Genesis

"Help!....Anybody help me....Please!" A young man screams at the top of his lungs hoping someone, anyone, might save him. His screams grew quieter and quieter as blood poured form his body. The dust from the house that now sits on top of him has infected his lungs causing the young child to cough violently into the air. He once again tried moving the rubble off of him but, much to his own knowledge, nothing would even budge. His movements became more and more erratic as he laid there.

His arms were pinned, crushed by the roof that he fell through. He was still able to move his shoulders and he took advantage of this fact. Trying to wiggle his way out of the rubble, his head shook violently and his voice became louder. "Help!....Anybody....Help me please! Don't leave me alone-" The boys cries for help were cut short as the dust that still lingered found a new home in the child's lungs. His head shook violently as he tried to rid his himself of the dust and clear his throat. His breathing slowed and his chest look longer and longer to rise as he laid there. "This is how....it ends I guess." The boy said slowly accepting his fate. He struggled to keep his eyes open, he held onto hope that someone heard him.

Nathans eyes slowly began to shut as a few tears escaped from them. His sight lingered on the sky which was darkened as the smoke form the burning buildings polluted the sky. However, just before his eyes shut for the last, time a green bird flew across the sky and landed on the hole in the ceiling which overlooked the boys condition. More and more green birds made their way across Nathans view and a smile crept onto his face. His mind and spirit held onto the idea of hope when seeing the birds fly and maneuver around the titans. Nathan realized that the green birds were actually people and the green color he thought were feathers are actually capes.

Nathan raised his head and tired to shout but his came out meek and weak. The dust in his voice attacked his cries for help with more and more ferocity causing the young boy to barely utter a word without coughing profusely. He noticed wings that sprouted from the backs of the that were flying in front of him. Nathan reached his arm towards the sky in one last desperate attempt to escape or call for help. However, the last thing he heard caused his heart to pump blood a little bit more "Guys...There's a kid under here!"

~~~~A few hours earlier~~~~

The atmosphere and morale in shinganshina and was at an all time high. The reason: the festival of the walls was soon to commence. The festival was started by the order of the walls in order to pay homage to the one thing that kept everyone safe. The 50 meter tall walls that surrounded and defended shignahsina. It had been years since the last festival, the governor of shiganshina declared to hold off on the festival because of the huge outbreak that occurred several years past.

Despite the disease being cured and stopped many held a stigma towards and the festival wasn't held in case of another outbreak. However, this year the governor wanted to ensure that people vote for him so he removed the ban on the festival and allowed it to happen. Many people knew this but they didn't care.

The festival called for citizens to decorate the streets and their houses in honor of the 'great walls.' Several member of the garrison regiment were raked with maintains order in case of any unruly behavior. That led to members of the training corps being responsible for helping civilians with decorations and any other festive tasks. The director claimed that it was their 'duty to ensure the safety and happiness of all civilians' or something like that.

"This is bullshit!" one of the cadets exclaimed. He was about 5'7 and had short brown hair that went down to his eyebrows. The young soldier had blue eyes was of medium build. "We should be out learning how to kill Titans not putting up decorations!" He yelled again.

"Oi Connor! We talked about this already!" Another cadet said. It was a girl of about 5'3 in stature with a body that would send most men running. She had black eyes with short straight blonde hair that formed bangs. "If Shadis hears you then your gonna have to run laps until you collapse. And seeing as how I'm your partner, he'll make me run with you." She pointed out.

Connor mumbled to himself before continuing to hang up decorations on the house they were assigned to. "Still though...Its great to see the festival being encouraged again." The girl hummed in agreement before lifting some boxes and moving them around. "Yeah I know what you mean. My parents used to tell me stories about it. 'Lena if you only you could've seen it. The entire town comes together to dance, love, and laugh.'"

Connor hummed in understanding before turning his attention to the busy streets. Family's are walking and talking to each other. Friends and lovers coming together to walk and admire the decorations that are already put up. The feeling of community was definitely in the air and it was something each civilian shared with each other.

However Connor felt something missing, specifically, someone. "Wait a minute. Where is Nathan at?! He hasn't helped us at all!" Lena turned away from Connor and started whistling as she tried escaping her friend. "Hey you do you know something?!" Lena stated running away with a small on her face and a laugh escaped her lungs. The female cadet was about to turn the corner before she bumped into something and fell backwards. "Sorry mr. I wasn't paying attention. Are you alright?"

When she looked up here eyes widened and her body stiffened. Goosebumps found their way onto her arms and her breathing became shaky. Why? Well that's simple really - she had just ran full speed into her Commander. Commander Shadis. "Lena. Care to tell my why your running through the streets like a chicken with its head cut off." Lena shot off the ground and saluted her instructor. "S-sir! I was merely rushing to see if anybody needed help and thus allowing to do my military duty! Sir!" Lena was almost impressed that she was able to come up with something that quickly.

However, her moment of satisfaction was short lived as Connor came around the corner. "Lena! Wait up! I need to know where Nathan...went. shit!" Connor moved next to Lena and saluted along with her. "Cadet Connor. Why were you running around the streets like a couple of schoolgirl's

'What does that even mean? This man is crazy.' both Connor and Lena thought to themselves. "Sir! I was merely trying to find Nathan when I ran into Lena and we decided to see if anyone needed help." Lena gave a look to Connor and they both nodded. Smiling at each other before glancing at shadis. "Is that so? Well I'm glad you cupcake cup clowns are finished covering the rules of tag your it! Because now I'm it! And unless you want a foot up both of your asses to signify that the game has started a new round...I suggest you haul ass and finish your damn job!"

Connor was sure that pants his nots had transformed into a different color. Lena was practically shaking her legs in fear of the man who just yelled at them. They both saluted and somehow managed to run away from the commander before resuming their tasks.

~some where else~

A young boy is resting against a tree in the shade on top of a hill. His chest rises and falls in almost perfect synchrony. The boys breathings is calm and collected. His hair is normally long and wild but the young soldier decided to do something different with it. He had Lena braid his hair and into to long strands connect them at the back. His skin is darker when you compare it to the rest of the citizens that live on paradise.

(A/N): Idk how to describe hair so...there you go!

However, his face distorts into one of discomfort in pains as he thrashed around. He lets out pained groans and opens his brown eyes while breathing hard. He is dressed in a cadet corps outfit with a black hoodie underneath the cadet corps jacket.

The young boy rubs his eyes and tries to adjust them to the light that peered through some of the leaves form the tree he was sleeping under. As he looks out from the shade, he takes a second to marvel in the beauty that was his home. Many members of the community were out preparing for the festival and spending time with their family's.

The sound of the afternoon bell caused Nathan to shift his back to the walls. "The instructor is going to be mad at me if I show late..." the young soldier grimaced. "Well then...I guess I just wont show up then." Before the boy could fall asleep he noticed two kids walk up to him.

The boy was small and looked to be about 10 years of age with brown hair and green eyes. The girl looked different compared to the 'normal' person you would see throughout paradise. She looked maybe the same age or a little bit older than her friend. The girl had long back hair that went past her shoulders and a face that seemed to say she was 'bored so don't fuck with her'

"Um...Excuse me sir. But are you in the military?" The young boy asked. Nathan shut his eyes again before letting out a sigh. 'And there goes my afternoon nap' Nathan thought to himself. "Look kid. Don't call me sir...it feels weird. But yeah I am, I graduate in a couple of days."

Nathan explained. He couldn't see it but he could definitely tell the kid was excited form the quick breath he took. "That's awesome. Look Mikasa an actual solider." The girl, now identified as Mikasa, merely nodded and continued to stare at the soldier lying in front of her. "Hes...diffent than everyone else." She thought to herself. "What corps are you going to join?! I like the survey corps the most!"

Nathan let out a sigh and tried to shrug the kid away but he kept asking questions while getting louder and louder with each one. "The survey corps? Sounds like to much work. Why would you want to join them?"

"Well my friends and I have a dream, we want to get out of the walls and explore the world. These walls are keeping us locked up. I want to be free and escape them and joining the surveyor corps is the only way I know how to achieve that dream!" Nathan scoffed in response and stood up while stretching.

"Yeah, yeah. I heard it all before. Its easy to say that when your young and inexperienced. But when the first sign of adversity comes and people are dying...what will you do? Lets say the titans came in today and took someone you loved from you. What would you do? What could you? Nothing. Imagine someone desperately calling out your name to save them and all you can do is stand there and watch. Watching as they beg and plead for anyone to save them as all hope vanishes form their eyes."

"Listen kid, joining the survey corps is a respectable goal but unless your prepared to face the consequences then you'll die all the same. No amount of dreaming can change that." Each word that Nathan sounded genuine and authentic. He wasn't trying to sway or destroy Erens dreams but he wanted him to understand the reality that he faces.

The boy in question looked down and clenched his fists. "Besides...why do all that when you can sleep." Nathan said with a smile. "W-what would you know?! Your just a lazy soldier who sleeps all day. I-i bet that if you face a titan you would probably be s-scared and cry like a girl. Loser!" Nathan just shrugged in response. "I guess we will know when the time comes."

Eren stormed off and hurried to the gate. Mikasa seemed to faltered and bowed to Nathan in apology. The solider shrugged and nodded to the girl before she ran after her friend. "Damn. Maybe I said too much...I suppose if I see him later then I might apologize. Either I should head back before I'm missed to much."

~A few hours later~

Connor, Nathan, and Lena had finished setting up decorations and decided to meet up at the river. Nathan and Lena were sitting next to each other and watching as the drool fell from Connors mouth as he slept. Nathan soon followed Connors example and leaned his head against Lenas shoulder while closing his eyes. "Where did you go today?" Nathan sighed and sat up. "I went to sleep over by the hill in the pasture. Then two kids came up to me and berates me with insults. I was terrified." Lena let out a small laugh and she looked over to her friend.

"Like what?"

"Well they called me Lazy for one...which is just rude in my opinion." Lena tired to hold back the laugh that was coming and managed to do so before Nathan continued. "Then he called me a loser! I mean who does that?!" Lena let her laugh out and started pointing at her friend while laughing even harder.

"I cant believe your mad that he called you a loser! You said he was ten!" Nathan stood up and yelled at her "So what if he is 10? Damn brat shouldn't say things like that!" Lena laughed even harder and was about to say something until a bolt of lightning struck the ground and a titans head appeared above the walls. The front gate was smashed and hoards of titans poured into shiganshina.

Wasting no time at all Nathan grabbed Connor and Lena before running to the next gate. "We need to get to the boats!" They nodded in response and rushed towards their one means of escape.

As they ran through the streets of shiganshina, Nathan took note of all the brunt and mangled body's of men woman and even children. No one was spared. The young solider continued to run but his legs threatened to give out from under him and collapse from the pain. "AHHHHH! Nathan!" The boy turned and saw Connor in a titans hand. His friend was slowly being pulled into the titans mouth as he screamed in protest. "NO! PLEASE DONT! NATHAN...HELP ME PLEASE!"

Before Nathan could think about doing anything, Lena grabbed his hand and ran. "Nathan we have to go!!" She shouted at him. Nathan was still lost in his mind and couldn't utter a word of protest. His legs somehow carried him forward despite the rest of his body protesting. As Lena and Nathan ran up the stairs of a pass that overlooked several houses, Lena collapsed to the ground.

"Lena!" He rushed to her side and managed to catch her before she fell completely on the ground. As he set her against a wall he noticed the blood that was seeping out of her uniform. He look at his hand and noticed that it was covered in blood. Her blood. "I think some debris managed to cut me. I just need to rest."

Nathan couldn't find anything to say so he just nodded. He crouched in front of her and watched each move Lena made to ensure she wasn't in pain. "How did this happen? We were supposed to graduate together. The three of us. I don't understand-" he was cut off form his rambling as Lena put her hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry." Before he time to process her words, Lena summed up her last amount of and Nathan was pushed to the side as a Titan grabbed her. "Nathan. Get out of here!"

The young soldier tried to save his friend but found himself unable to move. He looked on Lenas face and saw a smile on it. "Nathan. Thank you for being my friend, I'll tell Connor that you said hi. So get out of here." Nathan shut his eyes and sent one las smile to his friends before turning around. Lena looked back at the Titan and her previous smile began to falter and falter. She tried to shake free form it's grasp and somehow defy her fate. The humanoid creature opened its mouth and drew her in.

"no...No...NO! PLEASE!" Nathan shut his eyes as he heard his friends final words. He turned the corner and was launched backwards by a Titan falling to the ground. As he fell from the overlook he fell into a roof of one of the nearby houses.

~~~~Present Time~~~~

His arms were pinned, crushed by the roof that he used to live under. He was still able to move his shoulders and he took advantage of this fact. Trying to wiggle his way out of the rubble, his head shook violently and his voice became louder. "Help!....Anybody....Help me please! Don't leave me alone-" The boys cries for help were cut short as the dust that still lingered found a new home in the child's lungs.

Nathan raised his head and tired to shout but his came out meek and weak. The dust in his voice attacked his cries for help with more and more ferocity causing the young boy to barely utter a word without coughing profusely. He noticed wings that sprouted from the backs of the that were flying in front of him. "Hope." were the last words the boy muttered before shutting his eyes for the last time. However, the last thing he heard caused his heart to pump blood a little bit more "Guys...There's a kid under here!"