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"Be Quiet," Jaime instructed Arthur as they slowly walked towards the shop. Jaime had followed his movements every day for a month now; he knew Gier wasn't in the shop right now, which meant the shop was only locked, but Jaime knew all he needed to do was climb on the roof, and jump inside, get one loaf of bread and leave as soon as possible. The mere thought of the bread made his stomach growl from hunger; he felt as if his stomach was empty, like, instead of his belly, there was nothing but a hole.
Ten days, Jaime thought, they hadn't eaten properly for ten days now. Jaime's eyes went to Arthur; his little bro hadn't appropriately eaten for nine days, and all keeping him alive was Jaime's promise that they would eat like Kings.
Soon, very soon, little bro. I promised you, after all.
Jaime cautiously made his way towards the shop, his steps deliberate and careful. It stood before him, a one-story building constructed entirely from sturdy metal plates and complemented by wooden beams. Scanning the facade, Jaime noted how each window was tightly shut. The thought crossed Jaime's mind to smash one of the windows using a rock. However, he quickly dismissed the idea, mindful that the noise generated by such an act could easily attract unwanted attention. The mere prospect of being caught stealing sent chills down his spine, knowing the punishment would be losing the hand he used to steal. Jaime had his little pocket knife secured inside his pants; he didn't want anyone to notice that he had a knife, even if it was a small one.
Jaime finally reached the side of the building that stood tall before him. Despite his small stature, his little hands stretched upwards in a valiant effort to reach the metal plate protruding from the weathered wall of the shop. With an iron grip, his fingers clutched onto the rough surface of the plate. Suddenly, a jolt of intense pain shot through his fingertips as the sharp edge of the metal dug mercilessly into his tender skin, causing Jaime to clench his teeth in response instinctively. With the sensation of the jagged edge cutting into his flesh, Jaime ignored the pain, his mind only on the food they would eat soon; he pushed himself upwards with his arms.
His little legs quickly found small openings between metal plates to use as support as Jaime reached up again; with each step upwards, he got closer to the rooftop; with one final push, he reached the top, a smile of triumph on his little face, Jaime looked around for a brief moment, he had never been so high before, being on top of this simple shop felt like he was on top of the world.
His stomach growled as if reminding him why he was here. Jaime quickly looked around the roof and found the small opening leading to the kitchen's interior. Jaime crawled on all fours, his movement light and slow. Jaime didn't want to see Gier's face; he was scared when he was angry.
The opening was a small square opening like a tiny window; Jaime slowly pushed his legs inside; his legs moved around, trying to find something solid to stand on, but touched nothing but empty air. Jaime slowly sank the rest of his body inside through the small window as he kept moving his legs around, trying to touch a surface somewhere.
Shoulder and up was the only part of Jaime still above the small opening, his arms keeping him from falling down. 'Come on!' Jaime thought as his little legs suddenly touched something. Jaime couldn't tell what it was, but it seemed wide enough for him to stand on. Jaime's arms let go, and his feet fell on the solid surface.
Suddenly, Jaime heard a loud shattering noise; the surface under his feet disappeared, and he fell face forward against the floor. "Ahhhh!!" Jaime screamed in pain, his arms and legs burning in pain, his forehead bleeding. He didn't know what it was that fell, but as he tried to stand, he heard Arthur calling him from outside.
"Jaime, be quick!"
Jaime ignored the pain he felt around his entire body, standing up on his little legs; they were shaking, and his body was still in pain; he looked around, but every Shelf was empty, with empty bowls lying around; he quickly saw a loaf of bread, he ran towards it, picking it up on his little arms, for a brief moment he wanted to take a bite. His stomach growled in hunger, but Jaime quickly heard a soft tapping sound against the nearby window; he looked up to see Arthur tapping the window softly with his knuckles.
Jaime quickly walked up to the window, opened it, and slid it upwards. "You did it!" Arthur said with the brightest smile Jaime had ever seen in his life. Jaime quickly nodded before handing him the bread, but just as he was about to climb outside through the window, his eyes noticed a second loaf of bread standing on top of a tall shelf. He wanted to ignore it for a brief moment but then remembered his promise to his little bro.
'We will eat like kings.' Jaime repeated the promise he made before rushing towards the tall Shelf, ignoring Arthur, calling out his name and telling him they needed to leave.
The Shelf was tall, almost reaching the ceiling, its wooden frame standing tall against the wall. As Jaime cautiously approached it, he looked up at the loaf of bread. With each step he took, the first Shelf groaned under his weight, protesting against the pressure. Determined, Jaime continued his ascent, relying on the shelves beneath his feet to guide his way up.
As he climbed higher, the creaking became more pronounced, the sound echoing through the empty room. Jaime's heart raced. His fingers trembled as he stretched out, his hand inching closer to the second loaf of bread that had caught his attention. Just as his fingertips brushed against it, a horrifying noise pierced the air.
The Shelf that supported his right foot suddenly gave way, the snapping sound reverberating in his ears. Time seemed to slow down as he felt his balance shift, a wave of pain washing over him as he crashed onto the hard floor. Disoriented, he blinked his eyes open, desperately trying to make sense of his surroundings.
To his shock, the tall Shelf he had been perched on followed him in a chaotic descent. Its massive form hurtled towards him, threatening to crush him beneath its weight. Reacting on pure instinct, Jaime rolled away, narrowly avoiding the impending disaster. The Shelf crashed onto the floor with a thunderous impact, sending a cloud of dirt flying in all directions.
Coughing and struggling to catch his breath. The air was thick with floating particles, making his lungs ache.
"We Got You."
"No Let Me Go!!"
Little bro! Jaime thought in alarm, his heart pounding in his chest with a mixture of fear and adrenaline, sending jolts of energy throughout his body. His legs instinctively carried him towards the window, propelling him outside in a desperate attempt to rescue him. As Jaime peered outside, his eyes widened in horror at the sight of a towering figure gripping Arthur's neck; his face contorted in a fierce struggle for freedom. As he prepared to free his bro...
However, an unexpected sensation gripped his arm from behind, halting him in his tracks. Confusion flooded his mind as he swiftly turned, only to be met with a sudden, punishing impact on his face. The forceful punch sent shockwaves through his body, causing his vision to blur and his head to spin, leaving Jaime disoriented and vulnerable. As he plummeted towards the unforgiving ground, his senses became distorted, everything appearing hazy and indistinct.
Jaime tried to struggle as he was forced to stand up, his arms behind his back with a big hand holding both of his hands in a painful position. Jaime looked at Arthur's frightened eyes, tears streaming down his little face.
Jaime saw Gier approaching them, his fat belly moving with every step he took; he licked his lips slowly as he looked at Arthur, who was trembling from fear, now sobbing loudly, the loaf of bread slipping from his little hands, falling on the ground.
"Such a poor boy. Did your mother not tell you that you shouldn't steal." Gier said with a widening smile as he pulled out a machete while the other guy forced Arthur's arm into a table nearby.
"Not my Hand, Please. I won't do it, Again! Please!"
"Leave Him Alone!" Jaime growled as he tried to fight back against the grip, but the other man was much stronger than him.
"I stole from you. It was me, not him!!" Jaime screamed as he struggled against the man who kept his arms locked behind his back; Gier turned to look at him.
"Is that so?" Gier asked as he licked the surface of his machete's surface, red with blood. Jaime shook in fear from head to toe, his heart beating in his throat, and his skin crawled, but he gulped deeply; his eyes briefly looked at Arthur, who was still crying as he looked at Jaime for help.
Jaime's eyes looked back at Gier. "Yes. I stole from you. Not him. If you want to punish anyone. Punish Me!!" He shouted. Gier looked down at him before gesturing with his hand.
Jaime was suddenly forced to stand beside Arthur; his arm stretched on the table just like his. He struggled but eventually closed his eyes tightly to the point that it hurt.
"This will be fun to watch!"
Jaime expected to feel the pain, but as he opened his eyes, he saw the machete swinging down.
"Nooo!"
A splash of blood flew in the air as Arthur's screams echoed in the night, and Jaime heard Gier laughing loudly. '
"I am sorry!!" Jaime cried out again and again as he lay on the ground, oblivious to the passing minutes and losing track of time. Exhausted and overwhelmed, he could feel the cool blades of grass against his tear-stained face. The weight of his remorse bore heavily on his chest, leaving him gasping for breath as his sobs echoed through the deserted surroundings. He remained lost in his sea of guilt for moments that seemed like an eternity until he sensed a gentle presence above him. The touch of someone shaking him brought him back from the depths of despair.
"Jaime!"
"Mikasa!!" As Jaime's eyes opened wide, he found himself met with the sight of Mikasa's face right in front of him, her expression filled with genuine concern. At that moment, his heart raced rapidly within his chest, creating a palpable thumping sensation. Overwhelmed by anxiety, cold sweat began to pour down Jaime's face and chest, causing his shirt to cling tightly to his body. The moisture from his sweat saturated his shirt, rendering it damp and clinging uncontrollably to his chest.
Jaime looked at where Arthur had been standing, but he wasn't there anymore; he was gone. Jaime took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, his heart beating in his throat as he felt a cold shiver in his body.
He's not there! Jaime thought, his heart still beating fast, he gulped loudly, reminding himself that his bro was no more, and his appearance had been nothing but his fucked up imagination.
"Who isn't there?" Jaime quickly looked at Mikasa, only now remembering that she was still there, but Jaime wondered if he had said that out loud.
Jaime didn't answer her. Instead, he took a deep breath before standing up, his legs shaking slightly as he tried to keep calm, reminding himself that he was only seeing things.
"It doesn't matter," Jaime said dismissively; he could tell Mikasa wanted to know more, and from the way she was looking at him, he knew she was on the verge of asking a question, probably an uncomfortable one.
"Why are you here?" Jaime cut her off before she could open her mouth to ask a question. Jaime saw a look of slight disappointment in her eyes; she seemed reluctant. Jaime hoped she would drop this conversation.
"I wanted to thank you, you saved Eren. If it wasn't for you. I would have rushed without thinking and..." Mikasa's words trailed off as she smiled at him gratefully, taking a step closer towards him.
"You should thank Armin, Jean and Sasha too. It wasn't just me." Jaime was quick to say the last thing he wanted was someone praising him for being good at killing people.
"I already did, but you walked away to be alone," Mikasa answered. Jaime wanted to say that it had been nothing, that what he did was something anyone else would have done for a good friend. Then he felt a sudden sharp pain on his forehead. It felt like something was trying to pierce his skull from the inside.
'We will eat like Kings.'
Jaime stumbled down, sitting on the grass; Mikasa looked down at him with concern as Jaime held his head with his hand, trying somehow to dull the pain.
What I wouldn't give for wine right now, Jaime thought; he used to drink wine whenever the headache was too unbearable; it was the only thing that worked, but since joining the Training Corps, he had never experienced headaches as he used to, until tonight, he felt as if his head was splitting open.
"Why were you lying on the ground?" Mikasa asked as she sat beside him, but Jaime wasn't in the mood to talk about it; he didn't want to remember. To remember what he had done to survive. What he had done to Arthur. He deserved no sympathy. They would see him no differently from the Titans outside the Walls if they knew it.
Jaime sat there, watching the lake; Mikasa seemed to have realized that Jaime wouldn't answer her question. "How did you know about it?" Mikasa asked another question; this one made Jaime look at her with confusion.
"About what?"
"When we were cutting potatoes, you asked me if I ever had a moment in my life when I felt powerful and suddenly knew what I had to do. How did you know about it?"
"My mentor," Jaime answered, feeling the pain slowly melt away. "He called it 'Awakening,' he didn't say much, but he explained that there are people that when are in a life or death situation, he said they will 'Awaken,' and they will get much stronger, and suddenly know what they have to do," Jaime explained what Kenny had told him. Jaime had always wanted to know more if there was a way to know what kind of people could awaken. Still, Kenny refused to explain more, only that he might be able to awaken, but Kenny again refused to explain why he thought Jaime had the ability to 'Awaken.'
"How did you know I had a situation when I suddenly got stronger?" From her voice, Jaime knew he had her attention, and for the first time, she sounded genuinely curious about something that didn't involve Eren somehow.
"I have seen my mentor being able to lift things that no one should be able to lift," Jaime explained before turning to look at Mikasa. "You are the only other person I have seen being able to do that. That night when you carried Eren away like a sack of potatoes, it was hilarious." Jaime japed, trying to break the tension; Mikasa's face went red; he had never seen her flustered before; he couldn't help but chuckle slightly; she reminded him of Krista when she was flustered.
"I saw you carrying three heavy boxes by yourself, and Eren couldn't even carry one. So, yeh, you are the only other person I have seen who is similar to my mentor." Jaime added, enjoying the silence around the place, hearing the crickets far away.
"Did it happen to you?" Jaime instinctively touched his neck upon hearing her words, still feeling the man's hands around his throat; he didn't regret killing him; he had threatened his friends. He would always protect his loved ones. He would never allow himself to fail again. Like I did with Arthur, He murmured under his breath.
"I did. When the man was trying to kill me tonight, I- I thought I would die, but then I heard Annie telling me not to give up. In that moment. I no longer felt afraid; I felt as if I was much stronger." Jaime explained, looking at his hands, his purple eyes glittering; he knew he could make a difference with this new strength. He could protect all his friends.
Jaime felt Mikasa's eyes on him; his eyes flickered at her, and her eyes were wide with shock.
"What about you, Mikasa? When did you have this moment?" Jaime asked; he figured since she asked him, it wouldn't be a problem to ask her the same question, but the way her eyes turned foggy with unshed tears, the way she moved up her scarf, hiding half of her face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" Jaime felt like slapping himself, but Mikasa shook her head, wiping away the unshed tears, before looking away from him.
"It's alright. Me and Eren were attacked, and Eren told me that I needed to fight. If I didn't fight, I couldn't win. That's when it happened for me." Mikasa answered with a somewhat quiet voice. Jaime knew she wasn't telling him everything, but he didn't try to ask more questions. But hearing that Eren's words had made her 'Awaken,' Jaime understood why Mikasa cared so much for Eren; he still thought she cared a little too much, but he understood her desire to protect her loved one.
"I see. I'm sorry that happened to you, Mikasa." Jaime said softly. Mikasa turned to face him, a smile of gratitude on her face, as they both decided to return to the others; as they walked, he started having small talk, wanting to know more about Mikasa.
"Do you have any hobbies?" Jaime asked, not knowing what else to say. Why is talking to girls so difficult sometimes?? He asked himself. Mikasa was quiet for a while, looking deep in thought before answering his question.
"I like to water plants, my -- Carla showed me how to do it. I used to water plants in our small garden behind our house." Mikasa answered and went on to talk about other hobbies, like watching small insects, as Jaime listened to everything she said.
"Who would have thought that queen badass would love watching insects!" Jaime couldn't help but quip with a sly smile; Mikasa looked at him with an unamused expression on her face.
"Queen Badass?"
"What? Have you never seen yourself in the mirror before? You can kick everyone's butt in the Training Yard, except mine and Annies." Jaime was quick to defend himself, with a smile on his face; Mikasa rolled her eyes but couldn't help but chuckle slightly.
"I'm sure, I can defeat you."
"Is that a challenge I'm hearing, Ackerman?" Jaime stopped walking and turned to face Mikasa, who looked at him with a challenging look. Jaime could see the amusement on her face, which he was happy to see.
"Yes."
"Well. I would never turn down a challenge from 'Queen Badass' once we have hand-to-hand training. We can have our little spar." Jaime said with a smile, happy to have an opportunity to spend more time with Mikasa. Of all those in the Training Corps, Mikasa had been the only one who had kinda ignored him, but Jaime wanted to know more about her, especially since they had the same 'ability.' Jaime wondered if there was a deeper connection between the two of them, a reason why they had this 'Awakening' and not the others.
"Jaime, what is your full name?" Mikasa suddenly asked as they continued walking forward. They could smoke in the air nearby and knew they were getting closer to the others.
Jaime paused for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. My parents, whoever they were." Jaime stopped talking for a moment. "They abandoned me." He spat the words, his hands turning into fists with anger, his fingernails digging into his palm.
"I don't think I have a last name, and before you ask, neither does my mentor. At least, he never told me he has a last name." Jaime finished; Mikasa looked visibly disappointed as they finally reached the others.
While they were gone, they had started a fire, and everyone was sitting around it. As soon as Jaime and Mikasa walked forward, everyone turned to face them, many looking at them with questioning looks, especially Jean, Eren, and Annie.
"Ohh, what were you two doing in the forest alone?!" Connie suddenly asked teasingly while pressing his two index fingers together; Jaime rolled his eyes, Mikasa quickly hid half of her face with her scarf, while Annie gave Connie a nasty cold glare with Mina giggling beside her.
"Nothing like that shorty." Jaime said dismissively as he sat beside Krista and Ymir. The way Krista smiled at him, Jaime felt relieved, but he knew what had happened wouldn't go away quickly, but he would be there for her, and he knew Ymir would be there too.
It didn't take long for the Instructor to arrive, along with ten men from the training corps and ten soldiers from the Military Police.
One by one, they were questioned about what had happened. Jaime told them everything, not letting out a single part; the Military Police soldiers questioning him had been angry with Jaime for killing them; one of them even said that he would face charges for killing them, but the Instructor had actually stood up for Jaime.
"Cadet Jaime is one of the best cadets we have here. I can only name one that is in his league. He's a cadet, and he had the right to protect himself, or are you saying he should have allowed them to kill him?" Shadis questioned the soldiers with the coldest glare Jaime had ever seen, looking down at the two Military Police soldiers who grunted. Jaime had seen it, and it made him furious. The two Military Police soldiers hadn't tried to hide how displeased they were that they couldn't get to Jaime, but he wondered why. He knew how corrupt the Military Police truly was, and he wondered how these kidnappers had known when to attack them since the training happened randomly during the second year.
After everyone was questioned, the Instructor told him he had permission to rest tomorrow, too, if he wanted.
"Despite what I say, you are a very good instructor," Jaime said sincerely before saluting him; the Instructor looked at him, looking stunned before his lips twitched upwards, but only briefly.
"You are free to leave, cadet Jaime."
Once he walked outside, Jaime found Krista and Ymir sitting together, away from everyone else. He could see how distressed Krista was, her eyes red with unshed tears, and he wasted no time to be by her side.
"What happened?" Jaime asked the moment he sat beside her, his arm around her back, comforting her.
"I-He- I bit his finger off. I didn't want to hurt him, but he tried to." "Hey, hey. No need to say anything else, you are safe here. Neither I nor Ymir will allow anyone to hurt you." Jaime quickly stopped her as he gave her a side hug; she quickly returned the hug, her arm around his, her face resting on the crook of his neck.
"You are safe, Krista. Me and Ymir will never leave you alone." Jaime promised; Ymir nodded in agreement before she, too, hugged Krista.
"Thank you. Both of you."
Note: In the manga, it is revealed that when an Ackerman awakens their power, they gain the power and battle experience of all the past Ackermans, but that part was cut from the Anime for whatever reason.