Now don't be fooled by the chapter's name - NO, MARIANNE IS NOT GOING TO TRAIN AND LEARN HOW TO USE THE ODM GEAR! - I mean obviously there are no "kid sized" manuver gears, but beside that. Marianne is going to clean for a bit, and then she's gonna watch the soldiers train. Remember, Marianne is a six-year old girl who's living with the Scouts because she lost her home and her family. She's not just some random kid who encounters the Titans and goes "Oh dang, the Titans took my family away, I think I'll go and join the military, lol." :)
Anyway with that said, let's begin the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan or any of the characters except for my OC. (Geez, do I have to write this every time?) Also I use the word "soldier(s)" a lot in this chapter.
Chapter 5: Training
The sun was shining through the window of my room the next morning. As the sun's rays hit my face, I sat up in my bed, yawning and rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Then I got up and walked over to the window to look outside. I always liked staring at the sky back in my hometown, but this time, since my room was on one of the upper floors, I also got to stare at the trees out there. I smiled as I looked out at the environment in front of me. The sounds of the birds singing, and the gentle breeze blowing was so relaxing.
"Oi, Marianne."
"Ah!" I was startled by the sudden familiar voice along with the sounds of knocking at my door. I opened the door and was greeted by Levi.
"Oh, good morning Levy, sir," I said as I saluted him.
"It's Levi," he glared. "So, do you know what you'll be doing today?"
"Umm...I have to clean, right?"
"That's right. There's dust everywhere, so I'm having the whole squad clean up as well. As I recall yesterday, you were filled with optimism and determination when you promised that you would work hard. So let's see you put that energy to good use."
"Right, I won't let you down, sir," I nodded.
"Very well," Levi replied. "Breakfast will be ready in 15 minutes. That should give you enough time to wash up and get ready. Don't be late, Marianne."
"Yes sir," I said as Levi walked off.
After he left, I used this time to fully wake myself up and get ready for the day. I stretched my arms up high in the air. I then went to the washroom and took a quick bath. After that, I got dressed and I brushed my hair before tying it in my pigtails. Today was going to be a busy day for me.
After breakfast, Levi had me cleaning the barracks. He told me to come find him when I was done so he could check my work. I spent a little time alone mopping the floor and wiping the dust off of the bunk beds, and before I knew it, the place was clean. There, that didn't take long at all. I thought I did a pretty good job cleaning the barracks. As I was told, I went to go find Levi. I walked through the hallways until I found Petra and Oruo in one of the rooms. Petra was sweeping the floor while Oruo was cleaning the windows.
Can I touch your arrrrrm!? - AOT Wings of Freedom
"Hi Petra, hi Oruo," I greeted them.
The two seemed to noticed my presence and stopped their work.
"Well hey Marianne, did you finish cleaning the barracks already?" Petra asked.
"I sure did," I replied confidently. "I'm looking for Levy now, so he can check and see how I did."
"Hmm, well I think he should be in the mess hall right now," Petra said thoughtfully.
"Okay, thank you."
I started to walk away, but then...
"Oi, it's pronounced LEVI, you hear?" I stopped as Oruo called out to me.
I turned around and saw him walking towards me. Then he spoke harshly as he glared down at me.
"Listen up, kid. You may be living here now, but don't think for a second that we're gonna go easy on you. Everything the Captain says, goes, so don't screw anything up or get in anyone's way, you understand?"
"Uh I-I won't sir, I won't," I replied quickly.
Petra rolled her eyes as Oruo continued.
"You better not. And one more thing, whatever problems you may have, you have to deal with them yourself, because we'll be too busy to babysit-AAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHH!"
I flinched as Oruo suddenly started screaming while covering his mouth. When he removed his hands, I saw his tongue sticking out. Did he just bite his tongue? Ouch, that's got to hurt.
"There you go again spouting nonsense, Oruo," Petra chided calmly as she tossed him a handkerchief and stood next to me. "Of course we will not be too busy to take care of her. This child needs us and you know it."
"Is he okay?" I asked her.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Trust me, this is not the first time he's bitten his tongue." Petra smiled as she patted my head.
"I scared her good, didn't I?" Oruo smirked, wiping his mouth. "It's all going just like I planned."
"What plan? You mean back when she first woke up and you told her that she couldn't stay here? Well I think she really was scared when you said that." Petra frowned.
"What can I say? Children are easy to scare. If we're gonna let any of them stay here, you got to induced fear in them, so that they'll think twice before causing any mischief."
"Oh yeah, I'm sure Marianne is scheming to make a mess of the place. You can tell by the mischievous look in her eyes."
Petra was being sarcastic when she said that of course. I did misbehave once when I was 4 years old. I made fun of a boy who was blind and my parents made me apologize to him. That was 2 years ago before Wall Maria was destroyed. Anyway, I have a place to stay now and these soldiers will protect me from the bandits. So I wouldn't misbehave, and I think Petra knows that.
Petra continued, "But seriously, you really should stop trying to act like the Captain, you two are nothing alike. Even he himself would never have suggested taking her to the Military Police."
"You've still got ways to go before you're fit to be my wife, Petra dear," Oruo chuckled.
"In your dreams."
"What's going on in here?' Levi asked when he suddenly showed up.
"Sir," I stood to attention while Petra and Oruo immediately went back to work.
"You were supposed to come find me when you were done, Marianne," Levi said.
"Sorry sir, I got distracted," I replied nervously.
"Never mind, let's check your work."
Music stops
Back in the barracks, Levi checked all around the room to make sure everything was clean. It seemed like he approved of my work so far, but then he brought his hand up to the frame on a bunk bed and felt underneath it. Once he checked all the beds, he stood before me.
"There's dust on the bunk beds frames," he frowned as he showed me his hand which had dust on it.
"What?" I gasped. I could have sworn I just cleaned the bed frames. Maybe some of that dust already landed there before Levi checked.
"Redo the whole room from scratch," he ordered, glaring as he walked past me. "This time, I'll watch."
Redo the whole room, is he serious? Does that mean I have to mop the floor and dust off the bunk beds again? My goodness, when Petra said that Levi was harsh about cleaning, she wasn't kidding. The fact that he was gonna watch me this time made me really nervous.
The Cause of Anxiety - AOT 2
So as I was told, I cleaned the barracks again. Once I was finished, Levi checked my work again, and he still found dust somewhere. I thought he was gonna order me to clean the barracks again, but this time he said he'd do it himself and told me to go clean one of the offices. Unfortunately, the same thing happened. I cleaned the office and had Levi check it. He found a bit of dust and told me to redo the room again while he watched. I clean the room again, Levi checks and, yup you guessed it, he finds dust and decides to clean the office himself. I went to clean another room...but the exact same thing happened again. Levi eventually told me to take a break and go find a place to rest, and so that's what I did.
I plopped down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. I needed the rest because I knew there was gonna be more work ahead. I couldn't fall asleep though. If I did, then I probably wouldn't be able to wake up in time for my next task. As I stared at the ceiling, I began to let my thoughts drift.
It's only been a week since my arrival, but so far Levi's been really hard on me with the cleaning. It seems like every time I clean a room, he would find a speck of dust and then he would make me clean the whole room again. I did promise that I would work hard for him, but I didn't want to keep cleaning the same area again and again every time I missed a spot. So, what am I doing wrong?
If Levi was hard on me, will the other soldiers be harsh too? Oruo said they weren't gonna go easy on me. Then again, Petra did tell me not to pay attention to everything he said, so I guess I shouldn't worry too much.
I continued to stare at the ceiling, my body resting on the couch while I kept myself awake. I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually I heard quiet footsteps coming toward me.
Fool on the Wall - AOT Wings of Freedom
"Yoo-hoo, Marianne!"
"Ahh!" I bolted up, startled by the voice. I looked up and saw that it was Hange. There was another solider standing beside her as well.
"Oh, hello Hange," I greeted her.
"Aww did I scare you? Sorry about that, didn't mean to interrupt whatever dream you were having," Hange replied apologetically.
"Umm, who's that?"
"Oh, this is my assistant, Moblit. Moblit, meet Marianne Haywood," Hange introduced.
"Hey kid," Moblit greeted.
"So how's it going, Marianne?" Hange asked me. "I bet Levi's got you dusting every nook of HQ, hasn't he?"
"Umm, yes ma'am. I cleaned each room twice, because whenever I missed a spot, he made me do it again," I replied.
"That certainly sounds just like him," Hange remarked. "Well, just hang in there little one. Once you get used to it, it's not so bad."
"Section Commander, it's almost time for the training regiment," Moblit said urgently.
"I know, I know, just give me a second."
The training regiment? Oh man, just how long was I staring at the ceiling for?
Hange continued, "So Marianne, everyone is headed out to the training grounds to...well, train. I was wondering if you would like to come along and watch?"
So I'll get to watch the training regiment? Well, I was a bit curious about it, and being able to watch the training regiment would surely help take my mind off of things.
"Sure, I'll watch," I nodded.
"Great, then let's go!" Hange exclaimed with excitement.
As we started to head out for the training grounds, I heard Moblit talking to Hange.
"Are you sure we should bring her with us?" Moblit asked with concern. "It's gonna be dangerous you know."
"It'll be fine, Moblit. I'll keep an eye on her as she watches," Hange assured him.
Build a Campsite Here - AOT 2
When we arrived at the training grounds, I saw that there were a bunch of scout soldiers gathered together for the training regiment. Petra, Gunther, Eld, and Oruo were there too. So were Nanaba and Gelgar. Erwin and Levi stood in front of the soldiers that were all lined up waiting for their orders.
"OIIIII!" Hange called out to them. "DON'T START WITHOUT US!"
Erwin and Levi looked in our direction as we approached them.
"You made it just in time, Hange." Erwin noticed that I was with her and Moblit. "And I see you brought Marianne with you."
"Of course sir, I brought her out here because she's going to train with everyone," Hange replied.
"Wait what?!" My eyes widened with fright at what Hange just said. I thought I was just here to watch. She never said that I was gonna train with them. I don't even know how to fight. If I were to start training like this, I wouldn't know what to do.
I heard the soldiers' gasps as well, theirs eyes widened too, including Erwin, Levi, and Moblit. I guess they all must have been just as shocked as I was.
"S-Section Commander, y-you never said-" Moblit started to speak up but was interrupted by Levi, who was glaring at her.
"Hange," he growled. "There is no way you're gonna make her train. She is only six years old, or have you already forgotten that?"
"But she just has to train with us," Hange replied enthusiastically. "Think about it, if Marianne trained as hard as she could, then she would make a great addition to the Scout Regiment. She could go on the expeditions with us and be the first child to slay a Titan. Heck, I bet she could even help me capture one!"
"Shut up!"
Levi grabbed Hange by the collar of her shirt and spoke venomously to her.
"You listen here, Four Eyes! The expeditions are not kid-friendly field trips. Every time we head outside the walls, we lose a great number of soldiers. The Titans eat them alive, stomp on them, or tear them apart. Most of the veteran officers are still traumatized even after years of experience. If Marianne witnessed all of that, who knows how she would react to it. Furthermore, she could get killed out there. If you have half a mind, you will not force her into something against her will! And one more thing, we are not capturing a Titan either."
Everything went silent for a moment until Hange burst out laughing.
"Tch, that's not funny," Levi growled as he shoved her back. Hange spoke when her laughter died down.
"Oh relax, Levi. I was just kidding around. Marianne's only here to watch, actually. I know the poor girl is going through a lot and still adjusting here. Heaven forbid should anything bad happen to her."
Hange turned to face me.
"Sorry about that, Marianne."
I accepted her apology, relieved that she was just joking. To be honest though, I didn't think it was funny either. I thought she was serious about it, that she really was gonna make me train.
"Marianne may join the Military when she's older. We are in need of new recruits, but it's up to her if she wants to join, Hange," Erwin said calmly.
"I know, sir," Hange replied. "So she's not participating, just observing. I will watch over her, so don't you worry about a thing."
"Umm...is it really okay for me to be here?" I asked.
"It's fine, just stay close to us, Marianne," Erwin replied.
With the training session about to start, Erwin faced the soldiers and gave the order.
"Alright scouts, your training begins now!"
The Discipline - AOT 2
Third Person View
Using their ODM gear, and their swords readied, the scouts launched into the forest and began their training. They all scattered in different directions as they navigated through the forest, cutting the napes from the Titan dummies. Some of the soldiers scored their kills alone while others attacked in groups. Nanaba and Gelgar approached a nearby Titan dummy.
"I've got the nape! Gelgar, you go for the legs!" Nanaba shouted.
"Right!" Gelgar replied.
With that, Gelgar struck the legs first while Nanaba cut the nape shortly after.
First Person View
I stood close by Erwin, Hange and Levi as I watched. I could hardly believe it, but I was watching a training session happening before my eyes. It was amazing seeing all the soldiers flying around attacking the Titan dummies. Erwin started speaking to me without taking his eyes off the training.
"Marianne, can you see how the scouts are cutting the necks from the mock Titans?"
"Yeah, I think so," I answered.
"That is where the Titan's weakness is. The back of the head to the nape of the neck" Erwin explained.
"What about the legs, is that their other weakness?"
"No, the Titans will regenerate any other damaged limbs. By removing the nape, the Titans won't be able to regenerate and they will disintegrate."
"So then, why are the scouts attacking the legs of the Titan dummies first, and then going for the nape?" I asked.
"That is a strategy for when we come across abnormals," Erwin explained.
"Abnormals?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Titans that behave in unusual manners. The idea is that one of the soldiers will severe the Titans' legs first to slow them down. Once they are incapacitated, the other soldier strikes the nape to finish it."
Huh...so the scouts have to work together to defeat an abnormal. I wasn't quite sure what an abnormal was, but I still continued to watch the training session. As it went on, I noticed that more Titan dummies were being set up. I also noticed that when a soldier approached the dummy, another one would pull ahead and cut the nape first.
"It doesn't look like those guys are working together very well," I pointed out.
"Tch, of course those idiots have to find a way to make it a competition," Levi groaned. "This isn't about who gets the most kills, it's about how we survive."
"Some people take pride in how many Titans they can kill," Hange commented. "If I recall, I think Oruo has the highest kill count of your squad, does he not?"
"Yes, but at least they fight together and not against each other."
Levi then spoke to me.
"Take a look over there, Marianne. That's where my squad is."
Third person view
Petra and Oruo slashed at the napes of their Titan dummies, removing them effectively. Then they followed Eld and Gunther as they approached more dummies.
"Get ready everyone! When I give the signal, we'll all attack together and take out the mock Titans!" Eld shouted.
Petra and Oruo flew towards one dummy while Eld and Gunther flew towards another, approaching each dummy at different angles.
"NOW!"
At Eld's signal, raising their swords high and letting out battle cries, the squad moved in for their kills. They struck the napes together on their respective dummies.
First Person View
My eyes glittered as I watched how Petra and the others defeated the Titan dummies.
"See that? They attack with speed and precision without getting in each others way," Levi said.
"Pretty impressive huh?" Hange quipped.
"Yeah," I replied without taking my eyes off of where Levi's squad was. It was incredible. If they fought together like this in training, then they must be able to take down a lot of real Titans when they're outside the walls.
Spoils of the Hunt - AOT 2
Soon, the training session came to an end. The scout soldiers flew back here and landed near us, including the Levi Squad, Nanaba and Gelgar, and Moblit. (Yes, he trained as well.)
"Phew, that was quite a workout," I heard Nanaba say as she wiped off the sweat.
"You can say that again." Gelgar replied.
"Petra!" I shouted with excitement as I ran towards her and the others. "Oh my gosh that was amazing! You guys were awesome out there!"
"Aww thanks Marianne," Petra chuckled a bit.
"Hahaha, you're right our squad is awesome. With all of us working together, nothing can stop us!" Oruo said proudly.
"See? Now you are being you again."
"Uh..."
Levi came over to compliment his squad, and they jumped into a salute.
"Good work as always. Keep at it."
"Sir!"
As Levi went to go scold the soldiers that competed against each other, I noticed Moblit panting with his hands on knees while Hange stood beside him. The poor guy must have been exhausted. Come to think of it, everyone seemed pretty tired.
"Oh man, I need to rest," Moblit huffed.
"Excellent work out there Moblit, you go take a rest, you've earned it!" Hange exclaimed as she slapped his back.
"Hey, that hurts."
"Alright everyone," Erwin got the scout soldiers attention. "The time for training is over, but anyone who wants to can keep training on their own. You're all dismissed."
With that, some of us started to head back inside while others stayed out to train a little longer. Training had ended, but the day wasn't over yet.
Wow, I am terrible with fight scenes or training scenes, aren't I? I mean, I can't even write a freaking Pokémon Battle scene. Maybe I'm better off just writing slice of life stories instead. Anyway, next chapter, Marianne will learn about the Scouts Expeditions and how they are striving for change.