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Chapter 5

It's been a couple of days since Annie agreed to cooperate with me and yet...

I don't really feel like we're getting anywhere.

Everyday is the same.

We talk... or rather, I talk at her and she occasionally responds.

I'm trying to understand her but she still keeps me at a distance.

Even as I'm making my way to speak to her now, I can't help but wonder if it's all just futile, that she's a lost cause...

No. I don't want that. It makes me feels uneasy when I think of her all alone in that prison cell, even if she does deserve it.

Suddenly I'm at the cell door. Bracing my self, I enter.

"Hey Annie."

Sitting in the same spot she always is, her eyes flicker up to me.

"Hey," she responds, rather deadpan.

She looks and sounds rather pitiful. Nothing at all like the Annie I knew from our days as cadets.

We were always partnered up for sparring back then, she was so strong.

She never look more alive than when she was showing off her martial arts.

I kind of miss those days.

Wait, maybe I can convince Captain Levi to let me spar with her occasionally.

It might be a good way to get through to her, maybe open her up.

We could never trust her enough to let her outside but we've got space down here and I know she'd never attempt to transform down here.

"Umm... it must be tough being cramped in that cell, especially for someone who is used to being so active, huh?"

"It doesn't bother me, I'm used to it," she says sharply, stony-faced.

Have I pissed her off?

"I bet you've gotten pretty rusty though, not practicing those kicks."

That seems to have gotten her attention as she looks me directly in the eyes for the first time since I've been in here.

"Not rusty enough for you to be able to beat me..." she retorts.

"Are you so sure of that?"

"Definitely... not that it matters anyway," she says, looking away.

She's interested. I know she is.

"How about we put that to the test then?"

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"Well it's been a long time since we've sparred, in human form anyway... and I'm kind of curious to see how my new skills fare against you, are you interested?"

"It's pointless. Besides, they'd never allow it anyway," she replies.

I can tell she wants to but she's just trying to act uninterested and I can't help but smirk.

"That's not an issue, I can convince them or are you just making excuses because you don't think you can beat me?"

Come on Annie, take the bait.

"Fine. If you can arrange it, I don't mind humbling you one more time," she says, a small smile forming on her lips.

Come to think of it, I've seen that smile once before.

Back when we were trainees, she smiled when she offered teach me some techniques.

Although it's very rare... I kind of like it when Annie smiles.

"Leave it with me but let me just warn you now, I think you'll be surprised by how much better I am now."

".... I doubt it," she replies.

It wouldn't be obvious to most people but I can tell that Annie is fired up.

Well... as fired up as Annie can get anyway.

There's still a ways to go from here but now that I'm a making some headway with her, I feel alot better than I did.

Besides... I'm kind of excited to be sparring with Annie again.