Chapter 3

Berthold had been right. Training was horrible, but it was good too. To become a full-fledged Cadet we had to pass a test on the 3DMG to prove that we can handle it. Everyone was lifted up and had to maintain his or her balance. Mikasa didn't show any problems with it. It took me a bit but then I figured out how to do it. I smiled and Armin smirked back at me. Berthold stood behind him. He had an appreciative look on his face and nodded when I looked at him.
The real problem was Eren. He seemed to be completely unable to maintain his balance. They lifted him up and he fell over again. It was pitiful. When the training ended, Shadis stated that if he was unable to maintain his balance by tomorrow, he would be sent to the fields. He begged us for help. Armin and Mikasa tried but he ended up falling over again. As noon turned into afternoon and the shadows became longer, Armin and Mikasa had to go- they were on cleaning duty.

Everyone took that task very serious. When Shadis announced the people, a boy I didn't know asked why we had to do this. "We are soldiers after all." Shadis turned around slowly. "Soldiers, hmmm? Well son, let me tell you something. Have you ever heard of Lance Corporal Levi Ackermann?" The boy gulped and nodded. "What do they call him?", Shadis asked him. "Hu-Humanities strongest soldier, S-Sir", and he gulped again. "Then let me tell you: Humanities strongest soldier never holds back. Not even when he is cleaning. And he will kill everyone under his command that will not do so. And if he doesn't kill you, I will. So get your soldier ass moving! NOW!"

"Please, Sophie, you have to help me! I need to stay in the corps", Eren begged. "You know I can't leave! You have seen it…" He looked into my eyes. I sighed and nodded. "Alright, let's try it." I attached my belt to the structure and told Eren to lift me up. When I hung there, I tried to explain. "Okay, the most important things are your back and your legs. If you don't tense the muscles in your back, you won't be able to hold yourself upright. Then your legs: Hold them a bit bent, as if your about to land from a jump. If you straighten them, your body will lose its balance. Put one of your arms in front and the other behind the metal rope. So you can equal your weight. Also turn your hips a bit. Don't use your waist. And look in front of you. If you look down, you will fall over." I showed him everything and then let him try. And he fell over. I tried to catch him, but then he seemed to regain his balance. I stepped in front of him, but that was a mistake. He fell over again and we landed on the floor. His head was laying on my boobs. We snickered.
"Well, at least this time I landed softer", Eren stated.
"Thanks Eren", I said, but I lifted my eyebrows. "Now if you would be so friendly and get off me…" Eren realised what exactly he was lying on and jumped up, blushing. But he forgot that he was still in his 3DMG. So he ended up falling over again, this time the other way round.
"Oh Eren, I'm just glad your skull is so thick.", I said, shaking my head. He groaned.
I heard someone chuckle and turned around. Berthold and Reiner, his blonde friend apparently had been watching us. Berthold smiled at me. Reiner continued laughing. "I think you should take a break, Jaeger", he said.

We were sitting on one of the bunk beds in the boy's dorm. It wasn't bedtime yet, so we were allowed in the other gender's barracks. After we had treated Eren's slightly damaged head, Armin, Eren, Berthold, Reiner and I sat down on the boys beds.
"Please, you guys! I heard you're really good! Please help me!"
Eren was begging again. However, Reiner and Berthold seemed unwilling.
"Why do you want to be here anyway? You're from Shiganshina, and you still want to fight the Titans?" Reiner asked Eren.
Eren looked at him. "I will kill them all. But to be able to do that, I need to pass the test."
Armin interfered: "I heard you guys have seen them too. So why are you here?"
Berthold looked at him, then back at his hands. "Reiner and I come from a small village in the mountains. We didn't know that the wall was breached. It took us by surprise. They came in the dawn. I heard noises and when I looked out my window, I saw them."
"They destroyed our village. We could escape.", Reiner added. "We fight so we can get our home back that the Titans took from us. We will go back!"
Berthold smiled at his words, and then looked at me. I felt a soft smile on my face.
"Okay. We will help you", Reiner suddenly said. "But if they catch us, we will have to leave the corps. Are you aware of that?"
"I am", Eren stated, but I just raised an eyebrow. Berthold's smile widened.

We left one hour after bedtime. Equipped with our 3DMG and some water, we snuck out into the night and walked through the forest for a while. Then it suddenly ended in a cliff. It was a beautiful view on a lake, the moonlight on it and stars glistening. I thought of the books about the outside world that we had seen at home. It was so beautiful! How would it be to be able to see the world? No cage, no Titans, no restriction about where to go. I could see the sea! The mountains so high that you can't see their tops! I looked up to the sky and my hood slid down. A soft breeze caught my hair and it seemed to flow around me.
"What are you thinking about?" Armin stood beside me and looked at the lake.
"The outside world", I replied. He smiled.
"Yeah, me too. Grandfather's books…"
"Hey you guys, stop daydreaming!" Eren's voice brought us back. I raised an eyebrow and looked at the sky. "Daydreaming?", I asked. He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean!"
The others smiled at our banter.
We started training.

"Jaeger, are you ready for the test?" Shadis asked. Eren nodded. "Okay, lift him up!"
Eren started to move upwards, but he remained his balance. But then suddenly he started shaking and fell over. We gasped. But Shadis remained silent. Then he asked one of the soldiers to exchange belts with Eren. I looked questioningly at Berthold. He shrugged.
"Jaeger, you had defective gear. I'm going to crack some skulls for that. You pass!"
Armin smiled widely. "Look at him. His eyes are saying: 'Check me out!'"
"They are not", Mikasa said. We all looked at her and she continued. "They say that he won't have to leave me."
Berthold looked at me. "She's a tad overprotective, ain't she?" I nodded. "But considering her past, it's not surprising. Eren saved her life and he is the only family she has left." He hummed in agreement, but then stopped. "What about you and Armin?"
"Our parents went outside the walls and never came back. We grew up with our grandfather, he took care of us. He was one of the men who were sent to re-capture Wall Maria. Armin and I are almost the same age, so we could join the corps together."
"What do you mean, almost the same age? I thought you were twins?" Berthold sounded confused.
" I am 11 months younger than him. But I turned 12 just right in time. "
"You were lucky."
"I guess."
Whilst we were talking, everyone went back to the barracks. One day closer to our graduation.