New chapter, yay! A couple new characters had made their appearances, and now the social life finally plays in. Hope you'll enjoy. As you can see on the submission form on my profile, character submissions ends next weekend. So, if you're still interested, send those suckers in. Read on and enjoy.
...
As Logan replaces his gas tanks with the spares Hanji's squad had brought along, he kept a close eye on his own squad of recruits using the more experienced Scouts' attacks on the incoming Titans as cover to evacuate the wounded Scouts onto the rooftops. He sighs to himself as he thought about his physical outburst, and how it would affect his squad's views on him. He let the thoughts sink in for a moment as he replaces his blades then stood up, watching his squad as close as a father would do to his own children. He scoffed at himself for making such an analogy of that in his head, then looked over to the far distance. There was a loud roar coming from a Titan who... Carried a large boulder over his shoulders. Even some figures using their 3-D maneuver gears tried to protect that Titan. Finally, as it reached the breach, it lets out another loud cry as it slams the boulder into the open breach of the Wall's gates, then collapsed.
"Eren", Logan muttered to himself in question.
William and Jenessy landed on the roof beside him, with William speaking out a report. "We've got all the wounded to the rooftop with some of Hanji's guys. The others are helping out with applying first aid to the wounded. Anything else you want us to do?"
"No, once they are finished, come back right here. Looks like we'll be at the sidelines while the veterans handle the rest of the Titans."
Jenessy looked over to the sealed breach and made a wow-expression. "The hole is blocked off already? How'd they do it?"
Logan ignored her question. "Alright, you two, go on and help your teammates. Remember: report right here, all of you, when you're through."
The two recruits nodded then turns away and sped off to the temporary medical area, henceforth the flat roof of a market building. Petra and her squad had already fled elsewhere, leaving Hanji's and Logan's squads behind in the area.
...
As the sun was setting close to it's end, Logan's squad had finally reported in to the very same rooftop where Logan was, who was standing and looking off to the distance over the surrounding large Walls. "Everyone's ready now?"
Everyone gave a hesitant nod, looking at one another to determine the answer for them.
"Yes, sir, all is ready", William finally spoke up.
"One team, one mind", Logan simply replied as he looked over his shoulder to the recruits. "Took long enough to get an answer out loud." He lets off a slight, thin grin, hidden by the shadows from the Wall high overhead. "Then let's head back to Headquarters and call it a night, all of you."
"Er, but what about the others", Karl asks timidly.
"They'll handle it all from here. For now, you guys get some rest." He looked off to Hanji's squad, Hanji herself looking in his direction over the distance and gives him a wave. "You saved lives today, all of you."
"But we also made mistakes, too", William mentioned. "And you should be well aware of the stakes that were at hand when those mistakes were made."
Logan nodded in agreement, having a stare down with William for a long moment before finally opening his mouth to speak. "Who wouldn't have a mistake on their first mission together with people they had just only met? For being in a situation like that, I'd say we did alright. I mean, your limbs are still attached to your bodies, right? Besides, everyone learns from their mistakes. I hope you all had taken account of it." He stretches out with a yawn. "Alright guys, we're heading home. Let's leave the cleanup to the cleanup crew."
As Logan had suddenly sped off away from the area to the rear of the city, the others began to follow quickly to catch up.
"Hey, no fair", Aerolynn shouted out as she tried to keep up, "why won't you wait for us, huh?!"
Jenessy laughed a bit as she shot her cables up ahead and sped forward loosely. "Come on, Aerolynn, don't be so harsh on him just for getting the jump on us!"
Karl laughs gently at the two girls, muttering something to himself as Ann watches the developing spectacle between the two girls, then to the other two guys off at the side - Ryan and William.
"What a day, huh", Ryan called to William with a thin grin. "Practice killing a Titan up close and personal, saved a few guys, watched some, uh..." He stopped himself as he released his cables and shot them out quickly.
William glances at Ryan, then to the others. They supposedly overheard Ryan because hell... They all were suddenly glancing off here and there with a defeated look. "And we saw Scouts die. Yeah, we've seen it all in one day." He looked ahead to Logan, who was up ahead by a long shot. "But even though, we did learn about what happens in the field." He then looked to everyone else, calling out to them, "Now we know what to expect when we're in a real fight and who to rely on, am I right?"
...
Logan sat in his candle-lit room at his desk, looking over the files of his squad members, finally. There was a load of them. "Scarrlett, Julianna, Grayson, Nikolai, James... Garrog?" He studies that peculiar file of Garrog Uten a bit, then shrugs to himself. "Weird name, not very common." He continues skimming over the rest of the files with more names on them. "Oh, well..." He sighs to himself in irritation before rubbing his hands over his face. "Man, some of these guys are MPs and Garrisons. What're these doing here anyway?" He stood up and separates some of the files from the others, making sure that his squad's files weren't mixed up with the MP and Garrison files.
Knock, knock.
"Come in", Logan said without turning away from his desk, still skimming over some files and separating a few others.
The door behind him creaks open, followed by light footsteps stepping closer and closer. "Um..." The voice was somewhat deep with a hint of a feminism tone - kind of like a matured woman. "Are you the squad leader?"
Logan looked over his shoulder as he sets a small pile of papers aside. What he was looking at was a young adult woman with scarlet red hair let down, some of her strands of hair forming bangs at the sides of her face - a few of which came down over her right eye - , and bright red eyes glimmering almost as much as his own deep ocean blue eyes, and that bust... He quickly averts his eyes from her chest then up at her. "I am, yes - Logan Pierce. And you are?"
"Skarrlett Askari, sir." She held her hand out, which brought him to only look down at it for a moment. It was almost what Ryan had did earlier today, except the difference being that she was formal about it with the 'sir' part.
So, he took her hand gently and shook, although she made the handshake slightly more firm. "A bit built under those clothes, are you?" He chuckles softly as he releases her hand, but felt that he chose his words wrong.
"I am, yes. More built than probably some of the guys in your squad; I've seen a few of them wandering around their quarters." She spoke cheerfully with a light smile.
Thank the Walls, she didn't smack me, he thought to himself with a light sigh of relief. "There's a few empty rooms in the female quarters, so pick whichever one you'd like and sleep it off. As you might know, they're a bit small, so you'll have to get a bit use to them."
"Thank you, sir." She waved after him with a thin grin as she left out through the doorway, leaving the door open.
"Can't even close the door..." Logan left towards his door, sets his hand around the doorknob, then stops as he saw Aerolynn standing just outside. She was leaning back against the wall beside his doorway with her arms folded across her chest. "Can I help you?"
Aerolynn looked to Logan with a light smirk. "'Built under those clothes', huh?"
He rolls his eyes. "I didn't mean to make it come out that way." He then began to think a bit as he rubs his chin. "But sheis stacked though..." He glances up at Aerolynn, who was now right at his face with a pissed off look, even her eye color shifting from liquid golden to silver.
She kicked his shin hard and stomped off. "Stupid jerk..." She growls under her breath upon her retreat. She obviously didn't care about the punishments that would arise on her for physical abuse of her squad leader.
He cringes just a bit from the harsh kick, leaning down to rub where it was burning with pain in the middle of his shin. He finally closes the door and, one by one, blows out the candles between his finger and thumb quickly. "And now, we can rest..." He muttered to himself as he takes off his Scout jacket and shirt, followed by his boots, then finally lays in bed with just his pants. He stares up at the ceiling for a while before combing his fingers back through his smooth, black hair.
...
Logan had immediately woken up with his door pounding. "Shut up", he shouted as he got up and went to the door after putting on his boots. He opens the door easily with a yawn, then leans against the side of the door with his forehead against his arm. "What is it, Ryan?"
Ryan, dressed in his pants and shirt, had a furious look. "Who the hell was that guy that I found sleeping right on me?!"
Logan thought for a moment, then shrugs with another yawn. "You say that like I know." He looked over Ryan's shoulder, finding a teenager with jet black shaggy cut hair, tied in a ponytail in the back and bangs swept to the left and in a fresh Scout uniform. "That him?"
Ryan felt a shivering chill shoot up his spine as he slowly looked over his shoulder. "Yeah... That's, uh... That's him."
Logan studies the 16 year-old a bit more closer, then chuckles softly. "Welcome to the squad, Nikolai. Anyone else with you that came by?"
The teenager spoke in a clear, somewhat breathy tone after his brief yawn. "Yes sir, I'm Nikolai Ion Nastase. There were two siblings who came with me at dawn but I don't remember their names."
"Pleasure to meet you, and thanks, but, uh... I can't have you bunking with your teammate like that, so I'm going to have to ask you to find your own room in the male quarters."
"Yes sir, I'll get on it right away." He glanced at Ryan quickly before walking off groggily.
Ryan shivers a bit then looked to Logan. "That dude scared me when I woke up."
"Got a thing against people who enjoys the life of same-sex experiences? Besides, what he said about the siblings was very helpful."
Ryan quickly shook his head. "Oh, no no, sir. Just that... I don't know how to say it, but I have nothing against him on that matter."
"Ah." He chuckles softly then yawns again. He then caught Ryan just staring at him. "You act like you haven't seen a dude without a shirt in the early morning."
"No, not that it's just... Damn, no homo but you've been packing that chest and abs, man. What's your secret?"
"No secret." He gave a sly smirk.
"Come on, sir, help a workout buddy out! I'm still having trouble with toning."
"Toning? Ryan, you're already built, big time. Just focus on practicing your 3-D Gear - your turns make me nervous."
As Ryan sighs in defeat, he left off with a groan. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you, sir."
"And fix that attitude!" He was about to close the door until he found Jenessy staring at him with a blushing, flustered expression. But before Logan can say a word, she squeals and runs off while covering her face, repeatedly saying "Sorry" as she ran off. "That's my cue to get dressed." He left into his room, grabbed his shirt and jacket, slips them on, then tried to fix his hair. He made another glance at the papers, then sighs softly. "Why can't everyone just report in at once?"