If there was one thing Drake Khan did not like about this world, that thing was surprises. He loathed them. Utterly despised them. This special hatred he had reserved for surprises came from the fact that, being a Khan, surprises were rarely ever good ones. Most days he prided himself in keeping his life on a short leash, and there were few things worse than a hound acting out. If there was ever a time things had gotten out of hand, it was then, in that moment. He watched Eren from his perch across the room. Drake had never been the smartest in school, so he was not too startled. However he could not understand what happened to Eren in the month he went away without leave. But the thing was, no one else seemed to understand the transformation the boy had gone through either. He was not sure whether to call it adolescence. Under what bloody sun had the lad become so bloody sturdy? He was enormous compared to who he used to be. "Is that Eren?" He had heard
‘Because I have a newfound trust in him. And I know he will win. I just know it…’ Ashley Moore’s words echoed in Drake’s head and he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a possibility that Eren and him would fight in the nearest future. Not just any fight, but a public one like the tournaments. And in a ring too. Was that what he really wanted? Drake was not absolutely certain. He was sure he could beat the Trost boy with relative ease if they were pitted against each other. Daniel was, after all, weaker stock. It mattered little that Eren had torn through him. Drake was a prodigy, if he had to say so himself. He chuckled at Ashley's face. The conversation had continued longer than he would have allowed it if the circumstances were different. "But you aren't a gambling woman, Ashley, now, are you? You would be making a losing bet. But then again, who am I to tell you what to do?" She sauntered away, her movement like those of a jungle cat. Watching he
Air was more like water than most people would believe. Tiana knew this. She could feel it swirl around her ankles and torso the minute she reached for her MANNA, like a river bending, swaying ever so slightly. After the commotion of the near brawl between Eren and that bully, Drake, the locker room had quietened. The contests were placed on pause for a while while the contestants recuperated. Tiana passed the time in silence, closing her eyes to the world. The wall behind her was level and gelid, and there was a dull ringing in her head from the last fight. A long time passed before she felt movement around her again. Somebody was tapping her gently. "Hey, Tiana. Hey." She heard Sid say to her from what seemed like a distance. His words forced her back to the moment. Sid was watching her with keen interest, his green eyes not missing a beat. He gestured at the screen above. She had been placed against some other girl. A brunette. Brawny, with cheekbones li
The crowded locker room had slowly and surely become nearly empty. Only a few people remained. In the fourth stage of the contests, a lot of contestants had lost their fights, forcing them to drop out. When a person lost, their journey ended there. Drake clenched and unclenched his fist. Despite his advanced healing, he was starting to hurt all over. He was sure the same applied to the rest of his peers that remained. A boy with heavy tattoos was slumped in the corner, panting. Even Gaine was crouched in a corner, the white of his eyes flecked with red. His fight, like Drake's, had taken a toll on him. The Trost boy sat in a corner, deadly silent. The fifth stage was to begin in a few minutes and they waited for the announcements, the screen above blinking with light. The screen came back to life suddenly and the first names were drawn up - Drake Khan versus Samantha Dennin. Loud cheering could be heard from the stands. The locker room buzzed with life again. Dr
That sadistic jerk, Drake, had lost. His match against Samantha was televised and it played in the locker room. Eren watched his nemesis' humiliation with quiet joy. While he had hoped Drake would lose, just out of spite, he did not foresee it. Violence and shows of brute strength were, after all, Drake's forte, and the contests were both things. It was not long after that Drake stormed into the room like a whirlwind. No one cheered him this time. There was mostly silence. Those who were brave enough clapped him on the back. He headed straight for his locker and began to shove his personal effects into his bag. When he had finished, he turned to leave. A bench was in his way and he sent it flying with a powerful kick. Even more people shied away from him. Drake stomped forward as if to exit the room, then he stopped to glare at Eren. Eren met his eyes. "One beating is not enough for you? Here you are looking for another one." Eren heard himself say to Drake. I
Trevor Denning was one for pleasantries, it turned out. He was waiting in the arena by the time they announced Tiana's name and she stepped out and into the light. Day was turning quickly into twilight and the sun guttered slowly from the sky. Tiana took up her position opposite her would-be opponent. He raked a hand through his hair, his motions very feminine. "Hey there." He said. Tiana nodded at him, taking a fighting stance. "So, are you ready to bring some serious heat to this arena or what?" He asked, smirking. He was making fire jokes now? Tiana sighed inwardly. The announcer was yet to signal that the match had begun in earnest, so she was forced to indulge him. "Perhaps, we should both focus on getting out of here alive?" She suggested. He shrugged. "Baby, I only get to pummel my classmates to nothing once. I intend to enjoy it. Don't you?" Tiana huffed. Everything was a joke to Trevor. Everything. He was the exact opposite of his sister. Where she was wi
Hours passed before his father found him in the stands where he had gone to watch the rest of the contests.If Drake had remained in that locker room with the rest of them, he would have broken something. More specifically, he would have broken the Trost boy. Sneering in his face as he did. Drake had Eren's sneer stamped in his memory. He seethed at the image.Suddenly, the crowd cheered, redirecting his attention to the contests. Drake welcomed the distraction with ease. With the hood of his shirt up, he managed to stay hidden in the crowd. Sid Nivron stepped into the arena, swords drawn and held ready at both his sides.The view of the fights so high above was a thing to behold.A red-faced man next to Drake screamed his approval. "Tear him apart! Hell yeah!" He yelled, his weak chin wobbling with the effort.Tear him apart?There was no one in the field but Sid, and yet the cro
By the time Eren got to him, Sid was a bloody mess. He reached the doors just as they heaved his new friend's body into the room. Eren reached out, slipping a strong arm beneath Sid's underarm and held him up out of instinct. He let Sid rest all of his weight against him. Unlike what he expected from Sid's lithe frame, the young man was heavy. "I am a fucking mess, friend." He grinned at Eren. Eren led him back towards the locker room, albeit clumsily, their motions awkward. "That has to be the understatement of the year." "I will get blood all over you." Sid was delirious with the blood loss. Eren tried to shrug which ended up being a strange twitch of his shoulder, seeing as he was basically carrying Sid. "There are worse things than that, I guess." He said, to which Sid grinned tiredly. "Eren Trost, the epitome of positivity." said Sid, causing Eren to chuckle despite the grim situation. He helped his friend to a low chair next to Tiana. Sid gasped with pain as he