CHAPTER ONE
THE MISFORTUNATE CADET

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I had been called to the Commander's office twice today for unexplained incidents that have occurred this morning in the Survey Corps Headquarters. I wasn't at the very least surprised of the instantaneous accusations directed at me following after these two incidents. Especially with the current incident in the dining room just now.

I stroll down the halls in disappointment and in full down depression. My oily skin from the unbalanced makeup I'm forced to wear every day-resembles me to one of an old woman wasting her life in drugs, alcohol and smoking. My boney fingers twitch at the evident appearance I'm wearing today and from yesterday and for the upcoming days ahead. My skinny wrists compare to of my own ankles that seem to not be able to sustain my weight in some occasions. Even though I'm currently skin and bones at this point-weighing not more than ninety pounds-my legs are not capable in carrying me sometimes. A dangerous weight to be at my age. I'm no longer a teenager but a woman that has no strength to defend herself. 'How miserable.'

As I become pensive, the sound of rising static envelops my ears into an unfamiliar wave I can't quite put together. 'Am I turning insane?' It's then that I realize it was the voices of several soldiers standing in the hall. Their demon eyes land on my appearance just then, their smirks sending me into a state of numbness and humiliation. I speed walk to my Commander's Office at the hearing of insults shooting straight at me as I have enter inside a horde of tormenting soldiers.

"Skinny ass bit**"

"Incompetent fool!"

"What a disgusting sight to see in the Survey Corps."

"Don't we have enough with seeing those hideous titans?"

"Poor woman that gave birth to her."

"Thief! You should've been sent to jail by now!" Words of rejection and detest fills the hall as I walk by. How did it come to this in the first place? Why am I in this position? Why is there so much hatred and repugnance directed to me? Who's the first person to start all of the abuse?

"Remember your place you filthy pig." A shiver of terror runs through my whole entire body at hearing that deep voice coming from no other than my worst nightmare, Jake Sterben. I glance at my right to catch him leaning in a corner glaring at me with those turquoise rectangular eyes that are nearly hidden from his jet black hair that gets all females crazy for. Of course, I'm an exemption. I find him dangerously manipulating and a total torturous nightmare. I know exactly what he means by those words coming from his mouth. It means to lie that I am the culprit or in a matter in fact-let my superiors decide by themselves. 'My words won't be acknowledged by my superiors but sent to the trash. But come to think of it, there's Captain Levi.'

My noticeable knuckles come in contact with the oak door of the Commander's office before being allowed inside the room. 'Here it goes again.' I prepare for the same routine once again. Get accused, questioned, ignored then punished. It's a surprised I'm still a member of the Survey Corps. 'I wonder myself what's the real reason I'm still here if I'm practically physically weak? I don't believe that story Erwin tells me on some occasions. I'm aware that the Survey Corps is in need of soldiers to fight outside the walls but it wouldn't hurt if I left, right?'

"Why am I not surprised?" I shift my attention to Captain Levi who is sitting casually on one of the oak chairs that have nice burgundy cushions accompanying them. "I've just arrive and I'm informed of your unacceptable behavior. I can't help be surprise hearing you've been called more than twice today." Levi faces me. "Trying to win a world record or something?" I remain silent at his words. 'I wish I wouldn't disappoint Levi. He's the only one I can rely on.'

"Cadet Stones."

"Yes, Commander." I salute to Commander Erwin Smith who takes a seat on his chair behind his desk, his expression not looking too nice. I hear Levi sigh disappointingly at my unhealthy appearance and the accusations made by the soldiers of me. It seems to me that Levi is gradually not allowing me to explain my side of the story anymore. If there was any in the first place to begin with. Why would he trust me if I'm always the culprit? Obviously I had never broken any rules or acted rude in the first place yet I have no alibi to prove where I've been when those incidents occur. Who could of been the real culprit?

"Jake Sterben informed us that you were the one to place dead cockroaches on some of the soldier's soup." 'Obviously Jake was the one.' I remain silent meanwhile Erwin bombards me with several familiar names that I encounter several times during the day when no one is around. I shove aside all the words coming from the Commander of the Survey Corps and only catch the names of those that witness my supposedly evil deeds. Fieth Oliver, Alyssa Ryder, Daisy Foster, Troy Duas and Vernon Holister. Those are the names I hear from the Commander. "Do you deny these accusations?" I find myself staring at the burgundy carpet under me. 'It wasn't me. It was them. My nightmares.'

"..."

"Speak the truth Stones." I glance at Levi who holds a steady glare at me. His blue-steel eyes show a hint of hope and anticipation. Hope of what? Well, that I'm not the culprit. Anticipation for what? Obviously the expectation of speaking out the truth. 'I wonder if Levi will slowly lose trust in me?'

"...I deny the accusations. It wasn't me." My skinny fingers find themselves fiddling with one another. My color eyes stare in desperation at the Commander and Levi. 'Please believe me.' An all familiar sigh is heard soon after. 'Erwin doesn't believe.' I clench my fists in anger.

"Levi. I'll leave the punishment in your hands. There is sufficient amount of people who saw her actions before the incident." My fingers dig on my skin from the injustice being made. 'My words have no meaning to no one. Not even Captain Levi. He's letting the Commander decide my fate without proper evidence.'

"Seems like you haven't gotten the message to remain out of trouble Stones." I watch Levi stand up from the chair and stand in front of me. My view on Erwin is blocked by Levi himself. "If you don't halt that rash behaviour of yours, the consequences may lead behind bars. Your deeds are becoming too extreme." He places his right hand on my shoulder. "Your not a brat anymore. You're an adult so act like one." He lectures me.

"I'll have to consider your placement in the Survey Corps cadet Stones." Erwin begins to work on some paperwork sent to him. His voice demonstrates no signs of worry or sympathy. 'This isn't fair. Why do they believe my worst nightmares?' Right... because they are unfortunately the top ten in the 101 Trainee squad. I'm just a weakling. Obviously all truth falls to them with no question. I simply seek attention to facilitate things around here. That's what everyone was made to believe. 'Why me?' I wait for Captain Levi to announce my punishment but only receive silence. He watches me for a moment before speaking.

"Erwin. What if she wasn't the one to traumatize the soldiers in having a bowl of soup for breakfast? You're an intelligent man." Levi defends me. 'It won't work Levi.'

"Based on the evidence from past incidents that lead to Estella Stones, it is natural for me to believe she disrupted the food from several of my soldiers. Witnesses were held as valuable evidence in this case." Erwin explains briefly.

"I see." Levi murmurs to himself. "Let's start your punishment." I hear Levi utter out before leading me out the door.

"It wasn't me who placed those dead cockroaches on the soup." I quietly walk next to him but receive no response in return. I turn my attention to Levi's face and watch him stare straight ahead. It's like if he's musing about my current situation. Not like I can blame him. He may be starting to doubt me or probably seeking for a proper explanation of what's going on. 'If only I could tell Levi the truth.' I rub my sore arms. 'If only I had the courage to seek help.' My scrawny legs wobble by every step I make and shake when walking down the stairs of the Survey Corps Headquarters. 'I wish I could gain some weight.'

"Stuff some meat on you. You're like a living flimsy skeleton that possibly may turn to ash if a strong wave of wind were to impact you." I cringe inwardly at his blunt words but understand his concern. He wouldn't be fond seeing me die uselessly.

"I'll try."

______

So it seems like my punishment is to clean the whole horse stables for a full month on my own. My punishment given to me by no other than the famous leading soldier of the Scouting Legion Humanity's Strongest. I sigh at my current position in life. 'No one believes me. Not one.' I can't help but chuckle miserably. 'My poor performance even over rules the Military Police and the Garrison.' Was I always like this? I can't say I wasn't like this before. However, the physical abuse started the day I signed to be a trainee six years ago when I just turned seventeen. Do I lie? Never. Lying isn't me. I speak truth but who are the ones to ruin my reputation and make a poor description of me? My six worst nightmares that are making my life a living hell. I can only describe two things that does not fit my nightmares' description. Dull-witted and vacuous is definitely not them. They're too intelligent for that.

I begin to clean the stables like Captain Levi ordered me to do as punishment. I serve the horses food before proceeding to take out the horse's manure. My fragile hands grip on the heavy shovel filled with manure and carry it outside. 'Damn it's too heavy for me.' Just when I succeed transporting the manure outside, my hands loose grip on the shovel and find myself falling back with a sharp pain in the back of my head. My lungs lose air for a split second when my back comes in contact with the ground. 'What?' I come to the realization that someone had yanked my hair and caused me to fall back with a hard thud. 'I didn't hear them come in.'

Not a second passes by before my face is forced straight on the horse's' poop. My face continuously is being rubbed breathlessly up and down the stinking substance. The brutal action not allowing me time to breathe. My palms land on the manure to help me up but distinct hands hold my wrists and pull them away so my face remains flat on the suffocating substance. My nose that reeks the stable horse's manure causes a wave of nausea to overtake me. I feel my chest tighten because of the lack of air. The feeling of warm tickling sensation of early morning soup finds its way up to my throat and mouth. With no open space for the substance to escape, I'm succumbed into a state of drowning from my own vomit. My vision blurs for a moment until my oppressor finally let's go of my hair after several prolonged seconds of torment and the need for oxygen.

I feel tears form in my exhausted eyes as I receive a blow to my side that causes my body to hit the wall with brutal force. My bones start to ache all around meanwhile the rest of my vomit escapes my mouth. I spit out the manure that unfortunately landed on my mouth as well and with trembling hands, I remove the rest of the manure that's mixed with my vomit from my solemn face. I hear familiar laughs echoing around me. The static noise rises once again and forms into a thunderstorm of insults. I can't help but vomit once again by the repulsive smell.

"You look great idiot. Nice makeup." The familiar laughter overwhelms my senses. My eyes come in contact with its owner, Fieth Oliver. 'How dare she?'

"Nice comment beautiful." I freeze at the appearance of Jake walking up to Fieth. Vicious hands wrap themselves smoothly around Fieth's curvy small waist before traumatizing lips come in contact with her own. His long hands roam down her exaggerated curves that make all men crave for her. His hands continue down her butt before seductively grabbing onto her buttocks. The action emits a loud moan from her as Jake begins to dry fuc** her in front of everyone. I immediately turn my attention away from them. I wish I can escape but it will be no use. I'll be back on their grasp sooner or later.

"Oi. Jake. Let's not forget about this idiot here."

"I'm clearly aware of that Troy." Jake grunts in pleasure. 'I hate it when he does this. If only Fieth could fully please him, I wouldn't have to suffer anymore.'

"Na. ah. ah. You're not looking anywhere but them." The voice of Daisy blocks my thoughts before miserably succumbing to Daisy's command.

"Troy. Use your eyesight." Jake orders as he moves Fieth onto one of the wooden walls in the stables. His gravelly voice sends me into hell once again. 'I'm doomed.' My color eyes follow Troy's figure looking out the stables with those brown protruding eyes of his.

"Clear." Troy confirms a few seconds after.

Strong fists land unexpectedly towards my side rib propelling me to the ground-leaving me defenseless. I curl into a ball from the vast pain I'm experiencing. My ailing body unable to withstand their strength. 'Stop this please.' I am yanked from my hair by no other than Jake who seems to have stopped pleasing Fieth and himself. He drags me all the way to the other side of the stables towards a bucket filled with clean water. I grab my hair to stop the pain meanwhile a cloth is being placed in my mouth to prevent my screaming from being overheard by others. Tears flow desperately down at what may come next. 'Levi. Please save me.'

Without Jake letting go of my hair, my oxygen is once again taken away from me. Cold water consumes me as I try my best to break free from Jake's tight grasp. 'Is this my end?' I hear the sound of Jake from above me. The water blocking a clear hearing of his voice but not as extreme.

"Always weak you pig." I hear Jake bash from above me. Pig is my tremendous nickname he had placed me a couple of years ago. I have no idea how he came up with that nickname. I wish I could break Jake's arms so he can leave me alone.

After some torturing seconds, he lets go of me but not before sending a kick on my side once again. I cough out water to catch some air to breathe. My face that once was smudged with horse poop, now appears like mud on my entire face. I shift my attention to my aggressor Jake who carries a black thin metal whose ends are a flat surface with a letter design. I notice the letter design is burning orange. My eyes widen in horror at the realization. 'Those were used back then with horses and they're going to inflict it on me. It's a branding iron!'

Before I can make any sudden moves, I'm immediately pinned down by Troy and Vernon whilst Alyssa wraps my mouth real tightly to prevent me from screaming. "Oh look at your frighten face. So satisfying!" Alyssa squeals in excitement.

"If you were to keep that penetrating voice of yours into a more suitable volume, you'll be able to witness it before anyone walks by to see what's going on." Daisy states flatly. Her hooded eyes stare out of the stables for any person coming by. Her hooded eyes creating a threatening aura that almost look demon because of her pitch-black color eyes. 'I wonder why Vernon is dating her. They're complete opposites.' Daisy's black wavy hair that's styled into a short bob haircut makes her appearance mysterious. Meanwhile, her flat voice makes her menacing unlike Vernon. Vernon is too quiet from the rest of the group.

"Jake. Don't you think this is a little too much." Vernon's tight voice catches the attention from everyone. I struggle to get away but it's futile. Vernon and Troy are too strong for my body strength.

"Vernon. Remember what I always say." 'Say what?' Vernon hesitantly nods to Jake's calm words that confuse me. 'What does Jake always tell Vernon?'

Daisy keeps watch meanwhile Fieth stares at my struggling form in total satisfaction. Daisy seems to be going through some starvation who is waiting desperately to devour its prey. I stare in trepidation. Everyone's busy cleaning the headquarters by orders of Captain Levi. It's Tuesday: cleaning day. I cry in frustration. Not only it's cleaning day, all squad leaders excluding Levi have left a few minutes ago to an important meeting at Trost. Levi is currently busy doing paperwork so nobody is going to save me from what will occcur in a matter of seconds.

I watch in terror as Jake kneels in front of me with Vernon, Troy and Fieth keeping me as still as possible. Jake lifts my white shirt exposing my badly bruised belly that always gets decorated with purple bruises that spread to my chest, side ribs and unfortunately hips, legs and lower regions. My heart quickens the closer the branding iron nears my flesh. I can feel the hotness radiating from it. Tears start to escape down my cheeks once again for the one hundredth time today.

"Please. Don't." I muffle out.

"Ha-ha look at the crying sh**." He laughs meanwhile he hovers the hot metal in top of my belly-ready to mark me like an animal. "You're a useless animal who needs to learn who's your owner. Welcome to hell you fuc**** pig." He sneers with evident venom in his menacing voice. The only thing I have left is my scream being heard from the tight cloth wrapped around my mouth.

______

"You better keep your dirty mouth shut because if you don't, you'll hear from me. You wouldn't want our superiors to know you have stolen another item..." Jake warns before he leaves the stables.

"An item from Mr. Smith." Fieth fake gasps.

"Besides, who will believe a filthy cadet like you?" Their laughs engrave themselves in my brain as they leave me alone to deal with the aching pain they had just put me through. Jake's last words leave a sense of complete hopelessness in me. 'Why is Jake so cruel to me?' I grunt in pain when I attempt to get up. If anyone were to discover my abuse, they will be asking why haven't I left the Survey Corps. Unfortunately I have no where to go. The Scouting Legion doesn't pay its soldiers but with shelter and food. Even if I were to resign as a soldier, it wouldn't make a difference. Jake will haunt me down and abuse me again and again. 'I just can't understand why Erwin Smith hasn't kicked me out of the Survey Corps? He's an intelligent man. Why can't he notice that I'm innocent? Could it be that my last name makes him doubt me?'

______

I clean the stables in Levi's standards just the way he likes it. I check repeatedly if there's any spots I forgot to clean which I doubt. This is the tenth time I checked around.

"Cadet Stones." I hear a familiar modulate voice call from behind me. A sensation of security envelops me from just hearing his voice. I turn to watch Levi inspecting the whole place. Luckily I removed the stinky substance out of my face with water yet it's still filthy with stained manure.

"Captain Levi." I salute weakly due to the numbness in my belly. I haven't dared myself glance at the evidence of horror Jake inflicted in me two hours ago. Luckily, Levi didn't notice my weak salute because of his automatic attention with the stables.

"At ease." He replies casually meanwhile inspecting the stables. I maintain in the same spot as I patiently wait for Levi's confirmation if he approved my work or not. From the corner of my eye, I catch Fieth appear silently inside the stables and dirty the wall with dirt. I watch in total dismay at Fieth's evil work. All my hard work and for what? So she can ruin it? I am just about to call her out but she's already gone. If Jake were to have seen my intention of exposing Feith's evil work, Jake would have beaten me up already. I silently cry in frustration with my head low. My messed up ponytail not helping cover my disappointment. 'He hasn't even checked that part yet.' I hear Levi move to the right side of the stables before standing besides me.

"Stones." I glance up at him.

"Yes Captain?"

"Clean the stables all over again." He points to the dirt spread out in that small area in the wall where Fieth dirtied a minute ago. "You missed a spot." He points out before he begins to leave.

"Please. Captain." I beg him automatically grabbing Levi's full attention. "I checked this place ten times. I cleaned this place just how you ordered. It's just a small spot that's dirty. Please." I can't do this cleaning again when it was already clean hours ago.

"You should have checked it better." He replies flatly.

"I've done this five times. Please it's just a small space. Please I beg you." I near him but stop knowing fully well that he dislikes being near filth. My nails are bleeding from all the scrubbing. My face is covered with dirt and stained manure- shielding the pink hand marks in both my cheeks that were inflicted on me after recieving my burn mark on my belly.

After a few seconds he sighs. "Fine Estella. Clean that spot and head to the shower afterwards. I don't want to see such a revolting sight inside the headquarters. Nor to smell the manure you are currently consumed in. I really can't explain how the manure ended up in your face."

"I fell." I explain calmly.

"Then watch your step."

______

The place is lonely and silent with the exemption of running water enveloping my entire body. I wince at the cold touch hitting my purple bruises in my chest, arms, shoulders, back, legs, hips, thighs and lower regions. Even my butt. I'm a complete mess, a purple bug like how Jake calls me when he leaves another bruise on my skinny body. My fingers hover over the J mark on my skin that will remain engraved on me for the rest of my life. 'I'm a horrible sight to look at.'

After I finished showering, I put on a fresh pair of uniform that I got from the storage room before heading here. After doing so, I apply this hideous makeup I'm forced to wear before heading to my designated room to once again be bombarded by various insults and disapproving glances. I do not know the real reason of my abuse. Don't know why everyone in the Scouting Legion dislikes me. There is no one here that I can call a friend or is friendly towards me except Levi, Hanji and his assistant Moblit. I expected a difference when joining the Survey Corps. I was rejected by my family that I can't quite remember anymore because I was later sent to an orphanage around age seven. I can't help feel a slight hope to find my family. It seems they didn't bother leaving the lady in the orphanage my real name. I wasn't always this skinny but thin. I have various names and gone through different stages in life. I was an orphan, a slave and thug. I'm surprised I've made it out alive throughout this years with my poor strength. I clench my fists as I walk through the halls with my color eyes looking dead. I sigh at my current description.

The misfortunate cadet

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To be Continue...