"Pick up the pace, you lead-heeled laggards!" Shadis commands, as he rides alongside us on his horse.
It's been two almost three years since we've signed up and Shadis was correct on the first day, this has been hell, but I would never want to erase all the friends and memories I've made. The good news is that we're almost able to graduate and become a Scout, Military Police member, or Garrison member.
You could say that I'm pretty good with the ODM gear now and that I've definitely toughened myself up. I mean, I have muscles and I've even formed a small six-pack, from my extra training sessions with Mikasa that we have every other day.
I told myself that I was going to train really hard here and I have. It also takes a lot longer until I start panting when I'm running. I've finally built up a tolerance.
Anyways, we're running through a forest with heavy backpacks on our backs for our training today. To make things harder, it's raining where we are and that's making mud, meaning we could easily slip and fall.
Yesterday, our group got to practice more with ODM gear and practice cutting deep enough into a Titan's nape. Of course, there weren't any real Titans. They're just cardboard ones. I still like doing it better than this though.
"Maggot!" Shadis exclaims. Yes...he still calls me maggot. "Why are you moving like a turtle?! You were fine two days ago!"
"Armin isn't looking too great, so I'm staying behind with him, sir!" I reply.
"Are your boots water-logged, runt?" Shadis asks Armin. He still calls Armin a runt too. "Let's see some hustle!"
I look at Shadis. "He's having a hard time catching his breath, sir!"
"Is the gear too heavy for you, son?" He asks. "Drop it! Leave it in the mud! The Titans will have easier work digesting you faster than anyone here, even your sister. Drop the excess baggage!" He rides on ahead.
"Damn it..." Armin curses. "Run on ahead, Y/n. This goes on our grade."
"I'd rather make sure you're okay than make a good grade." I reply.
"Seriously, Doll?" Reiner asks, trailing back to be near Armin and I. "You're willing to get a bad grade for your brother?"(I'm sorry if you don't like the nickname, but I feel like Reiner would totally use it-)
Just last year, I figured out that Reiner likes me. He started calling me 'Doll' all the time and was just around me a lotmore than usual.
Ymir, on the other hand, is practically in love with Christa and I. She's always going on about how she's going to marry both of us, which also helped me figure out that Reiner likes me, because when she says that and he's around, he always replies with: 'Not before I marry Y/n first.'
I nod. "Yes! I want to make sure he's okay. You should know this already, Reiner. I've always stayed by his side."
He sighs and takes Armin's backpack off his back and rests it on his own back. "Here. You focus on staying upright, so Y/n can run on ahead. We are being graded on this, you know."
"Thanks, but, uh, won't they demerit you for helping me?" Armin asks.
"He'll make it, Reiner. Just give him his bag back." I try to reason.
"Don't you worry one bit, Doll. They're not going to find out." He looks past me and at Armin. "Just make the cut and we're even, alright?" He runs ahead of us.
I shake my head at his fleeing figure, before looking over at Armin. "You'll be okay, right?"
He nods, determined. "Yes. Go on ahead. You're the only one out of the both of us that has a chance of listing in the Top Ten. Now go."
I nod in equal determination and run ahead, even running past Reiner. I practically get up in front of everyone.
Not a minute later, Armin appears by my side with his backpack on. I hope he doesn't over-exert himself, but other than that, I'm very proud of him.
(Before I skip to the next day with hand-to-hand combat, here's Shadis' little description thing on Y/n, aka, you)
Y/n Arlert...
The maggot may look as fragile as a daisy, but, like her brother, she's academically very strong. Give her a sword and ODM gear now and you can tell she's improved. I believe she'll go far...
⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡
"Y/n! Look!" Connie muffles loudly with the wooden knife in his mouth, while making some 'viper' hand motions.
I bite back a laugh, but end up chuckling anyways. "Connie, we've got to take this seriously."
"Huh?" He muffles out. "Oh, come on! This isn't even going against our grade!"
"I know that. It's just, uh..." I look pointedly behind him.
He straightens up quickly, probably already knowing who's behind him, and slowly turns around. Behind him is Commandant Shadis. The knife drops out of his mouth. "Oh, uh...hi, sir!"
Shadis immediately picks him up by just his head, like he did our very first day here. "Listen to maggot here, Springer! Train like you're supposed to be training!"
"I will, sir!" Connie yells. "I promise!"
Shadis puts Connie down and walks away from us and on to another pair of people fighting.
Connie sighs, picking up the knife and rubbing his ear. "I hate it when he does that..."
I shake my head. "You always get caught doing the wrong thing. What a shame."
"Oh, shut up." He replies in a playful tone. He gets in a defensive stance with the knife. "Now, come at me!"
"Shouldn't you be coming at me?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
He shrugs. "You just come at me first. Let's see what happens..."
I take the little time I have, before he charges at me, to study his stance. He'll start to charge at me, because of how long I'm taking. So, like I guessed, he eventually starts charging at me.
"You're taking too long, Y/n!" He exclaims, ready to jab the knife at me.
"I was just studying that's all." I reply and bring my arm up to block his attack and grab his other arm and bring it behind his back. I kick him behind his knees, making him fall to the ground with me still holding his arm.
"Ow!" He groans. "Shit. I guess studying does help you in the long run."
I grab the knife out of his hand and stand up, dusting my hands. "Yeah. It does."
He pushes himself off the ground. "Well, it also helps when you're as smart as you and Armin are."
I shrug. "We spent our time as kids training our brains and now we're training to get physically stronger."
"I can't relate to the first part." He backs up, ready to fight. "Now, watch out. I'm taking you down this time."
I flip the knife up in the air and catch it by its handle. "Alri-"
"Nice takedown, Shortie!" The voice of Jean compliments, walking over to us. I've grown extremely use to the nickname 'Shortie' now.
I drop my stance and look over at him. "Thanks, Jean." I notice Marco trailing behind him. "Hey, Marco!"
He smiles at me brightly. "Hello!" Out of all the friends I've made here, Marco is definitely the person I've gotten the closest with.
Ever since that night almost three years ago, we stay at the dining hall, after everyone has left, and clean up the tables. We've spent this time to get to know each other better.
Not too long after we had started doing this every night, he started walking me back to my lodging area, giving us more time to talk. His kindness has never faded away. Not one single ounce of it.
"Seeing as you took him down so easily, do you want to take on a real challenge?" Jean asks, jabbing a thumb into his own chest.
"Hey!" Connie exclaims, looking at him with a frown.
"I'm sure Connie is a great fighter." Marco defends.
"How? I mean, he was taken down by Shortie here." Jean informs, walking up in front of me.
I narrow my eyes at him. "Excuse me? Are you saying that you don't think I should be able to take someone down, because of my height or because I'm a girl?" I jab my finger into his chest now. "I'lol remind you that I've taken you down many times before."
He shoves I my hand away from his chest. "Calm down, Shortie. You know I don't me-"
As hard and quick as I can, I sweep my leg around, hitting his legs, making him fall to the ground. I am so happy that I got him to fall, using this move.
"Awesome!" Connie exclaims. "That was so badass, Y/n!"
"Oh, yeah?" Jean groans. "Well, that hurt my ass!"
Marco helps Jean up. "Well...you did insult her."
"I didn't mean it, though!" Jean exclaims.
I smile at him. "I know you didn't."
He scoffs. "Then why'd you do it?"
"I just wanted to test my new move on you." I reply. "I'm glad it worked and that I didn't break my foot or ankle."
He rubs his lower back. "You could've tried it on-"
A very loud and pained shout interrupts him. I look behind me to see that Eren is on the ground, holding his ankle. Then, I noticed that he had the nerve to go against Annie.
Over the time that I've known her, I've realized that Annie is very strong and quite intimidating. It's almost like knowing another Mikasa. She's not really social and hardly talks to anyone like Mikasa too.
"Oh wow..." I mumble. "Eren must really have guts to go against her."
Eren quickly stands up, after I assume Reiner said something to Annie. "No! Wait! This isn't how- oh shit!"
Annie has taken the knife from his hands and kicked him to the ground, making him land with his legs resting over his head.
"Ooo..." Connie sucks in between his teeth. "That's got to hurt..."
I nod. "Yeah..."
"Eh...he deserves it." Jean disagrees with us.
"Why are you so mean to him, Jean?" Marco asks.
"Guys!" I exclaim. "It looks like the same thing is going to happen to Re-" As I was about to say it, Annie did the exact same thing to Reiner and walks away.
I chuckle lightly and cross my arms. "I think we just saw who the better badass is here."
Connie bursts out laughing, causing Marco to start a laughing fit, which lead to me laughing, and Jean only letting out a mere chuckle. It's moments like these that I'm going to cherish forever.
⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡
"I saw that you took Jean down with a single swipe of your leg earlier." Armin informs. "That was amazing!"
It's dinner time and tonight I'm sitting with Armin, Eren, and Mikasa. We're still sitting near Jean and Marco though. I'm surprised Eren even agreed to sit here, considering how close we are to Jean. His hate for Jean has grown tremendously over the time we've been here and vice versa.
Mikasa looks over at me, since I'm sitting next to her. "Yeah. I heard that you did that."
I nod. "I didn't think I was going to be able to and that I'd end up breaking my ankle or something. Although, I'm not all that surprised. I mean, I've taken him down many times before, just...that was a new move of mine. That's all thanks to you letting me training with you, Mikasa. Thank you."
She nods. "Mhm. You're welcome."
We all look over at the table where Jean and Marco are sitting. Jean is currently boasting about being ranked as the best ODM gear user here.
"You've got to do the strut, if you want to make the cut. The MP only recruit the best." He finishes.
I let out a chuckling scoff. "He's quite full of himself right now, huh?"
Eren narrows his eyes at him. "He's always full of himself..."
"Eren." Armin starts. "He's not as bad as-"
A loud clanking sound came from their table, so I look over there to see that Marco's drink is now all over his face.
Jean leans closer toward him. "We're not children. You can drop the misty-eyed bullshit. Honor doesn't have any damn part of it. You just want a nice, cushy job in the interior playing glorified sentry."
I abruptly stand from my seat, gaining both Jean and Marco's attention. "Jean, you've almost know Marco for three years now! Do any of those things you just said sound anything like Marco?"
"Y/n-" Marco starts.
"Listen to you guys." Eren interrupts. "Interior? Five years ago, this was apart of it." Then, he starts drinking from his cup. I sit down, knowing that this argument isn't going to end too well...
"You got a point to make, friend?" Jean asks. "I'm right here."
"Poor Jean." Eren slams his cup on the table. "So misguided. Besides, I don't think your head will fit in the interior anyway."
I hear chuckling somewhere in the room and look around to see that it's Reiner and Connie that's chuckling. I shake my head slightly at their childish actions.
Jean clicks his tongue. "Very funny."
"It seems a little backwards to me." Eren remarks. "Fine-tuning your Titan-killing skills, so the brass will station you somewhere you'll never see one."
"Would you rather I was good at getting killed?" Jean asks. "Thank you, but I'll pass. It's better to play the system then to get gnawed on."
Eren jumps up from his seat. "You son of a bitch!"
Jean also jumps up from his seat. "Bring it on, you little bastard!"
Armin stands up. "Eren, please! Don't do this!"
"Mikasa!" I exclaim quietly.
She stands up, walking over to them. "Gentlemen, please." She pulls Eren's hand down, away from Jean's shirt.
Suddenly, Jean shoves Eren against the wall. "You think you can judge me?!"
"Huh?! If you rip my shirt, you're dead!" Eren shouts.
"Please! Stop fighting!" I exclaim.
"I don't give a damn about your shirt!" Jean replies, ignoring me. "You piss me off!"
"What?!" Eren asks. "Are you crazy?!"
Then, just as Jean was about to punch Eren, Eren grabs his arm and sweeps his leg to hit his ankles, making him fall to the floor...hold on...that's Annie's move from training earlier. It's similar to mine, but I hit the legs, not ankles.
Jean quickly sits back up, rubbing his head. "Damn it! Y/n already used a move sort of similar to that earlier today. What the hell was that move?!"
"It's a little something I picked up this afternoon, while you were busy with your thumb up your ass. Do you honestly believe that the Military Police are your ticket to the good life? You're not a soldier. You're a joke." Eren answers.
It goes all quiet. I mean, if someone dropped a pen right now, it could be heard. That's how quiet it is right now.
Suddenly, the door creaks open and there stands Commandant Shadis. "Would someone care to explain the little ruckus I heard just now? I do hope everything's alright."
Eren and Jean now sit in seats right across from each other, with scared looks on their faces.
Mikasa raises her hand. "Sasha passed some gas, Commandant."
Sasha gasps loudly. I feel sorry for her. She's being used to cover up Eren and Jean's mistake.
"Why am I not surprised?" He asks, rhetorically. "For the love of God, learn some self-control." He leaves.
A lot of people began laughing quietly, when he left. I am not one of them. It's not a thing to laugh at anyways. It's gross and it didn't even happen.
"Mikasa!" Sasha exclaims, grabbing Mikasa's hand. "Why did you say it was me? You could've said anyone, yet you said my name. Why? I don't under-"
Mikasa shoves her bread into Sasha's mouth, which kept her quiet and extremely satisfied. I smile at the interaction between the two.
I take a good look around the room, looking at friends that told me they'd be aiming to join the MP or the Garrison, since I won't be seeing them much after graduation, which...is in a couple more days.
A/N: Hey, cadets! So, uhm, the graduation ceremony will start the next chapter and when that's over...that's when shit is going to hit the fan, and you know why. Let me know if I need to write more of someone. I hope you all enjoyed. Bye, cadets!