Chapter 1: Trainee days
"Hurry up, Feliciano!"
Ludwig's booming voice alone was enough to startle the Italian's legs to quicken their pace and match Ludwig's, but the two trainees were still at a considerable distance behind the others.
Their group of trainees had set out on a gruelling physical activity- soldiering through the cascading rain to get to the other side of the woods, laden with their provisions. The lack of rests had taken it's toll on Feliciano, who generally had a much lower stamina than the others.
"But Ludwig...I'm so...tired...and it's raining!" panted Feliciano.
"If you have enough breath to talk you have enough to keep moving!" was the German's rather unsympathetic reply.
Pulling his hood further down his head, Feliciano focused on running without stumbling over his own feet, which became easier as he suddenly felt the weight of his backpack being lightened and then removed entirely. Looking up, he saw Ludwig running on ahead carrying both their loads, glancing back at him to say,
"I'm only doing this until you recover your breath and we catch up with the others! Now get moving!"
Ludwig Beilschmidt. He possesses great physical and mental strength, and is highly disciplined in close combat. Though he can be quite impatient and irritable with his teammates, he can be relied on to keep everyone and everything together and on track.
A warm feeling of gratefulness welled up inside Feliciano, giving him the extra motivation needed to push on.
"You'll be running extra laps once we get back because of this!"
The gratefulness evaporated. Still, the exhausted Italian kept moving, with the dim prospect of having time for pasta once they returned in his mind.
Feliciano Vargas. He is very skilled at finding a way around or avoiding obstacles, and has excellent reflexes, though they are often triggered too easily. Tends to shy away from challenging situations and relies too much on others. With the right motivation, he can be persuaded to accelerate his generally low physical ability.
Hopeful rays of light penetrated the forest canopy as the sun peeked out from behind clouds, promising better weather than the day before. At this time of day the forest was relatively quiet save for the melodic tweeting of a bird or the rustle of leaves. However, this peaceful soundscape was suddenly disturbed by the sound of metal wires launching out of their gears as two figures advanced through the forest by swiftly maneuvering from tree to tree.
"That hit was more precise, but still not deep enough! Put more force into it next time!" Ludwig had somehow become Feliciano's mentor as they practiced slicing the necks of the wooden titan figures dispersed throughout the forest, observing his progress and giving him tips for improvement whenever their instructor couldn't. Feliciano was happy to spend time with Ludwig like this, even though he was just as, if not more strict than their instructor.
Another wooden figure came into view to the side as the two glided between the trees, looking for the next target. As soon as he spotted it, Ludwig veered in its direction and readied his blades as he drew closer.
"Watch me do it this time, and see if you can do the same!"
Feliciano watched as Ludwig propelled himself towards the makeshift titan, adjusting the angle of his body once he was within a few metres radius from the neck.
Slash!
A chunk of the titan's neck was sliced clean off, but not by Ludwig's blades. His eyes widened in surprise as he flew right over the figure, then anchored himself onto a tree and stood on one of the branches, looking up in bewilderment at the owner of the blades that had slain his target with such speed and precision.
"A-ah! Ludwig-san!" came an apologetic call as a rather short, black-haired trainee landed next to him. "I am sorry if that was your target, I just saw my chance and took it!"
Honda Kiku. His use of the 3D maneuver gear, especially its blades, is at lightning speed, though his endurance is not very high. He is very adaptable and can work with all sorts of people, but sometimes refrains from voicing his opinion and follows others' decisions.
"Uh, no it's okay, Kiku." Ludwig was quite taken aback both by Kiku's skill and need to apologise, but managed to reply. "Acting like that could save our lives if we're confronted with real titans- it's a good thing."
Before Kiku could respond, Feliciano's joyful call alerted them of his arrival. "Kikuuu~! That was so cool! You managed to cut the neck before Ludwig even realised you were there! How did you do it?"
"O-oh, I'm sure it's nothing you can't do, Feliciano. Besides, Ludwig-san would have done it just as well if I hadn't interrupted."
"Thanks..." replied Ludwig, suddenly uncomfortably aware of the fact that he had been trying to mentor Feliciano when he still had a lot to learn. "I think we should get-"
The noise of a 3D-maneuver gear cut him off, which was quickly accompanied by a loud yell as a fourth trainee crashed through the trees and landed on a tree opposite the trio, facing them with boastful, pink-red eyes.
"Oi, Lud! This isn't a time for hanging around! The awesome me will have killed all the titans before you guys stop talking!"
"Mein Gott, Gilbert, titan-slaying isn't a competition or a game." sighed Ludwig. "Focus on your precision and success!"
"I'm already successful, Lutz! I've sliced up every titan dummy I've seen!"
Gilbert Beilschmidt. Like his younger brother Ludwig, Gilbert's physical strength is high, and his use of the 3D maneuver gear is exceptional. However, he can be overly confident in his abilities as an individual, and face challenges without consulting others.
"Ve~ you sound so sure of yourself, Gilbert!"
"'Cos it's true, and I'll show you! Try to keep up, losers!"
At this, the albino shot off and zoomed towards the closest target, which they could just make out between the trees.
"Just don't run out of gas," Ludwig called after him. "I don't want to have to carry you back!"
"Pfft! As if!" snorted Gilbert as he streaked through the trees. "I'll show them how awesome my titan-killing skills are!"
"Surpriiiise!~" A glimpse of blonde hair flashed past as Gilbert's loud thoughts were interrupted.
"Francis!" he yelled as an all-too-familiar trainee raced ahead of him. "Get out of the way, I'm killing that titan!"
"Not if I get there first!~" called Francis playfully.
"Oh no you don't!"
Gritting his teeth, Gilbert accelerated with his 3D maneuver gear to try and overtake the trainee infront of him, but Francis was too fast.
Francis Bonnefoy. His performance while using the maneuver gear is smooth and efficient, with great balance, but his proud and stubborn nature can cause problems in communication between team members.
"Damn it!" he hissed under his breath as the blonde-haired trainee began to close in on the target, throwing an amused glance back at Gilbert.
"Get out the way!" Francis' head snapped back too stare in shock as another trainee exploded out of the trees, yelling at him. It was clear that they were set for a collision course, but Francis didn't have enough time to change his direction.
A deafening screech burst through Gilbert's ear drums as the two trainees crashed into each other. This was immediately followed by constant bickering as they writhed and squirmed to get themselves untangled from each other's 3dmg wires.
"Why didn't you move out the way, you twat!"
"Why were you charging straight into me?!"
"I couldn't see you through the trees! I only heard your stupid voice at the last minute!"
"Well that's hardly my fault is it, caterpillar-brows?"
"Shut up, frog face!"
Arthur Kirkland. He is good at acknowledging and pointing out the possible risks and flaws in plans, but can sometimes lose his nerve in pressuring situations. His short-tempered nature can also cause problems in group cooperation.
"Hey Francis, Arthur! Have fun hanging around!" called Gilbert with a smirk as he zoomed past them. Now I've got that titan all to myse-
His goal was once again taken from him as yet another trainee appeared from the trees on the other side of the titan dummy and carried out the blow that would have been fatal to a real titan, green eyes shining with joy.
Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. An optimist, he is a source of motivation for the team- he knows how to keep everyone going. Surprisingly, he is very good at maintaining a level head in times of crisis. Great control of the 3D maneuver gear.
"Damn it!" hissed Gilbert as he recognised the grinning Antonio.
"Better luck next time eh, amigo?" called the Spaniard, still wearing his cheerful smile.
"Damn you all, I am more awesome than you!"
"Except not awesome enough to get there first, ah?"
"Whatever, I've taken down more titans than you anyway."
"Whatever you say, Gil. We should head back, the forest ends over there and there aren't any more titans as far as I know. Besides, I think we've been graded by now."
"Ok then, looks like you'll be seeing me in the top ten soon!"
"Aaah!" A heavy thud sounded through the training grounds as Matthew Williams fell to the ground. "Be a bit more gentle, Alfred!"
"Bro what do you mean by gentle?" snorted Alfred as he hauled his brother back onto his feet. "This is close combat training dude, you shouldn't take it easy on your opponent!"
Alfred F. Jones. He possesses incredible physical strength, and is skilled in close combat. He has a great sense of purpose and determination, but this can lead him to be too confident about situations and rush in without much planning or thought about the consequences.
"But this is just training! I can't become a soldier if I break something because of you being too rough!"
"Dude, why are you so weak?"
"I am not weak!" Matthew's voice, which was usually close to a whisper, rose in defiance. "Don't you remember who kicked your ass in hockey the other day?"
"I totally let you do that, I thought I'd let you win for once. I could never drag my ass around as much as you!"
"It's still much better than being the reckless fathead you are!"
Matthew Williams. He is good at solving problems and finding solutions to any challenges or obstacles that may block their path, but often has trouble making himself heard. He has a lot of potential, which will hopefully be released from the shadows in crucial moments.
"You're such a boring stick in the mud, dude. It was much more interesting when I was fighting Ivan the other day. I beat him every time, of course!"
At this Alfred proudly puffed out his chest as if he had just defeated the Russian once again.
"Oh?" Ivan, who was training nearby with the constantly trembling Raivis, raised his head at the mention of his name. A somehow intimidating smile crept onto his face as he noticed Alfred. "Ah, it really was quite enjoyable wasn't it? Though what I remember is your face turning blue as I strangled you with my scarf~"
Ivan Braginsky. He is very strong physically, and very tough- able to maintain high performance in difficult conditions. However, he lacks speed and the ability to make sharp turns.
"That was not cool! Besides, using your creepy scarf trick isn't what we were taught. You've gotta take things seriously if you want to become a soldier."
"That's rich coming from you, Alfred. Besides, what's the point? I might as well have some fun; most of us are aiming for the Military Police anyway. Weren't you?"
For a moment it looked like Alfred was about to snap a retort at Ivan, but stopped himself.
"Right." he muttered, before shouldering past Ivan while avoiding eye contact with him and Matthew.
"H-hey, Alfred! Wait!" called Matthew. Ivan and Alfred weren't exactly on good terms, and it wasn't like his brother to let Ivan have the last word. But before he could catch up to him, their instructor Sadik Adnan's voice boomed over them.
"Attention all trainees! Close combat training session has ended. You squirts better make the most of your break because I'm expecting you back here at 15:00 for some target practice. Dismissed!"
"You're such an obnoxious loud-mouth, Sadik. I'm trying to have a rest here!" came the irritated voice of Sadik's companion- Heracles- who had just been woken up from a doze on the bench outside the trainee's cabin.
As the training ground began to empty, Matthew caught up to Alfred.
"Al, why are you-"
Unexpectedly, his brother turned round to face him, with his face lit up by his usual beaming smile again.
"Come on, Matt! If we hurry we can get the best food before everyone else!"
"W-what? Oh, right..." replied Matthew.
"Race ya there!" laughed Alfred as he sped up towards the kitchen, leaving Matthew a bit dazed before he
shook himself and chased after.
"You're such a child, Alfred..." he huffed, shaking off his brother's sudden change in behaviour.
Whatever it was that had made him act like, it can't have been important. I should focus on my training for now.
[A/N]
Sorry nothing much happens in the first chapter but things pick up soon, I promise ;v;
Stay tuned, I guess. There'll be many more characters to be introduced!
