A/N: Thank you to those who gave this fanfiction a chance! I would say Ida is a character some might NOT like straight off the bat, she's different, more realistic I guess. You'll see her develop soon enough, she's not that bad, I promise!

There's a reason why I made her that way; everything to why she is so skilled, why she is noble, her personality, etc, there's a reason for everything. I guess more will be revealed as the story progresses. I understand most OCs are introduced into the story with their full backstory already laid out in the first few chapters, but I decide not to do it because I feel that it makes for more interesting storytelling. :X

Chapter Revamped: 12 December 2020

Humanity's Strongest Woman by xDollfie

Chapter 01 — Captain Troubles

Erwin Smith released a long audible sigh once he left Darius Zackley's office in the Royal Capital after receiving approval to go ahead with the next expedition.

Thankfully, the long list of sponsors he had gathered had managed to fund the next expedition. The sponsors were usually rich merchants or members of the nobility, looking at the possibilities of attainable fortune from the Survey Corps' results, like obtaining minerals or monopolizing land. It was all for their personal interest in gaining commodities for trade.

He had a scheduled meeting with a potential sponsor later this afternoon. It was the most dreadful part of being the Commander of the Survey Corps. Without sponsors, the legion wouldn't exist, and if the Commander didn't personally meet them, it was unlikely that they would even sponsor the Survey Corps. The worst part of all was that while listening to the investors' whinging, Erwin needed to maintain his smiling facade in front of them.

Great, he thought wryly, best I get it over and done with.

"Did you hear about the new command from the higher-ups?" a Military Police officer said to his comrade beside him when Erwin passed by them.

"About the insane mercenary at the Underground City?" his comrade replied with a laughable snort. "Tsk, I wonder which unlucky soldiers would be assigned to go to the damned wretched place. It's as good as asking for death when you go there."

"We've never had such a serious case since Kenny the Ripper disappeared. She's usually quieter with her dealings, but recently I heard she became more unhinged. She killed twelve Military Police soldiers the past month. The higher-ups probably thought they couldn't ignore her anymore."

"Wait, that killer is a female?" his friend balked, intrigued.

"Yeah, it's classified information but I heard it from my Squad Leader. I heard the crazy bitch name is Ida from the information gathered about her."

Erwin stopped mid-stride when his ears caught that name; a name that he hadn't heard in years. A name that sounded foreign and familiar to him at the same time, and it brought a wave of incomprehensible emotions. He turned his gaze to the two conversing soldiers, his heart coming to a standstill.

No… it couldn't be, she was dead, Erwin tried to reason in his mind. She died in the fall of Wall Maria.

"There are tons of rumors going on about her," the soldier said, crossing his arm. "Apparently, she has a very unique shade of scarlet red hair and green eyes—"

"Excuse me," Erwin interrupted them, dread percolating in his stomach. It couldn't be possible, but it was too much of a coincidence for him to ignore.

The two Military Police soldiers saluted the commander, bewildered at his appearance. "Commander Erwin, sir!"

"This mercenary named Ida..." Erwin said with a serious edge. His brows creased together. "Where can I find her?"

Erwin Smith drawled a long-composed breath as the memory came thrashing back to him.

He had to admit, it was all impulse when he assembled a squad to capture her. But if he didn't intervene, the Military Police would undoubtedly send its forces after her. In all honesty, Erwin didn't know what he was going to do with her, but he didn't certainly expect the answer to come to him from his best soldier.

With a heavily guarded expression, he observed the squad in front of him with an aura of calm despite the tumultuous emotions raging within him.

"Are you kidding me, Captain?" Eld Jinn was beyond appalled by the sudden news. So much so, that he couldn't help but raise his voice at Levi.

He paused for a moment when Levi threw him a scathing look and he quickly elaborated, "The enrolment of new recruits is conducted after their three-year training course. You want to add her to our ranks when she's got no prior experience?"

"I agree." Gunther nodded stiffly. "She will die on her first expedition."

Erwin could understand Gunther's sentiments. Small in stature, light in weight with a face that didn't look ready for violence; he was aware of the rumours swirling around the legion that the newest addition to the Survey Corps wouldn't last very long.

Levi frowned deeply and grimaced before turning to address him, "I know it's pissing on the rules. I won't say anything if you object."

Erwin interlaced his fingers, staring straight into the eyes of his best soldier as he tried to decipher just what he was trying to do exactly. When he had left instructions that he'd leave things to Levi for now, the last thing he expected was for the man to recruit her.

It was a mystery that even Erwin Smith himself couldn't decipher.

"I understand perfectly that she doesn't have any prior training and may cause concerns for some time," Erwin began carefully. "But even then, Ida could be honed into a formidable soldier with the skill-set she has displayed so far. She has potential."

It'd only been him and a few other soldiers consisting of Mike that went to the Underground City and fought with Ida Starke.

It was said that an unconditional bond between parent and child couldn't properly be described by anyone who hadn't had any children — so why was it that he, a parent, couldn't even describe it? Perhaps because he had thought her to be dead all these years after the fall of Wall Maria. Perhaps it was because he hadn't really been much of a parent.

Despite that, however, Erwin couldn't help but feel a pinch in his stale heart when his estranged daughter had pointed her blade threateningly at him, telling him to go.

"I have no family," she'd stated icily when Erwin had confronted her in the Underground City. "No mother, no father, no friends. Leave me alone. I don't know you."

But Erwin could only look at the woman threatening him with a wave of nostalgia. Though she didn't reveal her name to him back then, he knew her identity right off the bat.

She looks so much like her mother, Erwin remembered thinking when he first laid eyes on her.

He remembered everything to this day, right down to how he abandoned her to pursue his dreams.

"I object to this!" Oluo said, ignoring how Petra was frowning at his loudness. "Even if we accept that little brat into the Survey Corps, she shouldn't immediately be placed in the Special Operations Squad! Our role in the legion has always been to eliminate the biggest Titan threat, she will die in her first expedition!"

Erwin furrowed his brows. Oluo certainly did not look happy and he could understand why. He had worked his way up the position he had today — spilled blood and sweat, and devoted hours to honing his skills. It was no surprise to anyone that he'd taken offense to the sudden news.

"That little brat gave even Erwin a hard time capturing her Oluo," Levi countered pointedly. He crossed his arms. "She'd be of use."

He considered Levi's words for a moment before turning to him pensively, "If I were to entrust her to your squad, you would be responsible for her training, Levi. I suppose you are aware of that?"

He snorted briskly in response. "Tch, I know that."

"It's settled then." Erwin nodded his head, moving out of his seat. "I expect a standard report on her training weekly. You're dismissed."

"Eh? Are you serious?!" Eld almost choked on the air he was breathing but backed down in defeat and folded his arms when Erwin threw him a steaming look.

As Erwin left the meeting room, a thousand questions were swarming around his mind.

Just what was going to happen now?

A loud sigh slipped past his lips. His daughter, his flesh and blood. After twenty years since her birth, the only thing Erwin could offer her was the same fate as him: a merciless life on the front lines, a life full of misery and blood, a life full of danger.

He sighed again, debating if he had made the right choice.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

She stared at the administrative military personnel in front of her, her green eyes unblinking as he sorted out through the files on his desk. Ida could tell that he was getting unnerved from the way she was staring at him, but she paid it no mind. He probably heard of her as an incorrigible criminal from the Underground.

"Here." He pushed two documents to her along with a quill. "I suppose you're not illiterate right?"

Her bored gaze glazed over the pieces of paper in front of her, but she did not pick it up. "What does it say?"

The soldier blanched at how emotionless and dead-like her voice was. "Well… seeing as the official records reported you as dead during the fall of Wall Maria, I'll need to submit a formal report to amend your status, so I require your personal information." He pointed to the other paper. "The other document indicates your official enlistment to the Survey Corps, I'd need your signature."

"So, I just need to fill it up?"

"Yes." He nodded. "If you're illiterate, I could help—"

"No need." Ida grabbed the quill and began writing on the documents.

"You're assigned to the Special Operation Squad," the soldier said while she was filling up the documents. "You must be happy, seeing as your Captain is Humanity's Strongest."

She captured his gaze at that remark, intrigued and confused. "Who?"

"Captain Levi Ackerman — he's famous," the soldier clarified with a small smile. "His squad is known as the Special Operation Squad, they're the best of the best. An elite squad of the Survey Corps. Frankly, I was surprised when I saw that a new recruit was assigned to that squad, only the best and the most seasoned veterans get handpicked for it."

Ida's eyebrows creased as she digested the information. She wasn't really aware of the workings of the military nor of the rumors about the land above, but she was perceptive enough to discern that it was a prestigious position.

And above all, she was surprised to learn that midget grumpy man she met yesterday… was titled Humanity's Strongest...?

A small smirk played on her lips, and she couldn't deny that she was intrigued.

When she was done filling in her particulars Ida handed the documents to the soldier and stood up to leave.

"Wait," he stopped her. "Your last name, you didn't fill it out. Do you not have one?"

Ida considered him pensively. She had intentionally left it empty. It had been so long since someone called her by her full name. The past four years living in the Underground City, few were privy to her full name. She had intentionally kept it hidden, knowing that she would only be a target when the criminals of the Underground found out which house she hailed from.

But things were different now, wasn't it?

And she was setting out on a different path. It was a new beginning for her.

It wasn't like what remains of her maternal family would come looking for her anyway.

"Starke," she answered flatly, watching the soldier's expression morph into pure shock when he recognized the last name. "My name is... Ida Starke."

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Ida knew it was hard being a member of the Survey Corps. It wasn't as though she hadn't seen the level of destruction the Titans brought. She had.

What troubled her more than the prospect of fighting Titans, however, was her relationship with Erwin Smith. She knew that accepting Levi's proposal would only mean more interactions with him whether she liked it or not, and she wasn't exactly fond of the idea.

Much to her surprise and bewilderment, Erwin had accepted her into the legion without much hesitation, and that was something that made her feel relatively uncomfortable and suspicious.

She just didn't know what he was playing at. Thankfully, Levi Ackerman, her new Captain, had decided that it would be more beneficial if no one knew about her biological relationship with the Commander of the Survey Corps, and she readily agreed to that proposition.

But it didn't take long however for Erwin to start attempting awkward small talk with her whenever they met in the hallways. 'How are you,' or 'how are you adjusting' — it was the usual type of questions one would ask an acquaintance merely out of politeness.

It was exactly why Ida had taken offense to it, merely turning away with a dull expression and rebuffing Erwin's attempts whenever he tried talking to her. It was twenty years too late for him to try and get to know her.

Initially, Ida had thought it was going to be difficult to avoid the pesky blonde. But now, she'd come to the resounding conclusion that being a soldier in Captain Levi's squad was far more challenging.

Three days after she had officially joined the Survey Corps when she signed the enlistment papers, she found herself scrubbing a table in his room.

"Your half-assed cleaning won't do," Levi reprimanded when he stormed into the room, a dirty rag clutched in his rigid grasp. "What the hell are you doing, Starke?"

She flinched at the sound of his dark voice. He sounded pissed.

It would be hard for anyone to take him seriously while Levi was donned in his 'cleaning attire' that consisted of a white bandana and a white mask that covered half his face, but Ida had learned the hard way to take him seriously. She didn't want to run thirty laps around the field again for missing a tiny spot on the windows.

However, today was one of those days where she blatantly refused to be trampled on.

"It's six in the morning!" Ida, sleep-deprived and extremely aggravated over his cleaning antics, argued back impertinently. "You wake me up at five to do cleaning, so what kind of shit work would you expect, sir?!"

Levi grunted as he inspected the room, clearly unimpressed. "There's nothing more respectable than a spotless sleeping area. I want you to sweep the courtyard after this, twice, just to be sure." He paused for a moment and hissed, shaking his head. "God damn it, you can't even get one thing right."

Ida glared at him, silently cursing her wretched Captain.

It was just her luck that she'd get a chauvinistic bastard for a squad leader. Ida had expected that being a soldier meant endless torturous training, not cleaning all around the dorms. It was redundant and a complete waste of time.

In fact, she'd lost count of how many times she desperately wanted to yell at him in exasperation — to shout that if he demanded perfection, he should've just done the cleaning himself. But the fear of having a longer list of chores won over her anger.

"What?" Levi arched a thin brow when he noticed that she looked hesitant to speak.

Ida couldn't hate herself more for caving to his intimidation. She wasn't exactly good at obeying orders, but since this was a Military, she reckoned that strict rules and hierarchy were always enforced.

In addition, she had learned that her Captain had a bite as fierce as his bark. 'Humanity's strongest' he was called, and only the past three days did Ida truly comprehend just how revered and respected this man was.

Everyone who walked past him stared at him in silent awe, and every soldier he conversed with spoke to him with such reverence and respect.

And this intrigued her, she supposed.

"It's nothing."

"Your face says otherwise," Levi pointed out briskly, not backing down. "If you've got a problem, then spit it out, brat."

Ida grimaced at his unwillingness to drop the subject. "I'm going to have a panic attack every time I see a damn broom now," she mumbled bitterly under her breath.

Unfortunately for her, Levi's sharp ears picked up everything she'd said.

"Oh?" Levi levelled his hard glare on her. "So, you're saying that when the discipline gets too intense, it could traumatize you?"

Ida exercised her jaw. She hated the sound of that mocking tone, absolutely detested it. She stopped cleaning the tables and mustered up her best death glare, clearly offended by the crassness of his remark.

She could sense it in his gaze that was rife with judgment: he looked down on her.

"Just as I thought. You're nothing but a brat." He shook his head, glaring at her spitefully. "I'll go check in the room upstairs. You've cleaned that room already, right?"

Ida only grunted irritably in response, focusing back on her cleaning before she actually tried to strangle him.

It was only after Levi had left the room did Ida groan in exasperation, throwing the rag she was holding to the ground in her frustration.

She was aware that she had a short fuse, but she had tried — desperately, might she add — to accommodate Levi's cleaning antics. But what had thrown her off today was the aggravating fact that she wasn't even cleaning her own dorm. She was assigned to clean Levi's personal room!

Though she was smart enough to know better than to gripe and disobey orders though, no matter how unfair it was.

"What is up with that clean freak?!" she grumbled to herself angrily, scanning the spotless room she was in. "Humanity's strongest my freakin' ass! More like Humanity's most obsessive soldier!"

One thing she'd discovered about Levi was that he had an adverse reaction to any form of dirt, so much so that everything had to be precise and neat. Even the way he aligned the quills and ink in his drawers had to be in a certain way.

It was beyond aggravating to Ida who couldn't comprehend his uncanny habit no matter how much she tried. Just how clean did he want the place to be? She was sure it was probably clean enough to eat off the floor.

As she pondered over a string of plausible excuses to skip out on cleaning duties, a knock on the door drew her out of her mischievous thoughts.

"Captain? Are you in there—oh!"

A light ginger-haired petite female stared at Ida, her amber-colored eyes studying her as she took in her cleaning attire that Levi demanded she wear.

The ginger smiled vibrantly, entering the room. "You're the new member, right?" she asked politely in a musical voice. "I'm Petra Ral, nice to meet you!"

Ida stared at her blankly before picking up the rag and started cleaning. She'd recognized her as a member in the same dorm as her, but she hadn't had a chance to talk to her yet.

"Ida Starke," she introduced dismissively.

"You're a noblewoman?" Petra said, clearly surprised though she quickly reverted back to a smile.

Ida grimaced at the mention of how she was part of the nobility. Everyone who she had met in the Survey Corps thus far had deigned to reiterate this fact to her and it wasn't something that she particularly enjoyed.

Petra didn't seem to notice her displeasure though, for she kept on talking.

"You're the girl that Commander Erwin brought in, right? I remember you. I was surprised to hear that someone like you joined the Survey Corps," she said, extending her hand out in greeting. "Welcome to the squad!"

Despite the warm welcome, Ida didn't even spare the ginger a second glance, merely murmuring a small "thanks" in response.

Petra awkwardly withdrew her proffered hand.

"Captain is making you clean huh?" Petra chuckled awkwardly. Ida could sense that she was slightly taken aback by her unsociable demeanor.

Ida grunted in response, scrubbing the table harder as she imagined Levi's face on it. A secret sadistic smile to touch her lips when she thought about how much she would've enjoyed rubbing his face with a dirty rag, watching him scream in disgust because he got filthy.

Yeah, take that, you bastard!

"Well, don't get so mad at him," Petra observed her discontent silently. "He's like that with all the newbies, even us! I've served him for two years and even I still don't get his uncanny cleaning habits."

The ginger's smile grew wider as she continued trying to make small talk, but Ida was determined to remain distant.

Scratching her head, Petra finally took her grim silence as her cue to leave her alone for now. "Well, see you at training later. It's your first day, right?"

"Looking forward to getting my ass chewed by that midget of a Captain," Ida grumbled sarcastically.

Petra only laughed softly and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Ida stiffened at her soft touch, certainly not used to having someone make physical contact with her.

"We all went through that rite of passage once. You can't imagine the first time I was assigned to Captain Levi's squad. I had to clean until my arms were sore. He just wants to enforce his strict habits on us, that's all! Don't hate him too much!"

Ida carefully shrugged her hand off. "Consider it enforced."

In fact, she was so sure she never wanted to see another rag again. For the past three days, all she'd done was cleaning; from wiping windows to scrubbing floors to sweeping the courtyard.

This was certainly not how she'd expected life as a Survey Corps' soldier to be — she felt utterly useless.

"If you have any trouble at all, just look for me!" Petra offered kindly, grinning as she skipped out the door. "We girls have to stick together," she winked playfully before disappearing from of sight. "See you!"

Finally, alone again, Ida let out another exhausted sigh.

What a nice girl, she thought to herself silently, mentally visualizing Petra's bright smile. But she hastily pushed that thought out of her mind before she could allow the guilt of rudely rebuffing the ginger's attempts to be friendly to creep up on her.

The rational part of her mind was screaming, 'No, you can't!'

Ida knew innately that she was better off alone — she didn't need any friends, comrades or any companion for that matter. She was fine like this. Truth to be told, Ida was so terribly afraid of attachment that she avoided it like the plague.

Attachment only brought grief. Attachment only brought horror. Attachment only brought pain.

Irreversibly scarred from the misery of witnessing endless amounts of death and drowned by survivor's guilt, she had sworn to always stay alone.

Nothing can hurt you if you have nothing to lose, she would tell herself repeatedly as her mantra. It's the things that I love most that destroy me.

After everything that Ida had gone through since the fall of Wall Maria, the negativity and cynicism dominated the majority of her.

Betrayal by the people she cared about, deaths of the people she loved, and the list of her horrendous past experiences...

By the end of it, Ida found herself doubting everything and learned that it was foolish to get close to people, and it was even more foolish to place your trust in people you didn't know.

This world that she lived in could be defined by a simple phrase: the survival of the fittest.

At first, she'd thought that this change was just a part of the package when Wall Maria fell, but during her time in the Underground City, she'd realized that nothing had really changed at all. Things only became clearer to her — weak people stay weak — they're trampled on, used, and killed.

The world was the same as it ever was... as it had always been.

Her mind started drifting as she set herself to her mundane task. In truth, Ida had never expected she would ever join the Military — much less, the Survey Corps — and she didn't know what had gotten into her when she agreed. The thought of her being outside of the Walls would've absolutely made her mother's head spin.

For a moment, Ida could hear her mother's chastising voice in her head, the stern lecture she would've received if she knew she was about to battle Titans. When those thoughts only served to bring forth a torrent of emotions she didn't particularly want to deal with right then, she determinedly pushed her mother's would-be lecture out of her mind.

Her mother, Elsie Starke was once a bright woman, but the stress of raising her child alone and her noble family abandoning her had taken its toll on her as the years passed. Ida silently witnessed her mother crumble day by day and slowly but surely, her unhappiness became all too clear.

Even with her efforts to push every disturbing thought out of her mind, Ida couldn't help but grit her teeth in unfathomable anger. She had long since passed the stage of despair and anguish, and all she was left with after the years was a fierce burning resentment. Somewhere inside her, murderous intent cried for blood.

She was never going to forgive herself nor was she ever going to be forgiven.

She, who had witnessed her home being ripped apart and her mother being swiped up by a hideous Titan and killed.

She, who had brought people to their demise time after time in the Underground City.

She, who couldn't even protect the people she cared about.

Ida Starke would never forgive herself.

Thoughts of the Titans brought forth another wave of emotions. Ida understood very well about the dreadful horrors those monsters brought, but honestly, she didn't really care. Knowing her past self, she'd probably be scared shitless simply thinking about fighting them, but she was different now.

She had changed.

But what Ida had never managed to unravel was the reason why she wanted to continue living. Why was it that she wanted to live so furiously anyway? What purpose did she have? What was she fighting for?

The pressure from simply remembering was finally evoking a reaction within her and Ida exhaled a maddening breath. Planning to distract herself from depressing thoughts, she gripped tightly on the rag she was holding.

She had thought that enlisting in the Survey Corps would mean that she would always be kept busy training; kept so busy that she wouldn't spiral back to her self-destructive streak, but so far all she had done was learn that she was a terrible, terrible cleaner.

"…This isn't working out," she concluded miserably.

Cleaning wasn't going to get her anywhere near distracted enough; it only encouraged her to think even more, to feel more. Throwing her rag to the ground, she scanned her bored eyes around the room. Her eyes twinkled with a vengeance as she approached Levi's bed, her mind brimming with mischievous thoughts.

This would show him, that damned bastard!

Impulsively, she climbed on top of his bed, her dirty combat boots still intact as she began jumping around the white sheets, fiercely determined to create a filthy mess that was sure to drive her clean-freak Captain ballistic. It felt liberating to exact revenge and have some fun at the same time.

"Starke."

As quickly as the smirk came to her face it vanished, and Ida felt fear take hold, her body straightening like a pole when she heard that voice. It was so distinctive that she had no doubt it was him.

Fuck.

Swirling around, she inwardly berated herself for even attempting to pull off such a childish prank without thinking of the consequences.

Levi Ackerman leveled her with a furious gaze.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

For the first time in a long time, fear crippled her speech and her mind went blank. Levi hardened his glare, his gray eyes clearly conveying the message: Explain yourself or I'll personally end you.

It was embarrassing enough getting caught like a naughty little kid pulling off a childish prank, but the intimidating expression on Levi's face was all too clear. Ida could only swallow dryly, knowing exactly what was coming.

His feet tapped on the ground and Ida knew that his patience was trickling away as he waited for a response.

"Well, you disgusting brat?"

Ida could tell he was mad. Hell, mad was an understatement. Infuriated beyond words was a far better description. His lips were twitching, and Ida knew it was the end for her.

But what came out of her mouth was one of the most stupid and embarrassing things she'd ever said.

"I — I was trying to make the bed soft for you, s — sir!"

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Was she pleased to see Captain Levi's expression after he saw the muddy stains on his sparkling white sheets? Yes. Was she overjoyed when he started turning as red as a tomato, gaping in shock and anger at the mess she'd created? Yes.

So, after everything was said and done, had it been worth it? Hell fucking no.

From afar, she found herself staring at Levi who was by the training fields. Ida shuddered inwardly in horror. She hadn't noticed this before, but that man somehow managed to look terribly intimidating despite his small stature.

Perhaps he really was Humanity's Strongest after all.

True to his infamous reputation, Levi was just as ruthless as one could expect. In front of everyone in the Survey Corps, he dragged her by the collar like an ashamed child caught stealing a cookie before dinner and made her clean every staircase in the headquarters with only a bucket of soapy water and a tiny toothbrush.

"What, brat?" Levi had growled when she protested. "You can't even do something as simple as this and you want to go beyond the walls to kill Titans? Go on then, Starke, complain to daddy."

She snatched the toothbrush from him after that, egged on by her pride that made her want to force that statement down his throat.

But as she endured the discipline with withering patience, Ida had decided then that she hated those that had laughed at her demise.

Almost everyone who passed by chuckled at the spectacle they saw: their famed Captain dressed in his trusty cleaning suit, standing guard over her as she furiously scrubbed the staircase.

Now, Ida couldn't even walk past a bunch of scouts without someone snickering and whispering to themselves. She was beginning to dream about living back in the underground slums. It sounded like heaven to her ears as opposed to this.

Excellent, she thought wryly, mentally kicking herself. She was a fresh newbie and she was already having trouble with the superior directly in charge of her. Ida was certain she was marked by now and she could only anticipate more hell to endure in the future.

And to further piss on her bonfire, today was the day she was about to get introduced as a new member of the Survey Corps. The first day of training as an official member. She knew things weren't looking so bright for her, seeing as how everyone already knew of her existence as the brat who dared dirty Captain's Levi belongings.

She exhaled a loud sigh at her predicament.

Fuck the military. Fuck it all. What am I even thinking in the first place? I don't belong here.

She found herself staring at Levi, watching how everyone moved away from him as he walked, almost as if they were afraid to bump into him. Even she couldn't deny he had a condescending aura.

He really does command respect, Ida thought bitterly, observing how every scout gazed at him with a mixture of awe and respect. He really is perfect in their eyes, huh? How annoying.

She could never understand their respect for her miserable sod of a Captain.

Ida buried her face in her hands and groaned. Truthfully, she didn't know how long she would be able to tolerate this. Subordination, respect? Fuck that. Those weren't her. It never was. From the way things were looking, Ida wasn't sure how long could reign in her temper.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Levi found himself in a foul mood by the time training came around. He stared at Ida who was seated on the bench away from the legion, a bitter expression on her face as she waited for instructions. For some reason, the redhead brat irked him, always being alone and shit, and although he trusted that Petra and Marie would show her the ropes, he wondered whether she was truly the right fit for the Survey Corps, much less his squad. Thank fuck she didn't make any more trouble for now though.

As the Captain swept through the crowd of soldiers, he found himself keen to get this training started and over with as quickly as possible so that he could shut himself away and get to work on the large stack of paperwork on his desk.

To his dismay, before he could reach his horse, he heard hurried footsteps behind him, followed by a familiar voice.

"Captain!"

He sighed in annoyance before turning to greet Petra. "What do you want, Petra?"

As they continued walking to their horses, he could sense Petra observing him, probably surmising that he was still upset that his spotless bed was now at risk of contamination from germs and bed bugs. Then, she chuckled nervously in a small attempt to lighten the mood.

"You should really cut the newbie some slack, you know?" Petra suggested lightly, surely hoping that it'd come off as a suggestion to him. "You sure aren't giving yourself a very nice reputation."

"Reputation means nothing to me She needs to learn quickly if she wants to be a part of my fucking squad."

"Well, don't be so harsh on the rookie," Petra said, throwing him a knowing look. "Cut her some slack, will you? You saw how she was chained up and bought here like a prisoner. That wasn't a very pleasant experience."

Levi contemplated her advice for a moment but then scowled. "Impudence needs to be beaten out of someone," he grumbled, deciding that there was no way he could ever go easy on a brat that dared to trample on his bed with her filthy boots. "And I never asked for your opinion, Petra."

As he said this, he found himself eying his target from afar, irking him even more. "Go meet with our squad, we are leaving."

Without waiting for a response, he headed towards where the disgruntled woman was seated at the very end of the bench by the courtyard. She was watching in silence as the scouts mounted their horses one by one.

"You," he called evenly with a dark frown.

"What do you want?" Ida snapped irritably, before deflating when she realized who it was. "Captain."

He clicked his fingers in a motion for her to get up.

"Follow me. Try anything, and you won't have any damn teeth by tomorrow," he warned, leading the way towards the large group of assembled soldiers.

Levi glanced back at her, still somewhat distrustful and wary of her tendency to disobey orders. But after a resigned sign, Ida only begrudgingly heeded his command and trailed after him.

Thank fuck for that.

The group of assembled soldiers stood her horses, saluting their prized Captain as soon as they saw him. Levi merely gave a stiff nod of acknowledgment, walking to the front. He could sense Ida hesitating behind him for a moment or two, and he wondered if she was nervous about facing these strangers, uncertain as to how she was going to be received.

Huh, so even an annoying brat like that can be nervous.

After a few seconds though, Ida sucked in a steadying breath. When she slowly stepped up to join everyone else, she moved behind him a little so she wouldn't draw too much attention.

Regardless of her attempt to be inconspicuous, curious stares turned on her as soon as she approached. However, Ida diligently maintained an apathetic expression while avoiding eye-contact with anyone, but Levi could tell from the slight twitch of her fingers just how uncomfortable their scrutiny was making her feel.

Damn it, why the hell was she behaving this way?

He promptly dragged her from her arm roughly and moved her beside him, annoyed. "She'll be a new member under my squad starting today," Levi smacked her back roughly and Ida stumbled forward with a gasp. "Introduce yourself, brat."

Several gasps and even chuckles sounded throughout the group. Clearly, they had recognized her either from three days before where she was brought to the headquarters chained like a dog as the rumored skilled mercenary, or they'd witnessed the whole ordeal of her punishment this morning.

Levi had discerned it was probably the latter. Good. She needs to learn not to piss him off.

"Ida Starke," she spoke loud and clear, keeping her chin up and her face clear of any emotions.

He observed her as she said this. He could tell she was no stranger to ridicule and belittlement.

"Starke? A noblewoman?" Someone said disgruntledly in the crowd followed by another gossip.

"She probably pulled strings with her relatives to get in Captain Levi's squad. Tch, riding on fame and coming here with the intention of getting special treatment? No wonder Captain Levi punished her so strictly."

Levi scowled darkly when he heard that. But instead of shutting them up, he decided to observe her. He would need a good understanding of the brat he had stupidly agreed to take under his wing. Fuck him and his impulsive decisions that got him into this mess, really.

Ida's face was stoic as she faced them, but she kept her clenched fist pressed firmly to her sides, remaining silent.

Much to Levi's surprise, even under the unfair treatment, Ida didn't bother to defend herself. It was almost as she was resigned to the fact that the name she was born with condemned her. She saw all this shit as natural.

Still, it had affected her, Levi could tell. Try as she might to appear apathetic, Levi could see right through her. The bitter resentment that pooled in her green eyes. He had to wonder why she had introduced herself with her last name when she knew what kind of derogatory talks it would bring.

"You think a noble brat would waste their time coming here and risking their precious lives fighting for mankind when they could fatten themselves up like a bunch of useless pigs in the Capital?" Levi challenged, glaring the soldiers into submission. "She's an illegitimate child. Drill that into your damn skulls."

He could sense her piercing glare on him as soon as the word illegitimate left his flips. But Levi paid it no mind. After the whispering died down, Levi dismissed the group back to their respective squad and signaled his squad to mount their horses.

Ida stormed up to Levi the minute they were out of earshot. "Why did you reveal that I was an illegitimate child?"

The way she asked the question told Levi she hated it; the sins of her name that brought along strings of accusation, contempt and distaste. He could understand it frankly, it must have been shitty to be judged and frowned upon before she even had a chance to prove herself.

But this shitty brat was barking up the wrong damn tree.

"You are one, are you not?" Levi countered coldly, "I wasn't lying."

Why the fuck she was pissed at him was a wonder that he was sure even Erwin couldn't decipher. He had defended her back there. The memory of his very own 'welcome' the Survey Corps years was still palpable in his mind.

He scowled to himself, his mood souring. Ungrateful brat.

"I wanted to keep it personal," Ida said, appearing affected by the indifference streaming out of him.

A stupid one as well. This was Erwin's daughter? Fucking bollocks.

Levi kept on walking, not even bothering to look at her. "Would you rather have them think you're out for special treatment then? If you insist on keeping your lineage a secret, change your damn last name. Don't be coming here and pissing on me when all I did was reveal something that they were bound to find out later, Starke."

Shoving her aside with a rough knock to the shoulder, Levi took hold of the reins of two well-bred horses from Ed, holding one out to her.

"Do not go three horses behind me, understood?" he instructed. "You do know how to ride?"

Ida bit her lower lip and stared at him. She appeared thoughtful. Levi had hoped that his words had sunk into her, clearly, she would need some serious training to be a member of his squad, and most importantly she needed to learn to listen to instructions.

"You just should've killed me when I asked you to," she grumbled softly, begrudgingly snatching the reins he was holding up to her, clearly discontent.

Levi felt his eyebrow twitch and before he knew it, he was up in her face.

"Don't think because you're Erwin's daughter that I'm going to go easy on you." His threat came coolly, his face now inches away from Ida's. He searched her green eyes, unsure exactly what he was expecting to find. Ida kept her mouth defiantly closed, instead gazing back at Levi fiercely. "This is no place for a princess; don't expect to receive any special treatment, because I know who you are. This place is all about skills and survival, and if you can't take it, fuck off."

Her teeth gnashed together, and her words came out forceful. "You don't even know half the shit I've been through."

"And neither do I give a fuck."

A bitter snort escaped her and she looked away. "Yeah, no one should, and no one will understand anyway."

The morose statement seemed to be directed not just to him, but to everyone she had met thus far.

Suddenly, an unwavering conviction to prove him wrong appeared in her green eyes, and she moved her face dangerously close to his, never faltering. "If you're talking about skills, I can assure you that I will take you on that challenge day," she smirked, her voice mocking as she added an afterthought, "…sir."

Knocking into his shoulder as he had with her just now, Ida swiftly mounted the white stallion assigned to her and pulled on the reins. The horse neighed and reeled underneath her. From the way she positioned herself on the horse, Levi could tell she was a good rider.

She looked back down at him, Levi could see the impulse and blinding anger in her eyes. Ida had now appeared to truly not give a fuck any longer, her irate personality had gotten the better of her.

"Keep that title in check, Captain. You never know when someone might steal the title of Humanity's Strongest. But you can't lose to a girl, can you?"

Levi scoffed loudly, a slightly amused expression gracing his tense face when she sped off on her horse, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

That hatred that she harbors for the world… she resents even her own existence, he thought conclusively, watching her. Interesting.

Damn brat has some spunk, at least.

An unknowing smirk played on his lips as he mounted his horse swiftly. Levi was never more determined to put the brat in her place.

No one will understand.

The gravity of her words resounded in his head as he sped towards the front of his squad.

This chapter is mainly for settling the OC into the canon-verse, more interactions next chapter! Any form of critique would be immensely helpful. Have a great day!