A gentle breeze blew over the 104th training camp, as the trainees took to hand-to-hand combat out in the field. Many months have passed since that particular training incident, and the cadets couldn't be any more glad to finally leave the searing summer behind. One Floch Forster and Ruth D. Klein took to practicing together among the sea of cadets gathered around.
Ruth had no idea what to expect when Floch agreed to offer his help, all she knew was that Floch was a straightforward individual who never pulled his punches and she couldn't be any more grateful for it. The first week had been the toughest by far, where she found herself spending more and more nights bruised and aching than ever before. Many had tried to intervene at first, but she had insisted that they mind their business. It was either this or becoming titan food.
"Watch your feet."
Ruth reacted at the last possible second and shifted her weight to her other foot as Floch swept the ground underneath her. She backed away from the redhead and regained her balance, keeping herself steady and focused on the boy's hands the entire time. She ducked and weaved his blows one after the other, before creating some distance between the two of them.
Floch nodded at her. "Good, you're getting better. Let's see how you handle this."
Ruth's heart dropped at seeing him charge at her full speed, the girl dug her heels into the dirt and was barely able to resist being thrown to the ground from the sheer force of his tackle. Floch scoffed at her futile effort to fight against his weight and hastily demonstrated for her the error of her ways. The boy shifted his feet and took firm hold of her wrist and armpit, Ruth gasped at being pulled over his shoulders and slammed harshly against the ground.
"AghhK!" Ruth cried out in pain.
Floch looked down at her and shook his head. "And that's why you don't wrestle with someone twice your size."
Ruth sat up with heavy pants. "I- I can... Hah... do better... hah let's go again!"
He tapped her with his knuckles as he crouched to eye level. "I don't think so, we've been going at it for quite some time, you need to rest."
She rubbed the soreness on her head as she teared up. "Ouch! That hurts!" The redheaded girl pouted.
"You've done more than enough for today, I'd rather not have you end up at the infirmary."
Without further protest, the girl gave up. "Alright, fine." The redhead sighed and sprawled back onto the floor in exhaustion. "I was running on fumes anyway."
Floch sat down next to her with a chuckle, observing the cadets around him go through their portion of the training. It did not affect their overall score, which ironically, none of them needed to learn aside from those who could be accepted into MP's for riot control situations.
Sandra felt something strange bubble in her chest at the sight, frowning as she watched them from afar. It had been a regular occurrence to see those two together, whether it was during their study sessions or ODM exercises. She wasn't afraid to admit her jealousy, and to an extent fear that another person would take her spot and possibly Gordon's. It wasn't rational to think that Ruth could potentially replace a bond that took her years to build, but the heart isn't known for being rational.
"You do know they don't factor anti-personnel combat into our scores right? That said, it wouldn't kill you to give me a hand you feral woman." He groaned from beneath.
"Shut up you baby." She sighed, giving him a hand.
Gordon smirked as he took firm hold of her extended hand and pulled her down with him. Sandra's eyes widened in panic, before quickly assuming control of the situation and preventing him from getting access to her neck and back. After a short entanglement, the two teens found themselves stuck in a stalemate with Gordon pinning the girl to the ground, but she had her legs wrapped around his head and Torso.
"How about surrender before I crack your head against the rocks milady?" He jokingly offered to her.
"Why milord, you couldn't even crack an egg if you truly tried." She snarked.
"Hey!" He protested.
Sandra wasted no time, taking full advantage of the momentary drop in guard to bring the leg wrapped around his neck to the other side of his face. Gordon's eyes went wide as saucers as she used both legs to push him down. He cried out in pain as she slammed his face against the rough dirt, then had his arm locked between her thighs as she forced him to submit.
"I surrender, you got it! Let go now, please!" He panicked as he smacked the dirt with his palm.
"Of course Milord~~."
Gordon breathed a sigh of relief as she let go of him, he sat up and rubbed his sore arm, sending a dirty glare toward Sandra. She pulled her tongue out mockingly, smirking at her victory.
"Where in the hell did you learn to fight like that."
"If you open your eyes, you'll realize you're being offered free lessons left and right, all you have to do is pay attention." She informed him, pointing behind her in Annie and Mikasa's direction.
"Damn, that easy huh? Bahh like any of this matters!"
The girl hummed and offered her hand to help him stand, he regarded it skeptically before accepting it. The two stood around watching the other cadets as they took a short break from their sparring, both noticing how Annie was in the process of humiliating Eren Yeager yet again. Gordon was about to comment about it, before noticing Floch approach the two.
"What the hell is he doing?" Gordon asked out loud as Sandra took notice.
To one Floch Forster, this had been a long time coming. He couldn't resist his foul urges anymore, every second spent with those three under the same roof was another pinch taken from his soul for allowing them to breathe. He remembered this day, it was quite similar to the day Mikasa and Annie sparred. While he wouldn't mind watching that fight again, Floch wanted to be the one to inflict the damage this time around. It was a stupid selfish desire of his that would surely bare many consequences, but that was a price he was willing to pay for his indulgence.
Floch stoically watched over the struggling Eren, she made short work of him as by the time he reached them she already had him pinned on the ground. Annie kept pressuring the oxygen-starved boy until Floch intervened. Her eyes widened at the sudden flapping behind her as she took notice of the shadow that engulfed them. The blonde jumped away only to realize that it had been Floch's jacket now draped over the body of the gasping Eren.
"What was that supposed to accomplish?" Annie questioned with slits for eyes.
He coldly stared her down. "Breaking up whatever this is, can't call it training can you? Why don't you try those fancy moves on someone on equal footing to you, I'm interested in learning something myself."
She stood up to her feet and circled away from Eren towards him as she eyed him with an air of indifference. "You'll find that your curiousity will get you nothing but trouble, these techniques of mine could potentially break another fragile bone in your body."
Annie came to a full stop as she assumed a stance in front of him, giving a small smug smile. "But I wouldn't be opposed to that."
"You're a mean one, Annie." He spoke in a mock hurt tone.
Eren sat up and yanked Floch's jacket off of his face as he watched the two in awe. "Is this really happening?" He asked out loud.
"Hey! They're about to go at it!" Connie shouted in disbelief as Sasha ran next to him.
"It's a showdown!" She yelled.
Mikasa walked towards the front of the crowd and watched the stand-off with soulless dead eyes. She had meant to do it first, but Floch had stolen her chance at roughing up Annie for getting too comfortable with Eren for her liking. Her only morbid wish was that the two of them inflict as much damage to each other as possible.
"Who's going to win?!" Daz asked to the gathering crowd.
"Annie most likely," Marco replied.
Jean turned to face him. "Shit! I didn't think to bet on a fight like this! We were all too focused on Mikasa and Annie!"
"That's fine, next time we'll add Floch to the mix!" Connie replied.
Reiner ran up next to Mikasa. "Who do you think's got this, Mikasa?"
"Don't care." She coldly replied before making her way next to Eren.
Eren's eyes darted between Annie and Floch as his mind raced. 'Which one is going to win... I wonder which..'
Floch rolled up his sleeves and took a stance, arm slightly stretched outwards towards Annie. She cocked a brow in surprise at the familiar stance but thought nothing of it at the moment. The girl sneered at his nonchalance and moved to appropriately place him among the dirt, befitting for him. Annie employed the same strategy with Eren against him, however, the boy had been as quick as silver.
Seeing her window of opportunity shut down, She momentarily backed away to rethink the strategy. Overconfidence was poison, and she damn near gave him an easy victory because of it. She opted to study him for now, poke holes at his defense to see what worked. She rushed him once more to deliver a kick to his shin, which was met with equal force. The resulting exchange brought Floch on top as the girl cursed under her breath from the stinging on her leg, to her annoyance, he was reading her like a book.
Floch rushed the girl and faked a punch to her left before thrusting his right arm forward towards her face, she ducked down at the last second and retaliated, landing a solid hook on his cheek before he blocked the other hit. With a need to apply more pressure on the boy, Annie closed the space between them and began to overwhelm him with precise kicking and punching. Floch side-stepped one of her punches and took firm hold of her wrist, before he could capitalize on it, Annie twisted her body around and brought the back of her heel to his face.
Floch grimaced as if he had just caught a speeding brick. He held her in place as they both struggled to overpower the other, Floch knew it would be bad to try to sweep her off her feet so he opted to toss her far. Annie rolled to the ground and immediately recovered, she looked up to find him diving toward her. Floch's foot slammed against the dirt as she rolled out of the way. She tried to swipe him off his feet but he anchored himself well to the ground, both suffering jolts of pain from the impact.
Floch went on the offensive and delivered a front kick towards her head, she winced after blocking it and bearing the full brunt. He made the mistake of going for a second attempt, which allowed Annie to tackle him to the ground, Floch's back was nearly shattered as they flopped down. The crowd winced and ooohed at the sight, as the two teens fought for control of each other's limbs. With a bit of a struggle, the boy managed to roll them both around until he forced the girl on top of him, once he gained access to her back, he wrapped his legs and arms around her body and held her firmly in place.
"It's over, give it up." He whispered in her ear.
Annie's face scrunched in anger, her hands desperately clawing at his chokehold. She calmed herself, quickly noticing that his leghold was sloppy. She took his left leg with her hand and pushed it down before using her body to keep it in place. Floch's eyes widened as his right leg quickly moved to mount against her free hands. Annie brought her leg up and blocked his limb. In a swift motion, she pulled against the arm around her neck with one hand and pressed the other against the ground before pushing in the opposite direction of his hold.
The onlookers watched in awe as the girl momentarily managed to free herself from the chokehold, Annie moved to wrap her left arm underneath his leg for side control but the boy yanked it away and rolled far from her. The two teens stood up to their feet as they gazed at each other intensely. Floch lunged at her yet again and tackled her to the ground, finding himself in a similar position to Gordon and Sandra earlier. The blonde girl held her legs tightly around his torso and head as her hair had come undone from all the movements.
He clicked his tongue, as he tasted blood in his mouth from his busted lip. "I suppose you'd like a timeout to fix that? No? Very well."
Floch twisted her around until he had her in a perfect chokehold, Annie began to struggle to free herself unsuccessfully as a shiver went down her spine from the feeling of his breath on her neck. The bystanders watched as Annie slowly passed out from lack of oxygen, and Floch took the perfect opportunity to speak his mind to her.
"Doesn't feel good to be on the receiving end does it? You know, I heard about something you said a while ago, all of this is just a crock of shit isn't it?" He asked in a whisper.
Annie felt the need to gasp for air as he tightened hishold on her, she tried to slip away to no avail.
"In your own words, this entire system is a farce, a game that is only played by losers. And yet, for someone who claims to be unwilling to participate you've surely gone through all the effort to be a part of it anyway. The way you're headed, you'll be snug inside the interior in a year's time."
Her face began to turn blue, as Floch made no effort to lossen his chokehold.
"Why even bother to come here in the first place? It isn't like you care enough to advocate for change, you've already accepted everything around you. You're a capable fighter, yet show no interest in a cause or anything for that matter. So why stay? Why not go back home to daddy? What do you have to gain from all of this, Leonhart?"
While she could perfectly understand what he was saying, the blonde girl found herself in no position to ponder his questions as conciousness slowly ebbed away. Though somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew he was right, her mind raced back to the incident with Reiner and Marcel. She had no stakes in this conflict, she shouldn't be here at all. And it was all because of that half-assed moron, it was all his fault she was stuck on this fucking island, with these damned people, sleeping under their roofs and eating their food.
"Floch, you've already won, stop it!" Marco called out from afar but it fell on deaf ears.
Floch heard someone running up behind him and turned at the last second to see Bertholdt rushing to stomp his head. He let the girl go as he rolled away from where the foot landed. The taller boy shot him a fierce glare in disgust as he moved to tend to the beaten girl. Floch looked on impassively as the colossal shifter helped her up.
"Fucking devil." Bertholdt hissed at him with the girl clutched between his arms.
Floch felt genuine surprise at the insult, somewhat amused that he allowed such venom to slip amidst all of these people. It was at that moment that Shadis made his presence known.
"What the hell is going on here? Why aren't you all training?!" Shadis furiously asked the nervous cadets.
"W-we were watching a spar between Annie and Floch sir!" Came Jean's quick reply.
Shadis turned around to the two mentioned cadets and Bertholdt.
Bertholdt spoke up. "Forster challenged Annie to a spar, but made no effort to withdraw from the fight well after it was over."
"Is that so, Forster?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very well, Head to my office. Hoover, take Leonhart to the infirmary. Every other lazy sack of shit drop down and give me fifty or might as well forget dinner tonight!" He howled at the cadets as they scurried to obey his orders.
Bertholdt sent Floch a passing glance as the boy helped her away. The redhead peered to the side to the concerned faces of Gordon, Ruth, and Sandra before giving them a brief smile and walking off to be reprimanded by the commander, taking his jacket off of the shocked Eren in the process.
"What the hell was that?" Eren asked himself out loud.
Eren watched Floch limp away with wonder, where had all of that come from? Why did it seem like the boy held genuine contempt towards Annie? This was his first time seeing this side of Floch, who knew the redhead could be so sadistic? Eren shuddered at the thought as Reiner helped him to his feet. He looked to his side to find Mikasa and a clueless Armin who had just arrived. Between what Floch and Annie told him, he had no idea what to think, all that he knew was to keep moving forward.
"It all stopped mattering to me. who people were, where they came from, whether they lived or died. I couldn't find any value in life, including my own" - Annie Leonhart 854 AD, Speaking to Hitch Dreyse at the day of the rumbling.
Annie made her way to the outskirts of the camp with a small limp to her step, she sneaked through the fence under the cover of the night and made her way towards the usual spot where the warriors would sit and discuss. Reiner and Bertholdt took notice of her arrival as she sat on the lumber that had been neatly organized next to the forest.
"A-Annie, How are you feeling?" Bertholdt asked.
"I feel like going home." Came her bored reply.
He clenched his fists in fury."I'm killing that bastard one day." Bertholdt seethed.
"The fight took me by surprise, I surely thought you had it back there, Annie," Reiner spoke.
She flayed him with her angry gaze, Reiner flinched before retracting his statement. "Ahh, sorry."
She sighed with a frown, staring at her feet. "We should call this off, It's been three years too many, the brass will surely accept anything we give them at this point."
"After that much time we'll need more than just information, you know we can't do that. We need to keep moving forward and infiltrate the capital."
"To what end? For whom? Marley? Or for yourself?!" She protested.
"For Marcel-"
"Don't you fucking dare bring his name into this!" She growled.
"...As I said, we not only need to locate the founder, but we have to bring the person who stole Marcel's titan with us," Reiner explained.
"We'd never be in this mess if it weren't for you to begin with!"
Reiner's face dropped, a sad glint reflecting in his eyes.
Bertholdt was lost in his thoughts as the two argued, his mind raced back to Annie's fight. "Don't you guys think Annie's fight was strange?"
The two blonds were torn away from the moment and looked in his direction with puzzled expressions, Annie gave it some thought.
"Are you still stuck on that? Move on-" Reiner tried to say.
"No, he's right. Something felt off." Annie commented.
Bertholdt looked up at them. "I think I know why, those moves, it's the standard Marleyan anti-personnel fighting style."
"Floch is an islander, he can't know that," Reiner said.
"Which is what makes it so strange," Bertholdt replied.
Reiner shook his head. "Perhaps a coincidence?"
"Hardly, none of us utilize it and he has the grappling perfected to a T," Annie said.
"Are you two hearing yourselves?! There hasn't been outside contact with Eldia in a hundred and three years!"
Bertholdt spoke, a theory in mind. "What if it's him?"
"What do you mean?"
"The one who ate Marcel, he's had to have gotten that experience from somewhere. And it's unlikely that he's an outsider who's somehow made his way into the walls."
The other two felt shocked at the possibility, could it be him?
"But then It doesn't make sense that he's had to spend all that time away to recover from his injuries... Unless he prevented himself from healing on purpose. Remember the story he's told us at the mess hall, A fall from such a height would surely be fatal unless it's someone who can endure that kind of damage." Bertholdt concluded.
"We've never seen the one who ate Marcel leave their pure titan form..." Annie trailed.
"So what do we do with this information, Reiner?" Bertholdt asked turning to the armored shifter.
"That just means we have more reason to look out for him, we proceed with our current objective. If he truly is the jaws then a retrieval mission to Marley is in order." Reiner answered.
Annie and Bertholdt didn't look all too satisfied with the decision but went along with it anyway, they'll cross that bridge when they get to it. The trio spent some time sitting together in silence before Annie stood up to leave with a limp to her step. Bertholdt moved to help her back to the camp but she raised her palm at him effectively stopping him in his tracks. The two briefly watched her retreat into the dark before joining her as well.
"Bertholdt."
"Yes?"
"You called him a devil back there, don't slip up like that again."
Bertholdt glanced back at him.
"Right, Reiner."
"Do you want to be friends with me?" - Historia Reiss 850 Ad, to Ymir after a harsh mission in the cold winter.
The night had dragged on for Floch Forster, just like the days that had followed the brutal punishment inflicted on him by the commander Shadis. His body had been pushed to its limits, enduring aches and fatigue, until it felt like it had merged with the pain itself. The more time he spent in this kitchen cleaning the dishes, the more appealing it became for him to push his head into the bucket of water and stay there.
He shuddered, thinking about the time Ymir had almost drowned him, good times.
Floch paused his cleaning, his eyes closed in exhaustion. "You know, If you keep lurking around here in silence, I might just mistake you for a ghost," he remarked to the presence behind him. He heard shuffling, and his ears perked up at the sound. When he opened his eyes, he saw a flustered Krista Lenz standing there, looking embarrassed.
"Uhh! Ah! Sorry! I didn't mean to, It's just that...I didn't know how to approach the situation and it was starting to get awkward!" Krista babbled, her voice a mixture of nervousness and concern.
Floch gave her a reassuring nod. "It's fine, so what do you have there?" he asked, noticing the bundle of items in her hands.
"Oh, this? Well, you see... I know the commander's been working you to the ground ever since that day, and it's surely exhausting to stand there for hours cleaning dishes, so I thought... maybe you'd appreciate some food and water." Krista explained tentatively, moving closer to him.
Floch's eyes widened as he saw the loaf of bread and the wooden water jug. He couldn't help but feel awed by Krista's kindness. 'She's a goddess,' he thought to himself, unable to resist a small smile. He cocked his head, inspecting the items before meeting Krista's gaze again. "Ymir was right about you," he said, admiration ringing in his voice.
A frown crossed her face for a brief moment. "What do you mean?" She raised a perfectly sculpted brow with curiosity.
"She said you like to do good things for others, like an angel." Floch spoke in a factual tone.
Krista's cheeks flamed with heat as she stuttered in astonishment. "T-Thanks, She said that?"
Floch nodded, inwardly noting how forced her reaction had been. "She has, many times. I got the impression that you're a kind soul, which is why I commend your courage to venture here alone."
"I am not afraid of you, some may dislike you, but I do not believe that one misdeed should negate all the good you have done." Krista replied meekly. "Y-You help us sometimes, Ymir and I, and you do the same for the others." She added, though once the image of an exhausted and beaten Ruth came to find she began to reconsider her defintion of Floch helping others.
Floch raised an eyebrow skeptically. "That is debatable. Nevertheless, I appreciate your kinda words, your maj- Krista." He corrected himself, wincing at his slip of the tongue.
Krista had been too engrossed in the first part of their conversation to notice the mistake, which relieved Floch. "Why do you think that?" she asked with a tinge of intrigue.
Floch took a deep breath and hummed thoughtfully, a realization suddenly dawning on him. "There are certain things in life that can never be atoned for, no matter how hard one tries to seek absolution. Things so despicable and inhumane that the perpetrators should not be considered human anymore." Krista listened intently, her eyes fixated on him.
"Do you think those responsible for breaching the walls of Maria can ever be forgiven for their crimes?" He asked her cryptically.
Krista blinked with evident confusion. "Those were Titans, that is entirely different."
"That is not the point I am trying to make," Floch retorted, "What I mean is, can someone who has committed such heinous acts ever truly make amends for their deeds? Could you ever forgive such an act?"
"I- No, it is unforgivable," Krista replied with a shaky breath.
"And yet from their side, their actions must feel justified somehow. Do you think they consider themselves lesser for it?"
"..Lesser... Justified? What are you saying?" Krista muttered slowly, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Floch fixed her with a piercing stare. "These morals you speak of, the idea of good outweighing the bad, forgiveness... it's all a limitation. This world doesn't deal in moral absolutes or the concept of justice. It simply boils down to kill or be killed. The bottom line is that nothing but survival matters. What good would remorse and forgiveness do us if the enemy kills us first? All that matters is for one to stay true to themselves and their ideals, everyone else be damned."
Krista felt a chill run down her spine at his words. "Stay true to themselves... What if that person's in the wrong?"
Floch's lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "You wouldn't be the one to decide that. Others will do it for you. As long as I stand by my convictions until my last breath, the approval of others matters little to me. If it means shedding my humanity, if it means others might dislike or outright hate me, then so be it."
Krista blinked owlishly, trying to process his words. "What is the meaning of telling me all of this?"
"I've grown to dislike hypocrites, even if I am sometimes guilty of being one myself." He began much to her confusion, a lump forming in her throat. "Yet you, you have to be among the biggest offenders here. Pretending to be someone you're not in order to appease others... I can't even bring myself to appreciate this kindness you've shown me, because in the end I know It's meaningless." He said as he set aside the the bread and water, seeing her eyes widen in awe.
"Krista, you're doing this to feel better about yourself, aren't you?" He sneered, voice was low and serious. A pregnant pause took hold of the kitchen floor as Floch resumed his cleaning duties, leaving Krista to stand motionless and deep in thought. Her mind raced with a million thoughts as she mulled over the implications of his words.
She suddenly frowned as she came to a realization, her face contorted with frustration. "What do you know about me?" Historia asked, her voice a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
Floch rinsed a plate and placed it among the clean stacks of dishes, ignoring her question.
"You talk like you know things about me that you shouldn't, so I'll ask you again, what do you know?" He set aside the dish and dried his hands before he turned around to challenge her icy gaze.
"More than you think, Krista. I see through your facade, your so-called kindness and cheerfulness are nothing but a thin veneer, acts as shallow as the puddles riddling this camp. I can always tell when you're faking your speech and mannerisms, and it disgusts me to no end. Your need for approval and adoration from those around you is nothing short of pathetic." He spat coldly.
Historia's eyes narrowed, her irritation mounting with each word that left his mouth. "And who are you to judge me like that? You of all people should keep your mouth shut, you're nothing but a sadistic brute! Do you think I'm some sort of pushover?" she fired back, her voice laced with venom.
Floch let out a small chuckle, his indifference only further fueling her anger. "Contrary to what I just said, I don't judge you, Krista. I simply observe. And from what I've seen, you've done a good job of fooling everyone around you. You can try to hide behind your mask all you want, but the truth always finds a way to surface."
Historia's expression contorted with rage, as she glared at him. "You know nothing about me, and you can never hope to understand so stop acting like it!" she seethed.
Floch shrugged nonchalantly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I never claimed to know everything about you. But what I do know is that you're not as genuine as you pretend to be and you know it."
Historia stared at him in shock, barely processing his words as her mind raced to make sense of it all. Her shoulders sagged as she looked down at the ground with a frown, How in the world could he have possibly known? First Ymir, Now him? Was she really that transparent? Or did those two... No, she couldn't have told him about her secret. She narrowed her eyes, as she met his gaze.
Seeing the troubled look in her face, he sighed, opting to end this exchange. "Nevertheless, your secret is not mine to tell. When the time is right, if that were to ever occur, then the burden falls on your shoulders to reveal your true self." He assured her, "Anyway, I have no intention of pressing this further, I was merely annoyed by your little performance than anything."
Historia's tired gaze pierced through Floch's indifference as she struggled to contain her emotions. She let out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping in defeat. The weight of his words hung heavily in the air, causing her to feel exposed and vulnerable. She covered her face in frustration, her mind racing with thoughts she couldn't express. The silence stretched out before she spoke, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
"I've just thought about murdering you with that kitchen knife." She confessed with a groan.
"Bad idea, they don't sharpen those things."
Historia's mask slipped, her pout turning into a scowl. "I knew I should have trusted my gut not to come here. I wasn't expecting this night to turn out this way."
Floch hummed again, smirking at her. "I think we spoke enough for a single night then."
"I agree." She nodded, before awkwardness settled in again. "So..." She trailed uncomfortably.
"Something on your mind?" She looked annoyed at that question.
"Why would there be anything on my mind?" She smiled sweetly at him, unnvering him. "Now move to the side a bit and let me help you clean the rest of these. " She offered as she took off her shawl and rolled up her sleeves. "I'm not in the mood to step outside and overthink all the stuff you just threw on me."
'She really is an angel.'
"I- I see, If it makes you feel better I'd actually appreciate the help this time around, Krista."
The blonde grumbled inaudbily and shoved him with her shoulder before taking a few dishes. The two carried on with it for some time, enjoying the comfortable silence that occasionally broke with the rattling of the crockery. Historia looked up at Floch, his words replaying in the back of her mind, a ghost of a smile graced her lips before she focused her attention elsewhere.
"I should have listen to the others, you are kind of an asshole." She sighed, breaking the silence.
"That just stings." Floch replied, in mock hurt. "I see Ymir has already influenced your pure heart!"
"I thought you didn't care what others thought about you." She raised a brow in amusement.
"You're not others."
"She likes you so much that she would snap a titans neck in two for you" - Zeke Yeager 853 AD, To an undercover Eren Yeager deep in Marleyan territory.
Ymir checked over both shoulders for unwanted ears from their position on the porch, before looking down at the form of one Floch Forster. Relaxed and leaning on a chair against the wall, a rest well earned after a full day of training.
"Alright, listen dumbass."
The now fourteen-year-old stared up at Ymir with visible disinterest, mentally preparing himself for whatever was about to come out of her mouth. She inched closer until their faces were a foot apart, she stared him dead in the eyes as she spoke.
"I have a problem, and if you don't help me solve it, it'll become your problem as well. Whether you like it or not." She whispered.
"I'm listening."
Historia swung from branch to branch, in desperate search of a training dummy to strike. Her prayers were soon answered when she found two of them in a secluded clearing within the forest, she made haste to strike them down before anyone else could show up, she left satisfied with two more points added to her tally. From below by one of the trees, Connie watched in despair as Krista stole his kills.
"Dammit! How the hell did I run out of gas so quickly!?" He clutched his head in panic.
"The way things are now, even If I were to purposefully hold back that still wouldn't cut it. Krista will not be able to land a spot in the top ten and it's all because of you!" Ymir pressed her finger against his chest accusingly.
"How the hell is that my fault?" He wondered incredulously, swatting her finger away.
"You're too skilled for your own good, and you're in on this secret of ours. So it's your responsibility now."
The 104th cadets were partaking in a grueling task, as they ran in the harsh rain for miles on end. Shadis followed them around on horseback as he screamed obscenities at them in an attempt to demoralize whatever little self-esteem clung to the lifeless shells they dragged across the path. One Jean Kirstein was holding up well, though fatigue gradually worked its way to his system.
His eyes widened in alarm as he felt the strap of his large backpack weaken, he stopped dead in his tracks as it suddenly fell from his back and landed in the mud. His heart fell to his stomach as he rushed to grab it, only for the contents of the pack to spill everywhere.
"Shit! Hey, wait! I need help, come back!" Jean called out to the cadets who ran past him, though due to the fierce wind and rain, his words fell on deaf ears.
"Fuck." He muttered under his breath.
"What's in it for me? I don't particularly like to sabotage myself, I'm too prideful for that."
"I don't mind my ranking sinking to the gutter as long as Krista can be spared from the Garrison and the Corps. The others will have to suck it up though."
"So you're asking me to help you sabotage the others?"
"Go!"
Bertholdt Hoover hurried to put on his gear as he raced against the clock, Shadis and another instructor kept a timer on the side as they observed him.
'Chest belt, fastened, Holsters equipped."
His hand snatched one part after the other in rapid succession, as he donned his equipment with a calculating gaze, his hand-eye coordination impressing the instructors as a result.
'Wire unit, attached. Wire reel case and tube canister connected.'
His fingers played around with the canister carrier to fasten them together, without explanation, the entire thing began to fall apart as the canister detached from its platform and hung around his sides. Bertholdt froze in shock as he stared at the bolts and screws that held everything together roll in different directions, he looked back up at the instructors to see them shaking their heads and scribbling down on their notepads.
'Shit.'
"I'm asking you to help me protect Krista."
Here it was, Floch thought to himself as he stood shoulder to shoulder with his fellow cadets. The night of their graduation had finally come, three long years of blood, sweat, and tears have culminated towards this moment where he proudly stood alongside the best of the best amongst their peers.
TOP 10 TRAINEES BY SCORE FROM THE 104TH TRAINING CLASS :
1- Mikasa Ackerman
2- Floch Forster
3- Reiner Braun
4- Annie Leonhart
5- Eren Yeager
6- Bertholdt Hoover
7- Sasha Blouse
8- Jean Kirstein
9- Marco Bodt
10- Krista Lenz
Floch didn't look behind him to search for her, neither did he glance to the side for Historia. Yet, he knew that Ymir's eyes were glued to them both. He had done as asked and ensured Historia's "safety", knowing full well that in the end, it would hardly matter as Historia would go on to make her own choice to join the Corps. But he didn't oppose gaining favor for all his trouble, for appeasing to her demands.
Sandra watched Floch's back from afar, inwardly hurt inside that she didn't make the top ten. She had gone to great lengths to improve herself and prove to him that she belonged here, and yet even with all of the efforts she put in, she wasn't standing at his side by the front row tonight. The pain ate at her insides, leaving behind a cold residue in her chest and a crippling feeling of inadequacy.
"Hands upon your hearts!"
"Yes sir!" All of the cadets went in unison with hands raised to their chests in a salute.
The head instructor began to address them all. "For you trainees graduating today, three paths are now presented before you! You can be stationed at the walls and defend the cities as members of the Garrison! You can put your lives on the line, to fight the Titans in their territory as members of the Recon Corps! And you can serve the King by controlling the crowds and protecting order as members of the Military Police Brigade! of course, only the ten people with top scores we announced earlier are allowed into the Military Police!"
'Three years have passed, I am uncertain of what the future may hold now that I've meddled with it this much. But I do know, deep down in my heart, that I'll do anything for Eldia, anything for my people, nothing can be allowed to stand in our way and freedom.'
He glanced at those false comrades who flanked his left and right, contempt potent in his eyes as he sliced them with his hawkish gaze.
'You will not claim victory. We will fight down to the last man until all of you are destroyed beneath our feet, this is my promise for Marley and the world.'
Floch fixed his gaze ahead towards the instructors, though those fossils in their tidy green coats were the last thing on his mind at the moment.
'It is my promise to you.'
Hello, thanks for reading!
I do want some feedback for the AnnieVsFloch fight scene, I feel like it's a decent read but I'm not you, we do not process these things the same way. So honest words about it's execution would be much appreciated.
That's all from me for now, byebye
Edit 11/05/2023: Slightly Altered the dialogue between Floch&Historia.
