First off, I'm truly sorry about the long wait. This month has been hellish. Not only did my employer go into surgery, resulting in my hours increasing, but my computer had issues that required wiping the hard drive. It wasn't until I finished and checked my portable hard drive did I realize that I hadn't backed up my Attack on Titan folder…meaning I lost the original chapter 12. I actually cried from frustration and exhaustion. This isn't even close to the length the original was, but I hope you all still like it. Once again, I'm sorry for the lateness.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from Seffra and Jonah.
Chapter 12: It Takes Two
Never give your opponent quarter. No matter how painful it can be, you must continue to persevere. Showing the enemy even the slightest hint of your will weakening would only result in the chances of defeat increasing exponentially as they take that sign as encouragement and they're own will would be bolstered. She would not permit such an atrocity occur because of a little exhaustion.
"Um…Seffra?"
"What the hell is she doing?"
She will not falter before this foe standing before her. While he may have the upper hand in muscle mass and size, no one was more stubborn than Seffra Lyall.
"Wow! I can just feel the intense aura these two are giving off. Two opponents unwilling to accept defeat, no matter the odds against them. This must be the difference between people who've grown among Titans and those in the Walls! Look at her! She doesn't even allow a being such as a Stallion to best her!"
Hange's cries of joy and wonder drowned out the questioning comments and disbelief.
"Four-Eyes, I doubt that is a result of her growing beyond the Wall so much as the Mongrel's animal nature revealing just how mindless she truly is to have a staring contest with her horse."
Petra couldn't suppress the scream that escaped her throat as a white blade swung down towards her Captain's head. Levi didn't even blink as he casually took a small step to the left, twisting his body out of the blade's course with little effort. Dust was kicked up as the abnormally large blade slammed into the earth. A small fissure in the ground spread from beyond the focal point of the attack.
"Seffra! You can't just attack people like that!" Her fear for Captain Levi was quickly trumped by her horror at Seffra's complete disregard for anyone between the two clashing adults. Her Captain could handle himself just fine but that didn't mean everyone else was capable of surviving the potentially (potentially her ass, more like cataclysmic) deadly clash between those two.
It was even more terrifying how Seffra hadn't even glanced over to where she was swinging her blade, her eyes still in a deadlock with the black horse before her, as she had been for over thirty minutes apparently. By the time they had all arrived to get the horses ready, Seffra had already been deeply engaged in that strange mental dual with the horse.
Petra truly didn't want to find out just how long Seffra had been holding a staring contest with that horse. There were such times where ignorance was truly a bliss.
Without responding to Petra's lecture, Seffra, without breaking her stare with the stubborn horse, lifted her blade from the ground, rubble rising and falling off the blade. She tilted the blade so that the edges were parallel to the ground, giving a single slash to the side to rid the blade of any remaining filth before returning it to the sheath on her back, letting the hilt once again rest, crossed with its twin.
"I knew no one was there. Everything in this place is so damn clean I can smell every last one of you people if you're close enough. I could walk through this place blind folded and not bump into a single one of you on accident."
"Does that mean she bumps into people on purpose?" Gunther whispered to Eld.
"So you're like Mike than, Seffra?" Hange exclaimed. If they had two people with such keen senses, than maybe she would be able to finally get her hands on a Deviant Titan to study. Just the thought alone had drool starting to rapidly drip from the scientist's mouth. A handkerchief was placed in her hand, snapping the Captain from her thoughts.
"Captain, please desist in entertaining such thoughts in public." Moblit Berner requested, being the one to have produced the cloth.
If none of the soldiers knew Hange and the bizarre woman's thought process, they would have assumed that Moblit meant something far dirtier than was intended. But they did know the woman and instead found his words slightly terrifying. Anything that had Hange drooling could only mean terror and hardships for the rest of them.
There was such a thing as playing innocent and hoping they were elsewhere before the woman wrangled them into some suicide mission. Which was ironic considering how people viewed the Scouting Regiment.
As people edged away from Hange, who was in the process of wiping away the drool, Levi walked over to Seffra, having had enough of the woman's foolishness. It was bad enough he had to deal with Shitty Four-Eyes' Titan obsession, he wasn't going to put up with this wild woman and her dominance issues.
Seffra didn't even register the hand on top of her head before her face was slammed into the ground. She only had the chance to brace her arms, keeping her upper body off the ground as her knees slammed to the ground.
What the hell?
She didn't get far lifting her head from the ground before something else slammed on top of it, immediately reacquainting her face with the ground. Seffra had just enough room to slightly tilt her face to the side, permitting sight to be remotely plausible from her right eye. Not that the view was any more appealing than the ground.
Actually, she liked the ground more.
Levi's boot was digging into her head as he blankly stared down at her, almost as if he wasn't truly viewing the taller woman beneath his foot but rather a speck of dirt. What was worse, because she had, somewhat, caught her body from falling to the ground as well has her head, she must look like she was kneeling before the bastard!
"We don't have time to deal with your attitude today. Now that your little game is over, get your ass up, clean yourself of the filth you've covered yourself in and prep your gear. We leave in an hour, Mongrel."
If Seffra's mouth was free from the possibility of filling with dirt, she would curse at the short bastard. He was the reason she would have any dirt on her face!
Unfortunately, by the time Seffra lifted her head form the ground and was assured by Petra and Hange that her nose wasn't broken or bleeding, the fucking bastard was already gone.
Not that she didn't have a scapegoat handy. Seeing the gleeful look on Oluo's face at Seffra's appearance and punishment at his Captain's hand (rather…his foot), the red head felt not even a teardrop worth of guilt when she drop kicked him into the ground before walking off.
And Jonah said she needed to learn self-control over her anger issues.
-AoT-
Still, why did that Shorty have such issues with her? Sure she skipped out on cleaning five days out of seven, she swiped fruit now and then, she only attended training every couple days, and she was taller.
Ah, that must be it. She was a woman and taller than him. Bastard should have drank his milk if he wanted to be tall. Sure Seffra only remembered as far as several years ago and had already been tall but even back then, she would drink llama milk, yak milk, and even elk milk if it was available. She didn't remember how she knew but even Seffra knew that milk was vital to bone growth…or was that bone strength? Either way, milk was vital.
Seffra raised her head from the well bucket full of water she had dunked her face in while having this mental debate, shaking her head to rid her hair of any droplets.
"It helps to have a towel handy."
A small towel was raised towards Seffra, the movement almost hesitant. Green eyes followed the arms up to the face of whomever had followed her.
"Ah, Shorty's female follower."
Petra just sighed before offering the towel again.
"You know, the Captain doesn't hate you."
Those eyes didn't even waver. Petra could just tell that her words weren't being believed.
Eyes closed as she tried to think about how to convey her thoughts so that they'd reach this woman, Petra was startled with she felt the towel lifting from her hands. She couldn't stop the flinch that was reflexive after being startled.
Seffra ignored her movements in favor of drying her face and hair. There was a difference between purposely covering oneself in animal blood or skin and being covered in dirt. One was for survival and the other was simply unsanitary. Even if Jonah said her perception was a little skewed, he didn't dismiss the results.
Seffra didn't like being covered in dirt. Mud was alright cause her skin actually looked better afterward but dirt just felt disgusting. Sure she didn't really care about appearances, but that didn't mean she disliked the feeling of looking good. Maybe this was what Jonah had meant about woman instincts.
As long as they didn't cause an issue with her survival instincts, than Seffra had no issue with them.
"Do you hate the Captain, Seffra?"
Huh? Was the woman still talking?
Seffra looked up from the towel, towards Petra who was so stiff that she could easily topple if pushed. Was her answer really so important?
"No. I don't hate him." Seffra answered as she tossed the towel back to Petra. The relief on the ginger haired woman's face was short lived though as Seffra finished her answer.
"I just can't stand him."
Petra almost dropped the towel in exasperation. It honestly didn't look like things were going to go smoothly for quite a while. Petra watched as Seffra walked away, the taller woman messing with her sheath straps as she headed towards the stables.
Still, if she wanted Seffra to join in the training sessions and cleaning chores more, than Petra had to make the first step in making Seffra feel a part of the group. Petra had tried to find out what she could about wolf culture, as per Captain Hange's advice. The scientist had said that Seffra may feel more comfortable attending such sessions if she didn't feel like a lone wolf trying to fit in among dogs.
Hange's words, not Petra's just so that was clear.
Petra couldn't just expect Seffra to conform her methods. That would mean changing and disregarding everything she had learned to survive in a world where such a thing as safety was a myth.
Petra couldn't begin to understand such a woman. Just like Captain Levi, whose own transition to the Survey Corps was different compared to everyone else but had managed to find his place because of the Commander, so too would Seffra. Petra would make sure of that.
"If only she didn't scare me when she stares with those eyes. I feel like a predator is staring me down when she does that."
So step one in Petra's personal operation was decided. Maintain eye contact and firmly state Seffra's standing in the group. She just had to do it in the one place where Seffra couldn't walk off and dismiss her.
And Petra knew the perfect spot.
-AoT-
She could feel their eyes. These people were cheering for these soldiers, though Seffra doubted that such actions would be as welcoming on the return visit. These humans, they cheered and smiled, but she was almost certain that on the inside, they all had the same thought.
'I'm glad I'm not them.'
The gate before them started to lift, signifying the beginning of the expedition.
"Seffra, we're a team."
Green eyes glanced over towards the smiling Petra.
"We're counting on you as well. Despite what you think, you are one of us. Let's survive this."
The ginger haired woman almost shivered as those green eyes stared at her unblinkingly. It was hard to understand just what went through the wild woman's mind, apart from ripping remarks. Still, the Captain was willing to trust her, at least with fighting, so she was going to as well. Besides, she had her own mission to accomplish. She would keep eye contact.
….Not that she would complain if Seffra deigned to blink anytime now.
Petra couldn't stop her body from relaxing when those eyes closed and Seffra returned to facing forward.
"Survive this and I'll upgrade your status from Omega to Warrior."
Petra couldn't help the smile that appeared. Seffra was reaching out as well. Or she was merely acknowledging Petra's own attempt.
"Yeah." Both women stared at the endless plain that appeared before them as the gate finished opening.
Erwin raised an arm and signaled for the Survey Corp to move forward.
TBC…
Thank you to the following for Favoriting/Following this story: Masterful-Mind, .furlong, Chris the Metis, l1s44p, SKYLARK333333333, SallyStitches13, Matsuri Hikari, Yumie8Element-Magic-Fantasy, and DrAnime203. Plus, thank you too all of you who've read this story so far.
aniqa1234: Glad you like Jonah's character. I honestly wish he was still among the living.
Chris the Metis: Thank you for the review.
Next Time:
She didn't even register the cries. Her name being shout loud enough the heavens were sure to here didn't even reach her ears. To Seffra, all that mattered was the open cavern before her. Timing was everything and any distraction had the potential of resulting in her death.
Just a little closer…
"SEFFRA!"
She could smell its breath. Rotten fish smelled better.
"Revas! Pull back!"
She was only feet away from its mouth. Still not close enough.
"Petra! What are you doing?!"
"She's going to die!"
Ignore everything. Keep calm…
The hand started to release its grip, holding the woman over the beckoning cavern beneath her feet.
…be patient…
She was free falling towards the darkness.
"SEFFRA!"