then that Elainia told them to get to know each other. He turned to face the rest of the cadets when he saw that one of them was being beat up by the soldier. Ferran flinched. Those kicks were bound to be extremely painful. At the end, the male was on the ground, and Elainia backed off. One of the cadets went to help the young man, dragging him to his feet. One of the other cadets yelled something, but he didn't know what. Curiosity got the best of him, and he made his way over to the two cadets.

"Wow, that had to hurt." Ferran grinned as he looked at Aleron and Dania. A chuckle began to escape his lips, but he didn't mean to seem like he was enjoying the other male's pain. "My name's Ferran Schwarz. I hope that we'll all get along!" it was almost silly to see the broad smile on Ferran's face as he addressed the two. For someone who had lost his mother, he was a bit too cheery. But these people probably lost something too, and they weren't sobbing or grumpy looking. Anyway, it was better to be happy than think too much about what had happened, right? "What are your names?"

---

There was a battle going on inside of her mind. She had promised her older brother that she would join the Garrison, but the two years she had spent in training made her want to join the Scout Regiment. What the hell was she going to do all day, sitting on the walls? Sorrel couldn't help people much if she was part of the Garrison. There were many people in the Garrison, anyway. The Scouting Regiment needed more people. The brown haired, blue eyed young woman glanced at the people moving toward the Garrison and Military Police.

In the crowd of people, she caught sight of her brother, Friedrich. He was looking at her, his dark eyes serious. He knew what she was thinking, and he didn't approve at all. Her brother told her that she should join the Military Police, since she had scored in the top ten of the class. But Sorrel didn't want to. There wasn't anything for her there. Sure, there was food and safety, but... she wasn't interested. And with that, Sorrel turned toward the Scouting Regiment and walked toward them, her eyes looking at the ground. She hoped that she was making the right choice.

Sorrel stood at attention like the rest of the people who wanted to join the Survey Corps. The woman seemed nice enough, she guessed. She wasn't as strict looking as the other soldiers. What she didn't expect was for her to attack someone so soon. Her eyes were wide as she watched her kick that poor boy, sending him to the floor. She bit her lip, wondering if Elainia would do the same to her one day. I have to get used to it. she told herself. No. I'm used to it, already. We're all disciplined.

Sorrel shuffled closer to the rest of the people, trembling a bit. Even though she was rather skilled, she was still shy around others. Elainia told them that they had to get used to one another. They were going to be brothers in arms, and thus they should at like it. But who was she going to talk to? "Um..."