The Wings Of Our Dreams
2 The Boot Camp
AN: And here's the next chapter, my dear readers. I'm honestly not sure if I'll be able to post them this frequently, but we'll see what the future holds.
Now to reviews.
InfernoFireStyle: Thank you very much for all your praise! Don't worry, I'll try to have his ODM training make sense.
And yeah, he'll keep the canon uniform. I'm not gonna make him stick out like a sore thumb.
Drcaus: Sorry, but I'm not really open to pairing suggestions.
garza75: Glad to hear it.
seanmcsherry123: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. And I will give some of the elements from the games, such as the relationships with other characters.
And don't worry, I won't have him die. I'm not sure that 'Our Man' is even dead in the actual game, mostly because of the end credits scene where we see our character reach for his cape on a sword, and the whole first-person perspective of some Titan that never shows up in the game in the opening cinematic.
Year 847
Thirteenth Entry
It's been two years since Wall Maria fell. Something I'm still trying to properly wrap my head around. To think that one fifth of humanity was lost after Shiganshina. I can only imagine just how many people went through what I did. Hell, even worse than I did.
I was never able to return to my village. I have no idea if anyone from there is even alive, and I haven't heard from gramps either. I like to think positively, but I'm not so sure, especially since grandpa can't even walk. When this is over, if it is over, I will come back to Karno and make sure it's never touched by Titans ever again.
I finally applied for military service after two years. Famine may have been lessened with how many people died, but I still live more or less on charity. And I just can't bear with it anymore. Tomorrow I see if what my gramps said was right about the harsh training they have at boot camp. I have a feeling these next three years are going to be real interesting.
The bright yellow sun shone over the training area where the cadets stood in formation in several rows. Two years after the fall of Wall Maria, the cadets of the 104th Cadet Corps were gathered to receive proper titan-slaying training regimen.
Collin was among them, hitting quite a growth spurt after that day in Shiganshina. He was among the tallest cadets and of the fittest as he made sure to keep himself in shape. Working in the fields was helping in that regard for a little while, but after that wasn't necessary he had to go with regular exercises. He also let his hair grow out until it reached past his shoulders as he didn't see the point in keeping it short.
In front of all the cadets were several instructors, with one who walked forward. He was an older bald man with golden eyes and a goatee. His eyes had shadows under them as his face seemed to emanate rage.
"Straighten those spines, piss ants!" the man shouted. "The 104th Cadet Boot Camp starts now! Allow me to introduce myself, I'm commandant Keith Shadis and you will grow to hate me! Training is gonna be a white-knuckle ride through hell! If I've done my job you'll be waking up in a cold sweat from memories of this place every night for the rest of your miserable lives! Right now you're nothing, livestock! But over the next three soul-crushing years, you'll learn to take down your own goliath! Remember this moment when you come face to face with him, 'cause here is where you ask yourself: Am I a predator, or am I feed?! Am I going to be ground up to pulpy human crisp between boulder-sized incisors, or am I going to be the one to bite?!"
'Well, never thought a speech could be disheartenin', encouragin', and eloquent at the same time,' Collin thought as he watched the man give his speech. He could already see some cadets around him sweating in nervousness.
Shadis then began walking through each row and inspecting the cadets, also while having them introduce themselves. Some looked ready to wet their pants on the spot as the commandant more or less interrogated them.
Once he reached the third row, he stopped in front of a short boy with blond hair that reached just above his shoulders and blue eyes.
"Hey, mop-top!" Shadis called.
The blond boy straightened and saluted. "Sir!"
"What do they call you, maggot?"
"Armin Arlert, from Shiganshina, sir!"
"Wow, seriously?" Shadis said unimpressed. "Why would your parents curse you with such a dumb name?"
"It was my grandfather, sir!" Armin answered.
Shadis then leaned closer to Armin's face. "Cadet Arlert, why is a runt like you here?"
Armin was so nervous he shut his eyes tight. "To help humanity overcome the Titans, sir!"
Shadis leaned back. "That is delightful to hear! You're gonna be a great light snack for 'em!" He then grabbed Armin by the head and made him turn around. "Row three, around face, runt!" All the cadets in the row then turned as well, like the rows before.
'You were right so far, gramps,' Collin thought as he remembered what his grandfather had told him about his time training in the military. 'The drill instructors can really be harsh.'
Shadis then went through the fourth row, also giving some poor cadets his interrogation before having the row turn.
The fifth row was next, and that was the row where Collin was located at. Shadis stopped in front of a young man of average height with light-brown hair in an undercut and eyes of matching color, and a somewhat long face.
"What do we have over here?"
The young man saluted. "Jean Kirsten, sir, from Trost District!"
"And why are you here, cadet?"
Jean flinched before smiling. "To join the Military Police, sir. The best of the best."
Collin raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure about the 'best of the best' comment since different military factions specialize in different things, so what were the Military Police supposed to be the best at compared to the Scouts or the Garrison?
"That's nice," Shadis said in mock praise. "You wanna live in the interior, do ya?"
"Yes."
And Shadis then promptly gave Jean a headbutt that forced him to his knees and clutch his head in pain. Collin couldn't help but slightly cringe at the painful display.
"Who told you could sit, recruit?! If you can't handle this Kirstein then forget about joining the Military Police!"
Then Shadis stopped in front of a freckle-faced black-haired boy. "What the hell is wrong with your face, you smiling idiot?"
"Marco Bodt, at your service, sir, from Jinae, south side of Wall Rose," Marco replied, sweating despite the smile on his face. "I am to join the Military Police and give life and limb in service to the king!"
"Well then, that makes you an idealistic fool. And a rube," Shadis said in a quieter voice before moving dangerously close to Marco's face with a seeming shadow covering his face. Marco immediately lost his smile. "The only use the king has for your life and limbs are Titan fodder."
He then left shell-shocked Marco for a cadet next to him. This one was very short with a close-shaved head, almost trembling as Shadis stood over him.
"Hey, cue ball, you're up next," Shadis said.
Collin felt like laughing at that. 'Cue ball? Really? You're balder than he is.'
The small cadet's mouth trembled. "Uh… me? Connie Springer from Ragako Village, sir!" he said as he gave a salute. The problem was that in his nervousness he inverted the salute where his right hand was behind him and the left one over his chest.
'Oh, boy. This ain't gonna be good,' Collin thought as he knew Shadis won't take kindly to the blunder.
Shadis then picked Connie up by his head, making the young cadet slightly swing from side to side. "You have it backwards, Connie Springer. That was the first thing you were taught. This salute represents the resolve in your heart to fight those bent on the systematic destruction of our people," Shadis said as he glared. "Is your heart on your right side?!"
"N-n-no, sir! I swear it won't happen again, sir!" Connie said desperately to stop the pain of the commandant's fingers digging into his head.
"Heh, with how you're going you'll end up killing yourself with your own gear," Shadis said before letting go of Connie, making him almost comically drop on the floor.
While he felt bad for Connie, Collin couldn't but have his lips twitch from the display.
Then Shadis was upon him and stared directly into Collin's brown eyes with his glaring ones.
"And what is it you find so amusing, brat? What do they call you and why are you here?"
Collin then saluted, making sure that unlike Connie he did it right. "Name's Collin Holt of Karno Village, sir!" Collin introduced himself, letting his accent go through. "My goal is assistin' humanity in any way I can and destroyin' the Titan threat!"
Shadis scoffed as he inched closer. "Oh, really? Well isn't that noble?" he said before getting right into Collin's face. "And what the hell is with the way you speak?!"
"Absolutely nothin', sir! Where I come from that's normal speech!"
"So, we got ourselves a little country bumpkin over here," Shadis commented. "Well, I hope you didn't come here expecting a vacation from whatever shitty town you live in! Do you think you'll serve humanity any better than Titan food?!"
Collin casually shrugged. "Don't know, sir. S'pose we'll just have to wait and see."
Collin saw he was getting some concerned looks from other cadets with how he was behaving in front of the commandant.
Shadis grit is his teeth and roughly grabbed Collin by the lower jaw and forcing his head slightly upwards. "So you're also a smartass. Listen here, brat! The only thing that mouth of yours is gonna-!"
A loud crunching sound stopped Shadis from speaking. Looking back two rows behind, both Collin and Shadis were shocked at what they saw.
Back there was a girl with reddish hair tied in a ponytail and brown eyes, munching on a steamed potato.
In the middle of formation.
Shadis seemed to have completely forgotten about Collin as his attention was completely on the girl. "Hey, you there. What do you think you're doing?" he said in a dangerously low voice.
Shadis then began approaching, making the girl look around nervously. And taking another bite of the potato.
The commandant was now fully in her face and very furious. "You are officially on my shit list! Just who the hell are you?!"
The potato girl took a big gulp of her mouthful before saluting, the potato still in her hand. "Sasha Braus from Dauper Village at your service! Reporting for duty, sir!"
"Sasha Braus, huh? And what is that you're clutching in your right hand?" Shadis asked.
"A steamed potato! It sat there in the mess hall, waiting to be eaten, sir!" Sasha answered honestly.
'Did she just… admit that she stole the potato?' Collin thought as he looked at what was transpiring. This girl was really something else. 'Couldn't she have just said she had it packed for lunch or somethin'?'
"The theft, I understand," Shadis said. "But here? Why eat it here of all places?"
"It was quite delicious, and it was getting cold. So I gave it shelter in my stomach, sir," Sasha said in a tone that made it seem like she thought she gave a valid answer.
Collin couldn't help but blink. 'Dear God, girl! That's your excuse?! And people probably thought I had a death wish when I spoke to Shadis!' The potato crumbs on the girl's face also didn't make her seem any more serious, though in Collin's opinion it did make her look adorable.
The commandant obviously wasn't swayed by the answer. "Why? I can't comprehend. Why would you eat that potato?"
Sasha suddenly got a confused look on her face. "Eh, are you… asking me why people eat potatoes? I'm surprised you don't know, sir."
The entire place got real quiet. The wind seemed to blow incredibly loud as the cadets looked in horror at the scene after Sasha said that, with Shadis also being silent with his mouth slightly hanging open. He seemed both angry and baffled at the same time.
Collin, on the hand, had to bite down on his lip so a chuckle wouldn't escape his mouth. Did Sasha really not understand what the commandant was asking? Collin remembered all the funny stories his family shared but seeing something like that in person, now that was an entirely different beast.
Sasha then grabbed the potato by both hands before tearing off a smaller piece and offering it to Shadis. "Here, sir. Have half."
And Collin had to bite his lip harder. 'Half?! I don't think that's even a third! And I can't tell if she's tryin' to be nice or bribe him with a potato?'
Shadis took the 'half' of the potato and seemingly gave it an examination. "Have half? Really?"
Sasha looked at him silently for a few moments before gaining a nervous but goofy smile. Yeah, she knew this wasn't going to end well for her.
And later that afternoon, Collin found himself leaning on next to the door of the mess hall. A few other cadets which included Armin, Marco, Connie, the boy Collin remembered from years ago on the boat called Eren Yeager, and a girl with black hair done in two pigtails and grey eyes, Mina Carolina from the outlier district of Karanese.
The six of them watched as Sasha ran around the camp. Collin couldn't help but feel bad for her as she obviously struggled.
"Man, I thought Shadis was going to kill Potato Girl," Connie commented.
Collin decided to chime in. "He wouldn't have killed 'er in any case. Shadis is harsh, yes, but he does have the best intentions in mind. He wants to toughen us up so we're ready for what comes next."
"Oh, really? And how do you know?" Connie asked.
Collin then gained a contemplative look on his face as his eyes seemed to stare into the distance. "It's… just a feelin'."
Connie shrugged. "Yeah, sure."
"But weren't you also walking on thin ice with Shadis back there?" Marco asked Collin.
With a smile, Collin just gave a shrug. "Maybe."
"It's funny," Eren said. "Being told to run 'till the sun sets didn't seem to bother her nearly as much as losing meal privileges for the next five days."
"I think she said that she's from Dauper. If I remember right, that's a small hunting village up in the mountains."
Eren then looked upwards and saw a horse moving a carriage up the hill, with some young people being visible at the end. "Hey, what's that?"
"They're dropouts. They prefer to work in the fields," Mina explained as they looked at their former fellow cadets being driven away.
"But… it's only the first day," Armin said.
Eren shrugged. "That's the way it is. If you can't handle the pressure, you've gotta leave," he said, sounding almost disappointed.
Collin couldn't blame them. Those poor cadets were probably in low spirits already due to the fact they were to be trained to fight Titans, where the survival rate isn't really that high. Shadis' attitude pushed their spirits further to the point where they gave up. It was probably for the best.
"I can't believe anyone would rather pull plants than fight," Eren said.
"That so?" Collin said which gained Eren's attention. "You do realize people need food to survive? Pretty sure you don't need to grow up in the countryside like I did to realize just how important this 'pullin' plants' business is."
Eren narrowed his eyes. "But the Titans are a bigger threat! We need to get as many people to fight against them!"
Collin looked at him for a bit before giving a playful grin. "Ya know what, you're right. We ALL need to fight the Titans and once we kill them THEN we can all starve. Brilliant!"
That made Eren groan. "That's not what I meant, and you know it!"
"Sure sounded like it," Collin commented.
"Whoa, whoa, you two, stop it," Marco said while putting his hands up. "Please, we don't get anything by arguing with each other."
Collin sighed. "Right. Sorry 'bout that," he said before walking over to Eren. "I know the Titans are a threat, and I didn't mean to play it down, but you have to understand there are other things important to humanity."
Eren looked to the side. "Yeah, I… guess you're right."
Collin then extended his hand. "Great to hear! Pals?"
Eren looked at the hand for a bit before slightly smiling. "Sure." Eren then took the hand for a handshake but then suddenly winced. "Man, that's some grip."
Collin chuckled. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
"Say, I don't recall you saying where you're from, Eren," Mina said.
Eren smiled before putting a hand on Armin's shoulder. "Same as Armin. From Shiganshina." The two friends then smiled at each other.
That statement made Connie, Marco, and Mina go wide-eyed since all of them heard about the infamous fall of Shiganshina, but Collin wasn't surprised at all, being a personal witness and all. He had a feeling about what was going to happen next.
Soon they found themselves seated in the mess hall with other cadets, and as expected, Eren was flocked by dozen others who heard he was in Shiganshina when the Titans attacked, and was then asked questions, one of most prominent being if he saw the Colossal Titan.
"Yeah, okay," Eren somewhat unenthusiastically said as he put down the spoon in the soup he was eating. "I saw the big guy."
Almost everyone around him gasped. Collin, who was on the table next to them, couldn't help but chuckle in amusement as he took a spoonful of his soup. Honestly, Eren should have expected that kind of reaction.
"Whoa, seriously?" asked a blond kid with prominent sideburns, Thomas from the Trost District as Collin recalled.
"Exactly how tall was he?" asked another cadet.
"He stuck his head over the Outer Wall," Eren answered.
"Whoa, wait, I heard he stepped over the Wall completely."
"So did I."
"That was the rumor in my village too."
'Do people really exaggerate that much?' Collin thought. 'Pretty sure if the Titan was THAT big we'd all have been in bigger trouble.'
"Is everything alright?"
Collin flinched before turning to the guy sitting next to him. Like Collin, he was also on the taller side, broad-shouldered with a muscular build, and he sported short blond hair and gold eyes.
"It's fine. Just deep in thought."
"I see. Well, the name's Reiner Braun," he said while extending his hand.
Collin took the hand and gave it a shake, with both of them noticing how the other had a prominent grip. "Collin Holt."
"Yeah, I know. I saw that interaction you had with Shadis. I honestly wasn't sure if you were cocky or stupid," Reiner said with a grin. "No offense."
"None taken."
"Though I admit the Potato Girl has you beat by a mile."
"Well, sorry to disappoint you, Reiner."
That made both of them chuckle.
"And the Armored Titan?"
The two of them then looked back at Eren's table where the Titan conversation was still happening.
"The one who broke through Wall Maria?"
"Is that what they're calling it?" Eren asked after taking some soup. "In all the panic it was just another Titan to me."
Collin then got up making Reiner look at him curiously. "'Scuse me for a moment." He then walked over to Eren's table. "Y'all talking about the Armored Titan?"
This got the cadets to now look at Collin.
"Yeah, we were wondering what he looked like as well," Thomas said.
"Oh, were you now?" Collin said before reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small brown leather-bound book. "Well, I'd like to describe it, but ya know what they say 'show don't tell'."
Collin then flipped through the pages of the book before putting it down on the table, making the cadets gasp, and even Eren couldn't help but look. Just below some written text was a hand-drawn picture of the Armored Titan's head, shoulders, and some of its upper torso.
"No way!"
"Is that really what it looks like?"
"You actually saw the Armored Titan?!"
Eren's mouth hung slightly open and his eyes wide. This drawing was definitely of the Armored Titan, at least from what he remembered. Looking up at Collin, he saw that the young man's eyes had a different look to them.
Unlike his more jovial expression, the eyes Collin currently had expressed something Eren was very familiar with. Anger and determination.
"You… you were in Shiganshina that day as well, weren't you?" Eren asked.
"Yes. I was," Collin simply answered as his gaze was firmly set on the drawing as if he was looking into its eyes.
Reiner then walked over as well, glancing at the book. "That is a… very detailed drawing."
"Ma taught me," Collin said. "That Titan's face is somethin' I'll never forget for as long as I live."
"So… what were the Titans like?"
That question got two different reactions from Eren and Collin. Eren's breath got caught in his throat as he seemed to freeze in place, eyes wide and some sweat dripping down his forehead. Collin's fist clenched as his eyes narrowed, the silver shine in them seemingly more intense than before.
Eren's spoon fell into his soup as he put his hand on his mouth, the memories of that day relived in his head.
The entire room was silent before Marco spoke up. "Come on, that's enough questions, alright? I'm sure they'd rather not relive everything they went through."
"Sorry," Connie began. "We didn't mean to-"
"It's not like that," Eren interrupted before taking a bite out of his bread and grinning. "Those stupid Titans. They're really not that big a deal."
Collin blinked. 'Say what now?'
Eren continued. "If we focus on mastering the Omni-directional Mobility Gear they gave us, then it's Titan payback time."
"Eren, are ya two sheep short of a sweater?" Collin asked.
Eren got a confused look on his face. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Means you ain't very bright," Collin answered. "Professionals worked on masterin' the ODM gear, and many still died. Don't you remember the operation to retake Wall Maria and how many died in it?"
Eren frowned. "Well, I'm not dying. After years of training, I will join the Scout Regiment, and I WILL send those Titans back to Hell," he said with determination. "I'm gonna butcher them all."
Before Collin could respond, somebody else decided to chime in. "Hey, are you crazy or something?"
That turned out to be Jean Kirstein, who looked at Eren with a mocking smiled as he leaned his head on his hand. "Not that it's my business, but signing up for reconnaissance is a death sentence."
"I guess we'll see. Or at least I will," Eren told Jean. "You seem to be content hiding in the interior with the MPs."
Jean was unfazed by the insult. "Look, I'm just speaking honestly here, kid. I think it's better than being some loud-mouth braggart tough guy wannabe pretending he's not as piss-scared as the rest of us."
Annoyed, Eren rose from his chair, but before he could say anything, Collin let out a laugh which got him some attention from Eren, Jean, and the others.
Jean frowned. "Something funny, country boy?"
"First off, I'm older than you. You ain't got no right callin' me country boy," Collin said. "Second, what's funny is you talkin' trash about tough-guy wannabes when just earlier today you talked about joinin' the 'best of the best' as you put it."
That caused Jean to scoff. "At least I keep it real. And just what regiment will you join?"
"Same as Eren. The Scout Regiment."
"Hah! I knew it. Yet another suicidal fool," Jean commented.
"That or I just have more guts than you, horseface."
Jean then almost glared at Collin before rising up. "What did you call me?"
"Oh, looks like little Jeanie here is gettin' riled up," Collin said teasingly.
"Guys, please, stop it," Marco said, trying to defuse the situation, though he seemingly went ignored.
"You trying to pick a fight?" Jean asked as he got closer to Collin, though slightly halted as he seemingly only now noticed that Collin was taller than he was.
The atmosphere became tense as the cadets looked at the two. Were they really about to duke it out right in the middle of the mess hall?
Reiner crossed his arms as he looked seriously at the scene. He was curious about how it will turn out.
"Trust me, this wouldn't be much of a fight," Collin said as he and Jean stood in front of each other. Collin then got an idea. "You know what, I'll try to make this fair." Collin then slightly turned his head before gesturing to his jaw with his finger. "I'm givin' you a free shot."
Jean got a shocked look on his face. "Wait what?"
"A free shot. You know what that is, don't ya?"
"But… you can't be serious."
"Gettin' cold feet, horseface?"
Jean then grit his teeth as he glared. "Will you stop calling me that?!"
"Hmmm, you're right. It does look more like a mule."
That was the last straw. Jean gave a loud groan before rearing his fist back and giving Collin's jaw a hard punch, pushing Collin's head back.
Everyone gasped and watched in shock at what happened. Jean actually punched Collin! The two of them stood still for several moments before Jean reeled back.
"Agh!" Jean exclaimed as he began shaking his wrist before nursing it with his other hand. "Ow! God, what the hell is that face of yours made off?!"
Collin brought his head back into its previous position before grinning. "Sturdier stuff than yours, I imagine," he said before tracing his fingers along the side of his jawline. "You still wanna continue this?"
Then Collin felt someone grab him by the shoulder before saying "That's enough." Collin turned to see a young woman of seeming oriental descent with black hair that reached past her shoulders and grey eyes. Mikasa Ackerman, a friend to Eren and Armin. "I think you two caused enough of a ruckus. You'd better stop before the officials come to check what's going on."
"Eh, you're right," Collin said before addressing Jean. "Sorry about that. That's usually how I… Jean?"
Jean didn't seem to hear as he looked at Mikasa with a mesmerized expression. He even forgot about the pain in his hand completely.
Collin then snapped his fingers in front of him. "Hey, anyone there?"
Jean blinked before shaking his head. "Um… what?"
"Look, sorry about this. I usually responded to provocation while growin' up and I got carried away in this case."
"Uh, yeah, sure," Jean said while taking glances at Mikasa. "Sorry about insulting your carrier choices. Both you and Eren."
Collin shrugged. "Eh, no biggie. What say you, Eren?"
"Um, yeah. It's no problem," Eren said.
Then the camp bell sounded loudly outside.
"Well, looks like our time here is over," Collin said. "I've got stuff to do." He picked up his journal from the table and pocketed it. "See y'all tomorrow." Then he left with a wave, leaving a blushing Jean with Mikasa.
Sundown soon came, and Sasha slowly walked to her sleeping quarters. All of her body ached like hell, and her walking could be described more as stumbling than anything else. Like losing her meal privileges wasn't bad enough now she has to endure this.
Sasha let out some heavy breaths as she slowly walked. "Glad that's… finished."
After a few more steps, her tiredness began getting the better of her as her eyes slowly closed and she lost her balance. But before she could fall, something grabbed onto her shoulders, stopping her. She was then turned around and made so that her back rested against what felt like an arm.
"You alright, Potato Girl?" she heard someone say.
Her brown eyes slowly opened, and in the dim light of the torches, she was greeted by a visage of a handsome face that smiled down at her.
Sasha let out a weak grin. "Oh, I'm in Heaven," she said tiredly. "Please, tell me a banquet is waiting for me."
Collin raised an eyebrow. 'Damn, this girl really had it bad today.' "Don't worry, you ain't dead. And hopefully, you won't be anytime soon," he said before taking out a canister of water. "Here. Have a drink."
He then put the uncapped top on her mouth and she slowly began swallowing, letting the beautiful sensation of the cold liquid fall down her throat.
Sasha let out a relieved sigh before smiling. "Thanks for that."
Collin smiled back. "You're welcome."
"Now what about… foo… fo… f…" before she could finish, Sasha's eyes closed and her head hung. After a few moments, she began to let out a few light snores.
'Rest easy, Potato Girl. You definitely need it after today,' Collin thought before putting away the water canister and bringing his other arm beneath her knees, lifting her. That girl was light as a feather.
Collin then walked towards the barracks with the sleeping Sasha in his arms. He was certain that the next few years were going to be interesting.
AN: And that is it for now! We saw Collin interact some more with other characters and some more insight about his past. Now, I hope I didn't have him come off as too strong, or Gary Stu-ish in this chapter. I'm sure you at least picked up why he was acting with Shadis the way he did.
I also implore you to read some of my other stories. Trust me, they're worth it. And leave a comment. They are great motivators.
See you next time!
