Kita was talking to Nix. Locked into the conversation, she hadn't noticed the man walking her way. She began to laugh and bumped into him. "Watch where you're goi-" He tensed up and looked at her. "Sorry, that was my fault."

"It's fine. I thought you were going to rant about it at first, but whatever." She smiled.

He was bulky and blonde. "You're the guy who hangs out with the other two right? Bertholdt Hoover was one of them?"

"Uh, yeah. Bertholdt and Annie."

"Tell Bertholdt he needs to work on his initiative." Nix added.

Kita chuckled and looked back at the tall blonde expectantly. "Oh! Um, I'm Reiner Braun. You're the one who's always with that Kaiser guy."

"He's one of my best friends, along with Nix."

"Cool." He said, trying to act it. "I'll see you around."

"Sure."

They passed each other and walked their separate ways. "Ah, poor naive Kita." Nix smirked.

"What do you mean?" She asked in suspicion of him.

"You didn't see that?!"

"What?!"

"He's into you."

She choked on the air. "Reiner? No! He likes Krista doesn't he? Ymir told me...she also said something about murdering him so..."

"Guys like multiple choices."

She lightly hit him in the shoulder. "That's the stupidest thing you've said all day, Grim."

"Really? I say some damn stupid things."

"Oh, I know."

"Why are you in a good mood?" Annie muttered.

"No reason." Reiner replied hastily.

"I know that look. That's the look of love."

"Of course you know about that Bert, you use it all the time aroun-"

Bertholdt slapped a hand around Reiner's mouth and glared at him, then remembered Annie was sitting there. "What are you two idiots on about?"

"Reiner likes someone."

"And I was saying that Bert likes y-"

"Ignore him. Anyway, who is it Reiner?"

"You expect me to tell you?"

"Well, does it look like we would tell anybody else?"

"You might tell her."

"She's probably figured it out already."

"Fine, it's Kita Irne." He mumbled.

"Who?"

"Kita Irne." He mumbled again.

"Stop mumbling and say it already." Annie sighed calmly.

"Kita Irne! It's Kita Irne, you happy?!"

"Yeah, she's definitely figured it out now," Bertholdt laughed. "You're so screwed."

"How do you know she doesn't like me back?"

"She likes somebody else." Annie muttered again and looked up.

Reiner choked up and looked at his cold hearted friend. "Who? I'll cru-"

"You couldn't if you tried Reiner."

"So they're tougher than me?"

"You could say that. Or you could say that they're just better than you." She shrugged.

"I cannot say that."

"Face it, you can't get her. She's too good for you anyway." Bertholdt said I'm and honest tone.

Reiner scowled at his friends and stormed off. Annie smiled and silently laughed, Bertholdt noticed the slight changes in her aura and eyes as it happened and began to sweat again, only to blush madly when she turned to him. "Are you okay? You look a little flushed."

"N-no I'm f-fine."

"Are you sure?"

She looked up at him with her dull eyes. Nobody else could really tell if she was being sarcastic or genuine but her close friends. Bertholdt could see the genuine worry hidden behind them. "I'm sure."

"Hey Kaiser, you saved us seats!"

"No. I just happened to be sitting alone."

"Don't rain on my parade. We should rest for a bit and then head to the 3DMG training area. Lets ace i-" Nix hesitated and looked at something. "Markov, you need to shave."

Markov's gaze caught Nix's and he put a hand to his head, sure enough, his hair was growing out in the quarter he kept shaven. He stood up and left the room. "I'm guessing he's gone to do that."

"Lets just hope he isn't late for 3DMG training."

"He's never late."

"I wonder why that is..."

"He's organised?" Kita said sarcastically.

"Haha funny."

"Thank you."

Kita and Nix stood in the crowd awaiting their names to be called when a presence was felt behind them. "Hey Markov, you're just in time. Look at Eren over there." Nix snickered.

Markov glanced over to another station and saw Eren's head smash to the floor. He quickly observed his situation and shrugged like the answer was simple. "His equipment is defective. I can tell he'll be at it for a while."

"When's the Commander going to figure it out?"

"In a few days probably." Kita pursed her lips.

"Kita Irne? Is there a Kita Irne here?"

"Here!"

Kita shoved her way through the crowd and up to the front. "Okay. I take you know what to do from here already?"

"Of course."

In a mere minute she was balancing perfectly on the wires and sighed. "I thought it was challenging."

"Some are naturals, some aren't. Lower her down." The Commander said and she got back on her feet.

"That's just depressing."

"Right. Nix Grim?"

"Yup."

He walked around the crowd and ignored the Commanders comments, instead immediately shooting his hooks into the joint of the large logs and waiting for the Commanders signal for a hoist.

The pull came quite suddenly but he kept his composure and went into zen mode. "Easy. It's going to be fun seeing all that blood dripping from the giant corpses." He put his hand on his chest and looked up into the sky emotionally. "It's going to be so beautiful." He said, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Okay, touching stuff. Lower him down."

His feet touched down onto the earth and he retreated his hooks.

"Do we have a Markov Kaiser?"

Markov was in front of him before he even finished his sentence. "Lets hope you're as good as your friends over there."

As soon as Markov was airborne he looked as if he was still on the ground. He looked natural there. He looked natural anywhere really. "This is a waste of time."

"Lower him." The Commander said, his words seeming to get shorter and shorter for each person.

"Lance Corporal Levi, is that the guy you were looking for?"

"Yes. If he's so good at combat, he must have flaws elsewhere. I want to find them."

Levi walked up to the Commander who was writing notes about whoever he tested. "May I read those notes?"

"Uh, sure thing Lance Corporal."

He handed the clipboard to the shorter who skimmed through most names, looking for certain ones. His nose flexed in a slight annoyance as he read the notes on three recruits. "Is anything the matter?"

"No. Thank you for your time." Levi said in a monotonous expression.

He returned to his group and proceeded toward his next destination, processing the notes in his mind.

"I told you he was watching us."

"Not just for that reason though." Markov added.

"What do you mean?"

"He read through the notes, which are positive might I add, and he got annoyed. His featured tightened and his eyes constricted, a clear sign. He was looking for any flaws we have."

"That's a bit weird."

"Maybe he thinks of us as a challenge."

The two males turned to Kita. "Well, he's portrayed as 'The strongest man', and if we end up better than him, he could lose his title. I think he secretly likes the admiration but pretends to dislike it."

"You've got a point there, Kita. I mean, he's probably looking for flaws so he can excel in those areas to prove himself."

"We should take a break, we have another training exercise soon."

"Where do you get all this information?"

"There's a pinboard with all the group names and information on it. I check it all the time. Honestly I'm surprised you don't."

"There's a pinboard? Who else knew?!"

"I knew." Markov said.

Nix hung his head and frowned. "I'm always last to find these things out."

"It's because you never pay attention."

"What?"

"That's exactly my point."

"Well you get angry too easily!"

"I DO NOT!"

"That's exactly my point." Nix mimicked her.

"Be quiet." Markov muttered.

They scowled at each other and then sat down just to burst out laughing for no reason. "Markov, what's up?"

"That Ackerman girl keeps looking at me, and then when I look at her she quickly turns her head away."

Kita chuckled and held a hand over her mouth. "Looks like somebody has a crush on you."

Nix burst out laughing and a couple of people looked at him and then at his friends, probably wanting an explanation as to why he was laughing so much. "Are you serious? You think she has a crush on Kaiser?"

"It's quite obvious really. She blushes every time he notices her, just watch."

After a while, Mikasa glanced upwards and towards Markov, she looked curious in a way, but also had a different expression in her eyes. Markov somehow sensed the eyes drilling into him and looked up and at her. Kita and Nix quickly watched as Mikasa blushed and looked away, possibly trying to act cool in front of him. "Would you look at that. It seems you were right."

"If course I was. I never mistake people's feelings."

"Is it lust or love?"

"Respect, admiration, love. The only lust that is visible is the bit that just comes along with the love I guess."

"That's strange."

"And who would've thought Markov of all of the people. I mean, she could be really picked anyone and they would probably say yes."

"Maybe she likes him from their fight. You said she was the best, but now he beat her she may have newfound respect for him."

Markov was watching their conversation, letting them deal with it instead of defending himself. "What about it, Kaiser?" Nix asked. "Would you say yes?"

"No." Was his reply. It was a cold 'no'. Maybe slightly harsh.

"Why not? She's smart and beautiful..."

"She's not 'my type' per say."

"Oh yeah? And what is?"

"Not her."

"Wow, that's helpful."

"I just don't feel those emotions."

"We get it. Sorry to bring up the subject."

"I'm sorry mum. I'm sorry dad. I just can't feel anything. I don't feel any pain. I don't feel any sadness or happiness at the moment. I don't feel like crying when I know I should. It's a strange feeling."

"I...I don't understand. The doctor said you were fine."

"I am fine. I'm healthy, I'm strong. It's just my emotions. I can't feel them. I don't feel extatic when something good happens now. I just feel...blank. Dad...what's going to happen to me?"

"I don't know son...I don't know anymore."