Chapter 6: The Book Club and the Gym Rats

Walking across the cold hard floor, Harry felt the eerie atmosphere seep through his body. So much had happened in a short time that he hadn't been able to adjust. Luckily though, he and Armin were almost at the library. Speaking of Armin, the teen looked at the fictional character to see how he was doing and noticed he was frantically looking around.

"Uh, you alright man?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, I'm good," responded Armin, as he smiled. "How much further?"

"It's just up these stairs. First doors ahead."

They both walked up the dark concrete stairs, and true to his word, the doors to the library were right in front of them.

"So I thought Adam said the 3000 building was for the cafeteria," said Armin.

"It is," replied Harry. "Well, both the cafeteria and library are in the 3000 building. The library is right above the cafeteria."

The two approached the library doors and attempted to open them, but they didn't budge.

"Damn, they locked the doors," cursed Harry. "Strange, it's usually open all day."

"What do we do now?" asked Armin. "Alex took the master key with her."

"It's fine," said Harry. "There's another way into the library, through the computer lab."

"Computer lab?"

"It's just a room full of computers," answered Harry.

"Oh," said Armin.

The two walked forward, turned left, and entered the computer lab. It was silent for the most part until Amrin spoke.

"Hey, Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind if I asked about what happened earlier?" asked Armin.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just that, you had this strange look when I talked to Alex."

"I wasn't looking at you weirdly!" exclaimed Harry, with little confidence in his voice.

"It's okay, I'm not mad or anything. I was just curious," explained Armin.

"You want the truth?" asked Harry.

"Sure," said Armin

He sighed at this, considering how hard he'd been working to try to keep it a secret.

"I...have a crush on Alex," explained Harry, his gaze cast to the ground hiding red cheeks. "When I saw you talking with her, I couldn't help but feel jealous. Sorry, it's nothing personal."

"It's okay, I don't have any feelings for her," said Armin. "But it was easy for me to tell you that."

"Really?" asked Harry. "Was it that obvious?"

"Sorta," replied Armin. "I'm pretty sure everyone except Alex sees it. The way your eyes linger on her when she isn't looking, the smile you put on when she's around. I'm surprised you aren't together."

Not a word escaped Harry's lips, as the teen's brain exploded in awe. He couldn't help but wonder if he was truly that obvious about it. He was so sure that no one knew, and yet Armin had figured it out in just one day. It was reasonable for him to assume everyone knew.

"Aw man," groaned Harry. "So embarrassing. How could you tell I have feelings for her so easily?"

"Let's just say I've known someone who's got a crush and never mentions it," replied Armin.

"You're talking about Mikasa right?"

His jaw slacked at this, realizing he may have given away his friend's secret.

"Don't worry," said Harry. "I already knew long before we met."

"Oh, how did—" started Armin, but he trailed off and answered his own question. "Right, you guys watched the show."

"Correct," replied Harry.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you know all about us," said Armin. "You won't say anything about it right?"

"I won't, I promise," replied Harry. "You ever think she should say something to him before it's too late?"

"Yeah, sometimes," said Armin. "But I think she's too worried that if she says anything and Eren doesn't feel the same way then it'll ruin their relationship."

Now that the teen thought about it, he was right. The reason she never expressed her true feelings was that she feared losing him. But he couldn't blame her, with all that anger and vengeance boiling inside Eren there was never a good time to mention it.

The two finally arrived at the computer lab and swung the door open. Inside was a room full of computers, along with a large whiteboard and projector.

"So what exactly is the computer lab for?" asked Armin.

"It's used when a teacher wants the entire class to use a computer," explained Harry. "It depends on what the assignment is. Anyway, let's not waste time, the door to the library is over there."

The two then walked through the door and finally entered the library. It was dark, there were only a few emergency lights that stayed on. The library was full of large bookshelves and roundtables, along with the many accessories you'd find in a high school library.

"Here we are," said Harry

"So, you think we'll find someone in there?" asked Armin.

"Maybe," replied Harry. "I figure they'd want to find a quiet place to calm down and figure out what's going on."

"Good point," admitted Armin.

Stepping into the dim light, they walked in carefully and began to look around. Harry then turned on his phone's flashlight to conduct a proper search. They both split up and looked for any signs of the AOT characters.

After a few minutes, Armin noticed Harry standing at a desk and ruffling through papers.

"Hey Harry, what are you looking for?" asked Armin.

"Hold on," mumbled Harry.

He then ruffled through a different stack of papers until...

"Found it!" exclaimed Harry, as he held a pamphlet of papers in his hand.

"What is it?" asked Armin.

"Think of it as an insurance policy," explained Harry. "Adam told me to pick it up while we were here."

He then carefully rolled up the pamphlet and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Let's get back to searching."

"Okay," replied Armin.

After searching the main area, the teens ended up not finding anyone or clues.

"I don't think they're in here," admitted Armin.

"Yeah, me too," replied Harry. "Let's go search some of the classrooms."

Before they could leave, Harry and Armin heard voices coming from one of the offices inside the library.

"You heard the right?" asked Harry.

"Yeah," replied Armin.

"Let's go check it out,"

As they approached the office, the voices became clear, and they were able to make out some dialogue.

"This is your fault!"

"How is any of this my fault?!"

"I told you splitting up was a bad idea! We don't even know where we are!"

"Well, I don't see you coming up with any brilliant ideas!"

As they entered the office, a girl and a boy in their mid-teens stood in front of them. Behind them, another girl was lying on the table in the office, seemingly unconscious.

The girl standing was slender and young with short, shaggy black hair parted down the middle, kept in a low ponytail. She had deeply intimidating gray eyes and freckles on her cheeks. The boy next to her had a slim build, with gray eyes and a shaved head. Finally, the girl lying down was a petite young girl with long blonde hair, large blue eyes, and a heart-shaped face.

While they were all different in appearance, one detail brought them together; all three were wearing the cadet corps uniform. Harry's mind jumped into overdrive as he realized.

"Ymir? Connie?"

"Huh, who are you?" asked Ymir

"And how do you know our names?" asked Connie.

"We met earlier," explained Armin, reading the situation perfectly. "I've already told him about you guys."

"Wait, Armin, you're here too?" asked Connie

"Yeah, I got here a while back with Eren, Mikasa."

"What are you guys doing in here?" asked Harry.

"Well, we were trying to figure out what to do next, then Krista fainted," replied Connie.

"Is she alright," asked Armin

"Yeah, I think she's fine," said Ymir. "She's been out for a bit. Probably cause she saw Jean get hit by that cart thing."

"Don't worry, I've got an idea," Harry said. "I'll be right back."

The teen grabbed a mug that was being used as a desk mesh off the table. After dumping its contents, he jogged to the water fountain outside the library and filled the mug with cold water. Then he walked back into the library office, being cautious to not spill a single drop.

"She's still breathing," said Amrin. "I'm guessing she passed out because of shock."

"If she's just slightly unconscious, then this should wake her up easily," said Harry.

He then poured the cold water onto the teen's face. In a reflexive response, she bolted up rapidly. Her breathing was labored, and she coughed as she wiped the water from her face. The shock was evident in her bright blue eyes.

"Hey, easy princess. Don't worry, it's okay," assured Ymir, before frowning at the brunette. "What the hell was that?!"

"I was just waking her up faster," explained Harry. "We don't have any time to waste."

"Ymir, don't worry, I'm okay," revealed Krista. "He was just trying to help."

"Fine,"

"So, how did you guys get in the building?" asked Harry.

"After we ran away from that cart thing, we saw these buildings and ran towards them. Connie had the bright idea that we should slip up, and that's exactly what everyone did. After we got inside, Krista fainted, so I carried her into this library and closed the door behind us."

"Wow, guess you guys have had a rough night," said Harry

"You could say that again," scoffed Connie

"I'll be right back," said Ymir, averting her gaze from Harry. "Gonna check and see if anyone else is in here."

"Actually, Armin and I already searched the-"

"You guys stay here with Krista," ordered Ymir.

"Uh, sure thing captain," shrugged Harry.

She then rolled her eyes before walking out of the office.

"Sorry about Ymir. She can be a bit mean sometimes," apologized Krista.

"It's fine," replied Harry.

"I should probably introduce myself. I'm Krista, Krista Lenz," she said, offering her hand.

"Right, it's Krista right now," thought Harry. "Better not slip up and call her by her real name."

"Uh, Harry. Harry Copeland. Are you feeling okay? You looked pretty out of it earlier."

"Yeah, I guess," replied Krista, still clearly shaken up. "It just, everything happened so fast. Almost like it was a dream."

"So what exactly happened?" asked Harry.

"Well, at the time I was with Ymir. We were walking around town when a bright light blinded us. Next thing we know, we're in this strange place, and several other cadets were standing next to us."

Piecing the facts together, Harry realized that they'd come from the same point in time in the show as Eren and his friends. However, they ended up arriving later for some reason. Perhaps it was because they were supporting characters and they'd appeared later in the show? Regardless, whatever force brought them here must've had a purpose.

"That's exactly how it was for us," said Armin.

"What happened next?" asked Harry

"Then this cart thing with these blue and red lights rammed straight into Jean. After that, the guy controlling it came out and started chasing us."

Harry noticed her story seemed to match up with the same story the officer gave them.

"Yikes, was Jean alright?" asked Harry.

"He was okay," replied Krista. "The cart-thing wasn't going super fast, so I don't think it was too bad for him. To be honest, I can't remember much after that. The next thing I remember was you pouring water on my face."

"So you don't know where Jean and the others went?" asked Harry.

"No," replied Krista.

"Connie?"

"Like Ymir said, we sort of split up when we got to these buildings," explained Connie. "So, I didn't see where everyone else went. I'm guessing you haven't seen them either."

"Yeah, we haven't seen them," said Harry. "Maybe one of my friends has found them."

"By the way, I wanted to ask, how did you meet Armin?"

"Well, that's a long story-"

Harry had started to say before a blood-curdling scream hit his eardrums. The three of them jumped in fear, and at the same moment, Ymir came rushing back into the office.

"What the hell was that?" asked Connie, in a frightened tone.

"That sounded like Adam," claimed Harry. "He could be in trouble. We need to go, now!"

The brunette dashed out of the library and headed straight for the cafeteria, leaving the others behind. Every thought in the teen's head was telling him to run away, not towards, the impending danger. But his friend probably needed him. He mentally kicked himself realizing it was stupid of them to agree with splitting up. He was certain something bad would happen.

But the worst thing his mind could consider was that what if something attacked Adam? Or worse. It was only a matter of time until it started to pick them off one by one.

"So this is the gym?" asked Mikasa, as she and Alex stood outside the multiple doors that led inside. "I thought Adam said students were having a party in the gym?"

"He was talking about the new gym," replied Alex. "This is the old gym."

"There are two gyms?"

"Yeah, a few years ago they built a brand new gym, hence the name, "the new gym," said Alex.

"Oh, so what's this gym used for?" asked Mikasa.

"It's mainly used as a practice court and for, 'Team Sports,'" responded Alex.

"No offense, but you guys don't seem very physically active," said Mikasa.

"Hey!" scoffed Alex, taking slight offense to the comment. "We may not be as buff as you but we do pretty well for ourselves. Besides, Harry's asthma holds him back and Adam stopped weight training ever since..."

"Since what?"

"Oh, it's nothing," said Alex, attempting to push away from the topic. "I'm just rambling at this point."

"So, what's this asthma thing Harry has?" asked Mikasa.

"Basically, it's a disease that causes your lungs to swell up, and you can't breathe properly," explained Alex.

"Sounds painful."

"It can be," replied Alex.

"That makes sense," said Mikasa. "When he came back with Armin and Adam he looked more worn out than everyone else,"

"Yeah, I figured it was because they sprinted back to the house," replied Alex. "I know he can handle it, but whenever I'm with him doing something physical, I try to be mindful and tell him to relax, just in case."

"I know he can handle it, but he'll have to take a break every few minutes. You guys don't have Asthma in your world?"

"Don't think so," replied Mikasa. "I've never heard of a disease like that,"

"Interesting," said Alex. "Anyway, we should probably head inside."

"Do you mind if I ask something before we go in?" asked Mikasa.

"Go for it."

"You and Harry. What's your deal?"

Alex felt her cheeks flush scarlet red at this, warming her heart with embarrassment as she had an idea of what Mikasa was implying.

"N-nothing. We're just really good friends. That's all." replied Alex, in attempted confidence.

"Are you sure? The way you look at him says otherwise."

"What do you mean?"

"The fact that you always look at him when you're laughing and that he gives off a smile seeing you happy," explained Mikasa.

What! I don't do that," exclaimed Alex.

"Then why are you blushing?' asked Mikasa.

Alex shifted her eyes to the floor and crossed her arms. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed, which led to her becoming annoyed.

"Well...you're not so upfront yourself!" scoffed Alex.

"What are you talking about?" asked Mikasa, with a genuine look of surprise on her face.

"Oh, come on, I can easily tell you have feelings for Eren," Alex said,

"It's not like that," replied Mikasa, as her cheeks turned red. "He's just...family."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," mocked Alex. "For someone who claims he's just family, you sure are attached to his leg like a puppy."

"He's just...someone I care about," said Mikasa,

After a moment of silence, Alex looked at Mikasa, who was covering her face with the scarlet scarf she had never taken off. Alex then sighed in defeat, a small conversation had almost turned into a confrontation. It was unusual for her, as she only had to act that way with other girls from school. Having to deal with snotty rich kids had resulted in her becoming very defensive whenever she was pressed. However, in this case, she regretted every instance of it.

"Sorry, Mikasa, I didn't mean to make you feel weird. I just get carried away sometimes without realizing it," apologized Alex.

"It's fine, but it's not what you said," explained Mikasa, surprising the redhead slightly. "I'm just... worrying about him."

"Why?"

"Because of his leg," explained Mikasa. "Eren doesn't know when to quit, so he can get carried away sometimes. What if something's happened to him?"

"He'll be alright," reassured Alex. "As long as Adam is looking out for him, Eren will be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Adam always puts his friends in front of himself," praised Alex.

"Why do you say that?" asked Mikasa.

"Let me tell you about the time when Harry was sick," replied Alex, as she cleared her throat and set all memories to recall.

"About two years ago, Harry came to school, but he was extremely sick. He was sitting in class, ready to puke and pass out at any moment. He called his mom and dad to come to pick him up, but neither of them came."

"Why was that?" asked Mikasa.

"They couldn't get off work in time," explained Alex. "So he was stuck at school."

"Couldn't someone else take him home?"

"They could, but unless you're 18, only your parents can check you out from school," said Alex.

"So what happened?" asked Mikasa.

"Adam came to the rescue," grinned Alex. "Harry told him about his situation, so he left the class without telling anyone, and went to go get him at the nurse's office. He then called an Uber for Harry and sent him home."

"Uber?"

"It's transportation service," explained Alex. "It's like someone calling for a horse carriage to take you where you want to go."

"Oh, that was nice of him," smiled Mikasa.

"It was, but not everyone felt the same way," groaned Alex.

"What do you mean?"

"Adam got out of class without permission, and students aren't allowed to check themselves out," explained Alex. "Harry was let off the hook, but Adam got detention instead."

"He sounds like a good friend," said Mikasa

"He is, which is how I know nothing will happen to Eren while he's around," said Alex.

Mikasa then smiled, Alex's story reassuring her.

"Now that's over with, shall we finally go in?" said Alex.

"Sure, any idea what's in there?"

"Just gym gear, and hopefully a few of your friends," responded Alex, reaching into her pocket for the master key.

Alex felt pretty hopeful about finding them, as odds were it wasn't just a coincidence that some police officer happened to run into people dressed like Attack on Titan characters, who had shown up on the same day as Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. They just had to be there.

Alex inserted the key into the lock and turned it. She then heard a "click," pulled the door open, and walked in. The room was icy cold, and dark, the only light source was the security lights that stayed on 24/7. As soon as they walked into the gym, three silhouettes were standing under a security light. When they noticed Alex and Mikasa standing at the entrance, their eyes locked.

"Mikasa? Is that you?"

Alex heard a feminine voice say, which strangely sounded familiar. Both teens then moved towards the light, slightly dazzling their vision. When their eyes adjusted, the three people stood before them. Two guys and a girl. One of the males had short blond hair, hazel eyes, and a defined facial structure, along with above-average height and broad shoulders. The other male was a rather tall, slender young man with short, dark hair, brown eyes, thin eyebrows, and an elongated face. As for the female, she was considerably short in height, along with moderately short blonde hair tied at the back. She also has an oval-shaped face, blue eyes, a Roman nose, and a pale complexion.

"Annie? Yeah, It's me," answered Mikasa. "How could you tell in the dark?"

"Probably your scarf," Reiner pointed out. "It stands out."

"Oh, you guys are here too," said Mikasa, as she addressed the two males.

"Yup. Me and Bertolt," explained Reiner. "You weren't with us when we arrived in this strange place. How'd you get here?"

"It's a long story," replied Mikasa, as she looked at Alex with uncertainty. "How did you guys get here?" asked Mikasa.

"I have no idea," explained Reiner. "I was in the barracks getting ready for graduation when I was blinded by a bright light. Next thing I know, I'm standing next to a bunch of my friends in this weird place."

"What about you guys?" asked Mikasa, as she gestured to Bertolt and Annie.

"Uh yeah, I was in the barracks with Reiner when it happened," said Bertolt.

"I was at HQ when it happened," added Annie. "Seems the same thing happened to all of us."

"How'd you guys get in the building?" asked Alex.

"Well, after we appeared in this weird place, we were trying to figure out our location," explained Reiner. Then all of a sudden, some fast cart thing rammed straight into Jean. After that, the guy controlling it came out and started chasing us. Eventually, we all split up, so Annie, Bertolt, and I ran into this building to lay low. Luckily the doors were unlocked. By the way, who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Alex," she said as she extended her arm out.

"Nice to meet you, Alex. I'm Reiner. That's Annie, and that's Bertolt," he said, gesturing to them.

"Hey, it's nice to meet you guys," smiled Alex.

Bertolt gave an awkward wave while Annie's expression barely changed.

So how'd you two meet?" asked Reiner.

"Alex was there to help me when I first arrived here," replied Mikasa.

"Finally, some good news," exclaimed Reiner. "Seems like you have a good grasp of things. Sorry to be so upfront with you, but can you tell me where we are behind the walls? We're kinda lost."

"Well...the best person to ask about that is Adam," replied Alex.

"Who's Adam?" asked Reiner.

"My friend," replied Alex. "He's here looking for your friends with Eren."

"Eren's here?"

"Yep, so is Armin."

"I guess that's good to hear," said Reiner, a relieved look on his face. "At least we're not completely alone. Where are they now?"

"They should be in the cafeteria," explained Alex. "It's not a far walk from here-." Before she could finish her sentence, a blood-curdling scream reached their ears. This made all the teens flinch in confusion and fear.

"What was that?" asked Bertolt.

"That sounded like Adam," said Alex, before all her nerves started firing off like bullets.

She then dashed for the exit and shot down the hall, headed for the cafeteria. She figured the rest would catch up, but that wasn't important to her at that moment. What was important to her was Adam. He was her best friend, and she couldn't let anything happen to him or Harry. Whether it was bullies or a Titan, she would never leave him behind.

Never.

Author's Note: Good to be back. Leave a review and tell me what you think.