Luciana Ackerman (Jean Kirstein X FEM! OC)

Chapter 31: Calm Before The Storm

{Long Chapter Ahead - 6,905 words}

"You didn't know? Training corps instructor Shadis...was the 12th commander of the survey corps just before Erwin. It's been a while since we've seen him, too." Hange said.

Hange and the Levi squad are on their horses and on the way to the training corps to meet Keith Shadis.

The Levi squad looked at Luciana. Luciana shrugged at them. "I didn't feel the need to tell you about his past and that old man seems to keep his old story to himself." Luciana said.

When they arrived at the training corps, Keith Shadis is already outside the training field and observing the new trainees of the cadet corps.

"Instructor Shadis." Eren called Keith. Shadis side-eyed Eren.

The green-eyed boy saluted at him while he kept a serious demeanor.

"You're not going to sit, Braus?" Shadis asked Sasha.

The brunette-girl is just standing on the side looking scared because of her old instructor's presence. "No! I'm quite all right here!" Sasha said.

"Yes. I suppose the reason I used to summon you here in the past was to rake you over the coals..." Shadis said.

Luciana smirked and shook her head. Memories of her time spent in the training corps training the 104th cadet trainees came back to her.

She remembered how asha would always be summoned by Shadis to punish her for her silliness.

"It's only been a few months...but you've all changed so much I barely recognized you." Shadis said.

"And I guess the last time we saw you was...five years ago." Levi spoke. "You, um...changed a lot, too." Levi said.

Levi and Luciana looked at Hange who remained quiet. She looked from Hange. "It was the first time a new commander of the survey corps had ever been named while the old one is still alive. I'd replace my own useless self with someone talented. Perhaps you could call it the one act of mine that had merit." Keith Shadis said.

Hange finally looked at Shadis. Though her stare at the old man is cold and is evident with an upset look. "Commander Shadis...I mean, instructor. Have you figured out why we're here to speak to you just as ww may have figured out a way to retake wall Maria?" Hange asked.

Keith looked at Eren who' staring at him. They stared at each other for a few moments until Shadis spoke.

"Eren...you remind me of your mother." Shadis said shocking Eren. Mikasa and Armin, too. "But...the fangs lurking beneath those eyes...are unmistakeably your father's"

Eren stood up and he slammed his hand on the table. He gritted his teeth and determinely looked at Shadis. "Tell me, please! Tell me everything you know!" Eren eagerly said.

"To be blunt...I don't know anything. But if you'd like to hear a story with no benefit whatsoever to humanity, I'll tell you." Shadis said. He looked at Eren. "I was just a bystander. But here's what I remember." Shadis said.

"I met Grisha twenty years ago, now? We met outside the walls. We were returning from an expedition, and I remember the titan encounter rate was much lower than normal...then, just outside the Shiganshina gate in wall Maria...he appeared."

Shadis continued on telling how he met Eren's father, Dr. Grisha Yeager.

"He truly knew nothing. About the history and creation of these walls, names of places...even the concept of money. I wasn't sure whether...I was drunk that had done it, but it did seem that something truly impaired his memory. And he seemed particulary interested in how humans lived. When I told him the truth about how things were..."