To Seek Freedom Or to Seek Home

Chapter 2 - Broken Gear and Unseen marks

ODM gear training. Funnily enough, it's similar to the tactic Sero and Aizawa-sensei used for speed traveling.

I boredly sit on the ODM gear, smiling as I waved over at potato girl. We were the same in being unphased by the supposedly tough task.

I felt like showing off a bit as well, so I curled my legs up and allowed myself to fall backwards and use my momentum to get right back up. I laughed a bit at how it felt and did it several more times with a smile.

I heard whispers, and felt the eyes on me as I stopped spinning and swung myself instead like Sasha was. It was obvious we both had natural talent but mine went a bit above and beyond that.

I watched as Shadis yelled at Jeager so I leaned over enough to talk past Sasha.

"Don't be so tense Jeager, try to imagine where your weight is. We're naturally top heavy so try to focus on shifting your weight down to your feet." I spoke up, smiling as he looked my way. A majority of the eyes were on me, listening as I told them how to better use the gear. I mean who wouldn't take tips from someone who seemed like they'd been using the ODM gear for years?

After all the ODM training, we went to dinner and I happily chatted with Reiner and Bertholdt.

Well.

I was until I saw steam above Eren's head.

My eyes widened slightly and I went dead silent, watching as it was only brief and then stopped. The bell rang and we all went back to the barracks but I was noticeably quiet as I followed Reiner and Bertholdt.

Had I been seeing things? I'd watched time and time again as my two most trusted healed with steam. So why the hell was there another cadet, one that most definitely wasn't from Marley, steaming like an injured titan shifter as well?

We walked in to hear Eren begging Jean and Connie for help with the ODM gear. And as soon as we all sat down, me leaning tiredly on Reiner's shoulder, he came over to ask us as well.

Reiner denied for us, I would've accepted but I was tired and curious what the desperate brunnette would do when his pleas were denied.

I listened to Bertholdt, looking over at him as he spoke up. He wasn't exactly the most talkative around , even less so than Reiner, so it caught my interest that he was bothering to bring up something while the two were already leaving.

I watched as he lied so easily, mentally praising him for being so damn good at coming up with an amazing backstory.

"Bertholdt, don't push yourself." I spoke, rubbing one of my eyes as I sat up fully. Eren and Armin flinched a bit as if they hadn't noticed me there, but I was more focused on fake comforting Bertholdt and so was Reiner.

"You're just getting yourself worked up again" Reiner spoke, and I rubbed Bertholdt's back, looking up at him with fake worry in my eyes. Bertholdt looked between us and nodded before apologizing and continuing.

With Bertholdt mildly degrading the other cadets, we all ended up going out with our uniforms, cloaks, and a few handheld lanterns (it was such a struggle at first realizing I no longer had modern technology. First time I woke up and couldn't find my phone I was so thrown off). I let Bertholdt continue to talk, humming quietly to myself as we walked. When Reiner cut in I could tell he was talking about Marley and not that village.

"Why'd I join..? I decided I have to kill them. I won't stop until every single titan is dead and rotting. Dead. Every last one."

It was hard to keep my apathetic expression, hoo boy I wanted to laugh in his face. This boy was so overly determined it was going to end up with him in the damn ground.