'Why Eren, Why?' Armin thought as he and his friends were in the elevator, heading to the top floor.
Armin wanted to whisper to Eren that he didn't want to be near him but he was worried that Jean might hear him and cause a whole scene and there was nowhere for him to run or hide. The elevator doors opened to see a nearly empty floor. The four other teens walked out to see if the simulation room was available. Armin noticed that one of the archery targets on the wall had a few black carbon fibre arrows jammed in the bullseye making the middle nearly filled with arrows. He slowly walked to the target.
'Such amazing accuracy, the only person I know who can do this is, wait… is she here?'
Armin was analyzing one of the arrows until another arrow flew and hit the bullseye, causing the male blonde to fall back and scream. Armin turned to see Krista with her hair in a low ponytail wearing a white compression shirt, pink compression tights and white running shoes.
"What the hell are you doing?"Krista asked, glaring at Armin.
"What the hell are YOU doing?!" Mikasa said angrily to the short blondie."You could've hit him!"
"That outcome would be very unlikely due to the fact that my accuracy is nearly impeccable."
Mikasa rolled her eyes. "You are overestimating your archery skills."
"Hmph.Like you could do better, you pale witch. If I remember correctly, I ranked better than you in all 3 years in junior high," Krista reminded her.
Mikasa walked to the weapons wall and grabbed a bow."You were ranked 2nd while I was ranked 3rd."She pulled the bowstring off the bow. "However, since we're not in school, rank does not matter anymore and I'll show you how much I've improved."
Floch sighed as he sat down. "Well, might as well enjoy the show 'cause this simulator is occupied too."
"Well, I'm going to train. Tell me when the simulator opens," Jean said, walking away.
Floch tapped Eren's shoulder as he sat next to him. "Wanna bet?"
Armin sat next to Eren, shaking and holding his left hand tightly as he sat down next to Floch the tousled-haired teen snickering. "Armin, are you okay? You're paler than usual."
Armin turned his head to Floch. "Gee, I don't know, maybe because I nearly got shot?!"
"Anyways, we're doing a bet. Who you got?"
"Sorry. I'm not doing any bets," Armin said. "Don't have extra money on me."
"Okay, well Eren, who do you get?" Floch asked.
Eren hummed in thought. "Taking Mikasa. I believe that she can do it. She practises a lot of archery. She told me that she does a certain archery-based martial art but I forgot what the martial art is called…"
"It's called Kyudo," Armin said, adjusting his glasses.
"Well, to be honest, I'm taking Queen Bee," Floch admitted.
Armin looked at the injured teen. "Why?"
"Well, because she was ranked higher than Mikasa. Plus, it's only me and Eren betting. So I have to bet on the opposite side and I think I made a good choice," Floch explained.
"Hey."
Armin stiffened as he knew who Krista was speaking to. "Y-yes?"
"Keep track of the score, you got that?"
"Why does Armin have to keep track? Can't you do it yourself?" Eren asked.
"Shut it, hoodrat. I don't need your input."
"What, you can't multitask, Krista? Surely, a smart highborn like you could handle it. "
"Shut up! Or else I'll shoot one of these arrows through your skull," Krista threatened.
Armin sighed. "It's fine, I'll keep track. I don't want anyone getting shot."
"Not like she can hit me," Eren commented.
Krista cocked back an arrow. "Do you want to test that?"
"Let's focus here, Krista," Mikasa said.
"10 arrows each. The best score wins."
"Fine," Mikasa agreed.
Armin took out his phone as Krista yanked all of her arrows out of the target. Mikasa grabbed a handful of arrows from the rack of arrows near the weapon wall and placed them on the table in front of her. Floch and Eren continued to discuss whether they bet money on the competition as the two females prepared to shoot the first arrow. Krista shot hers first and it hit the centre of the target before Mikasa hit the centre of her target.
"This is gonna be awhile," Armin thought.
Armin continued to track the score on his phone as the ladies continued to tack on arrows into their targets. Armin glanced and realized it was tied. Krista let Mikasa go first to shoot her last shot. Mikasa grabbed the arrow, pulled the drawstring and let go but it only hit the red giving her 8 points. Krista chuckled as she grabbed her last arrow, pulled her the string and let go but just as it was midway from hitting her target another arrow blitzed through, piercing Krista's arrow, splitting it and hitting the bullseye.
"What the?! Who did that?!" Krista shouted.
Armin turned around to see a girl around his age with reddish brown hair kept in a ponytail that went down the base of her neck with bangs on each of her face reaching the middle of her neck with beige skin and brown eyes wearing a simple lemon yellow tank top, orange tights and white shoes.
"Sasha! I didn't know you were here!" Eren said, standing up.
"Yeah, Connie's here too but he's using the bathroom right now."
"I thought you were at the restaurant right now, trying to empty out the kitchen," Eren laughed.
Sasha laughed as well."Well, you weren't wrong. I was there for 2 hours this morning, trying to accomplish such a feat but they were prepared. I may have lost the battle but I won't lose the war."
"That's why you need me to join. That way we can accomplish the feat, together!" Eren said in an old Angleterrian accent with one of his fists up.
"I appreciate your proposal of an alliance, Eren. However,tis' a battle I must do alone," Sasha replied in the same old accent as well.
"I understand, my gluttonous friend. I just wanted to inform you that my allegiance is at your disposal," Eren said, bowing down, leading to everyone laughing except for Krista.
"Sasha, that was impressive archery, as usual," Mikasa complimented.
"Makes sense that you were captain of the archery team," Floch added.
"Aw shucks!Thanks, you guys!"Sasha blushed.
"Are you kidding me? Another one?" Krista said miserably. "Let me guess, Connie's here, too?
"Yup!" Armin turned to see Connie standing on one of the tables.
Armin smiled knowing that more of his friends were here doing the test but then he got a little worried, wondering if they were going to pass the remaining tests.
"Hey, Sasha. Were you in the simulator?"Eren asked.
"Yeah, I was. The countless possibilities you could do in there! Like for one of them, Connie and I were in a snowy tundra fighting a giant shark that can manipulate ice and at first we were getting beat but we bounced back and defeated the amphibian beast!"
"That shit sound cool as fuck. I need to try it out!" Eren shouted in excitement as he quickly
headed to the simulator but Sasha quickly ran in front of him to stop him.
"Eren, before you go in there. I'm going to join you for this one to show you how the controls work. Plus, it's a lot of fun."
"Well, I want to experience some of that fun, too," Eren said with excitement.
Mikasa approaches the duo. "I will join you for this one. I am interested in how this simulator works as well."
'Obviously, it has to have an area limitation because of the size of the room and Sasha and Connie don't have any visible injuries, so what would be the point in trying to avoid attacks?'
"I will sit this one out," Floch said. "I'm going to go outside and practise my agility and flight speed and see how fast I can go in this condition."
"Floch, let's do a race! You were lucky last time, but I will beat your ass this time!" Connie said, determined.
Floch and Connie were both in the top 5 in overall speed for our class. Floch was fifth while Connie was fourth only behind Mikasa, Eren and top-ranked in speed, Annie. So, Floch and Connie would have a monthly race to see who is faster. Although it went back and forth, Connie would usually win until last month, when Floch beat him by two seconds but Connie was still ranked fourth.
"Woah beat my ass?! Connie!" Floch said with his hands up.
"Wha-What?! I didn't mean like that, Floch!" Connie shouted.
"Connie…I didn't know that you swing that way," Eren said, chuckling.
"Shut up! You know what I mean, Floch!"
Floch shook his head and clicked his teeth. "To be honest, Connie, I don't even know anymore. I mean, I have never seen you with a girlfriend before…"
"I swear I'm not gay! I promise!" Connie shouted.
"You bet on your life?" Eren asked.
"Yes!Yes!"
Eren wrapped each arm on Floch and Sasha and turned around with their backs facing Connie with Armin letting out a small chuckle. He was just looking at the trio muttering amongst themselves until Armin felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Armin, are you joining in as well?" Mikasa asked.
"Might as well. I did wait for a while to try it out with you guys," Armin said.
"Eren! Sasha! Armin is joining as well."
Sasha clapped her hands together with a big smile on her face. "Okay! Let's go, Eren!"
Eren nodded as Armin stood up and followed suit.
"Have fun, you two!" Sasha said, looking back at Floch and Connie with a small grin on her face.
"Shut up!" Connie yelled.
The four teens entered the simulation room. It was massive, sure but empty. It was just a plain white room but one of the walls contained a big flat-screen monitor with a keyboard connected below it. Armin approached it to see a big digital catalogue on a variety of animals, giving info on the monsters like the scientific names of the monsters, their behaviour and the types of the environment that they inhabit.
"How do you use this thing?" Eren asked.
"Well, first you put these on," Sasha said as she gave out white square-shaped pads. " And place them on your shoulders, hands, chest, stomach, thighs, shins, feet and forehead."
Armin and the black-haired duo placed the pads on the designated areas.
"Then, we are going to decide which monsters we are going to fight."
'Monsters?! As in multiple monsters at the same time?!'
"W-well I think we should fight just one monster. You know…just to start easy?"Armin suggested.
"Oh, come on Armin, there's four of us and we're not weak," Sasha said.
"But we have no experience at all," Armin added. "And if these things are supposed to make us feel pain then I don't want to deal with two monsters potentially at the same time."
"Let's try it out with two easy ones first then we'll see about amping up the difficulty," Eren said.
Mikasa nodded. "I can agree with that."
Armin sighed. "I guess if it's two easy ones, I'll do it."
Sasha clapped her hands together. "Great! Well, I will choose the weakest monsters available. Now just turn around and don't look. I want it to be a surprise."
The trio turned around while Sasha went to the computer, hearing the sounds of fingers hitting the keyboards echo throughout the empty room.
"What do you think the monsters are going to be?" Eren asked.
"It could be a pair of Cukulus," Mikasa guessed.
"You mean those overgrown chickens that steal eggs from other wyverns?"
"They don't just steal eggs from other wyverns, they are bird wyverns that can lift and shatter boulders with their beaks with ease," Armin pointed out.
"Yeah, but we're smarter and stronger than Cukulus. So we're gonna choose something a bit harder," Sasha assured.
Armin grew a small smile. It was nice to know that if they're just fighting monsters at around the strength of Cukulus. After all, those were some of the monsters they were assigned to capture or kill in their Adventurer training program. However, the reason why almost half of the students joined the advanced program was just to see Krista and Reiner in action.
"So, what monster are we hunting, Sasha?" Armin asked.
Sasha tucked her lips making Armin's smile slowly turn a face of doubt. He asked her the same question but she stayed silent.
"You don't know, do you?"Eren said.
Sasha slowly shook her head. Armin took off his glasses and rubbed his face.
"What do you mean you don't know?!"Armin yelled.
"I don't know, I-uh… randomized… it," Sasha let out a nervous chuckle.
Armin looked at the brunette in a mix of shock and anger. He sat down on the floor in the fetal position.
'I'm dead.'
"Oh yeah, I recommend you close your eyes if you want to be blind," Sasha advised.
"Simulation commences in 10 seconds." An AI voice announced.
"We don't have time to complain, we have to be ready for whatever comes at us," Mikasa said.
Armin sighed as he closed his eyes with the counter going down from 10 to 0. Armin started to hear the chirping of birds and the sound of a river running. Armin slowly opened his eyes to see that he was now in a jungle with birds flying above him. He kneeled to touch the grass beneath his feet; it felt like real grass with its smooth yet prickly texture. He looked around to see no one around him.
"Where did they go?" Armin muttered to himself. "They were right next to me."
Armin wandered around the jungle for a few minutes, pushing himself past the thick green leaves with birds of different species chirping and making other noises around him. Armin leaned on a tall tree feeling the rough bark on his back.
'Is there an end to this place? Plus, where are the others and the monsters we have to fight? But I could find the machine to stop the simulation, where do I start?'
Armin was smiling knowing that there was a possibility that he didn't even have to encounter the gigantic beast until he heard a massive roar echo throughout the jungle, startling the blonde teen.