The First Obstacle of Many
Eren awoke very early the next day; the sun had yet to rise, the air was cold and crisp, and the dozen other occupants of the boys' barracks slept peacefully. He stretched his arms up and over his head, and took great care not to hit the bed atop his lest he'd wake Reiner. Feeling refreshed he opted to start his day with a walk, fairly sure that the mess hall had yet to provide breakfast, and that a shower this early in the day would be akin to being naked during winter.
Donning a trainee jacket and a casual pair of shoes, he stepped out of the sleeping quarters with no clear destination in mind, only a sense of restlessness that came with having a new endeavour. I'm a trainee now. Three years of this, then join the Scouts. Clear a path to Shiganshina, find the basement, and figure out the truth my dad's been hiding. How long will that take? How many expeditions, how many titans to kill, how many lives will we lose? Eren couldn't fathom.
He had been strolling for quite a while when he heard the sound of grunting, followed by loud thuds – it piqued his curiosity.
Eren pinpointed that the noise was coming from the training paddock, an enclosure near the edge of the training camp. They had passed by it the day prior as the wagons were bringing them in but thought no more of it at the time. As he neared the area and the sun finally began its slow ascent into the sky, a flash of yellow hair caught his attention:
Annie Leonhart.
She had her hoodie on and a pair of comfortable-looking pants, kicking a tree at timed intervals, powerful strikes reverberating throughout the morning air. He found her focus and concentration to be enticing, her body executing a beautiful series of fluid movements filled with purpose and intention. A desire to observe her up-close compelled him to move closer, silently, as to not disturb her.
"Jaeger." A few steps in and she already noticed his presence, She's very observant.
"Annie."
"What do you want?"
"Umm..." The boy scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "Nothing."
With a sharp exhale she swung her left leg ferociously, colliding violently with the tree, a resounding thud echoed throughout their surroundings. "Then why are you here?"
Shrugging noncommittally the boy in question explained, "Woke up early and I decided to go for a walk. Then I heard noises coming from here and saw you kicking that tree. That's impressive by the way. Where did you learn it? Doesn't it hurt? You're really giving it your all!"
Annie relaxed her stance and stared at him with her usual aloof demeanor, "You're rambling."
"Sorry," Although he wasn't, not really, "I just find you incredible, your technique, I mean." The girl's visage changed ever so slightly that Eren could have sworn it was a mere trick of the light. Someone taught her, "Somebody taught you, right?"
A pause, "My father." She answered, and just as he opened his mouth to question her further, the deep sound of bells emanated from the camp. "It'll be time for roll call soon, I need to get changed." She jogged away, leaving the teen stuck in mid sentence in her wake.
He stood in place for several moments, until reality caught up with him and he followed suit, not wanting to be late during their first day as inducted trainees.
XXX
Eren made it just in time, panting as he entered the disorganized crowd in the middle of the field, keeping an eye out for his friends. It wasn't long before the towering figure of Keith Shadis entered the scene and started to bark orders at the cadets.
"Space yourselves out! Two arm-lengths between each trainee, eight to a row, form columns! What's taking so long? You maggots can't even follow simple instructions?!"
It didn't take long until they were all assembled to his specifications, and they collectively placed their hands behind their backs at attention. The imposing man stalked between the rows of recruits, looking at each and every one of them, as though able to assess their worth with a mere glance. Periodically the instructor would harass and berate a random recruit, verbal threats and physical violence instilling a sense of discipline through terror. Eren personally wasn't bothered and stared ahead when the man neared; he felt neither fear nor intimidation, only anticipation for the coming training.
And though Shadis was indeed the tallest man he'd ever seen, he paled in comparison to the nightmares that exist outside the walls.
Eventually he returned to the front of the formation and faced them, an introductory speech prepared, "Like I said yesterday, my job is to turn you maggots into something worth more than titan fodder. From what I've just seen, I have my work cut out for me, but that's alright. I will break you all, and when you are all broken, only then can I remake you into something worth a shit."
A wave of fear cascaded throughout the rows of recruits and the man smirked, having elicited the intended effect, "The next three years will condition you physically, mentally, and emotionally. We will give you the abilities and knowledge needed to kill, defend, and survive. You will dedicate and contribute yourselves to humanity in one of three ways:
"As a member of the Garrison, you will maintain the Walls and protect the people within them. Under the Scouts, you will venture outside the safety of said Walls, carrying out missions that the Commander deems to be beneficial to the advancement of humanity. The third option is reserved for those who have proven themselves to be the best of the best – only the top ten recruits of each Division can join the Military Police; elites in direct service to the King who carry out His will with their very lives.
"Because of their role, MPs are stationed closest to Him deep within the safety of the Walls. Many of you recruits probably joined here with the hopes of claiming a top spot." He sneered derisively, "I say 'good luck'; you scum will have your hands full just trying to stay alive."
The tanned officer began walking towards a series of contraptions made of rope and wood, and the group looked on with curiosity, "But enough talk of what will! Before all that, you must overcome challenges, your own weaknesses, and the limits of what you think is possible. Cadets," Shadis produced a metal belt from a crate by the foot of the wooden structures, "welcome to your first obstacle."
Scanning the crowd, Eren suddenly felt the instructor's eyes bore into his, "Jaeger, up here!" He stepped forward confidently to the front, "Ackerman, Springer, Carolina!" The four of them converged at the front and saluted the man, unsure of what was to come.
"Sir!" Their voices chorused.
"First and foremost, we need to check your aptitude for the 3D Manoeuver Gear, the ability to use it is the bare minimum required to be a soldier. This tool simulates what it's like to wear one with the least amount of effort possible; if you can't do this, you can't even be titan fodder!" He handed Eren the belt he was holding, "Put this on. You three, grab some from the crate." Shadis gestured to four recruits at the front row, "Come, turn the cranks. Ackerman, you're first!"
With Mikasa strapped in, Sasha began turning the mechanism, lifting the girl slowly in the air. She shifted a few times but remained steady, her features calm and appeared almost bored. Shadis nodded in affirmation and praised her as a natural, "Springer!"
Connie didn't look as unfazed and his form was quite twitchy, but he stayed upright the entire time, and was deemed passable. The boy smiled and released a shaky breath, rubbing his chest after the trial.
"Jaeger."
He felt himself being hoisted slowly, and the mechanism was starting to jerk him a little too much towards the front. Brace yourself, Eren stiffened his body and expected the same result as his friends, trusting in the voice (Thoughts? Conscience? Hallucinations?) that has yet to lead him astray.
But the success he expected didn't pan out, and the ground rushed towards his face.
"Oh shi-"
XXX
"He's awake!" Armin's enthusiastic voice was jarring.
"Where am I?" Eren spoke, barely able to open his eyes.
"Infirmary, cadet." An unfamiliar voice answered, her voice stern and sharp, "You have a bad concussion, I actually didn't expect you to regain consciousness until this evening."
His sight eventually focused and he noted that aside from Armin and Mikasa, Conny, Sasha, and a freckled recruit were also present. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Checking up on you, what else?" The bald recruit replied as though it was the most obvious thing, "How are you feeling?"
He was unsure how to respond. The inability to utilize the 3D Maneouver Gear resulted in incapacitating himself in front of his peers. Not only was he unfit to be a soldier, he was probably also the laughingstock of the company. On the other hand, there was a nagging feeling that everything would work out, an unfounded and irrational confidence that left him feeling calm and relaxed about the events of the day. Eren opted to shrug.
"Ev'ry one else's still trainin'," Sasha explained, "Folks who don't learn by tomor' noon'll get kicked out."
"You still have time to train," The tall, freckled boy mentioned, "It's just a little past noon, you have the rest of today to keep trying. I'm sure you'll get it!"
"I appreciate the enthusiasm, but who are you?"
"Oh! My name's Marco Bott, sorry, I forgot we didn't meet during dinner last night." He chuckled with slight embarrassment, "It's just, Armin spoke quite a bit about you, it felt like you were there with us."
The statement left the blond blushing all the way to the tips of his ears while Mikasa shot him a look of confusion. "I can help you, Eren," The girl interjected, "I don't want us to be separated."
Everything will work out, "I'll be fine." His stomach grumbled, reminding him of his hunger, "Is there any food?"
"I saved you some bread," Armin admitted, "but Sasha ate it."
At least the girl had the shame to look away with guilt.
The doctor from earlier appeared, "It's surprising that you're cognitive and alert, like I said, I didn't expect you to regain consciousness until this evening." She examined his eyes very closely and observed him at different angles, finally declaring him fit to return to training, "Take it easy and watch that head."
The six of them left the building and separated, citing different reasons: Sasha and Conny were off to explore the camp, while Marco wanted to meet the other recruits. The remaining three remained together as they were wont to do. Mikasa and Armin kept insisting that he continue training with the 3DMG, and he waved their pleas away with nonchalance. "I'll be fine, believe in me."
"Where are you going?" The girl asked with concern as Eren walked away from them.
"Just need some time alone." And his legs whisked him away to a destination he had yet to find out.
XXX
His trek brought him to the paddock.
Even though he didn't know, it wasn't a surprise that he was back here again. There was no one else but him, so Eren opted to sit against the tree that was being kicked that same morning. I really should be training, if I fail tomorrow, I won't be able to do anything. Despite that reasoning he stayed seated and closed his eyes, enjoying the silence and peace in his surroundings. Just like with his unwarranted confidence, there was a sense of impending chaos in the times ahead, compelling him to enjoy this rare moment of tranquility.
"Shouldn't you be working on the Maneouver Gear?" Annie's voice came from somewhere in front of him.
Keeping his eyes closed, he replied, "I'll make it, I have to."
She scoffed, "Aren't you being delusional?"
"I guess we'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" Eren finally opened his eyes and noticed her standing awkwardly. He patted the ground beside him, "Wanna sit?"
She grunted, the sound ambiguous, but her actions answered his question. The girl set her jacket on the ground and sat on it, adjacent to him, leaning against the same tree. A silence settled between the two, until Annie could no longer contain her curiosity, "What makes you so sure?"
"It's the only way to move forward."
A frown entered her features, "You're confusing me, Jaeger."
"I joined the Corps to see the world, to see what's beyond the wall; flaming water, frozen earth, the ocean, it doesn't matter. In order to do that, I have to kill all the titans first, and the path to that is to join the Scouting Regiment."
"And to be part of the Scouts," She continued for him, "you need to pass this test."
"That's right."
Annie sighed, "And for that absurd reason you're convinced that you'll pass a test where, not only did you fail, you failed so bad that you gave yourself a concussion. Am I understanding this correctly?"
"Mhmm."
"I see. You've definitely lost your mind."
Eren found himself smiling at her straightforwardness, "Feels like it these days."
"Most people joined the Corps to get away from the titans, hoping to enter the Military Police, and here you are eager to go outside and die. I don't know if you're actually serious, or your imminent failure is making you talk big while you can." She stood and brushed herself off, "Either way, there's no point getting to know you, Eren Jaeger; not when you're about to be kicked out anyway."
"I'll make you take those words back." He challenged.
Annie left, but not before glancing back at him and giving a curt nod.
XXX
Keith Shadis' full attention was on him.
Attached to the ropes, Eren stared ahead and nodded, indicating his readiness. He heard the crank being turned behind him, the squeak and grinding of metal loud as all recruits present watched with bated breath. Steady… steady… Don't stiffen, be fluid, and hold that position! And there he was, extremely shaky and uncomfortable, but yelled out, triumphant, chorused by his audience.
Brace yourself! In his elation he almost missed the warning, but Eren held out an arm just in time to break his fall, absorbing the shock with his elbow. Disappointed groans erupted in the crowd and Mikasa's audible gasp was heard from the din. With a groan, the cadet turning the lever lowered him and the world righted itself.
The instructor towered over his kneeling form "You fail, Jaeger." The words left him in shock as he stared ahead in confusion, unable to make a sound.
The belt is broken, "The belt!" Eren didn't know what he was saying, but shouted the words in desperation.
Shadis turned, a look of surprise in his face, "What was that?"
In a panic, he embellished, "My belt, it's broken! It felt w-weird, unbalanced, it was making funny clicks and noises."
The officer paused, then ordered the helping cadet to switch belts with him, before telling him to try again. Miraculously, the new belt worked, much to the surprise of everyone present. Eren heard excitement and impressed murmurs, but drowned them out as the feeling of weightlessness took over him.
Being suspended in midair felt natural.
It felt right.
It felt like-
He was above the clouds, arms outstretched, the wind blowing against him.
Elation and bliss filled his heart as he viewed the vast skyscape before him.
"Freedom."
Shadis' grey eyes pierced into his green ones, as though trying to peer into his very soul, "There was a defect in your belt, I've never heard of this metal piece breaking. Ever." Eren could sense the man's suspicion, "You held on even with broken equipment, and you knew it was broken, somehow."
Chatter intensified, "Does that mean...?"
"You pass, get down from there." He turned and addressed the group, "Everyone remaining here has managed to become soldiers. It only gets harder from here on out, prepare yourselves! For now, to the mess hall for lunch; we meet here again after for further instructions and training. Dismissed!"
XXX
The mess hall was loud and rambunctious, largely due to the slew of compliments headed his way. "That was great!" Armin crowed, "We thought you were being overconfident yesterday but you did it!" Mikasa smiled alongside him, while Conny and Sasha offered encouraging cheers.
"Y-Yeah," Eren stuttered, just as surprised about his success. He noticed Annie sitting a few tables away from him in the company of one, Mina Carolina. Proved her wrong, with that in mind he excused himself and made his way towards them. The pair noticed his approach and he gave them a small wave, which the other girl repaid with a smile, while the blonde raised an eyebrow.
She turned her head slightly and addressed him, "I didn't think you'd pass."
"I know."
"So, now that you can play soldier, did you change your mind about the Scouts?"
Smirking, Eren shook his head, "Never."
"I see. In that case, I'm still correct." Annie returned the smirk, "Except this time, there's no point getting to know a suicidal bastard like you."
Shocked, Mina interjected, "She didn't mean that! It was-"
"Don't worry about me." He said bluntly, "I know for a fact that she meant it. I'm not suicidal though."
"You're eager to join the Scouts to get close to these titans," Annie reasoned, "even though they have the highest casualty rate out of all the military branches. Screams suicidal to me."
She was right, he felt a bit dejected and looked down at his feet, "It's the only way."
"To see the world?" The girl offered.
Eren didn't know his own motivations at this point, thoughts and ideas a maelstrom in his head. Emotions that didn't really feel like his own at times, unexplained actions that contradicted his actual will, and occasional memories that seem to come from another life entirely. Why am I doing this? For revenge? To get to the basement? To kill all the titans? To save humanity?
To be free.
Eren raised his head and looked her in the eyes, green pierced blue, and he smiled, "That's right."
Author's Notes:
It feels like Shadis respected Eren's tenacity in the manga/anime - he trained, asked other cadets for guidance, etc. - and therefore passed him despite being the one to have sabotaged the belt. So in this iteration, with Eren being irrationally confident, Shadis had nothing to redeem Eren by and failed him on principle.
To ILikeFoxes828: thanks for the review and praise! The lack of grammar mistakes is thanks to Lucadina and her excellent proof-reading/editing; give her stories a read if you haven't yet.
Next chapter in 1-2 weeks, keep an eye out!