I guess I should mention that Y/N is.. Your first name... rather than your full name Uhh, yeah.
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"Straighten those spines, piss-ants! The 104th Cadet Corps Boot Camp starts now!"
The cadets stood in numerous rows and columns, their lines straight and orderly. The young men and women stood tall, with their shoulders back and the eyes forward, looking directly to the back of the head of the person in front of them. The sun shone down on them, the heat putting a heavy weight on their shoulders. Sweat dripped from many of the cadet's faces, but Armin, Mikasa, Eren and Y/N stood proud. Determined expressions, exceptional bearing and no regrets.
"Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Commandant Keith Shadis; And you will grow to hate me." A loud, shouting man stood in front of the cadets. He was bald and had dark bags under his eyes. He's seen a lot during his time as a soldier. "Training is gonna be a white-kuckle ride through Hell. If I've done my job, you'll be waking up in a cold sweat from memories of this place every night for the rest of your miserable lives.
"Right now, you're nothing. Livestock. But over the next three, soul-crushing years, you'll learn to take down your own Goliath. Remember this moment when you come face to face with him, 'cause here's where you ask yourself: Am I a fighter, or am I feed? Am I gonna be ground up to pulpy human grist 'tween boulder-sized incisors? Or am I gonna be the one to bite?" The commandant finished. The skin of his bald head glistened in the bright sun.
Out of the corner of her eye, Y/N watched as Commandant Shadis began to walk up to some of the cadets. They were already sweating because of the overbearing heat and the overwhelming anxiety that was taking over as the Commandant made his way to them only made them sweat more.
Time felt as if it went so much slower than usual. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours. Standing in the powerful waves of heat made Y/N feel as if she would melt sooner rather than later. The hot sun made her skin tingle under her uniform of a gray shirt, the brown cadet jacket, white pants and tall brown boots. Everyone else wore the same but with a variety of different shirts under their cropped jackets. Those who had their hair pulled out of their faces were smart, their hair wouldn't stick to their faces due to how much they were sweating, at least not that much. Y/N had her hair pulled back into her usual braid with a few locks out to frame her face.
Using her peripherals, Y/N watched as the man began to make his way up to her after skipping Eren, Mikasa and a few other cadets. If she had to guess why, it's because Shadis can tell that they've witnessed the attack two years ago just by seeing the harsh look in their eye. If that's the case, then she didn't understand why Shadis began to make his way to her. She's been through that and had the glare only a few from the Underground possess. Maybe that's what made him walk up to her.
"And what is your name, cadet?" Commandant Shadis shouted from a mere few inches away from Y/N's face. He bent down to her rather short height, something she still blamed on the lack of sunlight as a child. While other cadets would panic and squint their eyes shut, Y/N remained unwavered and her harsh glare bore into the commandant.
Y/N raised her right fist to rest on her chest, over her heart and her left leg snapped to her right. "Y/N L/N of Shiganshina, sir!" She shouted, staring straight forward. Even under the commandant's harsh glare, she was able to stand tall, relaxed and still. This intrigued the commandant, even if he wouldn't show it.
"Why is someone as small as you here? You aimin' to be titan fodder?" He asked, just as loud as he's been for what felt like the past few hours.
Y/N's eyes narrowed slightly. She was rather offended by his comment about her height. She still has plenty of time to grow and yet he's poking fun like that.
"To avenge those I've lost, sir!" She answered. The two continued to glare at each other, neither weakening to the other.
"Very noble. Let's see if you can stare down those titans like you did to me. Go back to parade rest!" Shadis commanded and Y/N did as told. He began taking a few steps to move on to the next cadet but quickly moved back to throw a kick at Y/N's torso.
Y/N reacted quickly. She bent her knees and raised her arms just in time for Shadis' foot to make contact with them. Pushing her arms forward, she was able to shove Shadis back a few feet to immediately return to the position of attention once more.
"Please forgive me for breaking ranks, sir! I was acting out of self defense!" Y/N shouted, a few beads of sweat beginning to form on the temple of her forehead. She didn't feel like getting on his bad side just yet. Shadis nodded and finally moved onto the next person.
After what felt like a few hours, Y/N's row finally got to turn around with the command of 'about face.' Her row was no longer facing the sun, freeing them of squinting too much into the bright light. It also allowed their faces the chance to cool off the slightest bit by the newfound shade. With the tingling sensation focused on her back, Y/N began to let her mind wander the slightest bit, however, she remained attentive.
Y/N didn't know if Levi, Furlan and Isabel were even alive still, this was all a gamble. If they did die, this would be for them along with Aria, and Eren's mother. Either way, she doubted she would regret this decision in the future. She's here and she's here to stay. Y/N couldn't help but continue to wonder if Levi, Furlan and Isabel were still alive. What are they doing? How would they feel about Y/N joining the military? Y/N was pulled out of her thoughts when the cadet ahead of her and to the left snapped to attention.
"What do we have here?" Shadis yelled, bending over slightly to send his harsh glare to the boy. His carmel hair had an undercut and his brown eyes wavered in fear, but he continued to keep up his strong stance.
"Jean Kirschtein, sir. From the Trost District!" The boy shouted back and Y/N couldn't help but watch the interaction from the corner of her eye.
"And why're you here, cadet?" The same question for each cadet. It was an important question, but it got repetitive really fast. Jean tensed before relaxing into himself. A smug, irritating smile grew across his face.
"To join the Military Police, sir. The best of the best," he answered. Y/N could see the boy begin to sweat more and his smile left his face.
"That's nice. You want to live in the interior, do you?" The commandant asked, his voice unusually quiet. Jean grew another smile on his face as he went to reply.
"Yes."
The commandant headbutted Jean's head with his own. The boy sunk to the ground, curling up on his knees holding his head in his hands. He trembled in pain. It was a pitiful sight.
"No one told you to sit, recruit! If you can't handle this, Kirschtein, then forget about joining the Military Police!" With that, Shadis moved on to yell at the next cadet about smiling or something.
But Y/n couldn't help herself, she had a hard time holding back a smile of her own. Watching this kid get beat up for his selfish answer was hilarious to her. She glanced away for a second before glancing back to Jean on the ground. He was looking up at her with a harsh glare as he struggled to get up. Y/N sent a half hearted glare in return, the smirk not leaving her face.
However, her smirk was wiped off her face when she glanced over to find a boy, who announced himself as Connie Springer, hanging in the commandant's hands by his head. He also mixed up his hands for the salute, his left hand was over the right side of his chest. In between him and Jean stood a confused and shocked boy who introduced himself as Marco Bodt.
What really made everyone nervous, though, was when Commandant Shadis spotted a girl eating a potato in formation. He immediately dropped Connie, and the short boy crumbled to the ground. The guts of this girl had had the cadets around her nervous as the commandant stared at her. A few boys behind her were confused but also nervous as they stared at the girl.
"Hey, you there. What do you think you're doing?" Shadis asked the girl, who merely glanced around before taking another bite of the potato. He appeared in front of her in a second. "You are officially on my shit list! Just who in the hell are you?" He shouted, his frustration radiating off of him as he stared the girl down.
The girl quickly went to attention. "Sasha Braus from Dauper village, at your service," she answered, somehow radiating confidence. In her right hand was the potato she had been eating. "Reporting for duty, sir!"
Y/N wanted to laugh.
"Sasha Blouse, huh?" Shadis loomed over the brunette. "And what is that you're clutching in your right hand?" he asked.
"A steamed potato! It sat there in the mess hall begging to be eaten. Sir!" Sasha explained.
"The theft, I understand. But here? Why eat it here of all places?"
"It looked quite delicious. And it was getting cold. So I gave it shelter in my stomach, sir," Sasha said, her voice not as loud as it was before, but still holding the confidence.
"Why? I can't comprehend. Why would you eat that potato?"
With all that happened today, with Jean, then Connie, now Sasha, Y/N was having a hard time not smiling.
Sasha faltered. "Are you asking me why people eat potatoes? I'm surprised you don't know, sir."
Everyone was looking over with nervous, wide eyes. The wind blew, adding to the eerie tension. The cadets watching saw as Sasha brought out her hand from behind her back and cut the potato apart. One piece was slightly smaller than the other and she held it out for Shadis.
"Here, sir. Have half."
"'Have half?' Really?"
Y/N didn't know if Shadis was questioning actually receiving the potato or receiving a portion that wasn't nearly 'half,' but she wasn't going to dwell on it. The cadets watched as Sasha gave the commandant a smile but was soon ordered to do laps around the perimeter until the sun set.
Y/N stood outside, leaning against the side of one of the barracks, watching the sun begin to set. The orange glow faded into the blue of the sky, adding to the gorgeous view. A view she never thought she'd see three years ago. She closed her eyes, basking in the warmth that wasn't too hot.
She and the other cadets had changed out of their uniforms so now instead of the white pants and tall brown boots, she wore her baggy black pants and short brown boots instead. She replaced the brown jacket for her maroon sweater that was finally starting to fit her better.
"Hey!" A familiar voice shouted from not too far away. Y/N opened her eyes to see a familiar mop of caramel brown hair closing in on her. Jean was angrily making his way to her and she could almost see the fire in his eyes. She paid his angry pursuit no mind and stood relaxed, not even curling her hands into fists. With a kick of her foot, she pushed herself off the side of the building and began closing the gap between herself and Jean.
"Oh, are you on the way to the mess hall-" She tried to ask, but was cut off when she was shoved against the hard siding again by Jean's harsh fists. He held the collar of her shirt in his hands holding her in place. Y/N made no attempt to move.
"What was so funny earlier?" Jean snarled, his teeth bared in an angry frown. His brown eyes bore into Y/N's own (e/c) eyes as he glared down at her angrily. "God, you're way shorter than I thought," he muttered, noticing how much he had to bend down to be level with Y/N.
She scoffed, shooting him a glare. "If you're going to make fun of my height, I get to make fun of you being weak," Y/N said. She brought her hands up from her sides to try and push him off. Her hands were on his as she tried to pry him off of her.
She could easily get him off. Being weak like this was only an act. But why subject someone to see what she could do too soon?
Jean scoffed this time, his grip on Y/N's only shirt getting tighter. "I'm weak? You can't even get me to let go," he taunted, his frown turning into a cocky grin. His teeth remained exposed. Y/N was growing irked by both his words and actions.
"Yet I can withstand a surprise attack, headbutt or otherwise," Y/N shot back, her voice exposing how much feigned effort she's using to try and push him away. Her feet were lifted a few centimeters off the ground, so she couldn't ground herself to push him off. Her only options were to push herself off the siding or kick Jean.
"Yeah, I'd like to see you try."
"Give it your best shot."
"Ohh," a new voice chimed in a sing-song tone. Both Jean and Y/N turned to find Connie, Marco, Mina, Armin and Eren walking over. Connie chuckled as all five pairs of eyes glued onto the two. "What an interesting sight. Mister MP and miss kick block. Lookin' for some alone time? We'll leave," the nearly bald boy offered.
Mina and Marco couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly causing Jean and Y/N to glare at the group. Eren looked at the two with a glare, but Y/N noticed it was more directed towards Jean. Armin looked at the two nervously, as if he was scared for the two getting in trouble.
A bright blush appeared on Jean's cheeks and Y/N realized she had an opening. She quickly kicked at Jean's torso and pulled his hands off of her shirt. The taller boy stumbled back a few feet and Y/N landed on her feet.
"Surprise," she said simply, staring darkly at Jean from the distance of the newfound gap between them. She watched as he straightened his back to stand up straight. His angry frown was back, but this time to accompany his embarrassed red cheeks. The loud laughter of Connie only made him flush an even darker shade of red. Marco walked up to Jean in an attempt to console him.
Jean watched as Y/n made her way over to Armin and Eren, a friendlier expression on her face and no glare to be seen. He scoffed.
"What was that about?" Eren asked, his green eyes glued to Jean in a glare. At this point the group had continued their walk to the mess hall but with the two new additions.
"I laughed when he crumbled to the commandant's feet," Y/N said. The bluntness of her tone made both Eren and Armin's eyes widen. She doesn't openly laugh, just the occasional smirk or two, so this was new to them.
"That was...funny to you?" Armin asked. He leaned forward from the waist to interrogate Y/N further. His blue eyes held what looked like concern.
Y/N thought for a second before nodding. "Yeah."
"It was pretty funny," Eren agreed quietly. Armin stared at the two, not surprised but not letting up the concerned expression from his face.
"Yeah, okay? I saw the big guy," Eren announced to the group of teenagers surrounding him. The group gasped, shocked by this information.
"Okay, exactly how tall was he?" A boy pushed.
"He stuck his head over the outer wall," Eren answered.
"Wait! I heard he stepped over the wall completely!"
"So did I!"
"That was the rumor in my village, too!"
"Nah. He was big, but not that big," Eren shot them down. He was being so nonchalant considering how easy he gets fired up. Y/N assumed that he was going to have a breakdown just thinking of his mom.
"So what did it look like?" Mina asked, pressing for more information.
"It had a mouth like a corpse. And no skin, just muscles."
It was easy to imagine the large titan peeking his head over the wall all over again. Y/N saw the flash of red muscle behind her eyes. She remembered the scent of death and the metallic of blood as she watched Aria die all over again. She remembered the sea of despair held in the expressions of those who couldn't make it onto the ferry.
"And the Armored Titan? The one that broke through Wall Maria?"
That day, everything fell apart for the second time in her life.
"Is that what they're calling it? In all the panic, it was just another titan to me," Eren answered.
How can he be so calm? Just hearing it was bringing up so many painful memories.
'It's for the clout,' Y/N concluded, but still couldn't bring herself to look at her food, or the people around her. One wrong move and she'll either throw up or start crying. Either way, it wasn't a good look on a newbie.
"No way. So, what were they like?" A boy asked and Eren froze.
And she saw it again. The titan shoving Aria inside its large, rotten, slimy mouth. Its teeth baring into her torso, making the top half of her body come apart for the bottom half. The blood that sprayed through the sky, littering the stone roads and broken buildings. The crimson droplet that landed right before her feet. She heard the horrified screams of the people running away and the sobs that escaped her mouth for Aria.
"You've grown and healed so much, Y/N! Stay strong, as you always have been. Keep fighting-"
"Aria!"
"Y/N, are you okay?" Mikasa asked, which made Y/N snap out of her daze. She looked up at the girl sitting in front of her, whose expression was one of concern, even if it didn't look like it outright.
"What?" She asked, her voice hoarse.
"You're...crying," Armin said quietly from his spot next to Mikasa.
Y/N suddenly felt the cold against the trail of salty tears that slid down her cheeks. She could curse herself for how vulnerable she had become during her years with Armin, Eren and Mikasa. Using the sleeves of her sweater, Y/N raised her hands to wipe away the streaks of tears.
"I'm fine, just..." she paused, thinking about the right thing to say. She could excuse herself and leave, wallow in self pity here or in the barracks, or stay and try to act like nothing happened. "How long is he going to run his mouth?" Y/N finally asked, that's when Eren spoke up again.
"It's not like that," Eren said. Y/N groaned, earning a sheepish grin from Armin and a sigh from Mikasa. "Those stupid titans. They're really not that big of a deal. If we focus on mastering the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear they give us, then it's titan payback time!" He smiled wickedly. "I've waited years to be trained as a soldier. All of a sudden, the reality is sinking in. I'm joining the Scout Regiment. Then I'm sending the titans back to hell. I'm gonna butcher them all."
"Hey, are you crazy or something?" Everyone looked over to Jean. "Not that it's my business, but signing up for reconnaissance is like a death sentence," he said, shooting a low blow at Eren.
"I guess we'll see. Or at least, I will," the brunet shot back. "You seem content hiding in the interior with the MPs."
"Look, I'm just speaking honestly here, kid," Jean began. He hadn't moved from resting his head on his palm throughout the entirety of Eren's explanation. "I think it's better than being some loud mouthed braggart tough-guy wannabe pretending he's not as piss-scared as the rest of us." He lifted his head up from his hand when Eren stood up from his seat. The crowd that had been focused on Eren moved their attention to Jean.
"First Y/N, now me. Are you trying to pick a fight?" Eren asked.
Y/N suddenly felt more aware. She felt the eyes of the other teens on her as her own peered down at the wood of the table. If she wasn't hungry before, she definitely wasn't now.
"Says the one who made her cry by your big, tough guy speech. But alright, makes no difference to me." He stood up to meet Eren in the middle. The group of teens who were listening to Eren's spiel moved to stand around the pair.
Y/N's eyes widened at Jean's words and more eyes flickered to the girl. And here she was thinking only Armin and Mikasa saw. She was tired of sitting in here. She felt trapped. Her eyes narrowed into a pointed glare and she stood up, snatching the roll of bread from her plate to shove in her pocket. There was someone else who would actually eat it.
The gazes of everyone, including Jean and Eren turned toward her as the wood of the bench she sat on scraped against the wood of the floor.
"Y/N," Armin said quietly. His blue eyes were wide with concern as a sudden wave of fear washed over him.
"Don't involve me in your pathetic feud," Y/N warned, her voice soft but hard. Her glare pointed to the two boys in question, causing them to worry about their own safety. Their eyes were wide and a bead of sweat or two formed on their faces. She saw as they shrunk in on themselves. Satisfied with her work, Y/N left the mess hall, her dark glare never leaving her face. As she passed the cadets that were sitting at their tables, she saw as they cowared from her and her cold expression.
When she made it outside, the soothing night air caused her to drop her glare and relax. She felt herself falter from a sudden wave exhaustion but didn't let it stop her from getting to her destination. She began the walk to the barracks just as the bells rang signalling the time for eating to be over. Not feeling like being called by anyone, Y/N sped away from the mess hall. Her footsteps upon the dirt sounded heavy, but she made it next to a fire to sit down next to as she waited for an arrival.
It was dark by the time someone appeared from the shadows. Her heavy pants and slow footsteps confirmed Y/N's suspicion that it was Sasha.
"I'm finished," she announced to herself, seeming to not take notice of Y/N sitting on the ground, but heard her laugh as she crumbled to the ground from exhaustion.
"Who's there?" Sasha asked through her wheezing pants, making no move to get up.
"Y/N. I came with bread." Y/N fished into her pocket to pull out the bread she took from the mess hall to give to Sasha. She shot up from the ground, snatching it from Y/N's hands.
In the distance, Y/N heard footsteps and Sasha sniffed. Her eyes grew wide and seemed to glow in the dark as she scarfed down the bread to pounce on whoever was coming. Sasha lept to the blonde, taking the bread from her hands and causing her to fall. Y/N recognized her as Krista, a short girl with shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes.
They both turned to Sasha to see her standing on all fours like an animal. She snapped out of her daze when she realized she had more food.
"It's more bread!" Sasha screeched.
"I'm sorry there isn't more. It's all I could take," Krista apologized, clutching a water skin to her chest as she knelt on the ground in fear. "Hey, hang on." She relaxed, dropping the water skin from her chest. "You should really drink a little water first." The blond held up the pouch of water.
Sasha appeared in front of her in less than a second and Y/N had to stifle a laugh. "You- You're both goddesses, aren't you? Glory unto you!" Sasha held Krista's shoulders, glancing between her and Y/N.
Krista followed Sasha's gaze over to Y/N. Her eyebrows furrowed up with concern and a small frown appeared on her lips. "You left in a bit of a hurry after what happened. Are you okay?"
Y/N was caught off guard but nodded in response. "Yeah, it just got a bit tense in there, that's all," she said. She played off how much the boys got under her skin.
Krista was about to press on until someone else came up to the group. A tall tan girl with brown hair tied up in a low ponytail. Someone else Y/N was able to recognize: Ymir.
"Hey. Just what are you three girls up to?" she asked, her cold gaze directed toward the three sitting on the ground. Y/N was a few feet away from the other two, though. Sasha and Krista pulled away from each other's embrace, the former inhaling the bread she had been given.
"Well, uh. She's been running all day. Without any food or water," the blonde tried to explain. Ymir remained unamused.
"I see. So you're trying to be 'nice,' huh?" She asked. Y/N glanced to the ground, trying to find the right words to say as Krista tensed up. Sasha had just finished eating her bread when she collapsed on Krista's lap. "What's the point of breakin' the rules for Potato Girl? That mindless act of kindness gets you absolutely nowhere." Ymir and Krista stared at each other before the former let out a sigh. "Whatever." She began walking to the collapsed Sasha and lifted her up. "Let's just get her to bed already."
Y/N stood up and grabbed one of Sasha's arms to put around her shoulders. Ymir did the same. The height difference between the two made it uncomfortable for the taller girl.
"Your height's gonna make this difficult," Ymir said quietly. Annoyance was placed in her voice which irked Y/N.
"Do you want the help or not?" Y/N asked. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up to the brunette.
"I'm confused. Are you being nice?" Krista asked, not moving from her spot. Her eyebrows furrowed, emphasizing her confusion.
"I'm helping her so that she'll owe me one in the future," Ymir replied simply. "I intend to make use of her stupidity."
Y/N sent a glance to the side. "So you intend to be selfish," she muttered but walked with Ymir to bring Sasha back to the shared barracks.
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I would make these chapters go with the whole episode but, I write this in a google doc then copy and paste it here and would rather not have 12 page chapters on there.
I'm gonna end up having to make a few docs in different parts.. maybe per arc? idk organization is hard for me atm.
Anyways, I created an oc based off of Y/N (I, it just, it's fine). They build off each other ig. Uhh, so i made an oc playlist!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5seWON91asBt4TV5BRdSFz?si=3u46VwmuRvekQ8JrUF4uyA