"Maddie! Maddie, wake up! Madison!"
Madison woke up to the sound of Armin calling her name and jolted awake, her body floating mid air for a split second before she dropped down, collapsing onto her bed and her own bed crashing onto the wooden floor as well.
"Madison! Are you-What was-WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Armin exclaimed, his eyes widened and his body slowly starting to shake. "ARMIN, SHUT UP!" She shouted, getting up from her spot on her bed and grabbing the older boy by his shoulders. "Listen to me, you weren't suppose to know about this, but now you do, so you have to keep this between us!"
"W-Why?" He asked softly, Madison letting go of his shoulders and sitting back on her bed, patting a spot next to her. Armin obliged, taking the spot next to her and waited for her to begin talking.
"No one can know about this, Armin. NO ONE. You weren't even suppose to know, but now you have keep quiet about this. If word got out, they're going to do the same thing to me like they did my dad." Madison explained, Armin's eyes widening in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"My father had kept diaries of his in a library at out home. I had discovered that when my Dad used his powers to take down Titans on an expedition, word had got out about it and he had to be detained in fear of him being a threat to humanity. The MPs kept him locked in a cell for almost a year and had only let him out for experiments. Eventually, Commander Keith had found a way to get him out thanks to a new recruit, now Commander Erwin Smith. My father, for many years, had to conceal his powers because one, he was afraid of being used as a weapon, and two, his powers had weakened at one point and he couldn't use it for a while. I remembered he used it one last time before he got killed by the Armored Titan." She explained, Armin looking away to the ground, lacing his fingers together.
"I'm really sorry, Maddie." Armin apologized, Madison nodding and fiddled with her thumbs. "I remember when I was 7, he told me if I ever inherit his powers, that I had to conceal mines as well. I couldn't be used as a weapon, nor should I try to use it. Because even though they want to use my powers to fight off Titans, it can be deadly to humans. But..I never thought..."
"That you would get these powers?" Armin asked, Madison nodding and moving her hands to grip her kneecaps. "You have to promise me, Armin. You can't tell anyone about my powers. Not even Eren and Mikasa. They can't know either. I don't want to hurt anybody."
"I understand. And I won't, trust me. But, there's still a question on my mind? Why not Mikasa and Eren? They're our friends and you know they'll always support us, no matter what happens." Armin stated, Madison standing up from her spot next to him. "My Dad lost trust in some of his friends, even the ones who supported him through everything. The only person who stood by his side was my mother. But she still had her concerns. No matter how much she loved my father, she was still afraid of him and his powers." Madison explained, helping the boy to his feet.
"Okay. I get it. But, Maddie..they'll eventually find out. And I'll back you up if I need to. You're my best friend, Maddie. And I won't abandon you." Armin assured, Madison smiling and grabbed his arm, wrapping her arms around his torso and hugging him a bit tightly. "Thanks, Armin."
"Anytime. Now, come on. We have to get ready for training." Armin reminded, Madison pulling away suddenly and her eyes growing wide. "Wait, we've been talking for an hour?!"
"Well...yeah." Armin laughed out, the girl rushing to her drawers and scrambling to grab her clothes. "Holy shit, I'm a rambler!"
"Heh, its okay!" Armin exclaimed, Madison giving him a 'are you for real?' look. "No! It's not oka-then again, you ramble, too."
"I do not!"
"Do too."
"Just go get dressed, Maddie! Dang it!"
--
After almost three years of intense training, Madison had finally made it to graduation day. She's watched people come and go because they felt the training was too much or they were failing miserably in grades. But Madison knew there will come a day that even though they didn't make it in, they can use that knowledge if anything happens.
In the meantime, Madison stood lined up beside her fellow companions. The ones who made to the Top 12. Looking to her side, she smiled at Mikasa, holding out her hand to the black-headed girl as she did.
Mikasa gasped softly, seeing the hand in her sight and a small smile had plastered against her pale skin, her hand grasping her friend's and giving it a soft squeeze. "You did a great job, Maddie. Your father would have been very proud."
"Thank you, Mikasa. You did really good as well. You're gonna make a great soldier." Maddie complimented, Mikasa blushing in embarrassment and looking away. "Oh, gosh.."
"Not bad, Snow.." She heard Reiner say, the girl looking to the taller teen and smiling back at him. "You too, Reiner. All that training paid off."
"You're damn right it did. Thanks." Madison nodded, an overjoyed feeling of satisfaction washing over her. Not for herself, but for everyone else, the people she helped and who made it to the top 12. She felt proud that she had passed down some of her dad's teachings and it got people to where they are. Mikasa was right, her father would be proud if he was here.
She looked to the sky, the moon shining bright in the sky and it made Madison smile, knowing her father was watching over her.
--
"Where are you going, Dad?" Madison had asked one day her father was just leaving out the door, in his full body uniform and his green cloak with the Wings of Freedom stitched into its fabric. "I'm going on another expedition. I should be back in a few days time."
"Okay! Take down some Titans for me!" Madison said with a smile, her father looking back at her and a warm smile had spread across his face. "I'll try to. But, you know nobody's immortal, right Maddie?"
"I know, Dad.." Madison mumbled, thinking back to the day she found out about her Aunt Wendy who died in battle against the Titans. The same day she thought her Dad lost his powers. "And you know I'm not immortal either."
"I know. But I believe you'll make it back, Dad. That should be enough to bring you back here, right?" Madison asked, her Dad sighing, kneeling before her and looking her deep in the eye. "I'm afraid that's not how it works, Madison. You're smart enough to know when I'm lying, so..can't exactly sugarcoat anything. But just know this, if anything happens to me, if I don't make it back, just look to the sky at the moon, and I'll be staring back."
Madison knew this was now starting to get serious. It must have been one of those exploration missions, the ones they go on to expand to the outer world. She always knew those missions were dangerous, especially when her father has to live through it.
All the little girl could do was nod in understanding, tears suddenly slipping from her eyes.
"I know, Maddie. I know. But I'll do my best to come back. I promise." Madison looked back to her father and collided her tiny body into his, hugging him tightly. "Please don't leave, Dad! I'm....I'm afraid.."
"Don't be afraid, Madison." Her father stated, pulling away from the girl, his large thumb wiping the tears from her face. "You are the most bravest little girl I've ever known. You get taken down, you climb right back up. That alone tells me that you..will persevere through anything. And you're my daughter. My tough, stubborn daughter."
Madison's terrified face soon slipped into a determined one, a nod following soon after her father finished and she held up her fist to her heart, initiating the salute and 'devoting her heart'. Her father's eyes widened a bit at it, never feeling more prouder than he was in that moment.
Even at 9 years old, she was mature enough to understand the situation, know what he was getting into, and yet, she still wanted to go on to be like him. He noticed it all in just that one salute.
"I love you, kid. You'll make a great Scout one day. I know you will." Her father said, Madison smiling up at him, wiping her face. "I love you too, Dad."
"Excuse me, Commander Snow! The Scouts are preparing to depart, sir!" They both heard, turning to the door and seeing a Scout standing in their door way. "Thank you, Farlan. I'll be there in a moment."
The boy nodded, taking one look at Madison, seeing her big blue eyes staring back and waved slightly. The young girl waved back, watching as the boy ran off, her father turning around to leave.
"Dad?"
"Yes, Maddie?"
Blue eyes both met paths and for the first time in Madison's life, she saw fear appear in his eyes. Fear for his life, for his comrades, everyone who would be at risk that day. Madison had never seen her father so afraid in her life, and she could understand why.
"Good luck. And be careful." Her dad nodded, leaving out the door and the young girl fearing for her father's life.