The Walls We've Built - ◈ ARMIN ARLERT X OC ◈

Chapter 1 - Falling of Trost (part 1)

5 YEARS LATER - YEAR 850

It's been five years since Nick died, five years since I last saw my mother and father. Since then I learnt how to live without being emotionally attached to anyone, to keep my head down and get through life without letting anyone love me. That is how I have survived this long, well that was until I became a recruit and join the cadet corps.

The moment I got into wall Rose I began training, training everyday so I can someday help people avoid loosing their loved ones as I did in 845. As soon as I was old enough I join the training corps. It was hard, long hours and painful training, but I got through it. Along the way I met my new family, Genevieve is my closest friend, more like a sister I never had.

We met on the first day of training and have looked out for each other ever since. Jacob is like my younger brother, I met him during the snow survival exercise, we were both caught in the blizzard but made it back together, I wouldn't have been able to do it without him. Since then its been us 3 for the last few years, now we are finally safe within the walls of the Trost district out of harms way, or so we thought.

"Can you believe we have graduated! There are only a few more days before we get to choose our regiments!" Jacob yells as we swing through the streets of Trost. A faint smile creeps across my face, finally I will be able to help people.

"I know right! Which regiment do you guys want to join? Well we all know Zariya will join the military police since she finished 11th in our corps!" Gen replies as we land on one of the roofs. "First of all I don't want to join the military police, the king means nothing to me, its the people I want to protect. And second of all like you said I'm finished 11th not 10th, you needed to be in the top 10 to be eligible to join the mp's." I state slightly out of breath.

I sit down on ruff titles of the roof adjusting my ODM gear while Jacob and Gen share confused looks. "Well you have have a pretty good chance since that crazy kid in the top 10 wont shut up about how he is going to join the scouts and kill all the titans!" Jacob says with a mocking voice, Gen laughs and sits down next to me. "Yeah, you should at least consider it, you will be living a very comfortable life in the interior zone." Gen said nudging my shoulder.

I stand and start pasting in frustration, "You guys don't get it, I don't care about how great life is in the interior zone, or the king. I want to save people! Those cowards in the military police sit behind their big fancy wall and do nothing all-" A loud explosion cuts me off, Jacob and Gen look at me with open mouths. "What?" I question, Gen just looks with wide eyes and points behind me. I turn around and my own jaw drops, not again.

We begin running along the roof tops, why is the colossal titan back! What does it want from us now, did it not kill enough people the last time it was here? "What the hell do we do!" Jacob screams as we zip through the sky towards the breach the titan has made, "I don't know! Maybe we should just go back to base with the rest of the recruit and let the actually trained soldiers deal with it?" Gen replies in an unsteady tone.

"There is no way in hell I am running from this thing, not again, not after it took my brother from me." I state with a steady tone, Jacob and Gen look at me as we glide through the sky, I have briefly told them about what happened 5 years ago in Shaganshina but I barely talk about it. "Well ok then, your going to need back up." Jacob says, I smile to myself, when things get tough they alway pull through for me, just like Nick alway did.

We continue towards the breach, but the colossal titan isn't our only problem, titans have managed to get through the wall. Recruits are flying everywhere, some towards the titans and other away, I guess not all the cowards are behind the walls of the interment zone. "Hey we have company coming for us on your right!" I yell after spotting a 4 meter titan stomping towards us a few streets away.

"Geez, so thats what they look like huh? Not a very pretty species." Jacob mumbles as we change our direction towards the titan. We attack the titan from the back and sides, Gen and I cut off the arms of the titan as Jacob slices out the nape precisely and quickly bringing the titan to the ground. Before we get time to regroup we are approached by multiple titans. We all going in seperate directions to fend off the titans.

"Hey guys, don't die ok!" Gen yells as she flys towards a titan, "Got it! You too!" Jacob and I both reply before I'm out of ear shot. Approaching the titan I am filled with feelings of rage and anger. Flying over the titan it reaches out to grab me and nearly successes, too close. I swoop behind it cutting out its nape making it plum it to the ground. Before I have a moment to catch my breath, another titan comes running towards me.

I swiftly slide between its legs before coming up behind it going for the kill, but before I am able to the titan runs right past me. "What the-" I ponder, assuming it must have been an abnormal. Before I can do anything else I realise my gas is dangerously low, lucky for me there are no titans around me so I use the last of my gas getting to the highest point I can.

I stand on top of a church over looking Trost, out of breath I see all of my fellow recruits moving towards the headquarters which is swarming with titans, what are they up to? Whilst in my own head I hear something behind me. Before I give it enough time to attack I lung at the person bringing them down to the roof. I have them pined to the ground with one hand pushing their shoulder into the tiles and pointing my sword at their throat with the other.

"Hey! Hey I am your ali, don't kill me please!" He releases his swords, opening his shaking hands. I look at him in the eye and take in a sharp breath, he piercing ocean blue eye staring back into mine. The only other person I've ever seen with eyes like his was Nick. I drop my sword from his throat but keep my hold on his shoulder. "I'm not going to kill you." I reply, analysing him further. I take notice of his uniform, it is identical to mine, he must also be apart of the cadet corps. I take my hand off his shoulder and get off from on top of him. He sits up with his elbows resting on his knees, he has his head down with his blonde hair covering his eyes.

I take a seat next to him and apologies for attacking him, he looks across to me and slightly smiles. "My name is Armin Arlert, I know you don't know me and obviously don't trust me but I have a plan." He states in a quiet tone. Armin points at the regiment headquarters, he goes on to explain the plan on how we will be able to get back to the building and reclaim it.

"I hate to say it but it sounds like a pretty decent plan and almost crazy enough to work." I scoff, his eyes light up and a light red appears on his cheek, he jumps up. "Well lets go then! Mikasa and the others are already on there way to HQ, so we should get going, like right now." He says while adjusting his ODM gear getting ready to go. "First of all who is Mikasa and second of all we have a problem," I knock on the side of my gas tank. "I'm out of fuel." I sigh, Armin looks at me and checks his own gas tanks.

"I think I have enough gas to get us both there considering the extra weight of another person," he puts his hands to his chin as if he is doing calculations in his head? "If we go directly down the Main Street and take no detours we will get there with approximately one eighth of the tank left." I look at his blankly, amazed by the fact he was able to work that out is his head but he doesnt need to know that. "So you think I'm fat?" I say crossing my arms to throw him off instead.

"Huh? Oh! No I didnt mean it like that, I just meant-" he mumbles flustered and taken back. "I'm just messing with you Armin, I know what you meant." His jaw twitches as he scratches the back of his head. I drop my arms and walk over to him unsure of what to say, "So how is this going to work?" He looks at me and hesitates, "Promise to not lunge at me again?" He asks half laughing, I smile at him and nod my head.

Armin place one arm around my waist and I wrap my arms around his neck holding tightly, as he pull me against his body. Armin shoots his lines into a near by building and we speed forward towards the headquarters.

"My name is Zariya, incase you were wondering" I say loud enough for Armin to hear me against the wind, he looks at me as the wind blows his hair away from his face. He smiles at me and replies "Well its nice to meet you Zariya" before looks back to the street ahead of us with focus eyes. I smile too, he tightens his grip on my waist making sure I don't plummet to my death.