She had no words for Gabriel's trauma, he didn't want to relive it and talking about whatever he had witnessed was too fresh to discuss. Everyone around them wore the same expression: gaunt and in a state of shock. There was some rage, some terror but it was all underwritten by the sheer pain of losing everything they had ever known in minutes in the most brutal and horrifying way possible, the mind and body too strained to properly process what they had been through. She was sure that she looked the same, her mind concocting ways for Ma to still be alive, still fighting out there somewhere. Or even having escaped. Those wounds though, that she had seen before her Ma turned away, were definitely enough to push the living past their limit and into death.

They sat in silence, Lauren feeling too exhausted to see to anyone other patients just yet, and unable to think of anything to say to Gabriel, when cries around them alerted to something new. The boat was shuddering as it moved but that was cause for sighs of relief, not cries of fear and disbelief. She turned and saw the source of their despair, an Armoured Titan ploughing towards Wall Maria at a terrifying pace no other Titan had been known to travel at. Without slowing it crashed through the half closed gate, destroying it and scattering its failed guards.

"How...?" She could only stare, thinking of all the sacrifices that had been made for them to get just this far, all undone by that one Titan's act. Now the Titans would get through and hunt through the massive lands that were defenceless to their advance, slaughtering thousands upon thousands of humans who wouldn't even know what was happening and how until they were already at death's door.

She emerged from her reverie as Gabriel pushed her gently out of the way and forced himself to stand, holding his young charge like his one and only lifeline to reality. He was staring towards the Armoured Titan and the destruction all around it but was soon brought back to reality by the crying of the small life he held in his arms, tears beginning to fall down his face as something changed with him. Lauren had to dig her nail into her palm to force herself not to let her own floodgates open, using the pain to distract herself and move her into action.

Standing she firmly guided the much larger boy back to the rough bed that he had been laying on previously and had him lie down.

"You're going to stay here and rest. Pa says I need to do what I can so I'm going to do that. What you can do is rest and get better. You'll be no use later on if you have to lose that foot." She hesitated before hugging him quickly, unsure what kind of emotional gesture she should be giving at that moment, before turning away and doing as she said she would: tending to the other wounded.

It was gruelling work, some injuries far beyond her capabilities and many of the people she got to were already dead, unnoticed with no friends or relatives left to check on them. She came across a boy not much older than herself who had only just died, his parents still holding his hand and talking to him. Their eyes were empty and they glared up at her when she approached, as if they knew her presence would shatter their delusion and they wanted to bask in it for at least a little while longer. With the world falling apart around them, Lauren saw no reason to deny them that small moment of peace. She turned to her next patient, soaked in other people's blood and vomit, feeling more exhausted than she ever had before but knowing that lives literally depended on her continuing. She wanted to stop, to let someone else take over so that she could turn away from the misery in front of her but there was no one else. It was her duty, as Ma would have said.

Finally, she returned back to her Pa, finding him awake with a slightly clearer look in his eyes although he still looked worryingly pale. He looked over her appearance and almost seemed to nod in approval, in recognition of her completing the task he had set her. She checked his wound under his instruction, carefully changing bandages before finding him a drink of water before he fell back asleep.

"Law, do you know what your Ma would want you to do?" He asked, not looking up at her but instead focusing on the wineskin she had found as if it were the most interesting thing he had ever seen. She hesitated before nodding.

"I have to fight." She said simply and he nodded without saying anything. Taking another sip he passed the skin to another nearby passenger before leaning back and closing his eyes, soon falling asleep. With nothing else she needed to do, Lauren set off to find Mora, to find where her friend was, and to see if there was something she could do for her. There were some injuries she knew not how to fix but she felt that just being nearby would be the first step in fixing this one.

She had to be thankful for Lauren, standing there with the going boy and her father the girl had quickly returned with officials. They had been given the privilege to bypass all the frantic citizens that pooled around the boats. Guaranteeing their safety while brief stricken faces bore into the back of her head she could feel it. Like nails being scratched across her skin. Normally shed mind, a quirky quip here and insisting on waiting her turn but not this time. This time she boarded the boat in stoic silence; clinging to her young charge as they settled down.

Lauren didn't linger long as others needed her to tend to them. Mora couldn't help but admire the girl for her compassion and level headedness. It was hardly a shock to see why Cain had liked her so intensely. Cain His name echoes in her mind bringing forth the fresh memories. The set snaps of his bones. Mora's stomach constricted, that was until she looked down at the little boy in her lap. A moment of revulsion washed through her as she looked at his little head. This boy cost her, her brother but the feeling passed quickly. It wasn't his fault.

Putting her arms around him she let her head rest on top of his. "I'll keep you safe." she muttered.

Then more hell broke lose. The boat rocked as the waters quaked. She looked up at the sound of fresh screams and felt a new wave of shock pulse through her as the titan bound towards the wall. 'No.' she shook her head in disbelief. It couldn't be possible. It shouldn't be possible. Her eyes were lying but her heart knew the truth. Tears spilled as she watched the wall topple beneath the titans power. A gruff hand landed on her knee, pulling Mora's attention away from the scene and to the old man beside her. "God save us all." Lauren's father sighed.

---

Head Instructor Schulz stood in front of the group of fresh cadets, he was elevated less than a meter off the ground on a stage meant to allow all of the recruits to be able to see him as he spoke. Except that he had yet to speak once, in the hour that they had been standing at attention in the formation.

He turned his head to the sun beating down on him, raising a hand up to shield his eyes from the shear oppressiveness of the light. 'Got to be at least an hour past noon.' he thought to himself. He gave another look over the recruits, many of them visibly sweating from the nonstop heat and a few looking like they really needed a drink right about now. Schulz undid the top on his canteen, lifting it slowly to his lips in front of the entire group before he took a simple sip. He seemed to ponder the water for a few moments, some of the cadets licking their lips as they watched, before he poured the entire canteen out onto the ground.

Dropping the now empty canteen he dropped off the stage and made his way to the beginning of the first line of cadets. In front of him stood a rather short boy, no more than a hundred and sixty five centimeters.

"What the fuck do we have here?" Schulz started up, "A resident fucking midget?!" he lifted a hand over the top of Emil's head to really get the point across before bringing it down on the boys head hard. "Last I fucking checked dwarfism was a sure as hell way to get rejected from the Cadet Corps. How the fuck did your ass manage to get in then? Huh? Fucking enlighten me!" he yelled, spit depositing on the boys face as he did.

The boy looked slightly panicked, his eyes darting to the left and the right before settling on Schulz himself, "Spit it the fuck out midget I don't have all day to decide if I keep a little person or not!" he yelled again, more spit landing on the boys face.

"I'm not a midget Sir!" the boy responded, his voice seemed sure of himself, but his face said otherwise.

"Bull. Fucking. SHIT! Yes you are I'm looking at a fucking midget! Why the fuck would a midget join my goddamn Corps?!" he yelled, the question little more than a reason to punish the boy. He waited for a moment as the boy seemed to mumble out a response. "I can't fucking understand you! What language was that? Fucking midget?!" he responded to the boys timid answer.

The boy shuffled in place, "It was this or jail Sir!" he yelled loud enough for the whole group to hear.

Schulz stopped. Lifted his hand off the boys head and stood for a moment. His smile grew wide as he looked at the boy, "THAT'S FUCKING FANTASTIC! OUT-FUCKING-STANDING! WE'VE GOT A REAL CROOK IN OUR MIDST!" he exclaimed to the group.

"Well midget crook! You picked the wrong goddamn choice!" he pointed into the distance, a forest barely visible through the waves off heat coming of the ground. "You've got exactly twenty minutes to get there and back or I fucking end you right here." he said calmly to the boy.

"S- Sir?" the boy responded.

Schulz brought his fist down on the boy quick, slamming him in the side of his face with all his strength. The boy crumpled to the ground, clenching his face in both hands as he lay. He knelt at the boys side and grabbed the boys hair, pulling his face close to his, "DID I FUCKING STUTTER MIDGET?! DO YOU NEED ME TO SPEAK MIDGET TO YOU? YOU BETTER GET RUNNING OR SO HELP ME GOD I WILL KILL A CADET TODAY!" he screamed at the boy.

In a fraction of the second that it had took for the boy to hit the ground he was up and stumbling toward the forest in the distance before he broke into a full sprint for his destination.

"YOU BETTER MAKE IT BACK IN TIME MIDGET!" he yelled to the back of the running boy.

Schulz clasped his hands behind his back and turned around to move on to the next person in line. A girl, only slightly taller than the first boy, with eyes the color of jades. He smiled once again before opening his mouth.

"NO FUCKING WAY?" he called to the girl, "I've got two fucking midgets in the group? What are the odds of that?" he asked aloud. "Huh little midget? What the fuck do you think the odds are of there being two midgets in this group?!" he yelled before moving closer to the girl.

"Don't even bother answering midget girl, I don't give a single flying fuck about what you think about that! Do you even know what midgets are worth in the military? Huh? Any fucking idea?" he paused for a moment to give the girl a chance to reply. As she began to open her mouth he cut her off with a fist to her stomach, sending the girl collapsing to her knees gasping for air. Grabbing the girls hair he forced her face to look up at his, "Midgets aren't worth shit! Titans won't even look your way! They'll just fucking walk right over your tiny ass! You won't even be a motherfucking after thought!" he yelled at the girl from above.

"What the hell do you think you're doing joining my Cadet Corps? Are you trying to doom humanity? Are you trying to get your comrades eaten at the hands of the Titans? Because that's what it fucking seems like to me you tiny piece of shit." he sneared at the cadet.

'How long has it been? What time is it? Why is it so damn hot?'

Beads of sweat ran down Jade's forehead as she stood in formation, waiting for the instructor to get on with the show. She knew that things wouldn't be easy right off the bat. The point of the military was to break one down and then build them back up, stronger. Yet, even with this mentality, Jade still couldn't fathom why they had them out in the blazing sun, having to withstand the scorching heat. She stood at the mercy of this man, who in reality she would never even come close to. He had remained quiet up until he decided to pour out his canteen. That was the point where Jade knew everything was going to go south, but she never expected it to be so bad.

Her eyes had simply widened as she heard the yelling. At every curse word that the man said, she couldn't help but slightly cringe. 'Poor Emil, she thought as she kept her thousand mile stare to the front of her. There was no way that she would draw any unnecessary attention to her. Unfortunately she didn't have to do much; her sheer height was enough to call of the instructor.

'NO FUCKING WAY? I'VE GOT TWO FUCKING MIDGETS IN THE GROUP?'

The words rang loud and clear in the girl's head as the instructor began to make his way over to her. She wanted to let out an exasperated groan of frustration but she was stuck in her spot without being able to breathe. All she could do was hear the man verbally abuse her up until he decided to get physical and deal a blow to her stomach. She immediately fell to her knees, audibly gasping her air before grabbing her midsection. There wasn't enough time from receiving the painful punch to when the man quickly grabbed her hair and pulled it so that she would look at him.

Through the pain, Jade felt the anger rise inside of her and the urge to spit in his face was almost strong enough to have her do so. The only thing that kept her from acting upon the urge was the fact that she wanted to show that she was hear to learn and become better, not to show that she was stubborn and spiteful.

As she listened to the man's every word, visions of the past flashed right before her eyes. The way the Titan had in fact seen her and she was the reason her family and Mora's family was dead.

All Jade could do was stare down the instructor with as much hate as she could muster, all while breathing deeply through her nostrils so the pain could go away.

Once she could gather her thoughts and manage to move through the pain, the girl shot up quickly and push the instructors arm off of her, even if he did manage to yank some of her hair and undo her bun. " I'm here because I want to! I'm going to kill all of the damn titans and my height won't be an issue, sir." Her voice, for the first time in her life, held anger and guilt along with a mix of other emotions that she couldn't put her finger on. It was probably why she was able to sound confident, without a break in her voice.

After her glaring at the man in the eye, Jade returned to her thousand mile stare in front of her, now focusing on each and every breath so she wouldn't do anything drastic or stupid.

---

It had certainly not felt like two years had already passed for Reese Kestrel. Standing a few inches taller, the young boy's hair had grown just enough to require containment, keeping the hair at the back of his head in a small ponytail. Clad in the uniform of the 104th Training Corps, he had originally been undecided after the fall of Wall Maria, but his friendship to the others had depended on it.

When they had become displaced from the loss of their home in Shiganshina District, Reese refused to allow them to suffer at the overpopulated refugee camps, and instead, offered them his home in Trost District. While his aunt had been heavily distraught over the loss of his uncle, she and Reese's cousins had welcomed the group of displaced children with open arms, allowing them to stay under the roof of their estate.

Shuffling his feet nervously, Reese unknowingly began to puff one of his cheeks in the anticipation of the drill instructor's arrival, having expected a much less expletive-filled orientation ceremony. Luckily, Mora was to his left, and the presence of the giant named Gabriel managed to slightly soothe the boy's nerves. He kept to himself, watching as the drill instructor went through each of the recruits, grimacing when Jade was struck without hesitation.

Reese kept his whine to the lowest volume when the instructor ordered one of the boys to do push-ups, hearing that they would have to run for a longer period of time if the boy did not finish at a fast time. This is how the military really is, the youth thought to himself, holding his salute resolute.

---

The insubordinate little shit dealt with Schulz sighed and moved on to the next few in line. Giving a good berating to a boy that left him on the verge of tears Schulz moved away from him to a girl standing to his right.

He gave her a quick look up and down before settling his jaw and leaning forward, "Well thank fucking God! It seems like we have someone here that actually lands on the scale of normal sized fucking people!" he spoke aloud to the girl. He leaned back to look down on the girl, his eyes seemed to stare through the girl as he just stood for a moment and watched her face. He salute was tight, better than the boys before, 'Should have chewed him out for that too.' he thought to himself.

He stood in front of her still as a statue before he whispered just loud enough for her alone to hear him, "You ever seen a titan little girl? You ever seen how they tear apart people and eat them like snacks...?" his face took on a twisted look as a smile grew were there had once been nothing, "I guarantee you'll see if you make it out of here, if you haven't already." he finished. Raising his voice for the whole group to hear he spoke, "And why the fuck do you find yourself joining my fucking Corps huh? What makes you think you're good enough to take on the Titans and protect Humanity?!".

Without waiting for her answer he began to move on to the next recruits in line, "I better hear your fucking answer loud and clear while I'm having a chit chat with these other lowlifes!"

---

Gabriel had aged into a fine young man after the long two years rolled by. He was far taller and broader than he was when Wall Maria was first infiltrated. His face didn't seem to change, however. Somehow though, he appeared incredibly mature. His sideburns were even growing out a bit as well, but he made sure not to let them grow out too much. Over the two years, he had taken care of his little brother, until he decided to join the military...an old promise that he made to Eitan. Leaving him in the care of his grandparents, Gabriel set off with some friends; Reese, Emil, and Olivia. He had gotten to know them a little better, but like always, he was busy with other things. In fact, he could remember Reese and Olivia telling him that he needed to socialize more. It wasn't as if he really had a choice either way. Surprisingly, he had already acquired a muscular enough body before entering training. His father's teachings were a life saver for him in those dark days.

His bearing was sharp and straight, as expected of a veteran's son. In a way, he felt a little bad for the other recruits who shivered in their boots and acted frightened. It was natural, though. The cruelty that this Instructor taught them was necessary...even if Gabriel didn't wholly agree with the violent tendencies that he had. He looked over at the beaten recruits, thinking about how long they might last if they couldn't take a beating or two. Still....it was understandable that they would fall over in pain or react the way they did. All that really mattered in the end was their duty as soldiers. To him...this was the only way to achieve his goal; keep Eitan safe and repent for his cowardice when they died.

It was hot. So very damn hot.

The standing wasn't a problem. Over the past two years she had been her Pa's hands at work, crafting poultices and cures as well as operating on the many poor souls still suffering injuries from the initial Titan attack, as well as the every day accruing of wounds. During those often hour long operations she had to stand and carry on with the job at hand, at first it had been physically demanding. After two years of it, however, she had grown used to being always on her feet, whether it was standing at a table for hours at end or harvesting the raw materials for her Pa's work before taking the produce to those who needed it. She had even grown somewhat immune to the sight, and feel, of gore; a necessary trait in any medic. But the heat that day was hard to ignore, she could feel it under the unfamiliar clothes, dripping down her back and from her brow, her arms were heavy from standing tightly at attention for so long but dropping out here was not an option. So she stood, glaring forwards at the stage as if it were itself the enemy, focusing on that and not the heat.

In the last year she had become so accomplished in her craft that Pa had left her to handle the work, focusing on his other task of raising the little boy Cain had died saving. She suspected he used the child as an excuse to forget everything in the past and threw himself into looking after the boy but Pa was a strong man, he had accepted what happened to Ma even if he didn't talk about it. Law, on the other hand, tried her best to move on but some part of her believed that Ma was still out there beyond Wall Rose, still fighting the Titans and waiting for them to come home.

That continuously open wound, the initial stress of taking on her Pa's work as well as the general horror and depression that had persisted all around them for months after their escape, and the constant replaying of Ra's older brother's death in her head, had turned her to the only coping mechanism that worked for her. She had drunk ale before, her Pa had encouraged her to try it, but she had needed something stronger and had found it when a grateful patient, a merchant by trade, had given her a bottle of spirits. After tentatively trying it, without her Pa's or anyone else's knowledge, she had revelled in that delirious state of drunkenness. It helped her sleep, it allowed her to find joy in stupid things, but it was also her greatest source of shame and so she hid her habit, especially from Mora. She was sure her Pa had noticed but he said nothing, probably recognising that she needed it.

She was jolted from her reverie, another coping mechanism to get through the punishing endurance test they were being forced through, when the aggressive instructor stopped in front of her. Her instincts had been to step in when he had been berating Emil and Jade but she had held back, having heard some soldiers muttering quietly before about the 'breaking down' of recruits; getting involved would only make it harder for everyone. Lauren didn't know the small boy but she knew Jade, through Mora, and she remembered the girl from the day of the attack. Back then she hadn't had the burning anger within her that was so evident to Lauren but she could understand it, she herself had responded to those horrors by turning to drink.

Thus, she remained sharp at attention and just stared forwards. The instructor stared her down but found nothing to pick her out for, although he definitely tried to get her to act out and, for a brief moment, she was sorely tempted to. Instead, she chose to answer his questions, both the one he had whispered to her and the one he used to try and embarrass her, loud and clear.

"I'm from Shinganshina, sir! I'm a medic but that's not enough for me, sir! I want to do my duty like my Ma two years ago and kill Titans, before they get to the people, sir!

She stood rigidly at attention, staring forwards and focusing on one of the supports for the stage before them, in case the instructor came back. Sweat dripped offer her brow and rolled down her cheek and it took considerably will power to not wipe it away. She just let the sun's heat spread through her and endured it, blanking her mind out for the inevitable torrent of abuse about to come her way.

---

"AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON WHAT SORT OF A GOOD LITTLE KID YOU HAVEN'T TURNED OUT TO BE!" Schulz yelled in the face of a female recruit, the last in the first row. He had went off on her for a good minute before she had muttered under her breath, it had been the wrong choice for the new cadet. "Drop and give me one hundred you little swine! If you can't get it done by the time I'm done with your fellow cadets..." he smiled at the girl, "Well I imagine they won't be too happy having to run because of your pathetic ass." he finished calmly before stepping away from the girl.

He moved toward the first in line of the second row, "First row! About, Face!" he yelled as he neared the red haired recruit that was first in line. She looked nervous like the rest, maybe more determined than a few of the first row, but nervous nonetheless.

He gave a look back to the girl he had yelled at earlier, the strikingly average cadet, as she answered her question. "A fucking medic huh?!" he said still walking toward the next cadet, "Every goddamn injury during training is going straight to you! And if you can;t do anything about it I want a written report in my hands before they make it to a real medic!" he yelled, "And I swear to God if anyone dies in your hands you will be held solely responsible, you understand me Cadet Medic?!" he yelled back to her.

He stopped as he approached the girl, taking a note on her height he was about to start going off on her before he noticed something in the girls eyes. The twisted smile that had been growing on his face disappeared in an instant as he grabbed the girls chin and turned her face from side to side, inspecting the new cadet. 'Just as it seems.' he thought before letting go of the girls face.

"I want everyone to take a good goddamn look at this recruit in front of me!" he looked around as a few of the recruits gingerly turned their heads, he sighed, "USE YOUR USELESS BRAINS AND TURN YOUR GODDAMN HEADS YOU HALF WITS!" he barked at the group. After a moment all of the recruits save for the currently... Occupied recruits were looking at the short red haired girl in front of him. "This pathetic piece of shit in front of me! This red haired short shit!" he called out to the formation.

"WILL GET YOU KILLED IF YOU ARE ON HER TEAM!" he proclaimed raising a hand to the group, "She's got the fire burning in her eyes! A wild fire! The kind of fire that spells trouble for us rational thinking soldiers!" he took a step to her side, in order to be yelling just past her left ear, "This kind of hot head will get everyone she fights a Titan with killed and won't be the wiser that it was her goddamn fault! Because I guarantee you!" he paused as he looked across the group, "This is the IDIOT that will play hero and utterly fail! Because heroes do not win against Titans!"

He stepped back in front of the girl, his expression grim, "Soldiers do." he spoke to her. "Why is it that a fucking aspiring hero would join my goddamn Cadet Corps?" he asked the red-headed cadet.

The sun beat down on the cadets. Mora could feel her skin flush and even the roots of her hair radiated warmth but none of that compared to the rage that suddenly lit when she watched Schulz drop Jade to the ground with a solid punch. Her fingers twitched as she fought the urge to deck the instructor. Jade had become very important to Mora after the fall of the wall. She had found her shortly after they had reached safety- while she searched for her parents but Jade came bearing other news. The girl had been there for her as she relayed the moments that led to Cain's death and the grief that followed when she found out from Lorren's neighbor that he and his wife had been with her parents; flush with excitement from their news. Mora would've had a niece or nephew by now. Cain might of finally asked Lauren out. So many dreams. So many lives- snuffed out.

Mora didn't want to leave her friend under the merciless hand of the instructor but her response quelled the manic beating of her heart. She watched her rise back up with pride, holding fast to her convictions. Even still- a cadet raised his voice in concern. 'Sano' Mora didn't know him as well as the others but she silently noted down to thank him later for his bravery. However stupid it was.

Schulz didn't waste time in his tirade of abuse as his made his way down the line. There was a thin thread of fear that coiled in her gut as he moved to meet her hard stare. What would the hard was have to say about her?

There was a pause in time before his gruff hand shot out and gripped her face. Manipulating her head around as if he was inspecting a prized sow. Mora's hands balled in tight fists as she fought against every instinct before he finally let her go,

"I want everyone to take a good goddamn look at this recruit in front of me!" he looked around as a few of the recruits gingerly turned their heads, he sighed, "USE YOUR USELESS BRAINS AND TURN YOUR GODDAMN HEADS YOU HALF WITS!" he barked at the group. After a moment all of the recruits save for the currently... Occupied recruits were looking at the short red haired girl in front of him. "This pathetic piece of shit in front of me! This red haired short shit!" he called out to the formation. Her lips quivered as a smile threatened to over take.

"WILL GET YOU KILLED IF YOU ARE ON HER TEAM!" he proclaimed raising a hand to the group, "She's got the fire burning in her eyes! A wild fire! The kind of fire that spells trouble for us rational thinking soldiers!" he took a step to her side, in order to be yelling just past her left ear, "This kind of hot head will get everyone she fights a Titan with killed and won't be the wiser that it was her goddamn fault! Because I guarantee you!" he paused as he looked across the group, "This is the IDIOT that will play hero and utterly fail! Because heroes do not win against Titans!"

He stepped back in front of the girl, his expression grim, "Soldiers do." he spoke to her. "Why is it that a fucking aspiring hero would join my goddamn Cadet Corps?" he asked the red-headed cadet.

The question churned in her head as she shoved past the first few smart ass remarks that begged to be said. He wasn't wrong, though. Mora knew her temper. She knew she would react without hesitation.

She unfurled her fists and hardened her gaze before her, "To take back my town! To protect humanity!" her voice rang out with pure conviction. Her eyes slid from before the sky before her and landed square with his, "And to keep you from being eaten." Mora finished with a smile. She was sure the remark would cost her, but Mora didn't care. Each run. Each push up. Any punch or kick was just another step of training for her. She welcomed whatever abuse Schulz has lined up for her and she'd prove him and anyone else who doubted her wrong.

---

Schulz watched intently as the girl seemed to ponder her answer, likely tip-toeing around some less than choice wording before she flexed a fist at her side. He grinned wide as the girl replied, first with a want to regain her lost home, 'Good, just like the earlier girl.' he thought as she smiled at him and spoke again.

Had he not been doing this for years he may have been visibly taken aback by the girls final words, "CASE IN POINT!" he yelled to the cadets at hand, "THIS GIRL REALLY DOES WANT TO PLAY THE FUCKING HERO!"

His arm shot out, wrapping his fingers around her throat and easily lifting the girl off her feet by her neck. He took a step back and walked her to the front of the group, all the while bringing her closer to death as she wheezed and gasped for air. "This cadet." he pasued for a moment to watch the cadet clawing at his arm, "Believes that she can protect me from the Titans!". He paused again, the girls lips had gone blue but her eyes were just as full of fire, determination as they were before. He let out a small laugh as the girl began to kick toward him, her legs not long enough to reach his body simply flailing about in front of him.

"ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT."

"She can't even protect herself. Heed my words Cadets!" he turned so that he was now facing the group with the red headed girl dangling in front of him. "This cadet will spell your death at the hands of Titans!", with the last part he threw the girl off to his left side with a solid thump. He watched for a moment to ensure that she was still breathing before starting for the next person in line. "You had better have your ass back in line in the next thirty seconds Hero!" he yelled behind him as he walked toward a blonde haired cadet.

"Well well well, just what the fuck do we have here?!" he called aloud to the blonde haired boy in front of him. His hair was in a pony tail and well past shoulder length, although his actual gender was obvious it was the easiest thing to pick out on the boy. "Are you a goddamn boy or girl huh?" he asked the boy, "You see with Titans it's fucking easy! They don't have any parts, but you? Hell I'm not sure?" he let out a grin, "About as pretty as any of the girls here but lacking all the basics! You got something in between your legs there?! Or did you lose it somewhere along the way cadet?!"

"I'm not fucking around cadet! You a boy or a girl cadet? I want your motherfucking name as well!"

Lauren breathed a sigh of relief, she had escaped any serious hazing by the Demon Instructor and the 'impossible task' he had set her fell well within her existing remit as it was. She daren't let her feeling show, however, in case the man was just waiting for such a thing and returned to rain hell's fury down on her. Instead she continued her staring match with the stage although with the sun still blazing down on her from above, the stage was beginning to win.

"I want everyone to take a good goddamn look at this recruit in front of me!" She wasn't sure whether that was a rhetorical order or not and cast her eyes sideways, to see the Instructor circling Mora like a rabid dog its prey. Closing her eyes, she offered a silent prayer up to whatever beneficent deity was looking down at them that Mora wouldn't do anything to raise his hackles any further. God only knows, he didn't need someone else to do it, he was quite good at sending himself into a spite filled spiral of apparent rage.

"To take back my town! To protect humanity!" her voice rang out with pure conviction. Lauren breathed a sigh of relief but, then, Mora's stubbornness kicked in and she could only listen in horror as her friend, the prey, baited the rabid dog. "And to keep you from being eaten."

Soon, Lauren found herself standing at attention mere feet away from her friend, her closest friend after all that had happened in Shinganshina, being throttled to within an inch of her life. And she could do nothing to stop it. If she stepped in and protested then Ra's punishment would only be extended, with Lauren inflicting similar on herself with nothing to show for it. So she stood, watching as Ra's lips turned blue and her struggles got weaker until finally the instructor threw her nearly limp body to the ground and then stared at the result of his efforts.

Apparently satisfied, he moved on. As soon as he had passed Mora, Lauren dropped her salute and rushed forwards and knelt by the gasping girl. Heaving her into a sitting position, she braced the girl with one hand on her shoulder and used her right to tilt her head up so that she could look into her eyes. There was still clarity there, although a little befuddled from lack of oxygen, so at least there wouldn't be any lasting damage. The Instructor clearly knew how far he could push them without ruining their potential as soldiers completely.

"Come on Ra, I'll help you up." She heaved one of Mora's arms over her own shoulders and then wrapped her arm around the smaller girl's waist to lift her up to her feet. They were a little unsteady, Lauren too small and weak to really carry Mora by herself without carrying the girl on her back which would surely draw the ire of the Instructor who had already turned his gaze towards them. He looked ready to march over and throttle Lauren but she calmed her nerves and threw his own instructions to her into his face.

"I'm performing my duty as a medic, sir, as you ordered, sir!" She kept the glee she felt at subverting his own hazing out of her voice, that would surely give him cause to do her damage, but this way Lauren hoped she was protecting the two of them without making anyone look a fool. After helping Mora back to her place, within the allotted thirty seconds, Lauren nodded quickly to her friend before returning to her own place and resuming her staring match with the stage.

We'll talk later, Ra. I can't have you going and getting yourself hurt for no reason.

'He's a god damn demon sent straight from hell.'

Jade had barely been able to tolerate the radiating pain from her abdomen before she could tune into what was going on around her. A boy that Jade had never met before spoke up in her defense. She was certain that his face was familiar, but never had she actually seen him. The young girl made a mental note to thank him for taking the heat off of her.

As minutes passed, Schulz moved from cadet to cadet, tearing them apart either verbally or psychologically. Behind all of the yelling, Jade could hear huffs and puffs coming from the area where the boy had spoken up. Jade cut a quick glance towards him and saw the teenager carry on with his push ups. In a way it was a bit comical, and in a time before she would have laughed, but then and there was not the time nor place.

Here was this man, who Jade had never seen or met, yelling at them all and abusing them in ways that she had never imagined. In any other case, Jade would have fought back, but she needed this. She needed all of the training that would be thrown her way in order to be able to succeed in her mission. When Schulz got to Mora, Jade had all but lost it. If there were such things as mind readers, they would've seen the explosion that had happened inside of Jade's mind. Mora had become Jade's precious rock, taking care of her in her worst moments as the years had passed after the titan invasion. It was a miracle that Jade had even made it to this point. If it hadn't been for Mora and Lauren, who know what the young girl would've done.

Luckily for Jade, Lauren had gone to help Mora out after the instructor had nearly choked her to death. 'When will this shit show be over?' her eyes went around from Mora to the others, then to Schulz. If looks could kill, there would've been bodies strewn amongst the ground. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and Jade would have to continue to take the hazing that would ensue through out the training, whether she liked it or not.

---

Schulz grinned at the boy as he answered, The Kestrel Company was well known, tucked safely behind Wall Sina far from anything that could do them harm and yet here was one of the members standing right in front him.

"Not only do we have a midget crook, a self-proclaimed medic, and a goddamn hero standing among us!" he called as he stared at Reese, "We've now got a prissy rich kid to add to the bunch!" he looked the boy up and down before giving Reese a question, "Why exactly is a rich kid like yourself standing in my training field? Did you get fucking lost on the way to boarding school? Hopped onto the wrong cart perhaps?" he laughed, "You didn't figure it out when you realized you were among a bunch of low life outer wall dwellers?! Or maybe your family sent you here because you turned out worse than shit, because there was no way they'd hand over such a successful business over to boy that seems to be lacking any sort of balls?".

He smiled wide as he watched Reese, "I FUCKING GOT IT!" he yelled victoriously, "You're probably on some soul-searching rich kid bullshit! Trying to find yourself before you take over the family business huh?" he took a breath, "Well good fucking luck with that, I doubt you could find your manhood tucked in between those legs before a Titan finds you outside the walls!". Finished with berating Reese he moved on down the line approaching what was easily the tallest among the group.

He stopped in front of the boy, a solid two inches taller then himself and inspected him. The boy was solid, built well and obviously stronger than most of his fellow recruits. He stared off into the distance right through Schulz, 'Good.' he thought to himself as he took a breath. "Just what the fuck do we have here!" he asked, bringing his face within inches of the boys. "Are you a goddamn circus exhibit?!" he knife handed the boy as he yelled, "As tall as a goddamn freak, you sure you didn't escape your cage? Should I call the goddamn Carney and tell him we found his missing beast man?! Maybe he'll send the goddamn Bearded Lady over to pick you up, hell I'm sure she'll overpower you!" he asked the boy still inches from his face.

He moved his head back and gave the boy another look, "Or maybe it's that goddamn look of confidence that you're airing that's giving it all away!" he moved around to the back side of the boy as he yelled, "Maybe you need a new goddamn perspective huh Cadet?!" he called. Extending his leg out he kicked the boys right knee in, bringing the boy to a knee forcefully. He leaned around the front of the boy and smiled, "How's that for a change of goddamn perspective? What's your name cadet? I want to know what worthless piece of shit Carney sent me a goddamn freak show exhibit!" he exclaimed as he waited patiently for the boys response.

---

Gabriel felt a bit worried for the others as the Instructor slammed them around. Even if it was to put them in line, he couldn't help but feel sorry for them. In a way, it almost felt like they were hitting fam- no. He wouldn't think of that word. Not now, anyways. Keeping his stance still, he waited patiently for the Instructor to come to him. He took a deep breath, before he saw the man approach him from the corner of his eye. Here we go, he thought to himself. At first, the Instructor seemed to be measuring his strengths and weaknesses, from what he could gather. As expected, the man began to yell at Gabriel. It was somewhat new to hear someone talk so negatively about his stature. In a way, it was almost kind of funny; it was a good thing he could mask his emotions so easily.

Gabriel was brought back to the past for a few seconds, the words of the Instructor seeming to fade away into non-existence. Yet, he could hear it all loud and clear. He was brought back to his past, standing in front of his father. The man had always been a little rough with Gabriel, but their love for one another was clear. His father yelled at Gabriel, making sure his form was correct, his speech clear, and his appearance as clean as possible. From what Gabriel could recall, he was being groomed for the military ever since he was born. He could recall the man that he looked up to so clearly; tall, strong, and clean-cut. All of those memories swept away as he remembered hearing the news of his fathers death...unfortunately, he was never told under what circumstances other than being killed in action. It was devastating news for him to hear...and it was what led him down a criminal path. Luckily enough, he was able to get out of that life.

"Maybe you need a new goddamn perspective huh Cadet?!" His thoughts were broken when a a strong kick went to the back of his knee. He let out a grunt, gritting his teeth as he fell on one knee. He kept his salute strong and forced himself through the pain. "My name is Gabriel Moreau, son of Noah and Cassandra Moreau, sir!" He stood up as quickly as he could after speaking his name, his voice clear and sharp. He had to stomach through this pain, without back-talk...he knew why he had to; for his little brother. He was all that mattered.

---

Surprised that the boy, Gabriel, stood up almost immediately Schulz gave the boy the slightest nod of approval, so small that unless another cadet other than Gabriel was intently watching him they wouldn't have even noticed it happened. Then he grinned wide as Gabriel told him who his parents were, Schulz laughed at the boy. "Are those names supposed to ring a bell Cadet? Are they suppose to resonate with me on a deep level?" he asked Gabriel. "I don't see a goddamn point in you answering that! Because I don't give a rats ass about who your parents are or what they've done!" he stepped back from the boy and began walking to the next in line, "Telling me who they are doesn't change what you are, you God damned Circus Freak!".

He left the boy were he was and moved on down the line. Next was another tall motherfucker, lanky compared to Gabriel but fucking tall nonetheless. Stopping in front of the boy he took a moment to size him up before beginning his charade once more, "WHAT THE FUCK CADET?" he yelled at the boy, "WHAT THE FUCK?" he stood still in front of the boy following the last part just watching him. Waiting to see if he would do anything, the boy simply stared through him with his eyes focused on some distant nonexistent point in space.

"Is there a goddamn reason you're eyeing me boy? You think I'm fucking pretty or something cadet? You want a piece of Instructor Schulz?" he tapped his chest, "Cause I'll give you a goddamn piece of these fucking hands that's what I'll give you!" he began at the boy once more, "You're a fucking pretty boy walking into my goddamn Cadet Corps? What makes you think you're even slightly able enough to fight fucking Titans?" he asked leaning in close to the boy, "You got any idea how badly blood stains pretty boy? You ever had a friends blood strewn all over you, warm as a person and wreaking of iron?" he continued to berate the boy, "Pretty boy tell me this! Why the fuck did you join my motherfucking Cadet Corps? Is it because you finally decided to man up? Or did something else happen Pretty Boy?" he yelled.

"Please, enlighten me!"

Grant stood there, blindly on the boat, watching as the girl came up thank him of it. He stood there for a while, not sure of how to react. At first he smiled slightly, but it quickly dimmed at the scenery around the two. It was gloomy, depressing and surely melancholic for his future self. Nothing was going to be the same. Nothing was going to be the same for this girl or himself...or anyone, ever again. Everything had been set into motion, as if this were just a catalyst for what his life was about to become. Grant had processed during his experiences of this horrendous tragedy of what his response would be. And there was only one response that could be taken forward, and that was retaliation and remorse for those who had suffered. He had no idea if he had suffered himself, but everyone else surely had.

Grant eyed the girl once more. She was good company, a real good soul on the ship for him to be around. It was warming, hearing the thankfulness she had, even if she didn't seem fully focused on it due to the events that had just happened. Besides all of that, it was definitely something Grant could see, a light in the fog. She, too, would also be a catalyst for the actions he were to commit in the future. As he had no idea they'd spark a friendship right up until the time to enlist would arrive.

"Hey...it's okay...Uhh...As long as people are okay, I'm okay...And I know you might not be and all. I have an Uncle we can meet in Trost, if he makes it there...You can use some of his accommodation if you need a place to stay or a place for food and water...It's Grant, by the way...Grant Hyral."

---

Grant stared blankly into the invisible target his eyes focused upon. He could just about make out the blur of his head, but his voice was clear and booming. His words were demanding of answers, but his mind must've been judging as he went along. Mateo had spoken of the harshness of Drill Instructors, but he never thought of them like this. However, he was at least grateful to have an insight on what Schulz was going to be like before he and Olivia enlisted together. It was still an awkward day, his enlistment, seeing as Olivia was so keen on doing so that she dragged him all the way there.

He heard the amount of remarks he gave. In Grant's mind, it was quite amusing. He'd never been called Pretty Boy before, and it was definitely one of the better nicknames around the Cadets than the previous victims of Schulz. But Grant saw an opportunity to try and get a bit of a laugh with the instructor, by deliberately agreeing with him in a comical sense. It was a risky move, but with what all these people were going through, he might of well have handed his life over to the man. He was strict, and discipline was of the highest standard, just exactly what Grant wanted out of training. He didn't want to train to become an incompetent soldier, and this was definitely the choice to go for. They all needed to be shaped up, Grant knew it for everyone and himself. The world of the war on Titans was one that served with many losses, tragedies and critical thinking. They would need to prepare for the worst to become the best.

"Sir, we've all been hit by the horrors of Shiganshina, I speak for everyone to say we know what it spills like...Plus,
I'd thought you'd needed a little extra cannon-fodder, sir...Just in case you ran out." The time for the comedic joke was something against himself, but it was a joke that was worthwhile. It proved Schulz right. He said he wasn't capable to fight the Titans, and he damn-well hoped he could. Mateo was there to give him written tips via letters about how some of the basic tests are run like, giving him that slightly advantage. But calling himself cannon-fodder just made him what the instructor had called everyone else...A living corpse.