š„£Ā Chapter Twenty: Breakfast, Blood, and Brotherhood[1]
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Keith Shadis believed in two things: pain and punishment. He was a BDSM main...or maybe?
So when the morning bell rang and the cadets were ordered outside, before breakfast, before water, Eren wasn't surprised, though Armin was starting to hate arriving here.
"Five laps," Shadis barked. "Now. I want you crawling by the time you taste food!"
The line took off like a herd of reluctant cattle, mostly those who enjoyed sleep.
Eren?
Eren thrived; he was very used to running. Though judging from the other cadets, he'd have some strong competition.
One of the perks of being Kaelen's younger brother: you either kept up, or you got left behind. Specifically because Kaelen loves causing problems and to avoid getting cornered, movement was needed.
All those years of chasing Kaelen across rooftops, through alleyways, and into trouble had built up a quiet endurance.
His legs moved on instinct.
His breath stayed steady. He passed six cadets before the first corner, running, he eventually ran into his eternal pain, Kaelen Reis-
Eren paused, "The hell? Why did I-" Slowing down to taunt him, "Not bad," Kaelen muttered beside him. "Still slow, though."
Eren grinned, ignoring what he had just thought of; his dreams were only growing stronger and weirder anyway.
"Eat dirt."
...
After laps came the mess hall. Well, before that was more physical training, with Shadis doing his mystery, "DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY!", or the sudden exercises he kept throwing at everyone.
At Mess Hall, the line was long. The food was worse; it made Eren miss his Mom even more, but none of that mattered.
BecauseĀ they were together again.
Kaelen sat down with Eren, Armin, and Mikasa. his silver hair was a bit longer than usual, and it was starting to cover his eyes. "Hello, everyone~ buddy, sister in-law, brother." He said in his usual sarcastic tone...though Eren could have sworn he heard something weird in there.
A moment later, an adorable blonde head appeared and quietly slid into the seat beside them.
Eren had barely started eating when he spoke, "Training's just as brutal as I hoped." Causing Kaelen to slowly turn to stare at him, "Seriously?"
"What? Don't you like being pushed?" Eren asked curiously, as Kaelen showed how a 'gentleman' eats, causing Eren to stick out his tongue, he wasn't his Mom...
Poking his food as if he couldn't even comprehend gruel, Armin groaned, face pale. "I think I died three times on the third lap."
Mikasa nodded, the current training was quite nice and by going beyond the usual amount, she'd make progress. "It's effective. Butā¦"
She glanced across the table.
AtĀ Krista.
"ā¦Why isĀ sheĀ here?"
Krista smiled nervously. "Good morning!" Armin waved lightly, meeting a fellow blonde was always news. "To you as well."
Eren shrugged. This was much better than Kaelen's...' entourage' back in school; he had hated them with a passion. Being called 'pretty' didn't matter to him, but have you experienced being compared every day by a bunch of brainless fans? "She's just watching. A wallflower. Don't mind her."
Krista nodded eagerly. "Exactly. A wallflower. Silent."Ā
Mikasa blinked, the yande-, I mean, the acceptable friend-like sense tingling.
"Did you invite her?"
Eren looked up from his tray, not understanding how close his life was to ending.
"Why would I do that?"
Mikasa smiled. Faint, but satisfied, and just like that, the story hasn't lost its other Protagonist.
"Good."
Eren sighed, whispering mostly to himself. It didn't matter if they were friends or not, he seemed to have horrible luck with them.
"ā¦Women are complicated."
Eren looked up again. he had finished his food...and was eyeing Kaelen's untouched plate.
"So, where's everyone going after graduation?"
The table went quiet, causing Eren to wonder if such a broadĀ
"You know," he continued. "We'll be assigned to Corps divisions. But I'm going to theĀ Scout Corps."
Mikasa said nothing.
Just: "I'll follow you."
Armin nodded. "Me too."
Kaelen snorted. "Guess I'm coming on this happy death march."
All eyes shifted.
ToĀ Krista.
She blinked. "Do Iā¦ have to answer, too?"
Eren shrugged. "You're sitting with us, aren't you?"
Krista blushed slightly.
"Iā¦ I guess I'll join too, then."
Eren smiled. He felt it againāthat slow-burning fire in his chest.
"I swear I'll exterminate every Titan."
And thenā
Laughter.
Mocking. Low.
"Exterminate all Titans? Please."
Everyone turned.
Jean KirsteinĀ stood a few feet away, arms crossed, smirk on his face.
"You'd be lucky to make it past fifty,Ā Yeager."
...
Eren stared at him, he didn't really know this guy but he had met a bunch like him...and naturally they all stopped annoying him sooner or later.
Calmly.
No yelling.
No insults.
Justā¦
calm.
Kaelen grinned, "Finally, some entertainment."
Armin's face dropped. "Oh no." Armin knew full well that Eren...really is violent in the most calm environments.
Eren stood, and a quick dash, using his shoulder first to hide his fist.
And swung.
CRACK.
Jean stumbled backward, jaw twisting, eyes wide.
He swung backā
Eren dodged, lightwork no reaction.
Lunged, 4 piece Yeager combo, half off prices this weekend.
Gut punch.
Uppercut.
Shoulder throw.
Jean hit the ground, groaning.
Eren dusted his hands.
"Trash," he muttered, turning away, maximizing aura.
Then added, almost cheerfully:
"Wasn't that cool?"
Kaelen gave a thumbs-up.
"All those years watching you get beat up finally paid off,"
Eren smirked, a backhanded compliment was the best he'd get from him.
"About time."
Armin buried his face in his hands, this was precisely why he doesn't go outside with Eren, it's a fight everytime.
"IĀ just wanted breakfast."
Mikasa didn't say anything.
But her lips curled into a tiny smile.
Krista leaned over, wide-eyed.
"W-Will he get in trouble?"
Eren shrugged.
"Nah. Jean's not gonna go crying to Commander Shadis about how badly he got beat."Ā
š Ā After the Dust Settles
Later that morning, while drills resumed and cadets regrouped, Eren found himself walking beside Kaelen again.
He didn't say anything right away.
Neither did Kaelen.
The silence between them wasn't awkward.
It was familiar.
LikeĀ home.
But behind them, sitting near the edge of the field, a pair ofĀ blue eyes followed Kaelen's every movement. "You can talk to normally, y'know? We're past the 'strangers' stage." Kaelen said calmly as he walked off.
With an adorable squeak, Krista asked nervously, "You're serious? I thought for sure, you'd get mad..." Kaelen turned, pale blue eyes, swirling with nothing but pure happiness, "Not today, it's the first time my adorable brother has had a reason to celebrate after all."
...
After breakfast, Eren walked across the training yard, shoes crunching against loose gravel.
JeanĀ stood nearby, a fresh bandage across his cheek, arms crossed, scowl permanent.
Eren stopped in front of him.
Extended a hand, he said calmly, Eren didn't want enemies right now, it wasn't worth the payout.
"Truce?"
Jean stared at it.
Then slapped it away.
"From this day on," Jean said, "I'm not signing some buddy-buddy relationship with you, Eren."
Eren just shrugged.
"Buddy, hate me all you want."
And turned to walk away.
Jean hesitated, as if making a decision.
"ā¦Did you mean what you said yesterday?"
Eren turned back, exhaling, he thought about the constant yap, he kept blathering about titans.
"I keep getting asked that."
His voice dropped, cold but unwavering.
"If there's one Titan left, I'll kill it."
"If there's a hundred left, I'll kill them."
"If there areĀ endless TitansāI'll never stop."
Silence.
Even the wind seemed to stop moving.
Then Eren smirked, calm again.
"See ya, Jean."
Jean watched him go.
"ā¦I must be an idiot to even think of this," he muttered.
But the decision was made.
That day,Ā Jean Kirstein decided to join the Survey Corps.
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[Auther: I was writing another idea of mine...which, considering I still have to start up the MHA one I was writing again, is irresponsible. Anyways, they'll be 3 chapters today as usual, since I messed up my schedule.]
[1] "For you guys, these 'chapters' have the wrong name on them but for me? Yeah, the chapter are messed because I sometimes put multiple chapters into one...."