A/N: Thank you to those who gave this fanfiction a chance. I would say Ida is a character some NOT might like straight off the bat, she's different, more realistic I guess. You'll see her develop soon enough, she's not that bad, I promise! There's a reason why I made her that way. I have a thing for building strong characters then knocking them down, I think it's makes for a more interesting character (but then again, I have weird theories...)
And Levi is.. well, totally being Levi in this chapter... *cough*
Chapter Revamped: 30 May 2015
Thank you to my dear BETA reader: Jikola and ShadowedNara
Humanity's Strongest Woman by xDollfie
Chapter 01 - Captain Troubles
"Are you kidding me, Corporal?" Eld was beyond appalled by the sudden news. So much so that he couldn't help but raise his voice at Levi.
He paused for a moment when Levi threw him a scathing look but quickly elaborated. "The enrollment of new recruits is conducted after their three-year training course. You want to add her to our ranks when she's got no prior experience?"
"I agree," Gunther nodded stiffly. "She will die on her first expedition."
Though he hadn't managed to catch a glimpse of the newest addition to the Survey Corps yet, it was rumored that she wouldn't last long judging by her appearance; small in stature, light in weight, a face that didn't look ready for violence.
Levi frowned deeply and scowled before turning to address the silent blonde commander seated at the end of the table. "I know it's pissing on the rules. I won't say anything if you object."
Erwin Smith interlaced his fingers, staring straight into the eyes of his best soldier as he tried to decipher just what he was trying to do. When he said that he'd leave things to Levi, he never expected that the man would recruit her.
"I understand perfectly that she doesn't have any prior training and may cause concerns for some time," Erwin began carefully. "But even with that being said, she could be honed into a formidable soldier with the skill-set she has displayed so far. She has potential."
It'd only been him and a few other soldiers consisting of Mike that went to the underground and came face to face with Ida Starke. Why did he go down there after hearing rumors that she was alive? It was a mystery that even Erwin Smith himself couldn't decipher.
It was said that an unconditional bond between parent and child couldn't properly be described by anyone who hadn't had any children — so why was it that he, a parent, couldn't even describe it? Perhaps because he had thought her to be dead all these years after the fall of Wall Maria. Perhaps it was because he hadn't really been much of a parent.
Despite that, however, Erwin couldn't help but feel a pinch in his stale heart when his estranged daughter had pointed her blade threateningly at him, telling him to go.
"I have no family," she'd stated icily when Erwin had confronted her in the underground city. "No mother, no father, no friends."
But Erwin could only looked at the woman threatening him with a wave of nostalgia, though she didn't reveal her name to him back then he knew her identity right off the bat. She looks so much like her mother, Erwin remembered thinking when he first laid eyes on her. He remembered everything till this day, right down the how he abandoned her to pursue his dreams.
"I object to this!" Oluo piped out loudly from the table ignoring how Petra was frowning distastefully at his loudness. "Even if we accept that little brat into the Scouting Legion, she shouldn't immediately be placed in the Special Operations Squad!"
With gritted teeth and a furrowed brow, Oluo certainly did not look happy. He had worked his way up the position he had today — spilled blood and sweat, and devoted hours to honing his skills. It was no surprise to anyone that he'd taken offense to the sudden news.
"That little brat gave even Erwin a hard time capturing her Oluo," Levi countered pointedly with an annoyed sigh. "She'd be of use."
The Commander considered Levi's words for a moment before turning to him pensively, "If I were to entrust her to your squad, you would be responsible for her training Levi."
He snorted briskly in response before grumbling grouchily. "Tch, I know that."
"It's settled then," Erwin nodded his head understandingly, moving out of his seat. "I expect a standard report on her training. You're dismissed."
"Eh? Are you serious?!" Eld almost choked on the air he was breathing when he heard that, but backed down in defeat and folded his arms when his commander threw him a steaming look.
As Erwin left the meeting room, a thousand questions were swarming around his mind — just what was going to happen now?
A loud sigh slipped passed his lips. His daughter, his flesh and blood. After twenty-two years since her birth, the only thing Erwin could offer her was the same fate as him: a merciless life on the front lines, a life full of misery and blood, a life full of danger.
He sighed again, debating if he had made the right choice. All he could hope was for her departed mother to forgive him.
o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o
Ida Starke knew it was hard being a member of the Survey Corps. It wasn't as though she hadn't seen the level of destruction the Titans brought. She had.
What troubled her more than the prospect of fighting Titans however, was her relationship with Erwin Smith. She knew that accepting Levi's proposal would only mean more interactions with Erwin whether she liked it or not, and she wasn't exactly fond of the idea.
Much to her surprise and bewilderment, Erwin had accepted her into the legion without much hesitation, and that was something that made her feel relatively uncomfortable and suspicious. Thankfully, Levi Ackerman, her new squad leader, had come to the conclusion that it would be more beneficial if no one knew about her biological relationship with the commander of the Survey Corps, and she readily agreed.
But it didn't take long however for Erwin to start attempting awkward small talk with her whenever they met in the hallways. 'How are you,' or 'how are you adjusting' — it was the usual type of questions one would ask an acquaintance merely out of politeness.
It was exactly why Ida had taken offense to it, merely turning away with a dull expression and rebuffing Erwin's attempts whenever he tried talking to her. It was twenty-two years too late for him to try and get to know her.
Initially, Ida had thought it was going to be difficult to avoid the pesky blonde. But now, she'd come to the resounding conclusion that being a soldier in Corporal Levi's squad was far more challenging.
"Your half-assed cleaning won't do," Levi reprimanded harshly as he stormed into the room, a dirty rag clutched in his rigid grasp. "What the hell are you doing?"
Ida Starke flinched at the sound of his dark voice. He sounded pissed.
It would be hard for anyone to take him seriously while Levi was donned in his 'cleaning attire'. It consisted of a white bandana and a white mask that covered half his face, but Ida had learned the hard way to take him seriously — she didn't want to run thirty laps around the field again for missing a tiny spot on the windows.
However, today was one of those days where she blatantly refused to be trampled on. "It's six in the morning!" Ida Starke, sleep deprived and extremely aggravated over his cleaning antics, argued back impertinently. "You wake me up at five to do cleaning, so what kind of shit work would you expect?!"
Levi grunted as he inspected the room, clearly unimpressed. "There's nothing more respectable than a spotless sleeping area," he retorted unyieldingly, determined to prove his point. "I want you to sweep the courtyard after this, twice, just to be sure." He paused for a moment and sighed loudly, shaking his head. "God damn it, you can't even get one thing right."
She could only silently curse her wretched captain. It was just her luck that she'd get a chauvinistic bastard for a squad leader. Ida had expected that being a soldier meant endless torturous training, not cleaning all around the dorms. In fact, she'd lost count of how many times she desperately wanted to yell at him in exasperation — to shout that if he demanded perfection, he should've just done the cleaning himself. But the fear of having a longer list of chores won over her anger.
"What?" Levi arched a thin brow when he noticed that she looked hesitant to speak.
Ida couldn't hate herself more for actually caving into his intimidation. She wasn't exactly good at obeying orders, but since this was a Military, she knew that strict rules were always enforced. "It's nothing," she replied dismissively.
"Your face says otherwise," Levi pointed out briskly, not backing down. "If you've got a problem, then spit it out."
Ida sighed loudly at his unwillingness to drop the subject. "I'm going to have a panic attack every time I see a damn broom now," she muttered bitterly under her breath. Unfortunately for her however, Levi's sharp ears picked up everything she'd said.
"Oh?" Levi leveled his hard glare with hers and scoffed. "So, you're saying that when the discipline gets too intense, it could traumatize you?" he added sardonically.
She hated the sound of that mocking tone, absolutely detested it. Ida stopped cleaning the tables and mustered up her best death glare, clearly offended by the crassness of his remark.
"Just as I thought. You're nothing but a brat." He shook his head, glaring at her spitefully. "I'll go check on the room upstairs. You've cleaned the room already, right?" Levi questioned briskly.
Ida only grunted irritably in response, focusing back on her cleaning before she actually tried to strangle him. It was only after Levi had left the room did she groan in exasperation, throwing the rag she was holding to the ground in her frustration.
She knew that she had a short fuse, but she had tried — desperately, might she add — to accommodate Levi's cleaning antics. But what had thrown her off today was the aggravating fact that she wasn't even cleaning her own dorm. She was assigned to clean Levi's personal room. Ida was smart enough to know better than to gripe and disobey orders though, no matter how unfair it was.
"What is up with that clean freak?!" she grumbled to herself angrily, scanning the spotless room she was in. "Humanity's strongest my freakin' ass. More like Humanity's most obsessive soldier."
One thing she'd discovered about Levi was that he had an adverse reaction to any form of dirt, so much so that everything had to be precise and neat. Even the way he aligned the quills and ink in his drawers had to be in a certain way. It was beyond aggravating to Ida who couldn't comprehend his uncanny habit no matter how much she tried. Just how clean did he want the place to be? She was sure it was probably clean enough to eat off the floor.
As she pondered over a string of plausible excuses to skip out on cleaning duties, a knock on the door drew her out of her mischievous thoughts. "Corporal? Are you in there—oh!"
A light ginger-haired petite female stared at Ida, her amber colored eyes studying her as she took in the redhead's cleaning attire that Levi demanded she wear.
Then she smiled vibrantly, entering the room. "You're the new member right?" she asked politely in a musical voice. "I'm Petra Ral, nice to meet you."
Ida stared at her impassively before picking up the rag and reverting back to cleaning. She'd recognized her as a member in the same dorm as her, but she hadn't had a chance to talk to her yet. "Ida Starke," she introduced dismissively.
"You're a noble woman?" Petra blinked, clearly surprised though quickly reverting back to a smile. "You're the girl that Commander Erwin brought in, right? I remember you. I was surprised to hear that someone like you joined the Survey Corps," she added before extending her hand out in greeting. "Welcome to the squad."
Despite the warm welcome, however, Ida didn't even spare the ginger a second glance, merely murmuring a small "thanks" in response.
Petra awkwardly withdrew her proffered hand, slightly hurt that Ida rebuffed her attempts to be friendly. But she quickly decided to pay it no mind. "...Corporal making you clean huh?" she chuckled awkwardly, slightly taken aback by Ida's unsociable and unapproachable demeanor.
The redhead grunted in response, scrubbing the table harder as she imagined Levi's face on it. She allowed a secret sadistic smile to touch her lips when she thought about how much she would've enjoyed rubbing his face with a dirty rag, watching him scream in disgust because he got filthy.
"Well, don't get so mad at him," Petra observed the redhead's discontent silently. "He's like that with all the newbies, even us! I've served him for three years and even I still don't get his uncanny cleaning habits." The ginger's smile grew wider as she continued trying to make small talk, but Ida was as unapproachable as a Titan; cold and distant.
Scratching her head, Petra took her grim silence as her cue to leave Ida alone for now. "Well, see you at training later. It's your first day, right?"
"Looking forward to getting my ass chewed by that midget of a Corporal," Ida grumbled sarcastically.
Petra only laughed softly and landed a reassuring hand on the redhead's shoulder. Ida stiffened at her soft touch, certainly not use to having someone make physical contact with her. "We all went through that rite of passage once. You can't imagine the first time I was assigned to Corporal Levi's squad. I had to clean until my arms were sore. He just wants to enforce his strict habits on us, that's all," she explained.
Ida frowned distastefully, shrugging Petra's hands off her. "Consider it enforced."
In fact, Ida was so sure she never wanted to see another rag again. Ever since yesterday all she'd done was cleaning, from wiping windows to scrubbing floors to sweeping the courtyard. This was certainly not how she'd expected life as a Survey Corps' soldier to be.
"If you have any troubles at all, just look for me!" Petra offered kindly, grinning as she skipped out the door. "We girls have to stick together," she winked playfully before disappearing from of sight.
Finally alone again, Ida let out another exhausted sigh. What a nice girl, she thought to herself silently, remembering Petra's bright smile. But she hastily pushed that thought out of her mind before she could allow the guilt of rudely rebuffing the ginger's attempts to be friendly to creep up on her. The rational part of her mind was screaming — 'No, you can't!'
Ida knew that she was better off alone — she didn't need any friends, comrades or any companion for that matter. She was fine like this— alone — in fact, Ida was so terribly afraid of attachment that she avoided it like the plague.
Attachment only brought grief. Attachment only brought horror. Attachment only brought pain.
Irreversibly scarred from the misery of witnessing endless amounts of death and drowned by survivor's guilt, Ida had resolved to always stay alone. Nothing can hurt you if you have nothing to lose, she would tell herself over and over again. It's the things that I love most that destroy me.
After everything that Ida had gone through since the fall of Wall Maria, the negativity and cynicism dominated the majority of her. She found herself doubting everything and learned that it was foolish to get close to people, and it was even more foolish to place your trust in people you didn't know.
This world that she lived in could be defined by a simple phrase: the survival of the fittest.
At first, she'd thought that this change was just a part of the package when Wall Maria fell, but during her time in the underground city, she'd realized that nothing had really changed at all. Things only became clearer to her — weak people stay weak — they're trampled on, used and killed. The world was the same as it ever was... as it had always been.
Her mind started drifting as she set herself to her task. In truth, Ida Starke had never expected she would ever join the Military — much less, the Survey Corps — she didn't know what had gotten into her when she agreed. The thought of her being outside of the walls would have absolutely made her mother's head spin.
For a moment, Ida could hear her mother's chastising voice in her head, could imagine the stern lecture she would have received if she knew she was about to battle Titans. Those thoughts only served to bring forth a torrent of emotions she didn't particularly want to deal with right then, and she determinedly pushed her mother's would-be lecture out of mind.
Elsie Starke — her mother — was once a bright woman, but the stress raising her child alone and her noble family abandoning her had taken its toll on her as the years passed. Ida silently witnessed her mother crumble day by day and slowly but surely, her unhappiness became all too clear. Ida knew for a fact that her mother wouldn't have approved of her only daughter risking her life on expeditions.
Even with her efforts to push every disturbing thought out of her mind, Ida couldn't help but grit her teeth in unfathomable anger. She had long since passed the stage of despair and anguish, and all she was left with after the years was a fierce burning resentment. Somewhere inside her, murderous intent cried for blood.
She was never going to forgive herself nor was she ever going to be forgiven.
She, who had witnessed her home being ripped apart and her mother being swiped up by a hideous Titan and killed. She, who had brought people to their demise time after time in the underground city. She, who couldn't even protect the people she cared about — Ida Starke would never forgive herself.
Thoughts of the Titans brought forth another wave of emotions in her mind. She knew very well about the dreadful horrors those monster brought, but honestly, she didn't really care. Knowing her past self, she'd probably be scared shitless simply thinking about fighting them, but she was different now.
Ida Starke had changed.
Since she was twelve, she'd lived in the Shiganshina District. Before that, however, she'd bathed in luxury in the riches of her maternal family. Raised in the capital far away from harm for the first half of her life without worry or fear of the Titans, she'd been privileged, even if she was a disgraceful love child. Even her life in exile in the Shiganshina District hadn't been all bad, and for that she was grateful.
Before, Ida had never known the hardness of work, the bitter truth of Titans or even realized how pathetic Humanity was to live in confined cages deprived of freedom. But everything changed for her the very day Wall Maria fell and she was trafficked off to the Underground City against her will. It was the day where she lost everything.
She remembered her past when her fists would only bleed, not strike. When she witnessed and touched death, only to feel her fingertips shudder in despair. Where everything she had held dear was obliterated, pulverized, burnt to dust and washed away in the ferociously raging rain and then forgotten forever.
But despite everything, she was determined to survive.
So she came back with hands calloused from wielding sharp blades, eyesight sharp with accuracy, and senses honed beyond the average human. In the underground city where she'd taken refuge and called home, she painfully studied the sinful wonders of weapons and mastered the art of stealth and deceit for the sake of survival. She honed her skills in the underground slums for years, doing anything and everything to get by another day.
The pressure from simply remembering was finally evoking a reaction and Ida sighed deeply. Planning to distract herself from depressing thoughts, she gripped tightly on the rag she was holding. "…This isn't working out," she concluded miserably.
Cleaning wasn't going to get her anywhere near distracted enough; it only encouraged her to think even more, to feel more. Throwing her rag to the ground, she scanned her bored eyes around the room. Her eyes twinkled with vengeance as she approached Levi's bed, her mind brimming with mischievous thoughts.
This would show him, that damned bastard!
Impulsively, she climbed on top of his bed, her dirty combat boots still intact as she began jumping around the white sheets, fiercely determined to create a filthy mess that was sure to drive her clean-freak Captain ballistic. It felt liberating to exact revenge and have some fun at the same time.
"Ida Starke."
As quickly as the smile came to her face it vanished, and Ida felt fear take hold, her body straightening like a pole when she heard that voice. It was so distinctive that she had no doubt it was him. Turning around nervously, she inwardly berated herself for even attempting to pull off such a childish prank without thinking of the consequences.
Levi Ackerman leveled her with a hard furious gaze. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
For the first time in a long time, fear crippled her speech and her mind went blank. Levi hardened his glare even more, his eyes clearly conveying the message: "Explain yourself or I'll personally end you."
It was embarrassing enough getting caught like a naughty little kid pulling off a childish prank, but the intimidating look on Levi's face was all too clear. She could only gulp dryly, knowing exactly what was coming.
His feet were tapping on the ground, his patience trickling away as he waited for a response. "Well, you disgusting brat?"
Ida could tell he was mad — hell, mad was an understatement. Infuriated beyond words was a far better description. His lips were twitching in disdain and she knew it was the end for her.
But what came out of her mouth was one of the most stupid and embarrassing things she'd ever said.
"I — I was trying to make the bed soft for you, S — Sir!"
o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o
Was she pleased to see Corporal Levi's expression after he saw the muddy stains on his sparkling white sheets? Yes. Was she overjoyed when he started turning as red as tomato, shivering in shock and anger at the mess she'd created? Yes.
When all was said and done, had it been worth it? Hell fucking no.
From afar, she found herself glancing at Levi and shuddered violently in horror. That man somehow managed to look terribly intimidating despite his small stature.
True to his infamous reputation, Levi was just as ruthless as one could expect. In front of everyone in the scouting legion, he'd dragged her by the collar like an ashamed child caught stealing a cookie before dinner. He'd dragged her through the hallways and made her clean every staircase in the headquarters with only a bucket of soapy water and a tiny toothbrush.
She'd decided then that she hated those that had laughed at her demise.
Almost everyone who passed by chuckled at the spectacle they saw: their famed Corporal dressed in his trusty old cleaning suit, shouting at the furiously scrubbing redhead as she endured his discipline with withering patience.
Now, she couldn't even walk past a bunch of Survey Corps soldiers without someone snickering and whispering to themselves. Ida was beginning to dream about living back in the underground slums. It sounded like heaven to her ears as opposed to this.
And to further piss on her bonfire, today was the day she was about to get introduced as a new member of the Survey Corps; it was her first day of training as an official member. Things weren't looking so bright for Ida, seeing as how everyone by now already knew of her existence as the redhead who dared dirty Captain's Levi belongings.
Somewhere in the large courtyard, Petra Ral caught the Corporal responsible for Ida's humiliating experience just as he was about to leave the vicinity. "Corporal!"
"What do you want, Petra?" Levi looked even grumpier than usual, probably still upset that his extremely spotless bed was in risk of contamination from germs and bed bugs.
Petra chuckled nervously in a small attempt to lighten the mood. "You should really cut the newbie some slack, you know?" she threaded on lightly, hoping that it'd come off as a suggestion to him. "You sure aren't giving yourself a very nice reputation."
"Reputation means nothing to me," Levi snapped back coolly, turning his back on his subordinate and preparing to leave for training. He saw her frown and he elaborated. "She needs to learn quickly if she wants to be a part of my fucking squad."
"Well, don't be so harsh on the rookie," Petra advised as she threw him a knowing look. She sighed softly as she shook her head in disapproval. "Cut her some slack, will you? You saw how she was chained up and bought here like a prisoner. That wasn't a very pleasant experience."
Levi contemplated her advice for a moment, but then scowled. "Impudence needs to beaten out of someone," he grumbled, deciding that there was no way he could ever go easy on a brat that dared to trample on his bed with her filthy boots. "I never asked for your opinion, Petra."
Instantly, Levi eyed his target from afar, irking him even more. He headed towards where the disgruntled redhead was, seated at the very end of the bench by the courtyard, watching in silence as the scouts mounted their horses one by one.
"You," he called evenly with a dark frown.
"What do you want?" Ida snapped irritably, before deflating when she saw a fuming arch-browed Levi and added quickly in a soft submissive voice. "Corporal..."
He clicked his fingers in a motion for her to get up. "Follow me. Try anything and you won't have any damn teeth tomorrow," he warned her direly as he lead the way towards the large group of assembled soldiers. He was till somewhat distrustful and wary of her tendency to disobey orders.
With a resigned sigh, she begrudgingly heeded his command.
The group of assembled soldiers saluted their prized soldier as soon as they saw him. Levi merely gave a stiff nod of acknowledgment. Ida hesitated for a moment or two, nervous about facing these strangers and uncertain as to how she was going to be received.
After a few seconds though, she sucked in a steadying breath and finally trailed Levi to where everyone was gathered. When she slowly stepped up to join everyone else, hanging back just a little so she wouldn't draw too much attention, Levi looked as though he was giving instructions to the group.
Regardless of her attempt to be inconspicuous, curious stares turned on her as soon as she approached, making her feel self-conscious and vulnerable. Diligently, she maintained an apathetic and bored expression while avoiding eye contact with anyone, trying not to show just how uncomfortable and awkward their scrutiny was making her feel.
It was then that Levi noticed everyone's attention on the newcomer, and promptly dragged a highly annoyed redhead beside him. "She'll be a new member under my squad starting today," He smacked her back roughly, and Ida stumbled forward clumsily, her back searing. "Introduce yourself, brat."
Several gasps and even chuckles sounded throughout the group. Clearly, they had recognized her either from two days before where she was brought to the headquarters chained like a dog as the rumored skilled mercenary, or they'd witnessed the whole ordeal of her punishment this morning.
Word traveled fast about the rumored redhead who'd managed to piss off Humanity's Strongest Soldier.
"Ida Starke," she spoke loud and clear, keeping her chin up imposingly and her face clear of any emotions. Ida was no stranger to ridicule and belittlement, and she was not about to let these people regard her that way.
"Starke? A noble woman?" she heard someone echoed disgruntledly in the crowd followed by another gossip.
"She probably pulled strings with her relatives to get in Captain Levi's squad. Tch, riding on fame and coming here with the intention of getting special treatment? No wonder Captain Levi punished her so strictly."
So this is how it is, huh? Ida clenched her fist — it was almost as though her bloodline condemned her. She would never belong anywhere, her destiny had been carved into stone the moment she was born. Bitter resentment surged through her veins. It was all so utterly unfair.
Levi had taken notice of the dark look on the redhead's face beside him and stepped in to cool the situation. "You think a noble brat would waste their time coming here and risking their precious lives fighting for mankind when they could fatten themselves up like a bunch of useless pigs in the Capital?" he challenged, glaring the soldiers into submission and surprising Ida. "She's an illegitimate child. Drill that into your skulls."
Her shocked surprise vanished as soon as it came when she heard the word 'illegitimate'. She could only glower at Levi, her gaze full of hate and contempt. After the whispering died down, Levi dismissed the group back to their respective squads and signaled his group to retrieve their horses.
"You." Ida stormed up to Levi the minute they were out of earshot. She was infuriated beyond reason and her cheeks were flushed with boiling blood. "What gave you the right to tell everyone that I was an illegitimate child?"
Ida Starke hated it, the sins of her name and birth that brought along strings of accusation, contempt and distaste. It was so unfair, to be judged by people, to be hated and frowned upon before she even had a chance to prove herself. She'd grown up hearing derogatory remarks about her, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, it affected her, even to this day. Levi was simply an outlet for her to channel her frustration on.
"You are one, are you not?" Levi countered coldly without a hint of sensitivity, looking even more irritated than usual. "I wasn't lying."
He for one couldn't understand why Ida had taken offense. Levi had defended her back there, he knew what it was like to be scorned upon. The memory of his 'welcome' to the Survey Corps years ago was still palpable in his mind. It was then and there that Levi quickly decided Ida was indeed an ungrateful brat.
"I wanted to keep it personal," Ida stated as she scowled, affected by the indifference streaming out of him.
Levi merely glanced at her with a stoic expression. "Would you rather have them think that you're out for special treatment then? If you insist on keeping your lineage a secret, change your goddamned last name. Don't be coming here and pissing on me when all I did was reveal something they were bound to find out later."
Shoving her aside with a rough knock to the shoulder, Levi took hold of the reins of two well-bred horses from Eld, holding one out to Ida. "Do not go three horses behind me, understood?" he commanded. "You do know how to ride, do you?"
Biting her lower lip, Ida reluctantly snatched the reins from him and snorted loudly, still feeling his words bite into her — she couldn't really blame him, could she? In all honesty, she was irritated at herself for not thinking things through, yet still mad at Levi for revealing her past without her permission.
"Don't think because you're Erwin's daughter that I'm going to go easy on you," Levi warned precariously when he noticed her discontent. "This is no place for a princess; so don't expect to receive any special treatment, because I know who you are. This place is all about skills and survival, and if you can't take it, fuck off."
Her teeth gnashed together when he said that. What did he know about her? How was he so sure that she was as unreliable and incompetent as he made her out to be? That's right, she told herself bitterly. No one would ever understand you.
With an unwavering conviction to prove him wrong, she stomped her way in front of him, her face dangerously close to his. "If you're talking about skills, I can assure you that I will take on that challenge any day," she scowled, her voice mocking as she added as an afterthought. "…sir."
Knocking into his shoulder like he had with her a few minutes ago, Ida mounted the white stallion assigned to her and pulled on the reins. The horse neighed and reeled underneath her. Leveling her gaze with Levi's, she spoke with conviction. "Keep that title in check, Corporal. You never know when someone might steal the title of Humanity's Strongest. But, you can't lose to a girl, can you?"
Levi looked slightly amused when she sped off on her horse, leaving behind a cloud of dust. That hatred that she harbors for the world… she resents even her own existence, he thought to himself. He quickly mounted his horse and chased after her, muttering underneath his breath all the while. "Fucking brat's got some spunk."
An unknowing smirk played on his lips. Levi was never more determined to put the brat in her place.
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