Yay! We've all made it through the first week of school; let's celebrate with a new chapter!
Talia and Tiffany were sitting in their room, they had lied to Hanji that they were sick when she came knocking when the two did not show up for the Tuesday workout. Now the two girls sat on their beds beginning to be bored. "What's that bad over there?" asked Tiffany pointing to Embers bag on her bed. "Don't know must be freaks" stated Talia getting up and grabbing the duffle bag. "Look at this" said the girl holding up a pair of stretch pants and tutu. "Wait I want to try the skirt on" said Tiffany getting up. "Yeah, good idea that should be fun" stated Talia in a snide voice. Both had got the articles of clothing on but about five inches up from their hips the clothes were stuck, too tight to be pulled up higher. "Gosh, she's so damn skinny" said blond haired girl tugging on the skirt. "Let's make them fit" said Talia grabbing some scissors from the small chest in the room.
While the two girls slacked off Ember and the rest of the recruits stood in front of Shadis, Levi and Hanji. "Tomorrow you will have your first field test" said Shadis looking at the young cadets. "This will start to determine your ranking with in the 104th training group so work hard tomorrow." "Today is more endurance training!" said Hanji excited, thought the rest of the group exhaled in despair; "Don't worry it's just jogging the circuit three time" said the girl with glasses, hoping that this would raise the spirits of the children. It didn't, instead they sighed again in unison. All but Ember who simply waited knowing that they would jog whether they liked it or not: 'These people' thought the girl a bit exasperated.
Levi walked to the head of the group of people. "Right, I'm going to run this one with you, and I expect you all to keep up" he stated. 'Damn you Shadis for making me run this. I was supposed to go to town today and get some work done; now I get to pass it three times and get nothing done. Well to hell if I have to run this alone in front of these idiots." He looked over the crowed and spotted the dancing Cadet, 'Hill, that's her name' he thought. "Cadet Hill" he said motioning her over to his side. 'She shouldn't have to endure their ignorance' he thought as she approached him. "Corporal" she stated saluting him. "Cadet Hill will be running lead with me" said Levi to the other cadets. The two stood abreast and Levi took the first step and Ember fell in stride with her superior. 'Captain Levi sure is nice letting me run with him, goodness he is dedicated. Let him be your role model' she thought as jogged beside the man.
The group ran along the city streets. 'I hate people' thought Levi as the citizens of the town yet again pointed him out. "Humanities Strongest Solider" was not an easy title to have. 'What make me any different than her?' he questioned in his own mind, as he looked over to the girl next to him. After the third lab nobody but was running but the pair in front. Finally the group reached got back to the headquarters and everyone disbanded to their rooms.
Walking into the room Ember stood in shock to see the tatters of her clothing around the room. "God your fat freak" chided Talia, laughing at the girl. Yet again this still did nothing to faze the girl on the outside. Turning around she walked out. 'fat, fat, listen to succeed at this you need to lose more weight; Hill you're the best dancer we have so see what you can do" this girl recalled what had been said to her five years ago.
After diner Ember was walking toward the dorms when Victor walked up beside her. Already feeling rather down she snapped "What do you want?" "This!" he said advancing and pressing his lips to hers, pushing her forcefully against the wall. Horrified she kneed the boy in the groin. Groaning Victor looked up still having a hold on the girl he hit her on the side of the head, then picked her up and slammed her against the stone wall. Pushing up again to reclaim another kiss, he was met with a mouthful of spit. Hitting him in the knee with as much force as she had Ember caused the boy to go down and she ran to the infirmary. As she ran she heard behind her "you bitch I'll make you pay for this." Closing the door she released a sigh. 'What the hell was that' she thought taking deep breath to try and calm herself. She walked to the mirror on one side of the room and turned to look at her back. She could see blood beginning to seep through her white uniform shirt. 'uh, crap' she thought shaking her head. Taking off her top the girl walked over to the bandage station and grabbed a roll. Doing her best to try and bandaged up what looked like a very bruised and bloodied shoulder. Lying down on her stomach on a bed once she had done patching herself up. Disregarding her shirt she put the covers over herself trying to maintain her bit shattered dignity. 'Doctor Harris should be in here sometime tonight' thought the girl closing her eyes to wait for the man to show up and properly fix the bandages.
Captain Levi got up from his desk. 'Need to check if those shipments of medical alcohol arrived today' thought the tired man stepping outside. It was not a bad night, 'very pretty' thought Levi looking at the stars that shown brightly. Taking the stairs two at a time, he wanted to get to bed faster; knowing that this was his final task of the night. He stepped into the room and observed that something was off. Looking over to one of the beds that was now occupied, he also noticed that there was a shirt on the floor.
Ember hearing the door opened she turned her head toward the noise and slightly opened her eyes. Seeing the face of Captain Levi she turned her head the other way and closed her eyes again. The man saw her look at him for a moment but then turned away. He walked over to her side but she still paid no mind, suddenly rather tired. He looked over to the girl's shoulder that she seemed to be holding very strangely at her side. Her slender wrist and hand on top of the pillow. He then noticed the bandage on her shoulder that almost blended in with her pale skin. He walked over to the bandages, not thinking about his initial purpose for being in the room, at least for the moment. 'Damn Harris, why did you already go to bed' he cussed in his head. Stepping back to Embers side he gently started to pull on the wrapping. Ember turned her head to him with a questioning face but gave up and let him unwrap the rest of the bandage. Ember felt as a portion of the blanket was pulled back to allow the reapplication of a sterile bandage.
Levi took a step back slightly taken aback at what he saw. The girl didn't notice as that her head was turned the other direction. Levi leaned a little bit forward to examine what he saw. 'The hell has this kid gone through?' he inquired in his mind. On the small portion of the girls back that he saw was covered in scars. Most were old looking but there were some that look quiet red and irritated. Her pale skin seemed to just be marred. The scars were long some appeared to span all the way across her upper back. 'This is just messed up' thought the man cringing. He slowly started wrapping the bandage around her shoulder, trying not to look at her back, or trying to hurt her anymore that need be. Whilst redoing the bandage he inquired "So what kind of family do you have then?" wanting to know what possibly could have caused those scars. "I don't have any real family anymore. I've a rubbish step dad and step brother and sister" she stated in not much more than a whisper. 'Gosh he's seen my back" she thought. She had tried to forget what they looked like. Thankfully Levi changed the subject by asking "So what happened to your shoulder?" "That idiot Victor got into a rage again after diner" she stated. "He did this to you?" asked Levi but before she responded he again stopped for a second seeing her face. He had just finish and Ember wanted to get to bed and had turned to face forward. Levi grabbed he chin and pulled her forward to see her face in a better light. There was a dark bruise forming on her left cheekbone, also just beneath her lower lip there was again a bruise forming. "What the hell did he do?" Levi asked severely. "I think he tried to kiss me and he didn't like that I didn't like it, so he hit me; and then threw me into the wall" she said with no hesitation, nor emotion. "He's going to get hell" said the Captain in a low voice full of rage.
Levi turned his back as the girl put on a loose shirt that the Captain threw at her. She then stood awkwardly waiting for some command. Sighing he checked, as he lead the Cadet out of the room, that the alcohol had arrived. Escorting her to the room he stood outside the door as she entered. "Thanks" she mouthed. 'What has she gone through?' he questioned. Just as he was walking away he managed to hear what someone said inside the room. "Freak you've been out late, what have you been doing? Some extra cutting?" inquired someone inside that room. Something snapped in Levi's head, 'No one should be damn treated like that' he thought in rage. He turned around and barged into the room. Talia and Tiffany squealed as that they were only in their bras and pajama pants. Ember stood near the bunk bed farther back in the room. She was about to climb up to her mat when Levi had entered. She was now used to this type of comment and wandered what the Corporal could want. "Sir" she saluted him, but her face showed slight pain at the action. He glared down the two open jawed girls as he entered their domain. He strode over to her and put his arm over her shoulders and again led her out of the room. "You brats see me in my office tomorrow after the test" he stated in his emotionless voice.
Ember was no rather tired and was happy to just be led were ever Levi took her. He planned on letting her stay in the room adjacent to his. As they approached the door the girl suddenly went slack, she almost fell to the ground but was caught by Levi before she could hit the ground. He picked her up and was a bit worried about the light weight of her frame. He opened the door to his room and set Ember on his bed and pulled the covers over her body.
"I think he likes me, I mean I am pretty skinny" said Talia spinning around. "What did he mean by test tomorrow?" asked Tiffany "Oh, who cares" said Talia sighing as she lay down daydreaming.
Levi took off his shirt and lay down on the couch in his room and pulled a spare blanket over himself and he concentrated on the steady breathing of the other person in his room. Slowly he shifted off to sleep.