Chapter 1: Outside or Inside?

~Prologue~

They couldn't communicate. They didn't understand the words spoken between them. The meaning of their words were lost. But it didn't matter. Their connection could be felt by everyone. Those two didn't need words.

But he was born into this world for a purpose. A purpose that was bound to separate them. And no matter how much it hurt to see everyone suffer, he was what he was. A monster.

And while he felt the will and sudden heat shoot through his body, claiming his consciousness, he couldn't help but try to find a justification for why he fought. Seeing the bloody limbs fly everywhere, he wondered if any were his. The only thing he could hear as he drifted off was the scream of someone he remember, telling him to keep a promise. Promise? What promise?

~~~~~[]~~~~

Smoke. Gray. Cold. Filth and death covered the world. It was a nice place to never be found. A disgusting wasteland, but Vernichtung called it his safe heaven.

He was currently living in the wastelands of the humans. War, famine, disease, it all was raging on among humanity. They were truly on the brink of destruction. Many humans tried to help the inevitable situation, but many just made the wars fiercer, the famine stronger, and the diseases more deadly. Scientist who thought they knew what they were doing just made everything worse. Big, human like creatures were emerging after a newly developed form of radioactive treatment. Vernichtung smiled. It really was a beautiful sight.

Vernichtung emerald eyes glittered against the dull, smokey sky. He'd live forever, and seeing all this exciting annihilation was shocking. He'd even heard rumors about a wall. A wall where humans thought they'd be safe. Said humans supposedly kept it secret about the situation outside their walls, and what's still happening. Although Vernichtung really didn't think the last remaining humans outside those cursed walls were going to last another year. He guessed that the year over there would be 01, wouldn't it? Ahh what a glorious start to hell.

Vernichtung was walking away from all the rubble and debris. He couldn't be left out of all the upcoming excitement. He'd been rather bored. Nothing to do but kill whatever pathetic human or thing got in his way. He didn't care about the humans. Nor did he care about the grotesque monsters roaming the world. He was incomplete. He was searching. Being manifested into this world by destruction and hatred was cruel. He was the living breathing soul of annihilation, and living this way was a disgrace.

Vernichtung sighed. Even though he knew his overall role, what was he suppose to destroy? Not the humans or the monster like humans. It was something else. It was something more powerful.

A cry pierced though the air. Vernichtung pinpointed exactly where the cries originated from. He slowly trotted there. His heavy clad leather boots making heavy footfalls into the dead, crumbled earth. He stopped in front of a scene. A women was being devoured by a humanoid monster. It seems by the amount of blood on the ground and splattered over the naked body of the thing, their was probably more people who have been killed and eaten. The crunching sounds of flesh and bone echoed through his ears, and he couldn't help sighing, for it was the sound of being alive. The poor women was indeed alive, even if this situation claimed her life. As the monster was finishing up, he could still hear a weak cry. Vernichtung spotted something wrapped up next to the humanoid thing.

He pondered a bit longer. While analyzing the monster, he glanced down at the thing crying. He has seen life and death, and they have yet to effect him in any way. Although, the child's quiet sobbing was a different sound he has yet to listen to. He approached the bundle slowly, like he was just taking a casual stroll. The gigantic beast regarded him, but Vernichtung knew that it wouldn't dare attack him. The monster heaved its heavy body up, the ground shaking from the force if it's weight. As it walked away, Vernichtung kneeled down to grab the thing. As he pulled it close, the baby hushed it's choking cries. For feeling the warmth of another body was comforting. Vernichtung cradle the fragile human into his arms, and walked off.

The cold fierce wind whipped at his body. He tucked the poor thing into his long black coat. He walked endlessly through the wastelands, his eyes scanning the dead land for what he was looking for. A clearing was spotted, and Vernichtung decided to stop there. It was far off, but he could only sigh and keep moving. The sun was slightly peaking from behind the dense, heavy gray clouds after awhile of walking. He finally made it to the small plain, where there was little grass growing in the circular clearing. He went right to the center and fluidly sat down, putting the baby carefully in his lap.

He was at a loss of what to do. Thoughts of why he had picked up the child ran threw his head. He hesitantly placed his hands of the top of the bundle. He peeled off the blood stained sheets the baby was wrapped in, and stared directly at the face of the human he just saved. It was an average looking child. Brown big eyes tiredly staring right back at his perplexed face. The baby smiled a toothless smile and tried to outreach its small hand to him.

Vernichtung was entranced. It was so helpless. So dependent. He wickedly smiled. The war between humanity and tragedy is just starting, and it was time he found his place. Ideas ran threw his mind, and he knew exactly why his he choose to save this pathetic creature who was born in this cruel world.

"Want to help me? Little one? All you need to do is die for me." Vernichtung sweetly whispered.

He manically smiled. He fluidly brought up his hand & dove it into the baby's chest without a moment's hesitation. Blood splattered messily onto his face, his eyes wide with the thrill of killing, although there really was no satisfaction with killing infants, they didn't scream. Vernichtung took the life of the baby. He felt no emotion while shaking his hand free of the thick, crimson fluid running down his arm.

"Your soul shall help me reach beyond the walls. Thank you." Vernichtung wasn't one to not give credit where it was needed.

His body glowed. The baby disintegrates in the hands. He could feel himself shifting, changing. He wasn't tangible anymore, looking more fantom like in every second. He felt afloat, moving through the land, to where the walls lay. He knew he'd forget everything. His name. The reason he lives, and his purpose. And he'd await for his role to be activated. He'd consumed the child's humanity. He could be considered half human now, but still more god like. He closed his eyes. When he'd awake, he knew he'd remember nothing, and Vernichtung wished he would at least be closer to those walls, for he was done being trapped on the outside, just like it was no better being trapped on the inside.

Something was off. His body felt tangible suddenly, and pain shot up his body. He couldn't move. A substance was creeping up from his legs, immobilizing him completely. He struggled, thrashed, and yelled. It was too dark to see anymore, and he vaguely wonder why he was struggling again. Wait, why was he even yelling. He stilled.

The hardening substance overtook him, but he only felt calm. A wave of drowsiness struck him, and he had no more fight. He closed his eyes, still wondering, but the answers seemed to far away, and the only thing he knew for sure, was the yearning burning in his heart, and he felt the lights shut completely off.

~~~~~~~{}~~~~~~

The luminous sun peaked against the towering walls. The raven haired man was already up from his small room, tea in one hand as he acknowledge what little beauty this cruel world had to offer.

His dull, heavy-lidded gray eyes stared at nothing in particular. Today was the start of a new mission outside the walls for the Scouting Legion. Today would be a tough day filled with heavy loss and bitter triumph. Most likely it would be a mission to yield no results on the mysterious, deadly titans. Just like all the other missions he'd survive, they were fruitless. Countless humans have died at the expense of nothing break though, and the public were starting to notice it more. This was very problematic, but they had tried as hard has they could. Levi knew that they had to trust in their abilities to find valuable knowledge, and not hope for it to fall out of the sky and hit their heads or something.

Just then, Erwin Smith, the commander of the Scouting Legion, knocked on the door.

"You may enter." Levi's monotone voice answered.

"Great. You're awake. Although I should not expect anything less from you. We need to run over the route to the plains we are crossing. It seems Squad Leader Hanji pointed out some dangers we were too quick to dismiss."

"Alright. What were shitty glass' complaints and what do you suggest?"

"It seems that the time we would be riding on horse back, in the plains, is too great. We all know we are at a disadvantage using the 3D maneuvering device on flat grounds. We would be at least two or more hours riding in the plains. Hanji pointed out the forest would be a better detour and an advantage to us." Erwin finished his long speech.

"I believe it will give us more of an advantage, but remember that the titans can use that also. We have the chance that one could sneak up behind the soldiers in the cover of the tress. But it is better than riding in full sight. Alright. I believe this quick modification is justifiable." Levi agreed that they stood a better chance riding through the forest.

They discussed details and routes, finding conflicts and quickly rerouting positions of groups. They calculated the average loss of soldiers based on past missions, and with the new strategy, they expected at least 100 soldier's lives to be spared this time. Although no one could be sure, for it all depended on factors that they couldn't always control. One of the biggest ones depended on how concentrated the area they were traveling to was with titans. They went in blindly a few times, only to suffer the loss and reproaches from society. With all this in mind, they wrapped up the plans, ready to present them to the groups on the mission.

"Alright. That's decide. Remember, in two hours we will depart. See you then." Erwin dismissed himself and briskly walked out of the room.

Levi watched him leave. He was standing by the window, overlooking the scenery still.

"Why can't I shake they feeling that the forest will devour us?" Levi muttered.

He quickly changed his clothes and fully geared himself perfectly, not one single thing out of place. He then stepped out into the hallway, heading down for a light breakfast. He never thought so much about missions, usually he was impassive about going out of the walls, the excitement dying with the years. But this one was different, and there was something he just didn't like about it.

~~~~{}~~~~

"Prepare yourselves. This missions is a first for a lot of you. We've been together on basic training and..." Armin wasn't paying attention to Commanders Smith's speech. He side glanced at mikasa, his childhood friend.

He couldn't shake the foreboding feeling nestling in his stomach. He was nervous yes, for no one wanted to die. But the little tic of a feeling wouldn't relent.

"Hey. It's going to be fine, Armin." Mikasa's strong steady voice reassured Armin.

He glanced at her again, hesitant to share his thoughts and feelings about the mission. "Mikasa. Don't you feel something's up? The plan changed suddenly, with a reasonable reason, but I can't help but feel like something is planned beyond what we know..."

"You don't have to worry about stuff like that. This is our first mission outside the walls. Get it together or we could all die, Armin. Even if there is something else planned, we have no power to know exactly what it is. Just focusing on staying alive and completing this research mission." Mikasa effectively ending her speech by pulling up her soft red scarf over her mouth.

Armin stayed quiet. His light blue eyes swept the entire force that consisted of the Scouting Legion. His eyes narrowed as his gaze pinpointed on a certain Captain. Levi Heichou was on his horse, at the front. When Erwin shot the fire and command to move forward, Armin ripped his gaze and sighed. Should anything happen he at least knew humanity's strongest, Levi Heichou would be near, for when they got in the first formation, he was in Levi's group. Mikasa also flanked his blind side, so they had a good chance of surviving. He tightly shut his eyes against the raging wind and sighed. He was a soldier, and when he opened his eyes, the ice cold determination to live danced inside them. Swirling in them were hesitation, but Armin let it go. He was scared, yes, but until he was in any real danger, or face to face with a titan, he could survive, and he would.

(A/N:) hello~! Sorry if anything felt rushed. I write poems (really good ones too) , not so much stories but I have before so I'm not a stranger at it, though this is my first post. REVIEW PLZ! You can request or give me ideas or just tell me if you like it! I have some chapters already written but updates will be random.

Have a good day~!

-A.T