The Humanity's Strongest & The Graceful

"The New You."

While Tessa and the others head to the forest, Tessa remains quiet as her thoughts about her life start replaying. She watched the trio walk ahead of her and Levi and smiled because those long four years of wondering if they were alive were over. However, Tessa would always worry about them because they still had the look of innocence in their eyes, something Tessa never had after her mom's death. She had it and wholeheartedly cherished it, but hearing her mom die and not being able to do anything about it had taken it away. While humanity feared the Titans terrorizing their homes, Tessa's was different.

Growing up inside Wall Rose, Tessa knew she would be safe from Tegan and Alexander. However, she never stopped looking over her shoulder for them to appear at any moment. It kept progressing until she met Erwin, who told her that she should join the army to learn how to protect herself from the dark threats of her life. He looked out for her, which helped prove to Tessa that he was someone to trust. Whenever Erwin brought up her joining the army, Tessa would think about it but could never make a decision. It was part of her plan to join, but she had to do something first, yet her thoughts were always racing about the next step. At first, Tessa thought about her promise to Levi but was planning on getting her doctor's license in honor of her mom. That's when Erwin suggested getting her license first, then joining the Cadets so she could be both. Of course, Erwin was already on his way in the Cadets, but he still looked out for Tessa, though he hadn't stopped. With Erwin being nine years older than Tessa, he treats her like a little sister, so she knows that he's being genuine if he's ever worried about her.

With Erwin's words and the promises she made replaying in her mind, Tessa did whatever she had to do. Focusing on getting her license first was her main goal then enlisting in the Cadets would come after. Thanks to all of her mentors, including Dr. Yeager, and with her mom's lessons and books, Tessa managed to do it in under three years. She excelled in the classroom, and studying came naturally to her since she loves to read. After earning her license, Tessa enlisted in the Cadets. She thought she would be one of the oldest people there, but as luck would have it, she wasn't the only one. Hange was there too. Tessa and Hange instantly clicked when they were partners in the training of ODM. Thanks to her superior memory, Tessa always remembered the lessons that Levi and Kenny taught her when she was younger, which she used from time to time in hand-to-hand combat training.

Like excelling in the classroom for her license, Tessa was already excelling in the Cadets. Everyone wanted to learn and train from her. While occupied with the sudden attention, she stopped looking over her shoulder for the terror that plagued her mind as a child. Tessa had never realized how her Instructor took such an interest in her until after graduation, just like she never acknowledged the Commander of the Military Police until they spoke to her. It's when Tessa understood it was Alexander and Tegan, and she was around them without even realizing it. After the meeting with Alexander about her going into the MPs, not by her choice, Tessa was upset. She let out that blood-curdling scream because she was so careless as to get caught in their net without even thinking. Before the fear could set in, Tessa decided this time she would fight back and not hide, no matter the cost. Luckily, Tessa had Hange on her side to get Alexander and Tegan put away for good.

While Tessa handled Tegan and his insufferable obsession with her, Hange had to figure out how to outsmart Alexander. Tessa knew that Alexander and Tegan thought they won because they had Tessa under surveillance, but they made the mistake of underestimating her. During the unbearable year in the MPs, the lessons from Kenny, her mom, and Levi were always on Tessa's mind. She would think of her mom when helping her patients or reading anything medical. It always made her smile because Tessa could hear Vanessa's voice in her ears, to which Tessa had almost forgotten how her mom sounded. The gentle softness in her mother's words as she spoke, almost like she did it with..., grace. Tessa smiled now that she had just realized another similarity they shared. Yet, the proud smile faded when Tessa recalled why her year in the MPs was so unbearable. It was because of how the men acted around her, from their lingering stares as she walked by and disgusting flirting whenever they conversed. Her patience was already thin, yet Tessa had to remind herself of Kenny's and Levi's words about outsmarting her enemy and defending herself against pigs like the men from the Underground. Little did Tessa know, they would prove valuable sooner rather than later and help Levi figure out that she was alive after all those years.