One.

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In the cadets, it was all about submission. We spent three long years being torn down, degraded, and humiliated so they could build an elite soldier from that shell of a person. Maybe I was stubborn, or maybe it was just in my nature to want to beat the system, but it hadn't worked on me. I couldn't decide if it were for better or for worse; I had retained my spirit, but at the cost of any courage they tried to instill in me.

My skills were elite, but my emotional maturity hadn't grown since the day I stormed out of my parents' house after declaring I was going to join the garrison. Nothing changed once I chose the Survey Corps; the need to stay with my friends and the selfish ambitions to be a famous soldier were the only dreams I brought with me to my new assignment. Freedom, a duty to humanity, dedication to a noble cause – you wouldn't find any of that in my heart.

And then he came along.

He saw right through me because I was just like him, but I would only learn that later on. He was fueled by his own selfish goals, but maybe that was how he was able to refine me into an obedient soldier so effortlessly.

Erwin Smith knew how to break me.

I'll never know if this was why I had managed to survive for so long while I watched braver comrades die around me, but there was one thing I was sure of. . . That summer would change me irrevocably.

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I leaned up against the door, pushing my way back into the courtyard.

"Kat! Look at you!" Sanako cried, grabbing my wrists and holding my arms out so she could admire my uniform, "How are you so gorgeous!?"

"You're ridiculous," I told her, rolling my eyes, "it's a soldier's uniform."

She spun around, her green cape fanning out with her long, black hair. "I just love them so much!" she gushed, "My cadet uniform never fit me like this! I feel like a new woman!"

"I'll make you feel like a woman," Fraz muttered lowly, stepping up behind Sakano to wrap his arms around her before she could notice the men approaching. Ben and Ortho followed to join our group as Franz continued to tease Sanako.

"Ew, no," Sanako groaned, giving him a hard shove into our friend Mouse, who had just joined us as her and Fynn stepped up beside Ortho. She shoved him away in turn and I tugged her wrist so that she was standing in front of me and I could throw my arms around her shoulders.

"Watch where you're going," I teased, pouting at Franz, "You're going to hurt our Mouse."

"I was shoved!" he protested, waving his arms at me.

"Recruits!" Squad Commander Andres shouted, making us all jump to attention and pull our fists to our hearts in a solute, "Now that you have received your uniforms, you will get your squad assignments. Remember that this is not a permeant position and that you're not a full scout yet. After your first expedition, it will be determined whether you join the regiment or get shipped off to the garrison. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" we all answered enthusiastically. It was meant to scare us, but the speech only made me more excited. I was ready to stand out from all the other recruits and prove my skill to all the senior soldiers.

"We will be doing formation drills today with your new horse assignments," the captain continued, "You will have an hour to ready your steed and meet with your squad to discuss the plans before we all meet at the norther training grounds."

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