It would be our first of many encounters with the Locust, the monsters from beneath the ground that hunted Ashley's people to near extinction. Our times as cadets were cut short by the attack on the training camp. Even after we managed to beat them back, our victory was nothing but bittersweet. Many of the friends we made had perished, their lives cut short. I could only imagine how Ashley felt that day when Erwin arrived.

...

Eighty nine.

That was the number of cadets who died to the Locust raiding party. Eighty nine innocent kids murdered for no reason. The report coming in from the training grounds only worsened the mood. The bloodbath that ensued when Shadis was gone had tarnished the relationship between Ashley and the military commanders of the walls. They had come to see just how Ashley was doing, hoping that the Onyx Guard was taking care of the trainees only to have a last-minute view into the horror show that happened here.

Erwin and Shadis were not the only ones here. With them came Levi Ackerman and his elite squad of titan killers. Four of them in total, three men and a woman. Another man by the name of Nile Dok had also arrive on scene with Erwin. With the look of disdain in his eyes Ashley knew that he was no fan of her.

"By what smart idea would you let an outsider watch over your cadets, Shadis?!" Nile roared, pounding a fist on the table. His accusing tone struck hard, "And nobody here had reported her even being here to the MP's! As far as I know, this amounts to treason!"

"And what would you have us do? Give her to you? I'm sure a public execution would do her a world of favors, right Nile?" Levi dryly said.

"Nobody here is accused of treason Nile. Ashley here arrived at the camp not too long ago and was granted amnesty as a temporary instructor." Erwin explained.

Nile let out a short scoff, "Are we not going to even talk about what just happened out there?! We've got our trainees getting butchered by monsters! By god, that thing that dug into the ground might as well still be alive and ready to kill us at a moments notice! I don't even want to think about the training grounds right now!"

The training grounds, or what was left of it, had been closed off indefinitely. Cleanup crews worked around the clock to retrieve any corpses that were still in one piece. The mess hall was practically quarantined. When Ashley had been ordered to meet with Erwin, Levi and Nile at an undisclosed location near the camp, she'd seen people going in and out of the mess hall holding cloth bags filled with blood and body parts. Their terrified eyes told Ashley that they were unprepared for the carnage awaiting them inside. One poor soul emptied out his stomach, the scene being too much to handle. The two officers that also perished were quickly removed as well.

"And you," Nile scathingly said, jutting a finger at the Onyx Guard, "you lead them here! What do you have to say for yourself!"

Ashley remained silent, going over the written report in front of her over and over again. Each time she did, the cold feeling in her gut only grew. Those kids had trusted her to keep them safe, and now they were being cleaned off walls. But Ashley knew another side to this story.

"I have nothing to answer for," Ashley said, "You can pin the blame on me for attracting the Locust here, sure. But if I hadn't done anything, then there would be far more bodies for you to clean up. I defended the trainees to the best of my ability. I'm one woman here. I can't protect everyone."

"You don't get it, do you?" Nile growled, "The investigation into this mess revealed that one of the cadets said that whatever they were, they were specifically hunting you. As long as you remain in the walls, you are a constant threat to our safety, no matter how many people you save!"

"That's enough, Nile. Sit down." Erwin said, and Nile begrudgingly took a seat. Erwin turned his attention to Ashley, "While I know you mean the best for us Ashley, this incident cannot be marked down as a titan attack. We will try to keep this under wraps, but one day we will have to reveal to the public about you and the Locust. But that day is not today. Right now we should be focused on getting these trainees somewhere safe and burying the dead."

"Agreed," Shadis nodded, and everyone could tell that the man was hurting. The deaths of the trainees must be weighing heavily on his mind.

Nile gave out one last sigh, "Fine. I shall inform Zackly of what happened when I return to Wall Sina."

The two left, leaving Erwin, Levi and Ashley to themselves in the tent. Ashley stood up to leave but was stopped by Erwin.

"Ashley," he said, "nobody here truly blames you for what happened. While Nile says plenty, he doesn't realize how important you've become. You're our best shot at fighting back against the Locust, even if he can't see it."

Ashley gave a sad chuckle.

"We'll see."

...

Ashley wandered through the tents scattered around where she and the rest of the military leaders meet. With the training grounds closed off, the trainees couldn't return to their dorms for the night. She could hear their weeping, mourning the loss of their friends and loved ones. To her, it was just like the weeks after E-Day, when the Locust emerged from the Hollow and began their campaign of genocide. Now like a plague they had spread their violence to this world. She felt sick, sick of the constant dying.

The Onyx Guard straightened out her back and gazed into the night sky above. Why are they after me? She wondered. Just what makes me so important to them?

"Hey Ashley," Ashley snapped towards the voice that spoke. Connie stood there, hands in his pockets, "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied quickly.

"You sure as hell don't look that way," Connie sighed, seeing the dark rings underneath Ashley's eyes, "C'mon, the MP's brought over some fruit from Wall Rose. It'll make you feel better. It helped Sasha, and I know it'll help you."

"No thanks Connie, you go on ahead. I'm not hungry," Ashley waved him off to let him go on his own business. She suddenly felt someone tugging at her hand, leading her somewhere. Connie held on tightly, making sure that she knew he wanted her to come. The Onyx Guard was surprised that Connie was being so assertive this evening over something as trivial as eating.

"Look, I know you're blaming yourself for what happened, I'm not that dumb," Connie said, dragging Ashley towards the set of tables where she could see other cadets eating, "But you saved us Ashley. If it hadn't been for you, we'd all be dead."

"He's right, you know," Jean said to Ashley's left, munching on an apple.

"See, everyone here agrees. Now c'mon," Connie put a peach in Ashley's hand, "eat up. You deserve it."

Ashley stared into the little pink fruit that she held. She knew that beating herself over something she couldn't have predicted solved nothing. Connie was right, she'd done what she had promised and saved those she could. While many trainees died this day for deaths that were undeserved, many more had survived. The same could not have been said for Sera. These kids really were quite lucky she was around.

Before the Onyx Guard could take a bite, she felt something pelt the back of her head.

"This is your fault!" Someone screamed behind her. Ashley traced to where the object that hit her was thrown to see a mob of angry cadets standing in a group. Some of them had tears streaming from their eyes, and they all glared daggers at the Onyx Guard.

"Guys, this isn't the time-!"

"Shut the hell up Springer," a cadet spat, directing his fury towards the bald boy for a moment before redirecting it back to Ashley.

"She knew. She knew that they'd come to try and kill her, and she used us as bait!" He yelled out so everyone could hear him. The entire camp had gone silent, listening in to what he had to say. Even Ashley remained quiet even as she was being targeted, "My little sister died out there thanks to those monsters you dragged in! She's dead because of you!"

"What happened today wasn't Ashley's fault!" Armin came to Ashley's defense. "There was no way she could have known what happened!"

"Shut up Arlert!" A trainee screamed at him, jabbing a finger at the blond, "You're just kissing up to her, that murderer! She's the one who got everyone that died here killed and she knows it!"

"Why don't you go back where you came from, outsider!" Another shouted, some hollering their support as a row of angry, grieving trainees started to push aside those who thought Ashley did no wrong and encompass the Onyx Guard. Those who were supportive of her, who thought Ashley was not in the wrong, stood their ground beside the expressionless Onyx Guard. It included Jean, Sasha, and Connie along with Armin. Tension had just risen to a boiling point and something was gonna give soon. Before a brawl could break out and potentially lead to even more deaths today, a certain black-haired captain came along.

"Oi, what's with the yelling over here?" Levi walked over, attracted to the sounds of an argument, "You kids done here? Or are you gonna keep bugging the person that saved your idiotic lives?"

Ashley was stunned that this man would come along and stick up for her. Levi seemed like the last person that would trust her, but now he was defending her against the mob? Perhaps there was more to him than meets the eye.

"B-But Captain Levi sir, she-!" One trainee stammered before he was shot down by the famed titan killer.

"Only did what anyone would do; save who she could." Levi cut in, "You don't get to put the blame on her. None of you do. And I doubt anyone here would have stood up to fight those monsters like she did."

That must have cut deep, because a lot of the formerly wrathful trainees suddenly became downcast, knowing what the captain said was true. If Ashley hadn't fought off the corpser and the rest of the Locust creatures from murdering them then there would be plenty more dead kids to be put in bags. But the captain wasn't cruel. He knew that many of them were looking for an outlet for their grieving hearts, and Ashley was the closest target. The Onyx Guard knew this too. She'd seen it before when the Locust war was reaching its peak. Less soldiers coming back home to mom and dad.

"Now go on, get out of here. Get back to eating or whatever you were doing." He said, and so the crowd dispersed back to previous activities as the talking began to take over the silence. Ashley could feel the weight of tension finally leave her body.

"Thank you, captain." She said to him.

"I didn't do it for you," he said back, and turned to face her, "Erwin wants to talk. Personally."

...

Mortemus was stunned. Utterly stunned.

He had failed. Not once since arriving here on this planet had he felt the stinging sensation of defeat. The report given to him from a scout had told him everything that happened at the training grounds. His strike squad had been killed along with the wretches, and the corpser had been mortally wounded. It had most likely died of its wounds underground. The Theron Elite stood there in silence, taking in what the locust soldier in front of him said.

Did he honestly expect it to be easy? How could he be so foolish! He had banked on a quick snatch and grab, plus some human deaths, but this was something that he should have expected. Ashley was an equal caliber to his own, an elite soldier of the same war! Apparently his time here had dulled his memories and had showed him that Ashley was still a force to be reckoned with. Six of his soldiers had paid the price for his negligence, and his rash decisions had nearly exposed them to the walls. Saturn was bound to be furious once he managed to hear what happened. Right now, back in the New Hollow, Mortemus and his squad of soldiers were regrouping for what they had hoped would be the next step in the war effort.

Instead they were meet with shame, none more so than the Theron himself.

"Sir?" One of the golden hunters asked, hoping that it would get a response out of the Elite.

It took a moment for Mortemus to collect himself before he spoke again.

"We continue onward with the original plan," he said, turning to face his troops, "We shall scour the lands for the titan shifters, save our species and lay waste to the island just as we have done before with those who tried to resist us. The Onyx Guard is no longer a priority, and it was foolish of me to believe that she would be taken so easily. She shall be dealt with in time." A simple rallying talk. It was all Mortemus wanted to say, and it was the right thing as well for his troops to hear knowing that their commander would shoulder the blame rather than disavow them for any weakness.

It was how the Theron Elite was able to have such a loyal following. He had strength, intelligence, and charm, something that extremely few Locust had.

"So what do we do next?" Another asked, using his lancer to emphasize his point.

"Now?" Mortemus let out a smile, one that showed off his razor-sharp teeth, "Now we prepare ourselves. We shall give the people of these pathetic walls a spectacle, one that will usher in a longing bloodshed!"

The troops let out roars of glee and anticipation for more carnage, and Mortemus took in their cheer with gusto. Ashley would never suspect, or even be prepared, for what was coming her way. As the Locust soldiers cleared out back to the depths of the New Hollow on their reavers, Mortemus heard the communicator on his hydra go off. The Theron Elite hopped on his beast to answer the call, wondering who could be trying to contact him.

"Mortemus."

"Hello, Saturn. What do I owe the pleasure?"

"I've called to inform you. The experimental weapon you made? It's finished."

The Theron Elite allowed a sick grin to grow on his face. Looks like Ashley was still on his list.

"That is wonderful news."

...

Ashley followed Levi into the large tent in the middle of the field. It was decorated with symbols of the Scout Regiment; a pair of wings, blue on the left, white on the right, with the right wing overlapping the blue over what appeared to be a five-sided shield. She found it somewhat simplistic, but easy to be recognizable as well. Levi parted open the tent's front and let Ashley inside where Erwin and Hange were busy discussing something. As soon as the Onyx Guard stepped in all attention went to her.

"Ah, you've made it. Welcome Ashley. Please, take a seat." Erwin said as he gestured to an open chair.

The Onyx Guard nodded and walked forward, not realizing the two guards at either side of the front giving her heavy glares. They were silenced when Levi looked at them, which was all it took for them to stop.

"I'd imagine today has taken a heavy toll on you, and we're beyond thankful that you had been able to save as many of the cadets as you could have." Erwin said.

"I did what a could." Ashley simply replied. There was no reason to beat around the bush with them.

"That you did, which we are all grateful for. Now lets get started. First off, because of the Locust attack the training grounds have been closed off indefinitely until repairs are done and the fallen cadets are honored and buried, which will take time. Also most of the Locust corpses and weaponry have been confiscated by the Military Police, which is why they are temporarily leaving you alone for now." Erwin said to explain the current situation that they all found themselves in. "The survivors are now being sent to Wall Rose for their graduation ceremony tomorrow morning. They'll be far away from the carnage that happened here. Soon they will be model soldiers choosing which path they want to fight for, humanity's defense or its future."

"That's fine by me." She asked, feeling a slight twinge of familiarity. During the more frantic years of the Locust War the COG had tried to pump out as many Gears as it could from the remaining academies, but those soldiers were practically kids wearing armor. Many of them perished in their first encounters with the Locust. It was a desperate time and it called for desperate measures. She hoped that whatever happened here wasn't like what it was on Sera.

"Good. Now for the reason you're here," Erwin finally got the point and leaned forward, making sure he locked eyes with the Onyx Guard in front of him.

"I want you to join us, the Survey Corps. To take back our home from the titans, and to stop the Locust before they try to destroy us."

Ashley was silent for a brief moment. Erwin decided to keep talking.

"I'm asking you this because you know the Locust better than anyone. You said it yourself when you first came here that there's a good chance that there is a locust presence out there waiting for their next chance to try and attack. If you join us we can help you find out where they are coming from, and stop them before they try again." Erwin said, but truthfully this was not the real reason behind him wanting Ashley to join the corps. Erwin knew that the other two branches would only imprison her and more than likely sentence her to a hanging, but Erwin saw a glimmer of something more in the Onyx Guard. If there was a new threat that humanity faced then they would need all the help they could get, and that help was sitting right in front of him.

She was skilled, yes, but not in killing titans. Locust was her special prey. The technologies and other forces that her world was ferrying over however was something to consider such as guns, beasts, machines, and techniques. Ashley knew all there was to the Locust, and there was no doubt that they would in fact return. Erwin decided to add in another topic for the Onyx Guard, one that he knew was personal for her.

"We can get you home, Ashley. Isn't that what you want?" Erwin added, and that seemed to break her silence.

"Of course, but in all honesty Erwin, none of us have any idea of the scale of what we're facing. I don't know if the Locust that attacked me were a rogue group of stragglers who got sucked in like I did, or a small contingency of something much larger. And your forces, let's face it, will not survive a direct Locust assault. Guns will beat swords any day. And the Locust will return. Count on that."

"All the more reason for you to join us. Our corps specializes in fighting titans and retaking our lost borders, but we know little to nothing about the Locust besides what you have already informed us. Join us and we can help you find your way back home and put a stop to the Locust threat before it destroys us, and finally expand humanity's borders far beyond the walls. We can do this together, Ashley. I'm not asking for you to discard your rank as a member of your army, only that you assist us in these dark times." Erwin finished.

The Onyx Guard did not reply immediately, instead she slowly stood up to her full height and donned her helmet.

"If that's the case you have for me," She said, her voice muffled behind the metal plating, "Then I guess we're at a crossroads, commander. Give me some time to think about it."

"Of course, Ashley."

The Onyx Guard nodded and stepped out of the tent, and Hange let out a breath that she had been holding in.

"You probably should have told her that Niles was practically foaming at the mouth to have a trial for our latest guest. You think she'll come around?" Levi asked his commander, skeptical that the foreigner would be so willing to join them. To Levi, Ashley's response was the most likely they would have gotten tonight. He could clearly see that she was overwhelmed, and she needed time alone. He'd been there before.

"Yes. I believe that Ashley will help us."

"And I can't wait!" Hange shouted, "All of those guns! Our dear Onyx Guard will teach me everything she knows about those mysterious, wonderful things she has!"

"Good grief, can't you think of anything besides crazy shit?"

Meanwhile the Onyx Guard walked off to a quiet zone in the forest surrounding the tents. The moonlight let her see where she was going, and she noticed that she had wandered into the same place where the corpser had gone on its forest rampage. The place was filled with fallen and splintered trees, and claw prints from the Hollow beast's limbs on the wet dirt. Ashley felt like she was facing a dilemma. The Locust would inevitably return. Joining the Scouts to find out where they were coming from and finding a way back home was the best way forward, but for now she just needed some time to think. Her thoughts trailed back to the battle that happened earlier and how she was being hunted down by a shock squad. But why?

How did they find me here? Did they follow me? She wondered, thinking about how the Locust troops addressed her during the attack while staring at the moon above, There must be something I don't know...

-Sera, Mount Kadar-

"Here we are, boys and girls! Mount Kadar. Please make sure to spot anything resembling Locust as we touch down, not like there's much to see anyway." Baird said over the loudspeaker as the pair of Ravens finally made it over the sea towards the mountain ranges. It was springtime, and the snow had melted away into lush, green forests as far as the eye could see. From the air they could see the large, lonely peak in front of them.

"And there it is," Dom said, feeling a sense of deja-vu at seeing the mountain again.

"You guys came here in the winter?" Jace asked, looking down at the lakes below and the reaver skeletons that lined the shores, "Must have been quite a ride."

"Yeah, it was." Cole replied, "Cold as hell, too. And we were riding in the centaur."

"Looks like you guys cleaned this place out," Carmine eyed the multitude of decomposing Locust corpses scattered across the valley, "Don't see any locust for miles around."

"They're here alright, probably hiding. Either that or we managed to kill them all last time." Marcus said, scanning the forest. They might have sacked the place years ago, but the Locust were tenacious and resilient. The veteran soldier knew that wherever they were going, they were definitely going to encounter some grubs.

The Ravens banked downwards, and from there they could see the ruined remains of the Locust gate. Nature had taken its toll on what was left of it, smothering the stony architecture in moss, vines and other greenery. There was a small, waterfall trailing down from the cliff's edge above through the middle of the cave's mouth leading to an equally small river which flowed through the wrecked iron doors. It looked completely abandoned with no signs of life anywhere.

"Hard to believe we're back here after so long."

"Fate sure has a funny way of doing that, Dom." Marcus groused out as the helicopters reached the cave mouth, hovering just in front of the dark entrance to the innards of the mountain. Seeing that they were technically stalling, Marcus wondered what their pilots were doing.

"Baird, Frederick, we're right in front of the cave. Take us down so we can head inside."

"Actually I was thinking. You know how the Hollow is flooded, right? So the Locust can't come up from the ground anymore. And this cave is mighty wide..." Baird said, but Marcus and the others were piecing together what the smart-mouthed mechanic was trying to say. Some of them were more vocal than others.

"Oh no, hell no Baird. We are not flying underground." Sam vehemently argued against what Baird wanted to do.

"C'mon! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Uh, my sense of not getting killed is quite high today, Baird honey."

"Just shut up and land somewhere close, Baird. You too Frederick. I don't feel like crashing under a mountain." Marcus commanded in his "no-nonsense" tone, the one that made people listen. He wasn't really in the mood for Baird's antics, even if he could somewhat understand what he meant.

"Okay okay, fine. I'll land close. In the mouth, real soft like. That enough for you?" Baird lowered the Raven carefully between the ruins with Frederick right behind him. The two helicopters made it inside the mountain no problem, landing not too far from the entrance as Marcus wanted. The eight Gears and lone Stranded hopped out of the choppers, their engines letting out a whine as the engines died. The sounds carried far into the caverns, echoing deep inside. Luckily it seemed that there was nobody around except for them. Still they kept their weapons high, knowing not to trust any sort of silence.

"Whew, this place is huge!" Jace whistled, his voice carried with an echo same as the Ravens. Carmine shoved the younger Gear by the shoulder.

"You dunce, you want the Locust to hear you too?"

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"Marcus, you have any idea where we're going?" Dom asked.

"Only one way to find out," Marcus unhooked the geobot from his waist and pressed the command node, once again showing the massive holographic map of Sera hidden inside. With the code of Echo-Four-Sunder-Nine tapped in the geobot was now unlocked for them to use freely. The single green triangle was still there, and Marcus reached over with a finger to touch it. The action caused the map to shrink down to a single mountain that they all recognized, this time with a small yellow dot located where they were. A green line slowly etched a trail into the mountain's heart, right where the symbol lay.

"Looks like it's telling us where to go." Sam observed, pointing at the new pathway given to them.

"Well, that's neat. We get a map and a navigation unit, all in one! Genius." Baird praised.

"Jack," The hovering robot disengaged its cloaking when Marcus called out its name, "take this. See if you can guide us to wherever the geobot is leading us."

The robot nodded, gently using its claw hand to grasp the geobot from Fenix. It took a good look at the geobot's map and started hovering forward, following where the map was telling him to go. Seeing that Jack was heading onward, Marcus and the others followed suit, keeping close to each other. Frederick, who was at the rear, kept a solid grip on his snub as he nervously eyed anywhere that a Locust could pop out of. Jace was there to give him some comforting words.

"Relax man. If there's any trouble, we'll deal with it."

"You say that, Gear. But I know better." Frederick replied as the group headed deeper into the mountain.

If they had noticed from far atop a slab of rock sticking out from the cave wall there was a single glowing circle watching them. The observer was clad in plated armor and tattered robes, and the circle was revealed to be the optic magnifier of his armored helmet. Hidden in the cover of darkness, the occupant of the cave silently observed the humans. He knew that this was going to be a problem. No human would return to Kadar without knowledge of what lay inside, a secret that his people have kept hidden from humanity for decades.

He switched on his wrist-radio and a green-tinted holographic image of an armored Kantus appeared.

"Ready the vanguard. We have guests."

"By your command, Krav Jermad." And the holo-image dissipated right after.

Jermad readied his breechshot, making sure to keep his distance as he followed the humans into Mount Kadar, hoping that he could stop them in time...

I'M ALIVE.

Though my writer's block has really taken it out on me. For a while I was having horrid doubts about my writing skills and where I was going with all of my stories and wondering if I should just cancel them because they'll never be completed. But now I have some of that process back, so please leave a review if you want to.

See you next time.