Hey yall.
So I know I normally update first thing Sunday morning and I've been consistently doing that for a while now, to the extent that I'm certain that's how some of yall kick off your day. I'm so sorry if I somewhat pulled a fast one on you and you were anxiously waiting for the morning update today that left you hungry, as its now well into the day. I'm happy to report that today is an oddity, so your morning routine is safe, this is just a this week kind of gig.
I was actually vacationing this weekend in Florida, and truth be told no thanks to the hurricane coming in, I was actually really worried that my flight would get cancelled and I'd be stuck in Florida (without my notepad!) for who knows how long while all the planes were down. Luckily, the hurricane seems to be dispersing a bit so I was able to hop on the plane and get out of there before the weather turned, but that put my day to a notable late start as I didn't get back home for some time. (Then start my final edits before posting.)
As an apology of sorts for my not so common upload time (Sunday though it is) I have made the executive decision to honor yalls wishes, and give you TWO chapters today instead of one. I merely combined them into one super long chapter, as I've gotten more than one request as of late to try my hand at uploading more often. (First born children and severed limbs not necessary yall, but you make me laugh!) I have to be careful on that, because I want to stay WELL ahead of what yall are reading so updates can remain consistent for you guys and I never have to scramble to get the next week's material out – but I figured one week of a dual chapter wouldn't break the bank, and this is a good place to do it in terms of plot.
Anyhow, this is getting to be one long author's note, so I'll wrap it up. Best wishes go out to any of my readers in Florida. Love the views, hate your jellyfish. Stay safe guys!
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...
It was as Petra was moving around the small sort of kitchenette, grabbing out fresh coffee mugs, pouring hot water into the coffee maker and going about her usual routine, that the tapping of boots grabbed her attention. She didn't stall from her task, knowing that it was just Gunther, as he was always the first one to show up in the morning.
Usually he would come in the room and they would exchange a sentence or two of dialogue, but not much more than that as he preferred to somewhat keep to himself until he got a solid dose of caffeine in his system. He would walk in, either say 'Morning' or just give her a nod, get a cup of coffee, and silently sit at the table in attempts to fully wake up. His silence had never bothered Petra, as it allowed her to keep bustling about the area without fear of appearing as rude or standoffish.
Usually five or ten minutes would go by and Oluo and Eld would come in together, loudly talking about this or that, settling up on whatever bets they had recently made, sometimes loop her in on whatever issue was at hand (a tie breaker of sorts, more often than not.) or sometimes they would make a point of teasing her or Gunther in attempts to liven up the 'dull' atmosphere.
Traditionally, another five or ten minutes would go by of the entire squad talking, wondering what training the Captain had lined up for them, sometimes bartering and trading different chores that had been assigned to them – and finally the Captain would come in. Though Levi was more like Gunther in that he didn't have much to say in the mornings, the overall conversation wouldn't really die down too much between the squad, though it was kept to a dull roar as everyone knew full well that the Captain wasn't exactly a morning person and would scold them for making such a ruckus at the 'asscrack of the morning', if he felt they were being too loud.
As the sound of the boots tapping across the ground finally could be heard in the main room, Petra cleared her throat and spoke a little louder so she would be heard, "Morning Gunther. You've got good timing; the coffee is just now finished brewing and it's piping hot."
She placed the lid back over the coffee grounds and turned around, "I made it a little darker today because-"
She blinked in surprise and her previous words died on her tongue, "Oh, uh…"
Entering the room was not Gunther like she had expected. It was Levi.
She forcefully cleared her throat and gave a polite smile, "Good morning, Captain!"
Levi made his way into the room, and quirked an eyebrow at her surprised expression. She attempted to recover and greet him the same way she always had, another irritatingly insufferable 'Good morning, Captain!' to mark in the books, and his eyes narrowed as a heavy scowl fell over his face at her empty and irksome greeting.
"Yeah, morning." His voice was low and deep, and Petra wasn't aware that a simple acknowledgment could have such underlying malice. An unwitting, nervous shiver ran down her spine and she gave an uneasy exhale as Levi continued moving into the room, noting that he was clearly in a bad mood, as he had been for weeks on end.
His traditional spot was not so coincidently at the head of the table, which was stationed only a mere foot away from the coffee station. While it didn't often cause any sort of traffic jams considering that by the time he arrived everyone had already gotten their coffee, with the fact that Petra was actively working in the confines of the small area nestled in the back of the room, by the time Levi had moved to his end of the table, Petra was simultaneously both cornered, and in the way.
Unable to move for his chair considering Petra would be needing the open pathway, Levi merely stood in place and watched in silence as Petra suddenly fumbled around nervously under his gaze, quickly setting out the mugs and pouring herself a cup of coffee with a shaking hand. She placed a single spoonful of sugar into her coffee and stirred it softly, yet in an obviously hurried manner. The sound of the spoon hitting against the cup's ceramic walls seemed to echo painfully across the large room, and Petra gave a nervous sigh as she set the spoon down and made a point of avoiding eye contact with him as she clutched the coffee cup in her hands tightly.
Levi gave an irritated exhale and crossed his arms as he watched her flit about, not understanding her obvious tension. He wasn't even doing anything and she was ready to piss herself. Her palpable nervousness was grating on his patience, and he watched her with a dark stare that only highlighted his annoyance.
Petra finished preparing her coffee and took a step toward where Levi was, and as she moved to pass him – the space rather tight so they were effectively needing to trade places - she stepped to one side, the same direction that Levi had stepped as luck would have it, and she sighed and switched to the other side, again mirroring the Captain who had adjusted his position in attempts to get out of her way.
This happened once more and Levi all but growled as he crossed his arms, "Fucking pick a side, and go."
Petra gave a small, intimidated nod and pointed to his right, and Levi gave a dramatic roll of his eyes, stepping out of the way and waving his arm toward the free path, "Move."
She took a hurried step and inched past him, her body somewhat pressing up against his as she slipped between him and the table, taking great care to not spill her coffee as she walked by. She avoided his gaze as she walked to the side of the table where she sat, her mind racing with questions as she sank into her chair and stared into the table in mental outrage.
Where was everyone else? Or was Levi just early today? If so, why? Could it be that…maybe he did want to talk with her? But if he did, why now of all times? It didn't make any sense! He had to know that at the very least, Gunther would be showing up in about…
Petra looked up toward the clock, frowning as she noted that Levi actually wasn't early in the slightest. He was here the same time as usual. She hadn't noticed due to being kept busy with her morning prep, but the guys were all just…late apparently? Not late late – they didn't technically have to report for duty for another twenty minutes, but in terms of their normal routine, they were all considerably behind.
What the hell was keeping them? And of all the times for them to all three be late like this, why now? Why did it have to come at a time where she couldn't be alone with the Captain without a sort of horrible resulting tension like this? It wasn't that she was trying to make it awkward, but it's like she had pissed him off for just saying hello and she was hesitant to engage any further because his silent, seething anger was bad enough without her pushing the envelope.
The Captain had moved toward the coffee station and poured himself a cup of coffee – black – Petra noted in a sort of afterthought, and he sat down and exhaled.
Not a single word was exchanged between them.
The only sound that was heard was light sipping sounds as they each drank their coffee in complete silence, and then the sort of thud that would result when they set their respective coffee mug back down across the table.
It was after a few minutes of this that a sort of rhythmic tapping caught her attention. Petra looked over toward the Captain and realized he was looking at the clock and drumming his fingers against the table in clear agitation. Some part of her was relieved that the apparent misery wasn't all in her head, while the other part of her found that his obvious irritation was only making the atmosphere even more tense and unbearable.
The silence merely extended all the more.
Petra wanted to groan as the atmosphere continued to thicken into a timeless sort of void that just kept dragging on. It was clear that he was just getting more aggravated the longer the silence extended, but the angrier he got, the more intimidated she became, and it was proving to be a vicious cycle. Had she ever felt such a tension in her life? She had to bring it to an end somehow.
Surely even talking with the Captain, bad mood or not, would be better than this, right?
She cleared her throat and looked toward Levi, who looked back toward her with a snap of his head. As she opened her mouth to speak, Levi raised a single eyebrow, his glare heavy and his scowl unwavering. Whatever Petra had intended to say left her mind at once and she pressed her lips together sheepishly as she looked back into the table with wide and intimidated eyes, only causing Levi to scoff and roll his eyes again.
"Fucking…" he mumbled into his coffee cup before taking another sip and looking back to the clock in outraged silence.
The faint sound of boots tapping could again be heard from down the hall and Petra closed her eyes in a silent, thankful prayer. She didn't care who it was coming down the hallway – surely the addition of anyone would break this hellish tension, right?
Not a moment too soon, Eld walked into the room, stretching his arms above his head dramatically and giving a large yawn. "Hey, morning Petra. Guys are still getting ready; we were all up late last night so-"
As he spoke, Petra rose to her feet anxiously, "Oh really?" her voice was a little tense, and a little too eager to come across as casual, Eld paused mid-stretch as he watched her, "What- uh, what was happening last night? You should, you know you should talk to me about it. Everything. You know, all the details? What is up with you?"
Eld gave her a confused, long sort of stare because he had intended to talk about it, that was why he had brought it up in the first place, but after her…strange response, his eyes scanned the room in confusion as to what may have caused Petra to be in such an obvious state of unease. As he looked around the room, he noted a very angry and miffed Captain, and a wide-eyed Petra who's eyes were begging him to be saved from Levi's frigid, stone cold wrath.
…Ah.
Eld smirked in realization and decided that it was time for some early morning entertainment. He bit back a chuckle and gave a suddenly low exhale, bringing a hand to his head and making a pained face, "Could you, could you actually keep it down Petra? I've got a killer headache – you know, I think it's the lack of caffeine. I'm just going to sit down over here and, no, don't mind me. You two just keep talking; pretend I'm not even here."
Eld walked past her and moved toward the coffee station, pretending not to notice Petra's gaping mouth as he walked by, nor the Captain's suspiciously narrowed eyes once Eld moved toward him, still feigning the pain of an excruciating headache as he neared his superior.
Regardless Eld's rather convincing acting, Levi had seen a lot of bullshit in his day, so his suspicion remained steadfast and he gave the blonde a knowing, miffed stare at his childish antics.
Captain did always catch onto these things quickly, Eld noted internally, though suspicious or not, he doubted Levi would actually call him out on it, as that would require him acknowledging the tension in the first place. What was more, Petra wouldn't call him out either, because that would mean she'd have to admit to talking to him about what had happened between her and their grumpy Captain.
Besides, Eld reasoned with himself almost proudly, this was good for them in some ways. The pair had to learn how to communicate one way or another, and he had no problem stoking the fire because for once, he wasn't the one in the hotspot and what was more…this was just too much fun to pass up.
Levi stood up from his chair and continued to watch Eld with a suspicious sort of stare before he stepped to one side to allow Eld passage to the coffee station. The blonde moved past him without incident, ignoring the Captain's narrowed gaze and making his coffee, before finally stepping back around Levi in innocent, unaware silence.
He quietly walked back to the table and sat down, falling perfectly quiet and looking into the table intentionally, laughing inwardly as he felt both Levi and Petra stare at him bitterly. Petra watched Eld for a long moment, then looked back to Levi, who had a perturbed look on his face. When he caught her stare, Levi pressed his lips together and made a sort of 'what are you looking at?' face.
Intimidated just the same by his narrowed stare, Petra gave a fake, nervous sort of cough and quickly looked back at the table in front of her, dreading the moments to come as that same thick tension slowly began to return.
That damned silence once again blanketed the room, yet somehow – she wouldn't have believed it to be possible – the addition of a silent Eld only made it worse with his stupid, 'You two just keep talking' comment, because it only highlighted the fact that there was absolutely no conversation to begin with!
Minutes slowly passed by, one by one – Petra knew because she had also defaulted to watching the clock, praying that the rest of her squad got there quickly.
When there were boots tapping in the hall again, Petra almost cried as a sort of impatience built within her – the tension still unbearable. Would it be too much to ask for them to run down the hall? She turned her attention to the end of the room and almost whimpered when Gunther walked in.
Gunther? Gunther was never conversational in the mornings – where the hell was Oluo when she needed him? For the first time in her life she felt like she desperately needed him specifically, yet who was the one to actually show up? Gunther! Useless, serious, always down to business Gunther!
From the other end of the table, she heard what sounded like a snort from Eld, though when she turned to look at him, the blonde gave a pained exhale and took a long drink from his coffee cup, rubbing his temples and giving a sort of pitiful, miserable moan.
"Fucking asshole…" she heard Levi mumble, and Petra looked between the two males in complete confusion, before looking back at Gunther and giving a hopeful wave.
"Uh, morning Gunther," Petra squeaked, knowing that her chances of striking up a conversation with him first thing in the morning was slim to none, but she had to try, right? "How was your-"
"Hey man," Eld cut her off with a sort of whimper, "If you could do me a solid and just keep it low key for a minute? I've got this headache and-"
Petra audibly groaned and slouched back into her chair in defeat.
"Fine by me. Morning." Gunther responded simply, walking toward Levi and also having to swap places with the Captain who was still watching Eld with an unwavering, narrowed stare.
Petra sank lower into her chair and cursed her luck.
Once again, the room fell perfectly silent and that same bitter tension returned. Petra didn't even try looking at the Captain; didn't try looking at anyone, because what was the damned point. She pondered if this was what purgatory might be like, because this was as close to hell as one could possibly get while still living, she was certain of it.
Another impossibly long handful of minutes passed by, and finally Oluo came into the room. As he walked in, he gave a chuckle at the somewhat dead state of his team. He gave a large, unknowing smile, "Hey! What's going on here, it's like someone fucking died! What, did Gunther make the coffee or something? Thought Captain made a rule about that and everything."
While Petra was grateful for the conversation, she supposed it hadn't mattered at this point. It couldn't possibly get any worse and she had somewhat come to terms with the fact that her every interaction with the Captain would be painfully tense for the rest of time.
"Morning Oluo," she greeted wearily, perhaps even a little bitterly, "Coffee is fine. We're just a little…quiet because Eld has a headache. He would appreciate it if you could-"
"Actually Petra," Eld smiled smugly as he looked up from the table, "I'm feeling much better now. Must have been a caffeine headache after all, because few sips of coffee and it's gone. Isn't that great?"
Levi crossed his arms at Eld's explanation and shook his head as he, again, got out of his chair and made room for Oluo in the considerably cramped coffee station. Levi's tone was stiff, "Caffeine my ass. That's five laps you fucking smug shithead."
Eld gave a fake, dejected sigh as the squad looked between Levi and Eld in obvious confusion, not understanding what was transpiring between the pair, because by all accounts, it seemed as though Eld was being punished for no wrongdoing on his part.
After a moment, the blonde shrugged with a cheeky sort of grin, "…That's fair."
It was as they were all sitting together and preparing to leave the Compound that the main door opened – it was unusual that they had any sort of guests in the morning – and when Commander Erwin stepped into the room the entire squad (save for Levi) was at their feet.
"Commander." They acknowledged in a firm salute, and he gave a nod, looking toward Levi as the squad remained at attention.
"Captain." Erwin greeted as he walked toward him directly, and Levi turned from his place in the table and frowned.
"What."
"Morning to you as well. Do you by chance recall Hanji and I discussing the gas shortage last week?"
Levi's eyebrows pulled down and he made a suspicious face, "…I thought that was taken care of a few weeks ago at the Banquet. Didn't you say that you had both talked to the man about the necessary arrangements after Petra and I had left?"
The Commander gave a noncommittal grunt and shrugged, "We did, it's just that-"
Levi rolled his eyes and cut him off with a snort, "You and Four Eyes fucked it up, didn't you? Fucking dammit all, I swear I have to do everythi-"
Erwin crossed his arms and corrected him with a less than impressed stare, "What you are referring to was addressed, but this is something else. As it turns out, the entire military is short on gas right now, not just the Scouts. Apparently, there was a recent transporting accident that has heavily impacted the transfer of product last month and as a result all factions are being instructed to heavily ration their remaining supplies until a permanent solution can be found."
Levi fell silent, though his impatient glare remained, and Erwin put his hands in his pockets as he continued his explanation, "I came to inform you that until further notice, each squad will be required to take one day off from training with the 3DM gear each week and focus on other important skills; horseback riding, mounted weapons, hand to hand combat, tracking, etc. For your squad, the assigned off day will be each Thursday, with today being the first. Apologies for the short notice, but you'll need to adjust your training plans for the day to accommodate the order."
Hearing this, Levi took a long drink from his coffee cup, tilting the cup up higher as he finished his drink. He set the mug down and gave Erwin a scathing, sarcastic huff, "Short notice? No, what makes you say that, there's still a whole, what, five fucking minutes until we walk to get our equipment, right? No reason to apologize, not like this changes the entire damn day or anything." The Captain's expression darkened still as he looked around the table, noting that his squad was still at attention. He exhaled through his nose and ignored his superior's quirked eyebrow, "At ease guys; apparently we get to take it easy considering the Commander doesn't want any actual training to take place today."
The squad hesitantly relaxed from their salute. There was a certain tension in the room that prevented them from speaking or really moving from their standing positions because while the Captain had released them, it was clearly done in a… not so respectful manner, and collectively they weren't sure how they were supposed to respond other than remain quiet and not get involved.
Erwin nodded to the team respectfully as though acknowledging the awkward situation, then looked at Levi with a firm expression as he walked toward him pointedly. Erwin was already significantly taller than Levi, but with the fact that the Captain was sitting down, Erwin's larger frame towered over the Captain as he came to stand directly in front of him. His voice was low and mellow, but there was a certain edge to his words that reminded Petra of the more sinister Erwin she had seen at the banquet.
An unwitting shiver went down her spine in recollection.
"I'd encourage you to keep that attitude of yours in check, Captain. After working on strategy plans, bartering with other suppliers, having my own opinions about the forced rationing, let's just say I'm not in the mood for that mouth. In case you forgot, I'm not exactly a patient man."
Levi merely looked up toward Erwin and a heavy silence fell over the pair as they stared at each other in challenge. After a considerably tense moment, Levi clicked his tongue and gave an irritated exhale, still unrepentant, and Erwin's voice only maintained its icy edge all the more, "Command your team however you see fit, but once you're done for the day, come into my office – and that's an order. Seems there's a conversation I need to have with you regarding respect."
The Captain now returned Erwin's stare flatly, a sneer at his lips as he spoke, "Looking forward to it."
Erwin merely smirked as he turned around and left the compound without another word.
When the Commander closed the door behind him, Levi could feel the suddenly heavy stares of all his subordinates, and while it wasn't quite shame or apprehension that fell over him, there was a certain degree of distaste he felt considering his entire squad knew full well that he was in trouble.
He grabbed his coffee cup and stood up, "Well, the fuck are you all staring at? If we're not going to be using the 3DM gear then there's no reason to be suited head to toe in this harness, now is there? Go back to your rooms and take it off. We will rendezvous at the training grounds in twenty minutes. Dismissed."
Levi moved the coffee cup into the nearby sink and gave a quiet groan.
The day was already shitty enough, and now he had gone and pissed Erwin off.
Great.
…
...
When the squad arrived at the training grounds not too much later after him, Levi directed their attention to the area in front of them, "Okay, here's what we'll do today. Nothing glamorous considering I came up with it on the five-minute walk here, but I'm thinking we'll do stations. Someone will start here," Levi pointed to one side of the open space in front of them, "And do hand to hand combat with another squad member. After rotating once, a new teammate will rotate in, you will do a second round of combat with the next person, and then you yourself will rotate out to target practice after that."
Levi pointed to the large titan cutout in the center of the arena, "Erwin didn't mention any problems with blades, so here in a bit I'll have one of you grab a canister of blades for the station and you can individually work on your cuts, long distance throws, perhaps knife skills if you so choose – just keep busy and keep focused. You each know areas you're weak with bladework, so that's the priority. From there, you'll rotate and go head to head with me for an additional round of combat. I'll critique your form, highlight different ways to end things quicker in an actual combat situation, and from there you'll rotate back to the start. We'll do that circuit a few times throughout the day and call it quits a few hours before the dinner bell rings."
Levi looked around the large area that they would soon be occupying, "Anyone slacks off even once and there will be hell to pay for the whole squad. Understood?"
He watched as his subordinates all gave confirming nods and nodded once in return, "Alright, good. Eld, if you can move to the supply station and grab the blades for us? When you get back, we'll begin with our warm up routine and then we'll get started."
It was an hour later, after a number of laps and various conditioning exercises completed, that the Squad looked toward Levi expectantly. He pointed toward the grounds, "Alright then, let's get to it. Eld, you'll start us out by going head to head with Petra. Oluo, you're on target practice, and Gunther, you'll start things over here with me. From there, we'll rotate – Gunther will join Eld, Petra will move on to targets, and then Oluo will come over here with me. Make sense?"
Levi moved to the middle of the area and wound a small timer he had grabbed in preparation, setting it down on a log and walking toward Gunther, "When the timer goes off, everyone rotate as discussed. Begin."
Without much issue, the squad began the training and while Levi would look up occasionally between punches to ensure that they were all taking their roles seriously, he couldn't spare too much thought because he was in an active fist fight with Gunther, and he would be in a world of pain if he didn't keep focused. While the majority of his squad wasn't at the same level as himself, due to a majority of his upbringing being spent in frequent fist fights and territory wars, Levi had trained them himself on how to hold their own in a fight, and after years under his watch, they were all formidable in their own ways.
For Gunther, he was exceptionally strong and what was more, he was difficult to take down. He had an analytical mind and could correctly dodge or parry almost any sort of attack that was thrown at him with admirable skill and consistency. He always kept his feet planted firmly on the ground and didn't give an inch. While his attacks were slow and predictable, they were packed with so much power that even though he knew what was coming, Levi had to often break up his own movement to make sure he wasn't hit. 'Humanity's Strongest' or not, being on the receiving end of Gunther's right hook was a sure-fire way to wind up unconscious.
For Oluo, his movements perhaps were more sloppy when compared next to Eld or Gunther, but rather befitting of his character, Oluo was tenacious and could take a hit better than anyone else on his squad. Where Oluo could take a significant beating and keep fighting just the same, most could not – he found his subordinate had a very tortoise and the hare sort of approach to combat. Oluo was very unique in his approach, as he didn't focus on besting his opponent so much as outlasting them, and Levi admittedly had come to dread hand to hand combat with Oluo due to how grueling and draining the battles would often become. While he could traditionally complete three to four matches during each session and provide follow-up feedback for each of his subordinates, he rarely even finished one match with Oluo and they would have to rotate out with no clear cut winner. Oluo would walk away with a sort of smirk on his face, and Levi would have to take a moment to catch his breath, exhausted and grateful that the session had finally ended.
As for Eld, his style of combat usually tended to…irritate Levi; it always had.
Eld was extremely formidable and utilized a similar fighting style to that of his own, and it kept Levi on the defensive most of the time due to the correctly balanced offensive and defensive maneuvers that Eld consistently leveraged. As much as he would have liked to take credit for Eld's undeniable skill, Levi had a trained eye and knew an experienced fighter when he saw one. He wasn't sure what sort of background Eld had, but he couldn't be fooled. His second in command had seen more than his fair share of battles throughout his life, and as a result, Eld was one of the few people that could actually put up a true fight against him, and it kept Levi's own skills sharp as a result. Perhaps a small side of him might have even enjoyed his sessions with Eld due to the posed challenge, but any enjoyment he might have had was always ruined because Eld talked.
All the damned time.
There was not a second that went by without the blonde giving some sort of commentary as to the day, his thoughts about training, or really anything that crossed his mind. While Levi tried his damndest to ignore Eld's insufferable, menial chatter, (that was undoubtedly done with the sole intention of irritating the hell out of him) only a few minutes would pass by before Levi found he was swinging his fists with intent to knock him unconscious from sheer irritation. Try as he may, due to Eld's undeniable skill, he could never quite land the hit, and Eld would continue undaunted and blather on just the same, well aware of just how easily annoyed the Captain was and loving every second of it.
It was certainly not by accident that he had positioned Eld at the very first rotation – the farthest spot away from him – and even though it would be some time before Eld made it all the way to his station, Levi was already dreading their upcoming interaction.
Now Petra…Levi almost smiled in thought, knowing that she was undeniably the most improved on his squad. When she had first joined the team, he quickly learned that her hand to hand combat skills were 'limited' at best, and a complete liability at worst. He could only assume that she had absolutely no combat experience before she became a military trainee, and though basic training had taught her the ropes – how to punch, how to kick, how to disarm a direct attack – the straight forward approach hadn't done her any favors because she was slow to the draw and her attack style left something to be desired. It was after one particularly brutal session where she had been pitifully struggling to merely defend herself, never mind being able to initiate even a single attack in return, that he had stopped mid-fight to give her honest feedback because her performance had been that lacking that they were just wasting time. He knew that the problem wasn't per say her skill level - it was how she approached combat from the start. She was fighting with methods that highlighted her weaknesses and abandoned her strengths completely – he explained that she wasn't strong like himself or Gunther, but she was much more flexible than the average person so she could use that as her edge in combat instead.
And fuck did she make good on it.
It had taken a few more intentional training sessions to show her what he meant, but ever since, he had struggled to predict her movements. At this point, it was rare he could actually land a hit on her anymore. Where she lacked the raw brute force of the men on his squad, she was lithe and light on her feet; frisky and all instinct. He would swing his fist forward and she would disappear – flit to one side, do a backbend, fall into the splits and kick toward him to restore distance between them – it was something to watch to be sure, and more impressive still, she never responded the same way twice. At this point she was a master at controlling the arena around her, and Levi found more often than not that he could only wait and wonder just where or how she might strike next, knowing full well that he was playing her game and not the other way around.
In an actual life or death setting, he knew he could beat her with enough focus and intentional manipulation of her movements, but in less demanding situations like this, he found that of all his subordinates, Petra was hardest to read and the hardest to counter.
Levi couldn't deny that he anticipated his battles with Petra the most, because there was that element of surprise that was unique to just her battles, but more notably than that, he enjoyed seeing just how badly she wanted to win. All of his squad members had areas that they secretly wanted to best him in, be it deeper cuts, the ability to run faster or longer – and for Petra, it was painfully obvious that she desperately wanted to wipe the floor with him in a fist fight. The second he had said that they would be doing a session of hand to hand combat against him specifically, he had watched her eyes light up and had to stop himself from smirking at her eagerness.
Though…he supposed there was some merit to the fact that all his squad anticipated any time they could throw a few fists at him without a form of punishment or retaliation as he knew that he…tended to try their patience.
Regardless, he enjoyed Petra's excitement. She would always anticipate their matches and when it was finally her turn, there would be that familiar, competitive spark in her eye and she'd take off, a constant smirk on her face as she watched him struggle to keep up with her speedy and unpredictable movements. He supposed he should be grateful that she wasn't a sore loser, because as talented as she was, she had a long, long way to go before she matched him in skill and experience. She had yet to beat him even a single time throughout all these years, yet after each battle, she'd watch him with a sort of look in her eye that promised 'Next time.'
The bell finally rang and Levi stood up straight and addressed Gunther who was already watching him for feedback. He took a deep breath and nodded, "That was good. When you kick, remember to crouch down lower," Levi squatted low to the ground and slowly extended his leg upward as he stood up to demonstrate, "The lower you go, the more power you can bring into the kick, just don't go so deep that you lose your momentum when you stand. Even if you don't land the kick, it forces your opponent on the defensive and gives you a second to plan your next move."
Gunther nodded and Levi motioned toward the opposite end of the training grounds, "Well done. You're up against Eld now, get moving."
As Gunther ran off, Levi took a deep breath and turned around, looking toward Oluo who was moving toward him with a smirk. Oluo was stretching his arms above his head dramatically and even cracked his knuckles as he approached him with an overconfident stride. "Alright Captain, you ready?"
Levi held back a groan and rolled his shoulders, giving an accepting exhale. He merely nodded and took up a fighting stance, knowing that this session would test his endurance because it always did, and he would just have to get through it one way or another. Oluo nodded back and also took a fighting stance of his own.
Levi drew in a long, long breath of preparation.
"Begin."
It seemed like hours passed by before the bell finally rang again, and when it finally did, as expected, he and Oluo were still in the middle of the same match they had been in from the start. Not quite a stalemate considering that Levi had landed some fairly good hits that would undoubtedly bruise and cause some resulting impressive swelling, but in all fairness, nothing that would have actually ended a fight in a real world setting so the fight continued on – like it always did. They dropped their arms collectively and Levi immediately leaned over, bent in half as he tried to catch his breath from the demanding fight.
From above him, he could hear a chuckle.
"Still can't beat me Captain?" Oluo taunted between loud pants, and Levi rolled his eyes, also breathing just as desperately.
He stood up fully and gave him a narrowed stare, still breathing heavily after the exhausting battle. "Don't get cocky you little shit, you've never beaten me either."
His subordinate merely shrugged, "Ah, but I've never lost to you, now have I?"
"Oh, fuck off – get to the next station and save it for someone who gives a damn."
"Alright, alright."
Once Oluo began moving away, Levi shook his head and forced deeper breaths into his lungs because he was already exhausted – he had just gone through two back to back, demanding battles, but he had to get his second wind because now it was finally time for-
"Hey…" Petra walked up toward him, a slight smile on her face as she noted just how exhausted he clearly was, as though trying to hold back a giggle.
He cleared his throat and stood up straighter, giving a single nod toward her in acknowledgement and still forcing deep breaths into his lungs as he tried to lower his heartrate in preparation for his sparring with Petra. He moved a leg back, crouching slightly into an offensive position and nodding toward her as he inhaled to speak, "Begi-"
"I actually, uh, before we begin, I have a favor to ask, if that's okay?" She picked at her long white sleeves as she stopped in front of him, negating to move into a defensive position as she spoke.
His ears perked at this, some part of him very interested in whatever it was that Petra wanted from him. Not that he wanted to have needy subordinates that couldn't handle their own problems, but considering how little Petra had interacted with him as of late, even something like this was a start and he looked forward to whatever simple thing she apparently needed from him.
He stood up straight and cleared his throat, taking a final large inhale and finally feeling like he had caught his breath again, "Okay, what?"
She looked down at herself and gave a small smile, "Alright just…don't laugh at me. When you said take off the harness, that's exactly what I did. But everyone else including you changed into workout clothes, something you didn't say to do, and I didn't think to, and now these pants and button up are just so hard to move in and I did so terrible in my fight with Eld and he's been teasing me about it and I really don't want to have a bad match with you and…Captain, it's just so hot!" She groaned and looked up toward him with hopeful, begging eyes, apparently having run out of both reasons and breath required to keep speaking.
Levi merely watched her in amusement as a smirk pulled at his lips, and Petra sighed as she rocked back and forth on her heels nervously, "I know we're on active duty and I'm sorry I wasn't properly prepared, but would it be a big deal if I ran back to the Compound and changed really fast?"
He gave a cough of amusement before nodding once and exhaling. He waved his hand as if to shoo her away and she gave a small jump of excitement, "Oh thank you, thank you Captain! I'll be back in just a little while!"
He watched her run off and gave an amused chuckle, his previous curiosity being placated as to why Petra had remained in uniform instead of changing into something more appropriate and breathable for the day's exercises. The small smile remained on his face as he continued to watch her because…that had actually felt…normal, for once.
There wasn't that prolonged tension or awkwardness, it was just Petra being her normal self around him and fuck, for the small ten seconds it had been, it felt wonderful. Furthermore, this actually worked out in his favor because while he could keep going if he had to, now that Petra wasn't here trying to beat the shit out of him, he could sit down for a moment and take a very needed breather.
He moved toward the edge of the training grounds and took a seat at one of the tables, grabbing his towel and wiping it across his skin, before grabbing his water canteen next and drinking half of it at once.
"Hey, Captain Levi!"
A voice called his name, and he looked toward the direction of the sound, seeing an Officer walk toward him with a wave. It wasn't long before the individual, a fellow Captain in fact, had joined him at the table he was seated at.
"Hey, I see your team is cross training today."
Levi looked at the Officer evenly, having nothing to add to his statement, and the man continued, "I've heard other Officers talking, something about a gas shortage and how we won't be able to train as often with the 3DM gear – is any of that true? I figured if anyone would know, you'd be my best bet. I tried to track down the Commander, but he wasn't at his office and I'd like to know as soon as possible so I can adjust training for my team if the need arises."
Levi set down his water canteen and gave a simple nod, "It's true. Erwin confirmed it with me just a bit ago. Sounds like all squads will have a forced off day for cross training from here on out until the government officials get it all sorted out or some shit. I'd imagine Erwin will find you soon enough and let you know what day to plan for each week."
The man sighed and gave an accepting nod, "Right." He gave a groan as he shook his head in dismay, "Of all times. The weather is just starting to get nice enough where we can actually be outside for some proper training too. Uh, sorry to ask, but would you maybe share some ideas if you have any? For what to do in terms of cross training, I mean. I like the set up you have here, but I'm not sure what else we can do while we kind of wait it out."
Levi blinked and shrugged, "Well, Erwin suggested horseback riding, tracking, reviewing our larger weapons like canons – when in doubt, personally I'm a big fan of old fashioned, classic conditioning - squats, pushups, pullups – nothing works the human body better than the human body."
The man gave a chuckle and leaned forward, "Okay, yeah I can see that. Are you busy? I have another question for you specifically, if you don't mind."
Levi looked over his shoulder, noting that Petra was still nowhere to be found. He looked back toward the Officer and gave a shrug, "Fine."
The man gave a relieved exhale, "Thanks. It's just I've got this one Scout on my team and I'm at a loss for what to do next. To speak frankly, it's a girl and the root of the problem is that she's weaker than the rest of the squad – physically I mean. I'm certain that's why she's struggling so much. I don't know if you dealt with that with the girl on your squad – oh right, congrats on the wedding by the way because she's beautiful – but if you did have that problem, how did you help, you know, build that strength up a bit? Or is it just a lost cause? Should I be expecting more of her or…?"
Levi exhaled at the question and thought it over for a moment because Petra's strength wasn't the same as the rest of his squad even now, and he remembered having similar frustrations when she had first joined the squad – although it hadn't ever gotten to a point where he felt she was holding the squad back per say, like the Captain speaking with him seemed to be experiencing.
They talked for some time about exercises that would build both physical strength, but more importantly, as Levi pointed out, muscular endurance. It was one thing to bulk up someone's strength, but if they couldn't continuously preform and their energy reserves ran out in an instant, all the extra strength training would be a waste.
It was as they were talking that Petra had appeared again in a more comfortable and forgiving outfit, giving a small wave as she remained a distance away in light of their conversation. Levi nodded back in acknowledgement, trying to wrap things up while still ensuring that the Captain's questions were taken seriously. It wasn't often someone had the guts to seek him out for advice, and more than that, it seemed to be out of genuine concern for his own subordinates, and out of respect for him as someone who also tried to put their team first, Levi would not turn him away or snub his attempts to be a better Captain.
"Think that will work?" Levi asked, and the younger man gave a nod of his head.
"Yeah, I will give that a shot and hope for the best." He stood up and extended his hand, to which Levi nodded and returned a firm handshake.
"Don't be afraid to keep on it and give them hell. Who cares if they hate you if it means they all come back alive - remember that."
"Right. Thank you, Captain Levi. I'll let you get back to it; I've taken enough of your time and I'd hate for the Mrs. to be kept waiting on my account."
The man gave a nod and walked away from the table, giving a respectful nod toward Petra as he walked, "Mrs. Ackerman."
She nodded back and moved toward Levi, both of them silently watching the man retreat. A curious expression across her face as she looked up toward Levi in question, "So uh…Who was that?"
"Him? Another Captain. Seems word has gotten around that the gas shortage is a thing. Officers are people too, and no one likes when their plans are messed with. I imagine there's a lot of last-minute scrambling going on. Feeling better, by the way?" As he spoke, he motioned, perhaps a little stiffly, toward her more appropriate workout shirt and shorts combination, and Petra nodded eagerly.
"Yes. Much better, thank you." She cleared her throat, "Do you want to get started? I don't know how much time we've got left but-"
In the middle of her sentence, the bell sounded, and her mouth dropped open dramatically.
Her eyes were wide and she looked around in silent outrage as she tried to pick her words to express herself. "What the- now? Now?! You've got to be kidding me! Seriously? How is this fair? I was…" she gave a long groan and let her head fall back as she looked up toward the sky – apparently blaming the powers that be - and continued to complain loudly in dismay, "I don't care what you say, this was the time – I feel it in my bones. You!" she suddenly pointed at him in indignance, "You lucky bastard!"
Levi watched her skeptically, not offended by her words so much as curious, "The time?"
Petra nodded once firmly, a pout over her lips. She groaned and spoke with a frustrated sort of confidence, "This was the time that I finally knocked you on your ass and left you speechless with how amazing my performance was! Damn it all, this was it!"
By the end of her passionate tirade, Levi had a smirk on his face because she was as blood thirsty as ever. He crossed his arms and took a few steps towards her until he was directly in front of her, his sudden closeness bringing her words to a quick end. He leaned toward her, admittedly closer than necessary as he matched his face with hers. He watched in satisfaction as she fell perfectly still, her face already turning red as she watched him with uncertain eyes.
"So…you think today is the day you knock me on my ass?"
He watched as Petra gave a weak, cautious nod, and he merely smirked all the more and shook his head. He leaned even closer toward her and she gave an inhale of surprise as he put a hand on her shoulder to pull her up against him, and Levi angled his head so he could whisper in her ear. He felt her stiffen, though she didn't struggle or push him away. He licked his lips and whispered, his lips brushing her ear with each word he spoke, "You'll rotate back soon enough, right? I'm looking forward to watching you try."
He stood back up fully and watched her with satisfaction, amused as Petra stood rigidly, refusing to look up at him as her face burned a crimson red.
From across the arena, Oluo shouted, "Hey Petra, what's the hold up? Get a move on, you don't want to miss your chance to fight the squad's undefeated combat master, right?"
Levi's prior expression fell and he rolled his eyes, watching Petra who blinked in confusion at Oluo's words, a sort of irritation coming to her face as she turned toward the opposite end of the area and shouted back at him, "I just did miss my chance, you jackoff!"
Levi snorted at her words and shook his head, knowing it was best to not press his luck and push things any further while things were still admittedly strained between them. He looked over his shoulder and sighed, "Eld's on his way over here. You need to get moving."
She stayed rooted in her spot, and a genuine smile came to her face as she watched him warmly. She waited until she had his attention and gave him a challenging quirk of her eyebrow, a smugness in her expression as she spoke, "Next time, Captain."
"Next time." He agreed, and Petra's smile brightened all the more before she ran off with a wave.
...
End of Chapter
...
I don't regret giving you guys two chapters here to make up for my being somewhat outside of my normal update schedule, but I hope you guys take the time to read it slow and digest everything properly. Truth be told, that's another reason I (for the most part) really like this one chapter a week vibe. I add in foreshadowing, symbolism, repetition, tools to add depth to the read, but those things that can so easily be missed if not reviewed carefully so don't be afraid to take it slow or reread things! You may thank yourself later.
Okay, now confession time, I love the paragraphs where Levi mentally reviews the different combat styles/techniques of his team. Many of you have commented how you enjoy the fact that even though it's a Petra/Levi show, the rest of the squad plays a big role, because (apologies to the other fics out there) but they should! They very much should! All that to say that I enjoyed giving spotlight to each of the members, because I love this team so much. Oluo just kills me in this chapter, and Eld. Vindictive, smug, little Eld. Ahhh good times, good times.
Either way, hope you enjoy this very long deluxe chapter, and as always, I'll see yall next Sunday – bright and early, same time as usual :)
Midnight