It wasn't much of a surprise to me when I was the last to arrive at the training grounds. Sleeping indoors had been a major luxury for me outside of the walls, and I still wasn't used to it. What made things worse was that I was immediately called out by Shadis for not wearing my designated uniform.

"What makes you think you're so special, newbie?!" He screamed in my face as I stood stock still in fear. "Just because you came from out there doesn't mean you'll be treated any different!" The only things I had bothered to wear that were mandatory were my boots and my straps, which I had a lot of trouble with. Despite being scared of this new authority, his yelling wasn't what was phasing me. It was the fact that it was happening in front of so many people.

"I don't think I'm special...I just don't see the point..." I mumbled before receiving a hard shove.
"You address me as Sir, cadet! Where is your ODM gear, huh?!" His spittle rained down onto my cheeks and I had to withstand the urge to spit right back. I hadn't been given any ODM gear, so I didn't exactly know how to respond.

"Uh, Sir, I'll take her to get one of the spare sets..." I turned to find Marco stepping out of line; his back straight and his chin up in respect. I didn't think I could ever act like that around anybody. Ex Commander Shadis gave him a narrow-eyed look before nodding and turning his back to me.
"Hurry up about it, cadet. When she returns, she is to complete a drill to prove her worth..."

A drill? Seriously?

I followed Marco in silence until we were well out of sight and inside the workshop, where he rummaged around before pulling out the familiar silver gear.
"Here...Sorry about Shadis...He's really strict..." He placed it down on one of the benches and gave me a frown. "He didn't hurt you when he pushed you, did he?"
"No...I'm fine, thank you..." I murmured; eyeing the gear with scepticism. "I'm...sorry to ask...but...could you help me put this stuff on..? I've never used it before..."

This seemed to shock Marco, as his eyes widened and his mouth popped open.
"Wait...you've never used it?! How are you gonna do the drill when we get back?! I didn't think people were allowed to participate in training unless they could at least show they could balance with this stuff!" His stress was infectious, and I began to chew on my bottom lip as he began to help me hook the gear up.

"It...can't be that hard, right? I was just thrown straight in here...I have no idea how any of this works..." I admitted; trying to ignore the fact that Marco's hands were fiddling with the straps around my waist.
"It's pretty difficult, (Y/N)...Some people even got kicked out for not being able to do it..." He explained in a worried tone. "B..but...I'll try to explain how it works before we get back...I'm...sure you'll be able to pull it off..."

And explain he did, but there wasn't much time at all between the workshop and the training grounds, where Shadis was waiting impatiently. Everybody else was busy with hand to hand exercises, and I tried to disregard their presence as the elder man approached me.
"See that tower there?" He motioned to a large wooden structure a few yards away. It had a small platform on top, and surrounding it were a few medium sized trees. "You have to get to the top. First try. I don't give a shit if the Commander think's you're an asset. If you fail, you're out on your ass with a one way ticket to a prison cell, got it?" I just stared up at the platform before I glanced over at Marco, who was gnawing away at the tip of his index finger in worry.

"Yes..." I confirmed I understood, and I refused to take notice of his frustration when I didn't refer to him in the correct manner.
"GATHER AROUND, CADETS! LET'S SEE IF THE FRESH MEAT HAS WHAT IT TAKES!" That was what started to throw me off. Everyone came to stand around us, and all of the eyes made my skin feel like it was covered in fleas. "You may start when you're ready, cadet..." I turned my attention back to the platform again before scanning the few trees surrounding it. None of them matched the height of the tower, but if I was able to use a swinging motion correctly, I could make it up. Maybe.

So...Marco said it's a trigger system...so if I make sure to direct my weight the right way...and if I...

"Pffft, she's gonna choke..." My body went rigid when I heard a voice snickering from behind me, and I turned to lock eyes with a tall guy with a chestnut undercut. He had a long, defined jaw, and his smirk was making my blood simmer.
"Ch..choke on this..." My mind went blank as I triggered the ODM gear, and the whooshing sound of the wires were all I could hear. My body flung forward and up, and my god, it felt like I was flying. Normally, being so high up made me panic, but this was different. This felt incredible.

I knew where I needed to be, and, somehow, my body knew exactly what to do. When I felt myself reach a higher speed, I kicked my legs up in the air and swung myself higher up; pivoting my hips prior to my entire body as I went up and over the platform. I could see it as though it had a bright red target painted upon it, and as soon as I thought I was in the best position, I retracted the wire grapples. Much to my dismay, my ass hit the wooden surface instead of my feet, but I had made it. The Ex Commander never said I had to land perfectly.

Peering over the edge was my biggest issue, because now that I was no longer soaring through the air, my fear was grasping me by the throat. Even from my great height I could see just how wide Shadis' eyes were, not to mention the other cadets'.
"That's...impossible..." Shadis exclaimed in a drawn out breath; shaking his head slowly. "I was told you had never even worn it before..." For a moment I was glad that I was so far away from the murmurs and whispers that began to rise, but I was still petrified. I didn't even manage to yelp when someone whizzed up and landed right by my side on the small wooden platform.

"You okay?" It was Reiner, and he was holding his hand out for me to pull myself up. I stared at it for a while, but I finally decided to accept his offer; climbing to my feet and keeping my eyes from straying to the ground so far below. "That was...impressive. Not many of us managed to get that on the first try...Is it...true that you've never used the gear before..?"
"Y..yeah...Never..." I replied in a stutter, trying to think of the best way to get back down without passing out on the way.

"I know it's high up...but come on, it's a piece of cake getting down. We'll go together, okay?" I looked over to Reiner again, and he had a gentle smile on his broad face. "What better way to kick off your first day of training than facing a fear, right?" I wasn't sure why he was being so nice to me; Marco, too, but it felt...good. Puffing out my chest, I gave him a firm nod and raised my hand-piece.
"R..right...T..together..." The moment I heard his grapple shoot out, I triggered mine, and before I knew it I was swinging back down to the ground with him only a short way ahead. I focused on him the entire way instead of the earth, and I only realised that I had made it when he reached out and grabbed my arm to stop me from eating dirt.

"How..?" I shied behind Reiner when Shadis stomped up to me, but I was quickly ripped away by my arm, and the man pulled his face so close to mine I could smell what he had for breakfast that morning. "How?! This is impossible! I refuse to believe Levi didn't give you prior training!" Swallowing my nerves, I shook my head and let myself go a little limp in his grip.
"I...promise...This was the first time I've even put it on...I-"
"Bullshit! Nobody can pull that off on the first try! I bet you used to steal from the fallen Scouts and learned during your years as an outer-wall freak!" My fear came right back up my throat when that word spilled from his chapped lips, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"That's enough, Keith." Despite knowing that voice, I didn't open my eyes. I felt myself being pulled into someone else's grip, and Shadis' spluttering to think of some kind of excuse.
"But..but she..." A loud click of my saviour's tongue almost echoed through the newfound silence. Even the murmurs had died out at this point.
"But nothing. Treat her the same as the rest of these brats...no differently. Do not single her out like this again, or else my boot will be lodged right up in that slimy colon of yours..." With that, I felt myself being led away. The whispers picked up again, but I tried not to listen.

"Holy fucking shit...The wings of freedom..?"

"He's so short..."

"Is that Captain Levi? The Captain Levi..?"

"How the fuck did she do that?"

"Tch, she looks like she's gonna cry!"

"Shut up, Jean!"

I opened my eyes at some point, but I kept everything blocked out by the mask of (H/C) that draped over my face. I continued to stare at the ground until I felt someone patting my head as though I were some kind of poorly animal.
"I knew I made a good choice." Looking up, I stared at Levi, who still kept his palm flat against my head. He wasn't smiling, but there was the faintest curve of his lips, which had me stunned silent. "Tell me the truth. How did you know what to do and how to balance your weight like that?" Internally shaking the weird, burning feeling in my chest, I gnawed on the inside of my cheek.

"I...used to collect the spools of grappling wire from all the gear I found...I strung a lot of them up in the woods to make traps...but I also used them to swing from tree to tree to get away from the smaller Titans..." I confessed; unsure why I was suddenly so willing to tell him any of it. "One..one wrong movement and it could mean death...so...I guess that's how I learned to distribute my weight...Maybe..." I held my breath as I felt Levi's hand move down from my hair and to my face, and I was about to speak out before he gripped my chin with his fingers; squishing up my lips and lower cheeks.

"Perfect. Now, this evening you shall prove to me that you are also efficient in hand to hand combat. I have the perfect sparring partner in mind, so make sure you return here an hour before dinner begins...You got that, kid?" Levi's face was so close to mine, and I struggled to keep my heart from dislodging itself and falling down into the gaps in my ribcage.
"Y..yeth..." I tried to speak clearly, but his hold on my face didn't allow it. That's when the man smirked, and my god, was it like looking into the face of the devil himself.

"Good...I expect you won't let me down, then..."

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***Boi, describing ODM gear usage is hard as all fuck, not gonna lie***