A few days had passed since my arrival and I had already found myself already up to my eyebrows in research journals and notes. Hange and I had been theorizing different possibilities for why titans eat humans if they just regurgitate them back up in the end. It had been hours since I had started reading and with the afternoon sun creeping into the office, I decided to take a break. Pulling my hair free from its bun, I leaned my head back in the chair. It's clear they can't digest us due to the fact that they have no way to expel the waste, but then why the need to eat us then? Is it evolutionary? Or maybe it- my train of thought was cut short by a tart knock on the door. "Come in." I called out. To my utter disbelief, Captain Levi himself walked into the room. I stood up abruptly to salute him, knocking all the papers off of my desk in the process. "Ahhh maaaan." I whined as I bent to collect the papers off the floor. "Sorry captain, give me -"

"Stand up and face me." He suddenly ordered. I paused and then slowly straightened myself out, only a few papers collected in my hands. My eyes met his stone cold gaze with a gaze that was just as cool. I don't know who the fuck he thinks he is, captain or not, you don't get to order me around like that. My jaw twitched in irritation but I tried to hide it as well as I could.

"Sir. To what may I owe the pleasure?" I said through gritted teeth.

"I was looking for Commander Hange but it's obvious she's not here." He looked around the office, disgust clear on his face. "Clean up this room. It's filthy" I watched as he ran a finger over my desk and wrinkled his face. "That's an order." I shook your head and stared at him in disbelief. "Pardon me, captain, but my office is organized just the way I like it. It may be 'filthy' to you, but there is a system to it." I replied shortly. He narrowed his eyes, irritation clear on his face. He took a white gloved finger and ran it along the desk again and held his hand up for me to see. "Absolutely filthy. I will not allow this. You will clean this room or you will have hell to pay. Do I make myself clear?" He ordered, his voice suddenly becoming more authoritative. I swallowed the curse words rising in my throat. Probably not worth it at this point to argue. I'll be damned if I let him get under my skin. "Crystal." I snapped. His eyes widened slightly at the curt reply and sat there and examined me. "Is there something else wrong, captain?" I asked, my voice thick with annoyance. "Yes. Your hair is a fucking mess. Secure it back or I'll cut it off. We can't afford to lose a soldier to a titan because it managed to grab onto something as stupid as your hair." My eye twitched as I resisted the urge to roll them at his attitude. As I reached for my hair band, I made sure to lock eyes with the captain. I secured it back into a messy bun and placed my hands back on the desk.

"Satisfied, sir?"

He scanned your face. "I guess that mess atop your head will suffice. Make sure Hange knows I was looking for her." He said lazily. I stood up to salute him and he turned on his heel and left. "What a fucking jerk." I mumbled as soon as I heard the click of the door. With a heavy sigh, I picked up the rest of the papers and set them on the desk. Just what the hell is is problem?

Hange finally walked into the office and greeted me with a loud hello. "Heeeey Hange. Did Captain Levi find you?" I asked, not looking up from my notes. "Yes he did. He wanted me to make sure you cleaned the office." I dropped my pen and looked up at Hange, narrowing my eyes. She looked close to bursting; she laughed and laughed while I sat there and pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance.

"Well if you can't tell, I haven't cleaned at all." I huffed, "Just what is his deal?" I sighed, exhausted all of a sudden. Wiping the tears from her eyes Hange said "Short stack has always been that way. For as long as I can remember. He's just really cut and dry and to the point and is the biggest clean freak you'll ever meet." She chuckled. I stood up from my desk and pushed my papers into a notebook, closed it, and tossed it to the side.

"Well, I went through all these notebooks today and added my notes in green. Read them and then we can discuss it more tomorrow, sound good?" I asked Hange. She eagerly ran to the desk and picked up the notebooks and held them to her chest. "Yes of course! Oh, I am so excited to have your input, Europa! Your brain works so much like mine! This should be amazing! Ahhhh!" She rambled on. I smiled, saluted her, then made my way out of the office.

After I exited the building and walked into the courtyard, I found that the sun had only just begun to dip below the horizon. Well, I can either go get food, go to sleep, or go to the training grounds. I thought to myself. I suppose maybe some training couldn't hurt. Content with my decision, I made my way to the forest training ground.

I had yet to use the 3Dmg devices in their entirety, but I had a solid idea of the mechanics. I managed to pass the initial balance test with flying colors. Even though I had no gear on me, I still considered my newfound expedition as training. Once I reached the edge of the forest, I surveyed the land around me.

The trees were absolutely massive. They had to have been at least 100m in height. I was slightly intimidated by their height because I knew full well that I had to make use of it if I wanted to survive against a titan. The forest itself was massive as well, maybe 180m by 180m. A very fitting size for training. Walking into the forest, I immediately noticed the change in visibility. The trees blocked out most, if not all, of the sunlight, at least at this time of day. I assume visibility improves depending on the sun's position in the sky. As I continued to walk I could see marks on the trees from prior training lessons; some were high and some were very low. It appeared that the higher ones were only anchor marks from the 3Dmg's but the lower down the trunk I searched, the more scrapes and breaks there were in the wood. We don't use actual titans to train in here, but I wonder just how it is that these marks get down here so low.

It was then that I came across a shadow at least 12m in height. My heart fluttered for a moment until I realized it was just a life size cutout of a titan. Well, that was terrifying. How will I fare against the actual thing, I wonder? I shuttered at the thought. I had seen, first hand, the type of destruction they can inflict with, but I had never seen a real titan in the flesh. I studied the cutout curiously. There was a structure on its neck that appeared to mimic flesh. Oh. So that's how we learn to kill them. I see, I see… It was then that I realized just how to use the 3Dmgs to their full advantage. I looked at the surrounding area and imagined what it would be like to use my gear to kill this titan. In theory, it seemed relatively easy. The mechanics made sense, they just needed to be executed properly. I continued to walk around, thumb and forefinger pressed against my chin, surveying the entire scene. I was so lost in thought that I hadn't even heard anyone approach me until I heard a voice call out to me.

"Oi! Trainee! What do you think you're doing here?!"

Oh, for fucks sake. Of course it's him. I peeked around a tree trunk to find Captain Levi standing there, arms crossed, looking way more annoyed than was really necessary. "I'm studying… more or less." I replied. To my surprise, his facial expression changed. He seems...interested? It only flickered for a moment, but was hidden once again by his stone-cold glare; I looked back at the titan cut out. "Studying what? This isn't the real thing. Tch, idiot. You and Hange really are one in the same." I stopped walking toward the cut out and turned right around and began walking toward him.

"I'm sorry, I think you called me an idiot? Surely I heard wrong?" I inquired sarcastically. Once again I saw an emotion flash across his face. I think it was surprise this time. "You heard correctly, brat. Walking around on the floor will get you killed by a titan, not the other way around. Tch."

"I think what you are failing to realize, Captain, is that knowing how to use our gear is not the only thing you need to know when battling a titan." I retorted, staring him in the eyes. To my surprise again, and oddly, my delight, his asshole attitude came to a complete halt and all that remained on his face was an inquisitive glare. Ahhhh. What did I say? He took a step closer to me, eyeing me up and down. "Well then let's hear it, brat. What else is there to know?" I cocked one hip to the side and folded my arms over my chest.

"Well, in my personal opinion, I believe that you need to survey your area and your opponent first before going into battle. This really applies to any situation, though. I'm fully aware these are not real titans and I have no experience with the real thing, but I figure if I'm able to study these trees and their markings I can get a better idea of how best to maneuver through them to reach the back of the neck. I am also assuming that when these training grounds are active, these simple cut outs don't remain stagnant." I explained matter-of-fact and continued. "But there are so many variables out of my reach and control that I can't draw very many conclusions from this one area. But more information is better than no information." I concluded, shrugging my shoulders.

It was silent for a moment. Ahhh ummm… do I say something? Why isn't he talking?

"Interesting." Was all he said and for some reason that annoyed me. "Interesting? That's it? You come and pester me with your rude comments and that's all you can say?" I huffed, switching my weight to the other hip. He continued to stare at me, the ice in his eyes finally returning.

There it was again. That undeniable nagging in my stomach. I know him. I swear I do, but from where?! It was driving me absolutely mad. I remember those eyes from so long ago. But from where? The underground? Surely I would have remembered him from my time as a doctor, but that wasn't it. My memories of the underground are so hazy, and it doesn't help that I don't try to remember them either.

He stared at me with annoyance, once again. "You had better learn how to speak to your superiors, you little shit. You may be Hange's partner, but you're still a lowly cadet, and thus must follow my orders." He warned darkly. I took another step closer to him. We were both barely arms length apart. "Captain, I will listen to you when the situation permits, but where research and development is concerned, I'd prefer that you keep that mouth of yours shut. I will not be talked down to in my area of expertise by someone who doesn't even have an inclination to care about my work." I stopped and took a breath and took one more step forward. He didn't flinch and neither did I. I lowered my voice, "I am not one of your stupid, carefree 'little shits' fresh off the imagination boat. I may not have experience with titans, but I have seen more awful shit than I have ever thought I would. So don't treat me like I am such, and I won't defy you." I warned.

I quickly found his gloved hands holding me by my collar, his face inches from mine. My heart began to race upon realizing this. He was about to open his mouth to speak but I grabbed his hands and kicked his legs out from under him. He lay on his back, completely shocked. I bent closer down to his ear and whispered, "Try that again, and I won't be so kind as to leave your arms unbroken." I stepped off of him and began walking away. The nerve. The fucking NERVE.

LEVI

As he made his way back towards his office, Levi noticed the new girl walking towards the training forest. Tch, I wonder what trouble she's going to get herself into. He thought, annoyed. As captain, he decided to take it upon himself to follow her and make sure she didn't hurt herself. And much to his dismay, he was genuinely curious about her. No one ever spoke to him the way she had.

He watched as she stopped just outside the forest and looked around. Idiot. What is she doing? Looking for someone? He wondered. After a moment Europa started walking into the forest. "Tch. How bothersome. What could she possibly be doing without gear?" He waited and then began following in after her.

Levi studied Europa from a far. Her dark hair was put up in that annoying messy bun and her face was stuck in deep thought. The way she pressed her fingers to her chin and walked around slowly, taking in every last detail, and the intrigue in her eyes made the captains stomach flip. That exact face she's making... He shook his head. I don't need this shit right now. Levi decided to break her out of her trance.

"Oi! Trainee! What do you think you're doing out here?" He yelled to her. Her serene gaze disappeared as she realized who had called her. Ever studying eyes looked over at him and regarded him up and down quickly before speaking.

"I'm studying… more or less." Levi almost smiled. Almost. He didn't know what answer he had been expecting, but that definitely wasn't it. And for some reason it made him want to be closer to her. He would never admit that though. Instead he said "Studying what? This isn't the real thing. Tch, idiot. You and Hange really are one in the same." Of course he didn't really think she was an idiot, but he could not treat her any differently. He was her captain, after all. But he was truly interested to hear what she had to say and so he waited for her to speak.

"I'm sorry, I think you called me an idiot? Surely I heard wrong, right?" And there was that attitude again. Oh, how it set his nerves on edge. "You heard correctly, brat. Walking around on the floor will get you killed by a titan, not the other way around. Tch."

"I think what you fail to realize, Captain, is that knowing how to use our gear is not the only thing you need to know when battling a foe." She replied crisply. Levi's interest had been significantly peaked. It wasn't often that he spoke to people for recreation. Her answer was long and detailed. And yet, the whole time Levi couldn't help but stare at her, openly and freely. She truly was beautiful. Long dark lashes framed her rounded hazel eyes and only added to the bright look in them. When the light caught them just right, they would change color - sometimes a vivid speckle of green and bronze and sometimes they'd look like melted pools of copper with a sprinkle of moss and cyan flakes. She had a rounded face that was warm and inviting. It was the type of face that made people believe in things like trust and hope. The last thing he observed was the lustful curves of her lips and how her bottom lip ever so slowly curled over, creating a devilish pout. The corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, indicating she enjoyed what she was talking about. Levi's thoughts scattered for a moment, but he collected himself.

Unfortunately, he was so caught up in her features, he didn't actually listen to what she had said. So all he could reply was "Interesting."

That seemed to have been the wrong thing to say as she replied harshly. Levi had to come up with something quick so as to not give himself away. "You better learn how to speak to your superiors, you little shit. You may be Hange's partner, but you're still a lowly cadet, and thus must follow my orders." This only seemed to make her more angry and caused her to snap quickly. Levi was slightly taken aback. Almost immediately he found himself nose and nose with her. "I am not one of your stupid, carefree 'little shits' fresh off the imagination boat. I may not have experience with titans, but I have seen more awful shit than I have ever thought I would. So don't treat me like I am such, and I won't defy you." She hissed at him. Levi immediately grabbed the collar of her shirt and stared her deep in the eyes but quickly found himself flat on his back. What the hell just happened? He thought, shocked. Europa had stepped above him and leaned so close to his face that he could feel her hot breath on him as she spoke.

"Try that again, and I won't be so kind as to leave your arms unbroken." She threatened. And she was serious, her voice did not waiver.

Levi just lay there, immobile, and in shock from what just happened. She had laid him out flat on his ass without breaking so much as a sweat. Levi was extremely impressed; he never thought he'd see the day when this would happen.