"All thanks to 'potato girl' you got away with helping him up, what a relief." Chuckled Marco as he would prepare his lower bunk, pulling an extra sheet over the straw pillow as Jean would sit up properly, clinging to his winded stomach as he spoke to Adeline.
"Yeah, you won't get that lucky next time. You should focus on yourself, you could've ended up with 'potato girl's punishment of running until nightfall." His tone was stern and condescending, keeping his eyes away from Adeline who would repair a button on her brother's uniform, sitting with Mina on the top bunk.
"I couldn't just leave you there, Jean. Besides, I'm sure the Commander values us helping each other…" Adeline would say this in a small voice as she would glance apprehensively towards her new friend Mina, who would merely shake her head in response. Jean would sigh, standing up and facing Adeline.
"Whatever, those values disappear when someone is getting eaten by a titan anyway. The first person you should watch out for is yourself. Now come on, guys, let's get to the dining hall first." He would ruffle up his hair as he began making his way to the door of the barracks, leaving the sheets of Adeline's lower bunk bed crumpled and creased, without hesitating for a second to straighten and fix them after she had offered him to rest there to recover from the blow he had been dealt by the Commander.
"We're coming!" Called Marco, sending a sympathetic look towards his sister.
"He hasn't really learned a lesson from this morning, has he?" Exclaimed Mina with a low voice and raised eyebrow as the door to the barracks would slam closed, Jean not bothering to close it gently.
Marco would help Mina down the ladder as Adeline would tug the excess thread with her teeth, the button of her brother's uniform shirt now secure and repaired.
"I'm sure tomorrow's training may give him some more humility, but then again… It's supposed to do that for everyone." Sighed Adeline as she would climb down rushedly, leaving her sewing kit by her pillow as her brother waited for her. Connie, Armin, Eren, and Marco were already outside on the porch talking casually, as Jean lingered at the bottom of the steps, leaning against the wall. A wagon stuffed with people trundled up the hill, exiting the training camp grounds.
"What's that?" Questioned Eren, his dark eyebrows frowning.
"The dropouts requested a transfer to the frontier." Answered Mina as she would begin to descend the steps alongside Adeline, who gulped gently as she realized her chance to leave was long gone. Now all she could do was continue forwards, feeling as if the only thing that would keep her sanity would be her new friends. Armin, a short blonde haired boy, would perk up in shock.
"What? But it's only the first day!"
"It was only a matter of time…" Scowled Eren pitifully. "If you aren't strong enough, you have to leave… Hard to believe they'd rather go back to weeding and picking up rocks."
Maybe she was better off in the Cadet Corps after all, Adeline thought to herself. She always needed to feel like she was being useful, and what better place is there for her to serve humanity?
"Hey, Eren, we didn't ask you where you were from." Inquired Marco curiously, the two girls turning around interestedly.
"I'm from the Shiganshina District, so is Armin and Mikasa." Eren would state blandly, a look of slight horror appearing on Connie's face.
"Then… You were there that day? Did you see the Colossal Titan?"
"Connie!" Interrupted Adeline with a step forward, afraid that the group's curiosity would only end up hurting Armin and Eren. Eren would merely mutter affirmatively, as the bell rang to signal that it was time for dinner. The group would sigh in relief, yet Bella was more preoccupied about Sasha.
"Where is Sasha? We should bring her something to eat, she must've been eating that potato this morning because she was so starving!" This comment would merely cause the rest to laugh, Mina reassuring Adeline:
"I think Sasha is just a food fanatic, Bella."
"Yeah, Eren and I were saying earlier that she seemed more disappointed about missing dinner than having to run for five hours straight." Connie would scoff, the others chuckling gently as they all descended the steps to make their way to the mess hall.
"Should we sit here in the middle?" Questioned Marco with a kind smile, Jean grunting in response. The four would sit, Bella questioning if Jean felt better.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I didn't even feel much, Sadies was just testing me since he knows I'm one of the strongest. Don't worry about me." The brown haired boy would draw dryly, crossing his arms and leaning on the table, questioning as he sized up each person at the table: "So, each of you plan on joining the Military Police? Looks like I've got competition, you guys do realize only the top fifteen cadets can get in, right?"
"Oh yeah, we know, Jean." Mina responded cheerfully, trying to ignore his arrogance as she would send a subtle glance towards Adeline which said 'who does he think he is?' Adeline could only try to imagine what Jean could possibly be hiding behind his careless and obnoxious facade, attempting to search for the best in him. Marco would collect the knives and forks and lay them out on the table, Jean would collect the bread and leave half a small loaf by every fork, and Mina and Adeline would serve the vegetable and lentil stew. The four would sit down in relief as the smell of the lovely stew would reach their noses, and they would dig in.
Suddenly, they heard a slight bustling throughout the mess hall and her friends looking at something. Adeline would cut herself out of yet another inquisitive daze about what tomorrow's training exercise would be like and instead inspected as Eren explained his experience in Shiganshina on that day.
"I already told you I saw it!" Exclaimed Eren with many others gathering around to hear his recount. Others responded in awe and questioned him endlessly, explaining what the rumors in their own hometowns had been. "No, it wasn't that tall, but it was taller than the walls. It had barely any skin and a huge mouth…" This statement struck fear into the imaginations of the cadets, who then questioned about the armored titan. "So that's what they're calling it? It just seemed like a normal titan to me…" The young boy would explain casually, someone then interrogating on what a normal titan looked like. The casual composure of the boy suddenly faltered, appearing as if he was on the verge of vomiting. Adeline and Mina would glance at each other fearfully, their subconscious dread of the titans becoming unearthed. Marco would intervene assertively as he saw the distraught state of Eren.
"Guys, stop with the questions! There are some things he would rather forget." Other cadets would apologize for their behavior, yet Eren would suddenly gain his composure…
"Don't be." A small smirk would appear upon his narrow lips. "The Titans aren't all that tough… If we can master the 3-D Maneuver Gear, they won't stand a chance! Finally, I'm able to train as a soldier… I was just so excited, I forgot myself for a second! I'm joining the Survey Corps, so I can wipe the Titans off the face of this earth! I'll kill them all-"
Adeline was shocked about his sudden optimism and self assurance, inwardly hoping that he was right about the danger of the titans being nothing when they would have the suitable equipment to combat them. She wondered what the Survey Corps was, she figured it must be another sector of the military, like the Military Police. Suddenly, Jean would speak up confidently, ridiculing Eren in his usual all-knowing and arrogant tone:
"Hey, are you nuts? Did you just say you wanted to join the Survey Corps?" Jean held a condescending grin on his face, his attitude causing a bad taste in Adeline's mouth.
"Yeah, I do." Answered Eren confidently. "And you said you wanted to join the Military Police to take it easy, right?"
Jean's smirk would only widen, standing up from his seat, shrugging nonchalantly. "I'm no liar. I'm a straight talker, unlike someone who pretends to have balls of steel, even when he's about to piss himself." Adeline would shake her head in shock at Jean's behavior, turning back to Eren as a few chuckles would sound throughout the room. The tension almost froze the air.
"Are you talking about me?" Scowled Eren, suddenly lifting a fist towards Jean, Marco quickly intervening.
"Don't!" He would yell sternly towards the two, despising any kind of petty conflicts. Jean would switch composure, noticeably feeling the eyes of the entire room on him.
"Hey, I didn't… Well, I'm sorry, I didn't want to say you're doing the wrong thing. Peace?" He would hold out his hand to Eren, surprising Adeline who had somehow gained back an ounce of respect for him. Eren would smack Jeans hand away, storming off with Mikasa following closely.
The crowd still gawked towards Jean, Marco exclaiming "Show's over, everyone." As he returned to his seat, he would shake his head at Jean. "You shouldn't be making enemies on the first day, Jean. It'll come back to bite you someday."
"Sure, whatever." Tutted Jean, rolling his eyes as he would begin to consume the stew as Adeline would gulp down the last of hers unexpectedly quickly, grabbing a chunk of bread and standing up.
"Where are you off to, freckles?" Jean would flick up his chin as he would eye Adeline who was attempting to sneak off with food.
"Oh Bella, you aren't trying to give food to Sasha, are you?" Exclaimed Mina in a small voice, frowning as she worried Sasha would only drag down Adeline with her. Jean would roll his eyes as Marco scolded his sister gently.
"What Jean said earlier is right… You can't go around trying to help others anymore, you have to think of yourself now. If you get caught, then you'll only face worse consequences than running for a few hours. Now come on, let's go back to the barracks. We have a long day tomorrow."
With that, Adeline wouldn't put up a fight as she knew her friends were right. The Cadets would make their way back towards the barracks, yet Adeline wouldn't abandon the bread she held. Mina, Jean, and Marco were already distracted as they spoke about the Military Police. It was already pitch black, and the only light emanated from the little lanterns that hung from the porch of each facility.
"Guys, you go ahead. I forgot something." Called Adeline, as Marco and Mina would be on the verge of telling her to grab it tomorrow even though they knew Adeline only wanted to find Sasha. Walking past the storage house, the young cadet would notice that the large oakwood door had been left slightly open, a small flickering light coming from inside. She assumed it must be Sasha doing her final chores of the day. Treading carefully, her brown leather boots crackling slightly against the gravel, she would creak the door open to see a tall figure hovering over an open crate, handling some sort of equipment. He had messy blonde hair and a strong stature, recognizing him as Reiner.
"Hello?" She would exclaim gently in a confused voice, suddenly hearing him gasp and spin around in shock. "Reiner, don't think we're allowed in…" He would approach her suddenly, his arm knocking over his candle in the process, quickly grabbing her firmly and pressing a hand over mouth. She would writhe and struggle against him, staring at him incredulously as the bread fell from her arms, candle wax leaking onto the ground.
"Don't get us in trouble." He would hiss firmly, receiving a nervous nod from Adeline who he freed cautiously. She would rub her slightly reddened arm as he had grasped it so harshly, causing him to apologize and she looked at him, expecting an explanation. He would exhale gently and stare at his feet ashamedly.
"I… Your brother, Marco, he asked me to sabotage some gear, so that you would wear it and fail the tests tomorrow… He only wants to protect you. Please, don't bring it up with him, and please forgive me. I guess he panicked when he saw the reject carriages leaving so early, he thought that the opening ceremony would be enough to scare you away… I only did it so that he would owe me a favor in the future. I'm sorry."
"I forgive you." Stated Adeline in a soft tone, gazing at Reiner who would look up in surprise, the breath catching in his throat. Adeline felt slightly conflicted and betrayed, wondering if maybe Marco was only doing the best for her. Maybe if she did fail the rest tomorrow, she wouldn't die a grisly death. But then, it would be Marco dying instead. The very thought of that made her sick.
"I know Marco only wants to protect me, but I have to protect him too. If he dies…" Adeline would hold back from finishing her sentence.
"I understand… I'm such an idiot." He would speak rather awkwardly, which surprised Bella as she had seen him as confident and assertive when he was surrounded by his friends during dinner. Nevertheless, she responded politely, placing her hand on Reiner's shoulder in an attempt to ease him.
"You're not an idiot, you were just trying to help a friend. I can forget about this and tomorrow we can begin on a new page. You're my old friend, we can put this in the past." She would smile sympathetically, not wanting to make Reiner feel guilty for his actions.
Adeline would kneel down to pick up the bread, her fellow cadet aiding and handing her the rest of the bread, then scratching the back of his head with a sorrowful frown and speaking bashfully. "Yeah, we are old friends… I never forgot about you by the way, I was just nervous to say I recognized you because I didn't want to freak you out."
"I wouldn't have been freaked out! But I understand, I was apprehensive about bringing it up too… I'm so glad you didn't forget about me, you were in my memories too! Now… I think we should get to the barracks before we're reported missing. We have a big day tomorrow." Adeline would reassure him with a sympathetic smile, leaving the boy rather dumbstruck at how lucky he had been for her to have discovered his criminal act. Furthermore, the crime was being inflicted against her, and yet… She forgave him. He had many questions he wanted to ask her, yet he stuck with the one that had been riddling his mind for most of the day.
"Yeah, I'm glad too… You're right. And Adeline, I have a question for you."
"Mhm?" She would tilt her head as she was about to open the door.
"This morning, when we were in the carriage… What did your brother mean by… Having to leave home all over again?"
Adeline would suddenly break out into a sweat, her mouth gaped open as she would stammer, vividly remembering her brother's slip-up.
"I… I'll explain it to you another time, Reiner." She would tear her gaze away from him after she audibly placed on a falsely kind tone, opening the door and checking if the coast was clear. She would then rush away from the storage facility, creeping her way back towards the barrack as her mind would race in a panic, Reiner following yet far behind. The rest of their comrades were already fast asleep as Adeline arrived. She placed the bread on Sasha's bed. Hastily, Adeline would quickly pull on her nightgown, pulling the sheets over herself as she would shut her eyes tight as she heard Reiner arriving, her hand feeling around for her sewing kit which she would chuck under her bed. She would then ponder her past as she stared at the wall to her side, remembering her home, her heart aching for it. But now she could only face her destiny, and without it she wouldn't have met Mina, Jean, and Reiner. Pushing back Marco's plot and betrayal into the back of her mind, she would shift around her bed and attempt to make herself comfortable. She hoped that today's slip-up would be the last, as she feared the unknown consequences of her and Marco's true identities being discovered…