Jean sat down lazily in the gathering hall sitting next to Krista and Reiner who was trying to keep the conversation alive but she was saying nothing but yeah and uh-huhs as she played chess on her phone.Jean kept tapping the table and yawned out of boredom.He regretted coming early to the exam location.He could've had an extra hour of sleep at home instead of spending it here.
"Jean, I didn't expect you to be here," Reiner said. "You were so insistent on not becoming an Adventurer but you're here anyways."
Jean sighed. "Well,people can change their minds."
He had to ever since that day.
"They're here too,"Reiner pointed across the hall to see Mikasa and Floch talking to each other with the raven haired girl nibbling on a chocolate bar.
Jean adjusted himself to get a proper look and Reiner wasn't lying,those two are here.
'Where are Armin and Eren?I don't see them and there's 5 minutes until the exam starts unless…'Jean thought before he lightly chuckled.
"You want to go talk to them?" Reiner asked.
Jean cleared his throat."Whatever,sure."
He glanced to see Krista dominating the online chess match.
"You coming,Krista?"
"No," she said plainly,not even bothering to look at him.
'Should've joined the chess club,she would've wiped the floor with them.I don't think she hasn't lost a game since she got here.'
Krista was always in the top 5 in junior high in their year in terms of overall academics and top 5 in athletics.In their last year, she ended up being third in academics after Armin and Marco and fifth in athletics after Eren, Mikasa, Annie and Reiner.
Jean remembered the first year when she first came to the school and already within half a month, people started to see her as a goddess or a queen with both her beauty and her brains. And then within a month, she became the 'Queen Bee' or the 'Aloof Goddess' and despite the fact that nobody truly knows what her parents do for a living to get so much money, with her expensive clothes and appearance, she was definitely in the upper class and her parents were definitely super rich.
"Armin!Eren!" Mikasa shouted before Jean turned to see Eren and Armin walking towards the duo. Mikasa and Floch smiled and stood up to approach the two teens.Floch and Eren gave each other a fist bump while Mikasa gave Armin a hug.
Jean's mouth tightened before stomping towards the quartet.
"Well,well,well,I thought all that talk was nothing but bullshit," he said with his hands in his pockets.
"Had no idea you were going to show up,"Eren said,raising an eyebrow.
"I have my reasons for being here."
Eren chuckled."It has to be very important since you kept calling us idiots for wanting to be Adventurers."
"Says the one who was barely passing academically," Jean looked up at the teen's messy hair.
"When are you going to cut this down?" Jean was going to touch Eren's hair but the teen slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch me,"Eren warned.
Jean turned the slapped hand into a fist. "Or what,huh? What are you going to do?"
Eren dropped his duffel bag. "Do you want to find out? I fought you multiple times before and I'm not afraid to fight you again.So, try me."
Jean was about to grab the black-haired teen until Mikasa jabbed him in the gut with the end of the scabbard of her katana.
"Awww, Mikasa that's so thoughtful…hitting me to stop me from beating his ass."
"It's actually the other way around."
"What?!"
"I'm surprised that you guys are here,"Floch crossed his arms. "Sorry,that I assumed like Jean here,I thought it was all talk."
"Could say the same to you,Floch," Reiner replied. "I thought you would flake out."
Floch shrugged."You thought wrong,then,"
"Right back at ya."
"Hmph,as much as I want to embarrass you in front of everyone here,Eren.I'll let you do that on your own."Jean said.
"We'll see about that," Eren said before he and Armin went to the machine and input their info with Armin getting the number 503 and Eren with the number 504.Reiner and Jean were confused at Armin putting the badge on one of his backpack straps.
Jean held in his laughter."Wait,you're doing this too,Amrin?"
"Y-y-yeah I mean,I have my bags and my badge,"he said.
Reiner snickered. "I'm sorry but-"
Reiner and Jean began to laugh so much that Jean shed a couple of tears.Krista even giggled seeing Armin's attempt as she walked into the conversation.
"Now,where was I?Oh yeah,Armin you shouldn't be doing this.If you could barely pass in the program's physical test,I don't think you're qualified for this." Jean told the shorter teen.
"True.It could put you through the wringer,"Floch added.
"Floch!"Armin shouted as his auburn friend.
Floch shrugged. "Just being an honest friend."
"Gee,thanks for your honesty,"Armin said in a cold tone.
"But…that doesn't mean I won't help out in any way I can,"Floch said.
Mikasa nodded in agreement as Eren gave the blonde a grin while his hands were behind his head,increasing Armin's confidence.
"Thanks guys,"Armin said with a weak smile.
Krista sighed,putting her phone in her pocket after gaining another victory in online chess.
"That's awfully pathetic.You arrived at this examination in hope that your friends will aid you to victory?If you are thinking that,then you don't deserve to be here."
"Neither should you,"Eren commented.
"Excuse me?"Krista asked,slightly irritated.
'Here we go again…'
"I mean let's be honest here.You're going to use Reiner and Jean to help you out like you did before.Using them,Bert,Hitch,Marlowe and Ymir as your pawns to create your little posse defend you back at junior high.Plus,aren't you like rich as fuck?I can't think of any reason for you to be here,"Eren explained.
The female blonde approached Eren,forcing her to tilt her head up to look at him because of the height difference."I do not need their aid to pass this examination.And you don't know my reasoning for being here,so shut it!"
Eren shrugged. "But I mean you're rich with all your fancy clothes and latest phones you have,so you could easily live your life in comfort.Honestly, I think you're a bit off the rocker for being here."
"Off my rocker?What the hell does that mean?
"It means that you're loopy…crazy."
Krista grabbed Eren by his bomber jacket."Shut up!Just shut up!How dare you accuse me of being insane?!You have no idea of the reason I am here,so shut it this instant!"
"Geez,relax.I'm just being honest h-"Eren said before he grabbed Krista and ducked to avoid a left hook from Reiner.
"Woah!Dude,chill!What's your problem?!You could've hit her!"
Krista pushed the dark haired teen to the ground and began to wipe the dirt off of her clothes as she stood up."Can't believe you had the nerve to touch me,you bloody nuisance.Keep your distance from me."
The rest of the participants started to look at the scene that was forming as Krista looked at Eren in disgust before hissing her teeth and storming off.
"No fighting in here!"A woman shouted,standing on a small flying platform and getting the participants' attention.
"If I see another fist swung in here again,you're disqualified!Is that clear,examinee number 359?!"
Reiner glanced at Eren in anger before sighing.
"Good luck.I wish you the best,"Reiner said bitterly as he walked away.
"Good luck out there,guys.You're definitely gonna need it,"Jean said as he walked away,laughing.
"I fucking hate them,"He heard Floch muttered bitterly.
"I'm starting to regret coming here now,"Armin said.
"To be honest,I never even thought that they wanted to become Adventurers.I mean like for Krista, she's rich so I just don't see a reason for her to be here, but pretty surprising that she reacted like that," Eren said.
"Surprising, indeed," Mikasa said.
Floch sighed. "Whatever,I guess we just gotta beat them."
'Good luck with that,' Jean chuckled.
"Everyone gather up!".The woman shouted.She looked rather short with cheek length,platinum blonde hair and silver colored eyes similar to Eren's but his was slightly lighter.She was wearing a dark grey uniform with on both her back and on the left side of her chest was a symbol.
The base of the symbol was a grey shield with a vertical line and a horizontal line intersecting in the middle with a bunch of black shards on one side and white shards on the other appearing to look like bird wings on top of the shield,while having knee high black boots on her feet.She adjusted her oval shaped glasses and began to speak.
"Welcome to the Adventurer's Exam!Here,you will be tested based on your strength,speed, intelligence,combat skill and overall impression to the examiners of the Association as they will be watching you from various cameras scattered around the testing grounds.I will warn you now,it will be extremely difficult so,i will give you 5 minutes to leave this gathering hall if you want to keep your life."
People were muttering in confusion.
"Keep our life?They wouldn't actually let us die in the exam,right?"Reiner said with a bit of worryness in his tone.
"I doubt it.I would not depend on them,lest we want to fail," Krista advised.
Jean scoffed. "Like we can actually die in this test."
The silver-haired woman overheard his comment and gave him an icy glare to him."Do you want proof?"
The woman pulled out a small remote and a small device with the shape of a tuna can out of her pocket and dropped it in the middle of the hall before pressing a button,showing previous broadcasts on a holographic screen from the tuna can shaped device.
One of the incidents showed a man who looked to be in between his early to mid 20s being brutally impaled by one of the jagged horns of a quadrupedal monster of gigantic size with yellow spikes around its body,the scaly skin was a light blue with spiky white fur going from its head to its long,flat tail with hards spikes along the sides of it.The man was struggling to move from the horn by stretching his fingers to a nearby tree but it was too late as the monster started to charge itself sending volts upon volts to the impaled man,causing him to scream as the million volts of electricity started to fry him turning his skin from a tan to dark as char.
The next one she showed us was a middle aged woman in critical condition with a missing leg during one of the tests.At this point,they were seeing a whole compilation of brutal deaths and injuries.After the woman finished showing the video,dead silence filled the room.
"I'm outta here!!"a man shouted before a horde started to charge towards the exit.
"Get out of the way!" another man yelled ,turning his right arm into a shield and swung at other contestants,lifting them up in the air.
Jean created a dome-shaped barrier,surrounding and protecting both Reiner and Krista as a hurdle of people went running to the door.After a few minutes,there were now only barely over 100 here.
'Crazy bastards!They actually let people die in this thing?!' Jean thought.
Jean looked to see Armin in the fetal position with his face as pale as milk.
'Heh,I won't be surprised if he left right now.With his frail build,I doubt he would even handle a punch from her.'
The platinum blonde woman nodded as she looked around the gathering hall."Impressive.More than last time.Alright,before we start the first test.Let's have a little warm up.Head to the doors behind me and behind those doors, another instructor would be waiting for you."
Jean picked up his bags as he and the rest of participants headed to the towering doors.They looked to be made of wood,but which wood Jean didn't know but they were unnecessarily tall,being around 20 feet.One of the participants tried to push the doors but it didn't budge.
"What the hell?!"The participant said. "Thing's not budging!"
Another participant who was much larger and muscular tried to push the door but it was no use.
"The hell?!" He said angry before stretching his fingers to the height of the door and trying again but the result was the same.
"Jean,wanna try?"Reiner asked.
Jean scoffed. "Not going to waste my energy pushing this thing."
Jean glanced back to see the woman smirking at their struggles to open the doors.
'She's testing us already…' Jean thought as he looked to see multiple participants using their abilities to try and break down the door but besides a few scratches the door didn't move an inch.
Reiner stepped up and tried to push one of the doors.Reiner put so much strength into it that he went into his steel form to go full throttle but the door started to move but barely.Some of the participants were surprised that he managed to even move one of the doors.Jean looked at Eren,who was talking to Floch and then at Mikasa who was yawning,either because she was tired or possibly that she could push these towers called door with little effort.
'Maybe one of them can push open this door,' Jean thought.
Jean slithered to the quartet and asked: "So,who's gonna try?"
The four teens looked at him in anger mixed with disgust.
"Why don't you try it yourself?" Eren asked while putting his hands behind his head.
"Heh,you think i'm going fuck myself up,trying to push that metal wall you could call a door?You must be insane.Why don't you give it a go,Armin?"
"W-w-what?"Armin stuttered. "I c-can't push that thing!"
"Oh,come on buddy!You can do it!I believe in you!"Jean said ironically,approaching the shorter blonde.
"Why are you asking us?" Mikasa asked,standing between him and Armin with a cold anger in her eyes.
"Well,I wanted to know who was going to try it.I mean, Eren is waaay stronger than me,since he's one of 'The Monster Twins',so I hope he could prove me right."
'Plus Mikasa, you don't have to risk an injury if he succeeds.' Jean wanted to say the last part but he kept it in his head.
"Being called a monster isn't a good thing,"Mikasa said with anger in her tone."It's a disgusting nickname that you and the queen bee's posse made to insult me and Eren just because we sort've looked similar and we are physically gifted."
Jean wanted to argue against that but he held his tongue.It wasn't a nickname that he came up with,although he is guilty of calling them that.But when he first met them,he thought that they were related, like cousins or something with their black hair and their opposite shades of grey in their eyes.Especially with the fact that they're noticeably more athletically gifted than the rest of the class,it makes sense that they would get that nickname.
"I guess I'll try pushing this thing,"Eren sighed.
The young black-haired teen carelessly approached the door with his hands still on the back of his head. Eren slowly looked up at the towering doors, placed his hands and tried to push the door that Reiner managed to slightly move. Jean began to smile, hoping that Eren's attempt would be futile, but when the squeaking started back up again, Jean wasn't surprised, seeing the door move. However, the other participants were even more shocked, witnessing the slimmer teen managing to move one of the doors back.
"What the?!"
"Unbelievable!"
"Damn, what is his workout routine?"
Jean hoped that he would get tired, using all his strength to push the doors to increase the chance of his failure until Eren stopped one-fifth of the way and glanced back at the other participants.
"Are you guys gonna keep fucking looking at me or you're gonna pull your own weight and help me out here?!"Eren shouted in a rough, aggressive tone. "How would your pride feel, letting a 15-year-old do all the work…have you guys lost your nuts?!"
"Excuse me?!"A participant shouted.
"Say that again!"
"What did you say?!
"Let's prove this little fucker wrong!"
Mikasa,Floch and even Armin went to help Eren as most of the other participants helped out as well to push the doors back alongside him.Jean glanced back to see the platinum woman nodding while a grin was planted on her face.
'You motherfucker,' Jean gritted his teeth in anger.
Both doors were now effortlessly being pushed back with the participants' combined strength due to Eren's insulation of their lack of pride.
Behind the doors was a long white corridor with portraits of people Jean didn't know. Standing before them was a girl with light ginger hair, nearly grazing her shoulders and a large bang sweeping to the left side of her face with a smaller one going the opposite direction with sizable amber eyes, fair skin and a slender build. She was wearing a similar uniform to the other woman except she was wearing a skirt that went above her knees with black tights underneath.
"That's amazing! You guys worked together to get the job done, nice!" The ginger-haired woman said. "Now, let's start the warm-up!"