A Brighter set of Days

Time seemed to slip by faster among the scout regiment. Lily often found herself busying herself with her duties and chores. She was surprised to note that most -if not all- maintenance of the headquarters were often handled by the scouts themselves, cooking, cleaning, yard work, all were all shared amongst its members. Lily didn't mind this, despite the months growing hotter, the small woman didn't mind the mindless task of simply keeping something clean.

She paused, wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead. The halls of the castle would often grow more heated in the afternoon, the sun warming the old stones so much so, if you rested your hands upon them, they didn't seem half as cold as usual.

Her golden eyes trailed around the dinning hall, her squad-mates dotted about engrossed with their task of cleaning the room top-to-bottom. Her gaze settled on Petra, alarmed to note the woman was lightly wringing out a soapy cloth and thoroughly drenching the table in her attempts to clean it.

"Wait, Petra." Lily trotted over, resting her hand upon the ginger's. Petra's face pulled into a confused stare, lines creasing her forehead as she looked up at the blonde woman. "Don't drench the table with soapy water. Just lightly tap it with a damp cloth. You'll ruin the wood soaking it like that."

Petra frowned, but nodded her head, attempting to pat dry the sodden table as best she could.

"Oi, Lily how'd you know that?" Lucas' voice called from a few tables down. His chin length black hair was half tied up in an attempt to keep the incessant strands from his chestnut brown eyes.

Lily paused, unsure how to respond, eventually she settled on something, with a shrug she replied. "Wood will rot with too much moisture."

"Didn't think you'd know how to clean so well, considering where you hail from." Daveen chortled, her jab light-hearted.

"The girls always complained the place was too dirty. Lyra would throw a fit if you so much as walked in the door with dusty shoes. Now it's all just a habit." Joshua mused, his gaze a million leagues away as he lost himself in memories.

"You remember that time you walked in, caked in dust from a recent cave-in over by the Dwellers and both of them saw you walk in without so much as dusting yourself off?" Timothy interjected, an amused look dancing across his face despite the blank tone he spoke with.

"I don't think I could ever forget." Joshua responded sourly, his face pulling into a grimace at the reminder.

"You sat on the chairs that we just cleaned." Lily shot back, her face pulled into a scowl however her tone was amused. "If I hadn't kicked you outside I was certain Lyra would have started throwing things at you."

"You didn't have to kick me out the door!"

Lily shrugged. "You're too big to drag. Had to improvise."

"Improvise my ass." Joshua muttered, rolling his eyes.

"I mean, she has a point. You kind of are a giant oaf sometimes."

"Shut up, Tim!"

Roaring laughter filled the air as the squad shared amused glances at the bickering trio. Timothy's face alight with teasing amusement as Joshua slapped a soggy cloth onto the counter like a petulant child. Lily rolled her own eyes at the pair, the corner of her lips pulled up in amusement as she resumed her task.

"Sounds like Lyra would get along with the Captain." Petra mused.

Despite the amusement in Daveen, Lucas and Petra's gazes, something shifted in the air within the room. A silent, tense and uneasy weight creeped into the hall, encompassing all those who lingered. Petra's smile slipped as she regarded the varying degrees of defensiveness that radiated from the underground-hailing trio.

"Did I say somethi-"

"They would never get along." Joshua's tone turned dark as his eyes flickered over to Lily's form. Eyes lingering on the pink scar across her face. "She'd be nowhere near him."

Petra startled at the venom in his tone. Her eyes flickered to her blonde friends, frowning even more when Lily actively turned herself away from the group, the only sign of her discomfort was the constant wringing of her hands as she focused elsewhere.

"You guys don't like the Captain?" Lucas' young voice asked from the far corner. His head was tilted as he looked at the group, unsure in his words.

"You could say that." Timothy replied, seemingly the most settled of the three. His eyes flickered between Joshua and Lily for a heartbeat.

"Is there something I should know?" Daveen's tone had shifted into something more serious as she regarded her three subordinates' sudden change. "If there's going to be an issue I want to know it."

"There's nothing to discuss." Lily's tone had dropped into something more quiet as she looked over and locked gazes with Joshua's, a silent plea to let this go. He visibly puffed up, his face contorted with an angered frown.

"Lily, he-"

"Josh. please." Lily faced the board man now, her gaze hardening as she lifted her chin, hands balling into fists. "The past is the past."

"He cut your damn face open!" Joshua stepped forward, his grip on the cloth twisting as he held Lily's gaze. The ghost of a blade resting at her throat unsettled her, feeling her hands rise to her scarf anxiously.

"He What?" Petra exclaimed, her eyes widening as she whipped around in her friend's direction.

"We weren't going to surrender, he knew that and did what he had to." Lily interjected. "There's no point bringing this up now."

"That's how you got those scars on your face?" Lucas startled, his eyes glued to the marking marring her features with scared fascination.

"The Captain is a hard man. But he's a good one." Daveen held her hand up, hushing the group. "Considering how much of a pain Lily is on the best of days, I bet she seriously gave him a run for his money. He wouldn't have done more than what was necessary."

The attempt at a joke seemed to ease some of them. However Joshua's tense shoulders had yet to relax as he glared heatedly at the floor. He sees them as no different to the MP's. the realization strung a cord within her. He had only just lost Lyra, and the Captain had Lily by sword-point, had she witnessed the same, without knowing what she knew, she can't say she'd react any differently.

She strode forward, her hand resting on his shoulder as she leveled a stare with him. "Do you trust me?"

A breath was released as his face flashed in momentary pain. "I do…"

"Then trust that I'll be fine. Infighting isn't going to solve what happened. I'm alive, that's what matters." She squeezed his shoulders once more before backing off, returning to the chair which stood half cleaned before it was abandoned.

Petra shuffled over to Lily, her voice lowering as they both kneeled to clean the chair. "Did he really do that?"

Lily's eyes flickered to Petra's face, noting the worry that creased her forehead. "Yes… But I had slipped, I don't think the intent was to actually hit me but to stop me from hitting him."

"You were trying to hit him?" she exclaimed in a whisper, startled shock morphing her features.

"I… We…" Lily frowned. "I don't blame him. But I dont think I'm sorry either for what happened. After everything… nothing made sense. It was just survival. We didn't think, we acted."

Petra's frown deepened, aware of her friend's growing admiration for the Captain, Lily nudged her lightly. "I don't know what to make of him. He's an enigma. But there's something familiar in the way he acts. Truthfully I don't have enough information to form an opinion of him."

"You don't think he's a bad man like Joshua?"

"Like I said, I don't know what to think of him just yet."


Another several days flashed by without much of a thought, and just like each and every other day, Lily rose with the sun, dawning her military uniform and stood elbow to elbow with her squad. The six of them were stationed in a line before the forest of three which acted as the scouts training field. Daveen stood in front of them, taking her time in checking each and everyone's gear before she addressed the group.

"Today, unlike our usual team-work and tactics, we'll be running a bit of a competition." A murmur of her squad's voices echoed throughout the group before Daveen raised her hand to hush them. "This is an evaluation of your skills. Some of the higher ups are interested in seeing how your progress is going so far and have instructed me to run a squad exercise.

"It's simple. Within these trees are a number of target-titan-doll's scattered amongst the trees. Each kill scores an Individual five points. Along with this, there's a secondary objective; the red flag. The red flag will give you a score of twenty points however - you must have the flag on your belt. Additionally, you may steal the flag from your competitors so you wish. Any questions?"

"There anything we can't do?" Lucas sounded from her left, his voice uncertain as he saluted his superior.

"Don't draw your swords on your comrades. Other than that I don't care, I'm not your mother. Anything else?" The silence that followed answered Daveen's question enough, she nodded her head and turned to face towards the forest, her voice strong as she said "several officers are hidden amongst the trees, they will be evaluating your performance today, you'll have twenty minutes. On your marks."

The five tensed, each swiftly grasping ahold of their triggers, readying themselves into a stance as they waited with bated breath.

"Get ready," Lily's body tensed as she aimed her hooks for a sturdy branch, her body like a coiled spring; ready to snap into action.

"Go!" five sets of wires fired at once, the sound of mechanical whirring filled the air as Lily's body launched into the air. She was quick to swing herself into the canopy, eyes alight with a cold, calculating focus as her body dipped and twisted amongst the trees.

Her goal was the red flag, she knew she'd be hard pressed with Petra and Lucas. The two veteran members were far more trained than the trio from the underground, the pair far more comfortable with titan slaying. The red flag seemed the best way to secure a lead depending how long Lily spent searching.

She halted on a study branch, the limb bending slightly at the addition of her weight but otherwise was stable. Her eyes scanned the forest with narrowed eyes. At least it was a red flag, it would stick out like a sore thumb against the forest's green and browns.

Her musing was halted as she saw two Titan-dummies a league away, not too far out. Deciding to head towards them, Lily sped off.

With a swift tung, she pulled out two fresh sets of ultra-hard steel blades from their sheath, she arched her body at the ready. With a slight angle of her hips, anchors latching onto the side of its nape, she throttled her gas. With a dexterous twist of her body, her blades sunk into the flesh of the dummy, a chunk of rubber dislodged itself and tumbled to the floor.

It wasn't enough.

Chancing a glance behind her she frowned, her cut wasn't deep enough to be considered a killing blow, her swords had only taken the top layer of what would have been titan flesh in a real situation. She cursed to herself, opting to head for the second titan in hopes to make up for wasted time.

She swung her body closer this time, her teeth gritting in concentration as adjusted herself into a prime position. Reflexively she switched her right blade backwards, throwing her body into a furious spin, her momentum assisting her where her strength couldn't. A large chunk fell to the forest floor with a heavy thump.

Lily glanced behind her, far more pleased with her new kill. She hurried up towards the canopy, allowing her body to swing, using her free fall to increase her speed as she angled her body to be as narrow as possible. Sailing through the air as her eyes searched the area for the red flag.

Her heart skipped a beat as the sight of a red cloth passed her peripherals. Hooking one anchor into a nearby tree, she swung herself around it, catapulting herself off the trunk from the tight turn. Whirring caught her attention, some few feet away Joshua's form could be seen swiftly shifting between trees. His attention locked onto the red flag.

It seems he still hasn't learnt to look up.

Lily mused silently as she realized the board man had yet to become wise to her person. She fell behind him, pushing herself higher into the tree's canopy in an attempt to hide her person. She gritted her teeth as a few stray branches scratched at her form.

Joshua halted upon a branch just below the red flag, for a tall man like himself he merely had to stretch and reach up to pull it from where it sat, lodged into the tree's mighty trunk. Lily paused on a tree further back, her form hunched on a bending limb as she watched his movements like a hawk hunting its prey.

Titans combat was something new, something she was learning how to properly excel at. But human combat? That's something she was confident with, five long years underground had honed her skills to pin-point accuracy.

And so she waited, until his hands had grasped onto the red cloth, and until he had tied the item around his waist, fumbling slightly to tuck it into his belt, unaware of the blonde woman lurking form in the canopy above.

And then, she striked.

Like a coiled snake, she lurched forward the moment he had stopped fumbling with the flag. Joshua startled when he finally saw her blurred form rushing towards him. He scrambled for his handles, his spooked mind racing as fast as his hands which groped his holsters fervently.

She latched her anchors next to him, chest level and angled horizontally. She landed heavily, knees bending to compensate as her hand snatched at the red flag at his waist. Joshua attempted to thwart her attempts by shoving her back and launching himself into the air away from her.

Lily hissed out a curse, allowing her body to plummet in the air before she twisted mid-fall with the dexterity of a cat dropping from a ledge. Her anchors found their purchase and with a pull of her triggers, her gas propelled her small frame through the air, hot on Joshua's tail.

Joshua's gaze found her own focused ones, alarm flashing brightly across his expression as he lowered himself towards the ground in hopes to bring about some distance, making a quick turn around a tree also.

Lily followed suit, however while Joshua was cornering in a wide arc, Lily hugged close to the tree, her body lurching at the jarring turn. She had gained on him now, floating just beside him, the boarder man attempting to throw his body against her in order to shake her off.

She met the resistance with one of her own. She rolled her body over his, flipping herself over him before she retracted her anchors, reaching out her hand she latched onto his triggers, dropping his anchors. At the abrupt action the two tumbled to the forest floor, low enough to not sustain anything more than a couple of bruises.

Joshua rolled unceremoniously onto his back, groaning from the winding fall. Lily summersalted, allowing the roll to absorb some of the shock from her fall, she was back on her feet within moments.

The pair stood off, arms raised and bodies poised. Lily lunged first, her initial couple of swings were met with the replying blocks of Joshua's. He swung out a heavy fist towards Lily's gut, and the smaller woman swerved to the right, latched her left arm around his and pinned it to her waist forcing his weight backwards. Her left leg swung in a high arc before it connected to his upper body, his awkward stance caused the boarder man to stumble out of her grip and back up a few paces.

He grunted before charging her. Lily stiffened, waited and then lunged for his mid-section. Her right arm wound itself around his waist as his left fist sailed inches above her head. Hooking her leg under his she sent him head first over her back and into the ground behind her.

She snatched the red flag from his fallen form only to halt in her reatreting by a strong hand upon her arm. With quick reflexes, she rounded on him, left hand upon her handle as she brought it down onto the top of his head, the back of the handle hitting against the top of his head with a thwack.

"Ah Fuck Lily!" Joshua cursed, letting go of the shorter woman to nurse his head between his hands as he glared up at the woman, wincing from the throbbing pain emanating from his undoubtedly newest bruise. "Ah fuck, that hurt!"

Lily flashed him a sheepish grin, already retreating towards the canopy as she replied, "Sorry!"

She flew a few leagues away before she stopped to tuck the red flag into her belt, pausing a moment to take note of her surroundings. Her eyes scanned the forest below and the canopy above, aware she was now a target with the red cloth hanging limply from her left hip.

The red flag meant she now had an additional twenty points to her score, which paired with the two- no one successful titan kill meant she was sitting at a humble twenty-five points. That's not going to be enough. She narrowed her eyes, searching the ground below for any possible titan targets. Her goal was another three kills, ambitious considering her earlier display with her first titan, but an achievable one.

She set off with her new goal in mind, leaning a little more heavy on her gas to propel her leithe form through the air as her gaze fervently searched the forest below. She had to keep moving, a still target was an easy one and while she would like to pause and gather more intel upon a branch, she would risk losing her only winning chance.

Her eyes spied another three titans, the perfect amount. However they were placed in a clearing between the trees, meaning she'd have to use the titan's themselves to maneuver off. Knowing that time was working against her, she changed direction, moving to unleash an attack at the three imobile titan dummies.

Her hooks lodged itself in the smaller titan, her body arched as she threw herself towards it. Thundering down towards the target furiously, her blades sinking into the flesh yet only a small chunk had severed itself from its flesh.

She cursed to herself. "These damn blades are far too cumbersome." the blonde woman hissed to herself, adjusting her awkward grip on her right blade, flipping the sword to face backwards as she used more gas to throttle herself forward to the titan above.

One hook lodged into the side of its nape this time, allowing herself to flick her body into a spin, wrapping herself around its neck as both blades sunk into its rubber flesh, the sizable chunk falling to the ground.

She wasted no time, allowing herself to drop into a fall as she positioned herself to spin downwards into the next Titan. Her right blade sank in first as she spun around its nape, the second completing the cut swiftly as she swung below it, rounding back towards the original titan she failed to kill.

"I won't miss this time."

Her words were a furious hiss as she wrapped herself around its neck with a flurry of her blades. The rubber fell to the floor with a thump upon her checking. Satisfied with the kill she returned to the forest and disappeared from the cleaning, heading back into the safety of the canopy.

The muffled sound of whirring drew her attention. It seemed she had a shadow, and upon her glance, it seemed to be Lucas. The dark haired man was fixated on her form as he weaved through the trees.

Lily launched her rear anchors the moment he got close, the air in her lungs rushing out of her in an instant from the abrupt stop. She willed herself to continue, meeting his rushing form head on.

Lucas' eyes widened before he pulled away at the last second in order to not collide with the blonde woman. Scrambling to slow himself down he swung around a tree, losing his balance slightly and tumbling to the forest floor for a moment, before he managed to catch himself on his hooks. Not one to be deterred, he flew back in action, letting out a large burst of gas to catch up towards the leithe woman.

"You'll run out of gas if you keep that up." Lily remarked when he drew near. He reached a hand out towards her left flank. Lily dropped her anchors, free falling for a moment as she spun herself around and kicked the younger man to the side before deftly engaging her rear anchors and spinning herself back towards her traveling direction.

A shout called out. It was Daveen, who was calling for her squad to reunite outside of the forest, a yellow smoke being shot off for good measure. Chancing a glance behind her she was glad to note that Lucas was still in the air. Despite his slightly winded state, he nodded to her before retreating towards the rally point. Lily flipped mid-air, switching directions and doing the same.

bursting out from the forest, she slowed her descent with her wires before she skidded to a halt upon the grassy floor. Her eyes found Petra and Joshua, the latter covered in grass stains from their earlier tumble. She trotted up to the pair, a nod in greeting.

Joshua glared at her, however it wasn't as bitter as it was during their last encounter. "That still hurts."

"I'll be honest, I ran on instinct at that point." Lily clarified, her tone apologetic as she brushed his wind-swept hair from his face, wincing at the new purple bruise blossoming at the top of his hairline. "After we're finished up here I'll find something cool to put on that. It'll reduce the swelling for the most part."

Joshua grunted, his glare retreating from his face as he rolled his eyes, an amuse twinkly entering his deep brown eyes. "Should've known the moment I saw you coming that there wasn't a chance I was going to get away with that flag."

Lily shrugged, her hand dripping from his face as the corners of her lips tilted in a small smile. "There was a time where you used to win every fright,"

"Yeah, maybe five years ago now." Joshua retorted, a petulant look crossing his features as he crossed his arms. Five years. Has it truly been that long? Lily shook her head lightly in amusement. Yes, yes it has been.

"So you're the reason he's covered in grass stains." Petra interjected, mirth in her tone as she placed a gentle hand on Lily's shoulder. "Remind me never to go up against you in a fight. First Oluo, now Joshua. Who's next?"

"To be completely honest, Oluo deserved at least that." Lily rebutted, her eyes rolling at the jab.

"I'm inclined to agree," Petra nodded full-heartedly as she flashed the pair an amused smile.

Two sets of whirring rang out into the air, Lucas and Timothy finally returning, both landing deftly upon the forest ground before they made their way over to the trio.

"You okay Lucas?" The dark haired man startled for a moment, surprised by Lily's question as she regarded him with a calm look.

"Oh uh… yea. Little winded but I suppose that's what I get for trying to steal your flag." He shrugged, a sheepish smile pulling at his lips as a flush warmed his face.

"You beat up Lucas too?" Petra sounded from beside her, a mocking look of disapproval upon the ginger's features as she lightly punched her friend's shoulder. "At this rate you're going to have beaten up everybody in the squad."

Lily rolled her eyes as she let out a scoff towards her friends' antics, her attention drawing towards her squad leader. The broad set woman trotted over to the five with a wave of her hand.

"Oi, come on you lot. Let's go meet up with the officers. Hear what they've got to say on your individual assessment." with another wave of her arm, The five trailed after Daveen. The short haired woman led them towards headquarters where a group of four stood in a semi-circle discussing things between themselves before they caught sight of Squad Daveen.

The four officers introduced themselves in order; Nanaba, Miche, and Eld. Levi withheld his introduction, having met the squad in passing during the 34th expedition. Squad Daveen stood firmly in a line before the four officers and their Squad leader. Each at varying degrees of tense shoulders and apprehensive stares.

"So, you all did well today in your own way. I know not all of you are great at doing things solo, so don't take it to heart if you didn't win." Daveen stated, glancing towards Lucas for a moment before returning it to her squad as a whole. "Lucas, you scored the lowest with a total of two titan kills, equalling you at ten total points."

Lucas frowned at the news, however he kept his posture stiff as he nodded in return. Daveen's eyes locked onto Timothy's next. "Timothy. You scored second lowest, with three titan kills, you totalled fifteen points."

Timothy seemed unbothered by this information as he stared blankly ahead. The gaze Daveen leveled with him spoke enough without having to use her words. You weren't even trying, like usual. Her gaze flickered toward Joshua.

"Joshua, you came third. With the loss of the flag and four titan kills, you totalled twenty points." Joshua's eyes flickered towards Lily, throwing her a mocking scornful glance. Lily merely snorted in return, her eyes flickering between his and Daveens.

Daveen's stare settled on Petra's form. The ginger woman standing a little straighter under her superiors stare. Lily felt her heart thud against her ribcage for a moment. "Petra, you scored second with an impressive seven titan kills. You totalled thirty five points."

Finally Daveen turned towards Lily, giving her a stern stare. "Finally Lillian, you came in first. A total kill count of four titans, paired with the retrieval of the flag has you sitting at forty points."

Petra who stood beside her bumped her shoulder with her own, flashing the woman an encouraging smile. Daveen gave the blonde woman a firm nod before she addressed the squad once more.

"This was an Individual assessment, there was no winning or losing, merely just getting an understanding of where you stood in a solo exercise." Daveen smiled finally, glancing at her subordinates. "Petra, Lillian. You both did an impressive job today. Petra, your kills were clean and precise. You wasted no time in delivering those killing blows. But you're a little slow with the ODM gear.

"Lillian, you need to stop holding that blade backwards." Lily scowled at her squad leader, opting to roll her eyes and lift her chin slightly in silent rebelliousness. Daveen shook her head at the response. "However you have incredible aptitude with ODM gear, movements near-flawless. Your swings with your swords could use a little work. But that shouldn't be an issue for yourself.

"Joshua, got yourself beaten up a little by Lillian there, didn't you?" Daveen stated amusedly. "You need to work on your awareness, Lillian heard you before she even saw you and was able to ambush you due to your tunnel-visioning.

"Timothy." Daveen grumbled. "Put some effort in."

"And Lucas, your confidence needs work. You engaged Lillian in combat as a last ditch effort for some points. You're aware she's the strongest amongst the squad at close quarters combat. Engaging her out in the open with ODM was a fatal mistake. However your kills were clean and well cut." Daveen paused to send him an encouraging smile. "You shine most with a team."

"With this being said, I'll hand it over to the officers." Daveen took a step to the side, turning to face her superiors with a strong salute. The Section-commander stepped forward, his eyes flickering between Lily, Joshua and Timothy.

"You three seemed to be acclimating well despite your early entry into the scouts." He noted, giving them a warm smile. "I'm glad for it. You three are turning into some gifted soldiers.

"Myself and the other officers are pleased with your progress. However we believe it's too early to extend an invitation to you three for a squad transfer into forward wings, but this doesn't mean it's not possible. Keep training just as you have been, and you'll reach that goal in no time."

The Section-commander took a step back, flashing another welcoming smile their way. The Captain strode forward this time.

"Petra, You'll be transferring into Squad levi." The dark haired man stated, his gaze blank and flat like his tone.

Petra startled besides Lily, her eyes wide, mouth dropping open as she tossed a gaze to her friend in shock. Lily nudged the ginger's shoulder, shooting her a withering look. "Close your damn mouth. You look like you're trying to catch flies."

Levi tossed her a look, something flashing in his eyes before the short woman could decipher it. He returned his gaze to her ginger friend, who had snapped her jaw shut upon Lily's jab, shooting the blonde woman a playful glare in return.

Petra saluted the captain furiously, a smile splitting her face as she exclaimed "It's an honor Sir!"


In an effort to celebrate Petra's new position and send their ginger friend off, Squad Daveen requested permission for a trip into Trost District. Upon its approval, the members of squad Daveen charge through the courtyard of headquarters with purpose, locating the ginger woman speaking to one of her new squad-mates.

"Oi Petra, you free?" Lucas called out first, his face split into a wide, eager grin as he waved down the short woman. Petra startled for a moment before she returned the wide smile with one of her own.

"Sorry Eld," Petra shot the blonde haired man an apologetic look. He nodded back towards her, a soft smile on his features. Turning back to the group she said. "I'm free later tonight, why do you ask?"

"It'd be a damn shame to let you go without at least saying goodbye first." Joshua declared, holding a set of papers towards Petra. "We figured a night in Trost was in order, give you a proper send off."

"Guys…" Petra's wide grin surprisingly only widened as she regarded the group. Lily surged forward, giving the woman a tight squeeze on her shoulder.

"C'mon. They even convinced me to leave." Lily's tone dripped with mock irritation as she flashed the trio behind her a faux smile.

Petra let out a laugh, taking the papers from Joshua and nodding her head. "I'll meet you all out front of headquarters before sundown?"

The four nodded with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Petra waved her goodbye before returning to Eld's side. The man flashed the remainder of Squad Daveen a small smile before the pair disappeared into one of the halls.

"I guess we should get ready." Timothy announced, moving towards his dorm, pausing to glance at Joshua. "You coming old man?"

'"I'm not that old." Joshua retorted sourly. "I'm only twenty-four."

The pair's bickering faded from ear shot, Lucas' form tailing behind them with a thoroughly amused look upon his features. Lily sighed, shaking her head as she turned to leave the courtyard towards the now lonely dorm.

Her eyes trailed along the broken brick tiles of the ground below within the courtyard, until a second set of footsteps approaching drew her attention forward. The Captain stood ahead of her, his face unreabile besides the burning scrutiny of his silver-grey gaze upon her.

Lily paused also, her chin raising upwards as her previous smile slipped from her face, morphing instead into a neutral look. "Is there something you need, Captain?"

An electric, tense silence charged the air between the two, both waiting for something to break in their faces before eventually the Captain relented with a click of his tongue. "Can't you find something useful to do besides skulking around the courtyard like a starving stray cat?"

His tone was bitter as he regarded the shorter woman with a glare. Lily rolled her eyes at the comment. "Is there a problem? As far as I'm concerned I get what needs to be done, done. Yet for the life of me I can't understand your hostility towards me. What have I done to warrant your shitty attitude?"

"Tch." The dark haired man turned to leave.

"That's not an answer." Lily crossed her arms, her tone firm and challenging.

The Captain turned back towards Lily, his stare stormy. "People from where you come from can hardly be trusted."

"Oh, so this is a class thing is it?" Anger creeped into Lily's tone as she narrowed her eyes. "That's rich coming from you of all people."

"Is it?" He snapped back, his own arms crossing his chest now as he fully faced the blonde woman. "I should know more than anyone just how disgusting people are from the underground. Don't you think for a second I haven't seen your shitty reports before we shoved your little gang onto the filthy ground."

"Gang? We were fucking couriers." Lily seethed, her face tightening with frustration.

"Couriers usually don't murder soldiers."

A stunned silence filled the air, Lily's posture deflated as her mouth parted slightly. A flurry of emotions threatened to overcome the short woman as she dropped her crossed arms in favour of squeezing her fingernails into the flesh of her palm.

"They shot and killed Lyra. She was like a younger sister to me." Lily's voice broke slightly from strain, hissing a curse at herself, she locked eyes with the stormy man before her. "Had you been in the same situation, could you honestly tell me you wouldn't have lashed out similarly?"

The silence was her answer. Lily let out a pained sound, cursing again when she noted the blood that seeped from the wound her nails had inflicted upon herself.

"You're right about the underground, it's disgusting and twisted. It makes you do things you never wanted to do, makes you into something you never wanted to be." Lily straightened, her voice finding a firmer tone. "But I was just a Courier trying desperately to protect their family. And what a shitty job of it I did."

The Captain's disposition seemed to relax from its irritated stance. Lily glanced at his face, watching his features for any changes. She sighed. "I have a feeling part of the reason I wasn't invited to your squad as well had to do with something beyond my training. Am I wrong?"

"And if it were that way?" The Captain raised his chin this time, his face indifference however he lacked the usual intensity to his glare.

"What do I need to do to prove to you I have the scouts interests at heart, that I'm not your enemy?"

"Survive." Was all he said before he brushed past, heading for the hall Petra and Eld had retreated to earlier.

Lily's shoulders sagged upon his absence, surprised to realise just how tense the smaller woman had been within his presence. She frowned deeply, unsure what to make of the interaction besides it being marginally less hostile as their more common heated glares and silent clashes of wills.

She released a sigh, stalking away finally to her dorm, and scrounging around her clothes to find a nice white blouse to pair with a set of black pants, cringing away from her long, cumbersome skirts. Adjusting Laura's scarf around her neck more comfortably.

She was out the door and waiting for the rest of her squad mates earlier than the rest. Leaning against the wall, face pulled into a concentrated stare as she almost glared at nothing, her thoughts stuck on the previous interaction with the Captain.

"You're looking awfully sour," Daveen greeted as she passed, her head tilting curiously as she regarded her subordinate. "What, did that tree look at you funny?"

Lily snorted in amusement, pushing back her earlier grievances to give her squad leader a small smirk. "I believe I heard it say something along the lines of mind your damn business ma'am."

"Ah, of course, why else would you be glaring a hole into its trunk." The brown haired woman shook her head amusedly before she continued on her way, passing through the entry of headquarters.

Joshua passed through the doorway also, murmuring a quick greeting to his passing squad leader before greeting the shorter woman also. "Are you all ready?"

Shifting, Lily nodded her head, adjusting her scarf around her neck fondly. "I assume the boys aren't far behind. Did Lucas end up inviting Terrance as well?"

"Aye, he did. And honestly the kid could use some socializing with us, he looks damn near petrified of both you and the Squad Leader." Lily scoffed, shaking her head as Joshua flashed the blonde woman a cheeky smile.

"I don't know what you mean." Timothy's voice reached the pair, his face alight with amusement despite the flat tone he spoke in. "Lily couldn't scare a rabbit if she tried. I mean just look at her, she's tiny."

The tall man rested an arm on top of her blonde head. Lily scowled, shoving his limb from her head before she turned to him, hands on her hips as she glared at the blonde man. "Timothy."

"Lily."

"Don't think I won't introduce your smug mug to the filthy floor."

"Still threatening to beat more people up Lily?" Petra's amused voice sounded from the entryway as she emerged, wearing a pair of casual clothes she lent against the nearby wall. "I'd say you're better off saving that energy towards training but I know that'd hardly stop you."

Lily merely rolled her eyes at the response, shifting slightly as she relaxed into an arm crossed pose, her eyes sparkling with amusement despite her indifferent expression.

"He called me short, I believe that's plenty of reason."

"That's because you are- Ack!" Lily's foot stomped onto Timothy's, her expression pulled into a look of annoyance as she glared at her taller friend. "That hurt!"

"Good, it was supposed to."

"Tch." Timothy grumped, his sour expression only lasting for a few seconds before he relaxed once more. A pair of footsteps greeted the four. Lucas and Terrance passed the doorway before the pair froze, stilling under the gazes of all four.

"Uh, hi?" Terrance squeaked, shifting behind Lucas for support. Lucas gave the younger man a sheepish smile.

"Oh! Are you Terrance Locke? The transfer to Squad Daveen?" Petra pushed off the way, a smile adorning her features as she held an arm out towards the short, scruffy haired boy. "I'm Petra Ral. Just transferred myself into Squad Levi, so I understand what it's like to be fresh to a squad."

Terrance took her handle hesitantly, his green eyes widening to the size of saucers as he regarded the ginger woman. "You're from squad Levi?"

Petra let out an amused giggle as she nodded her head to confirm, her ginger locks bouncing with the movement. "Aye, that I am!"

"Alrighty. Terrance, Lucas, are you guys all good to go?" Joshua asked, his arms uncrossing as he gestured to the Stables. The pair nodded their heads "Great. Let's get going before it gets too dark, before the night starts without us."

"The walls forbid you from ever missing a chance to drink." Lily muttered, eyes rolling at her elder friend. Joshua threw her a half hearted glare before he reached the stall of his mare.

Lily split off to her own stall. It was organised, if you ignored the hay scattered around the floor of the stall, Zahavi often liked to flick it around for his own amusement. The honey-golden stallion greeted the shorter woman with a snort, his heavy head nudging her in a silent plea for some pats. Lily obliged, her hands softly stroking the length of his head before she set about saddling him.

With the six all saddled and ready upon their mighty scout steeds, they set off towards Trost, the group chatting animatedly along the ride before they sped off in a race towards the district.

With the horses stabled, and their spirits lifted, the group headed for The Trusty Traveller, a tavern often catering towards military personnel on the outskirts of the district, away from the bulk of Civilians.

Joshua fronted the group, pushing through the entryway and making a b-line towards the bar, already set about ordering the group their first round. "Go sit at a table, I'll sort the drinks."

"Of course, you alcoholic." Timothy snarked, already having found a table further secluded at the back for the group. Lily seated herself next to Petra, the ginger on her left as her right was left open for Joshua. Timothy sat right to the vacant chair, Lucas on his left and then Terrance.

"Terrance," Lily called out to the young boy, his green eyes snapping towards Lily's own as he startled. She scoffed in amusement. "I haven't done anything and you look about ready to piss your pants."

"Ignore her," Petra interjected, waving a hand in the air as she tossed the blonde woman a mock glare. "She always seems grumpy but I promise she's nice. When she's in the right mood."

"Wait, she's been nice to you?" Joshua's voice sounded as he placed six tankards onto the table with a heavy thunk. "Petra, you have to tell me your secret."

"Oh shut it, smart-Ass."

The table ruptured into laughter, Lily sending Joshua a weak glare as the brown haired man threw her a smug look. Raising his tankard, the liquid sloshing from the sudden movement, Joshua announced to the group. "A Cheers then! To moving up in the world, and to kicking Titan-Ass!"

"Cheers!" The group exclaimed, all taking heavy swigs off their drinks, some even downing the whole tankard in one go. Lily sipped at her drink, nose wrinkling up like a rabbit upon the bitter taste. No. She thought, definitely not a drinker.

Lily's gaze settled on the group before her, a small smile forming on her lips as she contented herself watching the rising chaos of their friendships, Timothy eagerly engaging with the group, Lucas jumping from his chair occasionally with bursts of energy, even young Terrance began to open up more. A warmth settled in her soul that she was sure wasn't from the alcohol, her smile growing as she settled.

She would hold these moments for the rest of her life. It will be these memories that will keep her fighting for a better future. For better or worse.

As the night continued on, her friends progressively becoming less coherent, she settled herself comfortably in her chair, idly chatting to Joshua. The man could drink an entire barrel and hardly be affected. The pair resigned themselves to their eventual fate; the ones to get the remaining four back to headquarters and tucked in.


The tangy afternoon air greeted Lily as she settled herself upon the ramparts, the previous night's events leaving the woman in a good mood, a ghost of a smile settling on her lips as she watched the rolling clouds of pink, orange and red meld together artfully. A pair of footsteps greeted Lily, The board, brown haired woman greeted her with a nod, two mugs of coffee held within her hands.

Lily had come to realise that In the wake of Petra's transfer into Squad Levi, Daveen was left without a second in command. That role had befallen the ginger woman previously. It's then that Lily realized, up upon the ramparts of headquarters, the reason as to why Daveen had brought Lily a cup of steaming coffee. She took the offered cup and held the mug between her hands, watching the clouds of steam swirl into the cooling afternoon sun, a mug also within her squad leader's hands.

"Hope you didn't take my criticism too badly during the solo evaluation." Daveen started, her tone light and amused. "You honestly did spectacularly. You have an eye for working with your strengths."

Lily kept her gaze on the curling steam upon her coffee, a frown beginning to etch into her face. "I'm not upset, not from your criticism, no."

Daveen's head tilted, forest green eyes narrowing upon her vague words. She took a moment to sip her coffee before asking. "Not mine?"

"Perhaps I should have stated the lack there-of." confused lines creased Daveen's forehead further as she regarded the shorter woman. Lily's golden eyes flickered between her squad leader and her mug, sighing irritably upon regarding the lost stare the taller woman was wearing. "Why Petra and not me?"

Daveen blinked in response at the blunt question. "Why Petra…?"

Another irritated sigh, Lily shifted her stance and finally looked up to her superior. "I'm not blind nor stupid, I knew that evaluation had to do with squad reassignment. If my crippling blow was my inconsistent titan kills then that can be trained out of me. We held front lines with even less training then we had before and you cannot tell me that was purely because we had Petra and only Petra to pull us through."

Daveen was silent as she regarded the short blonde woman, her forest eyes dipping to the stone floor below in thought. "Petra is a veteran soldier and incredibly gifted. As are you, but the honest answer to that may well only come from the Captain himself. I can only assume it was purely because of her total number of kills."

Lily's frown deepened, finding herself dissatisfied with the explanation. She knew pressing the line of topic further would likely heed nothing more so instead she took a large sip of her coffee, sighed and returned her indifferent gaze back towards the horizon.

"You didn't come here to discuss my abilities, Did you?" Lily stated, her tone losing its frustrated edge from before. "The coffee makes me think you're buttering me up."

Daveen chortled at Lily's sour tone, aware of her blunt humour. "You'd be correct on that. Never one to beat around the bush are you?"

Lily gifted Daveen with a smirk in return.

"Aye, I've been thinking long and hard about my next Second for the squad." Daveen revealed. Her forest green eyes still held some mirth. "Though I doubt there's much of a better choice. Timothy's too quiet, Lucas still acts too green, Joshua thinks too much with his emotions. You though? I've got a feeling you're already used to leading people."

Lily gave Daveen an impassive look. Opting to not reveal the emotions she was feeling on the topic. In all honesty, Lily was unsure she had the patience and fortitude to lead a team. She might have been the person amongst her family to look towards when it came down to the wire, but leading a team in Daveen's stead, should something happen seemed leagues different.

"What gives you the impression I'll be able to lead in your place?" Lily's tone was carefully neutral as she locked her eyes with her squad leader. She took an idle sip of her coffee once more, the movement mirrored by her Corporal.

"You hold an air about you that demands respect -a bit like the Captain actually, but you're better with your words then him. You have an understanding of people that reminds me of the commander too. But there's one defining difference; you show your care more than either of them do."

Lily raised a thin blonde brow, unsure what to make of the comparisons. She wanted to frown honestly. A bit like both the commander and captain? The comment surely would have made most people swell with pride, but Lily almost deflated from it. That's not who I used to be. The thought caused a tear in her heart. It was as if a set of thorny vines had wrapped and constricted the organ in an uncomfortable way.

"I'm not sure what to make of that. I'm not a leader -a teacher perhaps, but not a leader." Lily let out a long sigh as she stared at the black pool of coffee within her half drained cup, finding the dark swirling liquid far more interesting than her current company.

"You ever thought that leading is one in the same as teaching." Daveen stated. Her tone had found a softer, quieter note. Forest green eyes took a sympathetic shine to them. "Do you remember that moment, on the 34th expedition in which I took you with me when I met with the officers? How when even I had been constricted with fear for my subordinates, you stood firm?"

Lily was silent as she regarded the other woman with a nod.

"The fortitude you exhibit is remarkable, you had faced a titan -your first titan not long ago and yet you were completely ready to gamble facing another so soon. Granted, you and your family have a resilience that far and few people possess, something I attribute to your origin. But that doesn't change my point."

Lily was quiet for a few moments, her gaze distant as she thought about it deeply. A sigh passed her lips before she found her own inner resolve. They look up to you, they listen to you, they rely on you, they need you. The feeling felt one in the same as it had when she was first teaching. A group of wide eyed students, eager and ready to absorb any and all information she relayed onto them. Their starry eyed look when she'd adjust their poses, or simply just fix up a grazed knee with a Band-Aid. Maybe they weren't eager children simply learning a new skill, but adult soldiers hell-bent on making a difference and being able to live long enough to make a change in the world. If she could help them achieve that dream, just as she had those beautiful children she once taught, then she'd do it happily.

Her golden eyes leveled with Daveen's Forest ones. And with a finality in her voice, Lily declared. "If you want me, you'll have me."

A smile slipped across the squad leader's face, her head bobbing in approval as she held a hand out towards the blonde woman. "Couldn't be prouder, having you as my second ."

Lily took the extended limb, sharing a firm shake, and a matching stare.