✓ Blood Lust (Levi Ackerman - Attack on Titan) #wattys2021

Chapter Three

"104th Cadet Corps Boot Training starts now!" a dark-skinned man screams at us. "I'm your drill sergeant, Keith Sadies! I have no intention of giving you a warm welcome. Right now, you all are nothing but livestock to feed the Titans! No, even less than livestock! I'm going to spend the next three years training all of you worthless scum. I'll drill into you how to kill those Titans. In three years, when you stand in front of a Titan, it's up to you to decide if you're still livestock, or are you a Titan killing soldier that will protect humanity."

It scares me at how unafraid I am at his speech. When I trained with my father, he'd do a similar rhetoric, to prep me for the fight. My mother always laid into him for it, that I wouldn't ever join the Survey Corps and thus, wouldn't need to learn this. How much things have changed.

"Hey, mop top!" Sergeant Sadies yells at a round headed blonde kid. He immediately salutes respectfully.

"What do they call you, maggot!" I guarantee it isn't maggot.

"Armin Arlelt, from Shinganshina, sir!"

The Sergeant laughs. "Wow, seriously? Why would your parents curse you with such a dumb name?"

"It was my grandfather, sir!"

Sergeant Sadies leans over Armin, getting into his face. I'm a few people from him, in the front row. I hope he doesn't ask me. "Cadet Arlelt! Why is a runt like you here?"

"To help humanity overcome the Titans!" he yells back.

"That is delightful to hear! You're going to be a great light snack for him! Row three, about face, runt!" He takes Armin's head, spinning him around. He moves on to the next person and notice he's getting closer to me. One after another, he tears down cadets before stopping in front of me.

"Pink tips are not of military code!" he screams into my face, grabbing the end of my ponytail.

"It is genetic, sir!" It is definitely not genetic, but my mother had been dying the bottom of my hair with berries since I was a young girl, and I hadn't stopped since.

"What is your name, you lying sack of shit!"

"Eliora Smith, from Shinganshina, sir!"

His hands pull a knife out of his pocket, going for my hair. In a swift motion that I can't even remember, I knock the weapon, flipping the Sergeant on his torso, his right hand restrained against his back. When I realize what I've done, I rush away from him, letting him up from the ground.

"Ah, Erwin Smith's bastard spawn. Pull that shit again, you piece of Titan shit, and I will shave your head bald!" He doesn't retrieve his knife or go to cut my hair again. Instead, his eyes fall onto a dark redhead, eating a potato. I breathe a sigh of relief when he walks away, but I can't help but watch the girl. I wouldn't have the balls to eat right now.

"Hey! You there! What do you think you are doing!?"

She looks around as if he isn't speaking to her, continuing to munch on the starch. Within a second, he's in her face, screaming. "You are officially on my shit list! And who are you?" I personally wonder if I'm on said list as well.

She gulps before making the salute on her chest, the potato still in hand. "I am Sasha Braus from Dauper Village at your service. Reporting for service, sir!"

"Sasha Braus, huh? And what is that clutched in your hand?"

"A steamed potato. It sat in the mess hall, just begging to be eaten, sir!"

"The theft, I understand," he replies calmly, almost too calm. "But why here? Why eat it here of all places?"

"It looked quite good and it was getting cold. So I gave it shelter in my stomach, sir."