Chapter 6: Influence

"So what you're saying is that half doesn't mean just a part of something?" Sasha asked Marco who in turn shook his head, not knowing how else to explain the wonders that are fractions. "Sasha, I've known you for 5 years now, and never once have I ever been so fucking disappointed in you," Connie said, already tired from her shenanigans. "Guys now's not the time to talk about food or fractions. We gotta focus on what clubs were gonna join!" Marco then lit up, ready to tell his friend his goals and ambitions. I'm heading for the student council so I can help out the teachers and staff! At this, jean laughed. "Come on Marco, we all know That you just wanna get into the teacher lounge to be safe from whoever The Notorious Yolks are, I know I am!" Jean said with absolute honesty. This surprised Sasha and Connie, while they did want to join the student council for selfish reasons, to say that out loud is either really brave or really stupid. Marco meanwhile was also stunned by Jean's confession, particularly because he didn't expect Jean to say something like that out loud and partly because he truly did want to help the school's staff. "You won't make it." A calm but fierce voice said the boasting boy. Jean then turned around, ready to confront the speaker. "Hey mind your beeswax or I'll-" Jean then froze at the sight of Annie Leonhart sitting next to her friend's Reiner Braun, a muscular boy for someone his age, and Bertolt Hoover, a tall lanky boy. "Or what?" Annie replied to the already nervous boy, with the said boy just responding with a small "nothing." "Whatever, as I said, you don't have a chance at joining the student council, not with that attitude. If anything that Marco boy has a better chance at joining, even with that fake attitude." Hey, I'm not faking it! But uh, thanks? uh?" Marco said, not knowing the blonde's name. "I'm Annie, and these knuckleheads are Reiner and Bertold." "Whatever, now shut up, we're waiting to pounce on Yeargerbomb!" Jean said, having heard enough small talk for the day. "Why do you wanna jump Yeager?" Reiner asked, curious about what this whole operation is about. Sasha then responded, "Apparently Eren knows something about those jerks that jumped us on the first day of school, so we're gonna pounce on him and find out whatever we can!" "By any means necessary if we have to..." Connie said, pulling out pair of jumper cables as if from thin air. "Wait so what you're saying is; Eren may have important information about what essentially was an attack on the school, and instead of talking to an adult or maybe just y'know, asking him, you're going to kidnap him and possibly torture him, just to get information out of him," Bertolt asked the group, not seeing the logic behind everything. The group just nodded, causing a bead of sweat to roll down poor ol' Bertolt. Marco, noticing the awkward tension that had formed, decided to stretch out an olive branch and offer the misfit trio onto their plans. "Sure why not, Annie, Bertolt, you in?" Reiner asked, with Annie joining because she "Didn't have anything better to do." and Bertolt joining in, wanting to be with his friends as well.

Meanwhile, the target of said group was heading to the lunchroom with his friends. "Armin I'm telling you, Meatloaf with cheese is the best!" Eren said, upset with Armin for saying, "You can't just live off Cheeseloafs Eren.". To the young Yeager, this was nothing but pure blasphemy. "Eren, Cheese loaf is kinda greasy, it could make you unhealthy and slow, and if you're slow, how will you get your revenge on the Notorious Yolks?" "Even if that's true it's worth it! I mean have you tried Mikasa's Cheeseloaf!? It's to die for!" Eren said, causing a small blush to form on Mikasa's cheeks. "Mikasa you need to back me up here! Stop making so much cheese loaf!" Armin said with desperation in his voice. Mikasa then looked at him, then back to Eren, who wore puppy eyes in an attempt to get Mikasa on his side, then she looked back at Armin, who wore a serious face to intimidate Mikasa into backing him up, unfortunately for the trios resident nerd, Mikasa caved in and said that she would continue to make cheese loaf, With Eren celebrating by hugging Mikasa, much to the goths delight and Armin sighing in defeat, calling his two friends hopeless.

"Whatever Eren, at least share with us alright?" Eren smiled at his friend's request, glad to see that Armin was finally seeing the light. "Sure thing buddy! It's the least I can do for you 2 dor-", Eren didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, as if from nowhere a group of masked bandits appeared and jumped the unsuspecting group, with Armin screaming his head off, Mikasa trying to lunge at the fiends, and Eren flailing around in the chair that they somehow managed to bring with them. "Alright wimp, we know that you know about those thugs so tell us everything you know!" The leader of the masked bandits said, with another member who was 'totally' not Connie, pulling out a pair of jumper cables, threatening to hurt Eren if he "Didn't spill the beans!". While things were going smoothly for the 2 boys interrogating Eren, the same could not be said about the rest of the group. "MIKASA! QUICK USE YOUR WICKED MARTIAL ARTS SKILLS!" Armin shouted, not hesitating to unleash hell upon the group for ruining his appetite. With that Mikasa unleashed her fury onto the bandits, delivering a backward kick where the sun didn't shine on the bandit that held her back, after she managed to free herself, she ran towards, tallest one who was currently in shock at the sight of his friend getting his miracle spot demolished so quickly, only for him to be brought back into reality by Mikasa, who dropkicked him right in the center of his guts, toppling the giant boy. After he was downed, Mikasa then picked up the tallboy and used him as a battering ram, ramming him into the bandits who held Armin. Just as Mikasa thought she was finished, she heard a voice calling to her. "Hey, that's some impressive skill you got there. Why don't you try it with me," A blonde bandit said, raising both her fists. "I should be careful, my skill is meant to be used on people, not on monsters like you." Mikasa just stood there, a stoic look on her face as she then got into a stance, ready to charge the blonde bandit. Meanwhile, Eren was arguing with the leader of the bandits. "Why should I tell you anything horseface!", Eren said, not being fooled by the bandit's cheap disguise. Jean stood in shock for a couple of seconds before sighing in defeat and taking off his bandana. "Look man we just wanna know about who the hell the Notorious Yolks are." the long-faced boy said, giving Connie a look that said. "Put the god damn jumper cables away baldie." "Why didn't you just ask us then?" Armin said, confused as to why the group would spend so much effort on such a massive plan, only to get their asses kicked by Mikasa's wicked martial arts skills. "Because this was way more fun right guys-" Connie said, before noticing all his friends were laying on the floor in excruciating pain. "You two owe me your lunches for the rest of your lives..." Sasha said before passing out. "Well now I just feel bad.", Mikasa said, dropping out her stance and walking over to her friends, with Annie doing the same. "Alright, I'll tell you everything I know, but first horseface here has to buy me some chips from the vending machine, with the whole group agreeing to the terms, with everyone thinking it was far. Except for Annie, whose only thoughts were. "Did we just blue ball the audience?", and Jean, who was upset at the group for throwing him under the bus.

"So where do we begin..." Eren said after finishing some Colossal Cheese Puffs, courtesy of Jean's allowance. "Well, how about when you first learned this info? Jean said, wanting to know what secrets lay inside the ball of rage. "Well after dropping Mikasa off at her place my mom started breaking down as soon as my dad came home, this pissed me off so I called Mikasa and Armin to vent my frustrations when Armin found out something after digging for information.", Eren then nodded towards the blonde nerd, wanting him to share his research. "Y-Yeah, so um... when I started to look up what exactly happened that day I was honestly expecting Tweeter posts or maybe a Quickstagram post about the whole situation." At this Armin gulped, still reeling from what he had learned on that day. "B-But what I found, was archives of news articles documenting this phenomenon all the way back to the Mid Ninetey's." This revelation shocked the group with Connie, Marco, and Sasha being shaken to their core, Reiner, and Bertolt noting to themselves to pair up with Armin whenever a research project comes up, Jean only feeling more confident about his plan to just outright live in the Teachers Lounge, and Annie being quite impressed with the nerd's capabilities. "Huh, not bad Arlet.", Annie said, with a monotone voice, surprisingly lacking sarcasm, Causing Armin to form a blush on his face. "That's why I'm joining the Student corps! Through them, I'll be able to scramble those jerks and avenge my mom!" Eren said with passion in his voice. Jean then started to laugh at Eren, much to the dismay of the ball of anger. "What's so funny horseface?" Eren asked, wanting an answer from the Cynical teen. "Nothing just laughing at how stupid you sound! Do you honestly think you can stop them after what your friend over here said? If the cops can't even stop them...what can you do?" At first, Eren wanted to beat up Jean for calling him stupid, however, after being asked that question, Eren started to think, a feeling of self-doubt crawling up his spine. 'What can I do..., Armin's a genius so he would probably be able to come up with some amazing tactics, and Mikasa has her wicked martial art skills. What's so special about me?' Eren stood there, lost in his thoughts, remembering yesterday. 'What can I do, I couldn't even keep...mom...safe...'. It was after that thought that Eren realized something. Hannes saved me and Mikasa even though he could have easily just bailed on us. If he didn't do it, then our clothes would have gotten ruined. Hannes saved us even though he was terrified, even when we were supposed to be safe.'. Jean, who felt that he'd won their argument said, "Call me a pessimist, but at least joining the student council is the safest option, and I'm sure that even your friends here think that." Pointing at his friends, with Armin and Mikasa looking away in shame. "For how long..." all it took to snap everyone out of whatever emotions they were feeling towards Jean at the moment, was that one phrase, with the group collectively sharing the same feeling of confusion. "How long will it take...before the teacher's lounge gets egged beyond recognition. How many students have to be sacrificed before The Notorious Yolks get to you all. Someone has to try and stop them, and if I get humiliated in the process, and if I have to do it alone." Eren then looked at his friends, not feeling his normal temper emerge, but rather a mixture of disappointment and understanding. "Then so be it.". Eren then got up and walked away from the table, not really caring where he was heading. Mikasa was about to get up and follow him when Armin stopped her. "Give him time, we'll talk to him later today. Right now I think it's best to give him some space."

Eren was really quiet for the rest of the day, only talking when Carla asked him about his day. Armin and Mikasa had gone home at this point, leaving Eren to his thoughts. 'Am I dragging my friends down with me? Do they actually want to join the student corps? I thought they did but after what Jean said...' Eren was dragged back to reality when he heard the brakes on the cars squeal. "I guess the cars gonna need new breaks soon. Think you and Zeke can replace them this Saturday?" Carla asked her son, only for her son to respond with a murmured "Yes." "Eren? Is everything alright? You've been quiet up until Mikasa left, did you two get into a fight?" Eren stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. He decided to just wing it and tell her why he felt upset. "Mom, am I a bad influence?" This surprised Carla but also worried her. "Where is this coming from Eren?" she asked, fearing the worst, and wouldn't you know it, her fears did come true.

"I wanna join the student corps."

Author's note

Thanks for reading! I'd like to take a minute and talk about scheduling. Chapters may take longer to upload as I'm starting my job again very soon so I won't be able to upload as frequently as Id love to. But don't worry! I'm not going bail on this story. Feel free to review and until then ill see you later my fellow rats!