Ask Attack on Titan: Hope for the Hopeless

[Reyn]

​

100th Cadet Corps Southern Division Training Grounds
Year 845

The silence of the forest was broken by the sound of metal cables screaming forward, grappling hooks imbedding themselves in the nearest tree trunk. With the pull of a trigger compressed air fired from the rear of a strange apparatus, rocketing it's wearer skyward. The young cadet, a lanky, sandy haired kid wrenched his body in the air, trying to adjust his position before thrusting towards his target. With the aid of his Omni-directional mobility gear he was able to move at an impressive speed, flying through the air like a diving hawk. His face fixed in a determined scowl as he focused on the imaginary enemy before him, a six meter tall wooden dummy made in the shape of a giant man. He was aiming specifically for a large fold of cloth on the back of the dummy's neck, several layers thick.

With a furious cry the cadet swung the two specialized swords he held in his hands, cutting into the cloth as he zipped past the dummy. "Dammit!" The boy cursed as he looked over his shoulder back towards the target. He had only managed to cut about two inches deep, not nearly enough to kill his foe were it real. Reeling in his hooks and firing them again, the cadet rocketed up to a nearby branch and landed on it, pausing to catch his breath.

"Gwerder!" He heard his name shouted from below and looked down. An older man sat on a horse was watching him from the ground with a displeased expression. "That was pathetic! Are you looking to get yourself killed?" The boy grit his teeth in frustration.

"No Commandant Duvalier!" He shouted in reply.

"Then go again!" The commandant shouted back. "If I see another pitiful display like that you'll be running the course until your legs give out!" The cadet growled and looked forward, psyching himself up as he prepared to jump from his perch.

"Yes Commandant!" He shouted, and leapt into the air, firing his hooks again and rocketing onwards towards the next dummy. Come on Fulk The kid thought to himself as he tore through the forest, branches whipping past so quickly that if he made contact he'd break half the bones in his body. You can do this. You have to do this!

Another six meter dummy appeared in his sights. With a powerful scream Fulk blasted forward and swung his swords again, cutting a much deeper swath through his target. Better, but still not good enough. He had to be perfect if he wanted to get into the top ten of his class. The Corps was more than two thirds of the way to the end of their training now. He had less than a year to get his skill with the ODM gear up if he wanted to join the Military Police. As he continued to fly through the air Fulk's eyes scanned through the surrounding trees, trying to make out the other cadets on the training course.

@Exhilian

 

[Exhilian]

Jorah Miller was already flying through the treeline of the training grounds. He was up super early before the rest of his class and was warmed up by the time they rest of his squad came in for training. The hissing of his ODM gear moving as he would let the hooks catch into the bark of a tree and swing him around it like a slingshot towards a big wooden fixture with cloth on its neck. IT was the best the Corps could do for representing Titans. With full speed in motion Jorah connected 2 fresh new blades out of his ODM and quickly came smashing through the cloth with a clean cut as all this happened with seconds. Jorah shot his ODM gear out after the contact to a big branch as the gear hissed and hauled him up to it perfectly.

His pale blue eyes scanning for the next target with speed as his black hair trickled his eyebrows. The 5.11 trainee was absoutely relaxed and at one with his enviroment. Jorah was a more cool and calm collected guy as he came from the Trost District behind Wall Rose. He had a complex life but all of that would be behind him as he wanted to be apart of the Scouts Regiment since as long as he knew. Though no one could ever really pick up on his emotions or thoughts. Some would spread around to other trainees that Jorah could even care less if he was here or not which infuriated some as his performance was always his best.

As he scanned the branch he watched a target pop up and with speed he would lean off the branch and eject his hooks on his ODM gear. The bottles on his gear hissing releasing the gas that propelled him forward as his hooks would detach and fire out again from the springs inside his gear to move him forward. A good soldier knew that using the momentum and leverage instead of constantly using your hooks would save your air. Jorah was learning all of this fairly easily as he just had a knack for it compared to others. But nothing could be ruled out as even the top dogs fell and under dogs rose in this training.

Sailing through the air Jorah would close the gap on the wooden statue and come flying in with speed as he slammed the blades in the back of the cloth. It was a solid impact and the blades snapped off once impacted. Jorah looking unphased but speaking to himself interally. "Damn..To hard." breaking blades was to be expected but if you could balance how hard you hit your neck you could've used those blades maybe 1-2 more times before they break which can make life or death in the field.

Letting his hooks and gear bring him back up to another tree branch over head he would catch his breath quietly as all around him cadets were doing the same thing with different targets coming out of different areas and Officers on horses below would watch the squads and comment on how they're doing or if individuals are lacking.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Fulk honed in on another target and sped towards it, looking for a perfect killing blow. He was so laser focused on the dummy in fact that he didn't even notice another cadet moving in on the wooden titan until he was already in front of him. The boy cursed under his breath and quickly released one of his hooks, adjusting his swing to fly beneath the other cadet and missing his target completely.

"Who the..." The boy started as he looked up, his expression only souring further once he made out the other cadet. Miller. Of course. The kid from Trost seemed to keep to himself so Fulk didn't know him too well, but he knew his reputation. With a furious growl he reoriented his gear and jetted up to the branch of an adjacent tree before shouting in Jorah's direction. "Hey! Save some for the rest of use won't you Mr. Perfect?" He snapped angrily. He was out here to be the best, the last thing he needed was some prodigy who barely even tried getting in his way.

Before the blonde cadet could continue his tirade something happening below caught his eye. A soldier from the Garrison Regiment was on horseback, riding into the forest. He looked like he had been riding all day in fact, hair swept back and an exhausted but desperate look on his face. He reared to a halt beside the commandant and took a few breaths before saying something to him. Duvalier, who was normally a very reserved instructor, became noticeably paler upon hearing whatever it was the soldier had to say. A moment later he raised a whistle to his mouth, releasing a sharp sound that echoed through the forest and prompted all of the other cadets to stop what they were doing and land.

"Training for today is over!" The commandant said without explanation. "Everyone to your horses! We're returning to base now!" Without waiting for questions Duvalier immediately turned his steed and started riding back towards the Corps' barracks. How strange, this had never happened before.

"You think it's some kind of drill?" Fulk heard one of the other cadets asking as they descended to the horses below. Personally he couldn't believe that. Everyone knew a hundred years of peace had made the military unbelievably lazy. Duvalier only put in the effort because he was a former Scout. No one ever bothered with emergency drills. Which meant something major had actually happened. Fulk looked once more at Jorah, then without a word jumped down and landed on his horse, starting in a light gallop back towards the base.

@Exhilian

 

[Exhilian]

Jorah Miller would sit there gazing out at the caadets swinging in and out of the trees like pendulums before suddenly snapping to attention. Someone was calling in his direction. His emotionless facial expression turned to see it was Cadet Fulk. Jorah reflected for a second on him as he remembered him as that bashful kid who really wanted to be something and wasn't shy in telling everyone that either. His pale blue eyes looked almost right through Fulk before he replied flatly. "Yeah." and with that he would lean forward as he was about to do another run on the "Helpless" wooden Titans below.

That was suddenly cut short as a loud whistle echoed through the woods. All the ODM wearing cadets swinging latched onto nearby branches, trees put themselves straight to the floor and stood quiet and still. Trained to listen as Commander Duvalier announced training was over for the day. That was odd..Usually the Officers would have them drilling non-stop and without break. Another way of just weeding out the weak and trying to keep the strong. The Officers had a passion for making cadets quick as technically they were just doing their jobs.

Jorah made his way to the ground and mounted his horse. As he clicked the reigns and began to take off in a full sprint he was curious in the back of his mind as to what was going on. But of course he wouldn't show it on his facial expressions. They were coming so close to graduating and Jorah wanted nothing to stop this. He depended on it. While they galloped the dozens of Cadets alongside and in front of eachother would be talking as they rode.

"Hey we can just send Miller out and he'll kill all the Titans." one boasted as he seen how flawless Jorah was with the wooden dummies. Another steadily chirped in without missing a beat. "Get off Jorahs ass, Hector." as Jorah rode he would turn his head to face the two with his blank stare and face back the front before continuing to move forward. A sense of awkwardness and a bit frightened set the mood for the one who made the comment about him.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Fulk rode a bit behind the others, sulking to himself over his less than stellar performance. The kid was far from the worst of the cadets, but he didn't appear to be material for the top ten either. And no matter how much work he put into his training he seemed to be hitting his peak. Of course he found the easiest way to hide his insecurities about his prospects as a soldier was to put on an air of unrelenting bravado. To 'fake it till he made it' as it was. As he heard Cadets Hector and Lukas talking up Jorah more he grit his teeth in frustration, his hands wringing the reins of his horse.

With a kick he caught up to them, forcing a cruel smile as he looked at the two cadets. "Oh no, Hector is absolutely right!" He said, making sure to be loud enough for Jorah to overhear. He certainly didn't intend to show any fear of speaking about him. "Let the savant have at it. His entrails will be painting the scenery outside the walls within a week!" He laughed, although Hector was only brave enough to crack a half-grin. Lukas on the other hand scowled at Fulk for his comments.

"Well you're certainly not going to be the one to kill them all Gwerder." He countered. Fulk immediately stopped his laughing, giving his fellow cadet an indignant glare.

"Of course I'm not!" He snapped defensively. "While you morons are getting eaten alive I'll be living like a king in the Interior!" Lukas raised a hand and pantomimed a yawn in response.

"Yeah yeah we've heard it all before." He replied with a grin. "Your grades say otherwise." Hector actually snickered at that. Fulk only became more furious.

"What did you say?" He shouted. And looked like he was about to leap off his horse at the other cadet. All the other cadets seemed to be quite entertained by the show being put on, many of them laughing at Fulk's expense. The officers on the other hand were deathly silent. Whatever news had been brought to the commandant had now circulated amongst them. Some were sweating, others even appeared to be praying silently. Of course all of these details were lost on Fulk in the moment, too busy getting into a screaming match with Lukas.

@Exhilian

 

[Exhilian]

Jorah Miller would continue riding as the troop were almost through the pastures and fields between their camp and the woods they were training in. Once they crested the small little hill you could see tents lined up in rows and barrack buildings. People were moving about in every direction. The area was sectioned off, Barracks, Parade ground which was a flat open spot in the middle of it all with a big wooden stage where they held ceremony's and events. The Mess/Kitchen area, the stables and lastly the officers barracks and the armory.

It was like a little town of its own as it was hustling and bustling. Troops going in and out. Some were on graduating day while others may have just started their first week. It was a stew of different troops on different stages of their paths. The bright blue sky above their heads was stretching for miles with the hot sun baring down on them as Jorah finally heard Fulks comments in regards to his entrails. He never bothered to turn and face the cadet as it didn't matter overly.

It seemed all Fulk cared about was getting a cushy job in the interior. Guarding and being well within safe inside the walls. Most of the Military Police were cunning and could be a bit lazy at times. Though they were treated by far the best and had better living conditions. Which who couldn't blame people for wanting to join them. Most who came into the training were farmers, poor or your average folk. No one lived a life of luxury.

Jorah continuing to face the front would catch a Officer praying and whispering to himself quietly. Shifting his gaze at the rest of them his unemotional face scanned them all. Something wasn't right..What is it. It was itching him as he was more then curious as the once boastful and confident Officers he was trained by for the last 2 and a half years were looking pale as if they seen a ghost.

"Somethings not right." Jorah would say flatly as it made the Cadets closest to him stop their laughing and hollering at the spectacle Fulk and the rest were making. They began to look at the Officers and start whispering stuff around. "Whats going on?" One whispered while another said "Why are they so frightened..?". Hopefully they would find out soon as they were almost near Camp.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Jorah wasn't the only one to notice something was up. As the cadets moved onto the parade grounds they recognized everyone else moving with unusual haste. The idle chatter turned to hushed speculation of what was going on. Once their horses were stowed in the stables all of the cadets, along with everyone else stationed at the base, were ordered to move out before the stage and stand at attention.

It was there they had a long and agonizing wait, almost an hour passing before everything had been put into order and Commandant Duvalier was prepared to speak. The whole time the tension continued to rise to the point of imminent panic. All the cadets could see the blatant terror on the faces of the officers. At first Fulk just smirked to himself, wondering if there had been a shakeup in the higher ranks and suddenly they were being expected to hold themselves to a higher standard. Maybe an inspector was on the way to evaluate the instructors. But as time dragged on, and the fearful atmosphere didn't dissipate, he realized this was something far more serious. Maybe there had been a military action. But what? A coup? A rebellion? Surely it couldn't have anything to do with the titans...

Fulk's thought's were interrupted as Duvalier finally stepped up onto the center stage. Any murmurs in the crowd fell silent as all eyes turned to him, waiting for some answers. Commandant Duvalier was a proud and fearless man, unafraid to speak his mind no matter who he was talking to. Since enlisting he had been a model of perfection for the cadets to look up to. But now he looked truly shaken. He stared silently at the gathered troops for what felt like a minute or more before finally clearing his throat and speaking up.

"What I am about to tell you is not a fiction." He started ominously. "There is no drill. This is the news as we have just received it from the front..." He paused, looking down at his feet as he seemed to be gathering himself for something truly awful. For the first time Fulk swallowed nervously, actually starting to fear the worst. And it was the worst. Duvalier looked up at them and continued. "Today the Garrison Regiment at Shiganshina encountered two classes of titan formerly unheard of. One fifteen meter and one... Sixty meter." Immediately there was murmuring among the cadets. Sixty meters? Nearly two hundred feet tall? Impossible, it had to be. Duvalier continued his speech, not bothering to demand order. "These titans spearheaded an assault on Shiganshina District... Breaching the wall." And then the chattering was silent again. Fulk felt like his heart had just stopped. Breached the wall? The Wall? The one that had stood for a hundred years? "Wall Maria has been completely breached." The commandant finished. "Titans have entered the southern region and are advancing throughout the entire area. The Scout Regiment and Garrison Regiment are currently launching a cooperative effort to stem the flow of titans into the region. Other forces are preparing Wall Rose for the expected arrival of surviving refugees."

Now the troops went into an absolute uproar. All order was lost as some people started shouting questions, others denying it as lies, and still others just falling into hysteria and needing to be restrained by the more collected soldiers. For his part all of Fulk's bravado evaporated instantly. His face locked in an expression of sheer horror, he raised his hands to his head and fell to his knees shaking. My family... He thought to himself. Netry, the little village in the southern region of Wall Maria where he had been born and raised before joining the military. They're gonna.... They're gonna... He could barely even comprehend what was happening.

@Exhilian

 

[Exhilian]

Jorah Miller would make it into the base on the his horse and bring it over to the stables as he got off and the Stable crew would take the cadets reigns and bring them to their selected stalls. Soon as the horses were dropped off they were all beckoned to the parade grounds. This was unusual. They haven't any big news in awhile but there was always cadets graduating but only the graduating cadets attended. This was all way to off for Jorah as he made his way over in silence with the rest.

Commander Duvalier looked more intense and pale than Jorah's ever seen him. The commander was usually all grit and no games. As he spoke the commander mentioned the Titan that was 60m. Jorah for once actually made a emotional face as he stared at the Commanders mouth and his words echoed in Jorahs head. "60 meters ...Holy shit." Jorah thought to himself as he continued to listen as Cadets started to whisper or be in total shock. As the Commander continued speaking on the assault as he said "Breaching the wall.."

This set the cadets in a spiral as some began to cry, others thought of their families and friends right away. Jorah went back to being unemotional as it took everything in him to swallow his surprise and just focus. They were only a couple months from graduating and I guess this was their ceremony. Jorah stood there with full attention and his serious gaze as a Lieutenant spoke up next to the Commander. "Cadets, we are going to need to you move to Wall Rose to help take in Refugees names and help them move inside the wall. You are to be a Support group. We are bumping up your graduation day to today because of this short notice. PLEASE stick around for the next 10 minutes. You will be assigned where you are going, The top TEN will be named QUICKLY and you are to MOVE OUT to and report to your station Officers."


With that another officer came up and Lieutenant took the paper from him as he began to ball out the Cadet troop rather quickly as he began with no hesitation. "Hector Zala, Scout Regiment. Lukas Grahm, Garrison Corps, Jorah Miller..Scout Regiment.." he would continue on with the list including Fulks as once he hit the last name he gave the top ten. These students were allowed to pick what they wished for, even if they were called to a Regiment like Garrison, if they were top ten they could change this without issue while the rest were stuck with it.

"The Top Ten are as followed...

1. Jorah Miller.
2. Lukas Grahm.
3. Kyra Yamato.
4. Fredrick Caeser.
5. Fulk Gwerder.
6. Hector Zala.
7. Emily Mormont.
8. Terrilynn Wells.
9. Daniel Baker.
10. Garrett Nichols.

Congratulations to the Top Ten and the rest who have made it. If you wish to change your Corps assignment move to the tent to the right. ONLY the top ten. The rest of you get moving. It's going to be a long night." With that he walked off the stage as students began to move. Some in hysteria and walking off to cry more while others began moving to a bunch of wagons at the far end of the camp where they were lining up and being loaded on the wagons to move to Wall Rose.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Things were happening extremely quickly. In the chaos and pressing need for soldiers their graduation was being bumped up and they were all being assigned duties. This caused even more distress among the cadets, as even those who weren't in the top ten were usually allowed to choose between joining the Garrison and the Scouts. Those less courageous recruits being forced into the scouts now were becoming hysterical. Of course none of this was really registering for Fulk at the moment. The cadet remained on his knees, looking down at the dusty earth as he grasped at his hair, agonizing over the fate of his family. It wasn't until someone put a hand on his shoulder that he started with surprise and fear, looking up.

Hector looked down at him, forcing a grim smile in the face of all that was happening. "Hey, it's okay alright?" He tried to assure the cadet. "The commandant said they're expecting refugees. I'm sure your family is on their way to Wall Rose now. The Scouts and garrison will protect them." Fulk stared dumbly at his fellow recruit for a few moments before swallowing and nodding his head.

"Y-you're right..." He tried to calm himself, thinking about the best case scenario. "They'll be fine. Shiganshina will have got the worst of the attack. While the titans are occupied there my village will have the chance to evacuate..." He said to himself. Hector smiled.

"Yeah, and did you see? You made the top ten after all. You can join the MPs." He tried to cheer him up further. Fulk looked towards the stage. He had had made the top ten? He hadn't even heard it when it was said. The Military Police... It had been his ultimate goal when enlisting. His ticket to a more comfortable lifestyle, no more worrying about famine or paying rent. No more getting spit on by his supposed betters. It was everything he wanted... And yet...

Fulk's hands tightened into fists, his expression hardening into one of determination, despite his body shaking with fear. "I can't..." He said, and looked back at Hector. "I can't just run away to the Interior now. My family is out there. I have to make sure they make it to safety..." He looked at the tents. The Garrison Regiment would likely be setting up defenses at Trost, preparing to receive the incoming refugees. The Scouts... They would be running missions beyond the wall, eliminating titans and escorting the survivors. That would be his best bet of getting to see if his family had made it out or not. "I'm joining the Scouts..." He said finally. Hector seemed surprised to hear this, but eventually forced a smile.

"Then I'm with you man." He offered a hand. Fulk smiled and took it, his arrogant expression returning as he rose to his feet and grabbed his arm in a show of respect.

"Those dumb monsters won't know what hit em'." He replied, and the two of them made their way towards the Scout Regiment tent. He was still terrified, his legs shaking as he walked. But he had at least mustered up enough courage to put up a front of confidence like he usually did. The new recruits were organized into squads to serve as support for the Scouts. Squad 17, led by Jorah, consisted of him along with Fulk, Hector, and three more cadets who hadn't been in the top ten. Klara Hoch, Maximilian Faerber, and Magda Steinmann. After passing through the Trost District they were directed to move southeast into one of the outlying villages where the Scouts were preparing for their first foray against the oncoming titans. Fulk didn't exactly enjoy being put under Miller's command, but he was too focused on finding his family to make any snide remarks. Once everyone was equipped and ready to go they would be back on their horses and falling in behind Jorah.

@Exhilian

 

[Exhilian]

Jorah Miller was quiet and moved off as soon as the little speech was said. Making his way to the Survey Corps (Scouts) he would wait before finally making it to the front where a Officer of some sort was standing behind a table with paperwork out the ying yang. It was like clockwork as he was probably doing this and would be doing this for a long time. "Name." he said bluntly. "Miller, Jorah." Jorah would say to him as they always said Last name first and then first name in Military courtesy. The officer would flip through some pages as he stopped seeing his name.

"Jorah you're going to the team leader of Squad 17, You'll have 10 total under you consisting of 2 teams. Your team 1 of your squad. Team 2 will be a replacement/Support squad if you loose anyone. If you need anyone replaced report to your nearest Officer Headquarters and they'll inform you on where to find your Team 2 replacements. Your team 1 is a.." He would pause to look at the names. "Gwerder, Fulk, Zala, Hector, Hoch Klara, Faerber, Maxamilian and a Steinmann...Magda..Gather them and move to the stables." Jorah would look at him flatly as he nodded and left the line. "Next." the officer said as Jorah walked away. It wouldn't take long to round them all up as he met them by the stables.

He would right away mount his horse while the others did the same and begin to move. His eyes focusing forward as he began to take the lead down the dirt path. They passed Wagons of other troops and cadets as not everyone was allowed a horse. Majority of them like the Garrison Corp relied on Wagons or Built in-line ferries that moved majority of their gear. Most of them would be lookin' at Jorahs crew and the other squads alongside them. Lukas who was assigned with the Garrison corp was in the back of the wagon as he spotted Fulk and the rest.

"Give them hell guys!!" he had a big bright smile on his face as only 30 minutes ago he was riding a horse alongside them. Jorah continued to move as black plumes of smoke began to peak over Wall rose and drift away into the blue sky. Who knew what was waiting for them..Death, pain or glory and shock. Jorah would press on as all of this was suddenly thrown at him without warning.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

As they passed the line of Garrison soldiers Fulk forced himself to smile, raising his fist in the air and earning a hurrah from his comrades. Their enthusiasm would not be worth much once they crossed through the wall however. By the time they arrived in the Trost District things had devolved into near anarchy. While the military focused on securing the gates and allowing for a steady supply of troops, the people were left to their own devices. The refugees funneling through quickly turned from a manageable trickle to an uncontrollable tide. The natives of Trost were being overrun. Looting and fighting were a common sight. As the MPs were brought in to focus on restoring order Fulk scanned the incoming people for any sign of his family. Unfortunately there was too much going on. He couldn't see them.

Outside Wall Rose the first waves of the counterattack were forming and preparing to move out. The Garrison was forming barricades, putting up sharpened stakes and rolling canons into position to provide a defensive screen against a titan advance. The Scouts meanwhile were mustering their forces for a sortie, getting squads into formation. Thankfully there were no signs of titans on the horizon yet, just hundreds upon hundreds of fleeing refugees.

Again Fulk's eyes scanned over the heads passing by. No one familiar. He grit his teeth in nervous frustration. Not good. Kicking his horse he moved up to ride alongside Jorah. "Everyone has their gear ready." He informed the squad leader without looking at him. His eyes were still on the crowd. "We're ready to move on your command..." His gaze slowly turned upwards, examining the terrain in which they'd be fighting. Is was mostly open plains. Aside from a few copses of trees and the outlines of village buildings in the far distance they'd have no tall structures to work with. Already they were at a disadvantage. "I don't like the idea of fighting out here..." He commented. It seemed the imminence of battle had made him forget his animosity for the prized cadet.

@Exhilian

 

[Exhilian]

Jorah Miller would watch as it was pure chaos. Crowds trying to fall in, wounded being brought in and MP's trying to maintain order while Garrison soldiers were rushing around and using slings and long ropes to haul up cannons to the top of Wall Rose and set more defenses. Nodding to Fulks report of the team. Jorah watched as other squads like his were gathering up outside Wall Rose. Jorah would make his way over on his horse as he met up with an Officer. Jorah would move to the side of him as he said flatly. "Jorah Miller, 17th Squad, Team One..Reporting." with that the Officer glanced over.

He looked scared but determined as he responded right away " We need your team on the right flank..You'll have 3 other squads helping the right side." Black smoke billowed in the distance as Jorah fell in formation. He seen something in a horizon. Everyone began to grimace as they slowly regonized 2 horses with riders on them..They were scouts that were a forward obersvation team that was watching the Titan movements.

They looked exhausted as they were hauling ass back to the main gathering by the wall. As they finally made it Jorah overheard the Officer in charge ask them about the rest of the team which they replied with a long stare.."They're gone sir..We are whats left." a chill went up almost everyones spine that was close enough to hear as Jorah looked back over to the pasture ahead of them. Fulk was right when it came to their disadvantage..Fighting Titans flat ground was as bad as it gets besides being surrounded.

This was basic rule they learned earlier it their training days. Jorah would say to his squad as he scanned the pasture.. "If we are to fight here..I want two of you to keep them busy by flying low, Use your ODM gear to make swift movements down by their feet..When they bend over to grab you I want the rest of you to make strikes..It's the only way we're going to have a chance to get them." this was probably the most Jorah spoke.

He was more serious than ever. Though his face remained the same he finally opened up into his mind a little with the squad on his thought process on how he looked at things. If they were to push into the town it would be a nightmare and losses would be extreme but Jorah would do whatever he was told and hoped his team would follow.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

"Understood." Fulk replied simply to Jorah with a nod. It was a good plan, although whether it wouls survive first contact with the enemy was yet to be seen. This would be the first time any of them had encountered a living titan. They were bound to be somewhat more intimidating than wooden dummies. Soon they would learn just what kind of stuff each of the recruits was made of.

As they started riding out Fulk would look towards the other members of their squad. "Miller and I will focus on the napes." He added to their leader's plan. It made the most sense. They were the two most skilled with the ODM gear in the group. Theoretically at least. "The rest of you stay low to the ground like he said and draw their attention. Hector, you pair with Klara. Max with Magda. Stay agile, and help your partner if they get caught." Their squad mates answered with a collective 'Yes sir!'

It wasn't long after that they appeared. The titans. Because of the open field Fulk got a perfect view of them approaching. Just small creatures at first, but getting bigger and bigger the closer they got. Until they were impossibly large. It sent a chill down his spine and made his face go chalk white to see them. Two horrifically misshapen human-like monsters, one about nine meters tall and the other seven. They were walking in the most peculiar way, swaying back and forth with their arms flailing about as they did so. The young cadet would be tempted to laugh if he wasn't acutely aware of how dangerous they were. And they were getting closer.

"Oh God..." Hector muttered, looking just as scared as the rest. "We're gonna die..."

"If you get killed by your first titan I'm going to make sure everyone knows what a joke you were!" Fulk snapped at his comrade, trying to light a fire under him. "Focus! This is what we trained for!" He turned his attention to their squad leader. "Take whichever one you want Miller, I'll focus on the other." Whatever his choice was he would need to make it fast. The titans would be on top of them in less than a minute.

@Exhilian

 

[Exhilian]

Jorah Miller would be watching quietly at the big field ahead of them. The figures in the distance seemed like small ants but were running awkwardly with speed. As they came closer the titans revealed themselves. Jorah gazed at them as to the far left and in the middle Titans were approaching as well from their entire front. The officer would raise his left arm. With the signal the entire left flank kicked their horses into gear and began running out in the field to meet the Titans coming this way.

They needed to keep them at a distance from the wall and buy time for those trying to evacuate. Jorah watched from the right flank as the left flank were running full charge. Glancing over he would watch as the officer raised his right arm for the right flank to move. Jorah looked over to Fulk. "Nine is mine." he said flatly as he kicked his horse and began the forward assault just like the left flank did,

Leading his squad along with the other squads leaders almost like a big wedge he would watch as the Titans began to get closer. Allowing himself to slow down and begin a wide sweep to the right to try to get behind it. Hector and Klara went for Jorahs titan to cut in front of it to try to make it go for them.

As they approached it head on the Nine meter titan would bend over and try to swipe them as the cadets both diverted into a Y shape and peeled to the right and left of it. During this movement the Titan would side swipe and knock Klara off her horse and send her tumbling along the crowd 10 feet away as her horse did the same. Jorah stayed focused as he rode closer to the titan and stood on its back.

As he got reasonably close he would jump off the horses and use his ODM gear to drive a hook in his back and bring his momentum up as he already had his fresh blades in his handles. He would go right above the Titans head and come down with the momentum like a swing and came down slashing the back of the Titans neck with speed. The blades connecting and a loud hiss emerging from the opening as the Titan began to fall forward on his knees.

"Hector, Check Klara" Jorah would bark over at him as Jorah landed a few feet away from the Titan. One down and hundreds to go..This was going to be a lot harder. Hector galloped over to Klara as she was badly hurt from the roll. "She needs aid." Jorah would glance over seeing how Fulk was making out 50meters away.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Fulk nodded as Jorah called out his target and then looked forward again focusing on the seven meter. "Go!" He called to Max and Magda. "And don't make us look bad!" The cadet was sweating, terrified for his own life, and tangentially for the lives of his fellow recruits. But he managed to keep it together. He'd die very quickly otherwise.

"Right!" Each of his comrades replied before kicking their horses and charging ahead of him. Fulk lagged behind, drawing his swords and slowly getting up from his saddle, preparing to engage his ODM gear. Just like Hector and Klara, Max and Magda followed the procedure they had been taught for open field fighting. They got close enough to draw the titan's attention, then split up in a Y, with Max riding to the titan's left and Magda it's right. The monster turned and started to crouch down, saliva dripping from it's smiling maw as it reached for the girl. Magda blanched, uttering a frightened whimper as she was paralyzed with fear and unable to react. Fulk merely squinted with determination as he saw his opening.

Jumping up from his mount Fulk fired his grappling hooks, both piercing the titan in it's shoulder and upper arm respectively. With the pull of a trigger and the hiss of compressed air he rocketed forward towards his quarry. In response the titan's head slowly turned, a giant, dull eye focusing on the incoming cadet. Now it was Fulk's turn to go pale in the face.

"Shit!" He whispered under his breath as the monster started to stand and turn, swinging the cadet around. Fulk squinted as he leaned backwards from the momentum, his body becoming parallel to the earth twenty feet below. The force of gravity was intense, threatening to make him pass out. The titan raised it's right arm, trying to grab him. Fulk roared with effort and dislodged his hooks at the last second, flipping backwards and barely avoiding the creature's grasping fingers. He righted himself as he fell, firing one of his grappling hooks and managing to embed it in the titan's waist. He rocketed forward again, shooting past the monster and swinging around behind it. He released the anchored hook, spun in the air and fired the other. This time it embedded right in the nape of the neck.

Fulk shot upwards, placing his feet on the titan's back as he landed, stumbling for a moment before firing his other hook into the creature's body to anchor himself. But already the titan was raising it's arms and trying to grasp him again. It's head turned and fixed him with that horrible giant eye once more. Fulk stared wide-eyed in terror for a moment before raising his blades and letting out a wild scream. He sliced the nape once, getting about half as deep as he needed to. The hands were just a few feet away from him now. He swung again, still screaming, and took out a larger chunk of the nape. That seemed to be enough, as the creature's eyes went dim and it started to fall. Even so Fulk kept screaming and cutting, painting himself in titan blood as he chopped away at it's neck until he was thrown face first into the giant open wound as the monster collapsed. Slowly he got up, breathing heavily and shuddering from the adrenaline. His attention was drawn by Max's laughter as the other cadet came back around to see him. "Never seen it done like that in the training manuals. Nice job Gwerder!" Magda approached as well, smiling nervously. Fulk, covered head to toe in titan blood, exhaled in something resembling a chuckle before looking black at the blunted blades shaking in his hands. His first kill. Not the cleanest perhaps... But he was alive...

@Exhilian

 

[Exhilian]

Jorah Miller would make his way over on his horse as he was quiet. He was afraid shitless like everyone else but he had to supress it and fight it so he could keep his squad believing in him. His eyes flicking over to Fulk as his horse stopped just short of the blood soaked cadet. "Don't make that mistake again." Jorah would comment to him flatly as he may have got the kill but he was nearly killed in the process. If he was going to be apart of Jorah's squad he wanted him to be the best. First time doing this or not, Jorah would hold a certain standard.

Glancing back over to Max he would motion to Klara who was limping and holding her ribs. "Take her back to medical." Jorah would glance over to the rest of the field to the right of them where other squads were fighting. He could see soldiers getting grabbed and torn to shreds and horses being knocked to the ground and killed. Staring hard he would scowl as he pulled on the reigns of his horse to face the direction. "Everyone get on your horses, they've hit the rest of the squads with us hard." screaming could be heard.

They could clearly see the carnage and bodies as the flat open field didn't hide anything from them. Just like soldiers charging side by side in a long wave they were either getting the better of the titans down the line or being ripped apart. Body parts and blood littered the field as Jorah would click his heels as the horse began to take off towards the badly fallen side. As he ran down the line, all around him Soldiers were falling, fighting. Blood splattered on his uniform, titans would fall around him.

It was like hell on earth but the first titan that was open and not being engaged, Jorah would stand on his horse and get ready to combat it. His eyes furrowing on the 6 meter titan that had a poor cadet in its grasp and was beginning to open its mouth. The cadet would be screaming and crying while begging for the lifeless creature to not eat him. Just as the face of the cadet was near the titans mouth the helpless cadet would hear a loud hiss of ODM gear with Jorah striking its nape from behind with speed.

Once connected with the titans nape and knowing it was a solid hit, Jorah would land on the ground in a tumble as he sprawled out on his back from the roll. A bit knocked and confused from the tumble he would slowly push himself onto his feet as he looked around. Bodies, yelling and just shock all around him as he had a gash across his face from the fall. Forming himself back to real world as he snapped back to the present. Looking for his horse while feeling the blood drip down his face.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

As the titan blood quickly evaporated off of him, Fulk shot an annoyed glance at Jorah. He didn't respond to the squad leader's comment immediately, just staring him down with an unimpressed expression as he ejected his dulled blades and replaced them with two fresh ones. "I'm alive aren't I?" He asked in his usual exasperated tone. And as usual Miller had no desire to involve himself in a good verbal fight. Instead he was already giving more orders, having Max break off to take Klara back to base, and calling on the remainder of the squad to assist the others.

Fulk complied, calling his horse back to him and mounting up, but privately he had his issues with the command. Even though they hadn't taken any real casualties yet, depriving them of two cadets instead of just one was a bad idea. Especially here and now. As cold as it might have been to say, they probably should have had Klara go back to base on her own, and keep Max with the group to help fight.

Nonetheless he followed Jorah back into the fray, swallowing nervously as he saw the carnage of the titans up close. They had been fairly lucky in their first encounter, but now they were getting a taste of what war with these monsters really looked like. It caused Hector to pause, lagging behind the squad to lean over and vomit onto the ground. Fulk glanced back at him before looking forward again. He was sweating, his stomach turning from nerves... And the horrible smell of death. He knew he could kill them, he had proven that much already. But this was still terrifying.

Jorah pushed ahead of them to engage a titan that was about to kill one of their fellow cadets. He managed to save him, but he landed hard. While Magda and Hector moved to help the injured cadet Fulk would start making his way towards his squad leader. The landing seemed to have dazed Jorah, causing Fulk to smirk. He was about to make a snide remark when he caught sight of a four meter titan making it's way right towards Miller. "Look out!" The cadet shouted, and jumped off his horse, using his ODM gear to get onto the scene quicker. The tian was distracted, charging right towards Jorah, so Fulk was easily able to get close. He embedded one grappling hook into the neck of the small titan, shooting past it's face and hitting the ground, kicking up dirt as the momentum dragged him around, carving a swath in the earth with his boot. This drew the titan's attention away from Jorah, though as it tried to turn to face Fulk it was already too late. Once the cadet had got a good angle on it's nape he reeled in his lined, pulling himself towards the titan and killing it with a clean swing of his blades.

Fulk flipped gracefully through the air and stuck his landing, looking back towards Jorah as some titan blood evaporated off of his shoulder. "Does that work for you Mr. Perfect?" He asked smugly. He immediately exhaled a shaky breath after saying this though. As much as he was trying to maintain his confident act it was clear his body was pumping with adrenaline, his survival instincts controlling his movements almost completely.

@Exhilian

 

[Exhilian]

Jorah Miller would glance over towards the oncoming Titan with a neutral expression as it came barrelling towards him with speed. It got close but only to have Fulk engage it and manage to take it down before it got a piece of Jorah. As he came back to from his tumble his emotionless eyes shot over to him and then back to the battlefield. Fulk's smart ass comment was to be expected as Jorah never replied to give him the satisfaction of an argument. This wasn't the time to be children.

Shifting his gaze back to Hector as he was as pale as a ghost. Jorah would get himself back onto his horse as it ran a lap around the battlefield looking lost until Jorah motioned it over and calmed it. Mounting the horse he would disengage two dull blades and connect two fresh ones off his sides as he looked across the field. A small dot came bounding towards them with speed. As it got closer it turned out to be a messenger from the middle section.

The rider was almost out of breath and had blood caked on his boots and the side of his uniform. "We are pushing to the Shiganshina district. Collect the wounded and bring them back to the Wall. Leave the dead for now. Wait until the flares are up to move." With that Jorah nodded quietly as the stench of death and bodies lay everywhere. Torn limbs such a legs and arms were strewn across the field and puddles of dark red blood satched the earth and mixed the colors of green and red as far as the eye could see.

As the titans around them were finished off and everything went quiet the only sounds that could be heard were the moaning and crying of the wounded and scared soldiers. The tone was eerie and silent. The wounded were being collected onto small stretchers and loaded into wagons as Jorah had a little time to breathe. After 5-10 minutes a green flare was shot up in the far left flanks side, followed by a green flare shot in the middle.

Jorah glanced over to Hector as he seemed to have composed himself after spilling out his guts. "Signal the rest." Jorah would comment flatly as Hector nodded and retrieved his flare gun. Loading a green round he would fire it up in the air to signal they were ready. The remaining sector of the right flank began to move out on their horses to the district. Fires, smoke, Titans bobbing in and out by roof tops walking down the streets could be seen.

Jorah scanned the the district in the field as they moved up closer and closer approaching a small hill that overlooked the district. Civillians were still hiding and running for their lives who got stuck behind as rubble and debris lay out on the cobblestone streets and bodies mangled from crushed rubble or ripped apart by titans lay on the street open for all to see. Jorah would turn his head and speak to the remaining squads.

"Move our horses up a bit, we'll set a casuality collection point at the far south side of the district where we'll put our horses. Squads 4, 11 and 23 will look for survivors and rescue civillians. My squad 17, 20 and 32 will engage titans and push our way to the wall with the other flanks." he would say all this almost like it was without care.

The leader of squad 11 snapped at the command. "Who died and made you King Miller?"

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

For once Fulk was glad Jorah didn't respond to his japes. It seemed things in their area were calming down for just a moment, allowing Fulk to catch his breath while they prepared for the push towards Shiganshina. He struggled to sheathe his blades while his hands shook, then finally collapsed onto his rear end with a heavy sigh. Hector approached and sat down beside him, still looking a bit sickly.

"So... How many is that?" He asked curiously, nodding towards the quickly decomposing titan behind them.

"Two." Fulk answered once he had caught his breath, and stared at Jorah while his back was turned, a grin slowly creeping across his face. "So I'm still tied with Miller for now..." Hector chuckled.

"Why do you care so much about that anyway?" He asked. At least the conversation seemed to be helping him recover. Fulk looked to his fellow cadet with the same furiously determined expression he always had.

"Because I want to be the best damned soldier who ever lived. That means eventually I'll need to leave the likes of you, him, and everyone else in the dust." He looked out at the bloody landscape, littered with the bodies of their fallen comrades. "That's the only way I can protect my family." His gaze turned down towards his feet. "If I still have one that is..." There was a moment of silence between the two of them before they noticed the flares going up. Then Jorah gave the order as well. While Hector was preparing his flare gun, Fulk walked back to his horse and mounted up. More work to do.

He remained mostly silent for the journey, falling into a laser focused state. They had to seal the breach. And then he would find his family. One thing at a time. Slow and steady. He could do this. As expected the outskirts of the district were a mess, completely overrun by titans. From here he could hear the screams of civilians being eaten alive. His grip tightened on his reins in response, his brow furrowing and teeth grinding. Monsters...

Jorah started giving orders how to proceed when one of the other fresh recruits snapped back at him. Fulk, unexpectedly, looked the cadet up and down before smiling arrogantly and coming to Jorah's defense. "I don't remember hearing your name on the top ten Haase." He told the leader of Squad 11, drawing some chuckles from the collected soldiers. "Follow the commands you're given, or I'll kick your ass until you remember what the chain of command looks like." Fulk's confident air had returned, but Haase didn't look to be backing down, instead scowling indignantly. He had a point. There was tension in the air. It looked like hardly any of the troops were eager to advance on the district. Even Hector and Magda looked scared, though they remained behind their squad mates.

@Exhilian

 

[Exhilian]

Jorah Miller would keep his facial expression unscathed and neutral to the comment. He pulled his reigns tight as Fulk retorted back to the Squad 11 leader as it seemed the two clashed a little. This was nothing for Jorah to intervine as far as he was concerned they had a bigger task at hand. With no other objections, Jorah would move everyone out down to the casuality collection area and hop off his horse.

Tieing it up to the post as this was going to be their retreat/regroup area as well incase anything went wrong. The plethera of buildings and towers were enough to travel on using their ODM gear so the need for horses wasn't needed as much. He would shoot out a grappling hook to the nearest roof and let the ODM carry him up as it hissed and he landed on his feet at the roof.

Ahead of them some ways was the Shiganshina district. It wasn't overly far but it was the closest one to the breach. Titans bobbed in and out from roof tops as they seemed to be everywhere. Jorah would glance over to the rest of the squads that Jorah assigned as they did the same and met on the rooftop. "Alright." Jorah said flatly.

"20 you tank left, 32 you're right..I'll take 17 down the middle." the other leaders would nod to him as civillians were running and screaming below as the other assigned squads would be rushing out to lead them and take them to safety and treat wounded. Jorah would begin to move as he let his ODM gear fire a grapple ahead and push him. With Fulk and the rest eventually following on his heel Jorah would begin his plan mid flight.

"Alright, engage any Titans we come across, the more dead the less we deal with. We need to reach that breach." he would continue flying as they began to move inwards of the area. A 7 meter titan would be getting close as Jorah would quickly pull out his blades. "Hector, with me. Fulk move to the next one.".

@Reyn