angelic | jean kirstein

chapter one

ANGELIC – CHAPTER ONE

The sun shone down brightly on the newly scouted cadets of the 104th cadet corps, each with a different choice of work than the other. Some, like Isabel, wanted to join the Scouts in order to rid the world of titans with her family, some for the Garrison who only wanted to protect the people and make sure another wall isn't destroyed, and some who wanted to maintain order behind the walls as an MP.

Isabel Smith wanted to be a Scout with her father and family friends. It had always been what she had wanted, no matter how much her uncle and aunts had tried to disway her. She knew what she would have been risking, but she didn't see there was much choice for her. Everyone she knew was in the Scouts, she had grown up with that background, so it only seemed to fit if she were to join, she couldn't picture her life without seeing her family every day.

She was well aware of some people who were already thinking of joining her as a Scout, three refugees from the Shiganshina District in which the recent titan attack had taken place. She felt awful at what they had to witness, but if they wanted to join the Scouts then they'd have to get used to it.

Isabel herself had never seen a titan before, she had seen sketches and pictures drawn by Hanje Zoe, her godmother, but she had never seen one in person. Growing up in the military barracks she of course had tried to sneak peaks at her test subjects, however her godfather had always been there to make sure she couldn't set her eyes upon one before it was necessary.

"What do we have over here?" Commandant Keith Shadis exclaimed loudly as he bent down into one of the cadet's faces, forcing Isabel out of her thoughts and to look over to the much taller boy.

The boy threw his arms into a salute, "Jean Kirstein, sir. From the Trost district!"

"And why are you here, Cadet?"

The boy seemed to pause for a minute before a faint smile grew on his lips. "To join the Military Police, sir. Best of the best."

Isabel rolled her eyes at his response, it was more than obvious to her that he was wishing to hide behind the safety of the inner walls and live a life of comfort. Coward, she thought. She could never understand why people wanted to hide behind the walls, she wanted to fight for her freedom, not hide away and wait for others to do it for her, it was nothing short of lazy in her eyes.

"That's nice, you want to live in the interior, do you?" Commandant Shadis asked.

He paused once more. "Yes!"

The Commandant's head came crashing down into the boy's, causing him to collapse onto the floor and grip his forehead in agony. "No one told you to sit, recruit! If you can't handle this, Kirstein, then forget about joining the Military Police!"

–

The mess hall was loud and full of chatter as the new recruits got to know each other, though Isabel didn't feel much for chatter, she never was one to mix well with others. She missed her father already, she missed the familiar faces she was used to seeing almost daily. Isabel let out a sigh as she picked at the loaf of bread in front of her. The next three years were going to be long if she was missing her family and friends on the first day.

The sound of trays clattering against the wooden bench forced her eyes to look up from the bread, her eyes scanning three new faces. "Mind if we sit?" The first asked, his voice was rough but friendly as he asked. Isabel nodded her head and rested her chin on her palm.

"The names Reiner, Reiner Braun." He introduced, his lips curled upwards. "This is Bertolt," He pointed to a taller, much thinner boy beside him. "And this is Annie." He then nodded towards the blonde girl sat beside him.