୧ ׅ𖥔 ۫ CHAPTER IV . gear ⋄ 𓍯
🐚 #' m . jaeger

"GET OFF OF ME !" maeve cried , her hand smacking a bearded man away as he held a syringe filled with violet liquid . "maeve , listen to me !" he frustratingly shouted , grabbing her arm again . her eyes widened as she noticed the sharp tip of the needle , screaming at the top of her lungs , "dad !"

        her eyes cranked open , slightly closing again as her vision readjusted to the light . she heaved , grabbing at her face , then to her chest . her heart pounded , beating against the walls of her rib cage . sweat had formed on her back and armpit area whilst she was sleeping .

        mikasa was standing by the door , dressed in their training attire , staring at her with broadened eyes . "maeve ? . ." she muttered .

        maeve slowly sat up , swallowing the built up saliva in her throat , feeling the dryness of it as the spit went down . "i'm fine . it was just a nightmare , mikasa ." she reassured , still catching her breath .

        maeve was punished with an ongoing curse of nightmares ever since she was little , some even becoming reoccurring ones . but , that was the first to ever give her a reaction like that .

˙ . ꒷ 🕊️ . 𖦹˙—

        "first , we'll evaluate what you have ! anyone unable to do this can't even serve as a decoy ! you will be sent to the frontier instead !" commandant shadis commented , releasing the buckles on the harness and throwing a trainee to the ground . "jaeger !" he shouted , motioning towards the set up .

        they were practicing how to use the maneuver gear , testing everyone's balance and agility upon utilising them during battle .

        maeve's breath slightly hitched as she strapped herself in tightly , feeling the crane hurl her up in the air . she stared forward , not moving an inch of muscle . she watched the other instructors study her movements , waltzing past the activity .

        commandant shadis held a close eye on her , huffing as he clicked his fingers at one of the cadets . the rookie moved forward , unwinding the lever . after a minute and a half of being somewhat airborne , maeve's feet touched the ground again .

        she unclipped the harness from her waist , glancing at the shadow towering over her , "good form , maggot !" shadis spat . despite his passive aggressive insults , she knew he was impressed with her .

        she joined armin in line for those who had successfully completed the drill , standing next to him with a grin on her face as the commandant scolded eren . he was practicing the activity himself before quickly losing his balance and being hung upside down .

        "just what do you think you're doing , jaeger ?! pick yourself up ! your sister was able to nail down this procedure just fine !" shadis rebuked , a distinguished look of disapproval casted across his features .

        eren's eyes grew wide as he continued to hang there , a pink tint to his face as he observed everyone else snicker under their breath . commandant shadis snapped his fingers , a grunt coming from eren as his body hit the ground harshly .

        "another weakling ! how far do you expect your wimp , little body to get if you can't even use the maneuver gear ?! if you were ever put out on those front lines , you'd just be more nourishment for the titans , cadet !" he continued shouting .

        eren grit his teeth , pushing himself up from the ground . his eyes met maeve's , turning away at the sight of the smug look she had across her face .

        after training had finished for the day , maeve , mikasa , armin and eren returned to the practice station for the maneuver gear .

        "stick to the basics , and you should be fine . don't worry about doing well ." mikasa reminded him as maeve tightened the buckles around his waist .

        "watch your balance and stay focused , slowly rest your weight on the belts attached to your hips and feet ." mikasa motioned towards the straps .

        maeve peered at the descending sun , the pinkish-orange colours through the atmosphere slowly disappearing with it . the remaining sunlight peeked over the rocky terrain , still providing the four of them enough luminosity to observe their surroundings .

        mikasa backed away with maeve , studying his positioning . eren breathed , "raise me , armin ." a slight gasp fell from his lips as his feet lifted off the ground .

it wasn't long before he lost balance , hitting his head against the ground in an extremely strident way .

        armin dropped the crane again , running to his side , "eren ! are you okay ?!" he shook his body . maeve unstrapped him from his harness , watching his legs hit the gravel .

he groaned , running his hands up his cheek , eventually stopping at his hairline . "shit . ." he muttered .

mikasa and maeve exchanged glances , their gaze turning to eren again , "we'll try again later , alright ?" maeve held her hand out for him .

        eren's face twisted in disdain , slapping her palm away . "i don't need your help ." he spat .

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         maeve had her chin in her palm , her free hand using a spoon to feed herself . she hated military food , it was probably the closest to any dogshit tavern she's been to .

        she recalled all the times christoph had taken her through the city , trying different foods from the merchants who were always posted up in the middle of the streets . maeve often missed those days , back when everything was simple .

        eren felt his head , spoon-feeding himself and making a bitter face as he swallowed the broth of the soup in front of him . "hey , daz , ain't that the kid from yesterday who said he'd kill all the titans ? . ." someone whispered , purposefully loud enough for eren to hear .

        "well , i bet he'll be off to the frontier tomorrow . we don't have enough food to feed worthless rejects ." daz snickered , flashing a smug grin at his friend .

        "eren ." mikasa nudged him , attracting the brunette's attention , "hey , there's no point in worrying . you just have to figure it out tomorrow ." armin spoke .

        eren stared at him , then at his dinner bowl . he shrugged miserably , "i'm pathetic . i'll never be able to bring a blade to any of those bastards like this ." eren muttered .

        "you'll never get anywhere if you keep repeating things like that ." maeve responded with a quiet statement .

         "perhaps it's time you let that idea go , eren ." mikasa commented . eren glared at her , "what are you saying ? . ." he furrowed his eyebrows . "i'm saying , you should give up on being a soldier . there are other ways to fight than by throwing away your life ." she remarked .

        his eyes widened , "i was there that day too , you know ! i saw what happened ! you seriously think you'll convince me this way ?" eren scoffed at her boldness .

        mikasa raised her head , her gaze meeting his , "it doesn't matter how much you want it , eren . it isn't your decision whether you end up a soldier or not ." she added .

        eren grew silent , rolling his eyes . he rose from the table , motioning for armin to follow him , "i'm going to go find reiner and bertholdt ." he huffed .

        everybody soon began to clear their tables , dumping the scraps in the trash or feeding it to cadet braus . maeve held her bowl in one hand , eren's bowl in the other .

        she proceeded towards the bins , her advances being disrupted when she felt a presence bump into her , leftover soup that was still in one of the dishes splashing on the floor from the sudden shake .

        she stood her ground , glaring at the tall figure in front of her . he turned around , staring at her with a raised eyebrow . "apologies . ." jean spoke , his face softening once he realised who it was .

        "oh — maeve , right ? i never got to say 'thank you' for helping me the other day ." his grin became genuine , holding a hand out for her to shake .

        maeve motioned towards her cluttered hands . "that's right . ." his palm retracted , "i'm sorry about getting in your way . did you need any help carrying those ?" he tilted his head in anticipation of her response .

        before she could say something , she heard loud footsteps coming from behind her , "hey ! leave her alone , horseface !" eren rebuked .

        her brother yanked the bowls from out of her hands , staring at him intensely . "jesus , i didn't mean to bump into her , you maniac . it was an accident ." jean groaned in annoyance of his sudden appearance .

        he carefully scanned both their faces , chuckling to himself . he looked at maeve , making small and petty glances at eren , "you really do look like your brother . . it's quite fortunate that you don't act like him , though ." he smirked , trying to get a rise out of eren .

        the brunette's glare shot daggers , "what the hell is that supposed to mean ?" he grumbled .

        "well , if she was going the way you are now , you both would already be on your way to the frontier . it's a miracle i haven't seen your ass in one of 'em loser carriages yet , but . . there's still hope ." jean sneered .

        armin grabbed eren's shoulder , "come on , eren . let's just go . ." he spoke . eren grit his teeth , throwing the dishes on one of the tables as he began to march up to him .

        maeve put her hand to his chest , stopping his advances as she barricaded the distance between him and jean off .

"we'll go now , alright ? someone else can clean those bowls up for us ." maeve told him . eren backed off , storming away at her words .

        armin glanced at her , watching maeve shake her head in irritation . her pursed lips released from its tense behaviours as she let out a hasty exhale , "let's go , armin ." she said .

˙ . ꒷ 🕊️ . 𖦹˙—

"it's hopeless . . he won't last another day if he can't get past something as simple as using the maneuver gear ." mina , a well-known cadet with short , black hair , fair skin , and dark eyes , spoke back and forth to her friend in a hushed manner .

        "we can only pray . . it's a shame , though . i thought he'd at least get through the basics before being shipped home , he seemed dignified ." her friend replied .

maeve listened from her bed a few bunks down from them , picking at her nails again . a head peeked over from the top bunk , "would you quit that ?" sasha yawned , "quit what ?" maeve furrowed her eyebrows .

        "i don't know . . whatever it is that you're doing , can you stop ? i can hear it from up here ." she hung her body over the mattress , coiling her hair around her fingers and letting it bounce loose .

maeve nodded her head , her face burying itself in between her legs as her body curled into a ball . sasha pushed herself up from her current position , removing the blankets that were covering her feet as she climbed down the step ladder . "what's wrong now ?" sasha inquired , sitting across from her .

"nothing , sasha ." she quietly responded , "well , there has to be something . you seem down ." sasha commented . maeve raised her head , still staying slightly tilted downwards as her eyes made small glances at her .

        "i've just been missing home a lot more recently ." she muttered , a solemn look casted on her face .

sasha stared at her hands , nodding along . "i get that . i haven't been home in , what feels like , years ." she exhaled , the breath slipping from the crevices of her lips sounding far more sentimental than it should've been .

        maeve held her head in her hands , her elbows to her knees as she still stayed in her fetal position . "but , to me . ." sasha spoke again , regaining her attention .

"home is a feeling , not a place ." her smile became more authentic as the words spilled from her lips .

maeve's mouth was agape as she stared at her , studying her soft features . "yeah . . i suppose so ." she mumbled , her voice being the only one able to enounce words that reached sasha's ears .

"and , don't worry about those two over there talking about eren , i'm sure he'll pull through . he's a tough piggy , don't ya' think ?" her southerner accent slipped , though maeve pretended not to notice .

maeve smiled , "yeah . thank you , sasha ." she articulated , gratitude overriding her tone as she rested her hand on sasha's .

sasha flinched at her touch , soon easing her muscles . she looked at her , her eyes full of altruism .

˙ . ꒷ 🕊️ . 𖦹˙—

"you know you have this , you've got more guts than anyone i've ever seen . . and that's totally unbiased ." maeve whispered to her brother . "stop talking ." he spoke back , his volume matching his sister's .

        commandant shadis proceeded towards them , motioning towards the maneuver gear set up once more .

"now's the time , jaeger . you gonna' convince me you're fit for this camp , or do you just want to keep standing there , looking stupid ?" he chided .

eren's face showed nothing but complete concentration as he strapped himself in the harness again , waiting for the crane to haul him up .

        shadis stared at him , his voice raising , "begin !" he commanded . eren lifted off from the ground , keeping his body movements still .

he put his hands horizontal from each other , balancing his weight out . he grinded his teeth , keeping focus .

        the other cadets quietly cheered at the extensive time he had already been in the air , which was longer compared to the other times he attempted the activity .

maeve grinned widely , standing with good stead as her brother successfully faced his challenges . "i did it !" eren called out , "maeve ! i —" his sentence was cut off from the sudden jolt in the harness , putting him off balance . "shit !" he shouted , falling backwards .

everyone's cheers died off as they watched eren hang upside down again , struggling to get back up . commandant shadis walked over to him , stopping in his tracks .

         "no . . i won't give up yet ! sir , i would like one more try !" eren pleaded . shadis stared at him , "put him down ." he ordered .

the crane dropped him down again , which gave him a chance to reposition himself . eren fell to his knees in despair , muttering words under his breath .

        "wagner , change belts with jaeger ." the commandant turned to thomas , "yes , sir ." the trainee replied .

"let's try this again . on your feet , maggot ." shadis instructed . which , they did try again . eren completed the assessment easily with the different harness .

"your equipment was defective . the fitting on your belt was damaged ." the commandant announced , motioning towards the faulty gear , "i've never heard of this part getting damaged . i'll have to add it to the maintenance checklist ."

"so . . he managed to stay upright for a bit . . even with a broken belt ?" one of the recruits behind maeve mumbled . eren's breath caught in his throat , "then . . did i pass , commandant ?" he inquired .

shadis exhaled , "commence training , cadet ." his words sent an adrenaline rush through eren's body , his hands flying up in the air . "i actually did it ! i did it this time !" he laughed , exhausted , but thankful .

"i guess it all worked out . ." reiner stated . "that dumbass . . he just loves trying to prove others wrong , doesn't he ?" maeve chuckled under her breath .

        mikasa shook her head , "no . . he's relieved because he thinks we won't have to be separated now ." she said .

"well . . he's not the only one ." armin commented . eren's continuous cheers overruled the blonde's soft-spoken voice , getting louder as he swung himself around .