The Whole Road
By: Keirube
The rights of Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama, its creator.
Chapter 1: A Requiem for Determination Part 1
The recruitment lines for the military were always fairly long. Unless one was born into wealth, the only respectable living one could hope for is one in service to the king and the nobles of society.
Many hope to join among the ranks of the Military Police; a section designated for the personal protection of the nobility and maintains order within the walls. Its headquarters are established in close proximity to the king, assuring anyone lucky enough to become a MP soldier will live in lavish luxury and protection.
The next best option is within the Garrison Unit. Their duties include guarding the walls from any attack. Of all successful new recruits, this is where the bulk end up. Though not quite as great a living as in the MP, you're still guaranteed in having decent quarters and decent pay. Plus the walls pretty much guard themselves.
The remaining unit, the one where few if any consider when first enlisting, is the Survey Corps. Only the very brave and very foolish decide to come here. Also known as the Scouting Regiment, the major duties here entails exploring the outside world, and making attempts to regain territory from the dominant creatures known as titans. Many say this section of the military was created to thin out the herd of humanity, hoping the titans will be satisfied with the fools who dared to fight them. Yet some see it as a hope that one day, some fool would succeed in his idiocy, and fulfill the dreams they have in regaining the world. One such fool was present in today's recruitment lines…..
Eren Yeager is a brash young man who has his heart set on freeing the world of the existence of titans. Never one to run away when threatened, he has overcome many hardships. The titan scourge is just another nail that needs to be hammered down on the construction of his life.
With him are his two best friends, who are the only ones he have left in his life. Mikasa Ackerman stood to his right. She became his adoptive sister after an incident that lead to the death of both her parents. Eren rescued her from her captives, and ever since that time she saw Eren as the most important person in her life. She wants to see him be successful in everything he sets his heart to. Often fighting for his dreams as equally as passionate as he does. Directly behind them stood Armin Arlet, who wasn't the most physically imposing guy in the crowd. Eren and Mikasa would often be seen in protecting him from bullies due to his inquiring mind concerning the world. That was in fact one of the things that Eren loved about him. Armin was different, just like him, finding it hard to often make friends. It was the three's fortitude that drew them together.
Now after the attack on the Shiganshina District, and the subsequent fall and attempted retaking of the loss territory that was once protected by Wall Maria, they were all alone. Eren with the lost of his mother, Mikasa's foster mother, and Armin losing his grandfather in the latter expedition, they managed to live on and survive. However, Eren still holds out hope his father, Grisha Yaeger, is still alive somewhere.
"The military thanks you for your commitment. The staff down this hall will hand you your uniform and give the location to your designated barrack." said the recruiter pointing to his right. The young man at the registry desk, who was a few spots ahead of Eren, nodded as he finished his registration and turned to pick up his uniform. As the lines were steadily moving, Armin took notice to the number of people.
"Hey Eren" He said. "You think the military can house all of us?"
Eren was inwardly pondering the same thing, but it wasn't much a concern of his. Having the chance to become a soldier and ride with the Survey Corps was his dream, so it didn't matter if he had to live under a solid roof or in a tent.
"It'll be interesting, but I could sleep on the ground if I had to." Eren responded. Armin cringed at the thought, seeing insects crawling into his ear as he slept. Eren turned to Mikasa and asked, "What about you Mikasa? Of course I imagine they have separate housing for female and male recruits. We might not see each other as often, but I guess your quarters could be better than ours."
"Like you it doesn't matter that much to me, but I hate that we'll be separated." Mikasa stated. Eren chuckled a bit and said, "It's not going to be so bad. You'll get a chance to meet new people and make friends. You don't have to worry about me all the time, and Armin is resourceful as well." Eren's words drew a slight scowl on Mikasa's face. She knew he was right, but Eren had a tendency of making enemies, and she made a promise to his mother that she would protect him.
The person ahead of Eren finished signing up, and now it was his turn to place his name and take the first steps in accomplishing his goals. The staffing officer greeted Eren with a smile and thanked him in advance for his services as was customary to all who enlisted. Eren signed his name and began walking toward the area down the hall to pick up his uniform, but was stopped as the recruiter read his name out loud.
"Eren Yeager. That's a famous surname around these parts. Are you happened to be related to Grisha Yeager by any chance?" The recruiter asked. Eren nodded and said, "Yes Sir. He is my father." The recruiter smiled and took a moment to walk over to Eren and pat him on the shoulder.
"Your father has saved many soldiers lives with his medical knowledge and one of finest doctors to ever work in the field. I had a chance to meet him a few times over the years. How is he?" He inquired.
Eren beamed at hearing the work his father did for the military, but his eyes turned downward when asked about his father's wellbeing.
"My father has been missing since the attack on Shiganshina two years ago. He has been declared dead by the government, but I believe he's still alive, out there somewhere. He's strong so I…" Eren's voice began to trail. The recruiting officer again pat him on the shoulder and said, "He's definitely strong, and I imagine you inherited his strength as well. I wish you good success on your training as a cadet, and I know you'll make your father proud!" He gave Eren the military salute, slightly stunning him that an officer would salute him in spite of just signing up a few moments ago.
"Thank you Sir!" He replied, trying to mimic the exact stance of the salute he received as best he could.
As the recruiter nodded and walked back to his booth, Eren caught a glimpse back at Mikasa and Armin, who were grinning at him sheepishly. He also noticed several others looking at him curiously, and realized he was still in his stance, saluting to no one in particularly. Blushing with embarrassment, he walked over to receive his trainee uniform.
After all the new recruits finished their registration and day turned to night, Eren and Armin received their answer as to how the military would house everyone. Armin laughed half-heartedly and whispered "At least we don't have to worry about ants crawling up our ears and nose from sleeping on the ground." Eren with a face somewhere between frustration and anger responded, "I rather have a damn slug slither its way into my nose than Connie's big toe!"
All of the bunks that were built comfortably for one person were presently being shared by three or four people. Armin and Eren had the unfortunate honor of turning in the night with a recruit named Connie Springer, who tended to fight ghosts while he slept. Amazingly, he managed to do a somersault in his slumber and his foot is now in direct contact with Eren's face. "I guess this is part of our training to. We'll just have to endure it for now and become stronger willed." Armin reasoned with an increasingly aggravated Eren. Connie started rubbing Eren's ankle and talking in his sleep.
"Yeah baby, that's how daddy likes it!" Connie purred. Eren was about to blow a fuse. Armin still smiling thought inwardly that it was going to be a long adjustment period to their new lives as recruits…
The next morning, everyone gathered on the drilling grounds, in their uniforms, and waited for instruction. Every three years the military trains about 5 regiments, sometimes more based on need. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa were finally old enough to begin their training, and are apart of this year's 104th Training Squad.
Even with the lack of sleep the previous night, the bustling of the morning activity kept Eren focused. Assistant instructors made sure everyone was in place and lined up in preparation to receive the morning introduction from the head instructor. Looking around at all the enlistees, Eren could feel a sense of comradery among them. He found Mikasa out of the crowd, looking as confident as ever, still wearing the scarf he gave her years ago. Smiling to himself, he wondered if there was anything she couldn't do.
One of the assistant instructors walked onto a raised platform, and whistled to the large group to stand at attention. A few seconds later, the head instructor walked up the platform. Eren was very familiar with the man, as he was the former commander over the Survey Corps. As a child, Eren's father would hoist him up on his shoulders so he could see over large crowds, as the Recon Corps passed by on the way to their many expeditions. Unfortunately the crowds were rarely as festive and inviting when they returned, as there was often little reason to celebrate.
The assistant instructor saluted her superior, and stood off to the side, giving the retired commander the stage to speak. "Morning cadets, I trust all of you had a comfortable night's rest!" He said speaking in a loud mocking tone. "Don't fret however; things will get more at ease as time goes along. Most of you will be running far away from here with your tails between your legs in the first couple days, if not today!"
You could see in the faces of many of the cadets there were terrified at the sight of the imposing figure before them. It is not every day you see a man with as fierce eyes as this man possessed. Almost as if he could pierce through one's soul with a glance. "Officially I'm your head instructor, Keith Shadis, but unofficially I'm the devil incarnate." He continued. "I'm sure all of you will one day spit on the grave of who ever it was that decided to put you in my little hell, if you survive." With that he turned to face two assistant officers standing off to his left. They immediately took up their stance and saluted.
"This is the military salute. I want each of you burn this image into your brains! You stand with your feet forward and your chest out. Place your left arm behind your back, and pound your right fucking fist into your heart!" He himself demonstrated before them.
"To some within the military, this is just something they do. Yet to me, when you've seen the things I have, having many men and women give their lives for the cause of mankind, this salute is the definition of one's integrity! If you cannot salute properly and with confidence, then quite frankly you're nothing but ants looking to be squashed under my feet."
"Now" Shadis commanded, "I want all of you to salute me this instant!"
In unison, all the cadets performed the salute, sending a thunderous noise into the air as fists pounded against their chests. "Good, good. Now hold that position until I'm ready for you to drop it. If anyone drops their arms before I say so, they will immediately be dismissed from the premises."
Instructor Shadis walked down the platform and began walking through the rows of cadets. Every now and again he would stop in front of a trainee, and grill them for their reasons on why they enlisted. Armin happened to be one of the unlucky ones that faced his fury.
"Looks like I found the runt of the litter. What's your name son?" He ordered.
"Armin Arlert, Sir!" Armin replied, trying his best to sound composed.
"Armin Arlert? Tell me cadet, do you realize your name and surname begin with the same two letters?" He chuckled. "A simple name for a simple brain I suppose. Yet I have too many names to remember among you little bastards, and can't afford to recall the dumb ones. I'll make a simple name simpler, and call you Ar²." Armin began to flinch a little at his new "name", but stood fast lest his arm began to drop from his chest.
"Tell me Ar², where do you hail from and what drove you mad enough to enlist?" asked the former commander of the Survey Corps.
"I come from the Shiganshina district Sir! After the attack on Wall Maria two years ago and the subsequent loss of my grandfather, I've decided to fight back and join the Recon Corps Sir!" Armin stated. Hearing from a couple of rows back, Eren was a little surprised to hear Armin wanting to join the Corps. He always imagined he might have settled for the Garrison Unit like their friend Hannes, whom they always saw as something of an older brother and protector.
Shadis looked with a scowl on his face. "A runt like you wishes to join the Scouting Regiment? The world must be coming to an end if the best we can put out there on the field are shrimps like you. STRAIGHTEN UP THOSE FEET AND PUFF OUT YOUR WEAK CHEST, YOUR BEGINNING TO SLACK IN MY PRESENCE!" He shouted, causing Armin to immediately stiffen up in his salute. It also caused a chuckle from a cadet in the row behind Armin. Shadis noticed, and walked over to the young man.
"You find something funny about Ar²'s determination cadet?" Shadis asked.
"No Sir, but if I may speak freely, he's only going to wind up getting himself killed. Its crazy of him wanting to join the Corps." said the smiling recruit. "In the end, he might have been better off being eaten by a titan in the attack two years ago, would have saved himself the trouble."
Armin's eyes began to water as he listened, but held himself from crying and remained steady in his salute. Eren heard the comments made about his friend, and was strongly tempted to fight the offending cadet on the spot. Shadis continued to stare at the smirking cadet before finally saying, "True enough. So let's hear about yourself and reasons for enlisting into the armed forces."
"My name is Jean Kirstein Sir. I'm from the Trost District. My plans are to graduate within the top ten of my class and join the Military Police within the interior." Jean finished. Shadis cupped his right elbow in his left hand, and rubbed his chin.
"Ah, now you sound like a level headed cadet. I appreciate your grit!"
"Thanks Si…..urgh!" Shadis head butted Jean before he could finish. He stumbled back a step and started to move his hands toward his head, but quickly realized what he was doing and re-clenched his right fist against his heart.
"Good job Kirstein." Shadis commented on him keeping his salute. "However I must point out that if you wish to join those stiff pricks in the interior, you should learn to become unmovable. The little runt might be clinically insane, but at least he has the balls to stand his ground against those beasts prowling on the outside. You're nothing but a little cunt seeking to hide behind walls."
It was Eren's turn to chuckle, but he was smart enough to chuckle on the inside. Shadis continued marching along, this time his crosshairs fell on a trainee named Marco Bott.
"Sir I wish to join the Military Police to offer my services to the king!" Marco shouted.
"I'm sure the king can find better looking service to keep his bed warm at night than some wide-eyed freckle pumpkin such as you!" Shadis spat. Next up was a girl named Mina Carolina.
"For some reason I always find it hard to gauge how serious to take someone who shows up in my training regiment in pigtails." Shadis calmly stated. Red with embarrassment she replied, "I'm sorry Sir." Shadis waved her comment off and said, "That's alright. Your face is plenty manly enough. You're manlier than Ar² and Kirstein combined." All three named cadets scowled.
Shadis continued to walk among them. Some he managed to get them to drop their salute due to being thoroughly embarrassed by his comments for them, to which he kicked them out of line and told them to head home. One cadet became angry at the comments made to him, and attempted to hit Shadis. This cadet misjudged Shadis' middle age for weakness, and was promptly eating dirt and was dismissed. Yet still, others he passed by, seeing the consistent posture of their salute and the sharpness of their eyes. He passed by cadet Mikasa Ackerman, cadet Reiner Braun, cadet Ymir, cadet Annie Leonhardt, cadet Bertolt Hoover, and a few others.
He finally walked along the row where Eren was. While he was sure most cadets were inwardly hoping he would pass them by, Eren wanted the chance to state his belief and reasons for joining the military. So Eren kept poise, looking straight ahead. In the moment of truth, as Shadis came walking by, he took one glance at Eren with his eyes, and continued walking on.
Even though he was disappointed he didn't get a chance to voice his beliefs, he was excited Shadis thought well of him even without knowing why he enlisted. Not only that, but Eren had the pleasure of seeing the head instructor's next target squirm.
"Well, what do we have here? Nice buzz cut son. State your name, hometown, and business here." said Shadis.
"The name's Connie Sir, Connie Springer! I come from Ragako village, located within Wall Rose. I'm here to become a man and make my village proud!" Connie affirmed.
Shadis ran his hand across Connie's head and said, "Well that's admirable son. I can also see you got a head start with this shaved dome of yours." Shadis impressively picked Connie off the ground by his head to take a better look at him. Connie grimaced, feeling the weight of his body pulling down on his captive head. However, though it was a little tough, he maintained his salute as best he could.
"Yes, I didn't truly become a man until my 50s, and it cost me all my hair. Yet you're way ahead of me in that area when I was your age." commented Shadis, setting the lad back on his feet. He then began pulling and stretching the skin around Connie's eyes. "Nonetheless" He stated, "You still have many sleepless nights and battlefields filled with body parts ahead of you before you develop eyes like mine. Don't worry cadet; you're well on your way in being a man like me one day!"
"Uh, thanks Sir." Connie uttered, this time with less enthusiasm.
All of a sudden, Head Instructor Keith Shadis saw something spectacular. A couple of trainees to the right of Connie, was a girl, lowering her head to the fist against her heart, taking a bite out of what looked to be a potato. Shadis walked over and looked her straight in the eyes.
"What is your name cadet?" Shadis asked calmly.
"Sasha Blouse Sir. mphmmh" She stated while chewing.
"Tell me Blouse, what exactly are you doing?" Shadis asked, still eerily calm. Sasha looked a little puzzled.
"I'm eating Sir." She answered, greedily taking another bite.
"That I can see, what I'm finding trouble in understanding is why you thought it appropriate to eat anything before I say so, much less eat while I'm giving instruction?"
Sasha swallowed the piece she was chewing, and said, "I'm sorry Sir, but the potato was getting cold while we were waiting for you this morning, and my stomach was desperate for its content." As she spoke, some of the cadets around her started to fear for her life as they witnessed a vein bulge in Shadis' head.
"Well, I must say that must be one good hot potato." Shadis whispered.
"It is Sir!" Sasha added with gusto. She then took a big chunk out of it. Holding the piece in her mouth she inched closer toward Shadis, not wavering to keep her right hand close to her heart. "Here-mphmh, you-can-phm-have-the-mmphpm-rest." She sputtered, some pieces flying from her mouth.
For a moment there was silence, and then "DROP THAT FUCKING POTATO RIGHT NOW AND RUN AROUND THIS DAMN COMPOUND TILL YOUR STOMACH IS EMPTY OF ALL IT'S CONTENT, AND DON'T YOU DARE DROP THAT SALUTE AS YOU GO!"
Sasha dropped the potato and took off like a wild bronco, putting as much distance between her and Shadis as possible. Shadis rubbed his temple and sighed. He then stated, "Between the runt fighting titans and now this potato girl, the world really must be coming to an end."
Shadis then walked to the end of his current row of cadets, and continued walking in the same direction for a short while before turning to see the overall group of trainees in one take. He sees almost two-thirds of the group was still present from when he began his instruction.
"Well cadets, it appears we lost most of the small fry already. I have half a mind in getting rid of the potato eater, but I have a feeling I'm doing her family a favor by keeping her here." He stated to the crowd. "Excellent job in holding your salutes, you all may be at ease."
Everyone let their arms drop to their sides. Some looking as though they were numb, but they wouldn't dare show it on their faces in front of their instructor.
"Alright, your breakfast should be ready in the mess hall. You are all dismissed!"
The first day on the training grounds went almost as fast as it came. Before anyone knew it, everyone was back in the mess hall eating their dinner. As relationships began to grow throughout the day, the eating quarters were filled with much more conversation than was held at breakfast and lunch.
A bunch of cadets surrounded the table where Armin, Eren, and Mikasa sat. Each curious about the titans the young trio saw from the attack on their hometown two years ago.
"So how scary were all the titans that entered Shiganshina Armin?" Mina asked.
Armin thought for a second and responded, "I supposed all of them were scary in their own way. Many had deformed faces and some even let out hideous roaring sounds." Mina scrunched her face in at the thought. "Wow that sounds horrible. I think it's very brave that you want to join the Recon Corps after experiencing the titans first hand." she said, touching Armin's hand.
Armin began to blush and stuttered out, "W-w-well I'm not sure I'm that courageous. B-besides, it was Eren that inspired me to join up." Everyone turned to Eren, who was eating and listening serenely to Armin's telling of the attack on their hometown.
Connie sprung up and asked Eren, "Yeah enough of this normal titan crap. I heard you got a look at the Colossal Titan. Is he as big as they say?"
Eren swallowed his soup and stated, "He was tall enough to see over the wall, and was also able knock a chunk out of it assumingly with his foot." A cadet named Thomas Wagner exclaimed, "I heard he was big enough to step over the wall." Eren shook his head and replied, "He was big, but not that big."
Mikasa who was sitting next to Eren drew a smile on her face, seeing how well everyone was getting along with their group, and hearing their stories.
"What about the other strange one, the Armored Titan?" Connie asked excitedly.
Eren looked in his direction questioningly. "Armored Titan, that's what their calling it?" He asked rhetorically. "Yeah, we got a look at him as we were heading down the river towards Wall Rose. He broke through the inner gate by ramming into it, allowing the titans full access to territory behind Maria."
The crowd around the table began to grow as they listened to Eren's account. Even though they were all afraid of the titans, they couldn't help but wonder at these two new types that showed up, having the strength to breach the walls.
"Tell us some more Eren!" stated one cadet. "Yeah, tell us how fast the Armored Titan can run!" shouted another. Eren let his spoon drop into his bowl, and noticeably started shaking. Upon seeing how upset Eren was getting, Cadet Marco Bott stepped in and tried to silence everyone.
"Come on guys. Eren probably doesn't want to talk about this stuff anymore. He did lose loved ones in that attack."
"It's alright." Eren corrected him. "It's just that we shouldn't be fascinated with these creatures. They are simply wild animals that need to be put down and nothing more. That's why I intend to join the Survey Corps, and eliminate them all."
The crowd around him went completely silent, until a fit of chuckling was heard a couple of tables over. It was the same recruit who laughed at hearing Armin's reasons for joining the military earlier.
"Is there something particularly funny?" Eren demanded of him.
"Yeah kid, it's you. I thought your coconut headed friend there was crazy, but now I see where he gets his drive." Jean stated smiling at him. "You, defeating all the titans, it's very funny to me. Especially since we've been fighting them for as long as anyone can remember and only managed to get our butts handed to us every time. Oh, but all that's going to change now that we have you I suppose?"
Eren began to clench his teeth, trying to compose himself enough not to get up and slam his fist against Jean's grinning face. "If you find my plan funny, let's take a look at yours. You wish to join the Military Police so you can cower behind the inner most wall, but you forget a similar wall was breached by the titans two years ago. It's only a matter of time before the remaining walls are breached and humanity's finished. Though I think the titans would be doing all of us a favor by eating scared, horse-faced jackasses like you!" At that comment, Jean's smirk turned upside down, causing Eren to rub his nose with his thumb and smiling.
Jean shook his head; smirk returned and responded, "Whatever kid. I just think you're wasting your life for nothing. Humanity has been safe behind these walls for a hundred years before those unique titans showed up. There's good reason to believe titans like that have been around as long as the others, but this is the first time we've seen them. I'm willing to bet even if they ever strike again, it will be in another hundred years. By then I would have lived a long and fulfilled life within the interior, being long dead to care what happens after that."
Eren's teeth compressed so hard, it wouldn't surprise him if his gums were bleeding. He absolutely could not believe the words leaving this guy's mouth. Off to Eren's side, Mikasa could tell Eren was losing his cool by the second. 'I was afraid this would happen' she thought. 'He's always been headstrong when it comes to things. Just ignore this guy Eren.'
"What if you have children and grandchildren living after you die idiot, do you care if those titans attack them!" Eren shouted.
Jean placed his right elbow on the table and let his head rest in his hand, closing his eyes. "I don't live in the world of what ifs, though if you want an answer, I guess I would cheer their fight on against the titans from the grave." He declared nonchalantly.
That was the last straw for Eren. As he got up, the crowd made way as he started to march toward Jean. Jean hearing the gasp in the crowd, opened his eyes and saw Eren coming toward him with his fists clenched. Jean smiled and got up from his own seat, thinking to himself 'Fine by me, it's not like I have anything better to do.'
Just before the two were about to meet for a dinner time brawl, the alarm bell outside was rung outside, indicating dinner was over and it was now time for the cadets to shut in for the night.
Everyone in the mess hall began dumping their trays on the counter and moving toward their sleeping quarters. Eren and Jean were still looking at each other before Jean smiled and said, "Listen, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. We're going to be training for a couple of years, so let's accept our differences and put all this behind us, and start over." Jean stuck out his hand to shake Eren's, calling it a truce. Eren looked at his hand, before reaching out and shaking it. With that, Eren turned and left.
Jean began to move toward the door himself until a girl walked pass him, and his heart began to flutter. He seen this girl plenty of times throughout the day, but this time she was close enough to him to notice just how gorgeous she was.
"Hey uh, excuse me." Jean rushed to catch her attention. Mikasa stopped and turned to face him. 'I wonder what this guy wants' she thought.
Being seized with her eyes looking at him, Jean subconsciously performed the military salute. "I uh, I love your hair. I-I think you're very beautiful." He managed to say. Mikasa confused by his words and behavior, simply stated, "Th-thank you." She then exited the building, leaving Jean standing in the room by himself.
Regaining his senses, Jean went toward the door, to see if he could catch up to her again, and tell her how he feels about her.
Outside Mikasa caught up with Eren, walking with him in the general direction of the boys and girls barracks. "Eren you shouldn't start up fights with everyone that disagrees with you." She lectured. Eren scoffed and replied, "Stop worrying about me Mikasa, that Jean guy needs a reality check." Mikasa sighed loudly.
Eren couldn't stand to be babied by Mikasa. Seeking to change the subject, he touched her long hair and said smiling, "You know it might be better if you cut your hair. It would be easier to manage during our tougher training sessions ahead, and plus you wouldn't want it getting caught in a tree or something when we start working with maneuver gear."
Mikasa looked at him and touch her hair. "Alright" she said.
From a distance, Jean looked at the two as they walked on. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see Eren touching her hair, and a fuse was lit inside him. Connie came along walking around the corner with his hands behind his head, whistling without a care in the world. As he passed by Jean, he suddenly felt a hand slide along his back.
"Ah what the hell man! What did you wipe on me?" Connie exclaimed, rolling on the floor trying to get a better angle as to what was on the back of his shirt.
"Oh it's nothing." Jean replied calmly, veling the rage churning in the pit of his stomach. "…nothing but a broken truce."
The next day the trainees were being fitted for their maneuver gear belts and tested for the ability to balance themselves while being suspended midair. As they continued to gather up their gear and settle themselves, Shadis addressed them.
"In a few short minutes we will travel to the field area. There we have ten platforms set up designed to test your potential to use Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear." Shadis spoke. "This is a very basic exercise; however those who fail to keep their balance will be dismissed from the academy, as operating maneuver gear is essential to most of the training done here."
With that, Shadis and the instructors with him lead everyone to their destination to begin testing. Each recruit attached wires to their training belts, the wires being inline with three wooden beams, able to be fed with more or less wire through the use of a crank mechanism. This allows the cadet to be lifted in the air when the wire is reeled in.
Being tested ten at a time; it became something of a contest with each group as to who could manage to stay upright without much movement. As the day wore on, there were a couple of standouts. Ms. Ackerman by far was the best out of her group and perhaps out of the class. Shadis noted how she was able to stay motionless the entire time, a true natural. Then you had some who struggled a bit before being able to right themselves. Armin fell into this category, sweating it out and gritting his teeth.
Throughout most of the day, no one failed to maintain their balance. Causing many to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking Shadis was messing with their mind when he told them it would be a basic exercise. However, one recruit failed miserably, and was every which way but upright.
"Tsk tsk, I thought Yeager was going to be the "savior" of mankind, yet he can't even handle this simple task." Jean snickered within the crowd, looking on Eren's upside down form compared to the others who were being tested with him. 'Oh well, I guess that means he'll be leaving the academy soon' He thought.
Shadis walked over to Eren's platform and stared at him for a second.
"I'm a little disappointed in you Cadet Yeager; it's a shame to see you go this soon." He said.
"Give me another chance Sir; I know I can do this!" Eren said, touching the ground in an attempt to flip himelf upright to start over again.
Shadis considered his comment and finally spoke saying, "I heard from talk among the other cadets that you plan on entering the Survey Corps. Not many choose to enter that field and it's certainly rarer for a cadet to choose to go there even before their graduation. So far, only you and Ar² intend to join them. I'll tell you what Yeager; I'll give you another chance tomorrow. I hate to deprive the Corps of such willing participants." Shadis waved to the cadet working the crank to Eren's platform to let him down. "Take the rest of the day to clear your mind, and be ready tomorrow." With that, Shadis went to observe the others in their balancing.
Eren sat on the ground where he was lowered, contemplating where he went wrong in balancing himself. Mikasa and Armin came to his side, telling him it was okay and that he would succeed the next day. Jean also approached Eren with a smug look and said, "Hey kid, what happened up there?"
Mikasa shot him a dangerous look and stated, "Leave him alone Jean."
Jean looked at Mikasa and saw she appeared to be irritated by his presence. Even so, he still couldn't help but be taken away by her beauty. He also noticed her hair length was shorter than it was yesterday, but it didn't take away from her attractiveness one bit. "I'm sorry Mikasa" Jean said. "I don't mean to be a jerk here, but it seems Yeager may not be cut out for the job he wants to do so badly."
Eren clenched his teeth. After unloosening the wires connected to his belt, he got up and walked over to where all the other cadets were standing, waiting for everyone else to complete the exercise. Armin got up to follow, feeling dejected for his friend. Mikasa also followed, but not before giving Jean a sideways glance screaming that he better watch himself…
The rest of the morning went by without a problem, and before long it was time to eat lunch. Eren however decided to use this free time to work on perfecting his balance, and stayed in the field. Of course Mikasa and Armin stood by to assist him with the crank and offer encouragement. "You think it's a good idea for you to miss lunch Eren?" Armin asked. "We still have drills and chores to do later on."
Eren adjusted himself, connecting the wires to his belt before responding, "Nothing else matters at this point if I can't hold my balance by tomorrow. I will be shipped out of here if I fail again, being good to do nothing but work as a farmer in the fields. Although, I don't want you guys to miss your lunch for my sake. I'm sure I can get an instructor to work the crank for me."
Armin shook his head and exclaimed, "That's alright, Mikasa and I are here for you. I'm ready to lift you when you're ready."
Eren gave him the thumbs up, and Armin began to turn the wheel, pulling the wires to lift Eren off the ground. For a few seconds it was relatively easy for Eren to maintain control, but like last time he flipped over. "Argh, why is this crap so hard for me?" Eren shouted out in frustration. Armin turned the wheel to let him down to correct himself.
Mikasa decided to give him some pointers in saying, "Don't think too hard when you're in the air. Focus on a single, steady point in the distance and you should be able to keep your balance."
Eren got up and brushed himself off. Taking in Mikasa's words, he took a deep breath and told Armin he was ready for a second try. Armin nodded, and once again cranked it up.
'Alright here we go. Focus, focus' Eren repeated in his head while concentrating on a distant tree. After a minute, he started to sway back and forth, before turning over. After a few more attempts, Eren sat on the ground and pounded it in frustration.
"What's wrong with me? It can't end like this; I've come to far just to give up now!" Eren yelled out. Mikasa came over and sat down beside him. Looking at his miserable form, she began to speak to him softly.
"Don't be so hard on yourself Eren. Maybe…maybe there could be some truth in Jean's words earlier. You know, maybe you're not made to fight titans."
Eren looked at Mikasa in disbelief stating, "What? You agree with that idiot? You think I'm nothing but talk as well?" Mikasa shook her head and replied, "No I'm not saying I agree with him and I know you keep your vows. It's just that perhaps….you were meant to do something else."
Eren turned his head away from her gaze, thinking on what she was saying. It had always been his dream to join the Scouting Legion, even before the tragic loss of his mother and disappearance of his father. He always admired the men and women of the Corps in their effort to finally help mankind break free from their confines within the walls. There was nothing he wanted to do more than live free on the outside.
"Listen." Mikasa began to say. "If you're forced to leave the academy tomorrow, I'll leave with you." Eren spun around to meet her eyes in protest. "No Mikasa, don't do that." He said. "I know you came here because of me, but it's already been shown you have great potential in the military. Having a job in the military is ideal for people like us, and I'm sure you'll be able to meet someone and start your own family."
"Eren…" She started in objection, but was stopped by Eren holding up his finger. "I know you're protective of me Mikasa, but you also have your own life to think about. So promise me you won't quit if I don't pass the test tomorrow."
Mikasa fell silent looking at Eren's gaze. She turned to Armin looking for him to reason with Eren on her behalf, but he simply smiled at her, knowing it was hard for her to refuse Eren's wishes at times.
Sighing, she whispered, "I promise."
Eren looked down in relief, and then looked up again with resolve. "In any case you don't have to worry about me Mikasa. I'm going to ace the balance test tomorrow. Armin, prepare for another round of attempts! I'm not letting this thing beat me." Eren stated while standing up. "We'll do!" Armin encouraged.
Mikasa urged him not to push himself too much, but Eren told her it was fine and they had a few extra minutes before the lunch period was over.
"You ready Armin?" Eren checked.
"Ready!"
Armin began to turn the wheel, lifting Eren off the ground. However, immediately Eren flipped over, causing his head to smash into the ground.
"EREN!" Mikasa and Armin screamed. It was the last thing he heard before losing consciousness…
A couple of hours later, Eren was sitting in the office of the academy's medical unit, going over his test for a concussion. He woke from his comatose-like state a half hour ago, and the doctor wanted to make sure he was well enough to let him return to training soon.
Finished flipping through the recorded results of his concussion test, the doctor turned towards Eren and said, "It appears you've recovered impressively from your accident. Even though you lost consciousness, it doesn't appear you are experiencing even the slightest evidence of a concussion."
Eren's face began to light up with a hopeful expression. "Does that mean I can continue my training?" He said. The doctor returned his smile and noted, "It appears so, but just to be on the safe side, I want you to rest for the night and I'll check you again tomorrow."
"Alright" Eren responded resolutely.
Later on that night, Eren became something of a laughing stock over at Jean's table during dinner. Eren tried his best to ignore the boy's mocking comments, but Mikasa could tell it was really getting to him. After a while, Eren's suffering ended as the curfew bell rung, and he made a quick exit for the door, not waiting to walk with her to their dorms.
While everyone in the men's dorm was making light conversation before calling it a night, Armin tried to convince Eren that perhaps he could receive some tips on keeping his balance from some of the guys. To Eren's dismay however, Armin suggested asking the one guy who performed the best with the exercise for advice.
"No Armin!" Eren refused.
"Come on Eren, he was the best at it among the male cadets." Armin stated flatly.
"There's no way in hell I'm asking that pompous prick for advice!" Eren countered swiftly.
"You wouldn't ask Jean even if it meant failing tomorrow and having to leave the academy? Come on Eren, you have to swallow your pride."
Eren thought about it for a moment, and sighed in defeat. "Alright Armin, you win." He said softly. Armin smiled and told him he'll be with him to ask Jean. So they got up and walked over to Jean's bunk. He was sitting on the bed talking with Marco and Connie. Upon seeing Eren and Armin approach, an inquisitive look crossed his face. As they reached their destination, Armin spoke on Eren's behalf, while Eren embarrassingly had his gaze set on the floor.
"As you might know Jean, Eren had a little trouble today with the balancing exercise. We were wondering if you had any extra tips he could use during tomorrow's attempt, as you were the best out of everyone here in maintaining your focus." Armin commented with a smile.
Eren gritted his teeth. 'You didn't have to stroke the guy's ego' he thought.
Jean smiled at Eren's frustrated look. "I don't know Armin." Jean began. "I always figured Eren had things like that in the bag himself. Why would he need my help?"
"Eren is willing to listen, Jean." Armin attempted to sway Jean's mind. "He's willing to put aside any differences you two had in the past, and come together as teammates on this one."
Jean turned to Eren and asked him, "Is that true Yeager?"
Eren clenched his fist so tightly, he could be sure they were turning white. However, upon seeing Armin's face, he relented and responded, "Yeah whatever."
Jean's smile grew wider and he stated, "I still sense a little attitude coming from you. If you ask me nicely, I'll consider giving all the tips I know." Eren now could feel his blood start boil. Yet knowing he was desperate, he took a deep breath and let it out, composing himself.
"Please, offer me advice on the balancing exercise?" Eren mustered out.
Satisfied, Jean let out his own sigh. "You know Yeager" He said, "I'm honestly conflicted about helping you. If you pass the test on my knowledge, I would feel like I'm helping you on your way to get eaten by the titans. I don't know if I can handle that guilt on my conscious."
'This son of a…' Eren began to rage saying, "FINE, I wouldn't want to weigh on your innocent conscious then." Eren yelled, storming back to his bed. Armin shot Jean a look before going after him.
Marco shook his head at his friend Jean. "Why you have to be so hard on him Jean?" He asked. Connie joined in and said, "Yeah, I'm kind of rooting for him to stay on. I like the guy."
Jean lay back on his bunk, resting his head in his hands against the pillow. "The guy's a pain. He needs to embrace reality and stop thinking he can actually beat the titans. It's quite sad if you ask me."
Armin caught up with Eren, attempting to calm him down. Eren tried to shake him off by saying, "Leave me alone Armin, I'm not in the mood."
"I'm sorry I made you ask Jean for help Eren." Armin apologized.
"Save it; it was ultimately my choice to ask. It was worth a shot anyway." Eren told his crestfallen friend. Armin looked thoughtful for a second, then spoke up by saying, "Wait Eren, there were also two other guys I know who performed the task efficiently."
"Enough of this Armin, I've looked like a fool enough for one day. I'm going to bed."
"I understand, but these are pretty reasonable guys. I had the pleasure in getting to know them during the afternoon training session. I'm sure they will hear you out."
Eren's pace began to slow down just before reaching his own bunk. For some reason, he started to feel a ping of regret, knowing he wouldn't feel right sleeping through the night if he didn't exercise every last option when it came to succeeding tomorrow. "Okay Armin, let's talk to them."…
In the far corner of the room, Eren and Armin sat around a bunk with two cadets. They both were pretty tall for their age, and you could tell they were physically fit. Armin began to introduce the two…
"Eren this is Reiner Braun and his friend Bertolt Hoover. They come from a local fishing village just to the south of Wall Maria." Armin beamed.
Astonishment came across Eren's face. "South of Wall Maria you say? That means your village is in the territory now conquered by the titans." said Eren turning towards the two.
Reiner and Bertolt nodded their heads with a solemn expression. "Yeah" Bertolt spoke. "Also due to our village being relatively poor, we didn't receive much warning before the titans reached us. I still find it hard to believe we are even sitting here right now."
"Hey Bertolt" Reiner calmed his friend. "You don't have to talk about it if it hurts you. Though it is somewhat comforting to talk with those who have seen the horrors the titans can cause." He finished, looking up with a smile at Eren and Armin.
They decided to finish their conversation on the steps outside that lead up to their barracks. Reiner was very impressed with Eren's resolve. "So, you seem to be a fan favorite around these parts Eren. Tell me, you still want to join the Survey Corps after not only seeing regular titans, but also the strange ones that broke through Wall Maria?" he asked.
Eren looked out into the field before responding, "Damn straight I do. One day, I'll have those titans being afraid of me." Reiner couldn't help but get excited in Eren's presence. Bertolt took a look at his friend and smiled.
"I can't guarantee my tips will help you any, as it's mostly just staying still." Reiner expressed. "However, I'll tell you what I can and by tomorrow you should be an expert."
Armin grinned at the smile that crossed Eren's face…
The next day, with the green light from the academy doctor that Eren could resume his training, Eren was determined to pass the test. As expected, a huge crowd of cadets looked and cheered Eren on as he stood beneath the wooden platform, connecting the wires to his belt. Shadis took note of the crowd, seeing how much Eren affected the other students.
"Well, it seems you're the life of the party Cadet Yeager. I guess that puts me at ends with you, as I'm the killjoy." Shadis uttered with a chuckle. "I don't have to remind you of what happens should you fail today do I?"
Eren met his intense gaze and responded with a salute, "No Sir!"
"Alright then, let us begin."
Shadis signaled to Cadet Thomas Wagner, who began to turn the crank to lift Eren up. Eren focused on all the tips he received from Reiner last night, particularly concerning his belt adjustment, and fused it with Mikasa's earlier tips on focusing on a steady point in the distance. 'Here I go!' Eren processed.
Being in the air, Eren was able to maintain his balance for the longest time yet. The crowd began to cheer before all fell silent as Eren toppled once more. At this point, Eren couldn't think, and simply hung there realizing he failed to become a soldier.
Shadis looked at his still form, before signaling Wagner to let him down.
Eren was lowered to the ground, and he closed his eyes as they started water, feeling the pain inside his gut. "I'm sorry Sir." he instinctively began to say.
"Silence" was all he heard his instructor say in response.
Shadis walked up to him, pondering over something in his mind. Eren thought he was going to tell him how useless he was, and prepared himself to receive all of his cutting words. Instead, Shadis looked back at Wagner and said, "Cadet Wagner, take off your belt and give it to Yeager. You two have the same waist size so it should fit well enough."
A puzzled look came upon Eren's face. Shadis turned back to Eren and told him to hand his belt to him. Not hesitating, Eren did as he was told, and took Wagner's belt.
Shadis took Eren's belt and walked back over to the side of the wooden structure. "Now Cadet Yeager, let's try this again. I have a feeling you should now be able to maintain your balance in your sleep."
Again Eren's face was puzzled, yet he hooked the wires to Wagner's belt now around his waist, and prepared for another go. Giving Wagner the signal, Eren was lifted into the air. Immediately Eren noticed the difference in maintaining his balance compared to before. It was like floating in a sphere of air. The crowd's roar was even louder than before. Eren looked at his superior with a questioning gaze.
Shadis smiled at him and said, "The belt adjustment you made during your first go allowed me to see a slight chip within the lock mechanism. Those damn bastards in the government are always slow to replace our equipment from time to time, choosing to buy new furniture to piss the day away in comfort. Anyway, congratulations Yeager, it looks like you'll get your death wish after all."
Being too excited to care about Shadis' comment on his career choice, Eren turned to Mikasa with eyes of vitality. Armin caught it and said to her, "Look Mikasa, Eren is gloating that he was able to keep his word haha." Mikasa shook her head and responded with a smile, "No, that's not it. He's happy that we can now stay together."
In another section of the crowd, Marco turned towards Jean and said, "Looks like he was capable of maintaining his balance all along. Quite impressive he was able to do it for a decent amount of time on a broken belt eh?" Jean responded with a sharp, "Tsk."
The crowd continued to cheer as Eren raised both hands to the air in victory. Reiner and Bertolt looked on in approval, and Shadis acknowledged silently to Grisha Yeager that his boy was becoming a man.
Through the first few months, the trainees spent time constructing their personal three dimensional maneuver gear, and learning the proper way to operate it. In order to build physical endurance to improve their movement and handle with the 3DMG, Shadis had the 104th break up in groups of two, performing hand-to-hand combat drills…
Mina and Armin often paired up together in this drill. Some figured they could be becoming an item. "Hey Armin, you don't have to take it easy on me just because I'm a girl." Mina challenged.
"Alright Mina, though I think you're just better than me at this. Haha, I've been giving it my all for a while now, and you still end up besting me every time." replied Armin with a hesitant laugh.
Mina smiled and stated, "Don't worry; I'll make a man out of you yet!"…
The overall objective of this exercise is to disarm an attacker of his/her weapon. In this case, the trainees are given a wooden dagger to represent the weapon. The defending cadet attempts to take away the dagger being held by the person who's charging.
Most of the cadets choose their same partners each time the drill takes place. As it's not a graded activity, some choose to run the through motions of fighting, but in reality they relax and have conversation. Jean falls among this category…
"Hey Marco, as you know the Military Police receive almost ten times the salary of those in the other two branches. I figure I'll buy me a mansion near base once I'm settled in. What about you?" Jean asked excitedly.
Marco lazily dodged Jean's half attempt at attacking him, and responded, "I don't know. I always figured I'd stay on base for a while."
"Hmmm, you got to think bigger Marco." Jean laughed…
Every now and again, other cadets would switch partners due to one desiring to test the waters against other's skills. Cadet Krista Lenz decided to branch out a little and asked Mikasa to be her partner…
"Sure we can train together." Mikasa said smiling.
"Thanks Mikasa. I'll try me best to keep up with you." Krista affirmed
Cadet Ymir yelled to the two girls from across the field, "Mikasa you better go easy one her, or else we're going to go a few rounds!"
Krista's faced turned red with awkwardness. "Ymir you're embarrassing me!" She squeaked out.
Ymir laughed. "You're so cute when you're flustered. Why did you leave me hanging Krista? Now I have to pair up with quite boy over here." She said while pointing at Bertolt, who held his hands up in defense…
Nonetheless, there remains one individual among them all, who remains steadfast in every drill, no matter if it was graded or not…
"You ready Eren?" Reiner alerted, positioning himself to strike.
"Ready" Eren answered.
Reiner charged at full speed and at the right moment, thrust the dagger toward Eren. Yeager's eyes caught Reiner's change in movement and he was able to catch Reiner by his wrists. With all his strength, he managed to toss Reiner to the ground, making him drop the dagger. Eren picked it up and then helped Reiner off the ground.
Dusting himself off, Reiner said, "It looks like you're getting better. That was impressive."
"Thanks man." Eren said smiling at him. Indeed, he noticed his strength was growing as time moved forward at the military academy.
Reiner walked a few paces away and turned to face Eren. "Alright" He said, "I guess it's your turn." Eren looked at the dagger in his hand, and then looked back at Reiner with a thoughtfullness. "What's wrong Eren, don't tell me you're afraid to get tossed down." Reiner chuckled.
Eren laughed back and said, "Nah it's not that. Just I've been thinking what is real point of these exercises? I imagine there are better ways to building strength, but this just seems silly. I doubt we could take titans out with a weapon like these daggers."
Reiner considered his words for a second and then responded, "What if you don't have a choice?" Eren looked at him puzzled. Reiner continued on, "What if the situation you were presented with only gave you a dagger to take a titan out that has cornered you?"
Reiner walked up to Eren, and held his hand out for the dagger. Eren gave it to him, wondering about the point he's making.
"You see Eren; in my village we have a warrior's conduct. That no matter how tough things get, we face them with the expectancy of getting the job done. Even with a weapon as small as this, we take what is presented to us and defeat our enemies no matter their size and strength. A warrior is always successful."
Eren nodded as Reiner gave him back the dagger. All of a sudden, something caught Reiner's eye behind Eren. "Hey" he told Eren, "You see the girl walking over there?"
Eren followed Reiner's gaze behind him, and saw a girl with blonde hair walking aimlessly on the field among the other cadets. "Her?" Eren asked. Reiner nodded. Smiling he spoke, "Her name is Annie. She tends to keep to herself a lot and slack off during group activities. I think you and I need to go over there and teach her about how seriously warriors are supposed to take their training."
Eren started to tell Reiner perhaps they should let her be, but Reiner was already moving toward her.
Annie continued to move through the field, looking for somewhere she could relax and wait for the drill to be over, until Reiner stepped in front of her path.
"Dozing off again I see Annie. What, you couldn't find a suitable partner to fit your interests? I think you need to take a long hard look in the mirror about why you decided to sign up, or else why don't you just go home." Reiner stated with a devilish grin.
As Eren caught up to Reiner, he got one look at Annie's expression, and wanted to duck behind a bush. 'Wow' he thought 'She is pissed! Here I thought Mikasa was scary at times.'
While Eren was still mesmerized, Reiner snuck up behind him and began to push him forward whispering, "Alright I buttered her up for you, now show her your warrior spirit!"
"What wait a minute, what in the world?" Eren said caught off guard by the sudden shift of attention.
Annie looked at Eren, and got in her fighting stance. Eren figured he might as well cooperate; this was actually the first time he truly noticed she was even there at the academy.
"Alright" Eren said, "You know the objective right Annie? Get ready because here I come."
Eren charged at full speed, but Annie met him half way in a flash, and kicked his right shin, causing him to fall to the ground grabbing his leg. "Man" Eren admitted in pain, "What was that I barely saw her move."
Annie looked back at Reiner and said, "You satisfied with wasting enough of my time?"
Reiner smiled, but responded, "Not quite. You haven't disarmed him yet." Annie heaved a sigh in frustration. She turned back around at Eren, who was just getting up, and she began to advance. Eren caught a glimpse at her approaching fast and said, "Wait a sec, timeout, oh crap!"
With blinding speed, she grabbed Eren's arm pulling him back, and with a leg sweep, turned him completely upside down in the air, falling on the back of his neck. The dagger he was holding flew into the air, being easily caught by her.
'I thought my days of being flipped mercilessly ended with the balance test' Eren mused as he was on the ground.
Annie threw the dagger at Reiner and said, "There you go. Now, let's see what you can do." Reiner gazed at the dagger in his hand and then hesitantly at Annie. "What's wrong?" She said, eyeballing him with a quite fury.
Eren spoke up in a somewhat mocking tone, still being on the ground saying, "Go ahead Reiner. Show her your warrior spirit." Annie glanced at Eren upon hearing his comment, and then her eyes narrowed at Reiner.
Reiner smirked saying, "Well, I guess I wouldn't be much of a warrior if I back down right? Alright, let's go Ann…" Yet before he could finish, she laid waste to him even quicker than she did Eren, again being able to take hold of the dagger.
She began walking away from the two defeated "warriors", before Eren stopped her. "Hey Annie" He asked, "That's an awesome fighting style you have there. Who taught you to fight like that?"
She paused for a second, before responding, "My father." Eren got off the ground and move toward her with excitement in his eyes.
"That's pretty cool. If you don't mind, could you tea-"
"What does it matter?" She said interrupting him. "You think martial arts can defeat titans?"
Eren listened intently as she continued, "You're so head strong with your goals that you can't see the forest for the trees. Mostly everyone here is trying to graduate within the top ten, so when it comes to a drill like this, they take it easy, knowing it's not graded. Only fools like you take it seriously, and I suppose fools like them." pointing toward Sasha and Connie. Eren smiled as Instructor Shadis grabbed Connie by the head for doing the drill improperly.
Annie suddenly made a strike with the dagger toward Eren's mid-section, but purposely stopped before reaching his chest. Eren, who responded much too late, instinctively held on to her wrists in an attempt to prevent her from moving any further.
"Tell me Eren." She whispered softly, "Why are the ones most capable of killing the titans given the opportunity not to face them within the interior?"
Eren struggled to think seeing that she was threatening him and asking him a question at the same time. "Who knows?" He responded. With that, Eren decided to go on the attack, attempting to wrestle the dagger away from her grip. He thought he finally got enough leverage, but she used his momentum to hold him off balance, flipping him again with another successful leg sweep, more thorough than the one before. He impacted the ground hard, opening his eyes to see Annie holding the dagger at his throat. 'She wins again.' Eren thought to himself as he laid there completely at her mercy.
"Perhaps it's just how things are with this world." She told him. "It's easier to just accept it, and go along with the flow, instead of trying to change things and end up crushed beyond recognition. That's the other thing my father taught me."
Sighing, she got up and dropped the dagger on the ground. "Learn that lesson Eren. Don't be an idealistic fool." Not wasting anymore time, Annie turned and left. Eren grabbed the dagger, contemplating over her words. Reiner walked up to him and gave him a hand up.
"She's a tough nut to crack wouldn't you agree?" Reiner laughed. Eren replied saying, "Yeah." Looking around, Eren mulled 'Yet she's right about one thing. The system is out of whack, having the top students running away from the titans all so the king can have the best protection possible in the interior. I'm sorry Annie, but I'm going against that system, and I will change things.'…
After drills were done for the day, the cadets had some free time before they were due in the classroom.
Reiner and Bertolt are walking along on their way to the boy's dorm, when Reiner sees Annie looking at them from afar, leaning against a tree. Reiner gives her a nod, and continues walking. Annie waited a few minutes, before following them into a secluded area behind the dorms.
"What was that all about?" Annie asked Reiner.
Reiner shook his head and quipped, "You'll have to be a little clearer as to what you're referring to."
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." She said scowling. "Are you trying to blow our cover? I thought we agreed to keep a low profile. Then you teach that suicidal fool principals from our homeland? You have become too attached."
Reiner brushed her comments off and said, "Listen, I did say keep a low profile, but you're just downright suspicious. You barely talk to anyone here, so what better way to change that than to sic Yeager-boy on you, wouldn't you agree Bertolt?"
Bertolt appeared thoughtful and spoke, "I can see both sides. It's important to blend in with those here, but I think Annie also has a point by not becoming too attached. It'll just make the job that much harder."
Reiner smirked at his friend's comments, "I always knew you had a soft spot for Annie." This caused Bertolt to blush slightly. Annie barely noticed and called out to Reiner…
"Listen Reiner, I'll choose how I operate while we're stuck here for the time being, and you do your own thing. I stay away from you, you stay away from me, and we all stay happy."
Finished speaking, Annie took her leave. Reiner thinking to himself mused, 'Yep, a tough nut indeed.'…
With all classes completed for the day and the sun beginning to set, the cadets gathered in the mess hall for tonight's dinner. On tonight's menu was the academy's favorite dish, soup and bread.
Conversation concerning topics in the classroom filled the air. Armin was discussing with Mikasa regarding the technical elements on "Formation for Long Distance Enemy Detection", a tactic developed by the current commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith.
Right next to him, Eren was reflecting upon his day, what he learned from Reiner and Annie, and the system of hiding away humanity's best potential soldiers from the titans. Looking off to his right, he began listening to a conversation Jean, Marco, and another cadet named Nac Tius were having about the 3DMG a table over.
"The trick to using less fuel is to pull the trigger for a short accelerated burst, and then using your momentum from the cables to carry you through to your desired target. You're also able to gain speed in your turns by using a combination of your momentum along with an accelerated burst of fuel." Jean told Nac.
Nac shook his head and replied, "You make it sound so easy."
"Well, perhaps not everyone can do it with precision. It takes incredible coordination and strength to pull off successfully." said Jean, stealing a moment away to look at his secret crush Mikasa. "Though, you shouldn't let that stop you from trying Nac. As only the top cadets will have a chance to enlist in the Military Police Brigade."
"Yeah, that's my dream!" Marco piped up, "It's always been my passion to one day work for the king."
Jean laughed and said, "Come on Marco, let's cut the bull crap. Shadis isn't here, so you don't have to impress anyone with statements of working for the king. We know the real reason why you and anyone else want to join the Military Police. Who wouldn't want to have a great life living in luxury?"
"That's not true Jean. It's a great honor to serve the king." Marco confronted. Jean waved him off and said, "Yeah, yeah. Well, you can still come over and hang out in my mansion off base once we make it."
"A mansion huh" Eren interrupted, "Tell me, will you also have swans swimming in a fountain in front of your neatly cut lawn, to quench your bushy tastes?" Some trainees listening nearby tried to hold in their giggles.
Jean sneered and said, "Maybe, but don't worry Eren. When you end up titan food on the battle field, I'll have a memorial erected on my lawn for you with the inscription, 'In Memory of the Suicidal Bastard'."
"Whatever Jean" Eren dismissed, "You know, as much as I hate to admit it, you actually have great talent as a soldier. Don't you think its odd the best cadets are offered the chance to stow away inside the interior, when it's better served that they fight the titans?"
Jean shrugged his shoulders and responded, "What you're trying to recruit me now? You think I care? The system suits me just fine."
Once again Jean managed to rile up Eren's anger. "You are a coward!" Eren yelled, getting up to face him. Jean returned his challenge and got up saying, "Fine kid. Let's settle this thing right here."
Before they could get at each other's throats, Mikasa stood up to separate them. "Come on guys" She said, "Let's try to have a peaceful meal for once."
Jean watched as she placed a hand on Eren's arm, leading him back to their table. Seeing her so close to Eren set the young man off. "You bastard" Jean shouted, grabbing Eren by his shirt collar.
"What's your problem all of a sudden? Let go of my shirt you idiot before it rips!" Eren yelled back, trying to break out of Jean's grip.
"You think I give a damn about your shirt? Ahh, I'm so jealous right now!"
"What are you talking about-" Eren began, but all of a sudden he got an idea. It seemed like time stopped for a second as he saw everyone looking at their situation. 'I'm sorry Jean, but this time, I won't lose control of my emotions like you. My purposes are greater than yours, and I'll demonstrate it with this technique' Eren thought with determination.
With precise movement, Eren grabbed Jean's arm, holding him off balance. Then in one swift action, Eren launched his left leg in a sweeping motion toward Jean's own, flipping him in the air and falling to the floor. A hush fell over the entire hall, and immediately Annie noticed the technique Eren just used.
Jean being caught off guard began rubbing his head and said, "What the hell was that?"
Eren knowing he had the attention of the whole room, answered Jean's rhetorical question in saying, "That was a martial arts technique I went through 'hell' to learn, while you were slacking off during hand-to-hand combat drills today."
"Huh" Jean looked at him, still trying to regain his bearings at what happened.
"Listen Jean" Eren began, "I don't plan to go along with this stupid system. In fact I made up my mind that I will graduate within the top ten, with a better ranking than you. Then when the higher ups come promising me a mansion and a life of comfort within the inner walls, I'll tell them to shove it all up their asses and let them know where they can go."
If it were possible, an even bigger hush fell over the mess hall as everyone heard Eren's declaration. After getting up and looking Eren in the eyes, Jean stated, "You think you can get a higher ranking than me? That'll be the day."
Suddenly, the door to the dining hall slid open, revealing their head instructor Keith Shadis.
"I heard a noise earlier and this room became very silent. Anyone cared to explain?" He asked everyone.
Eren, Jean, and Mikasa took their seats, and then Mikasa raised her hand and answered Shadis, "Potato Girl farted, Sir."
To Sasha's dismay, the whole room erupted in laughter. Shadis turned around in disgust, telling her to learn some manners, causing another round of laughter. After Shadis left, Mikasa gave Sasha the bread from her plate to calm her down. Yet the two boys, who were in disagreement earlier, stared one another down until the bell rung for the cadets to turn in for the night.
Steeling himself away from Jean's glare, Eren looked up to see Annie walking out the door.
"Uh I'll talk to you guys later." Eren told Armin and Mikasa as he got up and moved out the building. Mikasa wondered where Eren was off to all of a sudden, giving Armin an inquisitive look. Armin shrugged.
Eren reached the door, and saw Annie walking in the direction to her dorm. He ran to catch up with her, wanting to know what she thought of the move he put on Jean.
"Hey Annie" He called out, "What did you think about my form on using your dad's technique?"
She stopped walking, allowing him to catch his breath. Eren continued by saying, "Not bad for only seeing it a couple of times eh?"
With an annoyed voice she spoke, "Not bad? The angle in the motion of your kick was too wide. If that other idiot wasn't so preoccupied with yelling at you, he would have seen it coming a mile away." This caused Eren to sulk, having thought he performed the move without a hitch.
She turned to him and continued on by saying, "I heard your pronouncement in there concerning the top graduates. You're still trying to change the world."
"Oh that" He responded, "Yeah, I'm sorry Annie, but I refuse to accept things the way they are. Perhaps I'm biting off more than I can chew, but one day I want to live outside these walls, in true freedom."
Annie shook her head, "I can respect that, but you're a hopeless fool." By now, Eren got used to being called a fool, yet for some reason coming from Annie, it made him feel confident instead of insulted.
"Ha, I'll take that as a compliment." said Eren. "Anyway, I guess I'll see you around tomorrow." As he turned off toward the direction of his own dorm, he heard Annie call out to him…
"Eren" She said.
"Yeah"
"I guess if you can't learn that lesson" she said while looking up at the stars, with a smile forming on her lips, "I suppose I'll teach you my dad's fighting style instead."
Eren looked at her expectantly and replied, "What, really?" She looked at him, smile being replaced by a frown, and said. "Well, if you're going to perform them in front of everyone, I can't have you doing them improperly, giving my father a bad name."
Eren began to sulk again as Annie turned around toward her dorm.
"Goodnight Eren" She said while leaving.
"Yeah, goodnight Annie" Eren called, not knowing if she heard him. As Eren walked back to his dorm, a crazy thought crossed his mind concerning her. 'She looks kind of cute when she smiles'…