Levi wasn't used to hearing another set of footsteps following along behind him. He'd often found that people tried to overtake him hurriedly, doing some sort of salute or bow as they passed him. That, or they would stop outright, choosing to wait until he's already past and had left a substantial gap before walking again. He found it mildly amusing that his newly recruited soldier was following him wordlessly, without even asking where they were going. She's taking this follow the leader thing, no questions asked too seriously, he thought internally.

Besides finding her footsteps following him slightly strange, Levi wasn't used to the silence coming from her. Levi thought that he's a pretty good judge of character, and from their short interactions, he'd already surmised that Petra was a talkative person. Which is why he wondered what made her so quiet now.

Could it be she's rethinking her decision to join the squad? Not likely. Levi knew that she was the type of soldier whose yeses meant yes, and no's meant no. Then why she isn't speaking? Still, he couldn't really complain. He wasn't the type to start conversations, and he found their shared silence oddly relaxing.

He stopped in his tracks to see the door closest to the stairs open, revealing the Commander stepping out of the room. Levi always thought that Erwin's office was the least favorable office position. Not only was it too dangerous, as people could slip in and out easily, but it was too close for comfort, the noise of the mess hall easily overheard from down below. When he was promoted captain, Levi had made a note to choose the room closest to the end of the hallway, farthest away from people (but found that it was unfortunately already occupied by Mike, before settling in to the second farthest room).

"Ah, Levi, are you going down for dinner?" Levi could see that Erwin had some papers clutched to his right as he closed his door. Levi felt a soft nudge behind his back. Petra had stumbled into him, not noticing that he'd already stopped walking abruptly.

"Captain, I'm sorry, I didn't mean – I wasn't looking, I was – "

"Ah, Petra Ral! I take it you've now been recruited and onboarded?" Erwin peeked behind him, his face looking a bit cheery, trying to see the smaller soldier.

"Commander Erwin!" Petra had formed a salute. "Yes, sir! I just signed the official transfer form, and the captain had just briefed me of the new role and the changes to my remuneration."

"I was about to show her where their barracks is." Levi added flatly. Ah, so that was where we were going, Petra thought.

"Good, good. I'm happy to hear that." Erwin was genuinely happy of the new addition to the Special Ops team. He'd been hearing solid reports from Levi about his elite squad, but he had also noted that he felt their team dynamics could be improved. That Eld, Gunther and Oruo were still working independently together, instead of forming one cohesive team. When Erwin had suggested that maybe an additional soldier could help, he didn't think that the additional soldier would be a girl.

Not that there was anything wrong with that, Erwin chastised himself. He of all people should know that the devotion of a soldier's heart is irrespective of gender. Still, he remembers that the last time Levi had worked with a female soldier in his unit was when he went out on an expedition with Isabel and Furlan.

He glanced at the ginger haired scout in front of him and saw that she was smiling while saluting. He was reminded on how Isabel would make unnecessary movements while forming their salute, either fidgeting or laughing at something she couldn't wait to share with her friends.

He'd noted how Levi also seemed to relax in Petra's presence. She did have that calming aura about her, Erwin agreed, an aura bright and full of light.

"Levi, now that you have more personnel on your team, you should really utilize them to the best of your ability."

Levi's brows twitched in confusion. What?

"Petra, how's your handwriting?" Erwin peered at her once more, his eyes smiling, a hint of mischief in his voice.

"My handwriting sir?"

"Yes, how do you find it?"

"Um, I write in print sir?" She wasn't sure if it was the correct answer. She just preferred to write in print as her father had bad eyes and couldn't comfortably read her cursive writing too much, especially when she goes on and on about her many stories.

Erwin let out a chuckle. "That's perfect then! Make sure it's nice print since you'll be helping your captain with paperwork."

Levi understood. He was getting swamped with a lot of paperwork recently. From making reports on his subordinates' skills and progress as part of the Elite Corps, he also had to complete the dossiers about the expedition trips (he's been assigned this last trip, and the previous mission, which he had yet to even start), not to mention the training logs of the other recruits he mentors during his ODM gear class. He was even certain there was more and he was forgetting about them.

"Well, you better head on out. I'm looking forward to hearing great things from you Petra." Erwin smiled as he made his way down the stairs first.

.

.

The moon provided faint light to them as Levi and Petra made their way across the Survey Corps camp.

Since the fall of Wall Maria, the Survey Corps camp had transferred their main base of operations on a large, lone field by the eastern edge of Wall Rose, next to Karanes district. The two weren't making much sound with their footsteps, as the grounds they were walking on were bone dry, the day earlier hot and humid. Levi was grateful as he really hated walking on the muddy soil after rain, and the earth here gets more wet as the field used to be tilled.

The huge camp housed small, sturdy buildings made of stone, their positioning forming some sort of enclave, the trees at the edges forming a natural fence. There were smaller forests within the boundary of the camp, and the fields served as training grounds. The mess hall was located at the far center edge of camp, flanked on both sides by taller stone buildings which housed the regular squad dorms. On the camp's center was a flagpole where a flag bearing the Survey Corps emblem hung, its silver wings glinting by the moonlight. Just below the pole was a wooden stage and mini podium, where the Commander usually spoke before each expedition. The Special Ops barracks was on the northwestern side, near the entrance and the stables.

The walk to the barracks was long and quiet.

Petra kept her pace steady behind Levi, and she was initially startled when the Captain had paused in his stride. When she'd stepped forward, finally at pace and next to him, she was even more surprised to find him resume his steps to walk alongside her. She breathed heavily as she walked beside him, the air around them cold. She thought she could break the ice.

"Sir, do you like plants?" Petra broke the silence, her head to the side, staring at him as she walked. He couldn't make out too much of her features as the outside of the camp only had lamps on the edges of the circular enclave, but still with the dimly lit light he could see the amber shine in her eyes.

"What?"

"Do you like gardening sir?" She was facing ahead now, her hands tucked behind her. She was still wearing her green cloak and her fingers were keeping warm behind them.

"I don't know," he shrugged. When Levi was growing up, he didn't really see a lot of plants. The first few plants he saw were those from the first time they went up the ground. He heard that plants needed sunlight to grow, which was perhaps why he'd never seen one underground. "Why are you asking this?" He wasn't irritated. Mostly he was intrigued how someone who just met him felt at ease enough to make light conversation with him.

"I just thought your room from a while ago seemed a bit lifeless, so maybe I could get you a plant to keep by the windowsill," she said cheerfully.

He was further surprised with her unusual suggestion, but he didn't respond. They were now in front of the barracks and Levi could see the light from the inside.

He stepped on the porch landing and wiped his feet on the mat in front of the door before opening it. He could hear Petra doing the same with her boots when the voices in rang.

"Hey Captain!" Eld greeted. He was seated on the dining table near the kitchen and saw that Gunther and Oruo were there too.

"Petra?" Oruo tried to stand up, but flinched at the movement. He clutched his bandaged hip as he sat back down once more.

"Stop moving you dumbass, we're not gonna carry you on the next mission!" Eld jeered at him. Gunther turned to look at them.

"Were you the one who saved Oruo at the forest?"

"Saved?!" Oruo cried incredulously. "Get your facts straight Gunther! She helped me! Oruo Bozado don't need no saving, y'know!"

"Speak for yourself, you couldn't even get up and get your food from the mess hall!"

"Oi, shut up!" The bickering immediately stopped as Captain Levi bellowed.

"This is Petra Ral. Moving forward she'll be part of the Special Ops Team." He motioned to Petra and she bowed to the others. "You bozos should up your game and make sure you don't embarrass yourself in front of her."

Petra chuckled lightly as she fiddled with the back of her hair. "Nice to meet you all."

"Hey there! Any soldier who puts Oruo in his damned place is a friend of ours!" Eld grinned, standing up and pulling the chair next to Gunther for her to sit. "Come on over and have a bite!"

Oruo tried to make an argument with what the blonde-haired man had said but he was cut off with a small giggle.

"Looks like you can add me to the list of people who can keep him in check," Petra melodiously retorted as she moved to take a seat. Gunther and Eld were also snickering now, Oruo folding his arms in front of them.

Gunther took a plate from the kitchen and placed some of the untouched, steaming potatoes on his plate into Petra's.

"Are you hungry? We could get you some food back at the mess hall." He asked her.

"We have a kitchen but no one really knows how to cook," Eld explained as he shrugged, Petra taking the time to look around. "We just take our plates from the mess hall and eat here where it's a lot quieter."

"I don't really think it's quieter here, with him around," Gunther cocked his head to Oruo's side, his tone soft-spoken but full of teasing.

"Can it Gunther! You wouldn't take a socking in the mouth from someone injured!"

Petra felt her stomach rumble, her chomping session from a while ago seemed like a long memory away. Her body had now started to ache, her lids feeling droopy. She was torn between eating and finally resting on a bed. "No, I think this'll do," she smiled at Gunther as she made her choice, taking the fork that he was handing her. "It's pretty late anyways and I feel beat." She looked at the captain and saw him staring at them.

Levi regarded them once Petra took her seat. Everyone seemed relax enough around her, his worry of adding a girl into the team going away. He knew the room was warm as the stone walls protected them from the air outside, but he felt a different kind of warmth looking at them in front of him. Oruo was sulking but his eyes were smiling, Eld looked chipper and Gunther was being helpful.

His team never really had arguments, and he could say they did get along well, but he always found their barracks colder and quieter than the mess hall. Having Petra join them on the table, it felt like a light had been turned on around them, illuminating everyone's faces.

"Captain, won't you join us to eat?" Petra looked at him from the table. His other subordinates turned to him as well, smiling and expectant.

"I don't really eat," he muttered as he turned back and set out back into the camp.

.

.

Petra was sipping her hot water as she took the men and her surroundings in. She clasped her fingers on her mug, warming her hands. The inside of the room was warmer, as the barracks' walls were made of stone instead of the wooden hut that she thought. It was a privilege to have your own place to call like home in the camp.

Their barracks were built like a miniature house – there was a common area with wooden seats (that didn't look too cozy or comfortable though) and an empty coffee table by the center. The commons' wall held a full-length mirror and an empty bulletin chalk board. By where she sat, behind her was a small kitchen that housed a mini stove and sink, and to the left of them was a corridor where she assumed led to the rooms.

She looked at the men in front of him and felt drawn to them in an instant. Oruo was, of course, a friend of hers despite founding him annoying from even when they were young. He was the funny kind of irritating though, and when her brothers had gone, she found him as the closest thing she has as a brother next to them.

The man next to her, Eld Jinn he introduced himself, held his blonde hair in a bun similar to how Oskar used to do his hair. He wasn't bad-looking, she thought. He had this rugged charm in him that was accentuated by some growing stubble on his chin, his eyes kind as he smiled.

Gunther in front of her was also sipping some hot liquid. With slightly tanned skin and short, neat black hair, she noted that he didn't speak too much, but when he did, she could see that he was soft-spoken. Still, she found it funny that despite the calmness in his voice, he could sound as playful as he wanted to when he joined Eld in teasing Oruo.

"Why didn't you guys salute when the Captain and I came in?" she found herself wondering out loud.

"Oh, that? The captain doesn't mind too much," Eld waved his hand, standing up to pick up her plate to bring it to the sink. So she was indeed freaking out about the salute thing when he probably didn't even notice it too much.

"Yeah, he looks like that, but he's not too formal or strict about everything," Gunther added. "Although he can be pretty strict about certain things."

"Oh boy, you got that right. I almost got a smacking from him during last training," Oruo quipped animatedly.

"Yup. If there were anything you should keep to heart here Petra, is that the Captain trains us all like horses." She heard the clacking of dishes and the running sound of water as Eld had begun the dishes.

"Like a what?"

"He could get pretty intense with training," Gunther nodded. "I don't think he's the type who'll go easy on you because you're a girl."

"Well, I don't think anyone should for that matter."

"But if we're talking about intensity here, he's more intense with another thing." Eld was holding a guffaw.

"How do you find cleaning Petra?" Oruo was snickering at her now. Ah, the rumors were right. She told them about how the rumors stated that the captain was a meticulous neat freak.

"I don't think it's about being just a neat freak though," Gunther mused. "I think he just genuinely likes cleaning."

"If you're being graded on training, you're gonna get graded even more on when and how you do your cleaning," Eld glanced back at her from the sink, winking.

"Yeah, and if you get on his bad nerves, you bet he'll gonna be punishing you not just with laps, but with latrine duty!" Oruo made a scrubbing movement with his hands as he wrinkled his nose.

Petra couldn't help but laugh. "Are you seriously ratting out the captain like that in front of the newbie?"

"Better you be prepared!"

"Don't say we didn't warn you!"

Petra smiled to herself. She could feel the ease in the air as she talked with her new squadmates. One of her worries in joining Squad Levi actually was how the dynamic would be when she'd join. She knew Oruo was already part of the team, so at least she knew she had someone familiar, but she'd wonder how to go about and make a new set of friends. Her previous squad was tight, as Mirane drilled in them the importance of a good working relationship with your comrades, especially when each expedition meant relying on one another, their lives on the line. She was glad that she found Eld and Gunther weren't difficult to hang around with, but she made a mental note to observe how the team functioned on the field so she could easily adapt.

She thought how everything went quickly that day, and how she hadn't got the chance to tell Allyne and Vanz what came out of her conversation with Mirane. A small knot formed in the pit of her stomach. She would miss them a lot, but she worried how will they take the news. Even worse, how will her former Squad Leader adjust their dynamics now that she's gone? She wouldn't want her departure to be the reason that the squad be at their off game, or worse. She shuddered at the thought, closing her eyes.

She felt a wet hand place itself on her shoulder and glanced up to see Eld smiling at her. "You look like you're gonna be falling asleep soon," he chuckled.

Gunther had stood up to wipe the crumbs off the table, and Oruo was still struggling to stand up. Eld had mischievously motioned for Gunther to lightly kick the man, but Gunther shook his head as he smiled.

"Hey I saw that!"

"What do you mean?" Eld remarked innocently as Gunther held back a chortle.

She followed Eld into the corridors, her feet feeling heavier with each step she took. They reached the end of the corridor, and Eld turned to the door on the left. "All yours, Ginger."

"Ginger?" she asked, amused.

"I have a bad habit of giving people nicknames," Eld chuckled, running his free hand at the back of his head. "Oh, and this door here," he mentions to the door in front of him, at the far end of the corridor, "This is the bathroom. I know it sucks that you've gotta share with guys, but it's a common bathroom with three separate toilets and two shower rooms, so morning shower runs don't take too long as compared to the dorms."

"Where does the captain sleep?" Petra mumbled. Idiot, why did you just say that, she caught herself.

Eld looked at her quizzingly, his forehead furrowed. "Well, not here that's for sure. He most likely sleeps in the officers' barracks. They have their own rooms too and all. That is, if he even sleeps at all."

"They say he's a vampire!" Petra just noticed that Oruo was walking in crutches and had now just caught up to them, turning the door knob to his own door.

"Shut up when you don't have anything sensible to add!" Eld heckled, the teasing tone back in his voice. "Well, here it is then," he opened the door and handed Petra the keys as she went inside.

For a room unused, it was pretty clean.

"It's clean, the captain makes us clean every nook and cranny of this place," Eld read her mind. He hung by the doorway as Petra explored the room.

It was a small room, but cozy enough. A window was on the opposite wall where she stood, a desk drawer and a chair right in front of it. The bed was adjacent to the desk and she noticed there weren't any sheets on them.

"Oh right, you could find laundered sheets on the wardrobe over there," he pointed at the dresser opposite the bed. "I think you're gonna be needing a change of clothes too. There's clean shirt and pants there."

"Everything here is clean apparently," she smiled.

"I told you, the captain doesn't mess with cleanliness."

"Hey, Eld, can we have personal belongings in our rooms?"

"Yeah of course. I figured you didn't have a lot of your things in your dorm? Here you finally have a place to keep stuff."

Petra only had the standard set of clothes that was kept in a box under her bunk bed. Aside from some undergarments and letters from home, she thought those were the only things she'd need to go back to and get from her previous sleeping space. Still, she was happy of having a private place to call her own. The room felt a bit cold and foreign to her though, and she thought her first order of agenda would be adding in some knick knacks to make it livelier.

"Do you like plants, Eld?"

"What?"

"I'm getting everyone plants for their rooms," she grinned.

.

.

It has been a couple of weeks since joining Squad Levi, and Petra found herself falling into a comfortable routine.

She was usually second to get up, Gunther waking up first to take advantage of the shower. After washing her face and getting some morning stretches, she'd start the day by brewing the squad a pot of coffee.

"Finally, someone who knows what they're doing!" Eld half-yawned one time as he made his way into the kitchen, stretching. It was the first time she brewed coffee for them, and the rich aroma seemed to make the morning brighter, the sun warmer in the room.

"It's too early in the morning for you to diss me, blondie." Oruo just went out of his room, his snappy retort sounding weak from sleep. "If any, you all should've thanked me for keeping you awake each morning training!"

"Hey guys! So, you also enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning?"

"Not when Oruo here knows jack shit about brewing."

"I said shut up and stop being too damn loud in the morning!" Oruo made his way by the table, his limp gone by now.

"Where do you get your coffee in the morning?" Eld asked her, peering over at the pot of coffee on the stove before grabbing a mug and a ladle.

"We get them by the mess hall. Squad dorms are right next to it, don't you remember?"

"You go out in public looking like that?" Oruo pointed at her.

"At least I don't go out in public smelling like that," Petra wrinkled her nose at him as she sat down and gave Oruo his mug of coffee. Eld chortled at her, giving her a high-five as he took the seat next to her.

"Hey that was pretty touché." Gunther came in to the room, now dressed in their gear uniform, drying his hair. "Is that coffee?"

"Yep, Red here made it." Eld took a sip and breathed satisfaction. "Ahh, tastes good."

Their mornings were filled with these coffee cups and light hearted banter. The previous weeks passed by swiftly and easily, as Captain Levi only made them do laps while he waited for Oruo to recover.

She found it considerate of the captain to make sure his subordinate was well before ragging them on again with training, but Gunther had explained that he was most likely preparing for them to study and execute new formations together, and that would require the use of the whole team. The wait for Oruo to recover meant that Petra's daily routine for the past couple of weeks were running laps to increase stamina in the morning, to making sure the barracks was spotlessly clean in the afternoon.

They weren't in too much of a rush to train with ODM gear since the next expedition would likely be a good two months away. She had thought that the government would give more funding to the Survey Corps when Wall Maria fell, but the fact that expeditions are far in between meant the regiment didn't have a lot of budget. The Commander chalked it up to making sure each squad was well-trained and well rested, but Petra knew better.

Still, she couldn't complain as the semblance of normal life crept up on her as the days passed by with them safe within the walls. She did miss the feel of the wind on her face though, remembering that she was in her element when she used the ODM gear, and she wondered when Oruo would finally be fully recovered.

It was to her surprise then when one morning she found the captain seated on their dining table, like a ghost.

"Captain, what brought you here early in the morning?" He didn't look at her yet, but she felt a bit self-conscious. She was wearing the regiment's standard issue pajamas – a gray shirt and green pants which were far too big for her as her request for additional garments was yet to arrive at next month's cutoff. She vaguely wondered if the captain could smell her breath from far away.

The captain didn't respond however, and their silence only mingled with the rushing sound of the hot shower that Gunther was running in the bathroom.

She took a step forward, measuring herself as she tried to get a better look of the man in front her.

Captain Levi was already dressed in his training uniform, sporting the standard brown jacket of an instructor, his hair seemed wet as if fresh from the shower. Petra could smell the soap on him from afar as he sat idly on the chair, picking at his fingers, right leg folded over his knee. His back to the window, she could see how the fresh sunlight illuminated him, making him almost gleam.

"Would you like a cup of coffee, sir?" she mustered, making her way to the kitchen. Levi looked up, as if just noticing her arrival.

"Coffee?"

"Yes sir," she smiled, busying herself with heating some water on the stove, trying to search for their jar of ground coffee. Finding it, she found that that would be the last coffee for the week until their next supply.

"I really don't drink coffee. Do you?" He wondered. He hasn't encountered the familiar aroma of coffee when he stopped by the barracks from before.

"All of us do, sir," she was still smiling, watching her brew. "Well, I think they just started drinking coffee regularly when I arrived to make it for them," she shrugged sheepishly as she stirred. "What will you be having?" She turned to him eagerly, and Levi found it curious to see her in front of him looking very… normal.

He was used to seeing her in her training uniform, the usual cream top and grayish white pants, harnesses on or off, depending on the training. Now she stood in front of him, in oversized clothes and bed hair, looking the most normal as he'd ever seen her.

"I'd do with some tea."

"Ah, yes, tea." She fumbled around in the kitchen, stooping down low to check the lower drawers and standing on her toes to reach the upper cabinet. Levi found himself staring. He wasn't sure if it was the mundane actions she was doing, or if it was the way her unappealing clothes draped along her body with every movement she was making. Whatever she was doing, she was being more normal by the minute. He wasn't sure why this thought amused him. Most likely because what he found normal these past years were chasing and destroying titans, so this change of idyllic pace was oddly appreciated.

"I only found black tea sir," Petra said as she placed a steaming cup in front of him. She grabbed her cup of coffee before sitting on the chair opposite him.

"How's the men? You're all getting along?"

"Yes sir," she smiled, and sitting opposite him he saw that the sunlight reflected on her amber eyes more. "Everyone's been very nice. Oruo's still annoying," she chuckled, "But Eld and Gunther always help me put him in his place."

"Good to hear then." He placed his fingers on the rim of the cup before taking a sip of the hot juice. He gulped as he felt whole tea leaves slide in his mouth and his throat.

"Oi, you call this tea?" Petra was shocked. She was just about to drink her coffee but the captain had nearly cried. Was the water too hot?

"There's leaves in them!"

"Ah," she stupidly said.

"Don't you know how to make tea?"

"I figured it's the same way with coffee sir?" She offered shyly. As a coffee person, she could say that she hasn't really drank a lot of tea in her life. Her mother used to drink tea at home but it was a rare occasion when they could buy something they wanted, and her mother brewed them herself, so…

Levi closed his eyes as he felt his fingers pinch his temples. The tea was an abomination, the small leaves and twigs still bothering his throat. Surely tea wasn't such a luxury back where Petra came from that she didn't how to properly brew them? He blinked when he saw that the girl in front was looking at him doe-eyed, almost scared, her amber eyes shining differently in the sun. He sighed and placed the cup to his lips to take another sip.

"It's fine, the taste's fine." He felt her relax in front of him, lightening her grasp on her coffee cup. People would say he's grouchy, but Levi knew he wouldn't be outwardly mean. He thought it rude to chastise someone who'd just made him a cup of tea, even if it wasn't up to his standards. "You'd usually place the leaves in a thin cloth bag first before dipping them in hot water." He flatly explained.

"Oh." Her eyes lit up. "We only had these leaves in a small tin, captain. I'll do that next time then." Petra smiled at the idea of having the chance to make tea for him again. "Maybe next time I could also have a taste."

"You should. Tea is better."

Petra gave a laugh. He found that the sound she made oddly melodious. Isabel laughed like a rumbunctious kid, he recalled. When Hange laughed, it was more of a manic sound than this almost musical tune.

"How about I try some now, then?" she cheerfully suggested, setting aside her coffee cup, hand outstretched. Was she asking him for some of his tea?

Petra blinked as she caught herself. Was it the sleep talking for her to irrationally forget that a neat-freak like the captain would surely be disgusted with sharing a cup with someone else, someone who hasn't even brushed yet?

"Oh, well that came out wrong," she nervously chuckled, rubbing her bed hair even more. "Sorry 'bout that captain, highly inappropriate!" She joked self-depreciatingly, willing herself to sink into in her chair.

"No way I'd let you drink this," he muttered as Petra cringed. What is it with her and her disgusting lack of manners in front of the captain? "You wouldn't appreciate tea at all if your first sip will be from something brewed so atrociously." He sniggered, enjoying himself as he brought the cup to his lips for another sip. Was he teasing her?

Before she could get back with a retort, a door from the corridor swung open as Eld had finally woken up.

"Hey Cap, what's up?"

Petra saw how the relaxed gait of the captain on his seat was overtaken by his usual, rigid posture. Unfolding his leg, he stood up to head outside, leaving his cup on the table.

"Wake the others, we'll be using our gear today."

.

.

Petra didn't know it was possible to get so fatigued so early in the morning. As much as she missed the feel of the wind on her face, adrenaline coursing through her body, her arms had now begun to ache, having to hang on the metal wires of their maneuvering gear as they pulled her entire body mass.

Her teammates were right, the captain meant serious business with training.

As soon as everyone was up and ready (coffee routine utterly discarded), they made their way to the small forest at the far west of the camp, which served as the ODM gear practice area, where they were immediately ordered to start.

Similar to the newly constructed base from the last expedition, the principle of the training forest was the same. The varying tree sizes and their winding branches served as the soldiers' launching and landing points each time they'd unfurl and latch a hook. With the area almost a seamless circle, it served as the perfect maze, a natural classroom for training in omni-directional maneuvering.

The nooks and crannies of the forest' available space usually had moving dummy titans in them. This time, the titans stood still in place, as the captain explained that their objective for the day wasn't to cut napes, but to zip across the forest, cover the perimeter, and double back at the starting point.

The goal was to assess their competency in using their ODM gear, measuring their speed against one another. Most importantly, it was also to test their accuracy in traversing through wide obstacles.

"While speed is important, it doesn't mean shit if you can't figure out where you're going! You hit a tree or a rock, you're not going to be just a lump of flattened meat, but disgusting titan fodder, you get it?" The captain had shouted as he zipped past them.

They all managed a "Hmpph" before steadying their vision to what was in front of them. Eld was already right in front of Petra, his manbun undone in the wind and intensity of his flight. He seamlessly weaved to the front of all of them as Petra smiled to herself; he really wasn't just second-in-command for nothing.

Petra could see that Oruo and Gunther were almost at an arm's distance with one another, bobbing through the branches just to her far right.

"When you cover the perimeter, keep your eyes peeled! In the real world, none of you would know when a fucking abnormal's mouth would appear out of nowhere to swallow you! Here in this training, I've hidden something along the way that you should retrieve!"

Petra saw how Eld cocked his head upwards from where the captain was yelling his instructions. It was a challenge.

"What is it and how many are there?" Eld yelled back, competition burning in his voice.

"Keep in mind that no one ever remembers who goes second!" Was the last thing they heard before the captain disappeared from above. Petra saw Eld furrow his eyebrows in confusion, but Petra saw the meaning in his cryptic words. It wasn't just a challenge, Petra thought. It was a race!

"Alright! I'm all riled up! Whatever or wherever that fucking thing is, I'm going to reach it fir-", Petra turned to the side to see that Oruo had once again bitten his tongue, blood spurting out of everywhere, encouraged by the wind.

"Serves you right for talking while zipping! Not everyone can be like me and the captain!" Eld guffawed. He was still in front of Petra, but with her lean stature and small size, she was gaining in on him quickly.

She looked back to see how Oruo was doing, and as he slowed, she saw Gunther came up close to her, nodding his head and smiling cheekily as he zipped past, completely overtaking her. That quiet bastard! She cried internally.

If Eld's enthusiasm for the challenge was highly palpable, Petra was a stickler for games and competitions. Growing up with older brothers, she had nurtured an intense competitive spirit, and she knew how to use her skills and qualities to her advantage.

They'd now reached the edge of the forest, which meant that the first phase of the challenge (zip across the area) was finished, and the next goal was to clear the perimeter.

Gunther and Eld were almost head-to-head, and she saw how the both of them veered right, zipping through the forest edge to start covering the perimeter. Petra was close to the edge, but she cocked her head to the side in-time to notice that the direction they went in housed a larger number of trees, far taller, the branches more winding and all-over-the-place than the initial area they traversed. That would take them a longer time to cover the circle, she pieced together.

Glancing to her left, her eyes still peeled, she saw the almost sparse clearing. The captain didn't say anything about going a particular direction, she thought. With the area a circle, she figured she could take the faster route, watch out for the object, and meet up with the guys on the opposite way, all while being in first place.

She kicked her heel and banked to the left, setting her hook to latch on the closest branch to her left-hand side.

She hasn't gone far when she heard the familiar cry of Eld and a thumping of body against trunk. "Hey Gunther, stop laughing and help me!" She turned back to see that the two leaders of the race had now gotten themselves entangled on a trunk, Eld hitting it first.

Now she was alone. She was giddy with the thought about her victory. If she was competitive, she was also a sore loser, so the thought that she was winning had brightened her immensely. Still, she kept her eyes focused on where she was going, cocking her head from side to side every now and then to see whatever was it that they were supposed to retrieve.

It was mostly quiet as she zipped past, her speed relaxing a bit as she knew no one else would be behind her, when she heard the familiar sound of wires whooshing, of metal boxes clanking and hooks in contact with wood. She turned to her left to the depth of the forest and saw a streak of black fly past. Was it Gunther?

No, he was to the opposite direction, she knew. She upped her speed, and saw that the figure across her did the same. It was challenging her to a one-on-one race.

Petra focused her head forward, like a bird would when flying. She unfurled her hook from a branch and would latch on another to the next. She was leading.

That's when she saw by the corner of her eye, close to the forest perimeter but tucked within the trees, a hint of a lighter, artificial green, and a glimmering of silver that stood out against the nature. She whizzed to it, cutting through a myriad of trees and branches, forgetting about her opponent.

As she approached it, she could see that it was a scout flag, the silver of the wings glinting under the sunlight. She had perched on the branch just directly above it, catching her breath while preparing to grab it, when she saw that the figure racing her had also stopped opposite her, nestling himself a couple of branches above.

It was the captain himself.

She was sweating profusely now that she was stationary, no air rushing through. She could see that the captain was also breathing more heavily than usual. She smiled to herself and thought that she had run him down. Her smile grew wider, knowing that she was closer to the flag than him.

Levi stared at her too, Petra balancing herself and catching her breath just a couple of branches below. As expected, she was adept with her gear, and her small stature made it that she could match his speed, even going as far at winding him. He wasn't going to admit that though, but he was satisfied already with her display of skill, a tiny smile creeping at the edges of his lips, as if in congratulations.

His smile was immediately cut off though, as he saw that she already made her move wordlessly. Her look was smug as she held his eye, as if teasing him, the honey in her eyes illuminated by the sun above them, latching her hook towards the branch where the flag rested. She was about to click the switch on her gear, when she got in frozen in place.

Turns out gravity is faster than latching hooks, as Petra gazed in awe on how Levi fell, having jumped down from his branch to reach the flag faster. He was falling with his back to the ground, his black hair riding with the wind, his blue irises mischievous, and she was sure she saw his eyes twitch in a wink before angling his body to turn face down, clasping the flag as he unfurled his hook to latch onto a tree before hitting the ground.

Petra was dumbfounded, the sore loser in her taking up the space in her stomach. She saw him take a few breaths on the ground, before zipping back up and whispering teasingly as he closely flew past, "No one ever remembers who went second."