Platinum Blade - AOT x OC

Chapter IX - The All-Terrain Annihaltion Squad

As the 3-day excursion trip drew to a close, Morgan, Jean, and Marco had passed with flying colours. They had navigated through various terrains, from the monstrous mountain trails to the fickle forest paths. It was a long 3-days but a rewarding one, nonetheless.

The success of groups was varied. Some groups, like Morgan's, Mikasa's, and Khye's, had done exceptionally well. On the flip side, other groups like Armin's and Mina's, had found the rough rural conditions to be especially challenging and had failed to set up all 3 campsites. Seeing this, the expedition would largely affect the final cadet ranking.

During the excursion, Morgan had gotten along exceptionally well with Jean and Marco, even given the awkward start. She enjoyed their company so much that it was safe to say that she considered them as her friends. Initially, she was worried Jean was too loud for her, or that she would not fit in with him – but surprisingly, they were now like two peas in a pod.

Now, with her textbooks held against her chest, Morgan wandered through the busy hallway to get to her first morning class. People were rushing all about, desperately trying be on time to class. Poor attendance was also a determining factor for the cadet ranking.

However, this time, Morgan was bringing a new friend with her. It was not Khye, or Christa, nor was it Jean – but a cat.

"Maya! Stop moving around...!" Morgan whispered behind her. "If Shadis finds you in my bag, he'll put my head on a stake, and then display it in his trophy cabinet! And that would be kind of bad, you know? And painful..."

Maya was comfortably sitting herself in Morgan's backpack, with her head poking out the top. The black cat nestled itself comfortably in the girl's bag, curiously observing this new environment. She twitched her furry ears at each distinct sound, and even got a few stares.

Not only did Morgan warm up to Jean and Marco, but also Maya. Ever since she found her, she had been following her all around their expedition. Eventually, the animal-loving girl decided she could not just leave a cat to fend for itself in the rough mountains. Now, she was bringing her cat to class for the first time.

"Everhart!" a scary voice suddenly called out to Morgan in the hallway behind her. 

"Y-Yes?" Morgan stuttered, immediately recognising that dreaded voice as the Cadet Commander, Shadis.

With a few heavy footsteps, Shadis walked up to Morgan. "Is that a... errr... cat?" he asked awkwardly, noticing Maya in her backpack. Shadis was far too confused to ask say else.

"Miaow (≽^•⩊•^≼)!" Maya purred.

"Yes-"

"Why? A cat? Really?"

Twiddling her fingers and avoiding eye contact, Morgan desperately tried to whip up an excuse. The truth was, she did not like to force Maya to stay at the dorm by herself. This cat followed Morgan everywhere and was a huge attention seeker.

"I... umm..." Morgan started, biting her lip. "I just... wanted to bring her to class... because... I wanted to..."

"..." Shadis raised an eyebrow. "...Wanted to what?"

"I wanted... to... show... my friends?" she chuckled awkwardly, ruby red in the face.

Shadis gave Morgan an intense glare, one so cold it would freeze the sun. After a brief pause, the bald man closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Fine. As long as it does not cause any disruption in class, then I'll allow... the cat."

"Wait really!?" she gasped, a little awestruck that Shadis would allow such a thing.