35 I want...

[Survey Corps HQ]...

After traveling through the night. Levi and his squad with Hange reached the HQ in wall Rose. it was a long distance from the training camps to the HQ, so they only reached it at midnight.

They made their way to Erwin's office. After opening the door, they were greeted with the sight of all the other squad captains sitting around a table with Erwin at the head.

"Come in, I am sorry for calling you at a short notice." Erwin indicated for Levi and Hange to sit in the empty seats

"I have gathered you all here to discuss our next expedition outside the walls" As Erwin said the purpose of their meeting, everyone tensed up. Outside of the walls is their enemy, the Titans " As you all know about Ace Braveheart and his Power, we had talked about this, and since you're my trusted comrades, I trusted you not to reveal his Identity or his relationship with us." The all nodded, the boy is very important to talk about casually.

"Right now, The amount of potion he delivered for us is sufficient enough to use in our next expedition" Erwin's word made the room go into an uproar

Hange raised her hand to talk, "Erwin...You want us to use the potions now. Isn't it wiser to halt our activities for the next years? By that time Ace would've regained a big portion of his power and will be able to enhance the power of the potions. And with his titan power he can help with the hordes of the abnormal titans in the forest" Again the room burst into a heated discussion, Hange's words make sense " And don't forget about the attack after 3 years. We need men...Erwin"

"The potion's power is minimal. According to Ace, It will just heal your injuries and a cut-off limb, it doesn't give you any strength. If you were eaten by a titan you'll still die or if your head is injured or your spine is broken, the power wouldn't work." Said Levi, this kind of injuries are common outside, it's not like the Titans will hit you and go, they crush your body play with you then eat you alive. for every chance he got, Levi would talk with Ace about the various possibilities of his powers. To say Levi is shocked by Ace is an understatement. It also gives him greater hope, he believes with all his body and soul that Ace can end this madness and only he can do it.

"Yes. I've thought about what Hange said. But...We are the survey corps, unlike the other corps. Us being inside the walls will bring us harm and the people will hate us. since a portion of their tax money goes to keep us working. " Erwin closed his eyes and sighed, he wished he could halt their activity now and wait for Ace to join, that would make things easier but " ...The people wouldn't like us lazing around for 3 years. They will demand to cut off our tax share and our disbandment. The military Polic is acting strange these days. They are focusing on us more than usual. We need to be outside" This time Erwin raised his head with clear determination "... But if we were able to go outside and kill titans without us losing any members, The people will support us and trust us to protect them. We need to prove that we're worth their money and if another attack happened they will turn to us first." Erwin's words made the captains' eyes burn with passion. Yes, if they accomplished that, their reputation of the crazy and suicidal soldiers will vanish and they will become heroes in the people's eyes.

Mike stood up and looked at Erwin with a big grin " You've said it right Commander. We will show the people our power. Isn't that right guys?" Following Mike, the other captains stood up too and saluted with their fists on their hearts

"Then it is decided, The next expedition will be in 20 days, we will prepare for our first victory," Said Erwin. Yes, a victory over humanity's weakness against the Titans.

-----------------------------------------

[The Military training camp]...

[Sunrise]...

Since Levi and Co are not available today and would only come back in the evening, Keith Shadis resumed his duties as the Instructor for today's training until Levi is back.

Today is the first time that recruits will try the ODM gear training.

One of the first things done after enlisting in training is the ODM gear aptitude evaluation. Those unable to remain upright are dismissed and will be thrown away, humanity's main enemy is the Titans and ODM gear is humanity's sole weapon against them. what use do you have as a soldier if you can't use the only weapon against the Titans?

"Those incapable of staying upright aren't suited to even be used as decoys!"Said Instructor Keith, he is walking in front of the recruits while they try to stay still in the air using ODM gear.

many of the recruits were able to somehow stay still, some still having difficulties while others it came to them as if they're breathing, its called talent. And of course, there are the monsters, those the ODM gear doesn't have any effect on at all as if they're wearing nothing.

Ace and Mikasa, both of them were able to stabilize themselves in the air without any difficulty, the ODM demands art that requires both strength and skill, which both Ace and Mikasa have plenty of.

Ace's control over his body is beyond excellent, he managed to find his body's balance point making this training easy.

Krista, Armin struggled for a bit but they managed to pull it off thanks to C. Laurance's training while Eren unlike in the show, Instructor Keith didn't try to stop Eren or make things difficult for him. he let him be for some reason, either because he didn't get the chance to or he can't.

And of course Sasha, her position is very strange, it looks like she is poppet who is being controlled by the weirs on the ODM gear. Keith wanted to scold her about it but what she is doing is not wrong either. the requirement is to stay upright and she is doing it. so he abandoned that idea and went observe the others and give them pointers if needed.

By the end of the day, Keith had dismissed 20 Recruits who weren't able to meet the requirement of the ODM gear training.

Eren, Armin, Connie, Reiner, and Ace and even Jean are watching some of their roommates leave the camp with bitter faces. some of those have nothing left other than the military to support themselves, life will be harder for them for sure.

"Sight, Man it feels bad seeing them like that..." said Connie, some of them were close friends with him and were really kind on top of that " Their faces make me feel terrible."

"It can't be helped, those who are weak have no choice," Eren said with a face full of wisdom, it made Ace wish Keith had played with Eren's gear, only so he can hear Connie's reply later on.

"It's for their sake." Said Reiner " If they continued like that, as Instructor Keith said, they will end up dead by the first Titan they meet" Berthold supported Reiner's words alongside Armin.

As the boys were sharing a moment of wisdom, Annie passed from behind making Ace jump back and put his arm around her shoulder " Yo Annie, haven't seen you all day long" Jeana looked Ace with murderous eyes while Berthold looked nervous. the rest just ignored it

Annie gave Ace a cold glare before slapping his arm off her shoulder " Why can't you leave me alone for just one day?" she then continued to walk, but Ace decided to get closer tonight so he followed her inside the Gathering house.

"Isn't why I am doing this obvious??" he said, he sat beside her at the corner of the room

"I don't know...?" Annie said in a monotone voice " And I don't care"

"Because I like you that is why." Annie's eyes shot wide open at his words, she looked at him as Ace had three heads

"Are you crazy?? you have a wife." her voice held so much shock. she looked at Krista who was sitting with Ymir.

"Don't worry about Krista, she knows that I am planning on marrying 3 girls, and you're the 3rd" Ace decided to go with honesty, he is not experienced in the art of flirting or seduction. And Annie is not a girl that you can just seduce easily.

Annie couldn't believe her ears, this guy is saying he is planning on marrying her! And she is the 3rd?!

"So who is the 2nd?" althought Annie has a rough idea about who is the 2nd, she couldn't help but ask

"Mikasa..." Upon hearing Mikasa's name, Annie felt some anger build inside her, not from jealousy or anything she is still far from feeling as such. But she remembered her fight with Mikasa and how the girl made all her childhood training with her father go to waste.

"Annie..." Ace called for her bring her back from her thoughts, she looked at him with her eyes still in surprise, this the most emotions she has shown in years

" I want to be closer with you...My feelings are genuine for you..."Ace took Annie's hands in his and looked at her in the eyes " I want to date you..." he said, he tried to convey his emotion to her as much as possible

Annie looked at his eye, she saw that he was sincere. Out of all the training, her father gave her, reading someone's emotions through their eyes was the thing she was the most thankful for.

"..." She opened her mouth to speak, she was going to give her answer, there was no need for thinking "...No" she retracted her hand and stood up to leave. leaving Ace in his place looking at where Annie was sitting before.

"Oya!! what is this?? did you just get Rejected??" Jean came and sat where Annie was and the boys from earlier joined in. they were close and managed to hear Ace get rejected. they wanted to console him but Jean beat them and ridiculed Ace.

Eren hit Jean on the head warning him not to ridicule Ace, normally this would start a fight between Eren and Jean but Jean was having the best moment of his life

"Hhahaha!!! He just got rejected! he really did, did you see how she rejected him??" Jean was laughing his ass off making Eren and Armin feel nervous for him, they tried to stop him multiple time but he didn't listen and continue to laugh at Ace.

Soon Jean's laughing voice was stopped by a fast handed that reached for his neck. Ace got hold of Jean's neck and put force in his grip enough to make Jean's face turn blue. Jean started coughing and struggling for air.

" If murder wasn't illegal, I would've killed you the moment you opened your mouth..." Ace brought his face close to Jean's and looked at him dead in the eyes " So...Don't test my patience."