Power to Strive

Humanity's Comeback Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan or this Story.

Previously: Hange, Levi, and Erwin decide the people watching 'Attack on Titan' are trustworthy.

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"Hey, you!"

"Sir!" Armin saluted Keith.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Armin Arlert, from Shiganshina District!"

"I see! That's a ridiculous name! Did your parents give it to you?!"

Hange sighed, smiling fondly. "Brings back memories."

"My grandfather did, sir!"

"Arlert! Why are you here?!"

Armin closed his eyes and replied loudly. "To help humanity achieve victory!"

"How very admirable of you! We can feed you to the Titans!"

"I was seriously having heart palpitations," Armin said, heart almost feeling faint thinking about it.

"Third row, about face!" Keith turned Armin's head and moved on. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Sir! Thomas Wagner, from Trost District!"

"I can't hear you!" Keith got in his face.

Thomas flinched and repeated. "Thomas Wagner!"

"Can't hear you!"

"Man, he could be so irritating," Jean complained. Then he shot Hange a wide-eyed look and quickly clamped down.

"Look at them go." A young man walked with his silver-haired superior.

"Go practice in a barn!" Keith yelled.

"You went through the same thing when you started as a trainee, didn't you?" The elder man said. "It takes me back."

"No! You're from a pigsty!" Keith said to Mina. "You're less than livestock!"

"Hey, that's the line I got," Petra giggled.

"Yes, sir! I am less than livestock!" Mina blurted, panicked.

"But what's all that intimidation for?" The young man asked.

"It's a rite of passage. We revert them to a blank slate through the use of self-denial, after which we mold them into proper soldiers."

"Was that the point?" Sasha asked. "I thought he was just mean."

"Same," Christa replied, nodding.

"Hmm, that does make sense," Armin said.

Keith picked on another poor soul. "Why the hell are you here?!"

The silver-haired man nodded. "This is one step in that process."

"To devote myself to humankind!"