Reluctant Heroes

Chapter 1

I shuffled through the papers on my desk with a sigh. Was it too much to ask that the Military Police turned their finance reports in on time? I knew that Nile was busy trying to keep everything running, but surely there was someone competent enough to tell me how much they were spending on protection measures within the walls. Or at the very least, how much they were spending on alcohol. I know it was the least of our worries, with a growing population and no room to expand. Humanity was struggling under the burden of trying to feed its people while staving off calls to cut military waste. It didn't help that the nobility lived lavishly and did nothing to help those struggling the most. But in a system designed to benefit only them, there was little I could do beyond looking for inefficiencies in the budget and cutting where I could. I knew a lot of people were looking to the King for guidance, but his advisors kept him from ever properly addressing these issues. It left the hard work to us to manage. 

I found myself wishing that the settlements in the Underground had been successful. Underground, there were no Titans. It would solve that problem, at the very least. But we could expand and then use the land inside the walls for crops. We could find peace. Peace. The word seemed almost foreign to me. More than anything, I wished we never had to deal with what was outside those walls, always threatening to come closer. War with the Titans was the only life I'd ever known, but I imagined peace was wonderful. Not that I'd ever seen a Titan, of course, growing up inside Wall Sina, but the horror stories from my colleagues about the reports that came from the Scout Regiment chilled me to the bone. Any lawyer sent out to the Scouts usually returned fairly quickly, citing poor conditions, always traveling, and the barbarian nature of the men and women who donned the green cloaks. And the Titans, of course. I shivered.

My thoughts were soon broken by the sound of raised voices outside, trailing in through my open window. Immediately, I shot out of my chair and ran down the stairs, making sure my feet didn't trip over themselves. It would be very much like me to fall at this moment, considering how often I actually did. I pushed through the heavy wooden doors to the courtyard right as a man's fist made contact with the side of a new cadet. The cadet fell to the ground in pain, and I heard the air leave his body in a large whoosh. I cringed. A crowd began to form around the attacker, who I soon recognized as Aiden Bauer, as he shook his fist off and spat on the ground in disgust.

"That'll teach you to mouth off to me, runt," he hissed at the boy still bent over.

Aiden's friends, Carver and Evelyn, laughed and patted him on the back. But the hit wasn't enough, apparently, as he stalked closer and grabbed the cadet by the hair, forcing his gaze up. Without missing a beat, Aiden's fist socked the kid straight in the nose. Blood gushed out and I heard a sickening crunch. The crowd collectively drew closer, inching for a look at the carnage. This was their annual ritual. Pick the newest cadet who was just a bit too proud of how high they finished in training, and then establish the hierarchy by taunting them and then beating them down when they inevitably reacted. Although I had never gone through military training and instead opted for further schooling and my law degree, I had been with the Military Police long enough to know the games of the veteran MPs. And I had known Aiden long enough to know that he loved this game most.

 With a snort, Aiden threw the cadet to the ground and kicked him with the toe of his boot. The other new soldiers stood gaping, unsure of what to do and too intimidated to try their own luck with the veterans. My stomach twisted at the thought of having to approach the scene, but no one was helping the cadet. Holding my breath so I wouldn't get woozy from the smell of the blood, I crouched down by the cadet and softly placed my hand on his arm. He recoiled instantly, and I immediately felt guilty.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm Sloan. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to take you to the infirmary, okay?" I whispered softly in his ear.

Almost too quickly, the cadet sat up and wiped furiously at his nose with the sleeve of his jacket.