HOPE

3 – in which eren jäger is not the weak one, but the strongest of them all

IT WASN'T REALLY HOPE'S PLACE to judge—honestly, she did pretty bad on the aptitude test as well her first round. But once Eren Jäger had been hooked to the machine and was pulled into the air, he stumbled before falling face forward, his face colliding harshly with the ground. Hope cringed as the other cadets laughed out loud. She glanced their way, frowning sourly before looking back at Eren. The humiliated look in his eyes quickly reminded Hope of her first stumble with the test as well; but at least she had managed to prove herself. Hope bit her lip, wanting to turn around and yell angrily at the cadets who continued to snort loudly, pointing but she decided best of it: most likely they would turn the spotlight on her and she would be teased for standing up for Suicidal Bastard Eren Jäger.

But glancing back at the brunette who was still dangling from the wires like a rag doll, Hope couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

"What are you doing, Eren Jäger?" bellowed Instructor Shadis, leaning in forward as he stared wide-eyed at the poor cadet. Eren opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but no words came out as he stared ahead, looking completely distraught. Hope crossed her arms over her chest, watching in the kid now with empathy—it was absolutely the worst feeling (almost like her heart dropped to her stomach) when she had been thrown upside down on the machine, and obviously the mock snorts from a collective amount of soldiers (Hope guessed Jean and his comrades) definitely wasn't helping the situation in the least. Hope blinked, her attention returned to Eren dangling from the aptitude machine when Shadis spat, "Balance yourself!"

Emma let out a long sigh, causing Hope to glance her way. The short haired girl shrugged simply, meeting Hope's gaze as she muttered, "Looks like we're going to be here a while."

"It's not his fault," Hope retorted. Emma raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly before she laughed lightly under her breath. Hope frowned, questioning why she was standing up for a kid she just barely met (well, technically that wasn't true seeing as how she had been following said kid around for the past two years or so, wanting to be his friend but never had enough courage to do so), but was distracted from her confusion as Shadis nodded to the person manning the crank, letting them lower it quickly as Eren completely hit the ground. The soldiers in the crowd continued to sneer but Eren didn't lift his head.

After that, Shadis had made Eren try three more times, only to have the poor boy reenact what had happen previously. Shadis let out an exasperated sigh, finally claiming that Eren had one last chance tomorrow or else and the cadet was lowered to the ground once more. Once the lesson had come to a close, the cadets were immediately excused to dinner by the sound of the bell. Before Hope had the chance to look for Eren to see how he was doing, Emma had already grabbed a hold of her arm and was tugging her along, Julia following close behind. Hope didn't bother to protest once they reached the mess hall, getting in line as they received their portion of food. They sat at their usual table, Emma and Julia immediately conversing while Hope remained silent, sitting across from the two. She glanced around the mess hall, watching as the other cadets filed in. Hope was too busy scouting out for a dark-haired boy with vivid colored eyes to notice that another girl had sat down beside her.

"Hi, Hope," the girl said, gaining Hope's attention. She blinked, turning to look at the girl sitting next to her. She scanned her face for a moment before smiling slightly.

"Hi, Mina." Hope looked back at the cadets, frowning when she didn't spot the familiar face amongst the crowd. Before Mina had the chance to say anything, however, the door opened to reveal Mikasa, Armin and Eren as they walked into the mess hall. Armin's blue eyes held a look of concern as he helped guide his friend to a table. Hope squinted, watching them a bit longer to finally notice a bandage wrapped around Eren's head and a blank look on his face as he sat down, staring down at the table.

Apparently Hope wasn't the only one to notice his arrival; the other cadets sitting around immediately broke off into startled whispers, glancing back at Eren every now and then as they continued to gossip absentmindedly, as if they didn't care he would hear. (Or perhaps that's what they wanted).

"Isn't that the kid who said he'd kill all the Titans yesterday?"

"He'll probably get sent to the landfills tomorrow…"

"Poor kid," Julia commented, gaining Hope's attention. She glanced her friend's way to see the black-haired girl turn around, staring at Eren for a moment before meeting Hope's gaze. "Everyone's going to think he's a hypocrite now."

Hope frowned. "Why would they think that?"

"The weak ones have no choice but to leave," Emma stated, motioning with her fingers as she mocked quoting. When Hope continued to frown Emma let out a sigh, nodding to Mina. "He said that yesterday."

Hope frowned, glancing Mina's way. "When did he say that?"

Mina frowned for a moment before her eyes widened slightly in realization. "Oh, you weren't there, were you? It was when Emma, Julia, Eren, Connie and myself were watching a group of recruits leaving for the landfills."

Hope didn't say anything as she looked down at her stew, playing around with it a little bit, not in the mood to eat. If he said such things it must be even worse that he had failed working with the wire gear in front of everyone. She ate her meal in silence, trying her hardest not to stare at Eren Jäger while Mina, Emma and Julia laughed and talked about things Hope had no clue about. When the bell finally rang to signal that dinner was over, the brunette girl quickly stood up, holding out her hand towards the other girls.

"I can take your stuff back if you want," she smiled. Emma looked up at her, grinning as she exchanged looks with Mina and Julia, all three handing Hope their plates, spoons and mugs.

"I swear that Hope is an angel sent from above," the light haired girl commented, causing Hope to blush in embarrassment. The girl merely shrugged in response, stealthily stacking the plates as she placed the mugs and spoons on top, carefully putting them away before she followed the three girls back to the dorms. Before they had made it, however, as Hope glanced to her left, spotting Eren sitting on the steps of his dorm. She couldn't see his face since it was covered by his hands, but she could assume that it was similar to the blank, humiliated expression he'd had for most of the day. The other girls had noticed Hope's hesitation, causing the girl to glance their way, smiling slightly.

"Um, I'll meet up with you guys later."

Emma exchanged another look with Mina and Julia before looking back at the girl, smiling slightly. "Okie dokie—don't take too long," she warned, waving a finger before smirking, laughing loudly with Julia as Mina led the way back to their dorms. Hope sighed, shaking her head slightly before she made her way towards Eren. She hesitated, wondering if this really was the greatest decision she ever made—she hardly knew the kid (despite the fact she had basically stolen his book on the outside world—or was it one of his friends'?) and she doubted he knew her name. Finally deciding to step out of her comfort zone, Hope stood in front of Eren, clearing her throat slightly to gain his attention.

"Um, you're Eren, right?"

Eren looked up, his eyes widening slightly before he nodded slowly. "Oh…uh, yeah. You're Hope, right?"

Hope frowned, slightly surprised. "How did you know?"

"Instructor Shadis said it earlier today."

"Oh…right." Hope felt her cheeks flare up with embarrassment—so he had also seen her little flounder with the aptitude machines. She bit her lip, laughing as a result from the awkward silence that was beginning to rise as she shrugged slightly, rocking on her heels a little. "Yeah that was…bad."

Eren laughed lightly, although Hope had the trouble trying to decipher it between a forced chuckle or a scoff. "Not like mine. I didn't even stay off the ground for five seconds."

Hope smiled sympathetically. She walked up to the steps, causing Eren to scoot over slightly to give her some room. She sat down, gripping onto the edge of the step as she let out a sigh. "Do you know what could have went wrong?"

Eren rolled his eyes. "Everything."

Hope bit her lip—this conversation wasn't going as well as she planned. She only wanted to see how he was doing and maybe cheer him up a little, but it seemed as if she was only making matters worse. "It wasn't very nice of those people to laugh at you, but I'm sure you'll manage fine tomorrow."

"No I won't," Eren sighed. "I practiced on the wire gear machines again before sunset and it gave me this." He pointed to the bandage on his head. Hope bit her lip, unsure of what to say as Eren looked away, staring blankly ahead.

"Have you asked anyone for help?"

"Yeah, I asked Jean and Connie."

"Jean? As in the kid who's going around calling you a Suicidal Bastard?"

Eren smiled slightly, meeting Hope's gaze. "Yeah, him."

"He seems like an idiot," Hope stated, turning away as she stared out at the clearing. "Did he refuse?"

"They both did."

Hope looked back at Eren. "Have you tried asking anyone else? I mean, I wouldn't have chosen an idiot as my first choice."

Eren's smile grew, giving Hope some sort of warm feeling inside. Their gazes locked for a moment before Eren looked away, blushing slightly. Hope turned as well, the warm feeling burning against her cheeks. "N-No…I haven't—they'll probably say no, anyway. I don't really see the point anymore…" His voice trailed off slightly as he looked ahead. Hope hesitated, wondering if she should offer to help then thought the best of it—he wouldn't want help from a girl, let alone her; she had fallen face forward when she first got on the machine, too. She remained silent for a moment, thinking, before an idea came to mind.

"Do you know Bertolt Hoover or Reiner Braun? You could try asking them," she suggested; she heard from Julia that they had passed the test with flying colors.

"Yeah," Eren answered. "They're in the same dorm as me; I heard they did really well and I considered asking them but…"

"But what?" Hope frowned. "Don't you want to pass?"

Eren glanced her way, shrugging slightly. "Yeah, but—"

"So no buts," Hope interrupted. "Don't you want to be a soldier? There's no harm in asking them; at least they're not idiots." She let out a sigh as she added, "That is, unless you want to spend the rest of your life at the landfills—"

"No!" Eren snapped, interrupting her midsentence. She glanced his way as he added angrily, "I'm going to become a soldier—I'm not going to the landfills, no way in hell!"

Hope blinked, meeting his gaze evenly. "The weak ones have no choice but to leave," she quoted, causing Eren to turn red in the face. "I know you're not weak—so what are you waiting for?"

Eren looked down, staying silent for a moment. Hope assumed that he was contemplating whether or not she was right (of course she was, though; she was regretting mentioning what he had said, but she couldn't help herself—he needed a little push). He finally looked up, avoiding Hope's gaze as he mumbled, "I guess I could try—"

"Great," Hope smiled. Eren glanced her way once more, their gazes locking once more before he looked away quickly; blush still prominent on his cheeks. Hope frowned slightly, looking away as well—was there something on her face? She hadn't looked in a mirror for a while. Feeling subconscious, she attempted to casually touch her face, only to be interrupted as Eren rose to his feet.

"Um, thanks," he said, clearing his throat. Hope glanced up at him before standing up as well, smiling.

"Oh, yeah, no problem. I came over here to cheer you up, anyway," she admitted. Eren blinked, appearing to look shocked before he smiled.

"Thanks."

Hope continued to smile before she glanced over her shoulder at her dorm. She spotted Emma standing on the steps—had she been waiting there the whole time?—causing the brown haired girl to feel a rush of embarrassment. She looked back at Eren, stepping down onto the ground. "Well, I better get going." Before he had the chance to say anything, she had already turned around and was swiftly making her way to her dorm. She didn't dare look back as she ran past Emma, not wanting to have her friend interrogate her and embarrass her further as she made her way towards her cot, quickly changing out of her clothes. However, the odds were not in her favor as Emma stepped behind her, smirking.

"Does Hopey have a little boyfriend?"

Hope scoffed but felt her face warm as she remained silent—after all, silence was her best option here.

"Wait, what?" Julia asked. Hope groaned, pulling off her the straps of her harness as she turned around to shoot a warning glare at the two girls. Julia's gray eyes flashed with humor as she added, "I didn't know Hope talked to boys."

"Oh, shut up," Hope huffed irritably, quickly setting the harness aside. Emma snorted loudly, causing many of the other girls in the dorm to laugh loudly. Hope felt as if her embarrassment levels couldn't skyrocket any higher until she felt someone staring. Frowning, she glanced to her left to see the familiar dark hair of Mikasa Ackerman. The girl's expression remained sullen as she carefully watched Hope, making her feel subconscious of what she was doing. She took a deep breath, not wanting to be involved with anything any further as she attempted to shut out Emma and Julia (who were both currently shaking Hope in attempts to get a reaction out of her) as she wondered whether or not Eren was in his dorm asking Reiner and Bertolt for assistance.

x x x

The next day, the trainees were standing around as Eren Jäeger strapped himself into the wire gear machine, a determined look plastered across his face. Hope crossed her fingers behind her back, knowing very well that this was Eren's last chance to prove himself, or else he would be sent off to the landfills.

"Eren Jäger," Instructor Shadis said, turning to face the boy. "Are you ready?"

Eren nodded, his eyes flashing. "Yes, sir!" Despite the fact that his voice was strong and steady, Hope noticed worry quickly flash in his vivid teal eyes before it was gone, just as soon as it came. Hope bit her lip, fingers still crossed as Instructor Shadis nodded to the person beside the crank. The soldier nodded, slowly turning the lever as Eren was lifted into the air. The cadets standing around watched anxiously as Eren swayed a little bit before he remained balanced in the air. The recruits standing around Hope let out gasps of surprise before they broke out into joyous cheers. Hope grinned widely, clapping her hands together as she attempted to refrain herself from jumping with joy.

Before anyone had the time to notice, Eren had already started to stumble again before he let out a startled shout before he fell forward, hanging upside down once more. Hope's eyes widened in shock as Julia bit her lip, staring on ahead. Emma's expression remained unreadable as Instructor Shadis stepped forward, examining Eren closely.

"N-No!" Eren exclaimed, struggling to get up. "I-I-I can still—"

"Lower him," Instructor Shadis interrupted, nodding to the crank operator. The soldier nodded before he slowly turned the lever, leaving Eren on all fours. Hope bit her lip, attempting to get a glimpse at Shadis' expression—was he angry? Disappointed?—but his back remained turned.

"I…I…" Eren lifted his head, eyebrows narrowed in confusion. He looked almost as if he was about to cry.

"Thomas Wagner," Instructor Shadis finally said. He glanced back at the blond haired soldier who was operating the crank ran up immediately, saluting the Instructor. "Switch belts with Jäger."

Hope glanced Thomas' way, watching as he frowned slightly in confusion before nodding quickly, undoing his belt. He swapped with Eren who looked almost as confused as Thomas (perhaps even more) as he quickly put it on. Hope could hear the other cadets whispering around her, obviously wondering what in the world was going on.

"Raise him again," Instructor Shadis ordered. The machine creaked as Eren was lifted into the air again and stayed there, perfectly balanced. Hope gasped slightly, a smile spreading across her face, along with a look of awe. So he had been balancing with a broken belt?

"There's something wrong with your belt," Shadis stated, holding it in his hands. He lifted it up, gesturing to the clip. "I've never heard of a fault area on this part of the belt before—I'll have to contact the makers about it."

Immediately the whispering turned into exclamations of awe and praise.

"So, he managed to balance even with a broken belt?"

"Amazing!"

Hope glanced back at Eren to see that the boy still appeared to be confused. He looked at Shadis hopefully. "So I passed?" Their Instructor merely gave Eren a short nod, causing the dark haired boy to raise his fist in the air triumphantly. "Yes! I did it!"

Hope grinned, joining in the applause of the other cadets. Eren scanned the crowd, his grin plastered across his face before his gaze rested on Hope. His grin grew even wider (if that was possible) and so did Hope's as she gave a quick thumbs up.

Eren Jäger was definitely not weak, but the strongest of them all.