HOUND
Who here is ready for a training montage?!
Cause that's what they did in episode 3 and 4!
So we're gonna focus on specifically what these episodes touched on. Training scenes, Shadis commentating his thoughts on the cadets...
But since we know the main AOT cast already, the story will definitely focus more on Eva and Anne. We've all seen the show, so I won't make y'all suffer through like 30 minutes of the actual episode. I'll try to keep it to things that pertain to this fic's main characters. ;3
I will also write in scenes that happened in the show of course, cause we all want to see these characters interact with major scenes/events! I really enjoy writing main characters into these stories and working to blend them in with the crowd!
This training montage might be 1 chapter or 2. I don't know, I write at different points during writing the chapters lol
I do know this will likely have a good chunk of cuts in it, cause of how the episode takes place and I don't want to fill the chapters up with nonsense between filler scenes that add nothing to the story.
If I have something important to write into off screen scenes, I'll do it, but otherwise I prefer to keep the story moving.
Let me know what y'all think! I've been enjoying the rewrite so far, but I hope y'all are too!
I can't wait to get to the parts with some romance~~
... and some titan/ODM badassery
Any review replies will be posted at the end of the chapter!
There they were standing on a hot day in a field, waiting for their instructor to berate them all. Eva wasn't particularly excited about it, but Anne's joyful anticipation was radiating from her. Eva would roll her eyes if it wouldn't get her in trouble.
Her hands clasped behind her back, like all other cadets in their row. Only those on the rows the instructor stalked down would salute, each one answering their name and hometown. Everyone was yelling, even for a simple greeting. If Eva was being honest, it was a bit silly to listen to. She was thankful this part of their initiation would not include her.
Or, it shouldn't anyways. Anne and Eva had completely forgotten Eva couldn't speak to anyone, on account of that titan tone. No one would know it's the voice of a titan, because no titan has ever spoken to anyone. They would know it isn't normal though and being in the military where they would be heavily scrutinized; it wouldn't go over well.
In a moment of something between brilliance and foolishness, Anne came up with a lie. When the recruiter asked for her name, Anne jumped in and blurted out. She's mute! Sorry, that isn't disqualifying, right? And lucky for them it wasn't. The recruiter directed all questions largely towards Anne, then whisked them away to the wagon out of Trost.
Now they were here with Eva watching Anne across the row sweating, breathing fast, but trying to calm herself down. So much was riding on Anne's success as a soldier, she would claw her way up even if it killed her.
Eva didn't share the same sentiment of course. If Eva had to give it her all in order to stay with Anne, she would. Training would be a lot harder than anything she ever did on the farm. Everything they did would be criticized, studied closely, and there was no slacking off here. Those slow mornings that Eva could just bask in the sun likely wouldn't happen here.
Not to mention she straight up couldn't just lounge around as herself. This was a time to take extra precautions, no one could even get suspicious of Eva. If something happened here, escaping was unlikely.
Eva didn't need her acute hearing to listen to everything the instructor barked at the other cadets.
"Hey, mop top!" The cadet introduced himself as Armin Arlert.
Next up was Thomas Wagner. "Nobody here gives a damn!"
And the petite girl, Mina Carolina. "Is a pathetic worm like you the best Calaneth District has to offer?!"
Each one being put down, the man yelling at them was testing them all. What for though, Eva had no idea. She didn't know anything about what the military really did or what it was all about. While some knowledge of human life had come to her own her own, most of what she knew came from Anne, Liesa, and even at times Wiebke.
Around the edge of the cadets, she heard two men talking. They weren't part of the initiation though, they were just spectators admiring the instructors performance. She heard terms like rite of passage and reverting them into blank slates. Whatever that meant, Eva just ignored it. Something Anne would probably understand, but useless to Eva.
Then, Eva heard someone grunting. Her eyes snapped to the side trying to see the source. It was the man walking around yelling, but one of the cadets was now on his knees. She heard him answer, Jean Kirstein. Though she hadn't been listening, she had still picked up what was being said passively.
"No one told you to sit, recruit! If you can't handle this, Kirstein, then forget about joining the Military Police!" The cadet struggled back to his feet, holding the sore spot on his head before saluting again.
Eva wasn't the only one that was watching all this unfold. Try as she might, Anne was just as curious. When Eva and Anne both looked at one another, Eva could see just how nervous Anne was. The woman usually so boisterous was desperate to make a good first impression, but she got the idea that even if she said everything right, she would still get berated. This was simply the start of training.
"The only use the King has for your life and limbs are as titan fodder." Even Eva flinched a little hearing that. The boy he was speaking too seemed so bright and cheery, a lot like Anne. Just calling him titan food was a bit much to Eva.
He didn't question everyone though, which was the point of this exercise. There were a select few cadets he merely looked over before pressing on. There were no words, no yelling. The cadets he wouldn't bother with berating had already experienced far more than this, yelling at them would be a waste of time.
As it turned out, Eva was one of those cadets. When he passed in front of her, he merely gave her a stern look she didn't shy away from. Whatever he saw on her face, he accepted as is. She would not be questioned, not that she could answer him. The lie was she couldn't speak, so she would only be able to stand there in silence.
However, Anne was not the same. Though she had the same experience as those other cadets and might have qualified to be passed over, the woman was still so cheery she hid it well. The hardened expression of Shiganshina and Wall Maria's survivors was just something Anne wasn't really capable of, at least not now.
"You're almost too short to be a soldier, just who are you?" He stood tall in front of Anne. In fact, he was tall compared to everyone including Eva. He was perhaps the only human she'd ever seen that Eva would actually have to look up to see.
"Anne-Laure Fayard, sir!" She saluted, barking out her name like all the other cadets.
"Where are you from?"
"Shiganshina, sir!"
Disapproving, he leaned down to yell at her face. "And what the hell do you expect to do, cadet?"
"To protect my family and take back my hometown or die trying!"
"I bet you wouldn't make it ten feet outside the Wall! The best act of service you can do for your family and comrades is to be devoured in their place!" He leaned back up, grabbing her shoulder and turning her around. "Row four, about face!" All the cadets beside her turned in place without hesitation.
When he went up to the next cadet, he was especially displeased. Seeing the cadet give a backwards salute sparked his righteous fury again. "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! Is your heart on your right side?!"
This was at least true. Eva and Anne were shown immediately after being given their cadet uniforms. How to deliver a proper salute, when to salute, and what it means.
But nothing quite compared to the next cadet, they would receive the worst the instructor had to offer... When she took a bite out of the potato in her hand.
The cadets were all stunned, no one could begin to fathom what was happening. As if it was some big joke they weren't in on, they couldn't imagine someone eating in the middle of their initiation.
"What do you think you're doing?" His voice was leveled out now, which was somehow more intimidating. Then Eva could hear the crunch of another bite being taken. "You are officially on my shit list! Just who in the hell are you?!"
They were behind Eva, she couldn't see what was going on. Looking for some guidance, Eva looked to see Anne's shocked face. When Anne looked back to Eva, she just mouthed out an elongated; 'Oh my god.'
"Sasha Braus from Dauper Village, at your service. Reporting for duty, sir!"
Everyone, even the instructor, was as dizzy with this girl's blatant disregard. She did everything else right, but eating during this was so insane no one knew how to rationalize it.
"Why? I can't understand. Why would you eat that potato?"
Then came the even more ridiculous answer. "Are you asking me why people eat potatoes? I'm surprised you don't know, sir."
Anne returned to catch Eva's attention with an even longer and far more expressive; 'Oh my god, oh my god.' Anne's expression was amusing at least, Eva resisted smiling at her. She had no idea if smiling at all would get her in trouble.
Some cadets had actually turned themselves somewhat to see this girl. No one could believe what they just heard nor imagine the pain the instructor was about to inflict.
"Here, sir. Have half." Sasha offered part of her food to him, meaning it as a gesture of kindness.
He took it from her, "Have half? Really?" She had no idea he was actually asking her if she was seriously this dumb.
Which, of course, she was. She had no idea he wasn't yelling at her because she did something right or he was curious about potatoes; he just couldn't solve the mystery that was this level of idiocy. It truly was shocking.
Anne threw her bag onto her new bunk, happily relishing the plush material. Her body was already aching from first day training, it really wasn't much to start with.
It didn't take long before Eva took the bunk above her. Though she didn't have anything with her, she had no time to prepare for this. So she took her civilian clothes from Anne's bag and laid it folded on the bunk to mark her spot. It's all she had were those pants, shoes, and jacket she had been wearing. Her shirt managed to tuck into the uniform just fine thankfully.
"Oh man, I have first day jitters." Anne sighed, her arms behind her head. Basking in the realization she had finally done it, she became a soldier. "I can't wait for more. I'm so excited I don't know how I'll sleep tonight!"
Eva just stood beside her bunk, occasionally moving out of the way for other cadets. The building was full of people selecting their own bunks, talking about all the things they did and introducing themselves to others.
But Anne had just remembered she couldn't talk to Eva here, that the woman would be silent unless they were alone. It made Anne feel a little bad she didn't find another excuse for Eva's vocal issue. It was the best choice though, nothing else could possibly explain why she sounded this way.
Sitting up, Anne took Eva's hand in her own. "Thank you, Eva."
The titan had no idea what she was thanking her for, but she couldn't really ask. She had to stand silently and watch Anne stand up with a stretch. "Mess hall should open soon, let's get out of this cramped cabin. I want to be first in line! I feel like I could eat a horse."
Stepping out of the way, Anne passed by Eva with the woman on tow. Getting through all the other cadets talking around the cabin was a little challenging, with Anne apologizing and excusing them the entire way. Once they finally made it out, Eva held the door open for Anne.
With a long and deep inhale, Anne savored the smells of their new home for the next three years. It was fresh and new to her, a real adventure with her best friend at her side. To her, nothing could be better.
As they made it out of the cabin, they ended up running into a group of cadets just hanging out on the porch. Anne took this as her first chance to make a positive first impression and get to know other cadets she would be spending three long years with. So she headed over to them before the mess hall.
"Hey," She waved to the group, "I'm Anne."
The other girl Eva remembered seeing. Mina Carolina. She was another bubbly personality like Anne's, which Eva assumed would make them fast friends. "I'm Mina, nice to meet you!"
"I'm Marco." The other boy during initiation that seemed overly positive. Another person right up Anne's alley. "And that's Connie." The cadet that incorrectly saluted, only the second biggest idiot today behind Sasha Braus.
It took a moment, the group were waiting to the last person to introduce themselves as would be expected. But when she didn't say anything, Anne jumped in. "Oh, right! Sorry, this is Eva. She's mute, so don't take her silence in a bad way."
"Huh, I thought being mute was disqualifying for a soldier. Like being deaf." Connie scratched the side of his head in thought.
Before Anne could respond, Marco excitedly shared his knowledge of military regulations. "Since Wall Maria fell, they actually changed disqualifying factors somewhat. They were really desperate for soldiers back then, I guess they just haven't changed it back." Marco smiled towards the two newcomers, "I'm glad you're here, I don't see how being mute will stop you from being a good soldier anyways."
Surprised, Anne returned his smile. "Exactly what I thought! Eva's really strong already, she'll make a great soldier."
"I think we're all here for the same thing really." Mina interjected, "Marco and Connie are aiming for the Military Police in the interior. I want to too, but getting into the top ten won't be easy."
"Huh, you all want to be MPs?" Anne thought it a bit strange, just the coincidence. Then again, she didn't know a lot about where the majority of cadets go after graduation. She did know only the top cadets got the option to join the Military Police.
Eva, however, was completely alienated from the conversation. She followed along best she could, but as it progressed she was losing it more and more.
Marco leaned on the railing, looking to Anne. "So what about you two? What regiment are you going to join?"
"Oh, we're headed to the Scouts." Anne pointed her thumb at herself then to Eva. "It's the reason I'm here and Eva, well, she goes wherever I go."
"Really? You want to fight titans?" Mina gasped, "That's pretty brave. I don't think I could do it."
Behind the group, Connie scoffed. "Yeah, either brave or stupid. The odds of being one of the few Scouts that survive more than one expedition is low."
To which, Anne agreed. "You're right, but I believe we can do it."
The cabin door creaked open, two boys exiting the room to the steadily growing group on the porch. They seemed interested in joining the conversation too. As they neared them, Anne and Eva made room. Eva practically sitting on top of the railing while Anne came towards Marco.
"Hey," The dark haired boy stepped towards them all, "What's going on here?"
"Nothing really, just getting to know each other." Ever the friendly and welcoming Mina offered a bright smile to them. "Feel free to join us...?"
Catching on, the boy grinned. "I'm Eren and-"
"I'm Armin." The blonde haired boy beside him finished the introduction himself. He struck Anne as the shy type compared to Eren that is.
One of the boys caught Sasha in the corner of his eye, still running in the distance. Everyone followed to see what he was looking at. They had been watching her as well.
"Man, I thought Shadis was going to kill Potato Girl." Connie muttered, still shocked to have seen her eating food at the worst possible time. People could be stupid, but that was far beyond what they all thought possible.
"I know, what a hell of a first day." The new boy looked amused, "It's funny. Being told to run until the sun sets didn't seem to bother her nearly as much as losing meal privileges for the next five days." It was a heavy toll on a first day, Sasha had the worst start of them all.
"I think she said she's from Dauper. If I remember right, that's a small hunting village up in the mountains."
It's a lot more than Eva could even guess. She knew of nothing much outside Trost and the farmhouse, they never had need to travel very far. Learning the layout of the cities seemed like a waste of time since Eva never planned to go anywhere else, at least, not without the others.
"Hey, what's that?" He pointed towards a covered wagon slowly riding up the road out of the training grounds.
"They're dropouts. They'd prefer to work in the fields." Mina seemed sympathetic towards them. Life as a soldier wouldn't be easy, it made sense people looked for a way out.
"But it's only the first day."
Cocky and equal parts snarky, the boy responded. "That's the way it is. If you can't handle the pressure, you've got to leave." His statement caught the groups attention, "I can't believe anyone would rather pull plants than fight."
Eva raised a brow. I would. I would much rather work on the farm than be here.
"I know about some of us, but you didn't mention where you were from, Eren." Marco stood from the railing, turning to face the boy. He was curious about everyone and their goals, so many people came from so far to join the cadets all for their own reasons. Hearing how aggressive Eren was, Marco's interest raised.
Anne was as well, the abrasive kid wasn't familiar but he had a certain behavior to him. Something similar she couldn't quite place. "The same as Armin, from Shiganshina."
"Oh, wow. That means..."
"You saw it! You were there that day." Connie was far less shy about mentioning it.
Quickly, Marco shushed him. "Huh? Quiet!"
Anne's eyes locked onto Eren and Armin, the two boys were both from Shiganshina like herself. And they were talking about seeing it. Anne knew what they meant immediately, she had heard how morbidly curious people were about the Colossal Titan and the terrible events that followed.
Connie ignored Marco entirely, leaning closer towards Eren in excitement. "The Colossal one. Did you see him?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I did."
Thankfully, before the conversation could continue they all heard the bell ringing. The mess hall was opening and they could escape this. Both Anne and Eva were disturbed by how excited people could get over the merciless slaughter of their people. It wasn't a time either one wanted to talk about.
"Huh, I guess it's time to eat." Eren broke off with Armin, heading away from the cabin.
The group wasn't far behind, but Anne and Eva both could see Connie hurrying to catch up with Eren. He wanted to know more and he wasn't ashamed to ask.
Eva couldn't help but feel a bit tense. She had only ever been around Liesa, Wiebke, and Anne. When it came to discussing titans, everyone was always being considerate to their company. That company, of course, being the titan herself. No one talked about the violence and terror, just about the factual being of titans.
Hearing it here from strangers reminded Eva exactly how the world would view her. It was harrowing to think about. She had to brace herself though, conversations about titans and what they do would be a frequent topic out here. Especially in this place where they were training soldiers to kill titans.
Similarly, Anne was trying to keep the sight of the Colossal Titan out of her head. Whatever it took, she pushed down those memories. The guilt she always felt when repressing those memories had gone, since she became a cadet she had alleviated all those feelings weighing her down. She was out here, doing something about it. That was enough for her.
But the growing fear of being caught would soon start getting to Eva. It disgusted her to even think about devouring people, the knowledge that she had and those memories were vile things she couldn't shake already. There was no need for her to be reminded of it when she carried it around every day.
If those two were going to go around talking about Shiganshina and the titans devouring people, Eva and Anne wanted to be left out of it. Anne was just glad she didn't mention where she was from.
Entering the mess hall already told them that avoiding it wasn't possible. People were talking, every last one louder than the last. Anne got her own tray with Eva just behind, both sticking to each other like glue. They were in a strange place, leaving them feeling a bit vulnerable.
Anne was far more outgoing, so she wasn't as worried. Ever the loner, Eva wanted to stay with Anne and ignore everyone else. Both of them were leaning in opposite directions, yet nothing was pressuring them to do anything.
All they were going to focus on was surviving the first days of training. After that, they could start to focus on getting into a routine. A three year long routine.
Eva stared down at the weird food they were given. It wasn't much, but Eva could manage to eat the bread. Everything else offended every taste sensitivity she had. She was already missing Liesa's cooking, she had no idea people ate mystery stew like this regularly.
If anything the time away from the farm was teaching Eva how good she had it. Before she had thought the life she enjoyed was normal, everyone had it or something like it. Soldiers clearly didn't live as luxuriously as this titan had on the farm. A strange concept thinking a titan had a better life than anyone else.
"What's wrong?" Anne whispered to Eva, chewing on a bit of bread. She could see Eva twisting the tip of her spoon in the stew, the distant look in her eyes.
Barely parting her lips to speak, Eva froze. I can't talk here. Her mouth shut, disappointed. She just lifted a finger from her spoon and pointed to her food.
Anne gave it a quizzical look. "Yeah?" She swallowed the bit of bread. "You don't like it?"
Eva's narrowed eyes expressed her displeasure.
"Okay, okay. You don't have to eat it..." The woman sat up straight, looking around the room to see all the cadets chowing down happily. They were all starving after a long day of hard work. "Hmm, maybe you'll have to eat a bit. It'll be suspicious if you leave behind a full plate every time."
No one could survive without food and with all the physical exercising, they would need more than usual. They were expected to eat all their meals every day, it was highly unusual that any cadet rejected it.
Frustrated, Eva braved another bite of the swirling stew. She didn't chew any bit of it, wanting it off her tongue the second it was in her mouth. Still, the bland flavor coated her tongue and she felt a shiver up her spine. The food was, truly, disgusting to her.
Seeing the reaction Eva had, Anne chose to help out some. She would take a bite of her food, then steal a bite of Eva's. She switched between the meals like that for the better part of meal time. When her bowl had neared empty, she simply switched their plates for the night.
"I can't eat this much every time." Anne placed a hand on her stomach with a long sigh, "I feel like I've eaten way too much already... I'm sorry."
Eva shook her head, offering a brief smile to show her appreciation. Even if Eva had to eat some of the food, Anne's help did mean she wouldn't have to all the time. That would have to be enough, she couldn't exactly ask for better food.
They were only interrupted when a chair was loudly shoved to the side. It broke through the loud conversations of the crowd surrounding on of the far tables. Eva knew they were talking about titans and Shiganshina, but she had also been focusing on trying to stomach her disgusting meal.
However, something was happening out of the ordinary. Two of the other cadets were standing up to each other, the crowd gathering around them in anticipation.
Eva and Anne stayed to their seats, but watched from afar.
Just before the two started anything, the bell rang again. Their signal to leave the mess hall and get to their bunks. Lest they piss off a certain someone that just spent the entire day yelling at them.
Anne was quick to get up, taking her tray with her. Having not seen the movement at first, Eva rushed to catch up with her. Their night was over and this weird night would mark the end of their first day. The worst part of the day for Eva realizing she'd be eating mud for the next three years.
While Anne and Eva went around the scene those two had started in the middle of the mess hall, it had ended as they passed by anyways. If a fight was going to have broken out, it would've done so already. The two cadets, one Eva could see was Eren, had parted ways thus ending their confrontation.
Eva made personal notes about everyone they met and everything they saw. Whatever happened here could implicate them in the future. For their safety, though especially her own, Eva would try to keep a close eye on everyone around them.
"It's aptitude test time, so listen up!" Eva learned this man was named Commandant Keith Shadis. He was their number one superior, whatever he ordered they had to do. "There is no place for you here if you cannot perform! Fail and be shipped to the fields!"
It's the ODM gear. Eva's eyes narrowed as she saw the cables being hooked onto a cadet. Before she could stop herself, she saw that Garrison soldier in place of the cadet; flying around her. Loose strands of hair in her vision, her massive hand swinging at him as he cut it off with ease.
The look on his face was between rage and disgust. He had some blood splattered on his clothes, his hair had slipped free of his hair tie. There was a vicious determination to survive, to protect others-
"Cadet Faust!" Eva's glazed over look vanished, she snapped her head up to see the Commandant glaring at her. "You're up! Don't waste my time!"
With a short nod, Eva stalked up to the testing equipment. It wasn't the same as having the ODM gear strapped on, but this would test every soldiers ability to balance in the the easiest circumstance. If they could keep their balance here, then they could work to become capable ODM users over time.
Shadis wasn't looking for people that could do it right immediately, they just needed the cadets not to fall over. Once Eva was hooked up, Shadis gave the word to lift her up.
As her feet left the ground, she felt her body threatening to tilt too far. It took her only a moment to recognize the familiar balancing act. She felt the adjustments she made to balance were the same as those fine adjustments she would make preparing for a lunge.
She saw herself looking up Wall Maria, Anne and Wiebke in one hand removed the arm from the lunge, but not here. Before the jump she crouched down, kept every muscle in her legs taut. The very slightest twist of her hips, one leg barely behind the other, and her arms equalizing the weight imbalance from her legs and torso.
Eva easily passed the aptitude test, having found flawless balance just about instantly. Thanks to a prior unusually applicable experience, Eva had some unexpected skill.
However, the Commandant saw that experience a little differently. "Cadet Faust." His growling interrupted her thoughts, "Didn't I tell you to not waste my time?"
Utterly confused, Eva nodded. "Then tell me, why are you?!" He gestured the soldier to lower her. "This isn't your first time using ODM gear, so you have wasted my time by taking this test at all! Get back in line before I have you cleaning the mess hall for the next week!"
Eva had no idea what he was talking about. Instead of arguing the point with the Commandant, Eva mixed herself back in with the cadets to stand beside Anne. The woman was beyond thrilled to see how well Eva did, grabbing her arm and shaking it.
"Oh man, he really thinks you've used ODM gear before! You're just that naturally good!" Anne giggled her excitement away. She was dying to be called for her own test, even if it took all day. More cadets were called for their test, every time Anne practically bounced hoping it was her name.
Seeing how Anne was practically bursting with anticipation, Eva wished she could offer some words of encouragement. Surrounded by strangers though, Eva could only place her hand on Anne's shoulder who turned her beaming smile up to the titan, unable to contain herself.
Eva just grinned back, feeling too anxious around this dense crowd of soldiers to do much else. Her discomfort was only matched by Anne's joy. She really thrived in this environment, it came naturally to her.
When the cadets ahead of them began to thin out as the tests progressed, Anne and Eva were near the front of the line again. Anne, too short to have seen over the crowd had been peeking through the other cadets, but now she could see everything. Watching other cadets on their tests, looking at how they struggled to keep themselves upright with only a few that were comfortable in the gear.
Anne was going to give it everything she had, she would be one of the best in the 104th cadets. At least, that was her goal. She had waited too long to get here to be lazy; she'd work harder than ever before.
That's how she felt about it anyways. But Eva had unintentionally made the aptitude test look a lot easier than it really was. To someone never having even a similar experience to the balance of ODM gear, it wouldn't be easy. Though this aptitude test wouldn't count towards their final grade, Anne wanted to impress regardless.
"Cadet Fayard!"
Anne practically burst from the crowd, hurrying to the open equipment as ordered. Quickly buckled in and prepared for the lift, Anne could feel how hard her heart was beating. It didn't matter what it took, she would pass and she wanted to do just as well as Eva.
It didn't look so hard after all. Of course, it was much harder than she thought. Immediately she felt herself slipping off balance. Surprised by the sudden swing of her weight, Anne fought to keep upright. It was a struggle, she was too nervous about leaning too much one way or the other.
Struggle or not, she was still doing it. Even if she didn't get it right the first time, she had passed the aptitude test and proved she could learn.
Internally, Anne was sweating why she couldn't get it like Eva did. It was so hard to keep to one side or the other, every second she was less than an inch from falling over.
But the test was over. Shadis gave the signal to lower her and Anne returned to the other cadets. Seeing how hard the test was dampened her spirits somewhat, feeling a bit like she hadn't performed as well as she should have.
As Anne returned to Eva's side, she looked up to the titan and wondered how she had adapted to the ODM gear so quickly. Even Shadis was fooled, believing Eva to have had some prior use of ODM outside the military. Which was highly illegal, so that was a strange thing.
Anne watched more cadets with Eva, seeing another row stand up to the challenge. A few cadets wavered heavily, narrowly avoiding spinning in place. It appeared most cadets passed on the same level Anne had. They managed it, but they didn't exactly excel.
Until another girl got lifted and she was perfectly balanced the second her feet came off the ground. The dark haired girl looked perfectly still, as if she was still standing on solid ground. Truly, none of the other cadets compared to her inherent skill.
She was a stark comparison for the other cadet. A few of the test machines down, was another cadet that was upside down. He was hanging there limp, unable to balance in any sense of the word. At a certain point he just stopped trying to get back up. The cadet was utterly useless on the ODM test.
"What is your major malfunction, Yaeger?!" Shadis knelt down to yell at him. "Straighten yourself up!"
No amount of yelling could help the cadet. Eva and Anne both realized that the upside down cadet was actually Eren, the same cocky kid from before. He also spent all of his time in the mess hall talking about the titans in Shiganshina. He talked a big game, but here he was unable to deliver on that talk.
Anne shook her head, just glad she hadn't been that bad. Failing the aptitude test would've destroyed her. The look of terror on Eren's face made Anne understand, it destroyed him too. He looked so shocked, as if he couldn't comprehend what was happening.
When Shadis had him lowered, the cadets chuckling as he returned to the crowd; Anne felt bad for him. He so badly wanted to be a soldier and Anne did too. Without passing the aptitude test tomorrow though, he would be shipped out regardless of what he wanted.
Nervously, she watched more cadets take the test. Recognizing quickly two familiar cadets step up. Mina on one side and Marco just beside where Anne and Eva were standing. It was fairly obvious that Marco was doing better, he definitely fought for his balance, but once he got it he didn't let it go. Mina had a harder time, much like Anne, she passed but not with flying colors.
A deep part of Anne wondered exactly how good she could do. If she wasn't naturally talented like Eva was on the ODM gear... But she knew without a doubt in her mind that she would surpass Eva in other areas. They would have a lot of classwork coming up and the rest of their training wasn't entirely ODM related.
Anne saw no problems with a little healthy competition. So far Eva had hit the ground running, now Anne had to start catching up.
The mess hall had mostly been quiet, or rather, quieter than the night before. The loudest of all the 104th cadets was uncharacteristically quiet, having failed his aptitude test so miserably he lost all that fire from before.
But the other cadets mostly all passed just fine and took their own jabs at Eren. A lot of snickering here or there while Eren just sat at his table, staring at nothing.
Anne kept stealing glances their way, looking at Eren and his group. One of the others with him was Armin, the blonde haired boy she met outside the cabin. But beside Eren sat that girl that blew everyone out of the water earlier. She had passed her aptitude test so fast and so far above everyone else, Shadis didn't even spend more than a second observing her before moving on.
They were a strange group for sure.
Then there were a few tables nearby, but they had to be joined of course. It wasn't enough that they were surrounded by people. Familiar faces sat down and a few Eva didn't recognize.
Anne came to life, smiling as she hurriedly swallowed her bite. "Hey, guys!"
A few of the cadets waved, smiled back, and returned the greeting. Eva wasn't listening to them, just looking between them and Anne to see if this was really expected. Anne appeared comfortable with it, pausing from eating to talk. "The aptitude test was fun! How did you do, Mina?"
The petite girl just bashfully waved Anne's question off. "Oh, not that great. It is so much harder than it looks!"
Agreeing, Anne laughed. "Right? I thought I was going to fall over the second I was in the air."
"Well, if you asked Milieus, the test was nothing." Mina picked up her spoon before sending the guy beside her a snarky look. "The show off."
The person Eva assumed was Milieus just chuckled, his face turning pink. "I didn't mean it like that, come on, Mina."
"You're a natural at it too, huh?" Eva was surprised to feel Anne playfully elbowing her, "Just like this one. Eva didn't even flinch when she took the test. Shadis thought she had ODM experience already!"
Mina blinked, "That was her? Yeah, I heard something about that. Isn't using ODM outside of the military illegal?"
"It is, but he's wrong. Eva's never come within twenty feet of an ODM set, much less used one." Anne's laughter and Shadis' mistake left the group amused, laughing to themselves about the absurdity of it all. All the joy at the table didn't reach Eva who, while she enjoyed seeing Anne have fun, knew that she couldn't join in.
"What about you, Franz?" Anne looked passed Eva to the end of the table. A boy sat there, shocked his name had been mentioned at all.
"Nothing special, I guess..." Franz just shook his head, "Honestly, I never got close to falling over, but it wasn't easy! I felt like I couldn't move at all. I think Mina and I pretty much did the same." He shrugged, feeling particularly unsure about his performance today.
"At least this isn't on our final grades. So there's no need to worry so much!" With a brilliant smile, Mina sought to relax everyone. "We will have plenty of time to learn."
Anne knew she was right, but it didn't quell her desire to outperform. She didn't just want to be another soldier, she wanted to be damn good soldier. Not only for her own satisfaction, outside the Walls the only soldiers that survived were the best. Even then, many soldiers that fly above the rest are still brought down eventually.
Everyone talks about becoming a Scout is equal to throwing your life away uselessly. That only those young and dumb enough venture outside the Walls, dying for nothing. Anne knew it was more than risky, it almost assured her she would die young. So she had to work harder than everyone else around her.
"Oh, hey." The social girl, Mina, was actually looking at Eva. "I forgot to ask, but do you need some hair ties?"
Eva did not expect anyone to talk to her, knowing she couldn't respond. They'd only just arrived and already Eva was building a reputation. Naturally, Eva didn't answer, restricted by the lies they registered with.
To Eva's rescue though, Anne figured out what Mina was suggesting. "Right, she doesn't have any and... I don't obviously." Anne twirled a lock of her own hair. The short cut framed her face, but the longest strands ended just before her shoulders. She didn't need to tie her hair back and thus had nothing for it.
Anna had forgotten about Eva though. That long hair, thick and easily flowed passed her shoulders. "We have to get you some. They're really specific about starting on your ODM. If you have long hair you either have to cut it or get it out of the way."
Reaching into her uniform's pocket, Mina pulled out some thin ties she used for her own hair. "Here, you can have these. Try out what might be best for you. If you decide to cut it anyways, you can just keep those." That friendly smile never fading a bit.
Eva accepted the hair ties, looking at their pale blue hue. These small ties were meant to be put in tight so they would hold against anything, including the kind of stress using ODM would put on them.
"Thanks, Mina!" Anne extended Eva's appreciation.
"You're welcome!"
Their friendly exchange fell mostly quiet while eating their meals. Only a few things between themselves, but ultimately everyone had grown tired after such a long day. With tomorrow shaping up to be the same, everyone was looking to be prepared for the next big thing.
Eva, always silent, couldn't join in any part of the conversations. She just watched them talk back and forth, pretending to enjoy the food that revolted her. As hard as it was to stomach, Eva managed almost the entire plate before the bell rung again. It was a relief to be able to throw out the last of her plate.
Unlike normal though, Eva and Anne didn't leave the mess hall together. Anne had gotten caught up in the conversation with Mina, Franz, and Milieus. The trio headed towards the door after putting their own trays up. Eva shadowed them to their cabin. Milieus had to leave for the neighboring cabin though, waving them goodbye the whole time.
Inside the cabin there was a lot of people still up talking. It wouldn't be long before the lights out order came and the cabin would finally be quiet. Eva could sleep through anything, though she liked sleeping without people somewhere between yelling and talking at each other.
These cadets were loud and always all together. Eva wondered if anyone here preferred the same solitude Eva did. It appeared not, seeing how many people spent all their free time socializing with each other.
As Eva found her way to her bunk, she sighed in relief. Finally back somewhere she can lay down and try to ignore all the noise around her.
I can hear better than them. Eva sat on her bunk, quickly removing her jacket and stretching her arms. They're loud to me, but not necessarily loud to each other. I just have to learn to deal with it.
As she got comfortable, she looked down to see Anne still in a lively discussion with Mina and Franz. They were having fun talking and laughing as they told stories about themselves. It was genuine bonding, how new and fresh friendships were built. In other words, natural friendships rather than...
Eva shifted uncomfortably. Seeing how Anne eased into it with so little effort, it just came to her. Life like this with so many strangers and somehow picking out new friends to make. It wasn't only Mina and Franz too, there were others Anne had already begun speaking to.
As close as Anne and Eva are, they couldn't be more different. There was such a grace to how Anne formed relationships from nothing. Anne was positive, friendly, and welcoming. It made it easy for people to approach her or for her to join in anywhere.
Unfortunately, Eva wouldn't get a chance to try out being social. Without being able to talk, paired with her height and intimidating look; Eva scared people away.
It was a reputation she had started already. Though she didn't think about standing out, all she wanted was to be here for Anne. People talked about everyone even if there was nothing to talk about. But Eva left people starting to avoid her already, it didn't help that she always looked like she was glaring.
Not every cadet here was young and still growing. Sure, good number of the cadets were, but there are some adults thrown into the mix. Eva and Anne being two of them. Anne was naturally rather short, never having hit that growth spurt people talk about.
Eva, however, was among the tallest in the 104th cadets. With only a few that neared or barely surpassed her height. She also wasn't a person that went around with a smile or a kind look. As such she was tall, somewhere between emotionless and constantly angry, and unable to prove any misconceptions about her wrong by talking to these people.
In a backwards way, Eva felt trapped and seeing how Anne got along with everyone, she started to feel a bit lonely. But she had nothing else she wanted. Eva cared about the family she had found, even work on the farm was fun.
As badly as Eva wanted to do something, she also realized how precarious her situation was. It only took one mistake and she could be found out or at least questioned.
It definitely wasn't something anyone was thinking about. A titan able to alter its size, throwing on clothes, and joining the military. So it was irrational to believe that stepping out of place even once would land her in trouble. Likely no punishment different than any other cadet would get.
Yet she still worried. Just knowing what could happen, knowing herself, she would be extra careful. Take every necessary precaution and look over her shoulder.
For now, listening to Anne and the others talk, there was nothing for Eva to do. She couldn't join in and, even if she could, she didn't want anyone thinking about her too much. The less anyone thought about her, the better off she was.
"Hey!"
Eva's eyes snapped up, confused where that new voice came from. She recognized it quickly, but didn't expect it. He wasn't in these conversations and he hadn't really spoken to Anne beside that first day.
"Oh, Eren. What's up?" The group paused their conversation to all look at Eren. A small bandage around his head, his hair a bit shaggy because of it. The look on his face was desperate though, alarming Anne.
But Eren wasn't looking for Anne, Mina, or Franz. He turned to see Eva on the top bunk. "I need to ask a big favor." Just behind him was the same boy from before, Armin. Again, looking far less abrasive than Eren. "I can't go to the fields, I have to pass the test tomorrow! Some of the other guys said you were really good."
Anne glanced away briefly, seeing that the request was for Eva's skills. Helping out wasn't her decision, so she leaned forward and turned enough to see Eva sitting at the edge of the top bunk.
"Not to sound mean, but if you're having this much trouble with the test, aren't you worried you might not be able to use ODM gear at all?" Mina was really curious, since operating ODM gear was mandatory. Being unsteady would get him seriously hurt or killed; it was dangerous gear after all.
Seemingly conflicted about answering, Eren just shook his head of doubts. "I can't fail this test. Those jerks over there already said no." Eren sent a quick side eye to two boys a few bunks down snickering to themselves. "So, will you help?"
This felt like one of those chances for a natural friendship to build. Just like Anne had been doing, just like Eva was just wondering how she did it. Eva actually started to feel the inkling of real excitement. They needed help and offering that help would undoubtedly prove that she wasn't scary. That she is a good person and would make a good friend.
As her hopes built up, it only took one dark thought to bring it all crashing down on her.
You're a titan. Eva paused before making a decision. I have to be careful. More careful than anyone else here. Every decision I make matters out here, I won't survive if I put myself in risky positions.
Though it hurt to do, Eva pushed through all that false hope she built up for herself, and shook her head. No.
Not above begging though, Eren tried to impart the severity of his request. "I have to do it, I have to be able to pass this test or I'll never be a Scout!"
The begging really didn't sway Eva. It wasn't his dedication she had an issue with or him at all. Eva really wanted to help, but more than anything she didn't want to be caught. Everything, to her, is yet another risk.
Eva did not budge on her decision and she didn't rub it in. She let the rejected request remain as such.
"Oh, uh- That's a 'no' from Eva. Sorry, Eren." Anne didn't need to interpret, but she wanted to try and make it easier for Eren. Seeing how distressed he was about making the cut really struck a chord with Anne. "I'll try to help if you want... I didn't do as well as Eva, but maybe I could help?"
Though the offer was appreciated, Eren was hoping to find help with the cadets that had skill for it. Not because he didn't value Anne's help, but because he was fairly certain he needed some serious help due to how fast he fell.
"That's alright, but... thanks. I don't know what's wrong with me, I think I just gotta' figure it out." Crestfallen, Eren left the group. The rejection hurt just to watch.
"Man..." Franz let out a deep breath, "That was cold."
Anne sat back up, cutting herself off from the look Eva had been giving to Eren. "Yeah, well... I think you're right too, Mina. If he can't pass the aptitude test that could be a big problem for him down the line. If he managed to pass still being unable to balance himself right, he could get really hurt or hurt others..."
Mina hummed lowly, "I guess we'll all have something like that during our time here. For Eren it's the aptitude test, but who knows what it will be for us. I mean, we can't expect to just get everything right the first time. We're still on the easy stuff."
"Right! Maybe when that happens, we can lean on each other?" Franz rubbed the back of his neck, blushing slightly. "I'm really worried about some of the classwork. I've heard it's really easy at first, then it suddenly gets way harder!"
"Wait, really?" Mina gasped in surprise. "I would've thought the classwork was the easiest to do!"
As their conversation picked back up, Eva pulled herself back against the wall. Not much caring to listen into a conversation she couldn't be a part of. If she could speak, she was certain she wouldn't mind talking with them no matter how mundane it was. At least it was more than this.
Or, maybe not. Eva did want to go help Eren, if for no other reason than to pass the time. She couldn't when her fear of being discovered came back to her. It would be the same anywhere else. This place made her feel so vulnerable, she didn't like having to be so guarded all the time.
Eva slipped under her blanket, sinking deeper into her bed as she fought off all the noise in the cabin. Sleeping didn't come easy, but it did eventually.