"Curly! Get the hell off the ground!" Jean yells, voice loud enough to echo through all of Trost.
Said curly haired girl was running on the ground, a Titan chasing close behind her. Truth be told, she couldn't get off the ground even if she wanted to; she had run out of gas long ago and had landed painfully with a thud.
Goddammit," she mumbles. She was not dying before she could even get to the Scouts.
Jean, Sasha, Connie, Armin, Marco, Annie, Reiner, and Bert were following her from the rooftops. Their blades were in their hands, but they were trying to conserve their gas at this point. The supply crew had been hiding away in the depot, leaving the vanguard out to dry.
The Titan chasing her was a three meter class, crawling on all fours to reach her, it's big eyes childlike but determined. She heard the heavy footsteps of another Titan not too far off, cursing under her breath as the steps neared her. The other recruits were screaming for her to climb.
"Head away from here!" she yells, sweating under her mess of curls. "It's not safe!"
"I'll come down and get you!" Jean yells. He had assumed the role of leader.
"No!" she yells back. If Jean went down to get her, he'd run out of gas too. "I have an idea! Stay put!" She began to run towards the footsteps from the other Titan. It's a six meter class that has long straggly hair and a grin. It begins running at her, hands outstretched and reaching for her. She gulps hard, ignoring the protests coming from her fellow recruits.
Right as she nears the second Titan, she slides, her pants riding up, and her legs getting torn by the concrete. She goes right under its legs, causing the two sprinting Titans to collide and fall to the ground. She hears her comrades call for her to climb the nearby crumbling wall to reach them, but feeling powerful, she runs up to the two Titans and slashes their necks, killing them.
~~
"Ow, ow, ow," Nora whines. She was laying on the grassy floor of the forest behind the castle, only the moon lighting her path. Lights out was three hours ago, yet she was still here.
She releases the hilts of her swords, letting them fall into the rain softened dirt beneath her. Struggling to get up, she sighs, dropping her head back down.
"Why can't I use my gear as well as before?" Nora asks out loud, despite being alone. Before her injury, she was one of the best in her class with the gear, being both quick and nimble.
"Nora! What are you doing out here?" She's surprised to see Connie appear next to her, eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay?"
"I did bad at training today," she says quietly. "I was practicing."
"We're all worried about you," he says with a sigh. "Come on, up you go," he says, pulling her up to her feet. She brushes some of the dirt off of her.
"Why're you looking for me?"
"Jean went to go see what you were doing because he couldn't sleep. He knocked on your door a bunch of times and when you didn't answer, he just went in and saw you were gone. He got some of us up and we've been looking for you for about an hour. We were gonna go get the Commander, but I told them to keep looking in the castle and I was gonna check out the forest. I didn't think you'd be this far in though..."
"I didn't want the guards noticing me," she replies, pushing some sweaty curls from her eyes. As she takes a step, her entire body screams in pain, but she doesn't let it show.
"Let's get you back before Jean wakes up the entire castle."
As she walks, she can't help but remember the dream she had before coming out her. When she remembered Trost, and how agile she was then, she knew she had to get some extra practice in. Sadly, she didn't think those two hours alone while training had helped.
They walk in silence, the only noise coming from the clang of her 3DM. Noticing the silence, and hatingsilence, Connie begins to whistle, just loud enough for the two of them to hear it, but not loud enough to wake anyone up.
Everyone is in Nora’s room when they get back. After she takes off her gear, Jean runs up to her, grabbing her by her small shoulders and shaking her. “Where were you?!” he asks.
Nora frowns on the inside as she sees how tired and worried he looks. She felt bad for worrying him. “I went to go train in the forest. I can barely move with 3DM anymore,” she sighs.
“I was about to get the Corporal to come find you! I was that worried!”
“Relax, Jean,” she says, grabbing his face and squishing his cheeks. He looks less like a horse like that, she thinks to herself with a laugh. “Connie found me.”
“You were pretty deep in those trees,” Connie says, somewhat impressed.
“I’d been practicing for a while. I’m just surprised you went that deep in there to find me.”
“I heard your gear,” he says with a laugh. “And then I heard you fall flat on your back and groan.”
“I haven’t had a chance to practice in a while!” she says defensively. “I’m a little rusty.”
“I could help maybe,” Armin offers. Even though he really wasn’t good with the physical aspects of being a soldier, he had a good command over 3DM. He gives her a gentle smile.
“Any of us will help you,” Eren says happily, clasping her shoulder.
Everyone mumbles their agreement, making Nora extremely happy. She never knew how great it was to have friends. “Thank you,” she says with a genuine grin. “But lights out was a long time ago. I don’t want to get you all in trouble,” she says quickly. “I’ll see you all at breakfast.”
As everyone mumbles their goodnights, all relieved to see that she wasn’t dead somewhere in the castle. When Jean first went to them, he was blabbering on about how she could have “passed out walking down the steps and could be disorientated and dying in the basement.”
Her body was sore and covered in sweat. She reminded herself to take a quick shower in the morning before breakfast, before pulling her covers up to her neck and going to sleep.
~~
The showers were all on the second floor of the castle. Usually, they were packed with people, sweaty and in pain from the day of training. But it was before sunrise, so no one else was up.
Nora was still covered in a layer of sweat from the night before. She knew that if she went to the showers that night, Jean would hear her leave her room and freak out, and she’d end up waking up the entire castle if she had to walk past dorms again.
With her uniform folded up in her arms, she walked through the castle, eyes still half closed and glazed over from her exhaustion.
“Ow, ow, ow,” she mumbles after falling to the ground from crashing into something. She feels droplets of water land on her skin.
“You’re awake early,” the voice drawls. She looks up, seeing cool grey eyes staring back at her. Levi is dressed with only a towel around his waist, hair still dripping wet.
“So are you,” she says, gathering up her clothes and standing up. She was completely unfazed by seeing Levi in a towel; she had seen him in one plenty of times before.
He shakes his hair like a dog, causing water to go everywhere. He ignores the grumbles from the shorter girl. “You’re covered in dirt. Why?”
“I got some dirt on me,” she answers.
He rolls his eyes at her ridiculous answer. “Thank you for stating the obvious.”
“You’re welcome!” she says with a cheery smile. “But if you’ll excuse me,” she adds, going to walk by him. He grabs her by the arm.
“I carried you back to your room last night again. For the second time in a row you fell asleep on the roof when I brought you back up there. When I brought you back, you smelled like soap. So I know you showered before dinner. Now why are you covered in dirt again?” His grip on her arm tightens enough to make her feel guilty- he was definitely concerned.
“I went out training in the middle of the night. I had a bad dream. But it was more a flashback. It was from when I was in Trost, and when I killed two Titans. It just made me feel so bad… I was so agile then. So capable. But I sucked at training yesterday. I could barely move. I haven’t trained in so long, and I can’t physically move like I used to, so I… I-”
“I understand,” he says quietly. “Go shower. I’ll see you at breakfast.”
After her long shower, she heads back into hall and notices that the castle is still. She heads over to one of the windows, noticing the sun is just beginning to rise. She grins to herself, running up the steps two at a time.
“Levi! Levi! Come quick!” She bangs on the door, knowing that he’s inside. When they used to live together, he’d always wake up really early to shower, but then go back to his room and read. She hears shuffling behind the door.
“Tch,” he snaps, glaring at her. “What?”
“Don’t be so cold,” she says simply, pinching his cheek. He pulls her hand away. “I want to go watch the sunrise.”
“Then go,” he says, about to close the door.
“No, wait!” she whines, grabbing the door. Levi’s much stronger than her, but he doesn’t overpower her when she pulls the door open. He just lets her. “I want to watch it with you.”
He glances back over at the book that he had read countless times. Finally, he looks back at her with a sigh. “Fine, brat,” he replies simply. She grins, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the half hidden staircase on the second floor.
By the time they get to the roof, the sun has already started to rise, almost fully in the sky. Levi was laying down completely, pulling his green cloak around his body. Nora, on the other hand, was sitting straight up, hazel eyes glimmering brightly in the newly raised sun. A big grin was across her lips.
She glances back at Levi. Although he tried to seem bored, she couldn't help but notice how a slight smile had reached his lips as he watched the sun rise. When she turns back, she realizes something about said Captain: she was still yet to answer him.
He hadn't brought it up since. And she didn't want him to. But he did deserve an answer, and she was selfish for not giving him one.
She had to give him one... But maybe another day.
After watching the sky turn orange and pink, Levi informed her that it was, in fact, he day for kitchen duties with the other newest recruits. After huffing, she agreed to head down.
Only Reiner and Bert were in the kitchen when she got there. She knew both of them were early risers, but even this was early for them, even if they did have kitchen duty today.
"So, we have to make breakfast?" Nora asks with a sigh. She never did much cooking. Back when she lived in the interior, she had a maid who took care of cooking. When she lived with Levi, he did the cooking, in fear that she'd burn herself, because she was a "clumsy brat" after all.
"I remember you cooking from when we were trainees," Reiner says with a shudder. "Perhaps you should stick to cleaning."
Bert nods quickly. "Or maybe just help prep the food, then clean."
If there was anything she knew how to do, it was clean. Levi did have high standards after all.
She nods, her damp curls falling in front of her eyes. "Thank you both for last night. I really do appreciate that you went looking for me."
Reiner reaches for a knife, beginning to cut some potatoes. "Don't mention it," he says gently. Bert nods in agreement. Nora took a step away from Bert, feeling extremely tiny next to his very tall frame. He laughs in response.
"Oh, look who it is," Jean says bitterly, upon seeing her. He roughly ruffles her curls. "Didn't feel like skipping out and disappearing this morning?"
"I had planned to run away back to the forest later. Perhaps around clean up time."
"You-"
"Are the best!" she finishes for him with a laugh. He glares at her, pinching her cheek. She grabs a handful of flour and throws it onto his newly washed green cloak. He lifts her above his head, threatening to drop her over an open flame. The four of them laugh.
~~
"Everyone! Get dressed! We have an emergency!"
Nora was on Wall Maria, adjusting the cannons and doing patrol. Some of the other recruits were out at Trost, patrolling there. Their graduation was tomorrow. They choose their branches in a few hours.
"What's wrong?" Armin asks the Garrison woman quickly.
"Breach on Trost," she says quickly. Her face was red and she was out of breath. She had ran across the entire district.
Jean's head snaps up. "On T-Trost?" he stammers out. "I'm from Trost."
Marco reaches his hand out and places it on Jean's shoulder. "Come on, Jean. Lets protect Trost, then," the freckled boy says, trying to offer a smile. Jean simply nods, looking very scared.
It took a while for the idea of a breach to sink in with the new soldiers. They were yet to even be a part of a regimen, but now they're going into an all out war.
They could die today.
And many of them will die today.
The recruits were dispatched to fight in the middle area. The front lines were for the elites, but it was rumored that they had been completely eliminated already.
Before they even got fully into position, a number of recruits whose names Nora hadn't cared to learn during training had been killed, eaten alive before her very eyes. She wanted to kick herself for never learning their names; she wanted to say a prayer for these brave soldiers. She watched helplessly as their blood flew through the air, painting both the Titans and the surrounding area red. Their screams deafened her ears.
"Don't die a nameless recruit," she whispered to herself. "If you're going to die, make them remember you."
Although she spoke those words confidently outloud to herself, her insides had turned to jelly. She didn't want to die. Not now, not ever. Not at the hands of these creatures at least. She had to see him at least one more time...
"Curly," Marco nudges her side. "Come on, lets stay close together." Since she never formally introduced herself to anyone, only a handful of people actually knew her name. Most had just called her Curly, since that was her only distinguishable feature. That and her height. A few people called her Shrimp, but that was when they were mocking her.
She looked to her team leader, Marco. He was kind enough, but that might be the downfall of their team. She hoped it wasn't.
The first time she saw a Titan, she was too paralyzed in fear to move. She had stopped moving through the air with her gear, simply falling to a rooftop. As she laid there, motionless, the Titan began approaching her. She'll never forget the look of it: ten meter class, huge green eyes, short blonde hair, and a blank expression. Right as it was reaching for her, she heard someone yell "Curly!" and felt strong arms around her body, carrying her off.
~~
"Nora?" Armin asks gently. She realizes that she's looking up him, and more than usual. She then becomes aware of the cool tile on the back of her thighs and stares of many people on her.
She had collapsed to the floor.
She rubs her head softly. Had she just remembered Trost, at a random time like this?
"PTSD," she heard Bert whisper to Reiner. He nods and grunts in agreement.
"Can you stand?" Jean asks. She realizes that he's behind her, under her to be exactly. He's holding her up. He probably caught her as she collapsed. She simply nods."
"What're you doing on the floor? You should be cooking!" Hanji chirps, entering the kitchen. Everyone looks blankly to her, unsure of what to say.
"Can I talk to you alone, Hanji?" Armin asks the older woman. She nods, and the two of them step into the hall. No one says a word. Armin finally reappears in the kitchen, alone. Hanji was nowhere to be seen.
--
"Excuse me, Captain. Hanji requests to see you."
The short man rolls his cool grey eyes at the messenger. "Tell her I'm not here."
"She says it's important."
"It can't be that important."
"It's about that girl."
Thoughts began to spin in Levi's head. Why would Hanji have something to say about her? His hands grip the arms of his chair tighter, and he feels his teeth clench. "I'll be right out."
He slips his arms through his leather jacket adorned with the Wings of Freedom. A few seconds later, Hanji walks in, not looking like her bubbly and cheery self. Her brown eyes are fixated on the floor, staring blankly.
"Levi."
"What's wrong?" he asks, sounding more bitter than he intended. He did like Hanji, honestly, but sometimes she really did annoy him at times. Her passive behavior all of a sudden was one of those times that annoyed him.
"She collapsed today during kitchen duty." Levi eyed her questionably. That wasn't something that Hanji would rush to tell him. There was much more to it. "The other Scouts around her said she was mumbling in her sleep. But she wasn't dreaming. She was reliving her Titan experiences."
"Where is she now?"
"Still in the kitchen. No one wants to move her. She was conscious when I saw her, but she wasn't speaking. She was staring blankly."
Levi nods to her, his grey eyes fixated on the ground. She had never had this happen to her before. He didn't know how to help, but Hanji went to him for a reason.
"Traumatized," Levi says quietly to himself. "This is why she should have never become a soldier."