Dormant Wings | A Levi Fanfiction

六 Final Exam

~6~

It's just before dawn, as I was instructed, and Captain Levi is nowhere to be found.

It took all of the energy within me to pull myself out of bed, and knowing that everyone else is sleeping in on their last morning before tomorrow's mission didn't make me feel any better about my situation.

When it's been a little over ten minutes, I start to wonder if Hange really was playing with me when she said that Levi would help me out. After all, he always seems to be busy. The dark bags beneath his eyes that were present ever since I met him in his early teenage years are much more prominent now that he's a leader figure. It's obvious he doesn't get much sleep.

A brief front of wind passes through the clearing, tossing up my hair and causing me to shiver. I tug my small uniform jacket closer to me, suddenly wishing that the Survey Corps provided warmer clothing.

"I sure hope a little wind doesn't get in the way of your training," a cold voice says from behind me, and to my surprise, I see the Captain. I honestly was not expecting him to show up.

Just as I had suspected, he looks awfully disheveled. His normally orderly hair is now unkempt and unevenly parted, and the purple crescent moons hanging below his tired but hard eyes of metal are as protuberant as ever.

However, I obviously don't point it out.

"Of course not, sir," I immediately straighten up, saluting on impulse.

He sighs, squinting into the sky that the sun is now starting to bleed into. "At ease," he orders.

My arms drop stiffly to my sides, awaiting further orders.

"I assume Hange told you about the training you're in for," he says, sauntering past me and further into the trees. I hesitantly follow suit.

"Yes. Um, Captain, if you don't mind me asking, why exactly are you volunteering to train me?" I ask, picking up my speed as he does.

He glances back at me over his shoulder. The bored expression he wears does not go unnoticed by me. "As a higher up, it's my job to train the cadets. Why else?"

I shake my head. This is turning out to be much more difficult than I intended it to be. "I mean, why only me?"

Captain Levi stops in his tracks, looking into the trees for something in particular. "Here will be good enough."

Okay, I guess he's just going to ignore my question.

After giving his ODM gear a quick inspection, Levi shoots up into the air, landing gracefully on one of the highest branches of the tallest tree.

He draws his large blade, digging it deep into the trunk of the tree. He continues to drag it roughly through the bark, until it forms a ragged circle.

"Having some fighting technique is alright and dandy, but not being able to proficiently kill off titans makes it a bit of a waste. That's the reason I'm helping only you," he explains, landing back on the ground next to me.

"Your skill is worth being used, well, your mind mostly, but physically you need a touch up. So, we'll start with the basics. Welcome to Training Camp. Maybe it'll make you feel like a kid again," he quips sarcastically. "I want you to first warmup using your ODM gear, since you're clearly out of practice—"

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

"—and I want you to be able to throw ten blades into the center of that circle up there from midair," he finishes explaining.