Aww yeah training montage! I imagined all of this set to 'I'll Make A Man Out Of You' or 'Eye Of The Tiger' when I was writing it haha, hope you enjoy :D

The previous night's sleep had been uneasy. Despite how good his bed had felt to his aching body, in the back of his mind Armin had been terrified that he would over-sleep. In the end he only managed to sleep for a couple of hours, every so often waking up and looking at the clock to make sure he hadn't slept through his one chance to prove that he wasn't completely useless. He had woken again at around quarter past five and felt that he might as well just get up and go; if he was there early then Levi would see that he really was determined to become a stronger soldier.

His body protested movement and he ached like anything but he managed to stand and stretch out his stiff muscles. He still felt awful but not as bad as he had the previous night. He dressed as silently as he could but thankfully everyone else in the room seemed to be sleeping too deeply to even stir, let alone notice that he was up, and he was able to make his escape without anyone seeing and asking him what he was doing or where he was going.

The brisk morning air hit him like a blow to the head but after being cooped up in the bunks all night it felt quite nice; there was a slight breeze and the air smelled like it had rained the previous night.

Armin made his way over to the training ground, still half expecting to bump into someone but nobody seemed to be about. He felt more at ease knowing that he was one of the only people who was up and about. He had taken a look at himself in the small mirror hanging by the door of the boy's bunks and he looked awful.

A large purple bruise around one of his eyes along with the graze on his cheek, cut on his forehead and his split lip made him look as if he would keel over at any given second. Despite the injuries though, he felt surprisingly level headed. His body still protested when he tried to move but that was just a feeling he was going to have to get used to for a while. If he was going to get stronger, chances are it was going to hurt like hell.

When he reached the training ground Levi was nowhere to be seen. On the one hand that didn't surprise Armin in the slightest, it was still early and Levi didn't exactly strike him as the type who would wait around for someone he didn't actually want to train to show up. He looked around the training ground. There wasn't actually much to it but, then again, he hadn't expected much. There was a wide open space for running or sparing and there were the ODM Gear training harnesses. He chuckled, thinking back to his training, remembering turning round to see Eren hanging upside down from one of them. It had caused him a great deal of anguish when it kept happening but it had still been quite funny the first time.

Armin wandered over to a large set of weights. Some of them were huge and just looking at them he knew he had no chance of lifting them in a million years. He picked up one of the smallest dumbbells he could find, giving it an experimental lift. It was still a lot heavier than he had expected it to be and he nearly dropped it but he managed to put it back where he had found it without doing too much damage.

"So you actually showed up then," Levi's voice cut through the otherwise silent morning and Armin jumped, whirling round to see him standing behind him, his trademark scowl still plastered on his face. Then again Armin couldn't really picture Levi as a morning person... or an afternoon person... or an evening person for that matter. Armin snapped to attention.

"Good morning Sir," he said. Levi looked him up and down as if appraising him.

"I really did a number on your face, didn't I?" he muttered.

"It's no bother Sir, in fact I can barely feel it," Armin lied. He wanted to seem as if he had some resilience regardless of whether that was in any way true or not. This was the one and only chance he had to prove that he was serious about getting stronger. If he was going to do that he couldn't go getting all teary when he got a little bit hurt. Levi could probably tell that he was lying but if he could he didn't say anything.

"So what is this all about kid?" he asked after a pause.

"Pardon Sir?"

"What are your real intentions here?" he clarified. "After last night I didn't expect you to show up at all so I'm wondering why. Is it because you just want to get close to me, because I told you I don't fuck children."

"I'm not a child Sir," Armin protested weakly.

"I'm nearly twenty years older than you," Levi stated, "you're a child. So what is it? Hero worship? Or maybe you get off on having the shit beaten out of you."

"Neither of those Sir," Armin said and he felt his resolve beginning to harden. He was going to prove that he could fight and was worth training to be better if it was the last thing he did. "I want to become a stronger fighter."

"Why?"

"So that I can make a difference," Armin replied.

"You think any of this makes a difference?" Levi asked after a long pause. "You think any of what we do makes a fucking bit of difference when our numbers are reduced by hundreds every single time we venture outside the walls? You think that because I'm still standing I have the secrets to making a difference to humanity's survival? Because if you do you are sorely mistaken. All I know is that every time I step out of those gates it's kill or be killed and I've seen too make people die to give up now. There's your fucking difference."

"Then I want to become strong enough that I don't have to rely on other people to pull me out of trouble," Armin said. "I should have died in Trost but Eren saved me and some day I would like to return the favour. I've never been much of a fighter but I chose to enlist and I chose to join the Scouting Regiment so the best I can do is try and live up to my potential and do whatever I can to help humanity while I'm here."

"You're very optimistic, aren't you?"

"I believe I have to be, Sir," Armin replied. "Otherwise I'll have nothing to live for. What do we have if we don't have hope?"

"God you're so naïve," Levi said shaking his head. "But if this is what you really want then let's see what you can handle."

"You're really going to train me Sir?" Armin asked, his heart swelling and a smile beginning to tug at the corners of his lips.

"I'll give you a chance to prove you're worth my time and effort," Levi replied. "If you blow it then you're on your own and you can die along with the rest of the cannon fodder, do you understand?"

"Yes Sir."

"Good, now get on the floor," Levi ordered. "You know how to do push ups?"

"Yes Sir," Armin said as he complied with the order.

"Good, get into position for that but instead of resting your weight on your hands rest it on your elbows, keep the rest of your body in a straight line and hold yourself up like that. Stay like that until I tell you to move."

"What does this do Sir?" Armin asked as he got himself into the position Levi told him to. He half expected Levi to answer with 'nothing I just wanted to see if you would do exactly what I told you, no questions asked'. He was pleasantly surprised when that wasn't the answer.

"It strengthens your upper arm muscles and your core muscles, it can also help build muscles in your legs as well. The longer you can hold that position the more impressed I'll be."

"Yes Sir," Armin replied.

It sounded easy in theory, just holding that position should be easy, but in practise it was a lot harder than Armin had first thought. He could feel his arms beginning to shake from the effort of holding himself up. His stomach felt raw, mostly because he hadn't had anything to eat that he had kept down since yesterday lunch, and the longer he held it the more difficult he was finding it to breathe. If he focused on breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth he could just about ignore the trembling of his arms and the clenching of his muscles. How long was Levi going to make him do this?

He could feel his back started to twinge and adjusted himself so that it stopped. The pain that was beginning to throb through the rest of his body had started to dull slightly as well and Armin felt rather proud. He had managed to work out how to hold this position without killing himself in the process... either that or he had just lost all sensation in his body and could no longer feel anything. A boot suddenly planted on his backside brought that train of thought down to earth with a jolt as Levi pushed him down towards the floor.

"Arse down Arlert," he said.

"Sorry Sir," Armin said, realising that the way he had been making the pain subside was by not actually doing the exercise properly. He could feel his face burning scarlet with shame as Levi's boot left him. He took a deep breath and braced himself, clenching his fists and trying to ignore the pain.

"You're not doing a very good job of convincing me that you're not propositioning me here," Levi said.

"I promise I'm not Sir," Armin said but his voice came out as more breath than word. Okay, talking in this position is not a good idea... He could feel his entire body protesting, not that it hadn't already been but he was shaking much more. He felt hot and uncomfortable and he wished that he hadn't come to this in full uniform as spending the rest of the day in a sticky shirt was likely to be particularly unpleasant. He must have been holding the position for four minutes now, maybe five? It had to have been about that long...

Armin felt a sudden twinge in his right arm and it gave out, sending his sprawling to the floor. He just about managed to hold in his yelp of pain but he was still certain that Levi would have heard it and he was probably going to get punished for that. With weak arms he tried to push himself into a sitting position, thankful that the ground was dry and there wasn't a chance that he would be slipping over in the mud. He finally managed to manoeuvre himself so that he was sitting, looking up at Levi like a faithful puppy.

"One minute, six seconds," Levi said looking at the pocket watch in his hand before closing it and slipping it back into his jacket. Armin felt his spirits sink into his boots – only one minute and six seconds! That was agony! His head hang and he stared at the floor in disappointment. "That's not bad for a first time," Levi added seeing how melancholy he looked.

"Really?" Armin asked looking up at him, feeling that tiny balloon of pride in his chest beginning to swell again.

"Some people only manage forty-five seconds tops on their first go," Levi told him. "The more you do it the easier it will become until, eventually you can do a minute without even thinking about it."

"Okay." Armin couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. He had gotten praised, on his first go as well. He could do it, he could prove to everyone and himself that he was a soldier and he did have what it took to stand against Titans.

"On your feet," Levi said breaking him out of his thoughts. Armin heaved himself to his feet. His muscles protested but that aching feeling was starting to become second nature to him and he no longer paid it any attention. If he showed any sign of weakness, gave any indication that he couldn't even handle this then Levi would drop him and he would be back to square one again. He felt a little light headed when he stood but he hoped that was because he hadn't eaten anything rather than his body really was that pathetic.

He couldn't be that weak – he had passed his basic training after all. He hadn't come top of the class, like Mikasa, nor had he even placed in the top ten like most of the rest of his friends but he had still passed. He had even seen a bit of action and was still alive and that had to count for something. ...Right?

"Next we're going for a run," Levi stated.

"We Sir?" Armin asked, confused.

"Yes we you idiot," Levi replied. "If you can keep pace with me then you're not as useless as I first thought."

"Yes Sir," Armin nodded, now really wishing that he wasn't in his uniform. Getting hot and sweaty in it now and then having to be in it for the rest of the day was not going to be fun.

"You ready?" Levi asked.

"Yes Sir." No.

"Then let's go," Levi said before setting off at a fast jog.

His sudden start took Armin by surprise and he had to give himself an extra starting boost to catch him up. He thought he was doing quite well but every time it seemed as if he was going to match pace with Levi he would speed up leaving Armin lagging behind again, having to push himself harder into running faster so that he could catch up.

They were about half way around the length of the training ground when Levi broke into a sprint and Armin had to force his already aching legs to keep moving. His lungs were burning and he could barely catch his breath. If he could just make it to the end of the run without passing out or vomiting then he would be fine. His legs ached, he could hardly breath and he was falling further and further behind Levi with ever passing second. It was like basic training all over again and he felt pathetic that he was still struggling with physical endurance.

Armin just about managed to keep running though. By the time they had done a lap of the training ground he felt like he was dying and he could have cried with joy when he saw that Levi had stopped, round about the same place they had started in. Armin skidded to a halt – definitely going to have to work on these stops – and placed his hands on his knees, bending double to try and catch his breath. He was panting and sweating and he felt as if he were going to pass out but having his head practically hanging between his knees was helping somewhat. Next time he would bring water with him, he really should have remembered that from basic training but he would make a mental note to do it now.

"How did I do?" he panted once he finally felt able to speak, looking up at Levi to see him still looking bored and as collected as ever, as if sprinting half way around the training ground hadn't affected him at all.

"You're still on your feet," Levi replied, "so you should be proud of that at the very least."

"Thank you Sir," Armin panted trying to straighten himself up but feeling dizzy at the last moment and gripping hold of his knees again. He had to stay standing. If he collapsed then Levi would think even less of him than he already did.

"You did well enough for a first morning," Levi stated. There's going to be a but there, it sounds like there's going to be a but there. "But if you really want to make a difference, like you claim to, then you're going to have to step up your game."

"Yes Sir," Armin nodded.

"I don't expect improvement right away and neither should you," Levi told him, "but if you can get through a run without looking like you're going to keel over within a week then that will be something."

"Yes Sir," Armin said again nodding vigorously.

"We'll do some stretches so your muscles don't give out and then call it a day," Levi said. "Everyone else will probably be up for breakfast soon and you'll probably be missed. When was the last time you ate anything?"

"Yesterday afternoon," Armin admitted. No point even mentioning dinner seeing as he had just thrown it up a few hours later. Levi snorted derisively and shook his head.

"If you want to become a stronger solider then you need to start taking better care of yourself," he said. "You need to eat proper meals, as much as we can get anyway, and get a decent night's sleep."

"Like you do Sir?" The words were out of Armin's mouth before he could stop them. The scowl Levi levelled him with made him quake. Levi grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down so that they were eye level.

"Did I not beat enough sense into you last night, you little shit?" he asked. "Because I can keep doing that all day if you piss me off enough."

"I'm sorry Sir," Armin said hurriedly. Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck! This is how I die!

"I'm not really allowed to beat the shit out of Yeager anymore, seeing as there's a chance he might suddenly shift into a Titan without warning, but you have no such luck so I would be very careful about what you say."

"Yes Sir," Armin replied.

"Fucking brat," Levi muttered as he roughly let go of Armin's collar. "We're going to do these stretches so that you don't bring back up whatever you manage to eat and then I don't want to see you for the rest of the day until out here the same time tomorrow morning, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sir," Armin said, nodding. Levi was a force to be reckoned with and he had felt what it was like when he decided to take his anger out on something. He didn't have the courage to ask him if he had been holding back the previous night or not, it would probably only result in more beatings if he did. At this rate he was going to have to resort to monosyllabic answers if he wanted to avoid being Levi's punching bag.

"Bend your knee and rest your weight on it," Levi said getting into the position himself as he spoke. "Keep your other leg straight and push your heel into the ground. If you're doing it properly you should be able to feel the stretch down the back of your straight leg. Hold that for ten seconds and then swap over."

"Yes Sir," Armin said coping exactly what Levi was doing. Now that he wasn't moving he felt as if he could catch his breath again. As long as he could keep this up then he was bound to build up some kind of physical endurance that would help keep him alive the next time he came face to face with a Titan.