"Correct. You will all be fighting me, individually and all at once."
***
"What a joke." Oluo spits before fastening to a jog. I roll my eyes in response as I watch the others follow behind him. The soft thuds of their boots making contact with the ground, small clouds of dust gathering in the air from impact.
"Attitude, Bozado." I mutter to myself before doing some quick stretches and a few in place exercises to warm myself up. I look up at the sky, clouds effortlessly gliding across the endless blue. I twist myself around, cracking my back as I watch ducks soar through the air in a v formation.
"Brat." I hear a voice call out to me from behind. I turn to meet Levi, Hange and Eren pacing towards me.
"Yo." I greet stretching my arms, maintaining eye contact with the silver eyed raven and urging him silently to carry on.
"We're going to the plains not too far west from here." He begins, watching Hange slide past him and sway her way towards me. "Hange wants to torture the titan brat."
"Experiment! Not torture." Hange corrects as she drapes herself across my shoulders.
"With you, there's no difference." I reply back making her scowl at me in betrayal.
"And here I thought we were friends. Best friends, even!" She exclaims dramatically. A look of concern etched itself on my face as I turn to face Eren, who looked at Hange in visible confusion, and Levi, who unsurprisingly looked bothered.
"Four eyes." Levi voices making Hange look at him with a mischief smile.
"Hm?" She replied, seemingly innocent.
"Shut up." He said nonchalantly making me laugh out loud. She gasped exaggeratedly in response to Levi's harsh demand and tried saying something before he turned back to me, completely ignoring her whining. "Come find us in an hour, that should be plenty of time for you to do what you need with the squad. Correct?"
"Of course." I say with a grin. Oluo and the squad happened to be in hearing distance, making them slow down.
"Don't worry Captain, we'll show her why we're called the Special Operations Squad." Oluo says, purposely emphasizing the squads name. I raise an eyebrow as I roll my shoulders, a few cracks rumbling as I let out a satisfied sigh. Levi turned to walk away, side glancing him with doubt and a look almost resembling... pity.
"Hey Han." I call to the glass eyed brunette who gracefully turned to face me. "Don't kill Eren." I say almost in a warning tone.
"Don't worry, Sunshine. I'll be the one to kill him before anyone else can even draw a blade." Levi calls without turning to face us making Eren freeze mid step before catching himself. Hange rolls her eyes before prancing her way to Eren and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
And then I felt arms over my own shoulders. A strawberry blonde head to my left and a blonde to my right. They both looked at me with a cheeky grin. I raise a bothered eyebrow at them after while silence.
"So how have you been, Sunshine?" Eld mocks before both he and Gunther, who was a few steps behind us, burst into a fit of laughter, Petra giggling on my left shoulder. I roll my eyes before shoving them off me and walking away.
"It's been a nickname for years, not just for Levi but Hange, Cee and Zion too." I explain, slightly annoyed. Footsteps sounded from the side and I sigh. "Speaking of..."
"Sunshine!" I hear Zion screech, making me give Eld and Petra a told-you-so look before turning to face the two boys sprinting full throttle towards me.
"Slow down." I demand dropping my weight onto one leg with my hands on my hips. They tried coming to an immediate halt, only to trip over nothing and tumble onto the ground just before me. I pinch the bridge of my nose before walking to an empty spot on the yard.
"Zion, Cee. You're helping me with these guys." I declare stopping abruptly, a small cloud of dust gathering at the sudden stop.
"Actually-" Zion begins. "-I think Hange nee-"
"Don't try that shit, she's experimenting on Eren with Levi. You're helping me here." I order, my cold stare boring straight through them. They groaned loudly like children being told what to do. Ignoring them, I turn to the squad. "I'm assuming you all know Zion and Reece? There will be a small change in plans now we have an additional two people. Oluo and Zion will be sparring, Petra and Reece too. Gunther and Eld, you'll be fighting each other while I assess your fighting capabilities."
"Will we still be fighting you?" Gunther asks.
"You will be, I just want to see how you all fight before I get into it. We might not be able to get through everyone because the Captain wants us to meet with him on the plains." I inform. "Get into your stances with your partners, then spar. I will come around to observe."
They all quickly got into their stances, Zion being the first to initiate the fight. He launched at Oluo, resulting in him scoffing as he dodged the fist hurdling straight for his face. I stand and watch them, absorbing each and every detail on how they approach different fighting situations.
Zion's fighting style hadn't changed much over the years, the way he moved was still incredibly similar to how he fought six years ago, though, his movements are much more thought out and precise.
"Tch, I wasn't even ready." Oluo spits in disgust. I raise an eyebrow at his choice of words and how he said them, smiling awkwardly to myself as I realized he is trying to imitate Levi.
Oh dear.
Watching as Oluo shook his limbs a little, he hurdled himself forward striking Zion in the chest, causing him to lose his breath a little. A small cough escaped Z's throat before quickly regaining himself and leaping out of the way of another incoming punch. Oluo's cockiness was definitely going to be consequential. They kept at it, my feet leading me away to watch the match between Reece and Petra.
The way Petra fought was sly, she used her size to her advantage and was incredibly agile. Though, Reece seemed to read most of her intended attacks and dodged them with ease. The way she moved was almost as though she were dancing, but her attacks were stupidly aggressive. Leaving them be, I moved to Gunther and Eld.
Despite them living on mocking me, they take their training very seriously and I highly doubt Levi doesn't have anything to do with their intake of their military doings.
They were fast. Very analytical, you can see in their eyes how they're going to approach their next move, which makes it all the more difficult to hit their opponent. I study their movements, both of them barely making any progress towards the end of the match. I heard a faint scoff come from Oluo as he looked down at Zion who laid on the ground, a light chuckle coming from his lips.
"Oluo." I call, his eyes turning in my direction with a menacing glare. I point to the clear spot in front of me, silently demanding him to face me. He huffed in irritation as dust gathered in clouds with each step he took towards the spot I pointed at. I stood and watched him as he eyed me, waiting for him to attack first.
Acting as though he caught me off guard, he lunged for me, his fist ready for impact. I ducked under his arm, balling my hand up before punching him full force in the gut. He grunted at the force, stumbling forward slightly as I stood upright as though nothing happened.
"Again." I deadpan. His head turned to me, sending a menacing glare at me as I dust off my pants. He huffed as he stood upright, his body turning towards me as he cracked his neck. Again, he launched at me, an attack nearly identical to the one he just threw at me. I slipped by his arm, adding a little spin for more force into my kick I sent to behind his knees. He collapsed, not realizing my boot heading straight for his head. I ceased the motion just before I made impact, the wind from my foot blowing through his hair and tousling it slightly.
His shoulders heaved up and down from behind, his breathing audible even though his face wasn't visible. Everyone else had stopped their fights to watch the events unfold.
"Again." I repeat as I retrieve my leg.
"But-"
"Again!" I say again, raising my tone a little to assert my dominance. He scoffed exaggeratedly as he heaved himself back onto his feet. "Come on, you're a soldier, aren't you?!" I taunt. He growled as he came at me again, feigning a punch and sending one straight for my gut. I grunt before laughing at his attack.
"Keep going, no real soldier gives a singular punch and walks away!" I exclaim as he pulls away. The distaste in his attacks became more and more evident, especially discernible in the way he carried himself. Attack after attack, I kept dodging, my mind settling into a more focused state as I read each of the coming attacks. I ducked under one last punch before stepping forward and swinging my leg around.
My foot made contact with the center of his torso and sent him back, a breathy groan escaping him as he fell backwards struggling to breathe. I stood up straight, looking down at the man who was desperate for air to enter his lungs again.
"Next time you want to be so cocky, be sure you have the actions that can back you up." I spit. Oluo looked like he was on the verge of passing out as I look around at the other soldiers who watched with wide eyes and parted lips. "Take a break, we'll head to the plains early." I call to the squad.
"Good idea." I hear Gunther mumble to himself as he looked down at Oluo. I watch as Petra hurried to his side, trying to aid him to breathe again before I walk towards the tree line and sit down, leaning back against a tree. I sigh, my hand inching its way towards the affected spot on my stomach where Oluo had previously hit me. I close my eyes, listening to the slight rustle of the leaves adorning each twig above me.
And then my mind wandered to Mikasa and Armin, and what they could be doing. How they are, if they're taking care of themselves and each other. I hadn't seen either of them since the trial and it just didn't feel right without having them around, especially when I see Eren by himself.
One month. One month until the disbanding ceremony and then I can see them again. We can see them again.
"I don't think I want to fight you anymore." Eld says as he approaches me. I opened my eyes and eyed him as he walked his way to me with his hands in his pockets, his eyes settling on Petra helping Oluo sit up as he took in deep intakes of air. "You nearly knocked him out."
"I'm aware." I reply simply removing my hand from my stomach.
"I've heard a lot about your fighting skills, actually." He says looking down at me. "Like how you knocked out the Commander. Is that true, by the way?" He asked. I cringe slightly at the thought.
"Unfortunately. That brings back memories, that was a very long time ago." I inform with a sigh.
"Not many people can say they've knocked out a commander, Sunshine." Eld reminds. I roll my eyes in response before standing up.
"It's not something I like to brag about." I admit nonchalantly walking passed him.
"Yeah, well, I didn't take you to be the type to have mastered hand to hand combat." Eld admits. I stop in my tracks, slowly turning to gaze over my shoulder at the blonde man whose eyes widened at the sudden coldness in my stare.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" I ask, a stinging coldness added to my tone. He froze before putting his hands up in surrender.
"N-nothing, I didn't mean-" He began before I let out a soft giggle.
"I know, I'm just fucking with you." I say before walking towards the main building. "Get your shit together, we're going now!" I call to the squad before disappearing out of view from the squad.
I quickly got my gear on, readjusting the straps to a suitable fitting, I leave to grab my horse.
As I waltzed outside and further into the stables, I noticed Sin's dark grey head pop out over the gate to greet me, a soft whinny rumbling in his throat.
"Hey, boy." I greet with a laugh as I grab the saddle and reins. Holding both in one hand, I use the other to unhook the gate and open it, to which Sin decided it was a good idea to help me and push through with his chest. He bounced out of his stable, sniffing my face intently as my eyes couldn't see beyond his nostrils. I gently push his face away with a laugh and begin saddling him up.
Not too long after I let the horse out of his stable, the rest of the squad walked into the stables, Eld and Petra on one side of Oluo and Gunther on the other. Oluo clutched at his chest, heavy breathing escaping his throat with each intake of air he took. His eyes met mine, I could tell he was too exhausted to even muster up a glare to try and belittle me. Shrugging it off, I mount the horse and whip the reins before galloping out of the stables without another word escaping me.
Speeding down the tracks that lead to the plains, my mind wanders to various things. Once again, Mikasa, Armin and the rest of the 104th slip into my thoughts, Oluo's distaste towards me, Levi's sudden mental notes on the subtle things I like and do.
Strange...
Before I know it, the trees in either side of the trail begin to thin out into nothing but a large stretch of plain land, a well not too far from the tree line with three figures surrounding it. I speed up, approaching the two brunettes, the raven and all of their horses. At the sound of my arrival, they all turn to me from the well.
"That was fast!" Hange exclaimed as I closed the distance between us. I shift in my saddle as we come to a stop, the squad following a few dozen metres behind.
"I decided to spare them." I say simply.
"Okay, and the truth?" Eld asked as he trotted up beside me and looking between us all with a cocked eyebrow. I gazed back at him nonchalantly before I felt a pair of eyes burning into the side of my head. I cleared my throat before I turn to face the cold stare of Levi's seemingly glowing silver eyes, peering at me from the shadows cast from his hair.
"I may or may not have nearly knocked out Oluo." I say admittedly. Levi's gaze remained on me, unwavering. He raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked up at me, his tongue running along the inside of his cheek briefly before he averted his gaze and turned back towards Eren and Hange. I release a breath I was subconsciously holding, somewhat relieved but worried at Levi's casual dismissal of the fact I nearly knocked out one of his squad members.
"That's either a good sign or a bad one." Eld whispered to me whilst looking at Levi, who was glancing at us blankly while he was still talking to Hange and Eren.
"Rather concerning." I agree.
"If it makes you feel better, Captain took us all out at once in a hand to hand match." He murmurs again.
"Thanks. I hate it." I reply back with uncertainty.
"What? That was supposed to be reassuring!" He says trying his best to not draw attention from the three discussing experimental plans.
"You need a lesson on reassurance if that's your idea of reassurance." I retort dismounting my horse and allowing him to roam around until the plan was explained.
"So what are you scheming, Captain?" I ask as I approach them.
"Simple. Eren gets in the well, waits for a flare signal and transforms. Hange will go forth from there with me, you and the squad as back up in case he decides to go batshit crazy." Levi explains quickly.
"Sounds good." I reply before backing up and watching the two superiors help Eren into the well. I grasp my horse reins as I walk by him, leading him further away from the small structure, remembering that Eren's transformation usually happens with a rather large explosion.
Levi's and Hange's mouths moved a little before they began retreating further away from the hole on the ground. Hange loaded up a flare gun as she and Levi came towards us on their horses, the squad a little further to my left.
Hange gave me a small smile before pointing the flare gun up at the sky and pulling the trigger. A trail of green followed after the invisible guideline in the sky, setting off the signal for Eren's go ahead on the scheme. Levi trotted up beside me on his horse, now his turn to look down at me as I remained at my horses side.
Nothing happened. No bright flash, no titan screeches, no ground breaking earthquakes. In fact, it was peaceful. The distant calls of birds in the trees, the soft nudge of Sin's head pressing into my shoulder as he begged for attention.
"Hm, nothing happened." Hange said under her breath. Levi clicked his tongue as he rode towards the well once more.
"Obviously, dipshit. Come on." The raven retorts leaving Hange gaping at him in shock. We looked at each other before shrugging and moving forward. The soft thuds of my boots and the horses hooves hitting the grass accompanying the gentle whispers of the wind that wove through our hair. I peered over the edge of the short stone wall, down at the brunette whose skin was stained red and teal eyes glossed over with a confused sheen.
"It's not working, Captain. I can't turn into a titan." His voice quivered.
"Eren." I whisper. Levi rode away leaving Hange and I to tend to the poor boy.
"Have a break, we'll figure it out." Levi says. I reach down into the well, realizing that Eren was just out of reach.
"Jump, I'll catch you." I say to the brunette with a slight strain in my voice.
"But my hands-"
"It's either you jump or you stay down there until you sort your ability out." I say. Hesitating, he jumped and reached for my hand, slipping slightly due to the blood that continued to spill in thick streams from his wounds. I tightened my grip, heaving him up with Hange casually watching from the side, eyeing the boy curiously.
"I wonder." She murmured to herself as she placed her chin between her thumb and index finger in thought. The others had already set up a small tea station and a few plates of small snacks on two outdoor tables. I dragged Eren to a bench, forcefully sitting him down as I trudged to my horse. Hange walked into the forest, mumbling something mindlessly as Moblit dawdled behind her.
Rummaging through the satchels that hung at the horses sides, I pull out a bottle of water and some bandages, taking a quick swig of the water with a sigh before walking back to Eren who gazed down at his hands with a troubled expression.
"Oi, you okay?" I ask crouching before him and grasping one of his hands. I pour some of the water on his hand, using both of my hands to wash the blood of both my hands and his one.
"Yeah, just confused." He replied as he watched me pull a handkerchief from my breast pocket and use it to hastily dry his hands.
"We'll find a solution. We're scouts, we always find solutions no matter how difficult the situation." I reassure keeping my gaze fixed on his hands. After bandaging up his hands, I sat beside him and grabbed a quick snack and took a bite before wrapping my arm around him.
"Y/N-"
"Shut up, you grub." I say putting the rest of my snack into my mouth and tightening my grip around his neck to keep him secure, the knuckles of my free hand rubbing against the top of his head and messing up his hair.
"Ouch, what did I do?!" He complains trying to swat away my hands.
"Nothing, how've you been you little shit?" I say chuckling, still continuing my actions and harassing his head. His arm suddenly jerked, his arm knocking a spoon off the table.
"Woah!" He flinched suddenly as his elbow knocked the spoon. I cease my motions, slowly releasing him as I lean over to look.
"Sorry." I say with a soft giggle.
"No, no. Just got an electric shock of some sort." Eren says as he fixes his hair before reaching down towards the spoon. Just before he touched it, my stomach got a sudden feeling.
"Wait, Eren-" I tried to refrain him but it was too late. A soft gasp sounded from his lips before the slightest moment of silence came.
Explosion.
I was flung across the plains, about ten feet above ground, my skin burning before cooling down due to the wind whirling around me. I curl myself up into a ball, rolling across the ground as I make contact with it. I let out a grunt as I slid to a stop on the grass, glad it was lush nature and not anything rough or uneven.
I wasn't too far from where the explosion occurred, and amongst the steam cloud that came with it, the darkened silhouette of a deformed titan appeared with Eren's arms sunken into it. I scramble to stand up and push myself into a sprint, drawing my swords to fight either Eren's uncontrolled titan or the squad themselves.
Hooking to to titan carcass that was motionless, I immediately assume it's safe to approach the unpredictable creature.
"Calm down." I hear Levi's voice ring through the steam. I flew over the titan, landing beside the Captain with my swords drawn. I breathe heavily, due to both the run and the blast. Levi held his palm up to none other than his squad who all had raging expressions.
"Captain, Y/N, get away from him!" Petra exclaimed, her and all the others swords drawn with malicious intent.
"Here we go." I mutter under my breath as I crouch down into a battle ready stance, bracing myself for any incoming attacks.
"Why did you transform, Eren?!" Eld yelled, demanding an answer.
"I said calm down, all of you." Levi demanded coldly yet so calmly.
"Eren!" Hange screamed in joy from the tree line as she sprints full throttle towards us. Her behavior seemed to somewhat calm the squad down as they reluctantly relaxed their stances, but I remained alert until Levi's hands presence made itself known on my shoulder. I look up at him, his eyes trained on me with the slightest warmth to them.
"Relax." He says simply make my hands loosen up a little. I drag my feet directly under me, not breaking eye contact with Levi until I was standing upright. I look down at my hands, the colour slowly returning to them, my realization hitting me when I figured I was gripping my hilts too hard. Levi's eyes were still concrete on mine , his hand giving my shoulder a slight squeeze before it retreated back to his side.
"Eren, can I touch it! Please let me touch it!" Hange screamed as she reached forward to touch the carcass anyway.
"Hange, wait-!" Eren exclaimed before her hands sizzled at the contact of the skinless body.
"It's so damn hot!" She screeched out in both pain and joy.
"Hange, you're too reckless!" Moblit exclaims as he watches Hange collapse to her knees, hands shaking and steaming.
"Say, Eren, aren't you hot?!" She exclaims in an overly excited tone. "What's happening to that right joint?! I've got to know!" Eren looked down at his arm in realization, tugging on his arm with loud grunts before the muscle tissue suddenly released him. I ran to aid his fall, making sure he won't land in any way he could seriously injure himself.
"No, Eren, what're you doing?!" Hange exclaimed in distaste and shock. "I didn't get to finish experimenting!"
"Hange, let the boy breathe." I say as both of our eyes wander to the evaporating titan hand, that of which was holding an item so simple.
A spoon.
***
HELLO MY LOVES!
It took me ages to update, I know I know. Works been hectic and I had a concert last night which was amazing, by the way!
Anyways! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I tend to get sidetracked or busy easily so updates have been scarce lately but fear not! I'm not dead, nor am I taking a hiatus any time soon.
I've been thinking a lot recently, and I'm really tempted to rewrite the entirety of WFMI. It just isn't hitting the same anymore, and if I do get around to rewriting it will definitely be a lot better than it is now!
Love you all SO MUCH!
Aishiteru!
jazz<3