Distress

 is the 3rd OVA episode of the Attack on Titan anime. It was produced by Wit Studio and Production I.G, and was included with a limited edition of Volume 14.

Overview
In the year 848, the recruits of the 104th Trainees Squad are split into two groups for a wilderness exercise to learn how to sustain themselves in times of peace. Marco has trouble leading his group, however, due to the arrogance and rivalry of members Eren and Jean. Meanwhile, Mikasa's group learns of the presence of a gang of thieves, who managed to steal their 3D Maneuver Gear.

That night, the thieves ambush Eren's group, taking Krista hostage along with their equipment. Putting aside their petty squabbles in order to rescue Krista, the group discovers the thieves' hideout, using each of their talents to come up with a plan to ambush them. After Eren and Jean manage to recover the group's maneuver equipment and put a stop to the thieves' wagons, the thieves hold Krista at knifepoint, but she is rescued by the arrival of Mikasa and Annie after Armin had signalled for help. As the thieves are arrested, with no casualties taken, Armin wonders if the thieves' attack was part of the exercise all along.

Summary
In the year 848, the 104th Trainees Squad are on a training exercise navigating the desert on horseback within a given time limit, all the while recording the group's progress. For this exercise, the 104th are split into two teams, one led by Marco Bott, and the other led by Thomas Wagner. On both Marco and Thomas's groups are Armin and Mikasa, respectively, who are tasked with recording and evaluating each member's individual performance. Instructor Shadis required both teams to not rush themselves, wanting the exercise to be simple and devoid of urgency.

On Marco's team, Eren becomes impatient with the slow pace, but Jean argues there's no point rushing as putting in extra effort won't better his chances of entering the Military Police Brigade. Sasha and Connie, meanwhile, complain of the lack of excitement with Jean agreeing. Spotting a lizard, Jean decides to try hunting it, stating that securing food is also part of their mission. Eren intervenes, demanding Jean stop fooling around but Jean insists there's no point taking things seriously. Marco reprimands Jean, telling him disturbing the formation will be documented. As the quarrel exacerbates, it is suddenly broken up when Sasha shrieks that the lizard is delicious, muttering that it could have fed them well. The team decides to move on.

Elsewhere, Mikasa's group find that their Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear have been mysteriously stolen. Noticing track marks, Reiner deduces that a caravan of thieves are responsible. The group decides to speed up their operation to warn Marco's team of the thieves and return to camp before anything else happens.

That night, Marco's team eat their rations around the campfire, with Sasha stating the lizard would have been more tasty. Eren and Jean get into another argument, criticizing each other's reasons for joining the military. Armin considers recording the incident, but Marco insists he refrain. As the squabble continues, Krista notices a figure moving in the distance, but the others fail to notice.

Later, while the others sleep, Krista sits on the lakeside with her horse. Suddenly, a figure appears behind her and she lets out a scream, awakening Eren and the others who find themselves at gunpoint by masked thieves. The thieves begin gathering the group's maneuver gear, stating that the gear is wasted against Titans, but will sell handsomely on the black market. Eren seizes the thief's rifle and orders his squadmates to attack, but the others do not dare resist. Jean tries to make a break for it, but during Eren's struggle, the rifle accidentally discharges, grazing Jean's cheek and paralyzing him with fear. Seizing his gun back, the masked thief knocks Eren to the ground, repeating to not move if he values his life.

The thieves round up the maneuver gear and also take Krista hostage, stating they will release her once they are safely away, but only if Eren and the others do not pursue. As the thieves ride away, Eren angrily shouts at his squadmates that they could have been stopped if they had all fought together. Jean, however, rebukes that Eren's reckless actions could have gotten them all killed. Eren questions if they are abandoning Krista, but Marco states they are better off retreating and asking Shadis for assistance. Furious, Eren storms off to rescue Krista even if he's alone, but he is stopped by Jean who insists he's coming too. The rest of the team joins in, all of them determined to stop the thieves.

Connie questions how to find the thieves, and Sasha suggests securing a vantage point to search their surroundings. Scaling a mountain, the team spots the thieves' campsite. Armin deduces that the thieves will use a road to leave the forest and sell their spoils, and the trainees move to intercept them. Working together, Connie and Sasha block off a road using foliage, forcing the thieves to funnel into a narrower path. Lying in wait on the narrower road, Eren and Jean ambush the caravan holding the maneuver gear and successfully subdue the men on the cart. On the other cart, Krista manages to protect the two boys from gunfire, but a stray shot takes out their cart's wheel, causing it to swerve and crash. Eren and Jean emerge from the wreckage unharmed as Marco and the others catch up. Equipping their maneuver gear, the trainees continue their pursuit. Before joining, Armin fires a green Signal Flare.

Having lost the maneuver gear and down to only one cart, the remaining thieves decide to sell Krista instead. Their escape is cut short by the arrival of Eren and Jean who use their blades to set loose the carriage's horse. The cart crashes and the two remaining thieves hold Krista at knifepoint, ordering the trainees to surrender their gear and back down. Suddenly, Mikasa and Annie emerge from the trees and disarm the thieves. Mikasa puts her sword to the thief's throat, but Krista tells her to spare him, having heard that the thief has a daughter. The rest of Thomas's squad catches up, having followed Armin's flare.

The thieves are taken into custody by the Military Police with no casualties on either side. Armin later submits his report to Shadis and questions if they were right to pursue the thieves. Shadis replies that the only right action was doing what was most important to them. Armin wonders if meeting the thieves was perhaps part of their exercise all along.

Elsewhere, Marco muses that he shouldn't have been chosen as leader for the exercise and suggests Jean would have been a better fit, though Eren disagrees. Marco laughs, stating that someday he'll understand. Looking to the sunrise of a new day, Marco wonders what kind of soldiers everyone will become.

Trivia

 * This is the first anime episode where the opening narrator explicitly refers to himself as Armin Arlert.
 * In this episode, Jean learns that Sasha knows how to cook. The next time this skill would be brought up is in Sudden Visitors.