Happy, happy Apocalypse everyone!

So yeah, a lot has happened in the last week, hasn't it? I know everyone already has their own opinions about everything that's going on, but at the very least, I'd like to report that so far things are okay on my end. We're safe and keeping out outside exposure to a minimum – not so much for us of course, but for those who may be more at risk. Just doing our part to keep the community safe.

I'd urge yall if you aren't already, to be respectful of those who are worried, of those who's places of occupation have been forcibly shut down, of those who have no option of income coming in for the foreseeable future while the bills keep coming in, for the small businesses who won't have any customers, for those at risk wondering how concerned they should or shouldn't be, and of course…for those left without toilet paper. Times are tough in the empire...

Yall, if my two cents means absolutely anything, throughout all of this, be smart, and be humble. There's a lot of firsts here for everyone, so whether its hype, fear, or not ENOUGH where people aren't taking things as seriously as they should be - I don't know the answer to that question. But. Kindness goes a long way. Be respectful, and again, keep humble because the economic impact if nothing else, is substantial.

Either way, thanks for being here, and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

…

…

"Hey girl!" a taunting voice suddenly came from beside her from the one called Oluo, and if it weren't for the fact she was focused on not throwing up, she would have shot him an icy glare. How long had they been running like this? Was this what they considered to be a warmup? A miserable, run to the death? She didn't mind running, she didn't even mind running long distances – what she minded was the combination of running this long, while simultaneously being expected to run this fast. The men were tearing down the path with impressive speed, and way up in the front was Humanity's Strongest, leading the way effortlessly with an ease that confirmed that – for him at least – this was just a mere warm up.

Petra tried not to roll her eyes.

"Feeling pretty good still? You're looking a little tired." Oluo jeered with a smirk, and Petra made a point of ignoring him, "We've got another three miles to go, and just as a fair warning, Captain always has us sprint that last mile."

There were a few chuckles when Petra's green eyes shot open, and unable to stop the impulse, she looked toward Oluo in sheer disbelief, mouth agape, "Sprinting? A mile? After four miles at this pace? You've….got to be…is this for real?"

Hearing her audible dread and apprehension, Gunther nodded over his shoulder, "He's not pulling your leg, sweetie. We do sprint the last mile; you gonna be able to handle it?"

She couldn't help the miserable sort of groan that left her lips, and Eld snorted from her opposite side, "Now wait, you're not feeling like quitting, are you? If you stop now, Captain would be so irritated that he'd probably kick you out right then and there. You'd lose the bet sure, but you'd save yourself all this hassle and-"

"What's with all the chatting back there? If you've got time to talk, you've got time to work. Let the girl be and focus on your own performance. Eld, Oluo, Gunther, up here with me. Girl, pick up the pace!"

The blonde gave a smirk and whispered, "Think about it."

With that, the trio ran ahead with little difficulty, and again Petra found herself giving another desperate sigh as she pumped her legs beneath her, just praying that she could somehow keep up because this was insane.

Some thirty minutes later, after having miraculously survived their five mile death run, they had moved toward the training grounds and were doing an array of nonstop pushups, pull ups, squats – something Petra was certain just might in fact break her, because if the run wasn't hard enough – military or not, she was admittedly on the weaker side in terms of sheer physical strength, and her arms and legs were now trembling beneath her with each new command.

"Down." Levi was walking back and forth in a line as he surveyed his team, watching as they each obeyed and lowered closer toward the ground in a present push up stance. As his eyes scanned down the line of his men, a forced exhale left him as he noticed the sad, pathetic sight that greeted him at the very end of the line.

Not surprisingly, a certain female was clearly having a hard time, and looked just short of passing out. He cocked his head, making a face as he watched her struggle, and he shook his head in sudden displeasure, "Oi, Petra. You kidding me right now?"

He walked over toward her specifically, and he spoke to the group as a whole with an aggravated sigh as he did so, "Up."

Again, his men (and Petra) followed his command, and Levi quirked an eyebrow at the slow, pitiful way the ginger pushed herself up from the ground, using one shaky arm at a time as she pushed herself upward inch by inch in a diagonal sort of line that favored her dominant side. A disbelieving, open-mouthed scowl came to his face, and he groaned at the pathetic display that confirmed that she was undeniably weak, "What is that? What are you – is that supposed to be a push up? Get your ass out of the air, back straight! The hell is this shit?"

In the next moment, there was a foot suddenly pressed against her rear that was a mix between a shove and a kick downward, and with the fact Petra's body could hardly support her own weight as it was, the sudden force had been more than enough to throw off her balance, and with a surprised and alarmed squeak, she outright collapsed on the ground in a heap.

There was a snort that came from beside her at her less than graceful flailing about, Eld no doubt, and Petra could feel her face turn bright red in embarrassment when she slowly sat up from the ground, hesitantly looking up and seeing the Captain's far from amused expression, his steel blue eyes narrowed onto her in obvious irritation.

"Impressive. I don't think ever I've seen a shittier push up in my life." He stated flatly, and Petra chewed her lip under the weight of his stare, admittedly discouraged because she was trying, but like Levi, and the men, and everyone else knew, she wasn't nearly at the same skill level and it was showing.

Whereas she was on the ground, panting and heaving for breath after being unable to hold her own body weight in place after running for nearly forty minutes straight, the men were still up in the air, backs straight as a board with tempered, focused expressions because it was clear that also like Levi – this really was just their warm up.

It was crazy. No other squad was expected to train like this, and yet she couldn't deny the results. They truly were in a league all their own, and she…

Petra felt suddenly silly, because while she was talented in terms of her squad, here she was just a joke and would only be holding them back. What Levi had said last night though, that he was just looking for potential – which apparently she had – had he just been saying that because he assumed she were more skilled than she actually was? After seeing her like this, would he take it back; look for someone else that was better suited for the job? She certainly wouldn't blame him, and she felt a sort of shame run through her because the men had teased her, had told her flat out that there was no way she could keep up with them, and she supposed that to some extent – they were right. Granted they were wrong about her reaction to it, because she wouldn't just give up or break down into tears over something like this, but looking back, their initial skepticism made sense.

She just wasn't ready for this sort of position. It was above her. It was too much. That man…he was Humanity's Strongest, this team was a direct extension of his abilities, and she was just…Petra Ral. What could she possibly do when placed side by side with someone like that?

When she remained in place, lost in her thoughts and all but waiting for him to dismiss her outright because she was clearly outclassed, Levi quirked an eyebrow and crossed his arms expectantly, "Well? You going to just sit there, or are you going to get back up and keep training? Don't forget you owe me for that little stunt last night, and I don't recall issuing any breaks. Get back in position girl; I don't want to have to tell you again."

She blinked in surprise at his permission – no, his order – to continue, a little slow to the draw in her exhaustion, but at Levi's stare, a stare that showed he clearly expected that she could, and would keep pressing on, she forced herself to take confidence not in herself, but rather the Captain that seemed so certain of her hidden potential. She gave a determined nod, a fire returning to her eyes and she readjusted her body; being more intentional about her form because tired though she was, she didn't want the squad laughing at her again.

Levi watched as she repositioned herself upward, and while her form wasn't perfect, Levi made sure she caught his nod of approval, and he resumed his prior pacing without further lingering, "Down."

"Eld," came a quiet, quiet whisper from Oluo, "This is pretty much the end of our warmup and she's still here. No tears and not so much as a single complaint. What do you make of that?"

"Sheer stupidity." The blonde responded in an equally hushed, bitter whisper, and he shook his head as he lowered his body to the ground obediently, his voice strained as he continued, "Looking back, it seems we were betting against the Captain more than the girl, and now I feel like I've been duped because of course he would have found someone like that; some crazy half-pint that has no logical sense of self preservation. Really should have known better."

There was a slight grunt of agreement from Gunther, "You see the glares she's been shooting at us all day, like she's going to take a swing at us the second Captain's not looking? Pretty sure she even has his temper. I'm beginning to think I shouldn't trust short people."

As they continued whispering amongst themselves, curious as to what other feats the girl might pull off throughout the day, the group missed Levi's pleased, knowing look. Of course of all people, he wasn't surprised in the least. After having seen the girl last night, Levi had known from the very beginning exactly how the men's little wager would turn out in the end. He had said nothing as they pressed her buttons and belittled her outright, because he wanted to see how she would respond – if she would crack under the pressure, or lose her nerve, or if their words would pull that fiery side out of her that she had shown him last night, and as she pushed back, returned their taunts with insults and glares of her own, Levi found that she didn't disappoint and could hold her own just fine.

As it stood now they were a mere ten minutes away from completing their warmup routine for the day, and while it was doubtless that the girl was already nearing the edge of her limits, as Levi stole a glance toward her, seeing the clarity in her eyes, the determination and focus that she carried herself with, her drive to succeed regardless her difference in skill level wasn't lost on him, and he knew doubtlessly that a certain ginger would be ending the day with significantly heavier pockets.

"…And up."

…

…

At lunch time, Levi found himself at the opposite edge of the grounds, sitting back against a tree and drinking from his water canteen casually, admittedly feeling rather good about how the day had gone so far. That in and of itself was perhaps an oddity, because for all intents and purposes, the training was actually going rather pitifully, and the girl was failing almost every marker imaginable.

Petra struggled at every turn; she was slow, couldn't keep up, wasn't nearly as strong as any of them were, and yet even still, the longer she was with his team, the more confident Levi became that she would be a surprisingly good fit. Yes, he would have a vast amount of work cut out for him in the event that she joined his squad, but after seeing that the girl's potential was a very real thing as he put her through the ringer and allowed his squad to test her gumption, seeing that Petra could succeed on his squad in a manner that might just appease Erwin - it was putting him in a remarkably good mood.

He had just dismissed his team for lunch, and he hadn't thought too much of it as he watched his subordinates and the girl each walk off toward the tables, making sparing attempts at conversation and instantly going their separate ways as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Not that he knew Petra well, but as for his team, none of them were social and hated having to spend even a second together if it wasn't necessary, and lunch was more often than not spent in complete silence.

At first they all ate alone, as usual, but to his surprise and almost sense of sheer confusion, Petra had called Gunther over toward her for who knows what reason, and he could only assume that Gunther was so mystified that he didn't know what to say or do, other than make his way toward her hesitantly. For a few minutes the two talked, and then Gunther gave a shrug.

"Thanks. Hey, Oluo." The girl called next, signaling him over with a dramatic wave, and Gunther gave a nod and moved back to his table, and it seemed that Oluo was up to bat next. Whatever she needed, Oluo had laughed outright, causing the girl to give him an offended glare, and he was laughing all the more.

Apparently, that was all it had taken. It seemed one by one, someone would have something to say to her – then someone else a few minutes later, another one would pass by and linger, until eventually, Eld sat down at the table, bringing his whole lunch with him and making it obvious that apparently he was just going to be eating lunch with the girl. Not five minutes later, the rest of the squad joined in, and not that Levi would have ever required it as it really didn't bother him if they chose to eat together or not – but like that, so easily, simply by just being there – they were willingly eating together. On purpose.

It was then and there that Levi knew he was on to something, and even he himself found that he was getting up from the ground and moving toward the table curiously.

When he arrived, arms crossed and not certain what to say, not even certain what he was hoping to achieve by being there, he wondered if he had made a mistake by approaching at all, because as he moved toward them there had at first been whispers, but then the conversation died out completely. For a few seconds he stood there awkwardly, wondering if he was supposed to start some form of small talk, when there was a sudden snort from Eld instead.

"Oh, now that the Captain's here she finally shuts up. What, is the little darling suddenly shy around Humanity's Strongest? Shit, please don't tell me you're one of those mindless drones that thinks he hung the moon and stars or something."

"Oh yeah, there's a good question. Are you one of the Captain's fan girls, you know, where you've got this embarrassing obsessive schoolgirl crush on him?" Oluo teased her with a snort, and from where the girl was, sitting at the corner of the table and drinking her water, she gave a sharp gasp and all but choked on the liquid, causing the men to laugh as she coughed dramatically.

"Oh, him? That…is that actually a thing? For real? Him?" She looked him up and down in amazement as though unable to even fathom how such a person could be viewed as so overwhelmingly attractive, and the men outright laughed at her unintentionally brutal insult towards their Commanding Officer. Uncertain why they were all laughing, Petra continued looking Levi over confusion, in a manner that clearly said she just wasn't seeing it, and Levi tried not to glare at her prolonged stare. Not that he was so arrogant that he was offended by the woman not being outright attracted to him; if anything it made things considerably easier if he wasn't her type (with any luck, she'd be into girls or something) but at the same time, he couldn't deny the distaste in his stomach because the longer she stared at him with that confused expression, the more irritated he became.

She cleared her throat in attempts to be polite, having no idea that her reaction previously had more than said enough regarding her first impression, and she gave him an empty smile, "Well, good for you Captain, but I mean, me personally… no. Sorry, but no. I'm sure you're a great guy and everything but…"

She gave a laugh and repeated herself warmly, "No. But I do have a question for you, none the less."

Levi quirked an eyebrow when she fell suspiciously quiet, a sort of reluctance to her expression because it was obvious she had more to say, and from across the table Gunther gave an amused shake of his head, "Where's those nerves of steel at? Come on, just ask him already."

Levi turned his attention back to the girl, because apparently he had been the center of their conversation before he arrived – that would certainly explain their sudden silence - and he looked at her curiously because she seemed to have some question for him specifically. She was blushing heavily now, staring into the ground nervously, and she spoke in a quiet mumble, "I was just curious Captain…uh, you know…if you…"

As she looked into the table in obvious discomfort, the men looked up toward Levi, amusement clear in their eyes, and part of him wondered if maybe the girl did have some sort of crush on him, regardless her previous denial, because with how she was sputtering out her words and avoiding mere eye contact with him, Levi found he had been in this position before and it never ended pleasantly. Usually when girls behaved so irritably around him, they were five seconds away from asking him out and gods help him, if this girl really was just some fan girl, he wasn't sure how he would respond because she showed promise, and yet he vehemently detested-

"How many Titans have you killed?" she asked suddenly, now looking up toward him directly, but with a gravely serious expression. "Like, a hundred? Two hundred? What's your average kill count per expedition? Is it all solo, or assists?"

Levi blinked at her barrage of questions, and if it weren't for the strange line up of events, he may have even found amusement in her curiosity, but more than anything, he found that he was mostly relieved that she wasn't trying to ask him out. He looked down at her and shook his head seriously, "I don't know. I've never kept count."

The disappointment on her face was palpable, and her jaw dropped open in disbelief, "Wait. For real?"

Eld chuckled from beside her and gave a light slap on her shoulder, "That's what we told you."

She groaned, "But I…" again she sighed, "Uh, what about other numbers then? Like, your mile time? Or rotations through the obstacle course? Are those recorded anywhere? I'd be curious what your efficiencies are, you know, as like the official standard of success in the Scout Regiment."

Levi couldn't help the sort of confusion he felt, and before he had the opportunity to create some sort of response, Oluo laughed, "Ah, I see you're competitive as well. If you want to take the Captain head on, then you've got to get a lot more training under your belt because you and him are worlds apart."

The girl groaned and crossed her arms defensively, "I'm not trying to beat him, I just, well I'm curious how my numbers would stack up against his I guess." She gave a slight sigh and looked into the table, picking at her sandwich as she spoke thoughtfully, "I know I'm only here because you guys are looking to fill in that other spot, and as cool as this has been to see how a team like this functions, it's painfully clear that I've got a lot to learn before I'm ready for something like this. I get that, and so aside from the fact that you are all rude, fowl mouthed, prideful assholes-"

"Oh, thanks Sweetheart." Eld batted his eyes at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Petra." She emphasized with a correcting, but amused smile, and she continued with a suddenly warm expression, "All I've really got is just this one day, so I want to learn all that I can from you guys, you know? The more I learn, the more I can take back to my squad come Monday, and we'll all be better off for it at the next go around. But…" her look turned somewhat mischievous and she shrugged innocently as she looked around the table with a taunting smirk, "Anytime you guys want to bet against me in the future, you let me know. I'm always game to make a quick buck and I'm sitting at a table of Class A Suckers."

There were some chuckles, and Eld spoke again, "You know Petra, I was thinking about that. If you recall earlier, we talked about going double or nothing? Granted, I didn't see it going this route but how about we make things more interesting. We've still got the last half of the day and-"

As Eld began to explain himself, try to convince her to cut them some slack and make a new wager that was more in their favor, Levi crossed his arms and shook his head, "No, that bet is over Eld, because I have a deal of my own, and I don't want your stupid bets to interfere."

At his statement, the entire table watched the Captain curiously, and he took a breath, "You've done well Petra, better than I expected in some ways, and considering you're still here and holding your own; well. If you give up and walk out, then it's for the best because my team has no place for quitters anyway. But."

He nodded to himself, looking around at his subordinates who were suddenly smirking, nodding toward him in agreement because they could see where this was going. After seeing the girl's determination, seeing the same potential in her that Levi himself had noticed, it seemed they supported his judgement call unanimously and were in complete agreement, "If you make it; if you can last through the rest of the day like you did this morning – and fair warning I'm going to push you hard, girl – well, if you can do that… then we'll consider the position filled and I'll get started on the paperwork tonight."

Oluo gave a chuckle and nodded toward her, "Gods, can you believe this? Captain is such a one upper. Gotta say though, the guy knows how to take it up a notch, wouldn't you say?"

The girl blinked, stuttering at first and feeling self-conscious under the sudden weight of the men's amused stares as they watched her for an answer, "Are you…is this…Captain, you know that if you make a deal like that, that of course I'll come through in the end because, well, I'd be stupid not to. But I just…" she mentally fumbled for her words all the more and slowly looked toward him in obvious concern, somewhat wishing this were a private conversation because she was certain he was pulling her leg and she didn't want to get her hopes up.

She turned toward him and whispered, even though the rest of the squad would still be able to hear her just the same, "You can't be serious. I am still standing yes, but I couldn't keep up for any part of that this morning! I can't run as fast, I'm not all that strong – we haven't even gotten started with the 3DM gear and-"

"I'm not worried about that." Levi cut her off, looking around toward his men flatly, "Even if it was all just to team up and bully you, this is the first time this squad has actually functioned and acted like it were made of teammates rather than enemies. You don't have to tell me, but what were you all talking about earlier, when you called my men over one by one and it somehow led to this?"

Petra merely shrugged in sudden confusion, as though it were such a simple matter that his asking at all confounded her, "Oh, that? I just had some questions is all, nothing crazy. I would have called you over too, but you saved me the time and came over here yourself. I told you earlier that I wanted to take as much back to my squad on Monday, so earlier I asked Gunther if he had any 3DM gear tips or if he'd be willing to, you know, tell me what was going on when we start formations in a bit or why you all did things the way you did versus other methods used by the Scout Regiment. I figured that even if you were all being a little arrogant and making a point of teasing me, surely you wouldn't be so heartless as to deny me the right to learn from you. No one wants a fellow Scout to flounder on the battlefield, and I figured I'd get some feedback over what makes me so different from you guys while I had the chance."

She took a breath and continued, "Gunther answered what he could of course, but at one point he said that Oluo would actually be better suited to give me some advice, because it was an area he was stronger in, and as my questions continued and highlighted different people's strengths, it just lead to a free for all where whoever felt best suited answered the questions, or they'd debate methods and… in time I guess it was just easier to camp out here instead of walking back and forth constantly." She paused and shot a perturbed look, "Why is he looking at me like this is such a weird thing? It's just people talking over lunch."

Levi couldn't help but give a mystified shake of his head as his team gave her a few, innocent shrugs, because those were important conversations that Levi had wanted to have in the past – who's strengths were what, ways to increase their efficiencies and open up dialogue that encouraged those interactions between his men – but each time he had, it had been looked at as a business conversation where the answers were forced, professional, and quickly became a matter of his men running off their Titan Slaying resumes in attempt to show the rest up.

Thinking about it now, Levi supposed in some ways it was almost sad. Here this girl could come in, and just due to the nature of her being notably less than – smaller in size, younger, eager to learn but able to hold her own in a way that made her somewhat amusing and certainly more approachable than himself - she was able to accomplish something Levi hadn't been able to accomplish in months, and with notably minimal effort on her end.

Levi took a breath and picked his words carefully, "I know you're worried about skill, and while you don't know me all that well, you should know that I don't speak flippantly or give false hope. If you have the drive and will to improve, I swear to you that I can get you up to par with the rest of my men. It will take time, and it won't be easy because the gap is tangible and you have a lot of bad habits that could get us and you killed, but your potential is undeniable and I can work with you step by step."

Petra looked up toward him nervously as though doubting his words, obviously undecided and gun-shy, and Levi crossed his arms, "Petra. I can teach you and mold you into a soldier worthy of my team, I promise. Now granted throughout that process, you may come to hate me, or resent me, or regret your decision completely, but you should be aware, I won't permit you to give up or back out once you're on my squad, so give it some honest thought before you make any hasty judgement calls. if you're not interested or are too intimidated by how we operate; if you can't act with that same confidence you had throughout this morning, then feel free to walk away now and we'll consider your time successfully served regarding yesterday's infraction. If you want to make a difference though, if you really want to amplify your power to take out as many of those 'naked, disgusting fucks' with whatever time you've got left, well." He allowed himself a smirk, seeing a blush rise to her face at his previous use of her own words, and he nodded toward her flatly, "I can make that happen, and I will, but only if you are willing."

She fell silent as though thinking his words over, and she looked toward him seriously, "I'll…yeah. I'm sorry; let me ask some questions now, if that's okay? If I were on this squad, you are all separated from the main ranks, right? Does that mean I'd be moving out of the women's barracks and into the main Compound? That's where the Special Ops squad takes residence, if I'm not mistaken?"

Levi gave a nod, and Petra's eyebrows drew together in concern, "Okay. Well from the get-go, I'd need my own room and that's a nonnegotiable for me. I get that I can change in the bathroom or whatever, but I don't want to share a living space with men. It's not decent, and it's not practical."

"Is she negotiating terms with him? Is she allowed to do that?" Oluo mumbled, and there was a quiet 'Man, shut up.' from Gunther.

"That's fair." Levi stated with a pensive nod, admittedly not having thought too much about the differences that might have to be made if they were officially going to be a coed squad, and he was happy she made the mention of that now, rather than later, "I'll see that arrangements are made so that you have a private space to yourself."

"And." Petra looked around the table with a narrowed stare, "You will all have to cut out all these cutesy nicknames because I won't stand for it. No sweetie, no dearie, or honey. I may be a girl, but I'm a soldier first and foremost, and I don't want you talking down to me like that because its demeaning and disrespectful. My name is Petra and I expect to be called as such."

A long silence fell over the table, where Levi gave his men an expectant stare because he had also heard those nicknames thrown around throughout the day, and innocent or not, they all knew that the only reason they were used at all was simply because she was a girl. Levi could understand her dislike, and decided to support her valid callout.

Eventually Eld gave a nod, "Okay, yeah that's also fair. Petra it is."

Levi looked back toward the ginger flatly, "Any other baggage you want to bring to the table? Last minute demands you feel the need to force at the time of a job offer that apparently can't wait until after training is over?"

She smirked at his sarcastic response and nodded, "Just one. I don't know what time you normally hang out, but in the event that I were to join this squad, I'd need some avenue to get to know you guys. Maybe…do you all drink coffee? If I were to make coffee each morning, before we report for duty I mean, would you all consider showing up? It's just…if I'm going to be placed on a new team, I'd like to invest and learn about each of you outside of training and such; it's good for teamwork and I need to know who I'm fighting with out on the battlefield."

A long silence fell over the group, and Levi intentionally remained silent himself, curious to see how the group would respond to her words as they exchanged worried glances. Eventually Gunther spoke up, "I kinda think you're getting the wrong impression by this Petra. Just because we are on the same squad doesn't mean we plan on going out of our way to be overly friendly. We all have our lives outside of the job so let's just keep it at that and -"

At Gunther's attempt of letting her down easy, she rolled her eyes and looked around the table seriously in obvious displeasure, "Oh no you don't. Absolutely not. You all went out of your way this morning to belittle me and I'm still here – the least you could do is have a cup of coffee with me a few times before training to show me that you can be decent human beings. I get you're all gruff manly men or whatever, but if I'm going to be on a team with someone, it's going to be a real team, where we talk and encourage each other and act like we actually give a damn if someone lives or dies. You are all supposed to be the best of the best or whatever, right? That means teamwork too, so I won't accept anything less or this standoffish, too cool for school approach. I'm making coffee, and you are all showing up. Understood?"

By the end of her speech, the men and even Levi himself, were wearing surprised expressions, mouths hanging slightly open by the way she outright lectured them, and as the silence extended, at the sheer irony of it all, Eld was suddenly laughing heartily, collapsing across the table and wiping his eyes dramatically as he spoke between fits of laughter, "Captain how do you do it? Where do you get people like this? This girl is so young, a mere cadet, and she has the gall to tell us, and Humanity's Strongest what to do. I can't believe it!"

The blonde's laughter eventually tapered off and he looked toward Petra with a nod, "You know what Petra, fine. You make it through training today and decide you want to join us officially, then come whenever the change is made and you find yourself aligned to the Captain, I'll make a point to be there. At the very least, you're a funny gal. I like that."

She grinned, "Great! Looking forward to it. What about you three?"

Oluo gave a shrug, "Well, I like your spirit. I suppose a cup of coffee before we have to get a jump on the day wouldn't be so bad. But maybe just a few times; I'm not promising eternity or anything."

"That's understandable, and I'll take what I can get. Gunther, Captain?"

Gunther exhaled and crossed his arms defensively, "I'll…think about it. Mornings aren't my thing and I like sleeping in."

Petra gave him a less than enthusiastic stare, but accepted his answer because he seemed to be sincere in his response, and she finally looked toward Levi, "And you, Captain? Got to admit, I'm curious about you the most. I get the feeling you're a quiet guy, but if you're going to be my Commanding Officer, I need to know what you expect from me."

Levi quirked an eyebrow and watched her curiously, "And you want to have those conversations over coffee, in front of the whole squad?"

She smirked and turned toward him, "Is that a problem? Are my expectations any different from theirs? What might cause that, Captain? Surely nothing to do with my age or gender, right? Because that would be discrimination."

Levi found himself amused by her retort, and he exhaled as he thought her original question over, "I have other responsibilities outside of just running this squad, so I don't always have the luxury of free time in the mornings. If I do, I'll…make an appearance, perhaps."

Before she could respond further, Levi cleared his throat seriously and gave a sweeping glance over his subordinates, "Enough chatting, all of you. Lunch is over in ten minutes and you need to eat because we're going to show this cadet why this squad is so different from the others. On that note, Petra, don't eat too fast or you'll throw up later."

At his words and serious expression, she frowned miserably because she knew that no part of him was being sarcastic or trying to tease her, he was rather giving her an honest heads up, and she was officially dreading what the rest of the day would entail.

As Levi took a step away from the table, he paused as though just remembering something, and he turned over his shoulder with a smirk, "Oh and one more thing. Regarding this morning Petra, make sure they all pay up. You earned it."

"Of course. And…just so you know, I'll do it, Captain."

Levi paused in place at the girl's words, looking back over his shoulder as she looked up toward him with a face of determination, "I'd say it's a bit premature but…I'm stubborn and I've made up my mind. I'll get through the day, and when I do, I'll join your squad. If you think that I have that potential and are willing to work with me, I'll admit I'm a bit skeptical, but if you're half the man people say you are, then I have nothing to worry about. So…I accept your offer."

He gave a single nod, his expression not changing as he gave her a long stare.

"Very well then, Petra."

At that, he walked away and as the squad wished her congratulations, laughed because she had no idea what she was in for and confirmed that she had just signed her life away to the devil himself, Levi found that while he was pleased, perhaps a little anxious regarding how to make good on his promise to coach her appropriately, more than anything, he found he was relieved.

When his squad was first created, the three men he selected were simply told they would be placed on his squad and weren't given the option to refuse. For them, it had worked well enough for the most part and they accepted the change without much fuss. They were traditional military men who had no problem following the rules even if they disagreed or didn't want to, as they viewed it as part of their basic job functionality.

Petra was different though; that had become very obvious very fast, and even with what little he knew about her, Levi already knew he couldn't treat her or coach her the same way he did his men.

The more he had watched her throughout the day, the more certain he was that Petra was the right addition that would turn his squad around completely and he had been tempted more than once to just call the day off and go to Erwin then and there, but even still, regardless his certainty and the fact that his squad so easily embraced her, even with her flaws and lacking skill – Levi knew the final say would need to come from her because Petra simply wasn't like the rest of his men.

In a word, she was stubborn.

There would be no point in forcing a girl like that to bend to his command, because it was obvious rules and rank meant absolutely nothing to her in the first place. If she didn't want him as her Commanding Officer, his forcing her wouldn't change anything and would only make his team fall apart from the inside as she fought against him at every turn.

No, with a girl like Petra…if she didn't agree and choose him in the same way that he had chosen her, then he'd have to let her go, regardless his feelings on the matter.

And because of that fact alone, Levi found that he had been legitimately… fearful that she would say no in the end. He wanted her to say yes, he wanted her to choose him and his team, but some part of him felt as though she were making a judgement call based on who he was as a person and Captain, and fact of the matter was, his track record for such a thing was admittedly poor.

Well.

Regardless the fact that the day wasn't over so technically nothing was official just yet, Levi knew just as doubtlessly that the girl would make good on her promise and his search for the elusive fifth member for his squad was at an end. While he was dreading the paperwork that he would be swamped with over the next few weeks, he was anticipating what Erwin would have to say when he learned exactly who it was that he had decided on.

He had been surprised later that evening, when after telling Erwin about his selection, that the Commander stared at him in outright confusion and what seemed like a cautious sort of disbelief.

"Petra Ral?" he repeated, almost in wonder, and Erwin shook his head as he watched Levi seriously, "You sure that's a good idea, Captain?"

Levi was actually surprised by Erwin's hesitance, and he shrugged simply, caught off guard and perhaps a little defensive under the weight of Erwin's obvious concern, "Yeah. Sure she's a cadet and I've got my work cut out for me, but I really think that-"

Erwin shook his head and waved his hand dismissively, "No, not that. She's always had that potential and drive to her, according to the training division at least. I'm not worried on that front because she'd be a good fit and I trust your judgment for those things, it's just, Levi with your personality and hers…"

Erwin fell silent, watching Levi seriously as though expecting him to fill in the blanks, and the Captain merely stared at him in question, and eventually shrugged, "What? You think we'll fight all the time? Maybe, but how should I know? It's too early to tell. If you're worried about that, don't be. She's sarcastic and stubborn and will push the line just as far as she can, but I can handle that because it's nothing I haven't dealt with before. Besides, no one really 'works well' with me anyway, so I'm not concerned if we butt heads from time to time."

Erwin's eyes narrowed for a long moment, watching Levi with a studious expression and eventually, the Commander gave a warm laugh at what seemed to be his own private joke, shaking his head mirthfully and rubbing his forehead as he thought it all over.

The Commander's odd smile grew all the more and he nodded toward Levi with an accepting sigh, "Well, if you're so certain, then you have my support Captain. I'll let you fill out the forms and you can expect the change to take place officially in about two weeks. You are welcome to wait for that time, or if you'd rather unofficially move her over now and start your training on Monday, that is fine with me as well."

Levi rolled his eyes, "You know how I feel about these things, Erwin."

The Commander chuckled at his predictability, "Of course Captain. I'll alert her dorm head and have her start moving her things over tonight, and you can expect her to be moved in completely come Monday morning. I presume you have a space in mind for her? Surely you aren't planning on sticking her in with the rest of your squad's shared space? While I suppose you could, that might make her feel a little uncomfortable, to say the least."

"No, she actually brought that up herself earlier today. As we speak, I have the men cleaning out one of the empty offices for her. It's a little small mind you, but probably more space than she's got in the shared barracks, so I don't think she'll mind."

Erwin folded his hands across his desk and watched the Captain in approval, "Good. I'll expect a meeting with yourself and her in my office tomorrow evening so we can go over the details of her transfer and subsequent promotion. You'll be ready?"

Levi nodded simply, believing their business to be completed and wanting to get a jump on the paperwork, but as he moved toward the door, Erwin spoke up, "And Levi. If you find yourself…getting in over your head perhaps …You will let me know."

The Commander's last statement was so odd, but spoken with such a grave seriousness that Levi could do nothing but give a slow, uncertain nod in return, "…Yes, sir."

When the door closed behind him, another amused chuckle left the Commander.

A girl like Petra, on a team of all men and following the Command of someone like Levi…

Well, at the very least, Erwin was certain that there would never be a dull moment in the new and improved Squad Levi.

…

End of Chapter

…

Aaaaand that will do!

I'm thrilled yall seemed to love this flashback scene as much as I did. Like I said last week, this section kind of wrote itself and like some of yall pointed out, it was so fun to see how they started, versus how the team thrives and functions today. And of course….Erwin.

Throughout this chapter and last, I think Erwin is just the best. He's a brilliant leader who knows when to say no, who knows how to compromise, but most importantly, knows how to manage his subordinates and drive their performance. I love the fact that (last chapter) when Levi shows up and says hey I've got a problem, Erwin has the wisdom to not step in because Levi needs to learn how to problem solve on his own. Yes, he's bad with people, but that's not an excuse as to why he gets a free pass every time someone doesn't want to work with him. And then this end here, where Erwin is just like *insert long stare* Seriously Levi…you don't see it?

*Levi blinks*

*Erwin holds back a snort and slowly turns to give camera a knowing stare*

Ahhh, but alas. Obviously, we can't stay in flashback mode forever guys. We got our second wind and next week its back to the progressive plot.

Stay safe, stay smart, and I'll see yall next week!

~Mid