The Bloom Titan (1/2)

CH.51: The Night Before Hell

I skip into the mess hall, a gentle smile pulling my lips and my usual cold-self acting cheery, yet on the inside I was sad.

Sad because tonight may be the last night all these people are happy and well. That's why we're having meat. To raise morale. I find it sick but I must realise a good leader must be able to sacrifice lives and hold responsible for death's as long as they live.

I spot my squad sitting at their usual table and I walk over to them. "Hey!" I smile and wave as I go round the table to the empty space next to Mikasa. I sit down and I'm across from Cosette.

"Hello, Captain." She says seriously, pulling up a quick salute. I giggle.

"Cosette, you don't need to call me that when I'm sitting at a table full of underlings. Treat me like a squad-mate and call me Ezlyn." I lean across the table and pull the hand that was over her heart onto the table. She gets flustered and her face goes beet-red.

"Th-Thank you, Ezlyn." She's went from the rowdy, cheeky cadet to the shy and easily embarrassed girl. She told me one of her secrets not long ago and it was that she liked Aksel who has also changed. Levi and I's tough training has changed them all. Aksel was kind and charming at times, reminding me of Jean.

Connie and Sasha were gaping at the food that was sat on the table neatly. Someone clears their throat loudly at the front of the mess hall.

"May I have all of your attention!" Dirk bellows. Everyone at our table- apart from Connie and Sasha because of the meat -look in his direction. "This is a special night for you all, but try not to let the whole city know, alright? Act like soldiers and don't let things get out of hand!"

"Huh? Meat? What? This is really meat?" Connie mutters, his eyes wider than the first time he saw a Titan. Sasha's hands raise to her temples.

"Am I dreaming?" She says, a drop of drool dripping out of her mouth.

"Tomorrow we go to retake Wall Maria! So eat up!" Everyone seems to ignore Dirk and go savage mode, fighting over the meat. Sasha lets out a war cry and picks up the whole chunk of meat and starts knawing on it.

Connie snaps into action and puts her in a choke hold. Jean stands up and try's grabbing the meat out of her hands.

"Don't you start pulling that shit, potato girl! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" He yells. I sigh and stand up to sit next to Marlo where there was spare meat. I take a small slice of meat and some salad and start chewing down on the juicy, rare beef.

"Stop it, Sasha! I don't want to have to kill you!" Connie wails a bit over-dramatically. Jean manages to grab the meat out of her mouth.

"Like hell we're letting you eat the whole thing!" He shouts but Sasha's jaws latch onto his hand. "You're biting me! Those are my fingers!" He then wails cries out.

"Sasha! That's Jean you're chewing on! Have you lost your mind!?" Connie tightens his head-lock.

Marlo turns to me. "Do the Survey Corps not usually get to eat meat? Poor souls." He receives a punch from the savage Sasha right on the nose. It starts spouting blood violently.

"Daym." I utter, swallowing a bit of meat.

"Connie, would you knock Sasha out already?" Mikasa asks from beside me. Sasha punches my collar-bone but it was a weak one.

"I can't! She should be out already, but she's still moving!" He reply's as Sasha swings him back and forth. I sit my fork down and stand up. I walk round the table behind Sasha and Connie.

"Connie, let go." I sigh. He looks back at me as if I was a maniac. "Trust me." I say calmly. He gulps and jumps back letting go of the wild, potato girl. She lunges for the last of the meat but I chop the back of her neck, making sure I hit the right nerve to knock her out and not kill her.