Chapter 4: Hand-to-Hand Combat
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Three Months Later
It has been three months and a week since they entered the Training Corps, and almost everyone was trying very hard to get to the Top 10, some more than others. Many didn't really care since they wanted to join the Garrison just to get away from the Titans. To join them, someone didn't need to be top 10. But the likes of Jean, Marco, Eren, Mikasa, and a few others were trying very hard to get to the top 10.
After Eren had passed the ODM Gear test, Jaime had wondered if that would make him grow up a bit, perhaps be a bit more mature, but instead, his rivalry with Jean had only increased instead not one single day didn't pass when they would start insulting each other out of nowhere. At first, it had been funny, but now it had gotten boring. Some of the cadets would make bets on how long it would take this time for them to start a fight.
Eren because Jean wanted to join the Military Police; Jean was mainly jealous of Eren since Mikasa followed him around and would often break his fights with Eren before they could escalate.
Jaime found Mikasa to have incredible skills and was very good at fighting, but he found her obsession with Eren a bit odd.
Jaime hadn't told anyone yet, but he had seen the nasty looks he got from some of the cadets. Everyone knew he was from Wall Sina and thought of him as a son of a noble or something. Many had thrown insults behind his back, trying to get him angry, Jaime mainly ignored them, but if they decided to take it a step further, he would do what his mentor always told him to do in this type of situation.
Just fuck up one of them. You don't need to fight with all of them. If they're cowards, the moment you break an arm or leg of one, the others will run away. As Jaime's eyes briefly glanced at the sharp, glinting blade of the knife his mentor had given him, he couldn't help but feel a rush of nostalgia wash over him as he remembered the words of his mentor.
His friendship with Krista and Ymir had strengthened up, well, mostly with Krista. Ugly freckles still growled at him the moment Jaime was anywhere near Krista or making her laugh.
Armin, bowl head seemed the quiet but the smart of the three, he was mostly quiet and didn't talk as often, but Jaime had seen him talking with Mina quite often. He wondered if that would go anywhere.
Jaime escaped his thoughts when he heard the sound of footsteps, which broke through the silence and pulled him back to reality. With each step, the sound grew louder and closer until it was right outside the door of the boy's domain. Everyone else was soundly sleeping; Connie, for some reason, couldn't find solace in slumber. His body twisted and turned restlessly, and he shifted around in his sleep, unable to find a comfortable position.
Suddenly, a loud, thunderous sound pierced the peaceful silence of the night - Connie had released yet another loud fart! It was the fifth time he had done so that night, and it seemed like there was no end to this pungent symphony.
Jaime wasn't sure how Connie could fart so often. His eyes turned to Reiner and Bert. Bertholdt had perhaps the strangest sleeping position he had ever seen. With his upper body comfortably nestled on the bed and his legs stretched out and leaning against the nearby wall, Jaime felt as though Bert was suspended in mid-air, defying gravity and the laws of physics. Connie had said that it was a work of art.
Shaking his head in amusement, he couldn't resist the urge to draw it out on paper. His attention turned back to his pencil and the page he was drawing, which was almost blank except for a faint line that marked the horizon.
The tip of his pencils slid across the page, and slowly, he drew the sky outside that he could see through a window. The clouds looked like fluffy cotton candy, and he tried to capture their essence in his drawing. He felt a sense of satisfaction as he blended the shades of blue and white, creating a beautiful drawing that seemed to come alive on the page. As he looked out the window, he realized that the sky he had just drawn was a perfect reflection of the real one outside, and he felt a sense of accomplishment knowing that he had captured its essence.
Despite the beautiful drawing he had made, Jaime knew he had yet to draw something truly special. A new special place beyond the wall he had never seen before, an animal he had never seen before, and the woman he would eventually fall in love with.
Soon he heard a familiar voice outside. Jaime quickly hid the page in the middle of his art notebook. With a sudden burst, the wooden door swung open, creaking on its hinges, and the tall, broad-shouldered figure of Keith Shadis strode into the boy's domain. The morning sun shone brightly behind him, casting a blinding halo around his silhouette. Jaime couldn't help but notice the dark, ominous circles that surrounded the man's eyes, a clear indication that he hadn't slept enough, if at all.
Jaime wondered if he would become like him if he joined the Survey Corps, but he quickly dismissed the doubts. He wanted to see all the beauties of the world and draw all of them.
Keith briefly acknowledged that Jaime was the only one awake, despite being 6 AM, before taking a deep breath.
"Wake Up, Useless Maggots!" Keith shouted with such force that it echoed off the walls, startling every cadet in the room. The majority of them jolted awake in fear, their hearts racing, wondering if they were under attack. Connie, who had been in a deep slumber, gasped for air, forcing himself up so fast that he slammed his forehead against Jean's, who rubbed it with his hand, wincing from the pain.
The loud voice of the instructor had done its job, waking up even the deepest sleepers, and the barracks were now alive with the sound of shuffling feet and groggy grunts as the new soldiers prepared themselves for another day of training.
"What the hell, Connie?" Jean moaned in frustration, his voice echoing through the room before everyone realized that the instructor was glaring at each one of them with a penetrating gaze that seemed to strip away their bravado and leave them feeling exposed and vulnerable. His eyes were like the eyes of a wolf, their intensity making even the most battle-hardened soldiers shudder in fear as if they were standing before a merciless judge who held their fates in his hands.
"Fix your damn beds!" he bellowed, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Within ten minutes, you all are to come outside." His glare swept across the room, daring anyone to disobey him. "If one of you is not there, all of you will clean the bathrooms with your tongues." The threat hung heavily in the air, and Keith could see the soldiers shudder in disgust at the thought. Some of them opened their mouths to complain, but Keith cut them off. "Don't even think about it," he warned, his voice low and menacing. Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and strode out of the room, slamming the wooden door shut with a loud thud behind him. Keith didn't stay and listened to them moaning like little bitches.
Jaime, by this point, wondered how the door was even standing due to all the abuse it was receiving. "Poor Door." He commented as everyone started fixing their beds.
As Jean meticulously fixed his bed, frustration crept into his voice, "Shadis is mad." The group around him nodded in agreement, their faces reflecting a mix of anger and disappointment.
"I always said he was brought here to make everyone think that perhaps facing the Titans isn't all that bad," Jaime commented dryly, his voice laced with sarcasm.
As the sun began to rise over the training corps, signaling the start of a new day, every new cadet walked outside to commence their training. However, it was evident from their sluggish movements and bleary-eyed expressions that many of them had not received the restful night's sleep they needed to tackle the grueling day ahead. With a packed schedule of physical and mental exercises, the cadets were pushed to their limits from dawn until dusk, leaving them only six hours to rest before the cycle began anew. Alas, this brief period of respite was hardly enough to fully recharge their weary bodies and minds, leaving them to slog through the training with heavy limbs and drooping eyelids.
Jaime knew he would have been In a similar state as the rest of them if it wasn't for his mentor waking him up at 4 AM every morning. The girls of the Training Corps had been woken up as well. A sea of 250 cadets stood at attention, their crisp uniforms pressed and their boots polished to a high shine. In front of them, their instructor stood tall, a beacon of discipline and authority. As one, the cadets lifted their arms in a sharp salute, their eyes fixed on their leader with unwavering focus. The sound of boots hitting the ground echoed through the courtyard as they formed a straight line.
"Today, you will start hand-to-hand combat. I want each of you to choose a partner and take them down using a wooden knife." Shadis commanded. Two helpers of Shadis quickly demonstrated how they should take someone down and everything else needed.
As everyone started choosing their partners for the training, Jaime's eyes locked onto Jean. "Jean, how about we fight?" However, Jean seemed lost in his thoughts and was not paying much attention to the training they were about to do. Despite this, he simply nodded along
Jaime glanced around, his eyes scanning the area as he observed the other soldiers who had already begun their training. He noticed that some were engaged in rigorous hand-to-hand combat practice while others were doing something completely unexpected. His gaze fell upon Connie, who was paired up with Sasha, and to his surprise, they were not practicing any combat moves. Instead, they were making ridiculous poses, much to the amusement of the other soldiers. Moving his eyes further, he saw that Mikasa was paired with Mina, and Eren was training with Marco, both of whom were fully focused on their combat drills, sweat pouring down their faces. Hearing fast-approaching footsteps, Jaime's attention quickly turned to Jean, who had noticed that Jaime wasn't paying attention to the training and hoping to get the upper hand.
Jean charged Jaime with a wooden knife in hand. Jaime sidestepped the attack easily, deftly maneuvering around Jean's wild swings. Seizing the opportunity, Jaime struck Jean's leg from behind, causing him to stumble and fall hard onto his back. The impact knocked the wind out of Jean, and he let out a pained groan as he struggled to regain his bearings. But before he could get up, Jaime had already closed in, pressing the wooden knife against Jean's neck with a steely determination.
"I give up," Jean said with a nervous smile; Jaime moved the wooden knife away before helping Jean stand as he rubbed his back.
"How the hell did you do that?" Jean said, his voice filled with disbelief and a hint of admiration, wincing slightly as Jaime took his stance against him, ready to showcase his skills once again. Jean, who usually exuded confidence and had a smile that could light up a room, now looked somewhat intimidated and unsure of himself in the face of Jaime's impressive abilities.
"You did well to attack me when I wasn't looking, but when you try to be stealthy, you shouldn't shout or allow your footsteps to be loud. Second, you rushed at me like a headless chicken. It's easy for anyone with basic training to exploit your fighting form." Jaime spoke bluntly as he shifted his weight slightly, his right leg moving forward and his left leg a little behind his right, taking his stance against Jean.
"These won't earn me any points with the Military Police, so why bother?" Jean commented dryly, dismissing his words. Jaime pursed his lips into a thin line before a grin formed on his lips.
Jean's heart raced as he felt a cold shiver run down his spine, and his mouth felt dry as he looked up and met Jaime's gaze. He didn't know why, but the way Jaime was looking at him made him feel uneasy, as if a predator was hunting him. The intensity in Jaime's eyes was suffocating, and the way he was scrutinizing Jean's every move was making him feel like he was under a microscope. It was like Jaime was searching for a weakness, a vulnerability that he could exploit, and the way he was eyeing Jean made him feel like he was in danger like he was about to be attacked by a ferocious beast.
"This is my turn to take you down," Jaime commented grimly. Before Jean could even prepare himself, Jaime rushed at him. Jean grinned and threw a fist expecting to connect with Jaime's jawline. Instead, he crouched down, causing Jean's fist to fly just a few inches above his shoulder, missing its intended target by a hair's breadth. Jaime quickly gave Jean a swift kick behind his legs. The force of the kick was enough to make Jean stumble again, but this time Jaime didn't give him any room to recover. With fast reflexes, Jaime lunged towards Jean and wrapped his arms around the vulnerable areas of his shoulder pit and neck, exerting immense pressure that left Jean gasping for air. Despite his best efforts, Jean found himself trapped in Jaime's vice-like grip, his arms pinned to his sides and unable to move as Jaime tightened his hold.
"In the interior, you will fight against humans like me. You should think twice about this Jean-boy." Jaime whispered with a low menacing voice that sent shivers of fear down Jean's spine, he didn't know why, but the way Jaime spoke was very unsettling.
As Jaime released his grip on Jean's neck, the latter gasped for air, struggling to breathe in the precious life-giving oxygen. His face had turned an alarming shade of blue, a telltale sign of the lack of air in his lungs. Jaime, on the other hand, rose to his feet, his gaze fixed on Jean as he sat on the ground, rubbing his sore neck. The tension that had hung heavy in the air between them dissipated as Jean finally caught his breath, his chest heaving and his heart pounding in his ears.
"If you go to the military police, then you should understand that you will sooner or later deal with people with knives and guns," Jaime warned him before extending his hand towards Jean, who accepted it.
"You're right. I won't mind if you taught me a few moves." Jean said sheepishly while rubbing his sour neck, Jaime's grip on his neck had quite frightened him, and the way he spoke wasn't exactly friendly. It felt like the talk of someone who was about to kill a defenseless sheep.
"Sure, but don't come crying to me if I hurt you." Jaime accepted. Jean opened his mouth to say something when they both heard the sound of someone crashing against the earth.
Jaime turned to see Annie had just dropped down another unfortunate cadet, this time poor Samuel. Krista was already helping Samuel to the infirmary. Her stance was actually good compared to everyone else; Jaime was surprised as he watched Annie's fluid movements during the Hand-to-Hand combat training session. He could tell that she was no stranger to the art of combat and was undoubtedly skilled in the techniques. As Jaime prepared to approach her and ask for a sparring match, he felt a sudden grip on his shoulder, causing him to turn around.
"Hey, man, don't go against Annie, you're good, but she won't show you mercy," Jean warned him, already knowing his friend wanted to fight Annie one on one.
"This makes this even better," Jaime replied with a smile. The only one who could beat him was his mentor. Jaime wasn't a stranger to pain. His mentor had once broken his arm while training, Jaime was sure he had done it on purpose just to get him used to that sort of pain.
Shrugging off Jean's hand, Jaime started approaching Annie. It seemed no one wanted to try their luck with her after she easily defeated three cadets.
Annie was leaning against a wooden pole. It seemed her skill had achieved the desired effect. No one was approaching her. She wondered if she could just lazy around until the end of the training when she heard footsteps. Her eyes turned, and she saw Jaime approaching. She furrowed a brow in confusion.
Annie was sure she had seen him with Jean before she kicked Samuel's ass. From how he walked, she could see he was at least confident. With a friendly smile on his face, Annie's eyes briefly noticed his unusual violet eyes, she found them a bit odd but didn't pry at it, but she knew that he was the only one in the Training Corps who was from Wall Sina, and perhaps it could be fruitful to learn more about him.
"I couldn't help but notice that you took down three cadets easily."
"And you want to be the fourth?" Annie asked with a cold glare that would make many back away, but her way of intimidating only amused Jaime, who was moving a wooden knife around his fingers.
"Well, with a girl like you, I wouldn't mind." Jaime teased, taking a stance in front of her, Annie growled at his words, but she quickly noticed that, unlike the other fools, he actually knew how to take a good stance. She could see from the position of his legs that he knew a bit more than the others.
"Who taught you that stance?" Annie couldn't help but ask as she took her own stance, ready to fight. Everyone else around them disappeared. Her whole attention was on this fight.
"The old son of a bitch that raised me," Jaime answered with a slight hint of anger, but Annie could detect a touch of warmth in his words. She found his way of addressing his father a bit odd.
"Is he your father?" Annie asked before she realized it. Why do I even care?
"Hell No. He's my mentor. My parents didn't care about me." Jaime answered immediately with a slight frown before his violet eyes looked back at Annie's blue eyes.
"Now, will we fight or talk about our families?" Jaime asked with more anger than he had wanted. He didn't like much talking about whoever his parents were. They didn't matter.
With a swift move, Jaime rushed her. Annie quickly threw a calf kick, and he quickly moved backward, barely dodging her powerful kick.
She's precise!
Jaime thought. With a quick jab punch, he tested her defenses, but Annie was ready for the attack. She swiftly moved her hand to deflect his strike, her movements fluid and graceful. He anticipated her next move and was ready when she attempted a Judo throw. However, as she tried to get a grip on him, Jaime seized the opportunity and made a quick knee thrust directly to her stomach, leaving Annie momentarily stunned.; Annie winced as she backed away, but neither Annie nor Jaime allowed each other time to breathe.
This time Annie moved forward, she tried to do a sweep that would result in kicking the back of Jaime's legs, but before she could, Jaime quickly jumped upwards towards her face. Annie's reflexes were quick as she reacted by dodging Jaime's attack, but before she could counter-attack, Jaime's legs moved around her neck, and he roughly brought her down to the ground. Annie felt the pressure on her neck as Jaime tried to squeeze it with his legs, but in a quick move, she kicked his face with all her might. Jaime blocked it with his forearm, wincing from the pain. That was all Annie needed to escape his leg grip. Both quickly kip up, facing each other. None of them noticed the crowd of cadets slowly gathering up to watch them.
Jaime blocked all the sounds around him. He found himself grinning. Only his mentor could make his blood boil like this.
With a quick movement, he threw a sidekick toward Annie, who reacted swiftly by grabbing his leg. However, He used his other leg to jump and perform an upward kick, hoping to catch Annie off guard. But Annie was quick to react, blocking his kick with ease. Jaime knew he had to come up with something new. With speed, he used his hands to perform a handstand, propelling himself upwards and away from Annie's reach, who quickly rushed him with a swift kick; Jaime just landed on his legs as the kick hit his stomach, and he gasped for air, but Annie quickly tried to kick him again.
Still, Jaime quickly grabbed her leg, and she tried to do a full round kick when he jumped forward towards her, putting his right leg and arm above her neck. His arms quickly squeezed her neck, trying to force her to give up, but Annie was not ready to give up yet. She struggled and tried to hit his abdomen with her other leg, but Jaime was too fast. He quickly dodged the kick, and Annie escaped from his grip. Both of them stood up quickly, breathing heavily and ready to continue the fight.
Jaime and Annie were locked in a fierce battle, the crowd around them cheering and shouting at every move they made. However, the moment's intensity had completely consumed them, and they were oblivious to the noise around them. Their eyes were fixed on each other, their minds fully engaged in trying to win. The tension in the air was palpable as they stood there, each waiting for the other to make the next move. Despite the chaos and excitement of the crowd, Jaime and Annie were completely absorbed in their own little world, and nothing else mattered except for the fight.
The crowd was watching intently, especially Reiner and Bertholdt, the latter looking at the fight with concern.
"Reiner, should we stop this?" Bert asked, his eyes briefly glancing at Reiner, nudging him, who quickly shook his head in denial.
"Annie can handle this. She's the best on Hand to Hand combat." Reiner whispered to Bertholdt, making sure no one heard them.
"Ymir, shouldn't we stop them? Jaime might get hurt." Krista spoke to the tall freckles girl, who quickly shook her head.
"You can't stop them. If you try, you might get a kick by accident. And besides, the interior shorty can handle Annie." Ymir reassured Krista, placing her hand on her shoulder, knowing she might try to intervene, and that could end badly, especially since Jaime had a soft spot for Krista just like Ymir.
Mikasa narrowed her eyes at the way they were fighting, their moves were quick and precise, and they had been fighting for thirty minutes now, and none seemed tired. She saw the way Eren was watching them. He was paying close attention to the fight.
"Come on, Jaime. I'll give you my whole dinner if you win." Jean suddenly shouted, trying to encourage him. This earned the attention of the majority of the cadets.
"Jaime will win."
"Hell no. The interior shit will never win."
"10 for Annie."
"A whole chicken for Jaime." Almost everyone started making beds, while Sasha was drooling at the thought of eating chicken.
At that moment, Jaime launched a powerful axe kick that was aimed straight at Annie's head. However, Annie quickly blocked the attack with a well-timed leg block before attempting to retaliate by delivering a swift kick to Jaime's leg in an effort to leave him with a severe bruise. However, Jaime swiftly moved to his left, dodging her attack and leaving her momentarily off-balance.
Taking advantage of the opening, Jaime followed up with a lightning-fast kick aimed straight at her face, causing her to wince in pain as she struggled to regain her footing. Jaime sends another kick with his feet when she crouches and sends a low kick right at Jaime's nonoccupied feet.
Jaime fell on his butt as Annie tried to get a hold of him, but he quickly used his legs around her neck, and she punched him under his knee, causing his grip to ease up a bit. As they stood up, the adrenaline was pumping through their veins as Annie and Jaime rushed towards each other with fierce determination. Annie quickly executed a perfect throw that sent Jaime tumbling onto the dirt. With a quick burst of strength, he launched himself off the ground and grabbed hold of Annie's body, using all the power in his feet and arms to hurl her forcefully toward the ground. The sound of the impact echoed through the air as the two combatants hit the ground with a thud, both determined to come out on top in this intense battle of strength and skill.
She groaned in pain. Jaime was about to put his wooden knife on her neck when she kicked his shin, Jaime fell to the ground, but both were breathing heavily, ignoring the pain. It went on for another half an hour, and Jaime and Annie were full of bruises. Jaime tried to stand up, as did Annie, when a voice shouted.
"ENOUGH." everyone turned to see Shadis marching toward Jaime and Annie with a nasty glare. The crowd that had gathered started to scatter away.
"Both of you are to run until sundown since you love blowing up steam," Shadis shouted before turning to the crowd that was slowly backing away.
"Everyone else does push-ups, you maggots." He shouted, as everyone quickly started doing just that.
"You're no fun, Instructor," Jaime commented, not bothering to keep his voice low.
Shadis gave him a deadly glare, his eyes narrowing into slits as he stepped forward. "This is not a place for fun," he said in a stern voice before turning to look at the rest of the cadets.
Jaime regained his breath. He turned to face Annie, who didn't look as tired as she did a moment ago.
"That was amazing, Annie. Who taught you to fight like that." Jaime complimented. Her brutality was something that caught him a little off guard in the beginning. Either she liked to take things very seriously, or whoever taught her to fight was rough with her, or probably both.
Jaime and Annie started running, their feet pounding the dirt path beneath them. As they ran, the wind whipped through Annie's blonde hair, causing it to fly behind her like a golden banner.
After a few minutes, she finally turned to face Jaime, her blue eyes flashing with a mix of pride. "My father," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jaime understood immediately that she didn't want to talk about it any further. They continued running silently, the only sounds coming from their breathing and leaves crunching underfoot.
"Well, your father did an excellent job," Jaime added; Annie was silent as if wondering whether to say something or not.
"You said your mentor taught you?" Annie asked, changing the subject from her to him.
"...Yes. He taught me since he found me..." Jaime's words trailed off as a dark look spread on his face. A sudden flash of hands covered in blood passed through his eyes, vividly bringing back A gruesome memory. The metallic scent of blood filled his nostrils, and he could almost feel the thick, warm liquid coating his tongue as he had just bitten into a juicy piece of meat. His teeth felt weak and fragile, as if they could crumble under the pressure of chewing, yet he couldn't stop himself, the taste of the blood, the way it would coat his mouth and slide down his throat. He was HUNGRY.
Annie noticed the way his face went, slightly pale. She briefly wondered what had happened but decided to ignore it, and it wasn't her business as they kept running silently. As they kept running, Jaime and Annie started talking again about their fighting styles.
Night
As Jaime and Annie stumbled into the makeshift campsite, collapsing onto the dusty ground beneath them, Jaime managed to gasp out the words, "I-I hate Shadis." They had been running for what felt like an eternity, with scarcely a moment's rest, under the searing heat of the midday sun that beat down upon him like a relentless hammer. Jaime couldn't even remember the last time he had trained for so long or pushed himself to such limits. His shirt was drenched in sweat, clinging uncomfortably to his back, and his face was still flushed and red from the day's exertion.
Annie was trying to catch her breath, almost falling on her knees in exhaustion. Despite her training, running the whole day wasn't exactly something anyone could do and not get tired.
"W-We both agree on that." Annie managed to say, still breathing heavily.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of footsteps, causing them both to turn their heads in unison. Emerging from the shadows were Krista and Ymir, two familiar faces that brought a sense of comfort to the otherwise eerie night. Krista and Ugly Freckles were each carrying a heavy load. In their arms, they held loaves of bread that were still warm from the oven, giving off an enticing aroma that made Jaime's and Annie's stomachs rumble. Water-filled skin bottles dangled from their fingers, reflecting the moon's dim light like crystal. The sight of their friends and the promise of fresh bread and water was a welcome relief to Jaime and Annie.
Krista, with a gentle smile on her face, approached Annie and Jaime with a sense of urgency, carrying a basket filled with food for their growling stomachs and skin bottles filled with cool, refreshing water for their parched throats. "I brought you both food and water," Krista said warmly, holding out the basket and the bottle skin. Annie eagerly snatched the bottle skin from her arms, taking a long sip to quench her thirst. Meanwhile, Jaime, who had been sitting on the ground, stood up and immediately enveloped Krista in a big hug, grateful for her timely arrival and the comforting embrace of a friend.
"Krista, my dear, you are truly an angel that has graced us with your presence. Your kindness and compassion have saved us, peasants, from certain doom." He couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the blonde girl blush, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. Ymir, on the other hand, growled loudly, clearly not amused by the way Jaime was hugging her Krista.
"Speak for yourself, peasant," Annie commented with a brief smile as she was drinking water like a starving woman.
"Back off, shorty. She's mine." Ymir growled, pushing Jaime back before putting a protecting arm around Krista as if trying to protect her from Jaime's craziness.
"Ever heard of 'Sharing is caring'" Jaime japed with a teasing grin. Ymir growled at him, slowly approaching him in a menacing manner that only made Jaime smile as she loomed over him, both their foreheads crashing against each other.
"Well, whoever said that was a moron. Taking care of yourself is much better." Ymir exclaimed right in front of his face.
Annie watched silently as Jaime and Ymir started bickering like little kids while Krista was acting like a mother, chastising them for bickering with each other. She found the situation funny, to think such a fighter like Jaime could act like a child.
Annie found it amusing and funny. A small smile spread on her face before it disappeared instantly as she remembered her father's words from years ago.
"Never feel for your enemy. Think of them as bags of flesh and bones. They're your enemy. They have no faces. No feelings. No loved ones are waiting for them. No one cares for bags of flesh and blood. That is what an enemy is."
Remembering her father's words, Annie stood up, dropping the skin bottle that still held water inside, ready to walk away and inside the girl's domain.
"Annie, stay with us. We would appreciate your company." Jaime's friendly voice reached her ears. She just wanted to walk away and ignore the idiot.
"Speak for yourself, shorty; Krista is the only company I need," Ymir said, giving the blonde girl a side hug.
Without looking at him. "No. See you later, Jaime." Annie answered with an ice-cold tone before walking inside the girl's domain.
"Good night, Annie." She heard him say as she closed the wooden door. She quickly found her bed and just threw herself in it.
Back at Jaime, he looked slightly dejected when he felt Krista placing her hand on his shoulder.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine," he quickly said, dismissing her words before deciding to change the subject as he turned to face Krista and Ymir.
"So what happened while Shadis told us to run like slaves?" Jaime changed the subject as he turned to face Ymir and Krista. The tall, freckles girl narrowed her eyes at him.
"Why do you care if Annie wanted to go? If she doesn't like to spend time with anyone, then that's her problem." Ymir asked instead, wondering why the stupid shorty wanted the cold blonde girl to stay.
Jaime sighed, knowing ugly freckles had a point. "I know that, but-" his words trailed off as he looked at his right hand.
"I know what it is like to be alone. And it is not fun." Jaime spoke with an emotionless voice. A flash of his hands covered in blood passed through his eyes like lightning. He could still smell the strong scent of blood.
"Forget about me. Thank you for bringing me food. I always knew you loved me, ugly freckles." Jaime said to Ymir with a teasing smirk. Krista giggled as Ymir growled at the shorty, her eyebrows twitching in annoyance.
"Next time, I will let you starve." Ymir proclaimed as Jaime and Krista laughed at her annoyed face.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone