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

Chapter Five

"Do you have heart?"

"Sir!" Together, my graduates and I place the salute against our chests. 

"As of this moment, you have three options open to you. Choose wisely." The announcer goes on to list each regiment. "The Garrison regiment, whose job is to reinforce the walls. The Scout regiment, who ride out into Titan country to take back what was once ours. And the MP regiment, maintaining law and order under orders from His Royal Majesty. Those cadets eligible for the MP have already been named." I fell into the category of the named, but my mind is already made up. I'll join the Survey Corps, and remind my father that he cannot forget me just because he lost my mother. He didn't lose a daughter that day, at least not in the literal sense.

"The rest of you, take a look, these are the top of your class." I came in fourth, behind Reiner, Mikasa, and Annie. Eren came after, then Jean. It was entertaining to watch him taunt Jean with it.

After the ceremony, we enjoyed dinner in our hall, for the last time. There's cheers around the room as people drink merrily together. I drink my beverage, sitting in front of a sulking Jean.

"How in God's name did I get ranked under Eren?" He takes a large gulp from his cup, and I hope he can hold his alcohol better than he can hold a fight against our young prodigy.

"Cheer up, Jean. You'll still get a nice place in the Military Police," I tell him, pulling my legs up on the bench into a criss-cross formation. I'm considerably short, close Mikasa's height, but short enough for my legs to barely reach the floor. More often than not, I found my feet falling asleep, and it's just better to sit on them.

"At least you ranked higher than Eren," he bites back.

"Yeah, but I'm underneath Annie, and that's a bit of a blow." An understanding look passes between us, and we both take a sip as if to say 'cheers to us losers'. 

We're interrupted by a loud shout from over in Eren's direction. Seems another argument is starting. He's such a trouble magnet.

"This is our life now. We can't beat them," a blonde man says. There were two hundred and nineteen of us that graduated. I think during these three years, I only learned maybe fifty names total.

"We buckle? Taking it all lying down?" Eren shouts back to him. "Things have changed. Maybe not a hell of a lot, but enough. They aren't the mystery that they were five years ago. There's still a long way to go but we've made progress. Every battle we've lost taught us a lesson, gave us the tiniest inroad toward something like hope. You are telling me it's better to cut our losses? Let all the death and destruction be meaningless? Just to ball up and accept? Not on your life!" He balls his hand into a fist, almost like a lazy salute. "Humanity's future lies outside the walls, and I'm going to clear the way! I'm going to take back what was ours! I'm going to drive them out! And as long as at least one of us can say that, we're not done." I then notice the tears in his eyes. He looks around at us before running away. Mikasa and Armin run after him, forever his faithful friends. 

Reiner sits down beside me, his shadow Bertholdt following his actions. I eye them from the side as I drink again. This may be my first and last opportunity to get drunk. I will not waste it.

"We'll be parting ways soon," Reiner comments. I nod, looking down into my cup. We knew this day would come, as they had both wanted to be Military Police since we started, and I've been set on Scout Regiment. I didn't realize that I'd get such a good friend out of Reiner, though, and I will miss him greatly. 

Without warning, I'm on my back, looking up at Reiner from the floor. "What the fuck was that for, Reiner?" I stand up, dusting myself off.

"If I was a Titan, you would've been eaten already."