Her Wings of Freedom {Rewriting--Metamorphosis of Dispositon}

Chapter 3: Commence the Training

"If you allow others to bend your will, you are passive and weak to them; don't be one of those people, Aoife."

[Third Person POV]

The bald commandant stepped forth and said, "Hey, you!"

The feminine boy with the blonde hair that stretched a few centimeters beneath his chin, slapped the exterior of his clenched fist to his heart and his other to the small of his back. "Sir!" he exclaimed, his blue eyes alert.

"Who the hell are you?!" asked Commandant Shadis with a shout.

"Armin Arlelt, from Shiganshina District!" he replied.

Aoife glanced over at him, her eyes wide with shock. Armin Arlelt? she thought. From Shiganshina District? We must've lived on opposite sides. She turned her attention back to the commandant as he shouted a mockery at the boy:

"I see! That's a ridiculous name! Did your parents give it to you?!"

"My grandfather did, Sir!"

Keith bent his torso forward and stared at the boy. "Arlelt! Why are you here?!"

Armin squeezed his eyes shut as he replied back in his shrill tone:

"To help humanity achieve victory!"

Aoife smirked to herself and stared ahead, her arms behind her back. I like him already.

The commandant deepened his stare, almost as if to bore a hole into the poor boy's forehead. "That's wonderful to hear! We can feed you to the Titans!" He then reached out his hand and clasped it on the boy's head, completely turning him around. "Third row, about face!"

Commandant Shadis walked over to a boy with short spiky blonde hair and side burns that were a little below where his jaw and ear met. "Who the hell are you?!" he shouted.

The lad quickly responded as he placed his right fist over his left breast, placing himself in the proper, soldierly stance. "Sir!" he said. "Thomas Wagner, from Trost District!"

"I can't hear you!" shouted Keith, causing Thomas to flinch.

"Thomas Wagner---"

"Can't hear you!"

He attempted to repeat his name again, but was told to go practice in a barn.

Aoife grew nervous as Shadis grew closer to her row: the fifth one.

Keep a straight face like the others and he should pass me up, she thought, attempting to stop the perspiration threatening to drown out from the pores of her forehead and upper lip. If I remain calm, he shou---.

He stopped right in front of the clearly nervous auburn-haired girl, causing her to immediately freeze. Shadis got right in her face, far too close for comfort, leaving her no choice but to breathe the air he exhaled. "Who the hell are you?!" he shouted.

Aoife fumbled for a second with her hand before she quickly balled it into a fist and tightly pressed it against her heart. "Sir!" she paused and swallowed the welled-up lump in her throat. "Aoife Callaghan, from Shiganshina District!" she replied, the sweat now flowing like a river from their pores.

"Why're you here?!" he asked, growing closer in proximity to her face.

"I-I ... to fend off the Titans, Sir!"

Commandant Shadis placed his hands on his waist and scoffed. "Everyone's here to fight Titans! You'd be nothing more than mere bait to them!"

B-Bait? she thought.

The man stood upright and placed his hands behind his back. "What's your purpose for being here, you swine?!"