Chapter Eleven

Annia had returned to the training base late last night with two escorts, one of which was the young instructor who had been saved by Instructor Mitch at the training base. He had found the other Scouting Corps horse roaming the base and rode it to town, it was thanks to his brave actions that Levi and the other five officers had arrived and dispatched the remaining titans Annia had learned. She thanked him repeatedly for his actions for herself as well as the other trainees.

She had only managed a few hours of sleep before dawn was readily approaching; she awoke and awkwardly changed in to her uniform. She was till adapting to having only a single arm, some everyday tasks still awkward and hard. Where she suffered the most was in writing having lost her right arm, but she was adapting as fast as she could.

She looked at herself in the mirror adjusting her uniform as needed. And then she did a quick run through of her hair again, without a second hand she could no longer manage a ponytail as of now. So she had one of the hospital nurses cut her hair short, it was now chin length in the front but kept short in the back close to base of her head.

She then turned to the window and saw the sun rising over the horizon, she turned and faced the door resting her left hand on it today I am simply one step closer to making a dream into a reality.

…

"Attention trainees!" Shadis barked as he paced back and forth in front of the front lines of the new third years. The front line had changed considerably over the past few weeks, the majority of the students who lived through the base invasion on the leave week now comprise the first line and the top twenty positions. Though a few of them had dropped out because of the encounter, the experience had proven beneficial overall. The base invasion had been dubbed leave week, and anyone who was there a survivor of leave week. Though the instructors did their best to keep the students silent, word had slipped out among the base, and somewhat into the military-but more importantly the public remained ignorant of the entire incident.

"Today we have a new trainee join us!" Shadis announced and immediately there was a response of gasps and hissed whispers.

He cleared his throat regaining control and silence, "She is joining us from unusual circumstances- many of you may recall your senior Annia Beauregard." He paused and the survivors of leave week all nodded in synchronization and several more knowing nods have followed, "Annia has received special permission to continue training alongside us under an intense training program to make up for the training she has missed and graduate." He finished explaining.

"Annia please step forward." Instructor Shadis ordered, from behind him the girl stepped forward. She had been so still and silent they had not noticed her presence, but they did now. She was still the same size, with the same cold expression on her face- the only real immediate noticed change was her hair which had been cut short. The survivors of leave week were for the most part ignorant of her recent disability, it was only those that had been in the same hospital wing that knew- and most of them had left for home. Nobody could tell of it though because her jacket had two sleeves, it simply looked like her right hand was hiding in her sleeve.

"106th division salute!" Shadis ordered and in synchronization they all saluted-Annia included. Seamus, the currently sixth place ranked training from his position stared at Annia disgusted. Her left hand had clapped itself appropriately behind her- yet her right arm just hung there. In fact, he couldn't see her arm sticking out of her sleeve; she was either wearing her uniform incorrectly or had gotten the wrong size. Seamus had heard of Annia before the leave week incident, but afterwards all he ever seemed to hear about was this girl, and yet her she was standing before him and saluting so disrespectfully. Tsh I guess fame isn't everything huh? She really isn't all that He thought to himself.

Shadis noted the look of disgust on Seamus' face, he expected at least one person to notice Annia's right arm. He was in fact counting on it, after Annia and Clarisse had been recovered the instructors did their best to hide Annia's lost limb fearing it would only scare the students further when they had already been shaken. "Trainee Seamus, you appear displeased what offends you?" Shadis demanded of him.

Seamus turned to face Shadis, "It's Trainee Beauregard's salute sir, her salute is improper and disrespectful!" Seamus announced breaking eye contact with Shadis to glare at Annia who stared at him with icy cold indifference still holding her salute.

Shaid turned on his heel and stood next to Annia, "Trainee Beauregard, are you acting out of disrespect?" he asked her.

"No sir!" she shouted back, "I am saluting sir!" she shouted straightening her spine just the slightest bit more though her 'right arm' still hung limply by her side.

"Trainee Annia, I order you to remove your jacket and allow the 106th division to see what happens in titan combat." Shadis ordered Annia, he then turned to address the trainees, "Some of you here today already had experience with facing titans, however Annia is a prime example of how experience and inexperience do not always make a difference on the field."

Annia then moved quickly with her left had removing her jacket, exposing the stump of where a right arm used to hang. There were gasps of shock, surprise and disgust at the sight.

"Annia's customized uniform for her disability has yet to come in, for now she will make do with what is available. In that time familiarize yourself with the wound let it stand as a reminder of the titans and the realities of battle and war." Shadis barked and the trainees shouted back in agreement.

Annia replaced the jacket and again resumed her salute knowing it would prove to be a distraction if the arm remained visible. For the next twenty minutes they stood in salute Shadis marching up and down the lines inspecting the recruits, scrutinizing and questioning them. When he was satisfied they were dismissed to retrieve their ruck sacks for their run. Many of the recruits were whispering amongst themselves about Annia.

Seamus meanwhile was recovering from his embarrassment, his cheeks burning bright and he refused to speak with anyone on his way to retrieve his ruck sack. While returning to formation someone approached him from behind, "You know you don't have to be embarrassed, Shadis was looking for someone to do what you did- you were just caught first." He turned and looked over his shoulder, with a look of indifference Annia was walking behind him and rapidly approaching to walk next to him. He tried to quicken his pace but she had already adjusted for the change and caught up easily to him. As she walked beside him she kept her eyes forwards, "Seamus right?" she asked.

"Yeah, and you don't have to make me feel better." He answered curtly trying his best to be rude, but she didn't react in the slightest which angered him further. They walked the rest of the way in silence, I'm going to defeat her-I don't care if she was the best in the 105thdivision. I'll show everyone she's just like any other girl. He promised himself.

"So that's the Annia, the one who saved you Eyre?" chirped Drucilla, the shortest trainee of the 105th training division, a full twelve centimeters shorter than Armin Arlet the previous record bearer for shortest trainee.

"She's the one Dru, when I got trapped by those two ten meter class titans on a tree branch. She's amazing- I can't believe we have her in our division now." Eyre breathed out in awe.

"Well come on and pick up the pace and catch up to her maybe we can talk during the run!" Drucilla chirped out, she was the golden heart girl of the 106th division. A gun and cannon genius from a mechanical background, she had the nick name "baby face terror" or more commonly "baby face". Despite being the smallest and appearing the youngest, she was the oldest trainee in the 106th division and currently holding the fifth rank of all the trainees. She had inky black long hair that was usually contained into a tight bun at the back of her head. Her large blue grey eyes were always bright and welcoming, and in complete contrast to Annia she always had a smile plastered on her face.

Eyre had held the thirty sixth rank before leave week and had recently been shifted to the fifteenth place. The encounter with the titans giving her much needed motivation and experience she needed to up her rank. Because of Annia she had also stepped up in her leadership abilities, something Shadis had not missed in assessment. Her nickname was the bulldog for being the guard for female trainees against the male ones. If there was a problem she was called in for it.

On the first day of training she posted herself next to Dru, expecting the little girl to need a big sister or at least a body guard. Dru however proved she didn't need a body guard, but the bulldog remained faithfully by her side ever since. Eyre had chocolate brown hair and near black eyes her hair always swinging behind her in a ponytail.

The two girls ran to catch up with Annia, but they had dawdled too long and the run began just as the showed up, "We'll just talk to her as we run." Drucilla resolved brushing her black hair back behind her ear. Eyre nodded in agreement, however only two minutes into the run and they realised that their plan may not be possible. Despite having been laid up for weeks in the hospital, Annia still headed the pack during the run; Seamus did his best to stay at her heels. Clenching his teeth together and putting his head down. Drucilla and Eyre were back by about five people going at the fastest pace they could maintain without exhausting themselves unrealistically.

At the end of the run Seamus collapsed on the ground and proceeded to throw up his breakfast. Shadis was about to move on him to punish him. But he sensed a dark presence and saw Annia looming over Seamus having beaten him to it I'll let her handle it Shadis thought well aware of Annia's lecturing during leave week.

The class noticed Annia looming over Seamus her face having darkened considerably, they silently kept their space from her, retreating behind Shadis to watch the scene play out. Seamus having finished throwing up but still out of breath sensed a dark aurora and a shadow looming over him. He glanced up into the fiery eyes of an enraged Annia.

"What exactly was that trainee Seamus?" she asked him, her voice more icy hard than usual with anger.

"I was throwing up it happens." He growled back in response wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

He paused for a moment and a shudder of terror went through him looking at Annia's face again, "And why exactly did you throw up?" she asked him leaning in closer.

He paled in response, "I ran too hard." He responded.

"If you were being chased by titans Seamus, would you run so hard that after a certain distance you could no longer stand? So hard in fact that you collapsed onto your knees and proceeded to throw up, rendered exhausted and unable to defend yourself?" Annia asked him.

He sat up and backed away from Annia, "No m-ma'am I would not." He responded his voice strained.

"Then why did you do so just now in training?" Annia asked him, her hard light brown eyes piercing into his green ones. He swallowed but couldn't find any words to respond. He found that his tongue had grown enormous in his mouth, it felt like cotton and was stuck to the roof of his mouth. He could not will himself into speaking. "Remember we're training for combat-not sports. In combat you don't run yourself down, you fight until you die there's a difference. Fight until you die means you can still fight the enemy has killed you, running yourself down means you killed yourself-out of stupidity or arrogance."

"But I'm not stupid or arrogant!" Seamus shouted at her infuriated and then cursed himself because he just made himself out to look like both.

She didn't smile like someone who planned that would have, she didn't grin like she enjoyed his slip up. Her face remained the cold and hard look she had given him when he first looked up, "You are one of two of them." She said loud enough for everyone to hear and then lowered her voice so only he heard, "And you better hope it's the stupidity because that can be fixed." And with that she turned on her heel and took up position with the other trainees.

Cursing himself and slamming his fist into the ground Seamus managed to get up onto is feet. Shadis had watched it all play out, he wouldn't have been as direct as Annia. But she had gotten the message across to Seamus and the rest of the trainees, "Alright trainees, maneuver equipment exercises now!"

With that the trainees removed their rucksacks and dug out their maneuver gear. Shadis as well as several of the other trainees couldn't help themselves and watched Annia put on the gear. They had sent her the gear a week before she arrived. She had requested that so she could get accustomed to putting it on. She was now accomplished with putting the gear on with only one arm having familiarized herself with the movements. Shadis noted it had taken her a great deal more time than before, her speed reduced to the middle of the pack in comparison to the other trainees.

Annia straightened putting the final fine adjustments on her buckles, she had used the time to mentally prepare herself. She hadn't had any combat experience since the leave week incident and she wasn't sure if she'd have any psychological damage or impairments from the experience. She didn't want to be crippled by the memories, she'd heard how it had happened to even some of the best graduates after their first time in the field-Annia could not afford to have that. She needed to get into the survey corps.

"Alright everyone into groups of three for training simulation!" Shadis order, Drucilla and Eyre glanced at each other and rushed Annia. Looking in hindsight they probably didn't need to rush over, between her arm and the Seamus confrontation all the other trainees were back to a state of being petrified by her presence. And of course Annia wasn't looking around to make teams she was staring coldly at everyone.

"Hello I'm Drucilla, most people call me Dru for short. And this is Eyre, I don't know if you remember but-" Drucilla greeted in a friendly manner grey eyes shining brightly.

"You saved my life during the leave week incident, but I don't think you really remember me…" Eyre finished for her friend, glancing away from Annia embarrassed her ponytail swinging behind her.

Annia shook her head, "No I do remember, you were that second year trying to help out the other first years. I remember you clearly. That was a lot of bravery out on the field there, you should be proud." Annia stated, Eyre turned back to look at the other girls face. Her face looked open and honest, she really did remember Eyre.

"Oh-uh thank you." Eyre responded finding herself bowing slightly due to the compliment.

"So we were wondering if you would like to join the two of us?" Drucilla asked rocking back and forth on her heels with her hands clasped together behind her back. Eyre shook her head at the motion, it was not only Dru's face that got her the name baby face, she acted like a child at times as well.

Annia nodded, "Not used to working in teams I'll admit though." Drucilla squealed and threw herself at Annia giving her a huge hug. Annia's face registered shock and surprise and she stood stiff for a second as if unfamiliar with what to do. But then as Drucilla squeezed her Annia's face softened and she patted the girl on her back. Eyre watched it all, Annia looked discomforted but not out of anger it looked more like she just wasn't familiar with other people and didn't know what to do around them.

"Beauregard's group you can go first." Shadis announced not even seeing who Annia had grouped herself with, "I want all of you to watch close-" he turned and saw who had partnered with Annia. It was the combination he was both hoping for and fearing. The baby face terror and the prodigy, and that's why I'm unleashing them first so the course at least has a chance of surviving.

The three girls nodded and went to the starting position, "You have three minutes to attack as many simulation titans as you can-as a team." He added and he noticed that for once Annia nodded as if she understood what team work was. He pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at it "In three… two… one!" He announced and like a rocket all three girls launched themselves up.

He noted that Annia was slightly off balanced but was quickly adjusting and adapting to the new environment. The first titan dummy sprang up, "I've got it!" Annia shouted and pulled ahead, she came flying at it from behind twisting with her sword extended. She not only executed the cut but made one almost twice as large as it needed to be.

"Eyre to Annia's left!" Drucilla shouted out and the girls glanced at each other nodding, they swung at the titan mannequin dismantling its arms, then together they swung past the neck slashing two equally lethal wounds.

"Fourteen meter class titan! Five meters left!" Annia called out as she traveled to the right from the first titan. As her hooks detached she launched them to a branch straight over head. She flew upwards planting on the bottom of the tree and pushing herself off in the direction of the titan. As she fell she released her hooks again propelling herself faster. Drucilla and Eyre readjusted their paths as well, they attacked the titan's arms while Annia swung past the neck slicing. Two titan dummies swung up on either side of where they were gathered effectively pinning them in. Eyre's face registered nervousness.

"Dru, Eyre take the smaller titan to the right!" Annia yelled, Shadis then noticed the maneuver that Annia was about to pull. It was one of Levi's tactics and despite only having seeing it once she mimicked his technique flawlessly rendering the mannequin's arm useless quickly followed by killing it in one smooth motion.

The two younger girls meanwhile were assaulting the other titan, what they didn't know is that it was designed to move. As Eyre swung at it to dismantle the arm it twisted and she was struck by the arm, she cried out swinging backwards and hitting a tree. It was a common mistake in training and Shadis had expected it, but he didn't expect Annia's reaction.

He was keeping track of her out of the corner of his eye, the second Eyre was hit she changed her face darkening and hardening. In a blur she flew at the imitation titan slicing as she went past, the head and neck exploded in wood. She flew through the wood debris as it rained down around her, her sword had broken from the impact and she released it to draw a new one.

Drucilla was still completing her swing towards it trying to redirect herself to her downed teammate. She gasped in shock at Annia but recovered quickly. Both girls landed at Eyre's feet at the same time offering her and arm up.

"Thanks guys." Eyre said in an apologetic tone.

Annia nodded, "Please be more careful Eyre." And the two girls stared at her in shocked silence still unfamiliar with Annia's kind side.

"C'mon we're running out of time let's take some of those titans down!" Drucllia cheered throwing her sword up high above her head and her teammates nodded in agreement and launched themselves back up into the air. Three mannequins sprung up at once, two small three meters that were on a track system along the ground sliding and a large fourteen meter mannequin that twisted from side to side, by far the hardest combination.

"Take out the fourteen meter class titan first, it would be the most problematic in combat." Annia ordered Eyre and Drucilla who nodded in understanding. "Drucilla we'll take care of the eyes, and Eyre go in for the kill." Annia ordered and they nodded, Shadis noted this was a technique that Levi squad used and Annia had been smart enough to file away in her mind.

"Together don't give it the chance to regenerate!" Annia ordered as if they were attacking a real titan, Shadis nodded in approval she was taking group training much more seriously now. She and Drucilla pulled forward ahead of Eyre who swung around the side to prepare to go for the kill behind the titan.

"Now!" Annia ordered and in synchronization the two girls flew head over heels at the titan mannequin attacking where it's eyes would it have been real to dismantle it. They did little damage to the mannequin since it wasn't designed for such combat techniques but Shadis nodded in agreement it was a smart tactic. Eyre swung past slicing at the neck killing the titan. The death blow should have dismantled it's movements, it should have stopped swinging from side to side. Something that Drucilla had accounted for as she swung back away from it but it jerked suddenly and crashed into her sending her flying into Annia. Annia reacted fast tossing her sword aside and grabbing the girl, they swung back into a tree Annia's line pulling taunt as they swung.

Shadis felt a cold sweat break out on his back, the baby face terror had just been hit this would not go over well. Some of Dru's hair had come loose blocking her face, she looked up her eyes narrowed and face set in a look of fury. With a roar she kicked off of Annia using her as a spring board, Annia swung back into the tree winded and crying out as her head connected with the tree.

Drucilla in fury swung just as fast as a furious Annia maybe even slightly faster because she was smaller and lighter, she swung past one of the three meter titans killing it and continuing her swing past the other one killing it as well triggering two other titans to spring up fifteen meters away. "Drucilla!" Annia called back actually sounding concerned for her teammate, she had recovered her sword and released her hooks going into a free fall, she shifted her weight causing her to twist in her fall to launch her hooks straight up into the tree branch above herself. She swung herself up and onto the branch.

"There's no way you're going to reach her she's snapped!" Eyre shouted out to Annia who watched as Drucilla attacked the two titan dummies viciously slicing at them but not landing a killing blow her temper distracting her. Eyre had only seen Drucilla snap twice before and both times were horrifying, she wasn't called the baby face terror for nothing. She was a laid back and happy girl but striking her or drawing blood meant death for any living thing nearby.

"We can't leave her, if this were real she's letting the titans live she's going to get caught and devoured. Eyre stay back I'm not sending you into this, act as look out for any others or if I call for back up." Annia called out and readjusted, "I'm going in!" she yelled and swung herself off of the branch as Eyre watched in terror, in fact the entire class watched in terror no one ever dared get in Drucilla's path when she snapped they learned their lesson after the first time.

Annia swung past the nearest titan to her slicing at its neck finally landing a killing blow, Drucilla remained ignorant of this as she shrieked at the other titan tearing it apart, "Drucilla you need to calm down." Annia said as she swung past her teammate.

Drucilla twisted her head at the other girl to fix a glare, "Take a breath and calm down it's an overreaction." Annia stated again her brown eyes peering into her partner's grey ones.

Drucilla growled and went back to attacking the titan, with cold indifference Annia killed the titan the dummy collapsing to the ground dismantled. "I had that titan! It was mine do you hear me I had it!" Drucilla shrieked like an angry child stomping her foot down on the branch she had landed on. Annia allotted on a branch across from the furious girl facing her unfazed, her face set with its usual frown and look of indifference.

"No you did not 'have it'" she remarked in response.

"I did too you just want the credit for it!" Drucilla yelled irrationally stomping her foot again.

"You were torturing it there's a difference, if you're going to kill it do it right not being ridiculous and endangering yourself and teammates like you were." Annia responding calmly still appearing unfazed by Drucilla's shrieking and rage.

Drucilla shook in anger visibly no longer stomping, she became suddenly fixated and calm in a sense of anger and fury, "They deserve that don't you think after Shiganshina and leave week. Who says we need to be humane about it, I say torture them all before we kill them."

"Because we are human, therefore we keep our humanity by not torturing living things senselessly." Annia answered calmly but continued on with her argument, "And if we do torture them before we kill them are we not any better than they are?" she asked deeply and philosophically and the response shocked the entire crowd. The words rolling like a wave over them all, her words rung so true.

Drucilla made a sound in frustration and swung at Annia kicking at her, Annia brought her arm up and blocked the kick easily knocking it aside. Drucilla snarled and punched at Annia repeatedly, Annia held her ground for as long as she could not willing to give up ground, weaving and ducking around the blows only blocking them if necessary. The rest of the trainees watched in stunned silence, it was like the first time Drucilla snapped but someone was managing to keep up with her.

"You side with them!" she screeched and kicked at Annia again, Annia couldn't move out of the way of the kick in time so she took it but grabbed onto Drucilla's leg and yanked hard on it sending the girl falling back off of the branch. Unfazed by everything Annia swung down off of the branch catching Drucilla and setting her down on the ground.

"How do you feel no

w after endangering yourself and your team and now attacking your team? Any better after reacting like a demon?" Annia asked the girl her voice showing the slightest hint of irritation and annoyance as she scolded her peer.

Drucilla looked up at Annia her eyes looked understanding words finally reaching her, the anger and fury visibly drained out of her and she collapsed onto the ground on her knees.

"I'm so sorry I don't know what came over me." She apologized returning to her usual self, "What happened?" she asked as if completely oblivious to what had happened.

Eyre bringing up her courage swung down next to the two girls, "You snapped again Dru, Annia calmed you down." She explained and Drucilla nodded looking apologetic.

"Time's up girls." Shadis announced, they had run over by thirty seconds because of the exchange between Drucilla and Annia but to be honest he was scared to get between them. The kick to the head from Drucilla the last time she snapped still fresh in his mind, he didn't think such a little girl could manage to kick so high and so hard. When he stopped to think about it he wasn't sure who was more terrifying during the exchange. Most would say it was Drucilla because of her yelling and screaming and violence, but then there was Annia who remained perfectly calm and reasonable in the face of such terror to keep such composure is frightening.

And so the baby face terror and prodigy meet face to face.

Author's Rambling Space

So Chapter Eleven, made it into the double digits! I guess for a first try at a fanfic it's going well I don't really know myself, maybe a little slow, I don't really know.

Guess what my favourite sentence of the week is guys: I don't really know!

When I originally started writing this Drucilla and Eyre, and the character you'll meet in the next chapter were not originally planned they sort of popped into existence. This happens to me all the time, I'm writing and writing and then *pop* new character and then they alter the entire plot line. (Face palm)

Durcilla is a happy and cheerful character it's not a lie she really, unless of course you make her mad then she gets really mad but that rarely ever happens. So my second protagonist-I guess the deuterangonist has appeared and the third protagonist shall make an appearance next yay!

And by the way I need last name ideas because Drucilla, Eyre and the new character do not have ones and I'm terrible with last names so I'm open to suggestions (but if I come up with something I will tell y'all)

Disclaimer:

I do not own Attack on Titan or any of it's characters