Author's Note: Hi guys, I'm sorry this chapter is coming out months after but a lot has happened. I'm finally healed (for the most part) with my foot injury but I ended up getting covid badly. I was hospitalized and have been on oxygen for a while now cause my lungs are still not fully healed. Anyways, I'm working on more chapter outlines for later chapters at the moment. It was interesting writing part of this in Levi's POV.
Enjoy the chapter!
Dust twinkles in the sunlight as he passes the windows in the headquarter hallways, covering his mouth slightly. 'I ought to ring the necks on whoever cleans this section,' the captain quips mentally, hands coming down to the stark white cravat resting on his neck.
Levi is on his way to his commander's office, being informed of Erwin's request for his presence by an assistant of his. He's supposed to be training his new members of the team he just picked out, the "fresh meat", in his eyes, needing more training than he thought. Although, each of them has their own promising talents that he deemed could be valuable to his team.
The assistant stopped him right after breakfast, heading over with his squad to get supplies to ready themselves for ODM gear training. With a huff, he ordered them to join Ness's squad for horseback riding exercises for the time being.
Stopping a few feet from the commander's door, he pauses. The soldier lets go of the now straightened cravat on his neck, looking down at the mediocrely swept floorboards. Usually, Erwin left him alone during training times unless it's an emergency. However, the commander himself would've come unless occupied.
There wasn't a sense of urgency in the soldier, only looking like having to shit himself from the spot from talking to him.
"Pussy…" Levi grumbles under his breath. His hand goes to scratch the back of his neck, right under where his undercut ends as he takes a few steps forward, opening the door with no hesitation.
Erwin's brows furrow until he realizes it's his right-hand man, not bothering to correct his rude actions. It's pointless since he would just huff and do it again later that day.
Plopping himself on the couch in between two bookshelves that stood to the left of the room, Levi rests his legs on the other cushion beside, facing Erwin expectantly.
He watches his superior grab a folder beside him, flipping through as if to skim for a few seconds. "I got the papers surprisingly fast."
Raising an eyebrow, Levi raises an eyebrow slightly. "Need to be more specific."
Silently, the commander stands with the folder in hand and walks to the large map on the other wall across from Levi.
"Cadet Irene Despoina - she lived in the city of Zlosa. It's the city connecting the district Yalkell, as you know is the left outer district of Wall Sina, to Wall Rose," He points to where it's located, turning to his soldier, "I've never been but from talking to others, it's one of the more well off cities in Wall Rose. Or at least was until Wall Maria fell, the magnitude of people pushing all the way up there."
His eyes lower to the folder, "Her personal records show she was only there for about a couple of years before the fall of Wall Maria. That's all the information that can be confirmed at this point in time. Anything before this seems vague, including her birth certificate. I already put in a request for proof of her birth in the Krolva district, which will hopefully come back within the next month."
"It would've been understandable since everything went to shit from the loss," Levi's gaze fixes on the floor before adding, "...but since she was their prior, it's better to assume it may be a cover up. It was Trost and other southern regions of Wall Rose that got hit the hardest. I doubt it could've screwed records up that much."
Medical records and other info in Wall Rose were screwed up in the process of adding the citizens of Wall Maria. Well, whoever was left at least. What didn't help the flow of information was the addition of another situation.
Since there has been a scramble to settle down after the crisis, citizens of Wall Maria spread out the best they could with the money they had. There are problems with getting affordable housing, many people frowning upon those citizens since they often suffer from financial instability… more so than the local citizens.
So, the sellers would rather work deals with a Wall Rose citizen instead. To combat this, there's a black market in information. Insiders dealing with records and information were willing to change or slip false information for money. Again, this happens in areas of southern Wall Rose rather than the east or west.
"Hmm definitely a possibility, but unlikely since any forging occurred before losing Wall Maria," Erwin paces the room slowly, his large steps echoing in the large office space. He pauses, "Could be from the underground?"
Levi's eyes dilate at the suggestion, before closing and shaking his head, "No."
The blonde raises an eyebrow, "Hmm?"
Levi huffs, "She didn't come from there. Her fighting style doesn't match anything I've seen down there, plus..." Erwin stands still, eyes narrowing for him to continue.
Crossing his arms, the soldier leans back into the couch, "...it's just a gut feeling."
The trusting of judgement goes both ways for them, especially when it comes to the feeling that gnaws at them both from time to time. For the two, it often turns out right. A few seconds pass before the pacing continues, Levi can almost watch him scratch off that possibility in his head with the first step.
"I've never ran into anyone that has stricken me like that before, not even the best fighters down there have shown that," His onyx bangs tickle his forehead as he sits upright and leans forward on the couch.
Erwin notes the perplexed look on his best soldier's face. He showed up right when it happened. Running to the opened door of the trashed classroom to see his best soldier on the defence made his heart pump.
"That's why she's a valuable asset," An uncharacteristic sparkle in the frozen sea of his eyes.
Levi narrows his eyes at the look, "According to these last few days, her ODM gear skills are just sufficient. Nothing special. If all she has to show is some fancy combat moves then she's practically useless with titans."
"Titans aren't the only enemy, Levi. You of all people should know that."
Clicking his tongue, he leans back into the cough again and stares out the window. He knew what Erwin was referring to. Two faces appear in his head, causing his jaw to clench and shove all those thoughts down.
He could practically read his commander's mind. She wasn't brought here to fight titans necessarily. With the thought of that look in her eyes before knowing it was him, he saw something in there that made his stomach turn.
Piercing eyes like crimson flames peered at him once she became serious, making even him hesitate for a moment. An unsettling shiver runs down his spine, yet he remains still. The foreign sight appeared when she must've realized she needed to fight.
An image appeared in her mind. Dressed in black, she could sneak in anywhere and do Erwin's bidding. Blood-red eyes glowing in the dark as she ends whoever stands in the way of his goal. Levi's eyes widen - his thoughts concluding, 'That's why he dropped everything and pushed the mission back after he found out her interest in the scouts. He couldn't let a pawn like that go to the MP's…'
The warm look on her face as she sat on the chair the other night crossed his mind. Leaning back as if the world was finally at peace, her ashy blonde bangs wisped messily without a care to give. Not knowing why he paused there to stare at her for a few seconds, Levi sighs while dropping the thought.
"You sure know how to pick them," The captain mumbles before telling Erwin of what occurred a few nights ago. The commander lifts an eyebrow at the end, her outburst before leaving interested him.
"She has a little fire in her, hmm?" Erwin murmurs to himself, noting how both his best soldier and Irene were similar. He's not surprised they would butt heads. Though she was sweet and polite to everyone around her - well, almost everyone - Erwin didn't peg her to be one to take shit from their interactions.
"Yeah…" Levi actually found himself agreeing, thinking back to that night. He's surprised that the chair didn't break under her hold from him speaking. He knew she dislikes him…
Afterall, the feeling is mutual.
'Mind your own damn business and go fuck right off.' Her low harsh tone echoes in his mind. Her eyes that night matched the flames that lit the room as she stomped out. He remembers taking a few steps forward to follow, teeth gritting so hard he was surprised they didn't crumble into dust. No one has ever said that to him and walked away with a full set of teeth.
But, he let her go. Not following a single bit, he ended up finishing his tea and going to bed without a word. For the past few days, they haven't interacted directly. However, he does feel the occasional stare from afar. Glowers acknowledging him as she passes by, often alone or with the others that seem attached to her.
Two soldiers appear in his mind. The crazy bitch that throws a swing every time she sees him and the quiet one that acts like he has ants in his pants anytime someone talks to him. They seem to fancy her, along with Hange who always enjoys the company of whoever wants to listen to her titan bullshit.
"Levi, she has gone there every night, correct?"
After that, he walked in on her there just about every night. Alone, boiling water for tea to sip and have some peace and quiet. Everytime he walks in, she walks out without a word. He hasn't stopped her, but notes that she goes earlier now to grab a cup and go sit outside at the tables.
"I want you to keep an eye out. Watch her from a distance at the least while you're out at night, but don't confront or question her. We need to let her put her guard down if she's ever going to be one of us."
The ordered man grumbles with a slight scowl, "Why can't you have some random scout out there to do it? Plus, isn't it risky having the enemy this close? I say throw her in the cells in the basement and get the information out ourselves."
"There's only a number of people I can truly trust here… Especially if my hunch is correct… There's something bigger to this than meets the eye," Erwin stares him down before continuing his explanation, "She lied about her reasoning to fight, wanting to give her life to humanity…"
Levi remembers the carriage ride to the scout headquarters. It was quiet, not that Irene gave much room for conversation. Polite but conservative with her short words, evading any of Erwin's sly attempts to gain any information. It impressed him, the tiny woman had somewhat of a head on her shoulders.
The brief talking quieted down when the commander pulled a fast one on her. He cornered her, forcing her to lie not so subtly. Her teeth pulled on her lips as she gazed out the window once Erwin outright asked her intentions, giving the generic 'fight for humanity' spiel Levi has heard plenty of times.
Levi furrows his brows at the recent memory, focusing back on his commander continuing on.
"We need to know her real intentions here. but more importantly where she honed her skills. We can't mess this up by taking the information out forcefully. Whether or not she can talk doesn't matter in the end if she refuses to do her job or leaves. We have nothing for leverage so that's out of the question."
Erwin ends his pacing, sitting back into his chair. "Plus, if she really is an enemy… You know I like to keep them close. I have plans in place if something were to happen," The commander ends his note with an almost eerie grin.
Levi knows he will not stop until he gets answers, planning ahead further than he or anyone for the matter could see. He gives a curt nod at his explanation.
"For the matter of training, furthering her ODM gear skills can be fulfilled by either advanced squad," Erwin looks up with an excited glint in his eyes, "She has great potential here, I wonder how this will progress…"
The sour feeling of nostalgia runs through Levi. So this was what he must've been like after hearing about him and his friends. Farlan and Isabel's grinning faces flash in his mind. With a sigh, the man stands up from the couch.
Dusting himself off a bit, he turns to his superior, "I'll do it and update you if there's anything useful."
With a small smile, Erwin dismisses him while handing a stack of papers to him. Levi accepts it with a nod, turning and heading out. He never missed a dusty hallway more, internally thankful for being out of there. The nostalgic situation doesn't sit well with him.
But, he agrees with him. If she is deemed useful, then it would be a shame to lose her. Whether from fucking this up or not. However, they couldn't just leave themselves open. They need to find out her intentions and fast.
'I just wish he would stop with his creep ass faces,' Levi wrinkles his nose at the thought as he looks at the small note on top of the stack given to him.
Section Commander Hange Zoe,
Please fill these out and make sure to sign each page.
Return to me completed on 31 October 848.
Thank you,
Commander Erwin Smith
"Straight to the point I see," Levi mutters to himself.
'It's due in about a week for her. Judging by the stack, she needs to get right on it.' He thinks to himself as he makes his way to Hange's office. Her actual office space is about the same size as his, a little smaller than the commander's. But, it has a large lab space connected to it.
After about several minutes, the quick pace of the captain has led him drawing close to the crazy lady's 'zone'. He passes by a few scouts heading to the fields, their widen gazes lingering at the sight.
The reputation he has made for himself has its pros and cons. He didn't often have people messing with him and can go just about as he pleases. However, he's at the center of people's attention more than not.
Right before turning a corner, he hears two scouts conversing about the recent rumors lingering.
"Is it true that the new chick strangled him with his own cravat-"
"Oh shi-"
They are quickly met with the man inquired, the color leaving their faces as he turns the corner. The one that was resting against the wall trips over his own feet, scrambling to salute. The shadows on his face darken as he asks where they are headed.
"To the fields, we are on team leader Nessie's squad and going to…" The taller man looks down as he trails off, sweat dropping at the raised brow of the superior in front of them.
"No you aren't."
Their darting eyes and shaky smiles could've made him smirk if he isn't so annoyed, the blank stare causing the reaction he expected often from rookies like them. If not, they would leave with it.
"No?" The other questions quietly, earning himself a bump from the other to silence.
"No. Since you both enjoy fooling around in the hallways rather than training like the rest of your team, you'll be cleaning all the stalls for the rest of the day. In fact, the next few days. Alone. Tell Nessie I said so, and if she has a problem to come to me" Levi commands with a blank stare, lowering his gaze, "If I don't see it spotless, I hope you fatten yourselves up now cause you're losing meal privileges until it is."
He knows Nessie wouldn't question him, knowing he probably gave it for a good reason. Well, usually for a good reason.
"Yes-Yes sir!" They both shout, trembling as they give their solute.
"Very well," He grumbles, stepping aside as he hears them scramble off.
'Fucking Hange,' Levi glowers, now stomping to the room. This isn't the first strange rumor being spread by the woman, rambling off her theories on their fight to whoever would listen. Usually he wouldn't care, but just the idea of the little blonde pisses him off.
He hasn't felt like this in a long time. His past with Erwin pops up in his head, passing by him while promising internally to end him before they… Levi slows down at the depressing thought, shoving it away with a frown as he sees Hange's door. He wishes the day was over already, although it's barely started.
The portion of the lab wall connecting to the hallway was partially made of glass, letting him peer in as he passed. His eyes widen slightly, not expecting Irene to be sitting on one of the tables with a stack of books next to her. Brushing it off, he walks in with a blank stare.
A quick glance around the room secures Hange's absence in his mind, huffing as he turns to the spaced out scout with a glare.
"Oi."
Irene jumps a bit at his voice, not realizing he came in. He watches her tense as her eyes shine with recognition, her plump lips pressing together in a fine line. Levi narrows his eyes, hating the innocent look of the woman.
It irks him - the same soldier who dodged and attacked him like a skilled assassin is now roped in with Hange's research. The last few days he noticed she almost felt bad by the others reaction, letting herself be subject to that. What purpose did she have? It confuses him.
Refusing to spill about her past yet mothering those around her.
He has stared at the sidelines as she pats Hange's back from being rejected by Glenn's disinterest in titan research, or comforting the scaredy cat Frost when Levi passes by them.
Helping those around her but not letting anyone close to her.
The distant stare of hers was always somewhere else. But where?
Levi clenches his fist, hating the feeling inside him. People reading is like breathing to him. He reads one aspect of hers till another contradicts it.
Genuine yet not.
'She makes no sense…'
...No, it does.
It must all be fake, has to be. Her actions must be contradicting because she's lying. What is her goal here? Is she after Erwin like he was? She sucks at getting close to people with that distant attitude of hers. Despite that, she is still gaining their trust. He crinkles his nose and scowls.
'What a fucking facade…'
"Erm, captain?"
Her brows raise in confusion, quirking her head slightly at his silence. He wipes any emotion off his face as he plops the stack of papers in his hand on the table beside her.
"Where's the crazy lunatic?" He looks down at her.
Levi hears her sigh slightly, gazing off while answering under her breath, "Which one?"
As if on cue, the scientist bursts out of her supply closet in the back of the room. He watches Irene turn on her chair to see Hange stumbling out of the mess of her closet; shoving stray notebooks and papers back there is her version of cleaning.
Her assistant Moblit comes out shortly after, carrying a stack of books in his hands as his superior officer struts up to him.
"I knew this day would one day come…" She starts, fixing her glasses as she stands beside the sitting Irene. Levi raises an eyebrow at her, prompting the section commander to continue.
"Finally interested in my research? Come sit and -"
"Fuck no," He crosses his arm after he interrupts, glaring as she mutters 'one day...one day' under her breath.
While grabbing the notebook from the pile, Hange looks at him expectantly.
"Erwin wanted me to deliver these," Levi eyes the papers, everyone following his line of sight before continuing, "- and to tell you to quit with your shitty rumors and false information."
He turns to Irene as she opens her to ask, not wanting to hear a word from her mouth.
"Don't mind his stink eye, he doesn't know how to be nice," Hange pats her back as the blonde blankly stares at her before the scientists adds, "Be nice to the new cadet, no one's going to want to join our ranks with your grumpy attitude…"
Her amber eyes widen as Hange pokes her cheeks from behind, Levi noting her stiffening her shoulders but not making a comment. "Plus, she's an absolute sweetheart."
He couldn't hold back from rolling his eyes and sneering, "That's what the snake wants you to believe."
The captain eyes Irene as she stands up abruptly from her chair, Hange stumbling back quickly but caught by Moblit. Her stony stare mirrors his as she raises her head up slightly, "What's your problem now?"
In the corner of his eye, he sees Hange rapidly blink as she steps further back with Moblit. Dryly chuckling, he steps closer to the woman, not giving a shit if he edges her on. He shuts out Erwin's words in the back of his head as he mutters emotionlessly, "I'll tell you what the problem is - you're a fucking liar."
He feels the heat in her narrowed gaze, meeting him a foot away, "And why do you think that? Because I don't want the commander's dog snooping around my business? Is this what you resort to?"
Levi lowers his head, his bangs shadowing his expression from the others. He could hear a pin drop in the room with the tension. He expected some sort of backhanded comment, but even for him that was shocking.
Not that he would show any disbelief. The captain curls his lips as he steps even closer, right in her face. An inch closer and their noses would touch. Levi hears her breath still, even as she continues to cock her head in unrelenting defiance.
With a dangerous half-lidded gaze, he is ready to put this bitch in her place, "Now listen here cadet-"
"Just our luck, Frosty! We get to watch them fight!" He stills as he looks over his shoulder at the duo. Standing at the doorway was Cadet Phoenix and Frost, the woman towering over the horrified looking man with bright eyes.
Dismissing them with a glare, he lowers his eyes back to the fiery ones that stood their ground. It isn't often he can look down upon someone without forcing them down, even if it is by just a few inches. He curls his lip to continue before he hears Hange shuffle to the two.
"Hugo, take notes," Hange attempts to whisper, but the statement sounds in the tense atmosphere like a loud, inappropriate joke made at a funeral.
Levi hears the young man shuffle on his feet before he answers tensely, "I don't have a death wish ma'am, especially after hearing all those obscene stories going around…I don't want to piss them off more... Plus my arms are kinda full."
"Like how they fought to the death with brooms?" Brielle inquires.
"Irene's the one you have to worry about… She -"
"I didn't do any of that, I didn't even win anything," Irene mutters coldy, not moving a muscle from him as she glances to the side, "It was a test and that's that."
After a few seconds, she sighs under her breath and takes a step back, out of the close proximity.
Levi narrows his eyes, letting a low hiss, "Watch your fucking mouth cadet. You've earned yourself cleaning duty in the headquarters for the next two weeks."
'It needs a good cleaning… Maybe she'll kiss their asses over there and make them better.' The thought lingers as he turns on his feet, making his way to the door while giving a warning look to Hange. The two step out of his way, Hugo scrambling to the side with the heavy books.
Levi could still feel her intense eyes on the back of his head as he heads out, burning a hole right through his skull. He doesn't give a fuck though, expressionless face hiding the unnatural fume that she lights in him everytime she's even thought of.
He clenches his teeth, hurrying his pace to burn off some steam during training.
His departure left the group in silence. Irene has picked up on many facts about Levi over her short stay here. Encompassing all of them led her to one short statement - he is one expressionless, relentless clean freak. She can see what others mean by him.
However, there was something more.
More than she could place at the moment without knowing more. She internally grimaces. She doesn't want to know. Why would she after his treatment towards her? She's heard he's an antisocial hardhead, but is this how he treats everyone? Maybe new people?
Hange's contemplative expression says otherwise, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Irene hasn't seen her with a serious look since she's met her.
Maybe not just new people then.
She obviously knows why too. It's not like he's trying to hide it at all. He wants to know her reasoning in order to gage if she's actually a threat or not. Her shoulders fall as she shifts in front of the table.
I would if I could… Just to avoid all this.
But, of course there's no way. Too many questions would arise, leading to her further away from her goal and possibly detained. Or worse...
Is it worth risking it all just to get Captain Levi Ackerman off her back? No, but it'll be a bitch to deal with him if he keeps this stuff up. She's not sure why he riles her up so much, to the point she has to physically stop herself from grabbing his full raven head and smashing it into-
"Don't worry about it," Hange is back to her eccentric self, patting her on the back before continuing, "Shorty can be a bit harsh at times!"
A bit?
"I've never seen him almost blow up like that before," Hugo sighs, rubbing his head and grimacing, "Something I don't want to see again."
"I want to fight him while he's pissed, maybe I could actually-"
"Don't even think about it," Hugo lets out at Brielle's comment as he finally joins them beside the table, putting the objects to the side.
"Speaking of Mr. Shortstuff, how tall are you?" Hange questions.
"According to my last physical, I'm four feet eleven inches," Irene answers simply, closing the book she was reading prior to Levi's appearance. With her mood dampened, she wants nothing more than to leave. However…
Irene turns to the others, "I'm sorry about that…"
Hugo gives a small smile, "It's okay."
"No need, I like the entertainment!" Brielle exclaims, a cheeky smile adorning her face before it was wiped from a swift elbow to her side from the engineer beside her. With a warning glare, the woman shakes her head and apologizes with sweats dropping.
The two finally put the stuff they were carrying down, the tall blonde stretching her muscles from the load as Hugo makes his way to the back of the room with purpose.
"So!" Hange walks up to Brielle, leaning in with a glint in her eyes, "Here to learn more about titans?"
"Nope! I offered the nerd here some help after I saw him struggling," Brielle winks at Hugo, who shoots her a look from afar with flushed cheeks, "But I got some more training to do!"
With that, she salutes and jogs out eagerly. Moblit joins Hugo in the back of the room, conversing quietly amongst themselves, leaving Hange and Irene alone.
"I'll be going now. Thank you section commander," Irene takes a step to the door before noticing Hange's face becoming serious once again.
"I've heard you're being evaluated on your placement with either advanced squads," Hange states, leaning against the desk before continuing, "I've also been informed of the… situation? I guess that is the best way to put it."
Irene pauses, wondering her reaction. Does she despise her like Levi, just able to internalize it better? Without expression, she gives a curt nod.
Hange fixes her glasses and says, "Well I wish you luck with whatever squad you end up in."
She'll need it if she ends up on Levi's squad, if he would choose her. Though by their interactions, she doubts she would be anywhere near the top of his list, even with her skill.
"Thank you again," Irene politely murmurs, stepping to the door before Hange interrupts her again.
"My gut feeling is typically right," Hange lifts off from the desk to tower over her, "With research… and people. I don't feel like you have bad intentions here, anything that would hinder humanity within these walls. Although it would be easier for us to understand and work together-"
She pauses again, her expression and voice softening, "There are those that can or can't talk about it. We have different reasonings for risking our lives out there, different circumstances with different people. If that's not the case-" The red-brown haired woman tightens her lip, "Well, I hope it's not, for your sake."
Levi's stony face flashes in her mind. Irene lowers her eyes, murmuring a small "thanks" again before turning and leaving.
The hand-to-hand combat is an area she frequents often, assessing others' strengths and weaknesses. Today is her day of judgement in the ring. Some team leaders join in, as well as other higher ups like the commander and section commanders. Of course, both captains are there, having taken half the day to assess her different skills.
She was like an elite. Not perfect, but much better than most of the veterans. Her best feature that was shown throughout the tests was her reflexive and nimble nature. Although she is to be on either the elite or advanced squads, the other section commanders couldn't help but wish they could have a valuable soldier like her.
As Irene steps in the arena, both Brielle and Hugo catch her eye on the side of the fence. Brielle's eyes lit up, poking the smaller dark haired man who didn't seem to want to look up from his book. Irene suppressed a small smile. This is all temporary…
Her eyes lower to the ground, ripping away from Brielle and Hugo conversing. She couldn't shake them off her tail, no matter how much she tried. Well, she tries but ends up getting caught up with them either way.
Her presence has already spurred on a friendship between her, Hugo, and Brielle. The two tended to run into each other more often, herself acting as a liaison between them. 'I need to get rid of this feeling. I can't get attached to these people.'
Taking a few deep breaths, she looks to the line of cadets that would be testing her. Most were men almost twice her size, looking down at her with hesitation. She wants this to be all over already. She's not a fan of confrontation and attention.
With all the eyes on her today, she wanted to wash their gazes off of her and hide in her room. Raising her fists, she awaits instruction. Once released to fight, she rushes on the offensive, rapidly disposing of each and every person. More people gather, murmuring of her skills amongst themselves.
She huffs in place, wiping the sweat off her forehead. It's over, the last person she faced is face planted on the ground beside her. Or so she thought…
Motion catches the corner of her eye. She twists her head to see Captain Glenn as he jumps over the fence separating them and makes his way to her, the others silencing at his motion. Dirt kicks up as his heavy steps end in front of her, raising his hand to her.
"May I?"
The wind picks up, picking up dust at their feet as she straightens herself. 'One more left I suppose.' With a passionless nod, she simply moves herself into position.
In an instant he's onto her, speed closer to Levi's than anyone she's faced here. Which was surprising to her as Captain Glenn towers over both of them. 'Combined with this strength-' She mentally notes as his interminable hits send her back. Since her fight with Levi, she actually needs to focus.
Every interaction with this captain till now has been careless, not thinking too much of his skill. She assumed he was just a pretty face of the scouts, being the most prominent men talked of in the girl's barracks. Just a smooth talker that successfully made his way up the ranks. She never bothered to watch his training sessions despite being near the separated grounds of the two advanced teams.
With the slam to her side, sending her flying despite blocking was a wake up call. She chastises herself for underestimating her opponent. Gritting her teeth, she always herself to be sent flying, waiting for the moment to roll and spring up. Her eyes widen as he rushes forward while she's in mid air. His fist collides with nothing as she twists her body in mid air, just barely dodging that attack. The motion allows her to raise her leg and kick his bare head, knocking him to the side.
As he recovers, she tumbles and leaps up. She watches his fighting style. Captain Glenn is a formidable fighter, fast as he is strong, he makes it his goal to overwhelm the opponent. However, in regards to fluidity, he finds himself lacking in a changing environment. There was his weakness, one she plans to exploit in order to win.
Focusing on a more nimble approach, the captain finds himself quickly on the defensive. Every hit he throws only gets used to her advantage. With the force exerted from him, she dodges with grace and sends him forward. Like stealing the enemy's gun and shooting him with it.
Irene can hear his frustrated grunts now. His movements have become sloppier, throwing his weight further into his hits as he attempts to stop her. Her body screams of fatigue as she dances around him like a cobra, a beautiful but deadly dance for the top.
With a strong side kick, he staggers to the side where she once was. She goes in to end this fight, raising her leg to smash his face to the ground until she feels it. If she truly was a snake, her body would have coiled up from the stare burning into her body. She unconsciously slows as she turns her head back, looking into the silvery cold eyes now watching the fight. Holding his gaze for a split second, she realizes the slight widening of his eyes before it's too late.
Before she can react, her eyes widen in return as she is thrown into the ground. Her back lifts from the impact, forcing an exasperated cough from her lungs till she's slammed back down from the weight pushed on top of her. She knew once he had her down, she was done. Her tiny body can't beat him in terms of pure strength.
Closing her eyes on impact, she peaks to see Captain Glenn hovering over, his huffing face just inches away from hers. He raises himself up from the knees, kneeling beside the tiny woman that gave him a run for his money.
Turning to Commander Erwin, now beside Levi who hasn't moved his gaze from Irene, Captain Glenn gives a victory grin despite it hurting from his brutalized cheeks. Everyone quiets down, enough for all to hear the man mutter, "I want her."