Punishment:

Uma's POV

I walked down the hall of the Special Operations Headquarters with a sense of unease. The axe was going to fall any minute and I had no idea what I should be doing to prepare. I wondered if it wouldn't be better just to report to Levi and get it over with. Suddenly, as if by clockwork, I felt a pair of strong hands grip the back of my shoulders and shove me into the nearest room. I immediately spun around, my heart racing, and found Levi standing behind me. His face was set in a dangerous glare as he pushed me further into the room and slammed the door shut behind us with a swift back kick.

"What you did today was incredibly stupid," he told me, his tone dangerously close to a growl. Even though he released his tight hold on my shoulders, there was still no escaping him.

"I don't regret it," I answered, trying my best not to become unnerved.

"Tch… I bet you don't."

"Frank is alive and that's all that matters," I said, stupid enough to continue down this road.

"You think so, huh?" He sighed, stepping forwards until he had me backed up against the wall behind me. His sharp eyes leveled with mine as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You disobeyed my orders and almost got the both of you killed in the process. If you're expecting a pat on the back, don't wait up."

"I knew what I was doing."

"Can you be sure of that?" He asked pointedly.

I found my eyes were narrowing on him now. "What do you mean?"

"Commander Erwin told me about Minsk Mina." He dropped the name of my childhood home as easily as he would comment on the weather. "Your insubordination wouldn't have anything to do with that would it?"

Hearing him say this shocked me. It actually took a moment to process, but then I felt my face burn red with anger. "That is none of your business!" I snapped, outraged he knew something so private about me.

I wanted to say more, to demand how he knew this information… what gave him the right to throw it in my face, but my outburst struck a very bad chord in him.

Not a moment after I yelled at him, Levi slammed his hands against the wall on either side of my head, trapping me where I stood. I didn't dare move. His face was mere inches away from mine as those piercing eyes locked onto me. "Anything that endangers the lives of my men is my business," he snapped, his gaze burning holes into mine. "I'll only ask you this once, are you capable of controlling yourself out there?"

"I am," I confirmed, fighting my burning urge to yell.

"Don't think I will allow you to disappoint me, Uma Belova. Is that understood?" He growled.

"Yes, Sir," I nodded, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Good. Now, get outside," he demanded, lowering his arms from the wall.

I walked down the corridor towards the yard with a nervous stiffness. Levi was following right behind me, his gait calm and clear. Obviously he wasn't done with me yet. There could be a million reasons why we were going outside. For one, that old beating post I had seen before was out there. Just the thought of it made my face burn and my heart pound in my ears.

Reaching the front steps of the building, I anxiously awaited further instruction. Levi stopped beside me, his eyes squinting in the sun as he looked out on the driveway. It was high noon and the heat was at its most unbearable. I looked over to him after a moment but he never once looked back at me. Finally, he spoke.

"Run. Don't stop until I tell you to." He said.

"Yes, Sir!" I confirmed, jogging down the stone steps and beginning what was my punishment. Levi watched me take off around the building and went inside.

Though I was bitter about having to do this, I knew Levi had a purpose for it. I had broken the cardinal rule and disobeyed his orders. He was our leader and I had undermined his authority so he had to punish me. But what he said about Minsk Mina, about my past… it was infuriating. It would bother me to no end. He knew nothing about it, nor did the people who told him.

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I don't know how long I was out there for but the sun had set a long time ago. It must have been maybe seven or eight hours? The thought itself was so exhausting it almost made me stop, but Levi had not given me permission to do so yet.

My feet were slowly dragging the ground now. Each step was agony. By then I was pretty certain Levi gave me this order thinking I'd fail. Too much time had passed since I started and anyone sane would have given up by now… that or have fainted from fatigue.

Now I was determined to prove I could handle whatever he threw at me, if only to spite him. No… especially to spite him. He might not have known it, but he had challenged me. There was no way in hell I was going to let him win. I was going to prove to him that I could be the best damn soldier he's ever had the privilege to meet. So even though I wanted to drop to the ground, I kept going. No matter what I felt or how bad it hurt, I never stopped.

"Don't you dare stop," I muttered to myself, half in a daze. "You'll show him… the bastard. One day, you'll be so damned good… you'll be the one to save his ass."

Then I heard the doors to the camp open. "You're still out here?" Levi asked dully as watched me struggle. I couldn't tell if he was surprised by this fact or not.

Regardless, it took everything in me to pant out, "Yes, Sir!"

Levi watched me for a moment before saying, "Ridiculous… you can stop now."

I nodded weakly, bringing my feet to a halt. They were aching in my boots, blood pulsing hard in the areas with blisters. Suddenly, my shaky legs gave way beneath me and I collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Even though my mind was a muddled haze, I had sense enough to know Levi was already heading back inside… asshole.

I couldn't make it back to my room on my own but for the moment, I didn't care. I just wanted to lay there in the dirt and be motionless. I had done it. Even though it nearly killed me, I followed orders without complaint or alteration. A part of me was pissed off at Levi for getting me to do what he wanted. But then again, judging by his reaction just now, he probably didn't expect me capable of doing it. So in the end, I won. Curling up into the fetal position, it didn't take long before I passed out from exhaustion.

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I was woken up in the middle of the night by rain. It was pouring down on me and by the time I realized it, I was already soaked through and chilled to the bone. A part of me wanted to get up and drag myself inside but the other just knew I physically couldn't. So, I lay out there in the downpour, waiting for sunrise. Those bastards inside probably knew it too and were too scared to defy Levi. I couldn't blame them really. After all, I was the outsider, what profit could be gained from helping me?

After a few minutes of being awake, I heard footsteps coming towards me. The sound of boots in muddy gravel came closer and I closed my eyes, pretending to still be asleep. I wasn't in the mood to be mocked.

I could hear a slight shift in weight as the person kneeled down beside me. I waited for them to bark out orders or growl insults but no words were passed between us. Instead, all I heard was an annoyed sigh. Then, I felt one arm slip around my shoulders and another beneath my legs. Soon they were scooping me up off the ground and carrying me back inside.

I lolled my head slightly so it could rest comfortably against their chest. They smelled faintly of soap and fresh linen. I wanted to open my eyes and thank whomever this was who took pity on me, but I didn't dare.

As they lay me on the bed, they draped a wool blanket over my wet form so I wouldn't catch my death. I felt something soft brush over my cheek and I resisted the urge to bat it away. It must have been some sort of scarf. Once I heard the steady sound of their boots walking away, I opened my eyes to catch who it was but they had already gone. I would have followed if I could but my head spinning and my body had hit its breaking point. Falling into a deep sleep, I wracked my mind as to who would bring me in out of the rain.

AN: Please review, favor, and follow! I'm glad I could get into a bit of drama with Levi and Uma in this chapter.