Armin knew that he wouldn't be able to last long.
He knew it from the gruesome Titan attack that killed both his parents in Shiganshima. He knew it from the way Eren and Mikasa looked at him- with pity and disdain everytime they saved him from bullies. He already accepted it the day he enlisted in Survey Corps training where everyone looked battle-hardened and ready to die, while he looked frail, weak and pathetic.
It was no wonder he got this far- because of his two best friends. If it weren't for them, he would've not been here, breaking his back under the scorching sun, for the glory of humanity.
"Arlert! You finished last in the 25 kilometer run. Because of that, you will have to face the consequences. Arlert, give me 50 push-ups!" his Commander yelled at his ear.
Armin's ears were still ringing from the intensity of his Commander's voice as he panted. He was hungry, thirsty, bone-tired and exhausted. He wanted to lie on the ground and watch the fluffy white clouds dissipate into the clear blue sky.
"Armin! Get yourself together!"
He gave his Commander a salute- his right hand on his left chest and his left hand clasped against his back- before kneeling down in girl scout position to do his push-ups.
Sweat trickled down his eyes, temporarily blurring his vision as he started. After his first push-up, he heard his Commander laughing.
"Arlert! Get your knees off the ground and start doing push-ups like a man!"
The other recruits sniggered behind his back. Armin bit his lip as he lifted his scrawny knees off the cobbled ground. He tried to balance his weight on the center of his body but his thin arms were shaking so much that his entire body fell flat on the ground.
The recruits burst in laughter. In the corner of his blurred vision, he could see Eren and Mikasa straight-faced. "They must be ridiculing me deep down inside. Eren and Mikasa…fifty push-ups to them is like breathing. If they can do it, why can't I…."
"Arlert! Get up!" his Commander yelled at him. Arlert stopped the worthless struggle and stood up to face the red-faced Commander. He wished the whole world would just swallow him as the little scene he caused attracted the attention of several bread vendors who were passing by.
"Sir!" Armin's voice quivered as he performed the salute again. Jean and his friends were trying to hold their laughter.
Commander Yeti looked straight into the wimp's almond eyes. "It is only the second day of training and you're already falling behind. Tell me, why did you choose to enlist in the Survey Corps?"
Armin's eyes watered. He mustn't show fear or emotional breakdown in front of his superior.
"I-I-I enlisted because…my parents…they…they…" Armin stammered. "Damn it, Armin! Get a hold of yourself!"
"He enlisted because he wanted to be strong," Eren said, stepping away from his sniggering comrades and looking at Commander Yeti straight into the eye.
Commander Yeti raised his brow at Eren Jaeger, Mikasa's adopted brother. It took very long for Eren to get used to balancing his weight while suspended in midair with two belts, but nonetheless, Eren was able to accomplish it. Commander Yeti had no idea why Eren and Mikasa were going out of their way to help a poor wimp like Armin.
"As you can see, he's got a lanky frame. His attitude is not as tough as compared to a Survey Corps soldier," Eren said.
Armin looked down. What was Eren…
"But didn't most of the Survey Corps soldiers start out like that?"
Jean and his friends stopped chuckling. Armin bit his lip.
Commander Yeti raised his brow. "Your point, Jaeger?"
"You shouldn't give up on Arlert. He may be weak, but that doesn't he'll remain weak forever. That's why he's here, training- so that he could be strong for himself, so that he could be strong for the rest of the dwellers inside these walls"
Commander Yeti sighed. "Nice speech. You'd fit well in the Military Police." The Military Police was a faction of highly-intelligent elite soldiers who were part of the top ten outstanding recruits.
Eren frowned and saluted. "Even if I had the chance to join them, I wouldn't"
The other recruits gasped. Sasha's was really loud that it sounded like she lost so much air. "But, why?" Connie asked, flabbergasted at Eren's remark.
"What an idiot," Annie muttered.
Eren kept his salute. "Ever since I saw my mother eaten alive by a Titan in Shiganshima, I've dedicated myself to exterminating all the Titans outside the walls. I….will stop at nothing to kill them, because if I don't, humanity will be annihilated!" he growled.
"Same speech all over again, Eren?" Armin told himself. Eren was always passionate about this topic whenever it came up in their conversations. He always noticed something in Eren's eyes gleaming whenever he talked about slaughtering the man-eating Titans. It seemed to him that there was something about Eren that was so mysterious, so complex. The way Eren acted…with a desire for Titan slaughter…it's as if Eren weren't human. It's as if he were…
"Class dismissed. Jaeger, a word with you," Commander Yeti said.