in the middle of the chaos | jean kirstein x fem!reader

1 | in the middle of the enlistment

All she wanted was to have an easy life.

''WE NOW BEGIN THE ENLISTMENT CEREMONY FOR THE 104th TRAINEE CORPS!''

It won't be easy to reach that goal.

''I AM KEITH SHADIS, AND I HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF BEING ASSIGNED TO TRAIN YOU BASTARDS! AND I'M NOT HERE TO WELCOME YOU AT ALL!''

In order to achieve the thing she wanted, she needed to suffer first.

''RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE MERE CATTLE, FIT FOR NOTHING BUT TITAN FOOD! NO, LESS THAN CATTLE . . .! IN THREE YEARS WE'LL TAKE YOUR WORTHLESS PIECES OF CRAP AND TRAIN YOU!''

Three years weren't a long time.

''IN THREE YEARS, WHEN YOU STAND BEFORE A TITAN, WILL YOU STILL BE FOOD? OR WILL YOU BE A NOBLE WALL, SHIELDING THE KING? OR PERHAPS, ONE OF HUMANITY'S GLORIOUS SOLDIERS THAT SLAY TITANS? YOU WILL DECIDE!''

Oh, she already had it decided, that was for sure. It wasn't like she had a choice — she had to provide for her mother, and Stella and Leo. Only because her father had to be a selfish moron.

Straight posture, legs apart, hands behind her back. She stood among all the other boys and girls that now made the newest training corps batch. The people she would sleep, eat and train alongside for the next three years. There was only one person she knew well here. Aside from him, she was a stranger among strangers. She hoped that wouldn't be the case for too long.

''HEY, KID?'' Shadis yelled at a scrawny blond-haired kid.

The boy saluted. ''SIR!''

''WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?''

''I'M ARMIN ARLERT FROM SHIGANSHINA, SIR!''

Shiganshina? The place where the Titans broke through a few years ago?

''That so? A name fit for a retard!'' Shadis told the boy. ''Your parents named you that?''

''It was my grandfather, sir!''

''Armin, why are you here?'' Shadis asked, leaning down to Armin's eye level.

''To contribute to humanity's victory, sir!''

''How very admirable!'' Shadis told him, though she had a feeling he didn't really mean it. ''You should make first-rate Titan food. Third squad! About face!'' Shadis grabbed the top of Armin's head and spun him around to face the row behind him.

Next was Thomas Wagner. She was familiar with him — they used to go to school together. Granted, it was quite impossible not to, as there were only two schools in Trost, one in the east and one in the west. They weren't really friends, though.

Shadis made his way over to her row — specifically, to the boy standing next to her. Even she had noticed he was smiling too cockily. She'd told him before they arrived to calm all that personality of his down.

''Who the hell are you?'' Shadis yelled to yet another boy. He was in the row in front of her, one person to the left.

The boy saluted. ''Jean Kirsten from Trost, sir!''

Okay, so far so good. He wasn't being too cocky.

''What are you here for?''

''To join the Military Police Bridage and reside in the Inner District, sir!'' Jean had a smirk on his face. How dumb can you be, Jean-Bo?

''I see. So you wanna live in the inner district?'' Shadis asked calmly. Too calmly.

''Yes, sir!''