Shorter Than Me

8 Ecyn

The commander addresses everyone at dinner.

"In one week, the Scouting Legion will embark on another expedition beyond Wall Maria. The main goal will be to learn more about the titans and their behavior at night. We will leave two hours before sunset in seven days. Until then, everyone going on the expedition will change their sleep schedules to be awake at night and asleep during the day. We plan to be gone for only one night. Instead of using smoke signals, we will be using small firework flares with the same colors. Squad leaders will have some smoke flares for when it's day, but everyone will have the fireworks.

"For the next week, everyone will practice using the maneuver gear and killing titans in the dark." He starts calling the names of people that are going on the expedition. I am one of them. So are all the new recruits. He also tells the new recruits which squad they will be in. Dren and Briine are in Hanji's. I'm, of course, in Captain Levi's.

Is Hanji a captain or what is she? I don't know.

Then the commander dismisses us and I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to face Ackerman.

"Captain Levi wants to meet those of us in his squad outside right now."

"Oh. Alright." I glance toward where the other new recruits have gathered, wanting to join them, and stand up. I follow Ackerman outside. Arlert, Kerstein, and Jaeger are already there. Captain Levi is leaning against the wall. It makes him actually look shorter than he already is.

"The Scouts in my squad get their own quarters. Currently, Jaeger is the only resident, but the rest of you need to move in. That happens today, right now." He stands up straight and walks away.

"Uh... so where is it, Eren?" Kerstein asks.

"This way." He starts walking. Ackerman walks on his left and Arlert walks on his right. Kerstein walks next to Arlert and I awkwardly follow them. We walk into a building and down a long hall. We turn down another hall and Jaeger opens a door. "This is the guys' and the girls' is right there." He points to the next door. Ackerman walks through and I follow her. There are two bunk beds inside against opposite walls.

"Which one do you want?" She asks me.

"I don't mind." I shrug.

"I'll have this one." She points to the one closest to the door. I notice another door in the wall that probably leads to the boys' room. "We should get our stuff to put it in here."

"Yeah." I nod.

She walks out and I follow her. I close the door behind me and walk outside. It's almost dark. I head toward the dormitory. I start grabbing all my clothes and things and putting them in a bag.

"What are you doing?" Kren asks.

"Captain Levi said that all of us in his squad have our own quarters so I'm not staying here anymore."

"Oh. That's sad." Qui pokes her head out from above me.

"Yeah," I agree. I finish my packing. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye!" Felcides gives me a big awkward hug. "We'll miss you."

"I'm not going very far." I push her away from me. "I'm still in the Scouting Legion." I roll my eyes and walk out. It's completely dark now. I go to my new room. Ackerman is already there. I hang my clothes in one half of the closet and put the rest in a dresser. Ackerman isn't talking and I don't know if I should say something or not. She walks to the door that leads to the boys' room and opens it. I would have knocked but I guess she's familiar with them. I trail after her awkwardly and enter the room.

"You're Guiin? Ecyn Guiin?" Arlert asks me.

"Yes. You're Armin Arlert," I tell him.

"Yes." He smiles politely at me.

"You're the one being trained by Captain Levi. I'm sorry." Jaeger looks at me sympathetically.

"It's not that bad." I shrug.

"Yeah. He's a nice man. Very fun-loving and sweet and caring." I can hear the sarcasm in his voice.

"What if he was right outside the door?" Kerstein asks.

"I would faint." He glances nervously at the door.

"No you wouldn't," Ackerman objects.

"But he's not there." Jaeger reaches for the doorknob, but the door opens. He jumps back, a curse just coming out of his mouth when he sees the captain. "Captain!"

"Jaeger." Captain Levi looks around. "Since nothing is going to happen tomorrow until sunset, you all are going to clean what I tell you to, starting with these rooms." He looks around the room, already untidy despite the few minutes we've been here. Jaeger must have kept it messy like this. "You get to sleep late tomorrow morning. Enjoy it while you can." He turns and walks out. Jaeger closes the door and then turns he mouths something, I assume a curse, but I don't catch what it is. Kerstein laughs.

"He was right there." Jaeger whispers. His expression makes me smile. He looks scared.

Sorry if the characters are a little out of character. I'm trying to keep them in character but I haven't seen the anime for a while so I don't remember. I'll try to make them better but I'm just winging it for now.