The Wrath of the Wolf Chapter 3
Winter sets out with Eren and the elite team of the Survey Corps known as the Levi Squad. Oluo Bozado said "we are heading to the former Survey Corps HQ. It is an old castle which we renovated to be our base, it definitely looks extravagant. But due to it's distance from the walls and the river, it really wasn't soothing we needed. It was use back when our spirit were still high, when the Survey Corps was formed. I never imagined we would use this old decoration to keep you 2 in." Winter said "sorry I wasn't listening." Oluo moved over to Eren, "Don't get ahead of yourself, recruit. Eren said "Excuse me?" Oluo continued "You may be a titan or whatever, but a pissy brat like you being under Lance Corporal Levi's watch", his horse bumped a rock and he bit his tongue. When they arrived Winter said "I didn't expect you to do that Oluo, I know you liked to talk but that was unexpected." Petra said "That is what you get for yapping away on horseback." He said back "first impressions are crucial." Winter said "the only impression you made was you are a fool for talking while riding." Winter entered the building, She walks out "this place is covered in dust." Winter shouted "maybe we should start cleaning this place." Winter said "I going to start cleaning."
Winter got out a broom and started sweeping. Eld Jinn and Gunther Schultz said "It must be dusty in there." Levi said "Now that's a problem we can't overlook. Eld Jinn said "one of the recruits is already in there cleaning." Levi said "We better join them or it will take a long time, this is a huge castle." Winter pushed open the window frame. Winter sees Levi come by. Levi said "you have done good work here, I'm actually slightly impressed someone of your age even knows how to clean." He walked off Winter continued to clean the floors with a broom as well a removing dust from the walls. Later that night Winter and the others sat around a table, "Eld Jinn said "I expect we will be on standby for a few days and a large scale expedition will occur in 30 days and we will be joined by the new recruits who joined recently." Gunther Schultz said "Are you serious Eld, it's rather sudden, especially due to the recent titan attacks which have take a serious toll on them." Oluo said "the brats must have all lost their backbone." Petra asked "Is that true, Lance Corporal? Levi said "I am not in charge of drafting plans but we are talking about Erwin he is probably thinking much further ahead than we can comprehend." Eld Jinn said "The circumstance themselves are quite unusual. The route we advanced at the cost of countless sacrifices to recapture Wall Maria was erased in an instant. Then suddenly a completely different hope appeared in form of Eren and Winter, 2 humans who could turn into titans." Suddenly the door was being banged on. A woman walked in Winter asked "who are you?" She said "my name is Hanji Zoe and I am a scientist who studies titans." Winter walked out "I am not going to have anyone else experiment on me."
Winter sees Levi and the others leave. Levi walks over "I have a few question to ask you." Levi asked "I am just mildly curious where does a soldier like you learn how to clean so well." Winter said "I was the person who did all the cleaning in my house my father worked late and slept all day so I did the cleaning of the house and the dishes." Levi said "I assume you now about me from your mother,." Winter said "She told me a lot. Levi said "You may leave." Winter asked "what was life like before this." Levi said "I don't want to share it." Winter said "that's fair." She walks out and goes to bed." Winter went to Levi's office, she said "sorry for last night shouldn't have asked." Levi said "that's fine, It's important for soldiers to trust one another by getting to know each other." A messenger ran in "An intruder killed both of the titans we captured last night." Winter and Levi went down there. When they arrive Hanji Zoe is screaming. Winter said "Whoever did this was skilled." A few soldiers said "this may have been a premeditated act by 2 people as they bolted when the guard saw it they got away with a 3-dimensional maneuver device." Winter said "It may have been just 1 incredibly skilled and attentive individual."
Winter the next day walked into Levi's office. She asked "Levi do you have orders for me." Levi asked "why did someone like you want to join the corps?" Winter said "I want to protect my mother, I worried every day I would find a hand at my door." Levi said "you mother is a skilled fighter, she won't die so easily." Winter said "Titans are dangerous and even the experienced can die in the wrong circumstances." Levi asked "do you not trust us?" Winter said "Levi, you are dealing with a much more dangerous enemy with very little information to go on, experience means nothing when dealing with something you have never actually fought. You think Abnormals are unpredictable Titanshifters are even more so." Levi said "I appreciate you concern but we will prevail." Winter said "I hope so." Winter walked out and started to train doing physical exercise. Levi looked outside (hmm she is tough) he thought to himself. 10 hours later, he sees Winter training hard outside. Levi walked down the stairs. Petra asked "where is my daughter?" Levi said "She is still outside training." Petra said "she pushes herself too hard." Levi said "She does it for you, she trust you a lot, you make sure she doesn't ended up having to bury you." Petra said "I don't mean to rude but I will handle that myself." Levi said "She is a member of your team, you need to return her trust." Levi walked away.
Petra walked out, "Winter come in and eat. Winter said "okay I will." Eld Jinn asked "I know it's not my palace to question, why did you do that?" Levi said "I just simply wanted to make sure my soldiers trust each other." Eld Jinn said "there seems to be something else still it's none of my business." The next morning Winter walked into to Levi's office. She said "good morning sir, I" Levi asked "why did you come in here?" Winter said "um I forgot what I was going to say sorry for disturbing you." Winter thinks (what was that feeling I got I lost my train of thought I don't understand.) Petra saw her leaving Levi's office. She wondered what was happening. Winter spent part of the day doing maintenance on their gear, she started training, Levi walked out "you seem to be working hard." Winter kept going, she avoided his gaze as he stepped around her. Petra saw him and wondered why she was avoiding his glare. Winter finished and Levi opened the door for her, Winter said nervously "thank you." Winter sat down, Levi looked at her, she looked away. Petra looked at the 2 of them. Eren asked "Winter, are you okay?" Winter stood up she said "I need some air." She walked out.
The next morning, Winter got out of bed, she walked out of her room. She walks out. Levi sees her outside, he thinks (good, I am not being disturbed this morning.) Petra walked out and saw Winter just sitting there. Petra asked "why are you just sitting there, is something wrong?" Winter said "I'm fine, I might as well go and teach Eren some thing in the forest." Levi said "I'm coming with, it's my responsibility to watch Eren." The 3 of them rode out into the forest, nearby the castle. Winter said "Eren let's start, first things first we need to teach you how to revert back at will. To do it, you need to focus what makes you human and hold onto it. I will show you how to do it." Winter transforms into a titan, she then reverts back, she take about 1 minute to do it. Winter said "sorry that took a little while it should be faster I am distracted lately." Winter said "you give it a go." Eren said "I'll try." Eren transforms he tries to transform back but he can't. Winter shouted "Eren keep trying." Eren tries several more times he then sits down. Winter pulls him out of his titan body." Eren said "I'm sorry." Winter said "that's alright it took me a while to figure it out myself." Levi said "that's enough for today." Eren said "Levi I'm coming.' They all got on their horses. Levi rode with Winter and Eren behind him. Levi looked back Winter turned away. Eren asked "Can someone fill me in , Winter why can't you look Levi in the eye?" Levi said "I don't know, nor do I have time to care I'm too busy." Eren said "Winter, tell me." Winter said "I ... " She stopped talking and didn't speak until they return.
Winter said "We're back, Eren still is still struggling a little bit but his control is better, I just need to teach him how to revert at will." Levi walked past Winter walked away an different direction. Eren walks over to Oluo "what is wrong with the 2 of them? Winter seems to be trying not to look at him, why?" Oluo said "I don't know it's not my business." Petra Ral walked over. Eren asked "Do you know why you daughter seems to be avoiding Lance Corporal Levi's gaze every time he looks at her." Petra said "I have an idea but I shouldn't share it that is the way rumors are spread."
At dinner that day, Petra said "so Winter how are you liking it here." Winter said "I enjoy it here it's good to be around people who care about the fate of humanity." Levi looked at her "It's good your settling into your new position." Winter didn't look at him, "Yes sir I am settling well." Petra Ral saw her daughter was nervous. After the meal, Petra walked over to Levi. Levi asked "Petra, what do you want from me?" Petra said "I must tell yous something and it should be kept out of earshot so rumors aren't spread." Levi said "very well I'm slightly curious about this." Petra walked into his office, she checked outside making sure no-one was around. Levi said "what did you want to talk to me about?" Petra Ral said"I actually have to ask you something because it will be important, if this gets discovered before you address it could be troublesome. Levi said "Go on." Petra asked "how is Winter behaving around you?" Levi said "That is a strange question." Petra said "I need to know ti will affect you if I can either confirm or deny what I am thinking." Levi said "In that case I'll tell you, she is acting rather oddly she is constantly distracted by my presence and can't meet my eye contact, she has been behaving like this more and more, I may have to kick her out if this keep up." Petra said "I had a feeling that was the case." Levi asked "What do you mean by that?" Petra said "She likes you, a lot." Levi said "That doesn't really answer my question." Petra said "She is acting the same way I did when I met her father, being easily distracted by their presence and unable to make eye contact with them." Levi said "this could cause serious problems." Petra said "she will be like this until she receives clarification from you on where you stand." Levi walked out and went to bed. Petra did the same.
The next morning, Levi got up, I will have to confront that later, he ate breakfast and got up, he walked into the bathroom. He walked in and bumped into Winter, wearing a towel. Levi said slightly shocked "um sorry". Winter bolted out red in the face. Levi after he was done, he went to his office. Petra asked "what happened did you tell her, i saw her run out of the bathroom, red in the face?" Levi said "I bumped into her when she had just finishing showering." Petra said "oh." Levi said "that went as bad as I thought it would, I am a soldier I have no place for these things." Levi walked out. Winter spent the whole day training. That night at the table they all sat there in silence, Oluo asked "So Levi how has Eren been progressing?" Eren looked at Oluo. Levi said "he has improved but we need to teach him more." Winter looked at him and said "Levi we will go out, tommorow that first time was a control evaluation, I gave some things to focus on, this time we will do a full combat assessment, he has never faced another titanshifter, this will be good practice." Levi replied "yes avoiding her gaze." Winter looked at him thinking (is he?) The next morning the 3 of them rode out to train Eren, Winter looked at Levi, Levi turned away. Winter thought (Does he feel that way hmm?)
When they arrive. Winter said "Eren transform." Eren said I'm not going to hold back." Winter said "that's the point." Eren said "alright." Eren transforms into his titan form. Winter said "I will limit my strength to an average 15 metre titan." Winter transformed. She beckoned him to attack first." He swung she ducked and punched him in the stomach sending him flying." She rushed and swung at him, here kicked one of her legs out." Winter is thinking (he is pretty good, I didn't expect that I should have.) Eren got into a defensive position. Winter kicked his arm off. Eren looked at it. Eren focused hard and reverted back, he then transformed again. Winter smiled (he figure out how to do that, impressive obviously he is strained from that.) She swung a quick punch, to his side. He grabbed it and kicked her backwards, Winter thought (he is doing really well, still I am choreographing my attacks a lot more then usual just to test his limits.) Eren thinks (she is not going all out, she should be much better than this, she is holding back of course this is to test my limits if she went all out, she would not know how good I am.) Winter started to steam. Eren thought (what is she doing?) He puts his guard up. Winter smiles (I have never used this against a opponent but I have the skill down pat.) Winter opened her mouth. Eren thought (This is going to hurt.) A ball of flame appeared at the back of her mouth. Eren thought (what is she going to now). Winter breathes out a tremendous amount of fire out at Eren burning much of his titan body. Eren reverted back and so did Winter. Eren ran over and angrily asked "why did you do that and how did you do it?" Winter said "I did it because I wanted to test it and also I wanted to see how you behave in reaction to an opponent who pulled an ability that normal titans can't use. As for how I gathered heat from my titan form's body and channeled into a ball of fire which I then breathed out as a scorching breath." Levi said "I didn't you could do that." Winter said "There are some things better left hidden."
They rode back to camp, when they arrived "I think Eren is improving, still I was holding back a lot." Eren asked angrily "why did you hold back?" Winter said "I understand your angry but I will push further the better you get this was mainly a skill assessment, still I'm glad you made the right decision when I fired my fire breath, it shows you understand how to deal with something new remember the greatest asset is too be adaptive, also most opponents won't be so easy to predict, I was being easy to predict on purpose to give you a little practice." Eren said "I understand, I will keep that I mind." Winter their horses up., Levi walked up the stairs, Petra walked up and asked "So did you tell her?" Levi said "I don't know if it's even there or it's just an illusion." Petra said "You are both fighters maybe a hand to hand fight will give you too some idea." Levi said "maybe, I'll see tommorow."
Winter sat there, Eren walked over and asked "why have you been acting so strange?" Winter got up and said "Follow me, I should trust you , you are the only one who I know who shares this "power" of ours." Eren follows her into a secluded place. Winter said "I think I have a strong feeling for Levi." Eren looked stunned for a moment. Winter said "it doesn't make any sense but it's a feeling I can't shake."
That night Levi said "everyone, me and Winter are going to have a a round of hand-hand combat tommorow, you can watch if you want." Winter smiled "I hope your ready." The next morning, they meet up, Levi and Winter chuck off their jackets. Winter said "To make his fair I will only use human strength." Levi and Winter put their guards up. Winter swung a punch at his jaw, he grabbed it and swung his boot into her jaw. She fell backwards staggered. She got up, "Impressive Levi, I feel your fire." Winter swung a similar punch to his jaw, he grabbed it she then pushed of his arm swinging a kick to the back of his head. He quickly spun around around kicking in the side. Both of them hit the ground." Winter and Levi both stand up, Levi gives a slight smile "You are quite capable, I thought you were all just power but your technique is impressive." Winter said "I very impressed you hit me after getting hit to the back of the head, you are amazing." Winter said "We are dragging this on too long, we will end it now." Levi said "Fine 1 strike each." They both run at each other and swing one massive punch each. They both stand there after the attack, then collapse to the ground.
3 days later Winter wakes up, Levi walks in. Winter said "I saw a fire in you." Levi smiles slightly "I saw the same fire in your eyes." Winter said "I guess that makes us partners." Levi walks out "I guess it does." Winter and Levi do some physical training together. That night before sleeping time, Winter walked out, Levi saw get on a horse. Levi asked "Partner, where are you going?" Winter said "I have a friend to see, we only a have a few days before recruitment starts and then the expedition not long after." Levi said "be back before the morning partner." Winter said "I will, partner."
Winter dashed out back to the training corps. Annie was going to bed. Winter called out "Annie." Annie asked shocked "Winter, why are you back here?" Winter said "don't you remember when we were kids, Dr Jaeger took me over to your place and we spent time together." Annie said "that was you, Winter, you never told me your name." Winter asked "where are you going when the choice comes?" Annie said "sorry, I'm joining the military police." Winter said "that's good I want you to be safe." Annie said "I have something to tell you." Winter asked "Is it important?" Annie said "it's something personal." Winter said "you like someone don't you." Annie asked "how do you know?" Winter said "I had the same problem, a little while ago." Annie asked "with whom." Winter said "Lance Corporal Levi." Annie asked "He never shows any emotion, how did you manage?" Winter said "Fighters fight, we had a hand to hand match." Annie said "for me it's different the person I'm around is too smart for me." Winter said "Armin, right." Annie said "yes." Winter said "You should tell him, he is very kind." Winter said "I have to go back to the Survey Corps before morning."
Winter dashed back. Levi said "your back, that was quick." Winter asked "How long did it take?" Levi said "2 hours in total." Winter said "I'm faster than I thought. Levi said "Come with me." The next morning Eren wakes up to see Winter and Levi leave the same room. Eren said "morning sir." Levi said "We have to finalise plans Erwin wants us." Eren, Winter and Levi enter Erwin's office. Erwin said "Levi I see that slight smile, I have never seen you smile before." Levi said "I have found something worth smiling for." Erwin said "anyway the plan is the 3 of you, will be back her e the safest place in the formation. We however will not tell anyone where you are?" Winter said "okay understood." Erwin said "Soon I will go and get the new recruits for this expedition."
Chapter 3 End