Chapter 2: Scouts, Military Police, and Garrison
YAMI'S P.O.V.
"This place may be messed up as hell, but I still can't believe you're not some figment of Yugi's imagination." Kaiba said as he put on the a long sleeve black shirt shirt.
We all had the same clothes as the Eld and Petra had with some small changes.
We all wore a off tone tan pair of pants with straps near our hips, a pair of light brown riding boots, a white button up shirt with straps that went across the chest, and a tan jacket with a shield on the side of the arm, on the breast pocket, and a large one in the center of the back back. While Petra had a set of blue and white wings, ours had two grey swords crossed over one another.
Although there was some differences between our uniforms, like Kaiba wore a black shirt with no buttons instead of the white one he was given. Joey wore his shirt with the top button undone, Tristen had a bolo tie, and Yugi and I both put on scarfs, his being blue while mine was red.
Petra had told me and Yugi that our hair would make us stick out like a sore thumb, so she decided to cut it.
Now both Yugi and I have short black hair with bits of blonde mixed in that laid back smoothly on our heads.
Truthfully we looked like twins, and considering we'll be in a place that is all about military... It might make a good cover story if they go digging.
Joey looked at me and said, "Well at least he won't call us crazy anymore."
Kaiba hissed, "Shut up, Mutt."
We were all dressed and ready to get moving.
We left the secluded area and saw Tea was waiting outside for us, wearing the same uniform with the addition of a white scarf tied around her neck, and her hair pulled in a bun with strands that dangled from the side.
She smirked and said, "You guys look good in uniform."
Eld stepped out and said, "All dressed? Good, we need to get moving. That intelligent abnormal is still out there and I'd rather not tangle with it."
Petra nodded and said, "Grab a horse and follow us."
We all mounted up on the horses and began riding through the ruins.
Riding horses... It felt familiar to me...
Perhaps it had to do with my Egyptian past...
As we rode, I saw some of the Titans slowly walking around, through building and old city streets looking for food. Meaning they were looking for us...
We also saw the bodies that littered the street...
Petra looked at us and said, "Don't look back it will only slow you down! Just keep riding forward and they won't catch us and we won't end up like them."
Eld nodded and said, "Yeah, they're just normals, no speed what so ever..."
I think I'm starting to understand the terms they're using. Normals are what the name applies, they're the normal Titan, slow, dim witted, and easily killed.
Then there are abnormals, ones who can reason, move with higher speeds, and much harder to kill.
Eld held up his gun to the air and shot a thing of green smoke up.
Petra yelled, "The gate will open and we rush in. Alright?"
We all nodded and continued to ride forward.
Then a Titan blocked us at the gate.
It looked at us with it's glassy look and began to reach down.
Before I could even blink, the monster's neck was sliced and it fell to the ground.
Standing on the house next to it was a man wearing the same uniform as us with a green cloak over it.
He had black hair and a eyes that reminded me of Kaiba's from our first duel, solemn and emotionless. He wore the same wings as Petra and Eld did and had a white scarf like Tea's tied around his neck.
Petra yelled, "Captain Levi!"
He looked down at us and said, "More wet behind the ear recruits? Why the hell are they out here?"
Eld yelled, "The freaking instructor thought it was a good idea to bring an untrained class outside of the wall. He and the rest of their class got eaten. They were making their escape ran into one heck of an abnormal, 14 meters tall and it was freaking fast. That's what Petra and the others said."
Levi nodded and said, "Send them back in, apparently they need more work on using the ODM gear more, before coming back out here."
Levi looked at us and said, "Your dismissed."
Petra and Eld placed their left fist over their heart and their right one behind their back in some sort of a salute. The rest of us mimicked it so we wouldn't seem out of place.
The gate opened up and we rode in as fast as we could.
As we rode in the was people standing on the sides of the streets whispering among themselves.
Apparently they have little faith in the military and they expect them to come back with less then they started.
We rode on for what seemed like hours when we arrived at a closed off valley with houses and equipment lined up everywhere.
Eld stopped his horse and said, "Welcome cadets, to your home for the next six months. You make it here, you can join us. But fair warning... If any of you even try to quit, you're all going to prison no if and buts about it. Are we clear?"
The six of us mimicked the salute he gave earlier and said, "Sir!"
Petra nodded and said, "Go to the line up and meet your Drill Sargent. We'll see you in six months."
We dismounted and they rode off with the horses.
JOEY'S P.O.V.
The instructor who is in charge of the training of the 104th Corp recruits was named Keith Shadis and he looked like he's has seen Hell.
He has a cleanly shaven face and head except for a small patch of beard beneath his chin and dark circles about the eyes.
He approached the blonde kid next to me and said, "Mop top! What you name maggot?!"
The blonde kid replied in a high pitch, "I'm Armin Arlet sir! I'm from Shinganshina!"
Weird town name...
Shadis yelled, "What? What in the world posses your parents to name you that?"
He replied, "It was my grandfather's Sir!"
Shadis yelled, "Why are you here Arlet?!"
Armin replied, "To help save humanity from the titan menace sir!"
Shadis grabbed Armin head and said, "That is delightful to hear! Your going to be a great light snack for them."
He looked at me and said, "What do call your self?"
I stood at attention and said, "Sir! I'm Joesph Wheeler. Sir!"
He glared at me and asked, "Why are you here maggot?!"
I replied with the partial truth, "To help defend humanity against the Titans and reclaim our home, Sir!"
'And not to go to prison,' I added mentally.
He looked at me and said, "Your going to make excellent Titan fodder Wheeler."
He walked over towards Yugi and Yami and said, "Well it appears I'm seeing double... What are your names?!"
Yugi yelled, "I'm Yugi Motou Sir!"
Then Yami said, "And I am Yami Motou Sir! We're both from the Trost District!"
Shadis yelled, "Motou? You're brothers, right?"
Yugi yelled, "Yes Sir! Twin brothers Sir!"
Twins?
Good ploy to explain why the look so much alike.
He nodded and said, "Good. You two are going to need support after you've see hell."
He looked behind them and there was a girl with dark brown hair pulled up in a ponytail eating a potato.
He looked at her and said, "Hey you there. What do you think your doing?!"
He approached her while she was still chewing and screamed, "YOU ARE OFFICIALLY ON MY HIT LIST! SO WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
She swallowed and saluted him with the potato in hand and said, "Sasha Braus, at your serves. Reporting for duty Sir!"
He said, "Sasha Braus huh? And what is that your clutching in your right hand?"
She replied, "A Steamed Potato. It sat there in the mess hall begging to be eaten. Sir!"
He replied, "The theft I understand, but here... Why eat it here of all places?"
She replied in a stern tone, "It looked quite delicious and it was getting cold. So I gave it shelter in my stomach sir!"
She going to get kicked out... over a potato...
I wanted to burst out laughing but then he might kick me out...
I don't want to be the one that gets us all in the clink.
Shadis said, "Why? I can't comprehend... Why would you eat that potato?"
Then she went into a lengthy reason on why people eat potatoes.
In the end she gave him half of it and he told her to start running, until the sunsets and no meal privileges for the next five days.
We all stood on the porch of the cabin discussing the event that took place.
Tea said, "Man... I nearly burst out laughing when she started eating the potato. I mean who does that, especially during something as important as that?"
A boy with black hair and green eyes said, "Apparently Potato Girl..."
I tilled my head and said, "I didn't see Shadis talking to you. So what your name?"
He smiled and said, "I'm Eren Yeager, and like Armin I'm from Shinganshina."
Thomas looked at him and said, "That means you saw it... You were there that day... when the Colossal one... did you see him?!"
He nodded and said, "Yeah okay. I saw the big guy."
A small crowd formed around him. I lean to Yugi and asked, "Any clue on who this Colossal One is?"
Yugi nodded and said, "From what I heard, 5 years ago a 60 meter Titan knocked down the wall in Shinganshina... Nearly a fifth of the population was wiped out... Apparently there are some survivors in our squad, Eren and Armin happened to be part of that group... They've seen the hell the Titans brought with them..."
Eren when on explaining how big the Colossal one was and what he looked like.
Taller than the wall we entered, and had no skin only exposed muscles...
Yep, pure nightmare fuel right there.
Then someone asked, "So... What were they like?"
Eren looked down in anger and Bertold said, "Alright it's clearly bugging him so lay off..."
Eren scoffed and said, "Those stupid Titans, they aren't really that big of a deal. If we focus on mastering the ODM gear they give us then it's Titan payback time. I've waited years to be trained as a solider, all of a sudden the reality is sinking in. I'm joining the scout regiment and then I'm sending the Titans back to hell. I'm going to butcher them all."
Then Jean looked at him and said, "Hey are you crazy or something? Not that it's my business, but signing up for reconnaissance is like a death wish or something."
Kaiba glared at Jean and said, "To those who lack the nerve for it, it is. I happen to be signing on with the Scouts too. I'm not a coward."
Jean shrugged and said, "Your funeral, both literally and figuratively."
Then a girl with black hair and a bright red scarf, stood up and walked toward the door.
Eren and Armin ran to catch her as Eren said, "Mikasa! Wait up!"
I looked at Yugi who had been looking out the door that she left.
"Hey Yug?"
He shook his head, looked at me and said, "Hm? Sorry Joey... I was a bit distracted..."
Yami smirked and said, "Rightly so, by how you looked at that Mikasa girl."
Yugi blushed a bit and said, "Well she seemed nice... But how Armin and Eren chased after her..."
Marco sat down at the table and said, "Nah. Eren's family adopted Mikasa when she was little, he's like her brother. As for Armin well they been best friends for years. Not many people chase after Mikasa because..."
I said, "It's like having two older brothers guarding her."
He shook his head and said, "Quite the opposite actually. She protects them. Trust me on this one, she stronger than she looks. From what I heard she took on three older and very built guys by herself and won."
Kaiba sat down and said, "What the big deal about it? She's sensible to protect her family and friends, but what about her own life? Does she have a death wish or something?"
"A good question, maybe I'll asked her that."
I looked up and saw a girl with pale blonde hair pulled in a bun and bright blue eyes standing beside Kaiba.
He looked at her and said, "Let me know if you get the answer, Ms. ..."
She said in a monotone voice, "Leonhart. Annie Leonhart. And you are?"
He replied, "Seto Kaiba."
She smirked and said, "Well then Seto... I'll see you tomorrow."
She turned away and walked out the door.
Yugi looked at me and Yami and said, "Well that was odd... I was expecting Kaiba to yell at her for calling him Seto."
Yami smirked and said, "Look at him, I don't even think he realizes we're talking about him."
I looked at Kaiba who was looking at the door Annie exited, and the funniest part was the small layer of light pink that covered his cheeks.
He was actually blushing about a girl!
I couldn't help but snicker at the thought of Kaiba having a crush.
Then Kaiba scowl returned and he hit me in the back of the head. "Shut up Wheeler!"
KAIBA'S P.O.V.
"Listen up Maggots, it aptitude test time! There is no place for you here if you cannot preform. Fail and be shipped to the fields." Shadis yelled as he stood in front of the machines.
He then proceeded to pair us into partners at the booths.
One to do the test while the other records, and once they were done, they switch and see how the other did.
The pairs went as followed; Mikasa and Yugi, Joey and Jean, Tea and Armin, Tristen and Potato Girl, Yami and Annie, and I got paired with Eren.
I was first to be tested with the wires to see if I could even use ODM gear.
I was strapped in and the wires began to lift me up.
I remained perfectly balanced, not even moving a muscle as I was up in the air.
Then after 10 minutes they let me down and Eren stepped up.
He was so eager to prove him self and this was the moment of truth for him.
They strapped him in and slowly lifted him up. He was able to keep balance for a minute before he flipped upside down.
Shadis yelled, "What is your major malfunction Yeager?! Bring your self up!"
I said, "Sir! If I may..."
He looked at me and said, "Kaiba, what is it?!"
I walked up to Eren and pointed to his belt. "There a broken clasp on the back... I believe he has faulty gear Sir..."
He gawked at it and said, "Kaiba... You've got sharp eyes... Some one go get Yeager some new equipment ASAP!"
Eren looked at me and said, "So... It's not my fault... I didn't wash out..."
I nodded and said, "Yes it wasn't your fault, but it's still quite an impressive feat balancing for an entire minute with broken equipment."
I looked over at the other groups.
Yami and Mikasa was floating there with not a single twitch.
Tea, Joey, and Tristen were balancing just fine, with a little wobble here and there.
Then they switched and Yugi was a bit shaky but stayed upright the entire time.
Armin and the others were doing perfectly fine.
Finally someone came back with Eren's new gear and he put it on.
He once again got into the harness and was lifted into the air.
He was very still and kept upright the entire time.
Shadis smirked and said, "Alright Yeager, your in..."
Eren yelled, "Yes! Thank you Sir! I won't let you down!"
As they started lowering Eren, Annie walked by and said in her calm and quite voice, "Hello Seto..." I
looked at her and said, "Annie... Did you ever get Mikasa to answer your question?"
She nodded and said, "She said, that she doesn't give a damn about her own life, as long as she can protect the ones she loved she's willing to die..."
I looked at Annie and said, "And do you agree with her?"
She shrugged and said, "Honestly... No... I don't... What's the point of dying to save a loved one? In the end they'll just keep blaming themselves to the bitter end... Although, my opinion may be biased, considering I have no family..."
I sighed and said, "My parents died when I was little, all I have left is my little brother and I'm willing to do anything to protect him."
Annie raised a brow and said, "Well then... Motives aside... I know you wish to join the Scouts... Do you really want your brother only to have a memory of you?"
I looked at her and said, "No... I don't... but I am going to come back... Every time I'll go back with the solemn oath to come back."
Annie looked at me and said, "So...you wish to live..."
She walked away and said, "Very well then. I'll see you at dinner... Seto.."
I felt my face get hot as she walked away with her golden hair flowing behind her.
I never thought I meet a girl like that...
If I ever make it back home, I'm bringing her with me...
She seems out of place here, something I can truly relate to.
Annie Leonhart, what's your secret?
