Victoria was secured to a towering metal tripod that loomed approximately 20 feet above the ground. The structure was firmly anchored into the earth, featuring iron piston-like components that linked to a broad bar that gradually curved downward at its apex. Within this intricate assembly, a small motor hummed to life, skillfully adjusting the tension of the wires fastened to her hips, allowing for precise slack or tightness as required, with the control panel crank conveniently positioned on the rear leg. Surrounding her were instructors stationed at each tripod, overseeing groups of nine cadets, each taking their turn to master the art of balance.
"It's aptitude test time, so listen up!" Shadis announced, his presence commanding as he moved among the clusters of cadets. "There is no place for you here if you cannot perform! Fail and you WILL be shipped to the fields." His voice rang out, sharp and resonant, cutting through the air like a blade.
She wasn't having too many issues with keeping her balance. Making sure her legs were flexed in the right way so the tension was distributed equally through the leather straps was a bit tricky, but mastering that would come with time. She was upright. That's what mattered.
From where V was elevated she could see some of her friends. Mikasa, cool as a cucumber, hung midair with ease. Sasha looked like she was relaxing on a swing set. Even Armin seemed to get the hang of it, even though his face was seriously scrunched up with focus.
THWACK!
"What is your major malfunction, Yeager!" Shadis exclaimed, lowering himself to meet Eren's gaze, who was awkwardly suspended upside down after a misstep sent him crashing down on his head. With his hands pressed against the ground in an attempt to right himself by any means, his legs thrashed helplessly above him. Eren wore an expression that radiated utter defeat and hopelessness. "Right yourself!" Shadis urged, but Eren remained in his precarious position, the weight of despair evident in his eyes.
"Well, that's precisely why we run these sorts of tests," two instructors who were discussing Eren passed by Victoria. Glancing over she realized it was the same gentlemen who had observed them on the first day. "He proves that drive and dedication do not always translate into capability."
Poor Eren, V thought, watching him basically have a breakdown as he's brought down from the wires.
"Okay, Cadet Leonhardt! It's your turn to prepare for the switch. Friedrich! Great job!"
Her instructor expressed satisfaction with her innate skills. Victoria shared in that pride, yet a sense of sorrow lingered for Eren. His dream of becoming a soldier consumed him, leading him to even start fights with his fellow cadets to defend this driving need. Discovering that he lacked even the fundamental ability to maintain his balance on the gear must have been a devastating blow to his spirit.
Cadet Leonhardt revealed herself to be Annie.
Great.
As Victoria was lowered to the ground, Annie approached her, seizing the hooks and pulling V around roughly while she unfastened her. With her blond hair neatly styled in a bun, Annie's bangs mostly obscured her face, leaving her emotions somewhat hidden.
"You could stand to be a little more gentle," V scoffed, her feet planted firmly on the ground. As they exchanged positions, Victoria set to work on attaching Annie to the tripod. Annie's rigid hips resisted, forcing V to tug fiercely on the wires, straining to make them stretch far enough to connect.
"What's the point?" Annie's piercing blue eyes fixed on her with a cold intensity. Victoria met her gaze with equal fervor, determined not to let Annie's mean demeanor shake her confidence. "Shadis ran you for hours, you can handle me being a little rough, right?"
Annie grinned as she was gradually cranked up into the air, her stance remained unwavering. "Remind me, Victoria, what was it you said?" The blonde teenager hung effortlessly above her, arms folded defiantly. "Didn't you say that if you can't handle the pressure, you have to leave?"
"I said that about training," V snapped back, annoyed that Annie had been eavesdropping. "Not bitch blondes who have mystery beef with me."
"Freidrich!"
Oh no, not again.
"Now, tell me exactly what you just said to Cadet Leonhardt." It was the Commandant. Despite his boisterous demeanor, Keith Shadis had an uncanny ability to move stealthily among the cadets. Victoria hesitated briefly, feeling the weight of the moment, before she recounted her words precisely as they had been spoken.
"SPEAKUPCADET!"
"I called her a bitch, sir! With some unknown conflict between us that I am in the dark about!" She shouted, lifting her fist into a salute.
Shadis then turned his razor gaze towards Annie. "Is this true, Leonhardt? Doyouhave a problem with Cadet Freidrich?" The commotion had drawn attention now, several groups of cadets had turned away from their tests to watch.
Initially, Annie had exuded a sense of confidence, but now she found herself stumbling over her words. The intensity of the Commandant's gaze was enough to unsettle anyone, and she was no exception. Just as she was about to defend herself, the Commandant interrupted her with a firm tone.
"I will not tolerate any discord among my cadets," he declared, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the two girls. "If I sense any conflict, those involved will face severe consequences, such as spending a week cleaning horse shit out of the stables! Do you both understand?"
"Yes, sir, Commandant Shadis, sir!" Annie and Victoria responded in perfect harmony, both snapping to attention with a salute. The weight of the Commandant's words hung in the air, a reminder of the strict discipline that governed their environment. It was clear that he expected nothing less than complete unity among his cadets, and the seriousness of the situation was not lost on them.
As the Commandant turned and walked away, a wave of relief washed over the two girls. They exhaled deeply, the tension that had gripped them moments before dissipating now that the threat of unpleasant chores had lifted. Their eyes followed him as he approached another group of cadets, quickly identifying yet another issue to address.
A reminder of the relentless scrutiny they faced, but for now, they were grateful to have escaped the harsh punishment that loomed just moments earlier.
Victoria glanced up at Annie. "Sorry," she mouthed. Annie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever."
~o~
That day, Victoria decided to forgo lunch entirely. The thought of being scrutinized or drawn into a confrontation left her feeling uneasy. First Reiner, and now Annie—both of them behaving in ways she couldn't quite grasp. It baffled her to think that if it weren't for her, they would probably be dead. Corpses in the ruins of Shiganshina. Their chance encounter had been a stroke of luck, but now she found herself questioning everything. What had transpired over the past two years that could justify such a shift in their behavior?
Well, mostly Reiner's behavior. Annie seemed like she was a bitch back then too. At least Bertholdt had the courtesy to just pretend she didn't exist. He hadn't spoken to, or even looked at, her once.
"Victoriaaaa!"
She flinched, irritated that someone had found her. She had been hiding behind the showers, tucked neatly into the space beside the rainwater barrels that helped maintain the water levels, writing a letter to Chisaki.
It was Eren and Armin. They walked towards her with a quickened pace, glancing around to make sure no one saw them. Armin, of course, had brought her lunch again. This time it was a small, dry-looking vegetable turnover.
"Skipping lunch isn't good for you," Armin tried to gently scold her but was promptly pushed aside by Eren.
"Victoria, I need your help!" His eyes were intense. Who was she kidding, when weren't they? "I need you to show me the basics of ODM gear."
V frowned, chest clenching at the reality of what she was about to say to her friend. "Sorry man, there's no trick to just hanging there." She braced for his anger.
"Come on!" He pleaded, "Mikasa won't help me; she basically told me to let this dream die! After what happened to my mom, she's crazy if she thinks I'll just walk away."
"Your mom?"
"I had to watch her die, V!" he shouted, his voice filled with anguish as he crouched down to meet her gaze. Tears started to form in his eyes, reflecting the pain of the haunting memory he was currently reliving. "I-I had to leave her there, to get devoured by a Titan. Her legs were broken... she couldn't run..."
Victoria remembered watching Hannes practically drag Eren away from something. "Oh." Was all she could say for a moment, while Eren sniffled. Armin put his hand on Eren's shoulder but he shrugged it off in frustration.
"I need your help, V," his expression changed. "Please.I need to become a soldier so I can kill them. I need to avenge her."
Victoria felt a chill run down her spine. Eren's usual stubbornness had taken on a new, unsettling edge that left her feeling uneasy. This was no longer just about his determination; it was something deeper, something darker, and potentially threatening that made her question his intentions, if only for a moment.
"Eren, I'm sorry, but I- I can't help you. I wouldn't even know how to start to explain this. It's a basic thing. It's just about posture control."
Eren suddenly rose to his feet, his hair falling over his eyes as he remarked, "It's obvious you don't understand either." His voice turned icy and quiet in an instant, and he stormed away, leaving Armin standing next to Victoria. Armin looked at her, placing the turnover gently in her hand, his sky-blue eyes filled with regret before he rushed off to follow Eren.
Victoria sighed and pressed her head back against the building, looking up towards the fluffy white clouds that hung over camp.
What the fuck.
~o~
The evening unfolded into a serene stillness as the cadets made their way to their bunks. As night settled in, a sense of calm enveloped the camp, punctuated only by the soft hum of crickets and the quiet buzzing of insects that flew lazily near the gas lanterns hanging at each cabin door. In the distance, the low murmur of conversation could be heard, with students diligently working on their studies and instructors thoughtfully preparing for the next day's activities. The moonlight added a touch of magic to the peaceful ambiance, creating a perfect backdrop for this quiet moment in time.
Victoria sat outside her cabin. It was very late, the other girls inside were fast asleep when V quietly slipped through the screen door. The moon was past its apex and the stars shone brilliantly above her.
She had originally come outside to finish writing her letter to Chisaki but she had since finished it, the paper folded neatly in her lap. Victoria seriously debated whether or not she was actually going to send it. She went a little too into detail about the color Reiner's eyes while he stared at her.
With a heavy sigh, she balled up the letter and let it slip from her fingers as she leaned back against the bench. This shift in posture shielded her from the glow of the gas lamp, allowing her to gaze up at the stars more clearly. Victoria felt a twinge of anxiety; it was well past curfew, and the thought of facing the consequences, if discovered, weighed on her mind.
The sudden creak of a screen door made her heart rate skyrocket, and she instinctively slid further down into the shadows under the patio.
Four figures slid out of a cadet cabin. They had the hoods of the green cadet caplets over their faces and kept low to the ground as they slinked towards the edge of camp. Two of the figures were quite tall, the other two quite short. As they got closer to the fence line, she watched as one of the tall boys pulled out a lantern and illuminated their faces.
It was Reiner who stood there, accompanied by Bertholdt, Eren, and Armin. Victoria couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration as she pondered where they were headed. She watched Reiner's expression shift as he turned to Eren, a bright smile spreading across his face, radiating a sense of comfort and camaraderie. The ease with which he connected with Eren only deepened her irritation, making Victoria acutely aware of the stark contrast to her own feelings of exclusion from Reiner.
Victoria had had enough.
Without warning, V sprang to her feet, the wooden bench crashing against the cabin wall with a resounding thump. The sudden noise caused the four cadets to turn their heads in unison, searching for the origin of the disturbance.
Reiner and Victoria's eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, guilt flickered across his expression before he regained his composure in front of his companions. Holding her gaze, he reached out and lifted a section of the fence, guiding Eren and Armin to pass through.
As she ascended the stairs to her cabin, she sensed the weight of their eyes on her back. Despite the urge to look back, Victoria steeled herself and focused on her path. Gently pushing the door open, she entered the dimly lit room, carefully navigating her way to the bunk, determined to avoid disturbing her sleeping companions.
Victoria nestled into her bed, feeling another wave of frustration wash over her as tears began to form under her eyelids. The last image that lingered in her thoughts before she gave into sleep was the warm, captivating smile of Reiner, etched deeply in her memory.
"You came in pretty late last night. Out with the boys?"
Victoria let out a soft groan as the bright light of day flooded her vision, overwhelming her senses. It had taken her quite some time to drift off the night before, and with the cadets rising at dawn, she realized her sleep had been quite limited. With a heavy heart and a foggy mind, V slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head to see who was talking to her.
Ymir lounged on the end of her bunk. She was a tall and slender young woman, her short black hair falling in a carefree manner, split down the center. To keep her hair manageable, Ymir often tied it back in a low ponytail secured with a white ribbon, adding a touch of simplicity to her formidable presence. Her striking gray eyes held a fierce intensity, complemented by the delicate freckles that adorned her narrow cheekbones.
That intense gaze was fixed on Victoria, Ymir's lips curled up in a mischievous smile.
"Ughhh," Victoria groaned in response as she tried to hide herself in her pillow. That didn't last long, however, as Ymir snatched it from underneath her head.
"Oh, come on," Ymir teased as the other cadets rushed around getting ready. "You literally have to get up anyway. Unless youwantto run more laps?"
"Oh, my god, Ymir," Victoria sat up, her tousled brown hair not dissimilar to a bird's nest. "Can you please leave me alone?"
"Yeah, Ymir!" Krista Lenz exclaimed, her cheerful voice unexpectedly loud. "Just let her be." Ymir shot a playful glance back at Krista, who, with her delicate features and doll-like appearance, appeared resolute in her mission to be the moral compass of the group. Having already come to Sascha's aid when she fainted from fatigue, it was clear that Krista was not about to back down now.
After a moment, Ymir let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine," she stood gracefully, walking over to Krista and wrapping her arm around her. "But only because you asked nicely." Ymir shot a glare back at Victoria. "But if we get in trouble because you're late for headcount, V, I'm gonna kick your ass."
Victoria growled in frustration as she tossed the blanket aside, feeling the urgency of the moment. She struggled with her leather balance straps, which had become hopelessly tangled, and her hair was no better. Despite the chaos, she managed to pull herself together and finally stepped outside onto the cabin's patio. Ymir and Krista were there, patiently waiting for her, though Krista's insistence had certainly played a role in their decision to stick around.
Together, the three girls hurried off to the headcount.
~o~
Today was the pivotal moment for all the cadets, as they were set to be assessed on their proficiency with the omni-directional mobility gear. This evaluation was simple and essential; a cadet's inability to maintain their balance after being taught the basics would show they were not fit for the demanding training that lay ahead.
The truth was clear: lacking this basic skill would effectively shut the door on their journeys to becoming soldiers. They would go home.
It was stressful for most. The cadets were split up between several of the metal tripods from before. Eren looked on the verge of a panic attack as he stood in line. Reiner and Armin stood behind him, going through the basics again in an attempt to make sure Eren succeeded. Whether or not he did, though, was entirely up to him.
"Don't try anything fancy," V could hear Armin encouraging Eren. "Just remember the basics and you will be fine. Just focus on your balance. If I can do it, I know you can."
Between them and Victoria were a few more cadets—Annie, then Jean, Mikasa, and Sasha, and finally Victoria. Annie and Mikasa were the only ones who appeared calm. Despite their confidence, the rest of the cadets shifted anxiously on their feet. The Training Corps demanded perfection.
Victoria sighed in frustration, wishing she could have been the first to take her turn. Just behind her, Connie Springer anxiously paced back and forth, his rough voice betraying his nerves as he agreed with her. His freshly shaved head gleamed under the hot sun, already showing signs of sunburn. Meanwhile, Bertholdt stood a short distance away, his gaze fixed intently on Reiner and Annie, perhaps feeling a sense of unease about his own abilities compared to theirs.
The procession of cadets advanced at a brisk pace, and all eyes were glued to Eren as he stepped forward, a palpable tension in the air. Victoria noticed his obvious nervousness, with sweat marks seeping through his jacket, making it difficult for him to remain still while the metal cords were fastened to his hips. A collective silence enveloped the crowd as he was lifted off the ground and several cadets broke formation to get a closer look.
Everyone held their breath.
For a brief moment, he maintained his posture, arms held out to his side. Eren pushed himself to the limit, muscles straining as they managed to keep his balance for a fleeting three seconds before he abruptly toppled backward, his head crashing forcefully against the ground. Victoria could hear his desperate plea, "No, not yet! Just one more time! I can do this! Please!" Eren was nearly begging the Commandant, who remained silent, observing the scene from the sidelines.
"Lower him," The Commandant finally spoke.
Eren collapsed onto the earth, his hands and knees sinking into the dirt as he pounded the ground with clenched fists. A tempest of anger and grief churned beneath the surface of his expression, ready to erupt at any moment. Slowly, he shifted back to rest on his ankles, tilting his gaze toward the sky. Tears threatened to overflow as he whispered, "I'm finished."
"Wagner," Shadis's gaze did not change or move from Eren. "Please exchange belts with Mr. Yeager."
The stocky blond cadet with fuzzy sideburns, Thomas, who had been managing the control panel, flinched slightly but complied with the instructions. The exchange was swift, as the belts seamlessly transitioned between the two boys before Eren was secured back to the tripod.
The old machine creaked as the wires were hoisted back up. Slowly, Eren's feet lifted off the ground. For a moment, nothing happened. And that continued. Eren was holding the posture! A smile slowly began to form on his face.
"I'm doing it..." He slowly spoke, his voice getting louder as he realized his triumph. "I did it!"
Commandant Shadis examined Eren's belt with a keen eye. "Ah, yes," he said, a contemplative look crossing his face as he identified the source of Eren's troubles. A tiny metal connector, which should have rested comfortably at the small of his back, lay broken in two.
"If given a piece of functional gear, you might not be worthless after all."
The throng of cadets burst into enthusiastic applause for Eren, revealing that far more individuals than Victoria had anticipated were cheering for his triumph. Overcome with excitement, Victoria joined in, shouting, "Wooo! You did it, Eren!"
The cadets in front of her navigated the line swiftly, encountering no obstacles. At last, it was V's moment to take the aptitude test. Securely attached to the tripod, she succeeded effortlessly, demonstrating remarkable skill. From her elevated position, she noticed Reiner observing her once more, his expression revealing a hint of frustration at the ease with which she maintained her balance.
Victoria tried once again to ignore him, but proved impossible as he stepped up to volunteer to unhook her from the tripod. Unable to move until she was free, V was forced to stand there awkwardly as his hands moved over her waist.
"Why are you doing this?" He asked suddenly, husky voice low so the Commandant didn't overhear him. His sun-colored eyes were dark, focused on his task but she could feel his breath on her neck as he shifted around her.
"Doing what?" She replied sarcastically. "The aptitude test?"
Reiner scowled. "No." The latches were off, and Victoria was on the ground. She didn't know why she followed him to the side, but she did. "Why are you becoming a soldier?" The question brought her pause, and when she looked into his face to find an answer, Victoria found genuine concern there.
"Why did you decide to do this?" He repeated urgently.
"I don't owe you an explanation," she replied, thoroughly finished with his mood swings.
"Please," his voice was soft but his shoulders were tense. "I want to understand." Something about his tone startled her. He was practically begging at this point.
"I want to know what lies outside the Walls." She answered after a moment, teeth clenched as she responded and then turned to leave, without another word to Reiner. He watched her walk away, eyes full of regret.