A Second Chance (Marco x Fem Reader)

Chapter 3

(Edited)

Year 847

The two years after the fall of Wall Maria went by in a whim, and you found yourself standing under the ruthless sun, ready to pledge your allegiance to the 104th cadet corps and the military. You looked around, scanning the countless nervous faces around you. You shifted your feet, moving your weight from one leg to the other.

'God, whyyyy. Why out of all days, the sun had to be this hot the one time we have to stand completely still in an open dirt field for hours.'

You felt sweat piling up by your hairline.

'Shit, this is embarrassing. I cannot be sweating like a pig on the first day, I need to make a good first impression. The sweat doesn't help me look less nervous either.'

You eyed the commandant, Keith Sadies, as he walked through the rows of cadets. He was looking at everyone he passed, like he was trying to find something. He abruptly stopped.

"You there!", he yelled, his voice loud enough to be heard all the way over in Shiganshina. He was looking at a blond boy.

'Wait, I would recognize that hair anywhere! That's Armin! What is he doing here? '

"Who the hell are you!" Sadies continued, still yelling as if his life depended on it.

"Armin Arlert from Shiganshina, sir!", Armin answered. Even though you couldn't see his face, you could hear it on his voice that he was scared shitless. He stood his ground though.

"Is that so? What a stupid name, did your parents name you that?", Sadies replied.

"It was my grandfather, sir!", Armin answered loudly.

"Arlert, why are you here?", Sadies asked him while he closed in on his face, staring him down.

"To contribute to humanity's victory, sir!". His voice sounded confident; however, his head turned a little to the right, enabling you to see that his eyes were closed shut.

"How very admirable-" Sadies began, his face almost all the way up in Armin's face now. He had a way of staring so intensely that it looked like his eyes were about to pop out.

'God damn, he is almost scarier than a titan'.

"-You will be a fine titan-bait!", he said as he grabbed Armin's head, turning him around 180 degrees. "Third row! About face!". The rest of Armin's row turned around in unison.

Sadies continued and started screaming at a boy called Thomas Wagner. You took the liberty to look around again, now focusing more on the people closest to you. You were placed between a brown-haired boy and a brown-haired girl with a ponytail. You suddenly heard munching sounds and looked more closely at the girl. In hear hand, a hot, steaming potato.

Your mouth dropped a little. It was actually the most random thing you have ever seen in your life. Here you are joining the military, people are being punished and insulted as we speak, and she thinks this is the perfect time to pull out a steamed potato of all things.

'Should I stop her or warn her or anything? God knows what Sadies will do if he sees her'

A boy with light brown hair and a dark undercut was kneeling on the ground, clinging his hands on his head, groaning in pain.

'I wonder what he said to deserve that. That potato girl distracted me enough to miss that whole ordeal'.

You mentally beat yourself up for not paying attention.