Episode 2: Military
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"Attention, cadets!" Dave loudly proclaimed, "Today is the day you will be chosen for the official military!"
"Yes!" Hange lowly celebrated. Standing before a slightly elevated platform, the cadets stood with their hands behind their backs, postures straight, and eyes focused.
"You are all aware of the atrocities done by Eren Jaeger twenty years ago. He wiped out 80 percent of the population of this world, all for those island devils. Although he ended the rule of titans, he selfishly erased people off the face of the world. To avenge the deaths of our brothers and sisters, we will send the selected cadets to Paradis Island. Rest will be explained only to the chosen military by Chief Stallard!" Dave stepped behind when another man walked onto the stage.
Erwin's eyes followed the man - Adair Stallard - as his presence made everyone bow down before him, although not physically. Erwin watched him with a twinkle in his eyes, admiring him with every fiber in his being. He so wanted to be like him, with the grace and brains, and the power that Adair carried.
Levi looked beside him to see Erwin looking at Stallard with sparkling eyes, and he clicked his tongue, "Cheesy."
Hearing that, Erwin cleared his throat, making Hange and Connie snicker.
"Good evening, cadets!" Adair loudly spoke, "After careful consideration of your assessments all these years, we have selected a few cadets to officially be a part of the military force which is going to invade Paradis Island."
"I hope I get selected," Sasha crossed her fingers behind her back, clenching her eyes tightly shut. Her last conversation with her parents played in her head.
"Sasha, you are our only hope to a better future," her dad rested his hands atop her shoulders, lightly patting her in an effort to appreciate her.
"Serve your bloodline well, Sasha. We are proud of you," her mother cupped her face before Sasha crinkled her eyes in a bright smile.
"I won't let you down," the young girl spoke, giving them both a warm hug and bidding them adieu.
"I won't let you down, mom and dad," Sasha mumbled as Adair coughed to clear his throat, and announced, "Isabel Green."
The said cadet stepped out of the queues and walked over to the stage, not climbing the platform but standing right in front of it.
And in those few minutes, Erwin, Levi, Mikasa, Sasha, Connie, and Jean were selected amongst the rest two hundred, standing before the stage. Armin looked defeated, and so did Hange.
"And Hange," Adair spoke up, "You will be a part of the intelligence team that would travel to Paradis as well."
They sighed in relief, mumbling, "At least I'm in the military force."
Armin stood there in despair. True, he didn't want to participate in killing people - who might just turn out to be innocent too - and he was against the concept of bloodshed, but he wanted to explore Paradis Island and understand why that war happened, and to help his fellow comrades.
But that remained a distant dream for him.
That's when Dave Byron walked up to Adair and whispered something in his ear, so he announced, "Due to certain circumstances, we are recruiting a couple more members in the intelligence team."
His eyes ran over the leftover recruits, and he pointed at a certain blonde, "You! Armin, is it?"
"Yes, sir!" he saluted.
"You are in the intelligence team. Dismissed."
With that, Adair Stallard walked off the stage, vanishing from their line of sight soon. Dave then proclaimed, "The rest of the recruits will be serving in the forces by staying on this land. If needed, there would be further shortlisting."
Connie and Jean looked at each other, "Further shortlisting? Aren't two hundred of us enough?"
"It's the island of devils. Who knows what could happen there?" Jean scoffed.
Mikasa looked at them, and boldly spoke, "What could possibly go wrong?"
(a/n: Yeah, what could possibly go wrong? :D
I know, the chapters are kinda short, but then those super long chapters are difficult to read and write as well. I'll make these chapters slightly longer though! Thanks for reading!)