“Good morning,” she greeted softly as the commander came down the steps. Ava was just finishing up with the eggs and had already plated the bacon. She slid a portion onto his plate, then her own. A smile appeared on her lips at the quick peck he placed against her head before moving over to the table to take a seat. After rinsing the pan she used, she joined him. “I think so.” She replied, an honest answer considering she was quite calm at the moment. As she took a bite of her food her brow raised at his next remark, curious to know what he meant exactly. He went on to explain and Ava found herself nodding. What he was saying was no different than what she’d been thinking all along, that she’d have to tap into some part of her that didn’t exist without the help of her nanites. Her nature was that of someone kind and compassionate. Though there was no doubt in her mind that she could be ruthless, it was contingent on several factors. Imminent danger mainly. When she felt that her life was being threatened, or the lives of others, she had no problem acting. But this was a training, a strenuous morning run that put no one in any<i>real</i>danger. It made it harder to say that she could do what needed to be done when the time came.<br/><br/>“It makes sense,” she acknowledged. “I can’t promise you that I’ll be a tough disciplinarian, but I am confident that I can do what needs to be done to make sure the recruits understand their place, what’s acceptable and what’s not.” She explained, knowing that she didn’t really have any other choice. It was either that, or get walked all over. “And I shouldn’t have a repeat of Alder Rush.” Ava assured him after taking a bite of her food. “I know better than to attack my own teammates now.” She saw where that had gotten her, even if she wasn’t fully in control of herself. Lincoln, Montag, and Simmons were great teammates and she would probably never regain their trust for what she did. As a result, others were wary of her.<br/><br/>Ava finished her meal and continued to get ready. She worked her hair into a long braid down her back, then put on her boots. After that, she joined the commander in the elevator as usual. They stepped off the elevator and began to make their way to the barracks to gather the recruits. As they walked down the hall she could hear their voices as they hurriedly readied themselves, likely putting the finishing touches on their beds or lacing up their boots while they chattered about the commander and his conscript.<br/><br/>“We have ten seconds. I heard the commander is a hard ass.”<br/><br/>“I heard the conscript is hot,” she heard one of them say.<br/><br/>“I heard she’s like a rabid dog. She’ll fight anyone.” Another said. “Hurry up and tuck that corner in.”<br/><br/>Ava rolled her eyes, unamused already. It<i>did</i>occur to her that she could use the rumor to her advantage. If the recruits thought that she was indiscriminately harsh to everyone, she would simply allow them to believe it if it might prevent them from testing her. Fortunately, the chatter stopped when the pair of them were standing in the entrance. The recruits immediately made their way to the front of their beds, standing at attention in the presence of the commander.