Chapter Four - Restraint

Levi isn't sure why he gave the book back.

Maybe it was because that woman actually apologized, or because she instructed him how to handle a horse with a lot of patience. Maybe it was because she defended them from that one prick, said that they were normal people — nice people — even with his sour attitude.

Maybe he just couldn't be bothered to find a place to toss it.

Yeah, that was it. That made sense.

After the three had returned their horses, Flagon led them to their newly assigned bunks in the barracks. Isabel was a bit apprehensive about sleeping so far from the boys, but seemed relieved after Levi assured her that she would be fine.

They weren't planning on sleeping, anyways.

Levi is the first one to arrive back in the same dusty storeroom they were tossed in earlier, a place they'd decided they would be meeting up at for the time being. He was dreading the lecture he was probably going to get from Furlan, judging by the look on his face when he saw Levi hand that Scout her journal back. Probably a bombardment of "I told you so's" and "the right thing to do" — same old shit.

To Levi's surprise however, Furlan says nothing. He just gets right to the point about how and where they should start digging for information. He gives Levi a couple of weird looks as they talk, but keeps the conversation on track.

They had decided that while it made the most sense, going straight to Erwin's office wasn't the best idea. The man was still likely on edge, and there was too much about him they still didn't know. They would have to observe his behavior for a few days — get to know his daily routine. The smartest place to start investigating would be where the Survey Corps stores their records. They figured that taking a peek at things like old mission logs, diplomatic requests, and personal files was the best first step at gathering information — both on Commander Erwin and on the Corps as a whole.

After all, like it or not, they were a part of it now.

The three quietly make their way through the vast hallways, moving with extreme caution as even the tiniest noise could reverberate off of the stone walls and give away their location. Levi and Furlan both instruct Isabel to stand by the door and keep close watch while they start their search.

"But I want to look too!" Isabel whisper-yells in protest.

"Can it," Levi orders her. "You stay here and keep watch. If we find anything important, we'll brief you on it later."

"Promise?"

A defeated sigh leaves Levi's lungs. He reaches out and ruffles Isabel's hair. "Promise."

That seems to sate the girl's protests, and she takes her place in the doorway with a smile on her face. Levi slips back into the room where Furlan is already beginning to sort through old paperwork.

"These are the old expedition logs." Furlan tells Levi when he approaches to his left. "There's nothing super interesting, but…"

"But what? Spit it out."

Furlan tilts one of the papers towards Levi. "These death tolls, they're… insane. It seems like the Scouts lose at least an eighth of their regiment every time they leave the walls."

Levi's jaw tightens. An image of the faces in the back of that woman's book flashes in his mind.

"Keep looking."

As Furlan continues to shift through the old mission logs, Levi crosses the room to a collection of worn wooden drawers. Inside are endless lines of folders, each with a name sticking out on a tab. Personal files. He starts carefully scanning through the alphabet, finally finding the "S" section. He pulls out a folder labeled "Smith".

Name: Erwin Smith

Date of Birth: October 14th, 815

Place of Origin: Wall Rose, Odel

Grad. Rank: 3rd slot, 85th Cadet Corps

Living Relatives: N/A

The list goes on about mundane things like hair color, height, weight — information that Levi could care less about. There are no notable incidents on his record, only general reports about performance and promotions in rank. Levi begrudgingly shuts the folder and stuffs it back where he found it.

He should probably take a look at Flagon's file too, just to see if there's anything notable he can find about his new superior. He runs his finger along the edges of the folders as he makes his way to the "T" section, but comes to a halt when he spots a familiar name.

"Strober"

It would only make sense that he look at the files of all his new squadmates, since he was going to be in close proximity to them for the foreseeable future. Levi swiftly tugs the folder free and flicks it open.

Name: Quinn Estra Strober

Estra, huh? Strange middle name.

Date of Birth: March 27th, 825

So she's 20 years old, four years younger than him.

Place of Origin: Wall Maria, Shiganshina District

Levi didn't know much about life on the surface, but he did know that the further away people were from the capitol, the more poorly living conditions were. So, she came from a more humble background.

Not as humble as his, but still.

Grad. Rank: 1st slot, 95th Cadet Corps

Top of her class. It made sense, given her ability to keep up with him.

Living Relatives: Johanne Strober (mother), Albert Strober (father), Jericho Strober (brother)

Sex: F

Height: 5'0, 152 cm

Weight: 120 lbs

Eye Color: Green

Hair Color: Blonde

He'd argue that it's more of a red, but to each their own.

Unlike with Erwin's file, Levi seems to be paying attention to every detail. He finds a performance summary included with her Cadet Corps graduation paperwork.

Instructor's comments:

Quinn Strober is an exemplary soldier both in combat and strategic situations. Number one in both vertical maneuvering and hand to hand combat, Strober exerts an amount of physical strength far beyond that of an average soldier. While she's lackluster when it comes to diplomatic matters, she makes up for it in her value as a fighter. She will become an extremely valuable asset to whichever regiment she decides to join, including the Military Police, though her interest seems solely focused on joining the Survey Corps. Her only fault lies in her own stubbornness, and her tendency to value her own judgment over that of her superiors'.

An MP. One of the few things Levi knew about the military on the surface was that only the highest ranking cadets are given the chance to join the Military Police. Despite the girl's faults, she was at least smart enough not to join up with those pigs. And apparently she wasn't as compliant as he thought, at least according to this report. Whether four years of service has changed her demeanor is still up for debate. He still doesn't have enough information to decide.

He scans the remaining pages for anything else that could be useful, coming across a single documented promotion to private first-class and a few more basic performance reviews. The most recent one reflects her current Titan kill count — 68 confirmed kills, 20 assists.

That's as far as Levi gets before he feels a hand on his shoulder.

He turns his head just enough to glance at Furlan from the corner of his eye, slipping the paperwork back into its folder and snapping it shut. The skeptical look in Furlan's eyes has returned, and it's more prominent this time.

"I thought it'd be best to gather information on all of these new squadmates of ours."

"Right." Furlan responds, though for some reason he doesn't sound completely convinced. "Did you already look at Erwin's?"

Levi's eyebrows harden slightly as he turns his attention back to the drawers, putting the woman's folder back where he found it. "Of course I did. There was nothing useful."

"And in the girl's?"

"No."

Levi's answer is curt, but it's enough for Furlan to drop the subject. He apparently hadn't been any more successful in finding useful intel, but he did achieve one thing — he found a complete layout of all of the senior officers' assigned rooms, Erwin's included.

"Good." Levi takes the paper from Furlan and rolls it back up, stuffing it in his jacket's inner pocket. "We're done here."

︎***

Quinn had hardly gotten any sleep that night, meticulously flipping through every single page of her journal. Everything seemed virtually untouched, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it had been snooped through. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing — there isn't anything inappropriate or embarrassing in there — but it made her wonder what those three were thinking when they were looking through her metaphorical graveyard.

That's essentially what the back section of the book was — a graveyard. A collection of smaller drawings she would sketch whenever she found herself picking at the scabs of her grief. She always told herself that they were just references for bigger pieces she would finish within the walls, but she's never had the heart to replicate them. Art was irreplaceable. They were irreplaceable. However, while those drawings were too important to risk bringing outside the walls, her field notes were too important not to. What would she use to document new discoveries? What would she use to identify things already discovered?

No, after experiencing such a close call, Quinn decided that the replicating would start now. While her resources were still at her disposal and the memories of friendly faces blurred over the course of time, she would finally give those ghosts the proper tribute they deserved.

No more risk. No more loss. They would be safe, and they would be at rest.

Sadly, that meant sacrificing her own rest.

Quinn can feel the bags under her eyes as she sips on her morning tea like it's the only thing keeping her alive. Flagon had previously informed her that today would consist of both ODM and hand-to-hand combat training, sort of like a benchmark for the new recruits. Part of her is dreading the exercises, not only because she doesn't have the energy, but also because she knows who she'll end up against. Sairam is going to get folded like a twig, and Flagon wouldn't dare put poor Freya against that man.

She knows in the end that she'll end up against the strongest – and the strongest will be him.

Quinn is in the process of setting her cup down when she feels somebody sit in the chair next to her. From the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of dark hair. When she turns her head and sees Sairam, a wave of relief washes over her, but only for a moment. A sour expression spreads on her face as she recalls their little altercation from yesterday.

The man is already holding his hands up in defense. "Before you say anything," he pauses to take a deep breath, as if this were a struggle for him. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing to me?"

"Well, because–" Sairam pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Because what I said got that new guy on your ass. I saw him talking to you after I left. Can't imagine it was anything pleasant."

Quinn's eyebrows furrow in anger. "It was pleasant, actually. He was returning my journal to me after I lost it." She turns her attention from Sairam back to the cup of tea in front of her. "Seems I was right. They are a lot nicer than you think."

"Nice?" Sairam responds in disbelief. "That psychopath looks at you like he wants to kill you. I won't stand for it."

His words leave an unpleasant taste in Quinn's mouth as she quickly realizes what Sairam is trying to do. He's trying to be a white knight — fighting her battles for her because he sees her as a "damsel in distress". Quinn had a hunch about his admiration for a while now, but she purposefully dodged any window of opportunity he's found to make it evident. Romance has never been a consideration in Quinn's life, and if it was, it definitely wouldn't be with Sairam.

Quinn forces out her response in the kindest tone she can manage. "I can stand up for myself, thank you. I appreciate your concern, but please stop trying to defend me on my behalf, especially when you know I don't need it."

Sairam appears somewhat disheartened, but not very surprised by Quinn's reaction. He's just glad that her response, in his eyes, reflects forgiveness.

"And don't forget, it's not me you should be apologizing to." Quinn adds as she raises the rim of her cup to her lips. "You should consider that before you step into the ring with that man this afternoon."

"Wh–" Sairam looks baffled, and even a little afraid. "Flagon can't be serious! He's going to have us train hand-to-hand combat with those frea-"

He stops mid-sentence when he notices Quinn's expression has hardened once more, her eyes silently scolding him. Sighing in frustration, Sairam gets up from his seat and leaves the table in begrudging silence.

Quinn lets her gaze fall down to her hands, nervously biting the inside of her cheek. She doubted an apology from Sairam would make much of a difference.

Would her own apology even do her any good?

Levi actually bothered to return her journal, even though he could've easily just thrown it away and she wouldn't be any the wiser. In fact, tossing it would've been the smarter choice. If Quinn were a lesser person, she could've accused him of theft. Her superiors would've bought it easily, and those three would've ended up in even more trouble.

He didn't benefit at all by returning it, but he did.

That said something.

Maybe Quinn wasn't any better than everyone else. She was far too quick to demonize them – Levi especially. She faced some well deserved hostility and decided that he must just be cold and angry at heart. This was undeniable proof that he wasn't.

Levi can stay as grumpy as he wants; he's already given himself away as a somewhat kind person. That was more than enough for her.

︎***

"Alright, this training exercise is pretty simple." Flagon announces as he stands in front of his squad. "We've set up some wooden Titan dummies throughout the forest. You guys will navigate throughout the course and take them down as a unit. This isn't a competition – you guys will need to work as a team to complete the course before the time limit is up."

He seems to emphasize the last sentence towards their newest three members in particular, looking skeptical as to whether or not they play well with others. Quinn feels confident enough in their abilities, but she can already sense friction building between Levi and Sairam. It seems like Sairam never did get around to that apology.

As the squad of six prepares their gear, Quinn notices Levi and his group trying to get comfortable with the use of their new blades. While in the Underground, the three relied solely on their ODM gear's mobility. None of them had ever operated the rig with their blades attached.

Levi is looking down at the blade in his hand curiously. He swiftly spins the handle, resting his ring and pinky fingers on the triggers and holding the weapon upside down.

"Hey, punk," Flagon gripes as he approaches the shorter man. "Those weren't designed to be held like that. You wanna die the second you step outside the walls?"

Levi turns his head and looks back at Flagon with an apathetic stare. "I bet that'd get someone like you killed."

"What did you say?!"

"All that matters is that I slice through the back of the Titan's neck, right?" Levi idly turns the blade in his hand as he speaks. "Well, I'm gonna do that however I want."

Flagon grits his teeth in anger, but doesn't say anything in response. Soon the squad is all lined up at the edge of the forest. At the sound of an acoustic shell, the group of soldiers leaps into action, charging the main clearing of the forest.

It isn't more than a few seconds before Quinn notices that Levi and his two friends are making great distance. She manages to keep up easily, but the sheer speed alone is giving Sairam and Freya a hard time. Sairam keeps trying to quicken his pace, pushing himself so hard that his movements start to become sloppy and uncoordinated. He throws himself past Quinn, who's gliding at a leisurely pace, and catches up to Isabel and Furlan. When Levi glances over his shoulder and sees Sairam, he accelerates even more. He moves so fast that he leaves both Isabel and Furlan behind, along with Sairam, who's shooting his lines back and forth almost desperately.

So much for working as a team.

The first Titan figure comes into view, and before anyone else can react, Levi takes a huge chunk out of the dummy's neck. Quinn can see the frustration evident on Sairam's face as he diverges from the rest of the group and disappears into the trees.

He's going to try and use his preexisting knowledge of the course to cut them off.

"Idiot." Quinn chastises through gritted teeth as she anchors herself and flips around, trailing Sairam as he navigates through the dense foliage. She knows this forest well, and at the speed he's traveling, she wouldn't be surprised if he collided with one of the thick branches surrounding them.

But, to Quinn's pleasant surprise, he doesn't, and he arrives at the next dummy just seconds before Levi does. Quinn observes the two as she trails behind Sairam, and she has to admit, Levi's skills are impressive. He seems to be moving even faster than he did back in the Underground, maneuvering himself around the dummy just as Sairam's blades make contact with the nape.

Quinn is so focused on Levi, filled with a strange sense of awe, that she fails to pay attention to what's right in front of her – not until she hears Sairam's panicked voice calling out to her from below.

"Quinn, look out!"

It's then that she realizes Sairam missed his attack on the dummy's nape, causing one of his blades to come loose from its handle and embed itself in the thick material. The blade is sticking straight up, its sharp edge facing toward Quinn as she barrels towards it.

She barely has time to process her situation. She won't be able to adjust her position— she doesn't have enough time. All Quinn can do is cross her arms in front of her and hope that it's enough to stop it from slicing her wide open.

It won't be, and she knows that, but it's her only option.

Then something flashes before her eyes – a blur of raven hair – as Levi flies in front of her and cuts the blade free. It's just fast enough that when she makes contact with the dummy, there's no sharp pain, only the blunt force of her abdomen colliding with what's left of the nape. The impact forces all of the air out of her lungs, a deep ache settling itself in Quinn's ribs. When she finally looks up, she sees Levi glancing back for a split second before vanishing further down the tree line.

He looked… concerned? Maybe mildly so. Or maybe it's just another figment of her imagination.

"Quinn!" she hears Sairam exclaim as he lands on the dummy next to her. He's already wedging his arm under hers, trying to help her upright. She isn't a fan of the unnecessary contact, but Quinn accepts his help nonetheless. She balances herself on the fake Titan's nape, with Sairam anchored beside her.

"I'm so sorry! I thought I had it! My gear must've-"

"Stop," Quinn interrupts him, her tone curt and sharp. "I'm fine."

She could chew him out about his attempt to show off, or poke at the fact that he feels so intimidated by Levi that it makes him feel the need to, but she doesn't. She's still a bit stunned by Levi's actions — how he threw himself in front of her so recklessly. She isn't even sure how he managed to get there so quickly, when he was way past them just moments ago.

Quinn stands herself upright and balances herself on the nape of the dummy, giving her gear a quick look-over before taking off further down the course. As she tries to catch up, she spots Isabel and Furlan. Furlan glances at her for a moment, a strange look in his eyes as she passes them by.

︎***

The training course was mediocre at best. Levi started to get the hang of working alongside Isabel and Furlan, having them focus their attention on the ankles while he focused on cutting the nape. He didn't interact much with the others, except for a single instance where that woman appeared out of nowhere and got to the nape before, wearing a cheeky look on her face.

He made sure that didn't happen a second time.

Levi had no intention of attempting to cooperate with the others. The only people he cared about working with were Isabel and Furlan. Witnessing Sairam nearly get someone else killed because he felt inferior to Levi further solidified that fact. Compared to his group, their new squadmates were inadequate. Sloppy. That idiot woman especially, nearly running into a stray blade because she couldn't pay attention to what was right in front of her. If it wasn't for him, she'd be a gutted animal on the forest floor.

He wasn't such a heartless person that he'd just watch that happen – not when it was that easy for him to intervene.

Now he's saved her ass once, but there wouldn't be a second time. That was a promise he made to himself when they got back to the training grounds and he caught Furlan giving him that damn look again.

He makes a mental note to ask Furlan what his deal is later.

"Alright soldiers," Commander Flagon starts as he paces in front of his squad, kicking clouds of dust from the sparring grounds as he speaks. "Since teamwork doesn't seem to be everybody's strong suit today, we'll finish off the day with hand-to-hand combat. The rules are simple, you'll be trying to subdue or immobalize your opponent until they tap out."

"This is stupid." Isabel mumbles under her breath. "We're supposed to be fighting Titans, not humans."

Levi nudges a firm elbow into Isabel's side, but it doesn't stop Flagon from overhearing every word she said. "Your abilities as a soldier extend beyond swinging around and killing Titans. Hand-to-hand combat helps maintain physical strength, reaction time, and the ability to improvise. If you are to face a unique situation where your enemy is another person," Flagon seems to emphasize that word while glaring at Levi's group. "you need to be able to hold your own."

Isabel lets out a small "hmph" but crosses her arms and looks ahead compliantly. Flagon steps to the side, looking at the group with brief consideration before speaking. "Alright, just for that — Isabel, Freya, you're up first."

Freya looks a bit apprehensive, but Isabel is oozing confidence as she steps into the ring. Flagon observes the two for a moment before he nods his head. "When you're ready."

Isabel is the first one to move, just as Levi anticipated, giving the other girl little time to react as she lunges for her left. Freya manages to dodge her, and attempts to overtake Isabel from the right. She gets Isabel in a hold for a moment, before the redhead quickly wriggles herself free. They go back and forth like this a few more times, before Isabel finally gets a solid grip on Freya's left arm and pulls her to the ground. It takes only a couple of seconds before Freya taps out.

"Yeah!" Isabel exclaims with enthusiasm, earning a less-than-pleasant look from the other girl. She tries to suppress her excitement, but can't seem to wipe the smug grin off her face.

"Alright," Flagon says as the two walk back to their previous positions. He ponders for another moment before continuing. "Sairam, Levi, you're up."

The look on Sairam's face is almost comical, the way he tries to hide his anxiety behind a mask of false confidence. It's been apparent since yesterday that he feels threatened by Levi, probably out of fear of being emasculated in front of that woman he's very clearly attached to. He clings to her like a lost puppy. Levi can't help but find it annoying.

Levi's face is as emotionless as ever as he steps into the ring, but the crease in his brow reveals his agitation just enough for Sairam to notice. The other man tries to mask his nervousness with anger, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Levi waits patiently for Sairam to make the first move, allowing the man to approach and swing at his right side. Levi's hand wraps around Sairam's wrist, pulls his weight over his shoulder, and flips him straight onto his back.

Out of the corner of his eye, Levi sees the woman wince at the force of the impact.

Flagon doesn't seem the least bit surprised by the outcome of their little "exercise". Levi takes his place next to Isabel without a word, purposefully ignoring the death glare Sairam is sending his way. He's already more than proven his point, there was no need to entertain him any further.

Flagon seems to take a bit longer to make his decision this time, as if he's hesitating to put the remaining two against each other. "That leaves Furlan and Quinn. Take your positions."

Levi will have to chew Furlan out if he can't handle himself against this small woman. He's at minimum a foot taller than her, and at least 40 pounds heavier. Though Levi knows that the woman is stronger than she looks, there's no way in hell she should be able to overpower his right-hand man.

Furlan looks a bit cocky, despite his usually mild demeanor. However, it doesn't seem to intimidate the woman — if anything, Levi can see a hint of a smirk on her face.

Both opponents are patient this time, maintaining a guarded position and waiting for the other to strike first. Furlan takes the offensive, lunging forward and attempting to grab for her right arm. The woman dodges him easily. She doesn't retaliate, not yet, just watches Furlan's movements with keen eyes. She's sizing him up, trying to figure him out – a smart move when you're facing an opponent bigger than you. She's biding her time.

Furlan becomes more aggressive with his next attack, dipping down low and lunging for the woman's abdomen. He's too slow once again, giving her the perfect opportunity to seize his left arm. Using Furlan's own momentum against him, the woman shoves him into the dirt, pinning his arm behind his back. Before Furlan can attempt to wriggle free from her grip, she plants her knee on his back, securing his other hand in place with one of her boots.

Furlan is utterly shocked as he struggles against the woman's grip to no avail. She doesn't budge, not until Furlan starts tapping his hand against the ground.

Levi looks almost as surprised as his immobilized friend.

It was extremely, extremely uncommon for Levi to feel like this, but the woman was undeniably impressive — and he hates that. Part of him wanted to believe that her successful ambush in the Underground was just a fluke, that maybe for the first time in forever he really was just off his game.

Although, it wouldn't have been successful if he hadn't hesitated when he did. There's no way in hell he could've predicted that she was the person in possession of that much strength.

After Furlan and Quinn dust themselves off, the tension in the group starts to die down, as they assume that their training would be over after the last pair. Everyone had stepped into the ring and fought their respective targets. But, as people start to move, Flagon stops them by raising his hand. "Not yet." His eyes shift from the woman, to Levi, then back again. "Quinn, Levi, you're up."

The woman actually looks a bit shocked, her eyes widening in surprise. Levi can't deny that Flagon's orders also caught him off guard, but it made sense when he thought about it. Flagon needed to know where the members of his squad truly lined up.

Plus, Levi wasn't about to turn down the chance to redeem himself.

The woman positions herself on one side of the sparring ring, while Levi strides up to the other. Unlike the others, he doesn't waste any time, or even wait for an official signal from Flagon. The moment she appears to find her footing, Levi darts towards her and firmly grips her left arm, mirroring the hold she had just executed on Furlan with ease. Levi's foot pins her right arm against the dirt, feeling surprisingly little resistance from the woman in return.

She must've realized she's bitten off more than she can chew.

Then suddenly, with a swift jerk, the woman yanks her arm free. She uses her opportunity to roll herself over and shove Levi off of her, scrambling desperately to get to her feet. He's stunned, but only for a moment, quickly regaining his composure and pulling the woman back down.

She's struggling, thrashing powerfully with her arms and legs as Levi attempts to restrain her. He really doesn't want to, but Levi resorts to wrapping his arm around the woman's neck, using his other hand to secure her head in place. The woman shoves back against his chest, her hands grabbing desperately at the arm around her throat.

Levi tightens his arm slightly, applying pressure on both sides of the woman's neck. "Tap out." he grunts from behind her, his grip unwavering.

There's no response from the woman — her movements only become more frantic. Her nails dig helplessly into the leather of his jacket, her legs trying to wedge themselves underneath her for leverage. Levi coils his arm even tighter.

"Tap out." he demands again, his voice slightly strained as the woman struggles with all her might. She kicks, hits, and thrashes, and for a moment it feels like she's never going to stop.

And then her body goes completely limp in Levi's arms.