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Chapter 2: The Survey Corps Meets The Slayers
"These are amazing results," Donald Rent commented with praise, "Forty-seven titan kills. That's eleven more than last hunt."
I nodded my head in gratitude, "Thank you sir. I'm glad to have pleased you."
He handed the notes to a man behind him, who wrote some things down on his clipboard.
"But sir, I'm afraid I have a bit of disappointing news with this," I said plainly.
Rent raised an eyebrow at me and his tone became much more serious, "And what would that be?"
"When out on the hunt, one of the slayers got separated from the group and was discovered by two members of the Survey Corps," I explained, "We were given no warning that they were out on an expedition."
"And that is my fault," he commented, "It had slipped my mind to tell you about that and when I came back to tell you, the Elites had already left for an expedition."
Smooth Rent, real smooth.
"So what's going to happen now?" I asked him.
He stroked the peach fuzz on his chin, "Well I guess we have no choice other than to reveal the slayers to the Survey Corps.
"Well then I guess I'l-….. Wait, what did you say?!" I asked in shock.
"The king was telling me that maybe it was about time that we spread the word around about the slayers. All tests taken on the slayers have provided positive results and according to the results over the past four months, it's proven that slayers can indeed kill titans. Now we just need to make sure they are sociably stable so we can test that on the Survey Corps," he explained.
I couldn't help but smile in excitement. Maybe the slayers would be accepted into society? They can be seen as heroes!
"Thank you sir! That's amazing news!" I replied, "When will we be meeting the Survey Corps?"
"After making several arrangements with Commander Erwin, we decided they will be coming here in two days."
"That's great!" I commented.
Donald Rent got up from his chair and I handed him his jacket off the hanger, "Remember though, you are still being tested on social stability. Mess up and you won't be allowed to speak with the humans."
"I understand sir," I replied as I walked him out the door.
"You're serious!" Ace shrieked.
"No way! They're really going to reveal us to the Survey Corps!" Mira replied excitedly.
"But you have to remember, they're still testing us and we can't do anything that will displease Rent and other scientists," Ren grumbled.
"Does that really matter?" Elli cried, "We're going to be meeting the Survey Corps! I wonder if their nice!"
"Let's hope so," I told them, "I don't want to make a fool of myself in front of them."
"Quit worrying!" Slane told me, "You're fine. You're always calm and collected."
"Ya, around slayers, but I'm going to be meeting the Commander of the Survey Corps and if I don't make a good first impression, we're screwed," I whined.
"Don't whine like that. It's unnatural for you to whine," Ace commented, "Just pretend they're a slayer and remember that you have more power than they ever wish they could have."
I sighed as I felt the cloth around my left eye. I can see through it clearly but they wouldn't be able to see my eye. It was for the best though; if they saw my eye, who knows how they'd react.
"You'll be meeting Commander Erwin of the Survey Corps today, as well as his three captains. Try you're best not to freak them out, gain their trust, and don't speak until spoken too. That is your only order," Rent told me as we walked down the hall leading to the entrance of the Slayer Base.
"Yes sir," I simply replied.
We stopped in front a door and he knocked on it, before entering.
"Good afternoon, Commander Erwin," Rent greeted formally.
"Good afternoon Mr. Rent."
Commander Erwin stood about a foot above me. His strong, confident appearance defiantly would make me believe he was a part of the military.
Rent put a hand on my shoulder, "This is Alpha June Teara, or No. 1 as we call her. She's the first slayer to have been created."
My heartbeat quickened as the Commander stared at me. I was nervous beyond belief. Here before me stood the Commander of the Survey Corps. If I mess up, any chances of the slayers being accepted into society would fly out the window.
He reached his hand out to me, "My name is Erwin Smith, it's a pleasure to meet you."
I accepted his hand, trying my best not to squeeze to tightly, "June Tea-"
Rent interrupted me by clearing his throat harshly. I felt slightly irritated how he forced me to use that dreaded number as my title.
"No. 1, it's a pleasure," I responded, hiding my agitation.
Erwin glanced at Rent and then back at me, "Behind me are the three captains of the Survey Corps."
The three people standing behind him took a step forward and stood side by side next to Erwin. I recognized two of them. The two stared at me slightly shock and confused.
"You're that…." The woman whispered to herself in disbelief.
"May I introduce Mike Zacharius, Hanji Zoe, and Levi Ackerman."
Levi and Hanji seemed surprised to see me here, and seeing them here really broke any chances of getting good first impressions with the higher ups in the Survey Corps. After all, I did nearly kill them both by shooting them when they were in the trees.
"So this whole slayer business… What exactly are you?" Hanji asked.
"As I've mentioned before in our first meeting," spoke Donald Rent, "They are scientifically enhanced humans with the power to kill titans with ease. June here has extreme strength, agility, regeneration, and vision."
"She looks normal to me," Levi commented.
You're not wrong there.
I looked over at Rent who glanced at the cloth on my eye and signaled me to take it off. I let out a heavy sigh knowing how they were going to react.
They're going to freak out so badly…
I lifted the cloth and revealed my eye. They each winced slightly in surprise of my eye, while Hanji seemed to be extremely interested.
"This is a slayer eye, it allows her to see her fights at a slower pace making it easier to avoid and counter attacks," Rent explained.
I covered my eye again, feeling a bit tense at all them staring at me.
"There is another half-slayer with two slayer eyes but they work a bit differently for him," Rent said, "Would you like to meet the rest of the slayers?"
The four of them gave each other quick glances of confirmation.
"We would like to meet the other slayers," Erwin said.
"Alright then," Rent looked at me, "No. 1 would you be so kind as to lead us to the artillery where the Elites are?"
"Yes, sir," I muttered, trying not to grumble by him calling me by my number instead of my name.
I opened the door and held it open for the others to walk out. I walked a couple steps ahead of everyone so that I could let Donald and the others talk in privacy.
"So your name is June Teara?"
I looked to my side and saw Hanji had begun walking at my sides. She must've been the most curious after what happened a couple days ago.
"Yes, that's correct," I replied.
"So I'm assuming you're the reason why there have been more areas clear of titans," Hanji commented.
"Not just me, the other slayers have done the most work," I said.
"How many are there?"
"I'd say thirty," I replied.
"And you all fight?" Hanji asked me.
"Some of us. Most of the slayers still need help controlling their powers. The ones who can though, are members of the Elite Slayers, who you'll be meeting now," I explained.
She nodded her head, "Interesting."
Ace, Slane, and I stood side by side in front of the Survey Corps commander and captains. Behind us stood a slayer from each of our packs, Elli, Con, and Alexander.
"These three are the half-slayers. They are the leaders of the slayers and the most human of them all," Rent explained.
"He makes us sound like animals," Ace grumbled under his breath.
"Because we are," Slane commented, "You better not talk like that in front of that bastard. He'd write you off as defected and kill you off without a moment's hesitation."
"I know but I can't stand it," Ace growled, "One of these days I'm going to give him a piece of my mind…"
"Is there a problem No. 21?" Rent asked Ace with a glare.
Ace went quiet but his glare on the scientists never went away.
"Anyways, instead of me rambling why don't we see the slayers in action?" Rent suggested as he looked at me.
I grunted quietly and gave out the order to the three people behind us, "Slayers, transform."
The three of them stepped in front of us and groaned in pain as they each shifted into a slayer. They're bones snapped as they detached and reattached to a different part. They're muscles built themselves over their skin and tied them together in a different form: raven, dog, and lizard. Elli stood a foot above Ace in her bird-like slayer form. Con's head was level with my shoulders as he stood confidently on all fours. Alexander stood on the claws of his wings and back legs as he examined everything around him.
"Well…..that was….. disturbing…" Levi commented.
Erwin seemed slightly shocked at the sight of the slayers in their slayer forms.
"This isn't going well," Slane whispered.
"They're beginning to freak out. June what do we do!" Ace quietly asked me desperately.
"I don't know," I answered, "I've never been in this kind of situation before…"
"You may find this disturbing at first, but believe me. That thought will you leave your head once you realize their usefulness," Rent said.
Hanji approached Con and stared at him excitedly, "Hey there boy!"
Con growled at her and pinned his ears back. I rested a hand on his head to tell him it was okay. He still seemed uneasy, but he stopped growling at the woman. Hanji stared at him in complete amazement.
"It's amazing!" she cried.
"He," I coughed.
"He's amazing!" Hanji corrected herself.
"So we've seen they can shift into beasts and are fully capable of killing titans, but how do you know they won't go rogue like a titan," Erwin questioned.
"That is very unlikely," Donald Rent remarked, "A slayers only desire is to kill titans. Their blood lust of the titans is what drives them forward."
"That arrogant bastard thinks he knows us like the palm of his hand," Ace grumbled.
"Easy Ace," I growled.
"I would like to ask if you could invite the Elite slayers on your next expedition. They would be quite valuable assets to the Survey Corps and are designed to protect humans from titans," Rent asked the commander.
"I don't know. I would have to think about that one," he answered.
"Please take us!" I blurted.
Everyone's eyes looked over at me and I immediately felt my face flush out of driving attention to myself. Rent glared at me for speaking out of turn and his anger only made me a bit more uncomfortable.
"Forgive me. It's just that the slayers can really benefit humanity and the Survey Corps. I know we may have come off today as awkward, strange, and….. unsettling…. And too be honest, we kind of are at first. But, if you take us with us on your next expedition, it's a decision you will not regret," I explained.
Erwin stared at me in thought before looking back over at Rent, "Would it be alright if the Elite slayers stayed at the HQ for a while?"