butterfly rising ➪ levi ackerman

three

THREE
genuine salute

THE AIR WAS STILL in the forest inside the walls. The trees stood tall, and the world was quiet as the veteran soldiers stood idle on the ground and high up in the trees. Shadis let out a high pitched whistle, warning the soldiers in the field of the coming cadets.

The air howled as cadets passed by, gas hissing as it launched them into the air. Their hooks connected with tree after tree, keeping them suspended in the air. Kaede let out a loud laugh, her carefree personality not having changed much in the last two years.

     Kaede Kall. Exceptionally skilled in maneuvering ODM gear, but her carefree attitude and impulsive nature causes problems in planned attacks.

Olivia swung past her, sparing the other girl an exasperated look. Mio followed behind her, eyebrows furrowed and blades out as he scanned the woods for any titan cutouts.

Olivia Reno. Skilled in most aspects, but lacks confidence and initiative.

     Suddenly, a soldier in the trees pulled a target up, Mio slicing into it in surprise. His cut wasn't deep enough, barely hitting the fleshy part of the target. He growled, shaking his head and shooting his hooks far out in front of him.

Mio Russe. Not exceptionally talented in ODM maneuverability or hand to hand combat, but his desire to succeed is admirable.

     The other cadets followed suite, eyeing the woods for targets and focusing on their ODM comfortability.

     A target was pulled up not 25 yards ahead of Mio, giving him time to focus and prepare. He took a deep breath, advancing on the target with fiery determination.

     But, in his hurry, he hadn't heard the air wishing behind him, or the swift advance of a particular blonde from behind.

     Valor hoisted herself high in the air, releasing her hooks and relishing in the weightless sensation of falling. She raised her blades high over her head, slicing through the targets neck, neatly and deeply, a half a second before Mio could himself. The red haired boy gasped, staring at Valor in disbelief. He made a last minute decision and hooked into a tree, leaning against it as he watched Valor. The blonde shot through the air with grace, almost floating as the air from her tanks fueled her. Her hooks shot out in front of her, and she was gone as quickly as she had come.

Valor Arlert. Once a stubborn girl full of pride, now calm and observant. Most skilled soldier with ODM gear the Corps has ever seen, and her speed gives her quite the advantage. Though, her sly attitude can cause problems in group settings.

"Are you kidding me?!" Mio yelled, and all he got in response was a burst of laughter from Kaede. His gaze landed on her quickly, an angry look in his eye. The raven haired girl payed no mind, leaning against the tree beside her, keeping her feet on the branch underneath her.

"Man, she got you again!" She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still trying to catch her breath. She chuckled again, shaking her head. "You've gotta admit, Mio, she's crazy fast. None of us even heard her coming." Olivia scoffed at the raven haired girl, shooting Mio a sympathetic look. The boy a few trees away shook his head, pushing off of the tree with his feet and unhooking his gear. He swung off in pursuit of Valor, and the rest of the cadets followed, amused at Mio's continuous bad luck.

The cadets all made their way back to the base, most out of breath and exhilarated from the graded training. Valor sighed, running a thin hand through her long blonde hair. She hadn't had the heart to cut it, though she knew she'd most likely be better off to do so. She looked over at Mio, who was still pouting about his stolen 'kill'. She approached him, trying to hide the smirk on her face to no avail.