Moments

Chapter 6: Opossite yet parallel

Levi's POV

Shortly after lunch, while Hanji was leading, or rather half-carrying, Ivy to the stables at the latter's request, I entered the Commander's office, having been called there.

"- Soldier Ackerman!" Said the Commander with an imposing military tone, to which I replied with a salute. "I understand that you were the only person present during Trainee Leighton's first moment of coherence. Was it caused by you?

-I don't know. Maybe to some extent...

-Whatever your methods may be, they have been efficient. Moreover, Leighton is acquainted with you and you are one of our best men, which is why you are to supervise her and guide her in her evolution as a proper Soldier. You are dismissed."

I almost forgot to salute as I left. That guy really had to take a shit more often, 'cause he looked like he had a broom stuck up his ass. I didn't have the energy to get angry nor the will to be calm about this. Did I look like I had the patience to "supervise and guide" the disturbed and unskilled? It took most of my time to train myself, let alone train her. But until she was able to fight, I didn't need to do much. So I decided I had to train as much as I could before becoming Ivy's 'personal tutor'. For me that was just a word for specialized babysitter...

I was outside, heading for the Training Room, a repurposed stable, as we already had two of those anyway, when I saw her... And time stopped...

That cute green-eyed girl, petting a horse and talking to it in a language only they could understand, then smiling that cheeky, radiant grin when she saw me and referring to me as 'big brother' when she called me over to show me what tricks she had taught the horse.

Isabel... Inside of me, I smiled at my memories of her and lost myself in them. When we first met... And I thought she was crazy, trying to get out of the underground to free that bird. When she took care of it every day until it was healthy again. When we set it free and for a moment felt free ourselves, the few rays of light that got to us from the surface shining on our caged selves...

Moments later I realized that light wasn't only part of a memory, and that the actual sun was blinding me. And when I looked again, Isabel was gone.

In her place stood that strange red-eyed girl, petting a horse and murmuring in a language only they could understand with an imperceivable smile, then weighing her disturbing gaze on me as I crossed the courtyard to the Training Room.

As I entered it, I headed to a punching bag that I quickly started beating up. It helped clear my thoughts and wind down. This girl... Sheesh... I had never seen a person so head in the clouds. I couldn't understand how she could've possibly killed fifteen Titans. But then I remembered how she lashed out at me when I pushed her against the wall. I wondered if she was so absentminded because she was recovering from a sickness... Though I was pretty sure that beast who tried to strangle the doctor wasn't just caused by a fever...

The real question was what was she like when she wasn't weakened?

But wait... Since when had I started thinking like Hanji? And since when did I care?

I shouldn't've, but then again I had to know who I was going to work with. I just had to get her training over with and do my job at controlling this maniac until I could move on and indulge in not being responsible for anyone and not caring again.

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