Gloria

"I'm going to join the Scouting Legion!"

The moments those words left his mouth, the room went silent. How could it not? To them, the 104th Trainee Corps., the Legion was taboo. It was the group where the stupid and the suicidal went, the ones who wanted to be dead, and surely would be dead, within a year. It was everyone's goal to make it to the Military Police, who protected the innermost wall, but only the top ten trainees could ever dream of making it there.

Alfred F. Jones was one such trainee.

"Are you insane!?" this came from one of the many trainees in the room, sixth in class, who could only sit there and gape at Alfred, opened-mouthed in horror. "You are the top of the class, Jones! You would surely get into the Military Police easily."

Alfred smiled and shook his head, leaning against the dining room table. "Sure, inner walls and unlimited food would be nice, but what good would that do? Heroes don't go and hide in the inner walls, especially if they have the skills to kill every Titan out there! I'm going to join the Scouting Legion because that's what I've been training for since day one. What good's all this training if I'm never going to see a single Titan?"

"That's the point you idiot!" the trainee barked, running a hand through thick golden locks. "The point of being top in class is to go to the inner walls where you will be safe! Where... Where no Titans can break through so you will have no need to fight them. Wishing to be a hero is one thing, but wishing to join the very people who have failed us time and time again is absolutely suicidal! You'll be dead in a year, if that!"

"Ah, maybe it's best that he joins the Scouts then," another trainee murmured as he began breaking little crumbs off of his roll. "Then there will be one less person eating through our food supplies and making terrible jokes."

Alfred frowned at the two in front of him, then the rest of the room. Most of the trainees were not looking at him. The ones that were looking at him were not admiring him, nor were they angry at him for throwing away the supposedly "golden opportunity" of joining the Military Police. No, they were looking at him with nothing but pity, and that was something he hated above all else.

"I'm not going to say much else on this," Alfred said quietly, throat clenching as he glared at the room. He wanted to do so many things in that moment: throw some punches, flip a table, curl up in a corner and cry... but he couldn't do that. Heroes didn't do that. Members of the Scouting Legion didn't do that. Titan slayers didn't do that.

"But you guys are wrong. All of you. The point of honing our skills and training until our bodies break isn't just so we can hide behind the walls and offer up prayers to someone in hopes that the Titans will just disappear one day. Anyone who thinks that," here, he shot a small glare at the trainee who had spoken against him. "Is a coward, through and through. But more than that, the Scouting Legion isn't a group of suicidal idiots. What they are is a group of heroes, ready to give their lives for a greater cause."

There was a tiny stir in the room now, but Alfred took no notice of it. He lifted his right fist to his heart, moving his left behind his back. The salute. The symbol of what it meant to give one's heart for humanity.

"Even though I am a trainee for now, I am still a soldier first and foremost, and my first and foremost goal is to give my heart to humanity and to getting rid of the Titan threat! I am here not because I want to run away from the Titans, but because I want to get rid of them forever, even if it means sacrificing everything I have! I will not sit back and hope the Titans will one day go away! Anyone who does that is a pig to be slaughtered, at best!"

"I won't hide behind these walls like some dumb livestock! I'm going to take up the Wings of Freedom and bear them proudly when I venture outside these walls! I'm going to see what it's really like out there! These walls are a cage, and I'm going to break free from them and fly as far as my wings will take me! I'm going to kill every last Titan and free humanity at last!"

He slumped now, exhausted, though blood still roared in his veins. As per usual, the room was silent, but there was a new sort of silence hanging: heavier, perhaps, and most certainly more contemplative. Oh, there were still plenty of cowards in the room, but hopefully, he had reached a few and maybe even changed their minds. It was wistful thinking, but perhaps that was what gave him so much hope: humanity was not meant to be caged up like birds, after all.

Alfred exited from the room, not looking at anyone, and closed the door behind him with a sharp click.

The blood in his veins was singing now. It was as if the wind itself had taking root inside him. He was flipping, brushing, swinging, and rushing every which way, arms out to his sides, like wings ready to take off. He threw his head back, allowing the swirling winds to tap gently at his hair and neck.

This was what it meant to fly.

He pressed down on the handles of the 3D Maneuver Gear, grinning as it obeyed him, allowing him to burst forth in a sudden rush of gas and air. He moved lithely, despite his large size, and weaved easily between the trees, only occasionally breaking his pattern when an especially large branch stood in his way. The moon lit up the area around him with a gentle silvery glow, barely giving Alfred any light at all to go by, but only heightening the thrill of weaving in between the trees, never knowing when something, anything, would pop out right in front of him and attempt to clip his wings.

Was this what it was like to be a bird? This rush of the wind, this silver moon, and this enormous maze of trees? If this was what it was like, Alfred envied them; he would much rather have been a bird than a man, especially because birds could fly over the walls. Birds could break free.

But no, he was here, stuck on this earth, standing amongst cowards who tried to pray the Titans away, and heroes who would go out and fight. The losses were devastating, but even more devastating was the state they were in now: eternal fear, while those in the inner walls did nothing to help them, and at any moment- as was obvious by now- the Titans could appear within the walls, and humanity would be nothing more than penned animals for them to eat.

But there were heroes among them, heroes who were willing to give everything to save humanity. Ludwig, Commander of the Scouting Legion, who was rumored to be willing to sacrifice even his own humanity to rid the world of the Titan threat. Scouting Legion Squad Leaders Francis and Kiku, humanity's second strongest, and a scientist who was said to love getting up close and personal to the Titans, despite the cries of his assistant, Feliciano. Ivan, Supreme Commander over all branches of the military, who was said to be unfazed by anything. Yao, Commander of the Rose Garrison, who put humanity's safety above all. And of course, the strongest soldier humanity had ever seen, who was rumored to be only a few years older than Alfred hims-

There was someone else in the forest.

Alfred frowned as he glanced over his shoulder, blinking slightly as something flickered into his sight from between the trees behind him, then disappeared. He quickly swerved to the side to dodge a tree that had appeared in front of him, only to be forced to dip a little lower than usual, nearly slamming into another set of branches in the process. Growling, the young blonde gripped the handles of his 3DMG tightly as he concentrated on quickly swerving and turning, knowing that a single distraction could very well cost him his physical health- and his chance at joining the Scouting Legion. After all, this forest was quite a good spot to practice maneuvering in, and he surely wasn't the only one nervous about the choosing ceremony tomorrow.

But still, the idea that there was someone here with him, weaving and swerving and dancing between trees, perhaps trying to sleep, or trying to think, or trying to avoid those terrible dreams, the ones where Titan teeth lurked at every edge. Alfred squinted as the black masses of trees whipped by him, blue eyes scanning for that flicker to reappear. It did not take long before it did, right in front of him, just as he was passing a patch where the moonlight filtered in through the trees, casting the area in a soft, almost ethereal glow.

And it was as if all time stopped. For before him was a very familiar symbol, one he had dreamed of wearing upon his back from the moment he witnessed the Scouting Legion embark on their 23rd Expedition beyond the walls: the Wings of Freedom. Two wings, one blue and one white, outspread and shining proudly against a flowing canvas of forest green. They were a badge of courage, a sign proudly worn by those who chose to forsake the cage of the walls and venture beyond them and into Titan territory, chasing lofty dreams and ideals long written off as foolish.

For a few moments, all Alfred could do was stare at those wings as they fluttered gently in the rushing wind. But then, a blast of gas burst forth from the cloaked figure's 3DMG, filling Alfred's senses and blinding him to the world around him. With a loud cry, Alfred faltered a bit and flailed, barely swerving out of the way of an oncoming tree trunk before he managed to latch onto an especially large tree trunk, planting his feet upon the mottled wood as he struggled to recover. A sudden noise from above told him that his companion had chosen to land as well, though they opted to land on a branch instead.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Alfred looked up to see the cloaked figure sitting on a branch above him, slender legs kicking slightly as he carefully dusted off parts of his outfit. "Brats like you are normally too cocky to even bother maintaining your gear, let alone practicing."

It was the sort of voice that Alfred couldn't quite describe; low, yet musical, tinged with a slight accent and gentle as a summer breeze. But at the same time, sarcasm dripped from the man's- there was no doubt about this person's gender now- every word, and there was some strange undercurrent to them as well. It was as if the summer breeze was merely a prelude to a storm, one that would annihilate all but the most worthy of seamen simply because it could.

Still, something about this guy's tone pissed him off, and there was no way that Alfred was going to give him the satisfaction of... of anything. "My squad pissed me off," he said, giving the man a noncommittal shrug. "It's stupid, but whatever. I just needed to let out some steam, you know?"

He could almost feel the man raise an eyebrow. "Oh? And what, pray tell, would make a trainee of all things so angry that he would sneak out, against all regulations might I add, steal some maneuver gear from the storage- also against regulation- and come out here, all while potentially risking expulsion from the very institution he is to graduate from tomorrow morning?"

Alfred scoffed. It wasn't like this guy would understand how it felt, the humiliation of standing before his fellow trainees, the best in class but still scorned as less than a hero, as a villain, because he was "squandering" he chance to join the Military Police, because he was "selfishly hogging a spot" that apparently could have gone to someone "more deserving." It was all bullshit, of course. Every single bit of it. But that didn't mean it hurt any less.

"I'm gettin' called some stuff because I'm in the Top 10, but wanna go into the Scouting Legion instead," Alfred mumbled, shaking his head. "I mean, sure, everyone knows that pretty much everybody who makes the Top 10 goes to the inner wall, but what's the point of that? We were training to kill Titans, not rot inside walls. We were trained to be heroes..."

For a few moments, his companion said nothing, merely staring down at the ground as he continued to swing his legs. Growing uncomfortable, Alfred slowly climbed onto the branch nearest to the man, so he was sitting almost adjacent to him. All there was to separate them was a bit of tree trunk and a little bit of height. Just as he was done settling, however, the man spoke again, asking a single question:

"Why do you wish to join the Scouting Legion?"

Now what kind of question was that?

"To be a hero, of course."

A scoff. "Then you'll be dead within a matter of days."

Those words sent red hot anger through Alfred's blood, causing him to snarl and whirl on the man who dared speak to him in that way. His companion turned to regard him as well, and at once, Alfred was struck by the green of his eyes; bright, like emeralds, but sharp and deceptive as poison. Those were the eyes of one who had suffered loss in years long passed, who had seen everything- but could explain nothing about them.

They were beautiful.

Silence passed between them as blue locked with green, a clash of blades against the backdrop of a jet black sky. Alfred sat there, heart still racing. He was completely torn between punching the guy in the face, shoving him out of the tree, and running him through with a sword. Hell, the only thing holding him back at the moment was the fact that he was a hero. Heroes didn't murder people for being ignorant assholes.

"Let me tell you something, brat," the man continued, his every word laced with contempt. "I see you every year. New recruits coming in, thinking that they're the best. That they will be able to handle any Titan that comes their way, simply because they passed a few tests and didn't run into a few wooden cut-outs. And just because they sucked their instructors' dick for so long, they have this sense of entitlement about them that makes them a god to their peers, but nothing more than Titan bait to those of us who have seen it all."

"For all I care, you can be the top student humanity has ever had, straight A's in all subjects, and capable of reproducing an absolutely textbook bloody perfect Titan kill technique. Or, on the other hand of things, you can be the trainee so pathetic that they don't bother training you on 3DMG, and just tell you to clean the Garrison's shit sacks when it's time to fight. Regardless of what your marks turn out to be, in the end, you're just like the rest of your class: overconfident, cowardly, and arrogant. Until you've seen a Titan with your very eyes, watched your comrades and friends be ripped apart and eaten right before you, and been forced to simply stand there and watch helplessly because you cannot make it to them in time, then you are nothing more than Titan bait, at best, and Titan shit at worst."

"Titans don't shit," Alfred muttered angrily, turning away. Despite his constant mental insistence, his fierce adherence to his own heroism, he still could not help but feel the tiniest worm of doubt. What if this man was right? What if he had been doing nothing but living the same lie his fellow members of humanity had lived for so long? Was this all for nothing? All of this training, all of these years, all of those dreams of one day joining the scouting Legion... no. He couldn't falter now. He just couldn't. His pride was on the line here.

"... Exactly," the man said simply, leaning back a bit. "TItan bait at best... and Titan shit at worst." he let out a small sigh, briefly closing those lovely green eyes. "Until you learn... until you understand what you are truly fighting for, then you will never find a way to escape these walls." there were a few clanks, then the branch next to Alfred creaked. The man had stood up. "You may choose to be among us members of the Scouting Legion... wear the wings upon your back... perhaps even venture outside the walls with us... but, if you focus only on being the hero humanity seems to need, then you will never be free of them. They will enclose you, like a cage, and just like any other caged animal, you will perish in only the most gruesome of ways."

Alfred said nothing. He didn't move. How could he? He was shaking too hard, his vision too blurry, his thoughts a whirlwind. What did this man mean? If he couldn't be a hero, then what could he be? Was this all for nothing?

Alfred only barely noticed when the man slipped away, wings spread out behind him.

God damn it.

God fucking damn it.

Why? Why now? Of all days, why now? Matthew could be safe behind Wall Sina by now. Alfred had helped make sure that he made the Top 10, just so he could make sure that Matthew would be safe and cared for while Alfred was out being a hero. Yes, he wanted to prove him, yes, he yearned to finally slay a Titan once and for all, but not while Mattie was here.

The Rear Guard was being called. That was him. He needed to get into position. Alfred dashed forward, face a mask of concentration as he listened to his squad leader's orders: rush the Titan at all sides, kill it before it can cause anymore damage to the town. Easy enough.

But of course, it could never be that easy. This was a 10 meter class, one who had already wiped out a squad and was ready to attack even more of the Front Guard. Alfred and his comrades barely swooped in to stop the beast from grabbing at another trainee, though a man lost his leg in the process. All in all, it was Alfred that made the kill, his blades easily slicing through the nape of the neck in a cut that he had memorized by heart: one meter long, ten centimeters wide.

"Excellent work, Jones," his squad leader, an ever-smiling man named Antonio remarked. "How does it feel to have your first kill?"

It was on the very tip of Alfred's tongue to tell the man that he had most certainly proven that the man he had met in the forest was wrong, but heroes didn't brag. "Awesome! Where can I grab another?"

"Squad Leader! Two fifteen meters approaching from the right!"

Perfect. Alfred smirked as he activated his 3DMG, shooting forward with ease. The Titans were large and fast, but stupid, and Alfred was easily able to use that to his advantage. While the rest of his squad distracted the Titans, Alfred's blades easily slipped through not one, but two nape of the necks, and it was not long until both Titans fell. Alfred landed on a rooftop, grinning from ear to ear, reveling in his first three victories.

And then, he heard Matt scream.

He had been put in the Rear Guard as well, a rather safe position for all intents and purposes. His squad had been sent out, naturally, but Matt was quite intelligent and fast on his feet. Armed with his natural ability of going about unnoticed, he was pretty much untouchable by any Titan, because they were too busy eating the rest of the people around him to give Alfred's twin any attention.

Until today.

It was as if something within Alfred suddenly reared up and wrenched his every nerve in two. Alfred stood there on the rooftop, eyes wide and mouth open with horror as a Titan- it had to be a Deviant Type, from the way it acted- grabbed Matthew as he tried to escape with his 3DMG.

Alfred moved, swimming in syrup, as he desperately let out a cry while Matthew, struggling fearfully, was lifted to the Titan's gaping maw. The grotesque grin stuck permanently on the Titan's face warped and stretched beyond what was considered nightmarish as it opened its mouth, raising Matthew up to it. Alfred's legs pushed him off of the rooftop, one 3DMG cable shot out and latched onto a nearby roof. The Titan's teeth, stained red from those it had already consumed, slowly came down, lower and lower and lower...

Matthew's legs when flying, slamming into the rooftops and leaving trails of blood. Alfred looked on in abject horror, hearing a bloodcurdling scream that could only be his. The Titan swallowed and turned to Alfred, blue eyes reflecting the grotesque smile, taunting him, laughing at him for daring to even believe that he could ever save his brother.

No words could describe what happened next.

Alfred launched forward in a rage, blades out and shining, not at all paying attention to those around him. He could hear something- shouts from his comrades, the steps of nearby Titans, anything- far away. But he could focus on nothing, save the Titan in front of him; he needed to crush it. To destroy it. To make sure it knew, that it understood exactly what happened when you dared destroy Alfred F. Jones'-

His cable caught. A Titan grabbed it, perhaps? Or maybe it snagged on a building? Either way, it did not take long before Alfred realized that the ground was rushing up at him, that his glasses and nose were shattering on the cobblestone path in front of him. No teeth lost- but what did that matter?

Five shapes loomed above him, horribly warped and twisted in nature. They reached for him, ready to rip him apart. He was dying. He was dying and he had no one to blame but himself. God, why did he have to be so stupid? Matthew would never have wanted him to die like this. If he had just stayed behind, if he had just quietly warned his twin, then perhaps things could have been different. He could have lived another day- and eventually avenge Matthew. But now? God, he didn't know. He didn't know anything. He was going to die.

He was scared.

But he couldn't die. No, God no, he couldn't. He had to save Matthew. He had to prove himself worthy of the Scouting Legion. He had to save Matthew.

The last thing he saw before darkness engulfed him was a flash of beautiful emerald green.

"Al...?"

It was Mattie's voice. It was so real.

Was he dead?

"Alfred... God, Alfred, wake up. Please, please wake up. You have to wake up!"

He had to be dead. If Matthew was hear, then he had to be wherever Matthew was. And Matthew was dead. So he had to be dead as well.

"Hey Brat, get the hell up. Nap time was not authorized."

He opened his eyes. Matthew was at his side, clutching onto him. He looked at his twin, unable to believe his eyes, that Matthew was alive and breathing and oh God... oh God. He leaped upon his twin, wrapping his arms around the other in a bone-crushing hug, barely registering when Matthew reached up and awkwardly patted his back. He felt something shifting underneath him- Matthew's legs- and began laughing, in spite of himself. Everything had been a dream after all.

... Right?

It was too quiet. They should have been celebrating. Alfred blinked, then looked up, only to be immediately met by soldiers with their faces twisted in absolute fear and the ugly heads of canons as well as the silvery gleam of flesh-paring blades. His brow furrowed in confusion as he turned to look at Matthew, only to be given a shake of a head and a slight tilt forward.

Two figures stood before him. One was tall and imposing, armed with rippling muscles and hair immaculately gelled back. The other was shorter and more slender, despite the obvious muscles he carried, and stood a little behind the taller one, though his blades were out and ready. The shorter male was also glaring back at Alfred, and at once, he recognized poisonous green eyes, the same ones he had met on that moonlit night not so long ago...

Wait, those eyebrows...

"A-Arthur..." he croaked, voice cracking slightly as he raised one trembling hand do his chest. It couldn't be... It just couldn't. "A-Arthur... Kirkland. You're... Y-You're..."

Matthew lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Now is... Now is not the time, Al..."

"Alright, speak up!" a commanding voice boomed over the silence. Alfred blinked and looked up, suddenly becoming aware of a woman standing atop a platform among the many soldiers that surrounded them. He recognized this woman Lien Nguyen, a major leader in the Rose Garrison forces. She was known to be the no-nonsense sort, as well as a just and capable leader. "Do you stand as an enemy of humanity or as an ally? Are you a human or a Titan?"

Alfred frowned. What was she talking about? There was no way that anything could be both human and Titan. It was just... impossible. Titans were disgusting, grotesque creatures. They fed mindlessly and thrived on the suffering of human lives. They... the image of Matthew's death flashed through Alfred's mind, and he found himself staring at his brother, at the spot where he could tell that the pants he wore were bitten off... but his legs were whole. He was alive.

How was that possible?

Matthew's hand was shaking. Alfred frowned as he looked first at it, then at Nguyen, who stood proud and tall. She was obviously prepared to give any orders necessary, but... just what was going on?

"I will repeat my question," Lien said. "If it is not answered quickly, then I will have no choice but to eliminate both of you trainees with a cannon... and to place Commander Beilschmidt and Captain Kirkland under arrest. You have been warned." her eyes flashed as she spoke, every word sharp and authoritative. "So I ask again: Alfred F. Jones of the 104th Trainee Squad. Matthew Williams of the 104th Trainee Squad. Are you humans or Titans?"

Commander Beilschmidt- Alfred recognized him now- stepped forward and opened his mouth. "I speak on behalf of-"

"I did not ask you, Commander," Lien interrupted, her frown deepening. "I am asking Jones and Williams. Are you or are you not enemies of humanity?"

What was she talking about? Alfred turned to Matthew in confusion, who only shook his head and continued to tremble. There was a strange look in his eye: that of a cornered animal. Whatever had happened, he had seen it all, and it took everything Alfred had to prevent himself from reaching out and giving his brother a hug. He deserved it.

But now was not the time.

"We're... We're not enemies!" Alfred answered, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke. How long had it been since he had something to drink or eat? "I... I don't have any idea what is going on, but we are not enemies of humanity, nor do we ever intend to be!"

Lien's eyes narrowed. Then, she snapped her fingers. A subordinate brought her a report, which she quickly leafed through, eyes never leaving Alfred's as she spoke. "Today, exactly two hours and thirty-seven minutes after the Titans attacked Trost, a Deviant Titan, seventeen meter class, appeared. This Titan turned against its own kind and raged around the city. Exactly four hours and forty-two minutes after the initial sighting of the Titan, it was witnessed that Matthew Williams emerged from the nape of the neck of that Titan. At exactly two hours and thirty-eight minutes after the Titans attacked Trost, a second Deviant Titan, seventeen meter class, appeared in the same area where the prior Titan had appeared. This Titan wreaked city-wide destruction, disregarding both its own kind and human soldiers in favor of causing chaos instead. Exactly four hours later, it was witnessed that Alfred F. Jones emerged from the nape of the neck of that Titan." she handed the report off, then frowned some more. "Since you cannot prove that the both of you are allies of humanity, I will have no choice but to eliminate you both." she began to raise her hand.

All at once, everything hit Alfred in a whirlwind, brief flashes of memory whizzing past him as he stared at that hand being raised. Yes, he could just barely remember it, dancing at the edge of his mind, how angry he had been, how hurt, how sad, how determined he was. He was going to rid this world of Titans, one way or another, and if the only way was to slay or die trying, then he would have happily become a sacrifice for the greater good.

But Mattie. He had to save Mattie. Mattie didn't deserve to die like this. Matthew was not top in class, but he was the better brother. He was the twin that Alfred looked up to, who always did well in both the classroom and the outside world, who could fly between trees as though there were wings mounted upon his back.

He needed to prove their innocence, but how? How could they ever show these people, who seemed so determined to destroy them, that they fought for humanity and only that? That they could not be the villains in this story, because they had fought against Titan villains, thus making them heroes? How could they say any of this quickly enough, before the fire of the cannon shot filled their ears and their world was nothing but pain?

He thought about the Titans, about the terror and abject horror he felt as he watched Matthew being eaten. He thought about humanity and the cage it had built for itself, how happily people lived behind them and roamed about like livestock. He thought about a moonlit conversation, about emerald eyes that told him about dreams beyond the walls, about what it truly meant to be fighting the Titans.

And then, he knew.

"WAIT!" he stepped forward, shoving past Commander Beilschmidt and Captain Kirkland until he stood in front of Lien. The numerous soldiers all rushed to protect her, though she shoved them away and instead placed a hand atop her own sword. "Please, let me... Let me explain why we should not be eliminated!"

And with that said, he raised his right fist to his heart and moved his left to the small of his back. "In my heart of hearts, I am a soldier, and Matthew is the same! We've trained, bled, and cried for this day, the day when we can prove once and for all that humanity can win against the Titans and that we can finally be rid of them! We do not know what our powers are, or what they mean, or even where they come from, but what we do know is that we now have a fighting chance!"

"Using mine and Mattie's powers, we'll be able to drive the Titans away from Trost and even potentially reclaim Wall Rose. We have a chance to finally rid this world of the Titan threat, the goal that all of us want fulfilled! We want to tear down these walls, to stop living like sheep and instead embrace the freedom that lies beyond. But as long as there are Titans beyond the walls, humanity will continue to hide, and allow itself to be caged!"

"Since I was little, I've wanted to join the Scouting Legion to kill Titans and become humanity's hero. I understand now that it isn't about killing the Titans; it's about building a future! It's what humanity has been striving towards since the dawn of time itself. We're fighting and killing the Titans not because we want the glory, but because we are trying to build a future for us and our children, so that they will never have to live in fear like we do. We're soldiers because we are all strong and courageous enough to be willing to sacrifice ourselves to make sure that the world we build for our children is one where they can fly free! So, if nothing else, before you make that final decision about whether or not to destroy me and Matt, then please, let me at least tell you this: use us to build your future. We can help you. If we learn how to control these powers, then there will be nothing stopping humanity from driving the Titans away for good. But the only way for anything like that to happen..." he took a deep breath. "Is to trust in us and allow us to be the hammers that will allow the human race to break down these walls!"

As soon as he finished, Alfred found a gentle hand on his shoulder. He blinked at the touch, noting how warm and soft it felt, before he turned around and- much to his surprise- saw that the hand belonged to none other than Arthur Kirkland. Kirkland gave Alfred's shoulder a soft squeeze before looking up at Lien and- Alfred realized this for the first time- Garrison Commander Yao Wang, Military Police Commander Basch Zwingli Supreme Commander Ivan Braginski. His voice rang out as he spoke, bell-like and clear as a mountain breeze.

"As Humanity's Strongest Soldier, I shall make it my personal duty to watch over both Jones and Williams," he announced, glaring up at the small audience. "Furthermore, I will also make it my duty to kill them, should they ever attempt to turn on us or deceive us with their Titan or human forms." he paused, before allowing a small smile to stretch across his face. "After all, nothing like a good beheading to kick off the 57th Expedition."

Much to his dismay, Supreme Commander Braginski smiled... and nodded. It sent a horrified shiver down Alfred's spine.

"Da, I approve!" Ivan said, clapping his hands as he turned around and addressed the audience. "Hearing is done! Please take belongings and go back to work. Much must be discussed! Plans must be made! All commanding officers to my quarters right away please!"

As people filed out, almost all of them shooting wary glances at Alfred and Matthew, Alfred was unable to help but let out a small, relieved sigh. After all, it had been a long and hard battle, but in the end, they had won. THey had fought and they had won. And now, they were getting ready for the 57th Expedition, the first time they would be allowed outside the walls.

Another squeeze at his shoulder. Alfred turned around and found himself face to face with Arthur Kirkland. The man's face was almost a mask of indifference now, though he spoke with just the slightest hint of a threatening tone.

"Be warned, Brat, that if you so much as breathe at me in the wrong direction, I will make sure that you are completely decapitated. I take no pleasure in babysitting brats, let alone those like you." with that, he was gone, his tread graceful as he moved away. As much as he hated to admit it, Alfred did quite enjoy the view... perhaps a little too much.

One of these days, he was either going to throw Captain Kirkland to the Titans or fuck him against a table.