Year: 848

Age: 13

Location: Training Grounds; Hand-to-Hand Combat

I yawned, scratching the back of my head. "Okay, who wants to get their ass beat?" I said in a tone as if I was talking to a child.

Reiner, who I was training with at the moment, just rolled his eyes and got into a fighting position. "Not me. You're gonna get your ass beat," the blonde idiot said.

I lunged forward, taking advantage of being smaller and maneuvering around his attempts. I slammed the side of his head with the side of my arm.

A squeeze, a snap, a scream, a splatter.

He shook it off quickly, trying to give my jaw an uppercut. I moved, but he still clipped my chin. In response, I lifted my leg and kicked him in the side.

Unfortunately, he's so solidly built that it barely did anything. He tried to hit me again, but I performed a backward handspring to get away. I spun, lifting my leg and connecting my shin with the side of his head.

He was dizzied, and I took advantage of the few seconds I had. I gave him a hard uppercut, then swept down and grabbed his ankles, pulling his feet up and causing him to fall.

I looked for Bertholdt to give him this idiot. He was training with Mikasa, who looked bored and was beating him like a punching bag.

I walked to Bertholdt, dragging Reiner's head along the ground. The blonde boy protested, pounding on the ground and drawing attention by flailing around.

Bertholdt looked at me as sweat rolled down his cheek. "Uhm, why are you dragging him around like that?"

"Because he's an idiot. Here. Take him." I dumped Reiner and walked off.

•••••

At lunch, Sasha almost took my hand off to get my bread. She lunged at me, sinking her teeth into my fingers. I dropped the food instantly, recoiling and shaking my hand.

"SASHA WHAT THE FU--"

"Oh, sorry. I just ran out..."

•••••

The next day at training, I was with Annie. I had seen her fighting with others. She had a narrow fighting style, her fists by her face, one leg farther back for momentum if it was necessary.

"Hey, Annie."

"What?" she replied coolly, her tone saying she was uninterested.

I bounced from foot to foot. "Who taught you how to fight?"

"Dad. Why?"

"Because maybe if you taught yourself like I did, you'd see this coming!" I lunged forward, my fist on a trajectory with her face.

She dodged easily, grabbing my wrist and kneeing me in the stomach. That sent me stumbling back, and before I could come at her again, she jumped up and swung her leg, swiping it just above my head as I ducked.

I kicked her other foot, making her lose her balance and stumble. I barreled forward and tackled her, my head slamming into her stomach.