AOT: Life of a Scout

A Gilded Cage Pt. 2

Few were able to outrun the murderous grasp of the giants that soon became colloquially known as the "Titans".Those that remained alive found sanctuary within the lands surrounded by massive circular walls of magnificent proportions. They stood at over fifty meters above the ground, almost two hundred feet in height, easily towering over any and all deviant heights the titans possessed.

To add to that, there were three of them, Wall Maria being the outermost wall. Wall Rose held within the interior of Wall Maria whose form covered three hundred sixty degrees of sight.

Finally there was Wall Sina residing behind the protection of both, one inside the other which segmented hundreds of square miles of land capable of sustaining the remnants of humanity.

When word of such a safe haven circulated, those nearby still alive flew the rubble of their home towns for the safety of the walls. Millions flocked to it. A mass exodus of biblical proportions commenced as the remainder of mankind made their way to the shelter, the proverbial storm ever at their backs.

Large convoys were sent full of the innocents. Some tried horse-backing their way to the walls individually. Others attempted the lengthy journey by foot. In truth those that went on their own had relatively fair chances as it seemed no matter what happened around them titans were only ever interested in large groups of people.

Many of the convoys never made it, having been ambushed by the giant menace. Overall, roughly a million made it to the safety of the walls. A mere handful of the world's population left to hold up within the interior against the titan hordes.

As time passed, humanity forgot about its legacy. Instead they became satisfied with the meager way they lived, most spending their entire lives under the shadows of the high walls. However the long forgotten fear was replaced by an innate sense of human nature; curiosity.

There arose some who saw the walls not as salvation, but as a physical manifestation of man's incarceration and the titans their jail wardens. They rejected the idea that such a mundane existence was all there was to look forward too, that this life wasn't a doomed one to live. That there was something else besides dwelling and breathing one another's air. There had to be more than this. So it came to pass as mankind grew weary of its imprisonment. That weariness, that hope for freedom, took on its own manifestation. And thus the Survey Corp was born.

Unlike its sister regiments that dealt with internal affairs and wall maintenance, the Survey Corp's duties called them to serve beyond the walls, to the outside world as man's wings of freedom, hence the motto associated with their regiment's symbol.

The Corps trained and specialized in the use of Omni Directional Mobility Gear.

It gave them the edge they needed to maneuver around and ultimately cut down the titans they would most likely face on their excursions, giving the average scout a better chance to bring down their own Goliath.

Even at the outset of this apocalypse humanity was not at a total disadvantage. Since their mysterious appearance some time ago it was long since known that the titans weren't entirely invincible.

Through a multitude of close encounters the discovery came to light that the titans possessed a single weakness; the back of their necks. It was an unusual finding but an extremely helpful one at that.

With the knowledge of how to kill titans within their grasp, the Scouts put this age old information to the test on their first expeditions in an effort to separate fact from fiction.

It worked. The idea that titans could be brought down by a blow to their napes was found to be true. A fact that many of Humanity's Wings of Freedom found relieving as well as many others.

The merciless shadows that lingered beyond the threshold of Wall Maria were no longer invincible. Mankind learned that it now truly had a chance. A chance to live. A chance to survive. A chance to once again rise to its former glory, no matter how slim said chance was.

However, joy, like most things, didn't last forever. The heavy casualties inflicted against the ranks of the Scouts during each expedition cost them their favor with the general public. After some time inquiries were launched as to ascertain the real necessity of the Survey Corps.

The Military Police, not so "noble" Noblemen and greed driven members of the Royal Magistrates became the face for those wanting the Scouting Legion decommissioned and disbanded to rally. They remained a constant threat to the Scouts existence similar to that of titans to humans. The Scouts faced enemies on both sides of the walls probing for a way to put an end to their operations.

But the flame that was the Survey Corps did not wither. They stood firm against the inquiries, and against the casualties. But then . . . that day came. The day when the strength of even the fire of humanity would be reduced to fading embers.