If the first day was Hell for Eren's body, then the second day was Hell for his mind. Instead of being out on the training field exerting his body to the limit, Eren was stuck inside a classroom with several cadets, including the entirety of the 104th Trainee Corps, learning what he considered pointless tactics. Even though he was sharp in the mind, Eren had always been unable to plan ahead, always relying on his quick reflexes to get him out of danger.
"And then the sides converge on the now-surrounded enemy, thus creating what we call the Pincer Move…" The instructor rambled on.
'Man, no one fucking cares. That move was created deep inside Wall Sina, where people haven't seen battle for hundreds of years. How can we be sure that they would even know how to take down an enemy.' Eren bitterly thought, still resenting the fact that some people got to live in luxury on the inside while he had to watch people get eaten by Titans before his very eyes.
Eren was forced to suffer through Math, Physics, Anatomy, basic medical use, and several other subject meant to keep them alive longer. Eventually, Eren was picked on to answer a question because he was looking out the window not paying attention.
"Jaeger, why don't you tell the class the proper way to escape a six-meter Titan if your 3DMG is malfunctioning and you are inside an abandon city."
Eren thought about what he would say, 'You can't hide from Titans because they possess an ability to sense where humans are, so the logical thing would be run, but using only back streets and alleyways to cause the Titan to get stuck.'
"Run through alleyways and back streets because the Titan would be unable to follow, sir." Eren replied, still standing.
"Ah, a correct answer if there ever was one; however, there is reason to expect that you would inadvertently run into a dead end, and then I guess it will live up to it's name. The question was a trick, you are never to allow your 3DMG to malfunction, always keep your gear in top condition and test it before every mission, so if there is a problem, maintenance can fix it without you dying in the process. Speaking of the 3DMG, I believe this class is over, and you are all to report to the training field to begin practicing your 3DMG. Dismissed." The instructor said before walking out of the class.
As everyone was packing up and getting ready to head to the training field, an older student bumped into Eren roughly.
"Think you're so smart just because you've actually seen a Titan? Huh, do you punk?" The bully asked while picking up Eren's shirt, lifting him in the air.
By now, all the cadets gathered back in the room to watch what would happen, some even calling for a fight.
Eren looked deep into the bully's eyes before wrapping his legs around the older kid's legs and twisting. The result sent the older boy sprawling on the ground, his head hitting a desk on the way. Eren quickly left the room as people began to look at him with awe, Mikasa and Armin following beside him.
Soon enough, they were all assembled on the training field, and better yet, none of the instructors knew what happened to the kids head because they didn't really care enough to ask.
When they were handing out the gear, the older kid handed one to Eren before apologizing for his behaviour. Eren felt something was fishy, but accepted it none the less. When they all were told to go up one by one, Eren was the first one up. He got all tightened up and Keith called for him to be lifted in the air. Once he was in the air, instead of falling and injuring himself like the bully had planned, he stood perfectly still, a testament to his skill for being able to hold himself up with broken equipment.
"Uh, sir?" Eren tentatively asked.
"Yes, cadet Jaeger?"
"I believe that my equipment is broken, may I get a new pair?"
"Let me see your equipment." Shadis replied before looking over Eren's clearly broken gear.
"Wow, I think we have a protégé on our hands this year. You were able to hold yourself still when better men would have cracked their skulls open on the ground. Good job, cadet Jaeger."
Eren beamed with pride after congratulating Mikasa on passing her test as well. It seemed like they would still be together afterall, though this time it would be him protecting her.
Before long, the weeks passed by, and weeks turned into months, and months turned into years, and suddenly they were all on stage getting their graduating order.
"After three years of harsh training, I present this year's top five cadets in order of growing score. Number five is Annie! Number four is Bertolt! Number three is Reiner! Number two is Mikasa! And finally, the cadet that has shown promise unparalleled in training history, Eren! The top ten cadets will be allowed to choose if they want to go the the Military Police or not. Cadets, now is the time to pick. Eren Jaegar, what do you pick?"
"Scout Regiment, sir!"
"Very good, Mikasa Ackerman, what do you pick?"
"Scout Regiment, sir!"
"Excellent! Reiner Braun, what do you pick?"
"Scout Regiment, sir!"
"Three of the top going into Scout Regiment? What is wrong with this year's?" Some random civilian said during the ceremony.
"Bertolt Hoover, what do you pick?"
"Scout Regiment, sir!"
"Of course, Annie Leonhardt what do you pick?"
"Scout Regiment, with Eren."
"Good choice." This continued on with the rest choosing either Scout Regiment or Military Police. Thankfully, most of the 104th Trainee Corps decided to join the Scout Regiment, with only Jean and Marco going to the Military Police.
"Now that we have completed this year's graduation, please find your respective Commanding Officer to await orders." Keith Shadis proudly announced before leaving the stage himself.
Eren and the rest of the Scout Regiment walked over to stand before a tall blonde man that proudly wore the Wings of Freedom, the symbol of the Scout Regiment. It only took a few minutes before all of the soldiers stood in a perfect salute to their new commanding officer.
"At ease, Scout Regiment. My name is Erwin, and I am the Commander of the entire Scout Regiment. I am very pleased to say that this will be the best crop of new soldiers that we have ever gotten. I look forward to working alongside each and every one of you, so please place your faith in me, as I will do with you. Now that we are all organized, follow me to the stables where my horse is at. The first test for you all will be to follow me at a steady pace so I can personally see your stamina. We will be heading to the Scout Regiment HQ, near Wall Rose. There, we Scouts will personally train you further than regular military operatives ever go. Only after two more years of extensive training will we take you out of the Wall on your first expedition. Let's go." And with that, Erwin set off to the stables to get his horse.
Though the run to the HQ was tough, Eren couldn't help smiling the entire time. 'I'm finally in the Scout Regiment! One step closer to annihilating those fucking Titans' Eren smirked to himself.
It took four hours, but eventually a panting group of rookies crested the final hill and stood at attention while Erwin got off his horse and stood before them.
"Here we are at your home for hopefully the rest of your life. The Barracks are located to the left of the main building, and the Mess Hall is located to the left of that. Our training facility is the woods behind the HQ, and you are free to use that at anytime you wish. Do try to stay out of the way of some of the older scouts, since they tend to move through the forest recklessly. If you have any further questions, ask a senior Scout member. Remember, we are all family here and you have to be ready to give your life to save any one of these people. Dismissed." Erwin said before he hopped back on his horse and galloped to the stables near the front, and disappeared inside the main building.
"This place is huge!" Sasha exclaimed promptly before collapsing on the ground.
"I second that!" Armin said before joining Sasha on the ground.
Reiner lifted Sasha on his shoulder, while Eren grabbed Armin. All together, they headed to the HQ, filled with exhaustion from the run, but also excitement at fighting the Titans on the front line. After laying Sasha and Armin on different beds, the group headed to the Mess Hall to grab a bite to eat before heading to bed.
The food was surprisingly good, the group noted, and the atmosphere was extremely lively.
"So Mikasa, wanna go out into the forest after this to check out their training area? There's a couple hours of day light left." Eren asked.
"Eren, why don't you ever take a break from training and just ask Mikasa on a date?" Reiner asked before laughing at the matching blushes sported by Eren and Mikasa.
"I-It's n-not like that!" Eren yelled before everyone busted out laughing at the expense of the two. Everyone except for a certain blonde haired girl who abruptly left the room.
"What's her problem?" Reiner mumbled to Armin.
"No idea, women are just confusing." Armin replied wisely.
Unfortunately, Mikasa heard that comment and turned towards Armin. "Are we confusing, Armin?" She questioned calmly. But everyone could feel the undercurrent of female fury threatening to break out.
"N-n-no, ma'am!" Armin stuttered.
"Great!" Mikasa responded before returning to her food.
The rest of the meal passed by in silence, most of them too afraid of Mikasa to utter a sound, but Eren was more worried about that sad look that Annie had given to him right before she left. He didn't know his feelings for the girl, but he knew that they were stronger than those for Mikasa. At first, Armin and Mikasa were the only people he truly enjoyed being around, but as the years rolled on, Mikasa slowly drifted farther away, spending more time with Reiner and Bertolt. Eren was fine with it because even though they were childhood friends and she had lived at their house for a while, she had always been rather distant. Annie, on the other hand, was cold and indifferent at first, but gradually warmed up to him. He had found comfort in a friendly way with Annie, and he was actually the reason she decided to go into the Scout Regiment instead of the Military Police.
Speaking of Annie, she was busy swinging from tree to tree, using her 3DMG to it's full potential. If one were to watch her, they would have to strain their eyes to make out the blur that was Annie as she rocketed by. Little did Annie know that actually, someone was watching her, and they could easily she her regardless of her speed. The mysterious viewer disappeared back into the forest, thinking about that girl he observed. 'She'll do, now I just have to pick one more and my group will be complete. I hope Erd doesn't manage to annoy this one into quitting as well. Stupid man.'
By this time, Eren had left the Mess Hall as well, heading over to the training area. While he was putting on his gear, he noticed a small man walk past him with a scowl on his face. Thinking nothing of it, Eren jumped up into the trees and unsheathed his swords. For the next few minutes, the forest echoed the sounds of metal slashing into wood, along with the sound of gas-propelled 3DMG speeding it's user to ever-new speeds.
Eren was so lost in his training, he didn't even notice the small man from earlier land on a branch near him. Eren moved towards the non-moving Titan figurine, intent on slashing it's neck wide open; however, the observer decided to "test" Eren, and grabbed one of the dials that controlled the "Titan's" movement. He pulled on it hard, causing the Titan to swivel in it's place and move it's mouth directly in Eren's way. Eren, however, just twisted in mid-air and shot another cable into a different tree, slightly altering his path and allowing him to cut deep into the Titan's neck, sending wood chips flying every where.
A soft clapping noise was heard, and Eren turned to finally take notice of the smaller man that had almost caused him to slam into the Titan.
"Who do you think you are, to disrupt my training?" Eren angrily questioned, if it was one thing Eren learned from training at the Military Academy it was that when you were training no one disturbed you.
"Curb your tounge, rookie, or else I may decide against my offer you ungrateful punk." The stranger replied.
"You're from the Scout Regiment too?"
"In a way, more like im the second in Command," The stranger stood directly in the sunlight that peered from the canopy above, "Captain Levi. What is your name, rookie?"
Eyes widening, Eren knelt on the ground and saluted, "Eren Jaeger, Captain."
"At ease, Eren. I hate when people quiver at my feet just because of who I am, now I wouldn't mind if Titans started doing that though." Levi stated, before jumping down to the forest floor with Eren.
"So, Eren Jaeger, will you hear my offer, or do I have to find another worthy soldier instead?" Levi asked, sounding bored with the whole thing.
"Yes! Of course, Captain Levi."
"My squad, consisting of myself and four others, are looking to fill two new spots in the formation, and your skill is on par with what we need. Granted, you're still nothing compared to even the worst on the squad, with the two years of training we could give you, you may come close to surpassing them."
"I accept, Captain Levi!"
"Well that's just great isn't it? Just don't disappoint me, kid." Levi said before walking off.
"Wait, Captain Levi!" Eren yelled out.
"What is it?"
"Who is going to be the other person that will fill the position?"
"You don't need to know, kid. Just remember to show up at Erwin's office to get further orders tomorrow. Say goodbye to your friends, kid, because you won't be seeing them for two years unless something drastic happens." And on that note, Levi shot off deeper in the forest to track down the girl he saw before.
Eren, on the other hand, left to go to the barracks. Upon reaching there, he was assaulted with feelings of sadness. These were the people that he had trained with for three years, and it would be a huge blow to him to lose them all.
Everyone turned to notice that Eren was staring at them all with a face of sadness. Armin was the one to finally ask the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Eren, why do you look so sad?"
Eren gulped before explaining to his friends and comrades what was going to happen to him. To say everyone was shocked would be a huge understatement. Several people congratulated him on being hand picked by Levi to join his special tactical squad, the very best Titan slayers in the world. Others were downcast at losing their friend, this group included Mikasa, Armin, Reiner, and Sasha. No one noticed Annie smile to herself before turning over on her bed and faking sleep.
"Well, I really appreciate you guys. It's been a hell of a three years working together, and I look forward to joining you guys on the expedition in two years. Make sure that you guys train really hard too, or else I'd be forced to save your asses the whole time." Eren smiled to himself after seeing their reaction.
The determination in their eyes to catch up to him was so strong that he almost had to take a step back,
"Yea! Eren's right! Are we gonna let him overshadow our trainee corps that we worked so hard to become? Not me! I'm gonna get just as strong, so I'll be the one saving your ass out there." Reiner said and stood in front of Eren. Both men looked each other in the eyes before clasping their hands and roughly meeting together in the only hug guys are notorious for.
Everyone retired for the night, and everyone slept well knowing that their determination to get stronger had not wavered since their transfer to the Scout Regiment. The only person that could not sleep was Annie, who was plagued with dreams of visiting the "Sea" with a certain brown haired boy named Eren.
"Oh, you're so cute Eren." Annie mumbled in her sleep. Luckily, only one person was awake and heard her say that. Unfortunately, it was the very boy she was talking about.
'She thinks I'm cute? Does that mean that she likes me back? Ugh, these new feelings make everything complicated! Remember Eren, your only reason to live is to kill Titans, you can't get caught up in a relationship… she is pretty cute herself.' Eren thought before shifting in his bed and falling asleep with a confused face on.
In the morning, Eren had completely forgotten what he heard Annie mumble in her sleep last night, and left to the main building by himself after wishing everybody the best of luck. Unfortunately, he was not able to find Annie anywhere, so he would have to wait until two years from now before he could see her again.
On his way to Erwin's office, he passed by several Scouts who greeted him with a wave and a smile, which he returned every time. By the time he got to Erwin's office, he was mentally exhausted from having to greet so many people so early in the morning. When he knocked on the door, he heard Erwin's voice beckon him inside. Upon entering, he was greeted with a sight that made him smile. There she was, leaning up against the wall looking bored with everything.
Annie heard someone knock on the door, and knew instantly who it was. Still, she was unable to control her bodies reaction to his presence, and a small tingle went down her spine. On the outside, she still projected her air of boredness, while the inside was tingling with the excitement of being paired up with Eren and a small squad of elite soldiers for two whole years in isolation.
"Annie, why are you here?" Eren asked.
Before she could respond, Levi beat her to it. "She is the other member I was telling you about. She will come with us to the abandoned HQ to train in privacy. Every member of our group will be training, myself included, so that when the next expedition heads out, we will be able to stop the horrendous amount of casualties. If you two are done staring at each other, we will head out immediately." Levi dryly stated before walking out of the room and down the hall. Erwin wished them luck, and the duo followed the path that Levi had taken to the stables. From there, they would ride on horseback to the abandon HQ to meet up with the remaining members of the elite group.
As he rode, Eren couldn't help but wonder what the price was going to be to balance out all this happiness he had been feeling lately. If it was anything Eren knew, it was that happiness came with a price, and if you ever became to satisfied with life, it would find another way to rain Hell down upon you. With the dark thoughts in Eren's head, he continued the journey with Annie and Levi, wary of what the future might bring.