Chapter Seven

Following Adeline's meeting with the commander, rest would not find her easily. The lies, no matter how well intended, were starting to tear at her from the inside. By the time the sun began to ascend once more her eyes were already open, alert, and absorbing. She could hear her constituents rouse and rustle about in preparation for the day, but the dark haired woman remained frozen in her bunk.

"Time for trai- oh," Christa trailed off. "You're already awake!" She smiled brightly. "Your uniform will be in the trunk at the end of your bunk. Showers end in fifteen minutes, so we'd better hurry!"

Adeline was mildly startled and blinked idly, purely curious as to how Christa was at her eye level when she was in the top bunk. She was met with bright eyes and a cheerful smile reminiscent of the sunshine itself. Just as soon as the blonde appeared she was gone as she'd hopped back down to floor level. Adeline rolled over to catch sight of Christa over the rail. She'd already fetched the new cadet's uniform and held it in wait for her to descend.

Once Adeline was coherent enough, she made her way down and met Christa where she stood. Mindlessly, she accepted the uniform and followed the girl to those same showers she'd cried her eyes out in just the day before. Again, she found herself on autopilot through the showers and the blurring corridors until they'd arrived at the training grounds. Due to Christa's impeccable timing the two women were trailing in right behind everyone else.

Adeline admired Christa's discipline despite her soft demeanor and hoped to get to know more of her. Though they had all fallen in rank she managed to catch a not so subtle sneer from one of the more familiar cadets; Ymir, she believed she was. Though Adeline couldn't imagine what she could have done to have offended her so soon.

Pushing the unpleasant calculations to the back of her mind she resumed to focus on Commander Shadis and his morning angry spiel. According to his instructions, this morning would be a sparring session and her heart dropped. She knew vaguely about the ODM Gear and had hoped she would get a chance to familiarize herself with the equipment and practice. Moreover, she was a competent enough fighter, but she was sure everyone else was on another level. She hadn't gotten a chance to really know anyone and balked at the idea of her first encounter with someone being a fight; mandated or not.

Just when everyone was breaking off and pairing up, Adeline stayed planted and shifted nervously. She was also aware that if she didn't participate soon, she would be hearing from Shadis. Loudly. Just when she couldn't hold in her nerves any longer, a brash voice interrupted her fright.

"I'll take you, new girl," Ymir said. Though it sounded more like a threat than an offer.

She gulped. Adeline was gonna get her ass kicked in front of the whole training yard.

"I'm sorry, Ymir," a much more familiar, male voice cut in. "I think I have dibs on the rookie."

When Adeline turned to look, it was Reiner himself. She had only seen him briefly in the mess hall the day before, but when he was right in front of her she could hardly believe how he'd filled out since they were just children. He towered over her similarly to how their commander who kept plaguing her thoughts did.

Ymir smirked and waved her hand, anticipating the damage the man would do. "Be my guest," she chuckled as she walked off.

For a moment, Adeline stood there scrambling for the right thing to do next. She couldn't hug him, that would be too odd. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to at this point either. She remembered in one of the Restorationist's meetings they had uncovered the Warrior program and which Liberio citizens would be selected. His name was definitely there and at the time she'd hoped it was a mistake or that he was planning to infiltrate. Now, standing in front of him and with so much riding on this knowledge, she was at a complete loss on what to think.

In the seconds that her train of thought began to spiral, the blonde man had lunged at her with his first attack. Faster than her brain could process the movement, she dodged him, grabbed his arm, and flipped him over her shoulder. Quickly he regained his footing as she assumed a defensive stance and braced herself. He charged at her and she blocked him with her arms around his waist, pushing back. She'd planned to throw him aside, but he swiftly maneuvered them until his arm was around her neck and he had her in a headlock. Despite her current efforts his grasp was ironclad, but she wouldn't tap out just yet.

Just as she was formulating her escape he whispered in her ear, "I remember you, Lin. Do you remember me?" He didn't wait for a response before continuing. "Meet me in the courtyard at midnight. We have some catching up to do."

"Fine," was the only response she offered before head butting him to break his grip and swiping his feet from underneath him.

He didn't get up as quickly as before. He figured she could use some points with the other cadets and decided to let this round go to her. Regardless of his subtle gesture now, he wasn't sure how he felt about her either. After he became drafted back in Marley they weren't as close as they had been, then one day she was just gone. Reiner had no idea whose side Adeline was on.

Once he was back up he walked away from the skirmish to challenge someone else as though no words had been exchanged. She stretched after the tussle, acclimating her body to combat. Right when she was gonna go find Christa, a black haired man approached her unceremoniously.

"Hey you!" He belted, catching the girl's attention.

"Huh?"

"If you can beat Reiner, think you can take me?" He dared.

Before she could reply, Adeline heard a firm, but worried voice come from behind him. "Eren, are you sure?" She caught the woman's eyes as she spoke and it felt as if she were trying to bore a hole in the new cadets forehead. Adeline unconsciously took a step back, not wanting to offend the girl in any way.

"Jesus, Mikasa. You don't have to treat me like a child all the time!"

Adeline took this opportunity to tip toe off to anywhere, but there. Thankfully, before she could find herself in any more trouble, Shadis called them all back to ranks. While she returned to form, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched throughout the session. She mindlessly looked around to find the source when her eyes made out a billowing cloak just far enough in the distance.

Was that Captain Levi? Had he been there the whole time?

She wasn't sure what to make of it, but decided to store a few questions of her own for the next time she met with Commander Erwin.