The morning seemed normal to Levi. Petra was boiling tea and he was writing more reports for Erwin's collection. Bird might have been chirping and Levi had a sickening feeling that he was in some sort of fiction. It was too perfect.

His mind wandered down that path as he wondered what, if anything, he would ask the author. He'd probably kill the author first, but it was hard to know. Of course, said author would know.

Kendall came down. "Morning, Ral," the young man said breezily.

Instead of Petra's usual grunt came a clink. Levi heard footsteps.

"Everything alright?" Levi called.

"I don't know Heicho. Petra broke a cup," Kendall said. "I hope she's OK." Kendall came into Levi's view.

Kendall too fit into the picture of perfection – if Levi and Petra were some sort of middle-class couple, Kendall would be their rebellious teenage son given his spiky red hair, black coat and skinny trousers. Levi wasn't sure how Kendall got approval for the special uniform, but Kendall was unique.

Kendall was the annoying teenager-like character too: he was stubborn and rebelled for the sake of rebellion. Despite this, Kendall was extremely good at killing Titans.

"I'd presume Petra's reaction was thanks to you somehow, Kendall," Levi said, knowing that Kendall was fond of bothering Petra.

"I don't know what I did. Women, right?" Levi did not respond, unsure of how severely to disagree with Kendall. "That's when you laugh or something, Heicho," Kendall prompted.

"What was funny?"

"Our mutual lack of understanding of women, Heicho." Levi again did not deign to respond, unwilling to waste his time explaining himself to Kendall. "You're a lost cause, Heicho," Kendall concluded.

Levi considered that a lost cause to a lost cause was probably not very lost and rose to clean the kitchen.

"So, what, you just forgive her, then?" Kendall whined.

"She'll run laps when I see it fit," Levi mumbled, reaching for his handy cleaning supplies. He pondered over what could have bothered Petra as Oluo came down.

"'Sup Ken?!" Oluo called like a Labrador greeting its owner.

"Apparently I ticked Petra off," Ken replied.

"What was it this time? Tell me everything!"

"Heicho thinks it was me, ask him."

"Are you in trouble?"

"I don't know."

"So, Bossard, you don't know what Ken did either?" Levi asked, emerging from the kitchen with a dirty rag.

"No Heicho. I doubt he did anything. Ken here is the best guy I've met!" Oluo overreacted once more.

"I'm sure you were a hermit before you got here," Levi replied, disposing of the rag and returning to the kitchen.

Oluo and Kendall blinked, unsure of how to respond or what that comment was supposed to mean. They shrugged it off and resumed their scheduled bantering as Levi finished the cleaning.

Levi then decided to try to ask Petra. He walked towards her room and stopped as soon as he heard crying. He knew he wasn't suited for this.

Levi walked to Erd's room, deciding to ask Petra's closest friend in the squad.

Within a few minutes, Levi walked out, none the wiser. He decided to go for broke and ask Gunther.

"Do you know why Petra would be sad right now?" Levi asked.

"Yeah," Gunther said hesitantly. Levi nodded, prompting Gunther. "I heard Petra and Kendall have a fight last night, except I'm sure it wasn't a fight..."

"Well?"

"I'm not sure if..." Gunther considered. "I have to tell you Heicho, but please promise to ask Petra before doing anything."

Levi furrowed his eyebrows. This was a deep mystery. "Alright," he promised.

"You see, Heicho, there was nothing I could do. I heard Petra shouting through the walls so I went to see if everything was alright. And everything seemed to be happening in Kendall's room, but the door was locked." Gunther sighed. "I tried pounding on it, but after a while, everything stopped."

"Was she-" Levi began.

"I'm unsure if she was raped, but… I should have tried to..." Gunther pondered. "I'm sorry I failed."

"You didn't. Now tell me, what happened then?"

"I stayed back and all I saw was Petra run out and go to her room. Kendall stayed inside and I don't know if he went to sleep. I didn't want to know – I thought, for some reason, I thought that I was in danger."

"I'll resolve this situation as soon as I can. Gunther, thank you for doing whatever you could. Next time, God forbid a next time, come straight to me – wake me up," Levi said.

"Oh! Um… Heicho… I was… I.. It's alright," Petra said from the corridor.

"Ral, wait," Levi called. He walked out of Gunther's room. "What's bothering you?"

"It's… I… can we talk in your office," Petra faltered.

"Sure," Levi said, walking towards his office. Petra hesitated and then followed.

Levi sat as his desk and relaxed, unsure of how to handle anything. He just knew he had to put up a facade to help Petra.

"I was wondering, Heicho… if it's not too inconvenient to you… if I could take leave today?" Petra mumbled.

"Would you like to go home?" Levi asked.

"I just… I need time away," Petra stammered.

"Too many men is not good for health, I'm sure," Levi said, trying for some humour despite what he knew. "Would spending the day with Hanji's be suitable?"

"I'm not like… I mean, th-thanks Heicho. I'll report to Hanji right away," Petra said.

"Wait," Levi scribbled an "I approved" with his signature on a piece of paper. "Take this just in case," he handed her the sheet. He considered calling "have a good day" after her, but decided that she'd realise that something was awry.

Levi tried to treat the day as a usual one. Petra was in better hands, he reasoned, and the rest of the squad (excluding Kendall) did not deserve to suffer. But as he told himself that Petra was in good hands, he couldn't help but consider the bad hands she'd had to suffer the night before. Levi ended up having to put in a lot of effort to not treat Kendall like a Titan.

Levi believed that if anyone in the current circumstances had the right to treat Kendall like a Titan, it was Petra. She could kill him and Levi wouldn't care. All he hoped was that in punishing Kendall, in whatever way she considered just, Petra would recover from the night before.

Sitting at his desk at night, he believed that the day was a success. Now all that was left was to hear something from Petra.

Soon enough, he did resolve that: Hanji and Petra appeared at his door.

"Levi, your soldier has something to tell you," Hanji said. "You can do it if it's what you really want, Petra," she whispered to the ginger beside her.

"Heicho… I… it's too… Hanji… can you please?" Petra almost whimpered.

"Stay here, OK?" Hanji said. "Levi," she almost snapped, "Petra here was raped by Kendall last night in his bedroom," she continued in a detached scientific manner – her tone being the only thing stopping her from yelling "how dare you let somebody in your squad be a rapist!"

"It had come to my attention. Petra, please tell me how exactly you would like him punished. I've kept him alive for you," Levi said.

Hanji calmed down. "Why didn't you…," she began.

"I was letting Petra control her own affairs," Levi said. "I was told that that would be for the best."

Petra seemed to have relaxed, the cloud hanging over her gone. "Thanks," she began. She then stopped, slowly pacing from the doorway to Hanji's side. "I don't know how to punish him… it's just... not..."

"Alright. I understand. I assure you that nobody in this squad will ever have to see him again. I'll talk to Erwin and hope that nobody in any of the military will suffer this scum's presence," Levi declared.

Petra sighed. "I just don't want to bother..."

Levi sighed. "Do you think that not punishing him would be better?"

"No – I… I just don't want Erwin to know."

"I'll come up with something. At the least, I want him gone. Out of the survey corps."

"I'd want him dead, but..." Hanji cut in.

"I just don't think he should be punished… that badly," Petra replied.

"You're too nice, Petra!" Hanji complained.

"...is that why it… happened to me…?" Petra said after an uncomfortable silence.

"I- sh- I – I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that," Hanji grew flustered. "But we must make sure he learns never to… do that again."

After a silence, just before Levi was ready to allot Petra some more time, Petra said: "I would like to have his balls cut off."

Levi and Hanji nodded, uncertain of whether they would be able to get the corps to sanction such a thing.

"That would work," Hanji concluded.

(Wasn't sure where to end that. This could go on...

I must thank another fic where Levi rapes Petra: that was an inspiration... I just have a differing view of Levi, apparently.

I may write a sequel that is more realistic - the contrast would be interesting. But I hate writing things I hate.

I hope there was some sort of vicarious enjoyment for y'all.

Have fun!)