II. The Apprentice
"When you said chain me down, I thought it was some moral education," Theodore started, eyeing the chain clasped around his wrists. His eyes trailed the chains connecting to one another, finally ending in the cuffs held by Mike. "Not this."
"Mike is one of the most honorable soldiers we have here," Erwin said, "and, he volunteered himself. This will continue until you learn what's acceptable and what's not."
Theo slipped a glare in Mike's way. Mike is currently scrunching his face in distaste.
"You know it's pointless." Theo said, "My attitude won't change."
"It's only to measure how far you'll go." Erwin replied, "Mike will be watching you for at least a week."
Thankfully, the metal cuff is not on Mike's wrist. Mike had the choice to keep him close or let him go.
"Kinky, Mike," Theo said, "Kinky."
Theo had to give him thumbs up at Mike's skills to keep a straight face.
But there was a small twitch. It was enough for Theo to continue.
"Oh? What is your wife - or is it girlfriend? - going to think about you when you started to do stuffs with a male?"
Mike yanked on the chain, causing him to stumble forward.
Why does he feel like Mike is going to stay strong to whatever sexual jokes he threw out?
Theo doesn't look forward to it, at all.
.o0o.o0o.
He did know what is acceptable and what's not. He can hold himself back, he only needed a few releases occasionally. A week passed and Erwin let him off the chains, and he is eternally grateful, because damn it -
Mike is seriously really unbearable. The epitome of the perfect soldier. Egging him had been fun, that little twitch at the eyebrow or the lips is a tattletale of his annoyance, but getting yanked by the chain is not fun, at all.
That one time he mentioned about man against man and bed and bdsm back in the mess hall had received him the most satisfying reaction. And the spectator's horrified faces are quite amusing, the chain yank and punch to the gut, however, was not.
Traditional views doesn't really view gays and bisexuals in a good light.
Traditional views doesn't even allow public sexual talks.
Too indecent and all that sass. Theo didn't know since he had never bothered historical texts if it's not about experiments, there was something about American flappers in 1920s that caused the lesser requirement for female state of dress..
"Pity, I'm free already." Theo said as he adjusted the feel on his wrist, "We haven't even have one night together."
There was a twitch in Mike's eyebrow and Erwin quirked an inquiring brow.
"I'm guessing this is going to be a common occurrence."
Mike nodded.
"My mistake," Erwin said.
.o0o.o0o.
Theodore is assimilating as well as he could with the rest of Erwin's squad. For all the brutality and posturing he did, he is the youngest and therefore, the baby of the group.
Every sharp jabs and insults were waved off, every sexual jokes and innuendos were returned with what can a brat like you know about sex, every spar ended in his defeat and it was irking him to no end.
Apparently, Erwin had warned them about sadism and mouth sharper than knives.
Their banter became a ritual in the team. After it was found that Theodore is extremely resilient despite his stick-thin body, physical violence was included in the game.
Nothing fatal or too painful, but Theodore spent most of his time with Erwin ever since, just to avoid the brawl that was sure to come every time he met the rest of the team.
That, and so that his quick regeneration doesn't make itself known.
.o0o.o0o.
Another 5 months. Erwin's squad had gotten tight knit. A member had been replaced, but they are still working as well as ever.
Except when it comes to Theodore and said new innocent member. The sexual innuendos and cruel jokes which had been curbed by the senior member's attitude had came back full force when he is describing the time Erwin had chained him into Mike, and now the new member is incapable of looking at Theodore and Mike together without blushing and stuttering.
He had received another punch to the gut from Mike.
But it's been almost a year since he worked as Scouting Legion. He is sure his savings are more than enough -
No, it is enough.
He'll travel to Shiganshina to bury some weapons and search for Grisha Jaeger - if he is lucky enough that Grisha is in vicinity. Also search around Trost and Karanese district - or maybe somewhere in Wall Sina - for a suitable laboratory spot. One which is hidden from sight.
That'll take one week tops, if he can smuggle out 3DMG to ease the search.
No wait, he can steal it from some unsuspecting Garrisons if the need arise. They have a bad habit of leaving 3DMG around when they got too drunk.
Today is two days after the last expedition - Erwin will be too tired after writing letters to the families whose member had fallen in the expedition.
"Captain," he spoke to the man scribbling on his paper, "I request for a leave."
Erwin stopped doing his paper.
"I already have the permit." Theo said as he gave the sealed envelope.
Not that Erwin will believe whatever written in the permit.
Erwin opened the envelope and read. "What for? It was written that you'll be visiting your orphanage at the Karanese, before setting to Shiganshina to a friend's funeral. I doubt you care about these things."
"Actually I'd like to get some things in the Shiganshina District. I want a specially produced 3DMG part that I can't find anywhere here. And Karanese so that I can hide those specially produced parts."
"Sometimes, I forgot you actually modified our gears." Erwin said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Go ahead, do so as fast as possible."
That's… a bit too easy…
"Thank you, Captain."
.o0o.o0o.
He found the hiding place in a brothel in Wall Sina. Not the cheap brothel either - the one with truly beautiful girls and satin dresses with golds and diamonds.
But the deal had been good. He was offered the lower grounds in exchange for constant supplies of 'Elixir of Youth'.
A total scam, but he is capable of making drinks that have the same effects, drinks that keeps the beautiful youthful faces. The type of drinks that will ease the muscles and boost the energy.
He offered the same to the other brothels. Hid stashes of weapons there and started constructing tools and weapon parts.
The trip to Shiganshina had been half successful. He buried his weapons - bombs and hazy gasses - along the wall beside the Shiganshina Gate to inside Wall Maria.
Grisha Jaeger was somewhere in the north - unreachable with the time constraint he have.
But the Fall is closing in -
.o0o.o0o.
Grassland and no trees.
Of course this is a common occurrence out during the expedition. It's hard to pass through the forest with huge cargos, even if it heightens the fighting chance.
Every Titan stimulation back in the Trainee Camp were made in forests. The best lesson they could give about going against a Titan in grasslands are theories of where to cut, make the Titan fall, aim for the neck.
Not many are willing to jump on top of a Titan's moving limbs.
Risk of being eaten, loss of momentum, lost of footing, of falling -
Not that he had much problem.
He'll never surpass the likes of Erwin and Mike, much less Levi, but he have an advantage of being capable of landing without the fear of immobility due to broken bones.
He is the most capable in grasslands - that's probably why Erwin took him to his squad.
A 20m class Titan, a 15m class Deviant, and two 5m class coming from the right side.
He pretended to look forward - pretended not to notice while sending the occasional glance to the right where all the current chaos are so that he can watch the destruction in peace -
Erwin seems to notice the chaos and ordered him to help them.
Theodore scowled and pulled his horse to the right flank. He surveyed the situation once more.
5 soldiers, one of whom is holding the spare horse, while the other 3 were occupied with the Deviant, the last one is in trouble facing the two 5m class.
He aimed for the one closest - the 5m Titan whose back is facing him. A simple hook to the neck and a clean cut later, the Titan's body started swaying. He quickly shot his grappler to the arms of the 20m class Titan.
That soldier should be able to handle the other Titan. If not, oh well.
When the arm raised up and the Titan made a grabbing motion, he quickly realized jumping to the arm of a Titan is a hasty decision.
Gaining footing on the body of the Titan is hard, especially on its limbs.
He let the Titan grab him - god he can hear his ribs crack at the force - positioned his hands and arms so that he could cut the Titan's fingers and break away from the grip.
He was getting closer and closer to the face -
He managed to break away when the Titan's finger loosened up enough. He quickly shot his grappler to both of the Titan's eyes - a little higher than the eyes, since he is falling - and pulled up, using the sword to stick to the cheek of the Titan before scrambling to the back of the neck and cut.
The next one - he've never face a Deviant alone, these… newbies doesn't count - he aimed his grappler to the shoulders.
There are 2 more soldiers remaining, one is thrown back and forth due to the Titan's motion, the other is panicking and trying his best to injure the ankle.
The hard thing about fighting Deviants on ground are the constant back and forth motion of the whole body. It shakes off the grapplers and humans fall to their death.
The Titan spun its shoulders, and he could feel he is being yanked to the front of the Titan - getting yanked in the air is quite unnerving, even more so when the Titan is staring at him like food, he is never more grateful that he increased the grappler distance by 3 folds - and he shot his other grappler to the chest of the Titan - before he got thrown to the other side - so that he can get closer -
Momentum brought him to the back side of the Titan, where he buried his sword as deep as possible to the Titan's flesh. He released both of the hook from the Titan's body.
The waist is the body part that the Deviants are incapable of moving much.
But he needs to move fast before the Deviant's hands swat him off.
There was a scream - maybe that soldier being thrown around in the air finally got caught - and Theo took the Deviant's lack of movement as a chance to shot up, to the neck -
Cut -
He stayed on the Deviant's neck as it fell. He don't want to jump down and irritate his ribs further - he've been ignoring that pain ever since that crushing grip -
He took a deep breath, and there was a twinge of pain - a rib broken.
He braced for the impact as the Titan fell.
He let the dust settle for a bit before surveying the surroundings. He deemed it safe enough and that Erwin won't be putting him up for some sort of ban or punishment due to unsatisfactory performance.
He whistled, the horse - one of the few rare ones that doesn't buckle and kick when he came to close - came, and he got up to the horse back before riding back to the center. He can say that he broke a rib, and Erwin won't be sending him to the sides then he can enjoy the view.
He needed to stick the bone together for his regenerative ability to kick in.
.o0o.o0o.
Reddish brown hair, slanted brows, black droopy eyes, thin lips, chiseled jaw and finally high pointed nose dotted with freckles.
It's been such a long time since he saw his reflection. He had almost forgotten his face. Back home, before, he had taken mirrors for granted because the only time he needed mirrors were before presenting a project.
The sun was setting, the Scouting Legion had taken residence in one of the old ruins, which stood near a river.
He's feeling sticky, smelly just plain… disgusting.
Baths are a serious luxury. Back in the HQ the soldiers are allowed to the bath only once per day, and it was a public bath. But here on the Outside, only if they are lucky enough and had the time.
He settled on splashing some water to his face, irked that those freckles isn't something water can get rid off.
Mike spent most of his times outdoors and he still have no freckles.
He tugged on his hair and found that it almost reached his nose. He sighed and combed his hair back before standing up and entering the ruins.
"Hey, hey, good job." Edward - a senior of Erwin's squad - came up to him. Theodore didn't return the greeting, instead he snatched one of the breads nestled in his arms and took a bite. Edward scoffed, used with Theo's rudeness.
"Brat, I'm complimenting you right here."
Theodore only hummed in response. "Erwin is in the with Commander. Mike is probably on the roof tasting the air."
"I'll be delivering dinner to Mike first then." Edward said before he chuckled and added. "Don't pick a fight while I'm gone."
Theodore scowled. He is conservative enough to not pick fights for the hell of it, unless he was sure he will be getting scott free.
Which is most of the time, but he hadn't done anything yet.
"It's been months, and I haven't started a brawl."
Edward laughed. "You will with your attitude."
Theo jabbed his side as he pass. Edward winced and took a moment to fumble with the breads, careful to not drop other people's dinner.
He stepped into the main hall, where all the other soldiers will be eating and resting if they are not on guard duty.
He is supposed to be resting here too, but he is usually too uncomfortable to actually sleep, ended up searching dozed off Titans to maim.
Well he's only here to give an oral report and show his dog tag to cross out the survivor's name.
"Hange, don't-"
"Hey! I saw you! You are sooo awesome back when you are defeating the Titans! Thank you for saving my friend! She's in the squad you saved!"
He bit into his bread and leaned on the stone wall, appraising this stranger who had suddenly blocked his vision. The stranger continued with her thanks and her praises, before she pulled the girl who had been trying and failing to hide behind her.
"Oh! I'm Hange Zoe and this is Anna, she is the one you saved!"
The new girl blushed and stuttered. "Thank you for saving me."
Theo raised an inquiring eyebrow, half surprised that there is someone in Scouting Legion fying for him. He wasn't joking when he said he is a heart breaker.
"It'll do you well to actually watch where you are going."
"I - yes, thank you for the advice."
Theodore took another bite on his bread - the last bite - keeping his silence and waiting for them to go away.
They didn't.
The taller of the two - Hange Zoe, future Captain and the only brain in the Research and Development - kept on blathering about Titan cutting techniques and do you have some tips?
"My tips," he said, "is for you to go and die."
Really, they are better off dead.
"Aww…" Hange sighed as she circled her hands around his shoulders, "Don't be so mean? Share your secrets? You are one year below me and Captain Erwin took you under his wing!"
Displeasure rolled off him in waves at the casual contact. He curled his fingers around her wrist and twist so that she is pinned to the wall.
"My advice, fuck off and die."
"Theodore!"
There was an impact on his stomach and pain and he was sent skidding back. It took a moment to ease the pain, before his glare settled on Mike - who stood beside Hange with his legs raised - Mike's kicking power had always been excellent.
"I'll be reporting this assault to Erwin." Mike said.
"Do so." Theo said, "And maybe everyone here will understand I do not want to get involved in whatever shit going down here. The only reason I bothered to help was because Erwin ordered. Tell me whatever punishment I'm receiving tomorrow. I'll be blowing off some steam."
Killing sleeping Titans had always been therapeutic.
.o0o.o0o.
Erwin you bastard.
He held back to urge to gnash him and tie him to whatever torture device he got his hands on.
Hange is humming merrily on his side as the horses gallop. She is humming a bit too happily.
Your punishment is to make Hange Zoe your apprentice until Hange had deemed that you have taught her enough.
Bullshit. When will there be an 'enough' when it comes to researchers?
He is being placed into a unit up front, a bit to the right side, this is rather irking compared to his usually safe near the center spot.
I'll just teach her whatever, and say that there's nothing more to teach. Or maybe…
They are in the 2nd day of the expedition and they are once again running through the grasslands to get back.
Titans, two 15m class and a 3m class.
The unit beside was about to engage, but he called them off.
"No need! Hange and I will handle them!" he shouted as he pulled the horse to the Titan's direction.
Hange looked thrilled as she followed closely beside him. "Oh! Are you going to show me some neat tricks to fight a Titan?"
"Yes," he gritted out, "First is to take the Titan's attention and be the bait. Look."
When he is close enough to the nearest Titan - a 15m class - he used his swords to cut off some part of the Titan's ankle.
The Titan dropped into his knees.
Still on his horse, he circled the Titan once, gaining its attention. The Titan extends his hand and managed to snag his cloak and pull him up above the Titan's face -
He shrugged off his cloak, jumping down and aiming his swords straight to the Titan's eyes before he scrambled for the neck and cut.
Taking the Titan's attention and letting it bring you up instead of going up with 3DMG. An effective move if you have room to cut down the Titan's hands.
Technically, he is teaching her. He is just starting with one of the most riskiest.
If he is very lucky, the Titans will eat her. If he is just lucky, Hange will deem his teachings too dangerous and call off the apprenticeship.
But Hange grinned, shouted some words and took the Titan's attention, and repeated what he did with an ease as if she is actually having fun in the playground instead of battling Titans -
Getting rid off her will be hard, isn't it?
.o0o.o0o.
Two months later, with Hange is still alive, kicking, and still following after his every steps.
He sent her to suicidal missions, methods that will do the extreme worst if it fails. He almost - almost - decided to lay it thick and just send her to the stomach of the Titan to try to cut out from inside out. But Erwin would have him on the execution ground if he did so.
How she is still alive by this point, it eludes him by this point.
Hange is not a Titan Shifter, a small slip up will end on her death. She is naive and stupidly courageous it's laughable.
Erwin is as stoic as ever, as if he predicted this outcome. Mike can be seen hiding occasional smirks from him. The rest of the squad were giggling like he have a crush on Hange, which he does not.
The bastards.
The only good thing he have concerning Hange's apprenticeship concerns Hange's friend - that blushing stuttering disgraceful mess - where she changed those doe eyes filled with awe into hatred hatred hatred at him ordering her friend to her death.
Not that her opinion matters. If Hange listens to his suicidal orders then she is the one who needs a fixing.
"It doesn't matter either way, right?" she said, "As long as it finishes whatever needs to be done, I'm willing to use any method. Most of the soldiers just doesn't understand that."
See?
Theodore is standing slightly behind Erwin's side, holding back the smirk threatening to split apart his face. Mike, on Erwin's other side, had sent a warning glare in his direction.
They are currently in Erwin's office to reevaluate what Hange learned during the 2 months of apprenticeship. Theories about defeating Titans are questioned and answered, accompanied by the small extras that she learnt by watching him.
It only went downhill when Hange's definition of humanity are questioned.
"Humanity is a mean to end my curiosity."
"You want something, do it, don't be afraid to sacrifice. Isn't that what Scouting Legion is?"
"Scouting Legion looks cool. So I was fine with joining my friend here."
"I am ready to be sacrificed, though it's a pity that I am so ordinary that I'm sacrificable."
He raised his hands to Mike in a placating manner - though he was sure it ended more as antagonizing - and let the smirk paint his face
Hey, hey, it's not my fault.
Really, he never taught her anything concerning something as flimsy as humanity and loyalty and humility. That's all Hange's raw opinion.
Hange always had the systematic approach. She may took initiative in leaderships, but it's only because she convert every human's value into numbers to know which one is sacrificable, which one is rare gem. She knows what to do, she keeps a clear head, she is stubborn as a mule and she detaches herself from humanity.
There is no one more alike to him than Hange Zoe is.
When Hange is dismissed, Theo broke down into laughter. Erwin hummed and placed some extra notes on the paper.
"Maybe in 1 year or 2 years, she'll be a good captain." Erwin said, "Keep watching her."
.o0o.o0o.
A/N : Hange still haven't got her love for Titans.
And also, this is my first male OC, so it's bound to be more challenging. I kept on finding myself referring to Theo as 'she' and 'her'. TwT But thank goodness I'm masculine enough to write this. And thank goodness I've got a good real life reference for Theo (my brother, he is a sadist who keeps on pranking me TwT).
Oh! And I'm bumping the rating of this story up to M rating. I realize it will be too much gore and tragedy with this kind of OC, so yeah. Lastly...
I'M SO HAPPY SO MANY FOLLOWED AND LIKED THIS STORY WHEN IT'S ONLY THE FIRST CHAPTER! AND SO MANY REVIEWS!