Armin saw what was going on and knew he had to talk some sense into the two fighters. If the two really did go hand to hand they would tear each other apart. This sparring match wouldn't be practice it would be a death match.
"Mikasa, calm down." he tried to put himself between the red scarf individual and the hoodie wearing girl. "Maybe if Annie apologize things will be better."
"There's no reason for me to apologize." Annie scoffed.
"She won't be forgiven even if she tried." Mikasa said, with a swift motion she removed her recruit jacket and tossed it at Armin. Her jacket would only hinder her movement and she had to be in her best fighting condition if she was going to go up against the older girl.
Annie smiled at the challenge and did the same. The two stood in their defensive stance. Mikasa in her rage struck first. Annie easily dodged the attack. The black hair girl stumbled slightly from the momentum of her attack. She turned around just in time to catch the fist that was heading in her direction.
The one thing she learned from watching Eren's fight was to never get too close to Annie. Mikasa let go of the fist and took two steps back. She had to keep her distance from the blonde if she wanted to come out of this fight victorious. A dark scuffed up boot made contact on the scarf dawning girl's shin. The pain that shoot through her shin made her want to collapse, but Mikasa absolutely refused to allow that to happen. Instead she hopped back two steps to regain a safe distance.
Careless. She thought to herself.
Annie began to relentlessly attack Mikasa, punches and kicks always making contact. Is this really all your talent has to offer. The Russian was starting to become bored with this little fight. She was hardly breaking a sweat and Mikasa was practically allowing her to beat her up. The attacks she threw at the Oriental could have been easily dodged or blocked that even Armin could have done it. She had higher expectations from the child prodigy. At this rate she was going to come out triumphant without a true challenge. All the recruits here were nothing, her father had taught her well, perhaps too well. Nobody wanted to pair up with her and she was fine with this. If they couldn't present themselves as a worth fight then they were a waste of her time, just like this fight was becoming.
Breath in ,breath out. Annie watched as the taller girl's chest rise and fall. What is she playing at. she thought to herself as she raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
Inhale, exhale. With that last breath all of Mikasa's thoughts left her mind. She wasn't going to grant permission to her emotions to dictate this battle. The shorter girl already made more hits than she should have. She was the better fighter between the two of them and she knew it. It was as if it was imbedded in her DNA that she would always be the better warrior, ever since Eren woke up that side of her.
A knee quickly approached the blonde. The Russian crossed her hands and caught the joint before it made its mark. She felt Mikasa's open palm push against her face, forcing her to turn in that direction. The knee that she was protecting herself against lowered into a low sweep kick. Annie was on the ground in a slight daze. She looked at the sky above her and wondered just how long had it been since anyone had knocked her down. Back when she trained with her father it was all too common of a position, but that didn't last long. She quickly learned how to avoid being tripped and to strike where it mattered. A crooked smile tugged at her lips. This is going to be fun. She picks herself up from the ground and tries to attack straight on. Mikasa easily blocks the predictable move.
A crowd began to form as the two best fighters in the 104th squad fought. The match of the century was happening right before their eyes. The vast majority of the crowd was willing to bet their dinner on the younger girl winning this fight. Yet there were some who knew how ruthless the older girl was when it came to fighting. Mikasa was graceful and deadly, while Annie was control and precise. The two soldiers fight was like a beautifully choreographed dance, but much deadlier. One would strike and the other either dodged or blocked. The fight had everyone mesmerized as two bodies flowed so effortlessly together, like the push and pull of a wave and everyone else was drowning in its' tide. Previously everyone had believed that Annie had the upper hand, now it was anyone's win.
Annie's heart thumped against her chest from the thrill of having an equal in battle. A thin sheen of sweat began to cover her body. A rare, genuine smile appeared on her face from the challenge that Mikasa was providing her. She could already feel the bruises forming when the taller girl manage to get a hit in. Mikasa truly was a beast when it came to battle. This fight was bound to be fastened into her vault of favorite memories.
Grey eyes noticed the smile on Annie's face and it made the blonde look less menacing. Mikasa stared as Annie returned to her strange fighting stance. The way the Russian had her arms too high for a normal fighting stance, it practically left her entire torso open for attack. Yet, Annie was still able to defend herself against most of Mikasa's advances. The stance was actually perfect for grappling moves which were always inescapable if caught. Her eyes never left the shorter girl anticipating the next move. In that time frame Mikasa studied Annie's lethal form. Grey eyes roamed over the small boots that the blonde wore to the long sleeved hoodie. How anyone could wear that thick material everyday with the sun shining baffled Mikasa, then again the same could be said about her scarf.
Annie watched as Mikasa stood in the typical fighting stance. The taller girl was watching her every move, but her mind didn't seem to be in the fight at hand. In other words she was distracted and that was a big mistake. The Russian rushed to the Oriental in two quick strides and made a right hook.
Mikasa slightly dazed realized the sudden quick movement, her body acted instinctually and blocked the punch, but she wasn't fast enough. Annie was behind her and ready to put her in a head lock. Her left arm rose close to her throat so Annie couldn't get a proper choke hold and her right grasping onto the forearm hidden underneath the grey sweater. Annie had her right hand pulling on her left wrist increasing the pressure on the hold.
The recruits that betted on Mikasa winning the fight were going to be hungry that night. The tides had changed the moment the blonde got behind the taller girl. Mikasa's muscular frame pressed against Annie's lean body. For a second Annie enjoyed the feeling of such a strong and protective body so close to her. Blue eyes could see the sweat droplet slowly travel down and disappear into the red scarf. She could smell the military issue soap on the other's skin, but it had a much more pleasant scent. It had a hint of the generic smell, but mixed with something more floral. She could almost taste the salt of the other's sweat.
Mikasa's heart thudded loudly against her chest that she was sure that Annie could hear it. The shorter girl was indeed lethal when it came to fighting. Even sparring with Reiner was a cake walk for her, but Annie was different. The blonde was fast and vicious when it came to kicks. The little facade she put on about being a weak little girl was horribly played. Everyone knew Annie would have the person flat on their back in a blink of an eye. Who would have thought that someone so small would have her gasping for air. She could feel the other girl's chest tightly against her back, but not too tightly. The forearm she held onto wasn't as soft and fleshy as some of the other recruits. There was definitely taught muscle underneath skin hidden behind the hoodie. The warmth that Annie radiated was warmer than what her scarf could provide her. The oriental was beginning to get a little too comfortable in the position she was in. For a moment in time she thought about the arms that were around her neck to be placed around her waist instead. Those strong arms that was capable of bringing down someone twice the size of its owner.
Annie had proven to be her equal in battle that left Eren in the dust, indeed a better fighting partner. She wouldn't have to be so concerned when it came to the Russian. Mikasa knew Annie could hold her own unlike her brother. Eren she thought to herself. That's what started this fight, if only he was stronger she wouldn't have to be the one to carry his burden. Her mind no lingered on thoughts of the blonde.
Since Annie couldn't get a proper choke hold Mikasa had a slight advantage. What surprised her most was the fact that Annie could have easily had them both on the ground and immobilized her. If she had done that the match would have surely been the blonde's. Instead they were now in a battle of strength, something Mikasa excelled in. The taller girl leaned forward and with that momentum she flipped Annie. Once again the Russian was on her back looking up into the cloudless blue sky. The first time this happened it was amusing. The second time was simply an insult. Enough was enough in order to fight a beast you had to become one.
Annie flipped back up and gave Mikasa a death glare that would have summoned the Grim Reaper himself. The other didn't even flinch at the look, on the other hand their audience all took an unconscious step back. As fast as she could Annie lunged at Mikasa who merely side stepped the attack. The two continued their little dance of block, dodge, attack and one would occasional slip up earning them a new bruise. Both soldiers were sore and battered, but neither was willing to give in to the other. It looked like the two could have battled for all of eternity and neither would yield.
An instructor doing his routinely check to make sure that all the recruits were learning something from the hand to hand combat lesson noticed a small crowd of people forming a ring. He ran towards the crowd thinking it was a scuffle among trainees, but the sight before him left him speechless. The sight before him was two of the best fighters he has ever seen breathing harshly and glaring daggers at one another. Ackerman hardly ever broke a sweat in these training sessions or any session for that matter. While Leonhardt was rarely found in these hand to hand combat exercises, but when he did see her in action he was amazed at her skill. She took a different approach to the exercise, but it ultimately was more effective in her case. If he didn't have a responsibility to ensure that all recruits were safe he too would have been a gawker. The two looked like they were at a standstill. Annie was the first to take a step forward, Mikasa followed suit. The last of their remaining strength was place in their fist hoping it was enough to bring down the other.
"What is going on here!?' the instructor shouted. It was too late both Mikasa and Annie fist made contact at the same time, a counter punch. The amount of force behind the punch would have easily knocked down anyone the size of Reiner, but the two stood there as if it was just a little uncomfortable. The instructor was hesitant to stand between the two girls, but it was his responsibility. Murder was evident in both grey and blue eyes, he swallowed back his fear.
"Both of you out of the field and back in your barracks" He ordered. "And the rest of you back to your training!"
The two continued their staring match with throbbing jaws in hand, as if the instructor had no authority. The only thing that mattered to the two recruits was someone had to go down.
"I said move it! Otherwise the two of you can forget dinner, run laps and clean up after your fellow comrades. I could make sure that Instructor Shadis will give you a concussion of a head butt." The instructor thought threatening the two would work.
His threats were falling on deaf ears. There seemed to be no verbal way to get the two to separate and no one who valued their life would even dare physically divided them for their fate would be worse than that of a titan. Reiner and Bertolt came into Annie's field of vision, while Eren and Armin blocked Mikasa's view. For a second longer the two stared right past them, boring holes through their bodies as if their gaze could penetrate the flesh. It wasn't long before the two recognize their familiar faces. Still with narrow eyes the two gave one final glare in the little gap between their friends and picked up their jackets.
The instructor stood there watching as the two teens head back to their dorms. The intensity between those two would have scorched a farm land easily. He would have hated being a titan and having to face those two alone. Their glares alone would have been enough to defeat a 6 meter. It was then that it dawned on him that he should have separated the two not send them together in the same direction.
"Ackerman, Leonhardt, why don't you forget the dorms and just run some laps. Since the two of you have so much energy."
Mikasa scowled at Annie, she didn't need to run off her frustrations. What she needed was Annie to learn her lesson. The blonde scrunched up her nose and narrowed her eyes, she hated any form of cardio and running was the epitome of it.
