Chapter 3 : So many questions, no answers
I woke up thinking everything happened has to be nothing but an illusion, it isn't. In fact I'm still living in the past. I still need answers but will I find them? Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I gotten out of bed to check my journal if everything I wrote down last night is still there, and yeah it's there not a word missing too. For now I'll just head to the shower area with the others, thankfully there are stalls so we don't have other people trying to compare their "sizes" saying stuff like you won't impress a girl with size like that etc. I have been in the stall for more than 5 minutes thinking about what's gonna happen next? I'm already changing history by talking to Mina and Thomas way too early, I shouldn't be talking to them until after we all obtained our ODM and they get scolded by Commandant Keith. I decided to just forget it, I ain't letting history repeat itself again, hell in fact if I tell Sasha that I have feelings for her would she accept me? Or she says no making history change more? No… I should just let it go it's course for the time being I should take it slow and steady otherwise I have more than a few deaths in my hands, I left the stall now wearing a blue buttoned shirt along with brown pants this time, wiping my hair dry.
"Hey Zade!"
"Hmm? Eren? What's up?" I saw Eren running up to me while I'm still wiping my hair
"I lost someone important to me as well Zade… I know how you feel about losing parents, I lost my mother after all"
I Immediately knew what Eren is referring about so I gestured him to continue with his story
"Eren, was she crushed by debris like my parents?"
"Worst… She got eaten by a Titan… A Titan that is blonde and always smiles...:" Eren shivered
"A smiling Titan? That's… not a normal titan? Right?" I said while holding his shoulders trying to calm him down.
"Yeah... But I won't ever forgive that TItan or the Colossal Titan, that TItan is half the reason."
"Eren you still have like three full years before you can start wreaking havoc on them, come on let's go put on our uniform."
Both of us headed for the boy's dorm to put on our jackets and harness but it seems someone still want to ask questions.
"Was your hair naturally grey?" Eren asked while putting on his jacket.
"No…It was black like my parents, but their deaths still haunt me to this day, I guess you can say it wash away my colours..."
We walk to where all the other cadets are assembled, we are doing this aptitude exercise to get people used to their ODM gears, people who don't like the pressure gets removed from the Corps for being a waste while those who want to redeem themselves gets a second chance tomorrow. Well since I did ace this test before I don't mind doing this stuff again.
"Zade Wright! You're up!" Keith called me out
"Sir!" I make my way to the other 2 cadets who are now fastening my harness to the cables and now they are waiting for the signal.
"Lift!""
I got into the air and I gave no reaction, I did this for a long time after all. Remain calm and collected only then you achieve your end goal. Just don't move and let it flow, this is how all the scouts feel after all, just let it flow. I look around to see Sasha, Jean, Connie and Mikasa, Mikasa is pretty much doing it as the same as me. Jean is trying to get a better position or more likely he is not comfortable in that position. Sasha is just relaxing, a hunter indeed. Maybe I should spend more time with her. Connie is trying to get in position he is basically fidgeting all over the place.
"What are you doing Yaeger! Raise your upper body!"
What's all the screaming about? What did Eren do? So I try to get a peek while still being hung up and wow what a sight, Eren is hanging upside down but then I know exactly how he got himself in that situation. His equipment is faulty after all, but even he didn't realise it. The other cadets are just laughing at him, maybe I should help him tomorrow by voluntering myself to lend him my belt. Everyone got down from the air and the Commandant continues.
"Cadets! Those who fail today will get a retry tomorrow that includes you, Yaeger! But for now, all of you are doing some hand-to-hand combat with your fellow comrades! If some of you are eager to go into the Military Police, always make this type of situation useful! You may never know if you went against someone with a knife inside the interior!"
"Sir!" Everyone saluted and now heading to the open field to start our hand-to-hand training.
Before we start the Commandant explained that 1 person will be the "thief" with the fake combat knife that is made completely from plastic and the other will be "police" and are tasked with catching the thief. The thief has a criminal record for murder so that means if the police lose they get killed, while the police try to subdue them, make them surrender or kill them if it ever comes to that. Another 3 years of hand-to-hand training? I already had 3 years to the point I "develop" my own fighting styles, 2 different styles. A style that involves fast punches and kicks but I need to hold back my strength otherwise I can't do it quickly and a style that has more power in it but at a cost of reducing my speed a bit, maybe I can make a third fighting style? How does this make it fair for everyone else who had little to none? Well everyone except for one named Annie Leonhardt. She told me she had training with her father in martial arts, After watching her fight for 3 years made me think about making my own way of fighting.
So like clockwork I went straight to Mina and Thomas, who are talking about who's gonna be the thief and the police, it can't be that hard to decide who becomes what right?
"You guys fought yet?" I said behind them, surprising them.
"Don't scare us like that! And no we haven't we still think we won't fight without hurting ourselves." Mina said with hesitation.
"You guys if you can't fight without holding back, we can't tell what will happen one of these days if this situation ever becomes a reality." I encouraged them to not hold back, this situation might happen one of these days after all we may never know.
"Alright, so who goes first?"
"I'll go first then, Thomas either you or Mina have to be my opponent. But like I said don't hold back!"
"I'll be your opponent then Zade but I'm gonna be the knife user if you don't mind."
"Sure, let's do this Thomas."
Thomas got his knife and stood about 2 metres away from me, I breathed deeply. This is the first time I'm trying my new style, hopefully it goes well and hopefully I don't break him apart. I got into my fighting pose, I bend my right arm to move my fist nearer to my face while the other arm is curved to face the ground with my right leg a little further back than my left. Meanwhile Thomas is holding a knife with both hands kinda like an amateur but I don't blame him, he doesn't have the same amount of training I did. Thomas began by lunging straight into me but he's making a beginner mistake, grabbing his arm twisting myself around him until I got onto his right side before I gave a hard kick to his right leg making him fall face first onto the ground.
"Ow! Dude! What did you just do!" Thomas trying to get himself up after being knocked down.
"Well using your momentum against you and kick you down."
"That happened too quick!"
"Well maybe you should think about your attack before you do it."
After about an hour of training, it went like this both Thomas and Mina wanted to learn how to fight like I did when all I did was showing a counter to the lunge that he did to me, but still I'm doing them this favor cause they wanna be in the Garrison Regiment so I don't mind giving them this session a bit of practice and learning. They learn quick I'll give them that but they have a flaw, both of them. Thomas can punch well but he doesn't have the flexibility to kick well and Mina is the polar opposite she can kick well but doesn't have the strength to punch well. Now how am I supposed to train them both if only 1 can use the other?
"All right Cadets! Now is break time, you can go get your lunch!. After lunch, it will be just like yesterday, train with your comrades! Either by exercise tirelessly or in hand-to-hand combat I don't care!"
"Sir!"
So we all left to the mess hall and pick up today's meal, I don't know why I kept expecting a change in the meal when I have memories of the same meal for 3 years straight. But this time our table got some new company by Sasha and Christa, I guess Ymir isn't the social type.
"I saw you three training together. Zade I didn't know you do martial arts." Christa said as she is eating her meal
"Neither did I, I just thought up a way to fight and I did without any wait." I replied back
"Wait so you don't know how to fight?" She said back with curiosity.
"Oh I do know! But it's just weird... trying to make my own style of fighting even though I didn't get to use it much." I said with my hands up.
"That was your own fighting style? You didn't learn it from anyone?" Sasha asked with a head tilt
"Yeap! My own fighting style, I actually have one other style. It isn't as refined as my main style but it's fast and relentless but you have to make quick footing otherwise you look ridiculous."
"Cool! Maybe you could teach me and Christa!" Sasha said with both clenched fists and eyes gleaming at me.
"I would train Christa, but Ymir may have a problem with that."
"I'm sure Ymir doesn't mind if I learn how to fight like you Wright?" Christa playfully giggle after saying my name?
"Did you say my name or right?"
Christa proceeds to laugh along with Sasha and the others, I joined them as we all get along together.
"The problem is that both Thomas and Mina has a flaw so training them will be hard until I can help them get rid of the flaw." I said while gesturing Mina and Thomas to continue with their problems.
"Well my legs aren't flexible enough to do the kicks that Zade and Mina can." Thomas said while squeezing his legs trying to find out the error.
"I can't punch as hard as Thomas or Zade but I can kick well."
"There you have it you two, Thomas can't kick and Mina can't punch. So I kinda need to be their trainer for a bit, but if you two want we can do it once we finish our lunch."
"Alright/Ok" Both Sasha and Christa said.
This is not alright at all… I wasn't supposed to teach my 3 years of fighting experience to them, so why? Why am I doing this? This odd feeling will not go away, the feeling of discomfort rises, something ain't right. But I won't find it by staying here, after a few minutes someone began to ask me another question, how many more do you people have for me?
"Zade, I still have a question for you and I'm sorry if this is a personal matter." Sasha asked
"Personal eh? Ask away then." I said while continuing my consumption of food.
"That injured eye of yours? Can all of us see it?"
"Sasha! That's a rude thing to say!" Mina scolded her with the same motherly-like tone.
"Mina, while I don't mind the question, I agree with the rude part. And also stop with the motherly attitude, you remind me too much of my own mother."
"S-sorry."
"Like I said yesterday to the commandant, I got this injury from an incident. You guys ever heard of the Sight Stealer?" Everyone shook their heads, I continue with my story. "Well, a highly dangerous criminal in Shiganshina but only around my part of the town, so Eren and the others don't know about it. By the name I just said, he has a habit of stealing eyesight by getting rid of the eye, and I mean it. He took the whole eye, and to think I was about to be one of those victims. It was horrifying and to think the Colossal Titan strikes the week after I got this injury, my life sure sucks." I start to remove my bandages on my right eye, showing the wound that is a vertical line on my right eye and opening it unable to see through it as my pupil is white in colour. "I look like a freak now with this eye being a different colour. That's why I prefer keeping this bandages on, the only time I don't have it on is when I was in the shower area."
As I began to patch up my injured eye, Christa stopped me and did it for me. I'm grateful for that.
"So you survive nearly getting killed twice in one week? Dude what horrible luck…" Thomas said with his eyes looking down.
"My life in a nutshell Thomas. Be glad you aren't me." I said back with a stoic look.
Nearly getting killed twice? Does that time where I got "eaten" count ? Why do I have so many questions… but no answers, lunch is almost over, time to see what these 2 ladies can do.
"Well guys now is not the time to feel sorry for me. Now is training time come on!"
We all went back to where I was training Thomas and Mina but now with 2 more people added in. Can I even handle this? While I'm asking myself that question, I told Thomas to run and stretch more often and Mina to try to get some power into her punches, I didn't tell her to punch a tree but that's what she is doing.
"Alright before I start training the both of you, I need to know how often you two resort to using your hands?"
"None but if you train me, I might be able to take down a bear!" Sasha cheered with both arms high up.
"...You're joking right? Tell me you're joking?" I said with a really really confused look on my face.
"Nope!" Sasha said with a bright smile.
"Well I always feel weak, maybe that's why I have Ymir always by my side. But I refuse to stay weak!"
"You're determined I'll give you that Christa. All right then for the next few hours I'll train you two, you won't master it in a day but practice makes perfect."
And the training begins, I'll admit this is not what I'm expecting at all but is it a good change or bad change? On 1 hand these 4 people will know how to protect themselves, but on the other hand, who would be the enemy? Christa is a quick learner, got the pose ready and everything but her strength is low. I expected that because she wasn't much of a fighter but her kicks really hurt maybe I shouldn't be underestimating her. Sasha got the strength and flexibility but she's not doing the pose properly and still thinking about bear meat, curse this girl's obsession with animal meat. The sun is setting so we decided to call it a day and headed into the mess hall to get our dinner. I noticed Eren has bandage wrapped around his head and… steam? Wait that's right it's his Titan powers. At least that part remains the same, funny thing is I expected more questions or something.
"Tomorrow might be the start to our real soldier training." I said
"Yeah, once those who fail manage to succeed or get sent to the field." Thomas said back
"It's gonna be hell but it ain't no soldier work if it's easy."
Last night I got my hand bitten by Sasha but lucky for me that ain't happening, as all of us return back to our dorms, both me and Thomas have the top bunk and they are right beside each other but his side has the ladder broke off so he has to take the ladder on my side but he has to wait until I got off the bunk before he does. Anyway I can hear Eren asking Reiner and Bertholdt for help with his staying in the air problem, little does he know his problem is the belt. I did some sketching while waiting for lights out until I notice Eren, Armin, Reiner and Bertholdt leaving the dorm.
"Hey, where are you guys going?" I called out to them from my bunk.
"A bit of late night exploring the woods, you wanna join us Zade?" Reiner said back
"Nah I'm good but don't go too far off now we don't want to waste our morning on a rescue mission." I replied and it got a chuckle from Thomas.
"Zade's Wright you know? We don't want to throw our morning away for forming search parties." Thomas said with a snicker..
"Thomas, did you say right or my name?" I said confusingly.
"Both." He looked at me with a smile.
As Reiner and the others left the dorm and Thomas fell asleep, I got off from my bunk and took my journal in my bag as I wrote down today's event.
Journal, Page 3-
Today was.. Interesting to say the least, I don't remember being bombarded with questions before. Asking me about my hair colour, about my missing eye, who was responsible for making me lose my right eyesight. And then we were pulled into the air to test our reaction, obviously I succeed as I have done this before. But Eren failed because he somehow flipped upside-down, he still didn't realize his belt is loose or broken, he just assumes he is the problem. After that we are doing hand-to-hand training, people say it's worthless/useless but the Commandant says it's mainly for those who want to "coward" within the Walls. I did with Thomas and Mina but they are excited about what I did, it was just a counter to the lunge Thomas did and they want me to teach/train them. I would refuse but I'm interested to train someone with it, so I took them as my disciplines to teach them. Thomas doesn't have flexibility while Mina doesn't have the strength, later on Historia and Sasha tagged along, with Sasha telling us she will fight bears. I honestly still holding up the "you are joking right?" at her while Historia's reason is she felt and looked weak and wanted to get stronger, I half-expected Ymir to show up but she didn't. What is she doing? I told them about how I lost my right eyesight, about the Sight Stealer, about how that incident is a week before the Colossal strikes. I don't need pity, I just want my revenge on the Armored Titan… Even if it's the last thing I do in my second life.
