【 "It couldn't get any worse, right?" 】
- - -
30 rounds of laps around the training ground, cleaning two communal female's bathrooms and cleaning Captain Levi horse's stall, heh.... Nothing that Ireen can't do. In fact, being a smart living being she is, Ireen had her run around the smallest training ground, since Levi never mentioned which part of the ground she supposed to cover so she had all power to pick one herself. And the one she picked, was the training ground where hand-to-hand combat always been held, which was located at the west side of the HQ, directly behind the commander's office.
But even so she needs roughly an hour and 20 minutes to complete her rounds. That can't be good. She still need to complete the other two punishments, meet Erwin-san as promised, and informed Squad Leader Ness beforehand by 8.30.
That means Ireen was left with sprinting.
So she did as what the only choice of hers left, sprint all the way to the imaginary finishing line, clad in her tight white shirt and pants due to the surging sweats. She panted heavily, berating on the captain midget in between breaths.
By the time she completed the rounds, she spared 20 minutes from her actual estimation, with the price of numbing body and jelly-like legs.
By now normal people will usually stumble on the dirty ground to take a break, and sucking in all the air to fill their empty lungs. But Ireen isn't normal by all means. It didn't come into her accounts the need to sit and relax. Instead, she wobblily walked to the stable where those in charged of cleaning probably finishing.
.
.
.
Ireen greeted Reiner at the stable, who patiently waited for her, before clutching the pitchfork in his grasp and headed straight to Levi's horse. She didn't speak, nor making an effort to pet the creature. All she did was staring, exchanging look with the stallion before opening the half-door stall and start on her job.
Reiner swore Ireen probably had a telepathy conversation with the horse to tame the beast.
Once the stallion tied to one of the pole and she had the wheelbarrow ready - courtesy to Reiner -, she started digging the soil bedding and tossed them into the wheelbarrow. Reiner was kind enough to help her around and she managed to speed up the work to get it done in 10 minutes. After parting ways with Reiner and told the buff guy to have his breakfast, the last thing left for her was cleaning the bathrooms.
Sighing, Ireen knew damn well she won't get the chance to eat breakfast at all, given that now already 7.45 am, a 15 minutes away from the breakfast hour to end. Though she was going to be hungry for the rest of the morning until lunch is serve, at least by this time, all soldiers have awake and done with their bathing business, so she will have all the stalls to herself to clean. It'll probably won't take too long.
Oh boy she spoke too soon. She has no idea what's awaiting behind the closed stalls.
- - -
Fingers twiddled around the first two buttons, boots clacking lightly on the floor and hair slightly damping wet fresh from the shower, Ireen arranged her steps heading to where her classmates currently waiting. She believed that squad leader Ness probably on his way to meet them, so she quickened her steps so she could talk to him first regarding her meeting with the commander.
"Damnit captain midget, shorty, meany-smallest-humanity.... Thanks to you I skipped my breakfast and now I'm damn hungry", Ireen's mouth won't stop mumbling as she cursed. She caressed and smoothened the brown uniform she wore, fixing around the collar before bringing her fingers around her waist, where the straps around were tightened up to adhere to her comforts.
Captain Levi.
She hoped she didn't see his face today. Otherwise she felt like throwing a fist or two to his 'ohh so perfect jawline', according to Krista.
Turning at the corridor, Ireen saw from the other end of the hallway her squad leader sauntering with papers in his hands. Seemed like his gaze was dead set on the papers so he didn't notice her at the other end so Ireen jogged to him immediately, successfully gaining his attention from the sound of her rushing boots.
"Good morning, sir!" Ireen didn't forget the salute, earning a soft smile from the said male who gazed at her lightly.
"Ahhh cadet Ireen. Heading to the classroom? I think you take a wrong turn since the classroom is at the other side." Ness chuckled.
"No, sir. Actually, I am here looking for you. I want to ask for your permission to skip your class since Commander Erwin requested my presence at the moment."
"Ah yes. He just told me this morning. But it good to know you take your own responsibility to inform me beforehand."
Ness hummed in delight.
"Don't worry about today's lesson. Mainly we will be going through the plan again for the next expedition, and few test on their physical strength and fitness. You can always ask your friends for today's activity or if you have problems, my office always open for you." He took a step forward as he dropped a hand on Ireen's shoulder, patting it gently.
"See you again, Ireen. And, good luck." Ness beamed his smile with closed eyes as he continue walking. It raised a slight question to the female but believing it was nothing, she shrugged it off, saluting him again with a thanks.
Ireen then proceeded with her steps to Erwin's office.
Not too long after, her brain started to fall into deep abyss where she raked thousands of questions regarding her soon-to-be squad leader, Mike Zacharius. From words among the soldiers, he is one of the oldest veteran in Survey Corps, having surviving from numbers of expeditions and coming back with minimal injuries. He graduated as the top 10 among his troop back then, and he put his life on line by choosing Survey Corps despite having the luxury to settle in Military Police Regiment, just like Hange Zoe, another veteran that quite popular and be the talk among the soldiers for her super....eccentric behaviour. She pretty sure Ness dubbed her as a titan lover as he informed them the hierarchy of rulers in Survey Corps days ago.
Ireen guessed every one has their own special features that marked as their own significant identity. For example, Eren was marked as a suicidal bastard and titan-hater-#1 since he always go around shouting to kill those obnoxious creatures. Sasha was the potato girl for an obvious reason, while Jean is horse-face, for another obvious reason.
Well back to Mike Zacharius, he too had one peculiar habit, which is sniffing around every new person he met. Eren said that the guy was too close when doing so, like a dog trying to lick your neck and his breath was definitely uncomfortable when meeting your skin, and he didn't know if it holds any meaning or what but Mike will smirk afterwards, in the sense of making Eren felt weird out. Nevertheless, one should never underestimate him because if anything his record and killing counts spoke a lot about his skills and strengths. Furthermore, Mike was just a step lower than Levi, dubbing him as the humanity's second strongest.
Hmmmm... Second strongest eh?? I like how it sounds.... Ireen smirked to herself.
Ireen was cut in train of thought when she heard rushing steps coming to her way. From across the corridor she saw someone appeared from one of the turns, a brunette, with a ponytail and spectacles that dangerously hung low at her nose, whom quickened her steps immediately the moment she spotted her. The brunette got this wild smile that forced her lips curled way too upwards, defying any rules regarding human's anatomy, and Ireen didn't think she likes that kind of smile because that kind of smile always spell doom.
But she didn't have anywhere else to go. She didn't even know how to react, because in a second the brunette had her face so close to hers that for the first tine she started to wonder, did I choose the right regiment to enroll?
"Hey, you are the new recruit right?" Hange asked without a beat. "Do me a favor and take this with you, okay? Thanks!" Before Ireen could say anything Hange sped off down the hall way and rounded a corner and disappeared. Ireen watched in wonder at the same time she looked at the items in her hands.
A white cloth and a cleaning spray? What's these?
Then her sharp nose caught the scent of the so familiar midget that trudging his way to her. The exact moment she saw he came out from where Hange had appeared she growled. Great. She just wished she won't bump into him for the rest of her day but looks like the walls have some other plan.
Then Ireen noticed it. The male was fuming, lips were tight in straight line, body posture was squared up and just a blink away of her eyes the male suddenly start sprinting. That was a full-sprint at full speed and Ireen's instinct kicked off as she bursted off to the other direction in fright.
Oh hell no I didn't sign for this!!!! She inner-monologued as Levi screamed "GET BACK HERE BRAT!!" at the top of his lungs.
- - -
10 minutes before, where Levi is....
Eren and his unclean-cleaning job.... *sigh....* why can't he just get that damn window clean??? Levi grunted to himself as he made ways to his office.
He had just sent Eren to another punishment of reclean the windows again, every one of them in the first floor while his team aided him, and he made it obvious he wants to see it shining and reflecting his own face by the time he come down to check, leaving the poor boy crying to his own self for the cruel fate. Eren's arms already sore and hip pained from over pressing and over crouching when cleaning, and he tried begging for mercy. But Levi be Levi did what Levi best at which was giving cold glare that shut him up immediately.
But even so the day didn't get any better for him, for on his way to his office he noticed someone just turned to a corner, seeming like just coming out from his office but he brushed out the thoughts because, which dumbass dare enough to invade his office? Oh boy he was so wrong.
The moment he opened the door he was greeted with a messy office table, where ink spilled on his crystal-clear desk, staining few of the papers while dripping down the wooden desk with crumbled tissues littered around which he believed was used to wipe off the smudgy ink but failed miserably and scattered papers tossed on an empty couch to save them from the staining liquid.
What's going on??!!
He fazed off at the utter destruction of his office.
It took him a second to put two into two and immediately chasing out the person who he believed was the culprit; the person that just turned around the corner a minute ago. Following his instinct he led himself to a turn where he heard a commotion going on at the other side, so he slowed down, but not too slow because he didn't want to lose the culprit. He took the turn as silent as a cat before came upon on a female standing in confusion in the middle of the hallway. His eyes darted to the items in her hand and immediately something inside him exploded, with anger.
He didn't waste a second as he sped off again and he bet his murderous look was the reason that sent the culprit fleeing.
- - -
Ireen has been trying to escape Levi's death chase.
For every turn and corner she took Levi had successfully tracked her leaving her wailing in silence at her unlucky fate. She had once thought of hiding in female's bathroom, because if anything a male should never enter that sacred place specially made for those with female's genes but then again, thinking back this is Levi we are talking about. That guy gave zero fuck he probably barging in straight to send her straight to heaven. Even worse, with all soldiers occupied with their own business Ireen won't have anyone as witness to her death.
So she discarded the thought quickly, as quick as she tossed away the cleaning spray in her hand thinking he only wants that thing back, which funnily, hit right on his face with a satisfying 'smack' sound. If Ireen had time she will be laughing her ass off but nope. If she do so she will only sell herself to the devil that's hot on her tail!
So she kept her head straight and kept running and running and running, recalling on the past where she was competing with Jean, Connie and Eren on who's faster.
Damn, I'm tired from all this running.....
- - -
Erwin took a peek from his paperwork when he suddenly felt some sort of turbulence going on. He didn't know why, but everytime something bad about to happen, his commander-sense tingled as if someone is trying to destroy the peace of his subordinates.
"Is Hange on something again? I swear if she try anything funny again I will confiscate all her experiments." Erwin grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling, then next moving his slender fingers to his temple to message it.
"Or perhaps..... Something went off with Eren's transformation? I should probably go check on Levi and --"
Two knocks on his door and Erwin stopped halfway from standing up.
"Vice Captain Moblit Brener, sir, I have our reports done for you." The voice sounded from the other door.
Erwin sat back as he allowed him to enter, and the light-haired male walked forward with bunch of papers held firmly in his hand.
"Commander, I'm here to pass you Squad Leader Hange's report."
"Hmm, very well." Erwin nodded as he extended his hand to receive them. "How the experiments with Eren's transformation went?"
"We haven't conduct one yet. I believe it will be in a time or soon. Hange-san is getting excited for the experiment and been talking non stop about it."
Erwin chuckled at that. "Sounds like Hange. By the way, where is she?"
"The last time I saw she said she has a thing to talk with captain Levi."
"I see. I hope she didn't tick him off this time round."
And Moblit nervously laughed at that, for the memories of Levi about to skin Hange's alive resurfaced when the brunette had accidentally (read: purposely) washed Levi's cravat with a mixture of dye solution leaving him with a collection of pink salmon dye cravats.
Thanks to the wall someone was able to hold the captain down, and by someone he meant Erwin and Mike together.
- - -
Damn it how long more I need to run??? Won't he give me a break?!!!!
Irene heaved out harsh breathing as she continue running nonstop, which most likely has been for straight 10 minutes. She was lack in energy and her muscles has been forced to constantly move ever since early morning, she thinks she deserved some rest but captain midget won't let her. Every single soldiers that she bumped onto and screamed for help only withdrew themselves, the moment their eyes landed on who she was dealing with behind her back.
Those cowards cowardice at the death glare of captain Levi!
Ireen was currently at hallway where number of doors resided at her left. Since she was ahead from the titan killing machine by few turns she took the chance to check every single door that she could barge in and take refugee. Luckily, one of them appeared to be unlocked and without wasting a time she pulled the knob, get inside and closed it quietly to prevent the captain from catching on which door she had just entered.
Upon hearing the soft click made by the knob, she heaved a sigh of relief, before slumping her forehead to the wooden door. She took few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down and catch up on few missing breath before stood straight again.
"Damn captain midget. You really forced me to work out this much", she mumbled, as she panted and backed away from the door and turned around. She froze. Mike Zacharius was watching her intently from his desk, along with a blonde female with boyish hair style stood in front of the desk, eyeing her in a pair of sharp glare.
Wall Maria, of all the place..... She internally shrieked.
"Uummm, hi..?" Ireen waved one hand, awkwardly, with a shit-grin face.
"Yes, may I help you?" Mike talked calmly from behind the desk, still didn't leave his glare on her.
"A-ah.... I..." Stuttering, Ireen tried to come out with an excuse, but got none. But then she remembered. This is Mike Zacharius, her soon to be squad leader. She could talk out with him.
"Sir, my name is Ireen. I was told by Commander Erwin that ---"
BAM!
The loud sound from the door banging the wall harshly cut her salute and introduction, as Levi stood there menacingly yelling profanities and list of punishment once he manage to catch her. Levi's eyebrows knitted together, as his grey orbs met with Mike's, then the blonde female, and lastly the red-haired in front .
"I... Found... You....." A smirk was tugged at the corner of his lips.
Ireen was sure that was some form of a devil with 3 horns she was facing at the moment, with a bonus of beautifully glowing charcoal hair, may she add. Is that glint of red I saw in his eyes??
"On what business you have to break in into my office, cadet?" Levi took a step forward, growling at each word.
"N-no I didn't..."
"You trashed my desk, you threw away my documents, you left ink staining my paperwork's, desk and floor, what exactly, you think, you are doing?"
"Stop! Don't get any closer! I tried to tell you that --" Suddenly Ireen felt like she was in the air, hoisted up before her back was slammed hard onto the floor.
"Urghhhh", she coughed up in pain at the exact moment the hands grabbed her collar, tightening the grips and legs kneeled with her left leg in between.
"Captain, she invaded your office? Then she must has some ill intention." The blonde female that has been standing in silent previously suddenly spoke, pinning Ireen down onto the floor. She got her eyebrows knitted together and was staring immensely into Ireen's green hues, leaving the red-haired in baffle upon first eye contact with hers.
"Good job Nanaba. Now hold her still while I interrogate her."
Ireen could see from her side vision that Levi was taking a further step forward. It seems like the two won't listen to her and Mike hasn't say or do anything ever since Levi's barge in so she was left with a dead end. Unless....
Immediately Ireen grabbed the hands that currently choking her. She held it securely, then bring up her right leg over to Nanaba's right shoulder after twisting her hip slightly. Using all of her strength that she could muster and taking the advantage from the blonde's stun, she pushed her back knee against her neck down to the right forcing them both to roll over. The choke on her collar loosened and before any of the three, - the burning ravenette, the still-in-daze blonde and the God-knows-what-the-sniffing-dude sniffing at the moment - could react and tackle her once again, Ireen rushed out to the opened door.
Seems like the only place safe for her to go now is Erwin's.
And even so the devil with 3 horns was fast on his track to continue chasing her.
- - -
"Hmmmmm.... Ireen is late. Did she forgot to meet me?"
Erwin tapped his quill lightly on the paper he was signing at the moment.
"And Mike too..." As he continued mumbling to himself.
- - -
"But Mike, she could be the spy that Erwin told us!"
"I don't think she is, at least, for now. She was probably too shock because she got tackled down by you and having Levi releasing murderous intent that she had to run away." The papers in his hands were arranged properly as he tapped the bottom to his desk to align them.
"But she broke into Levi's office!" Nanaba whined seeing her squad leader brushing her off easily. Why Mike don't trust her?
"There could be a misunderstanding there. Nevertheless, I'm going to meet Erwin right now. Could you please handle this paperwork for me?" The older male nudged the paper to the still fuming female in front him, amused by her scoffing face as she muttered some complains to herself.
"You know, you are becoming just like Hange, passing her work to Moblit." Regardless, Nanaba still took the papers and clutched them to her chest.
Mike smirked as he gently stood. He circled the desk, and stopped right in front of the female that currently crossing her arms across her chest, still giving a dissatisfied look. He got closer as he towered over her shorter form, and gently patting her head crown in a way to diffuse her small anger.
"I'll make it up to you later," he nonchalantly spoke, and smirked wider upon seeing her reddened face. Leaving a soft kiss on her forehead, he left the office and closed it behind his back, but not before catching Nanaba's curse on him for taking advantage.
Mike had a smile adorned his face throughout his walk to Erwin's office.
- - -
The echoing steps across the hall was getting louder, that Erwin started to take a pause on his writing. He even doubled over on his thoughts when he felt slight shook on the floor coursing through his sole boots, pondering over the fact that could it be a mini earthquake at the moment?
But Erwin couldn't indulge in his self thinking when his door suddenly opened, crashed loudly against the wall as a flash of brownish-red trudged in like a ball.
"Erwin-san!" The desperate call left from the female's lips immediately threw him on guard, as he stood up abruptly and watched in wary as the female ran to him.
"Erwin-san, you got to help me!" Ireen got to his side clawing on his left arm.
Then came in rushing in steps was Levi, in his all glory of breathing out death and berating profanities around. For such amount of vulgar words coming out from such short man, anyone will find themselves blushing in embarrassment.
"Look cadet, stop playing around and let me strangle you to death!" Levi hissed after been forced to run for straight 20 minutes, taking in as much as oxygen he could meanwhile.
"I'm trying to tell you the truth but you won't listen! Please, just listen, for once!" Ireen wasn't in any better shape too since she was totally deflated out from oxygen. Her hair resembled Medusa, if anything.
"Levi, hold on. Tell me what's going on." Erwin being the gentleman he is, and also because he was in the middle in between two children that decided to play run-and-seek, calmly spoke as he didn't want any bad accident to happen, such as the quill ink to spill and destroy his hardworking papers.
"She invaded my office! I don't know what her purpose was but I'm not letting her go!"
"I'm telling you I did not! You misunderstood things!"
"Levi! Ireen! Let's sit together and have a ta--"
"Get your ass here brat! Or I kill you!" Levi cut Erwin's off as he circled the desk too.
"No! Commander help me!" Ireen stood behind Erwin, pulling him along by the arm so he know stood protecting her while she stood behind his back. Erwin was forced to become the invisible wall that stopped Levi from getting to her.
She peeked around Erwin's torso, as she had her vice grip on Erwin's shoulder. She will turn the taller male to the left and right and left and right every time Levi tried to reach out to her. Erwin, not only stood in confusion and worry, flashed a look of disbelief at the childish antic from the soldiers of his, that he got his tongue tied not knowing what to say, nor what to do.
At the heat moment when Levi almost grab Ireen's arm, the female spun the commander harshly, then pushed him forward causing him to topple over, with Levi cursing from the action. Then she rushed out from the door, fingers just an inch a way from the knob when suddenly the door was banged open again by another person, straight into Ireen's face.
"Erwin! I forgot to include these papers just now, so here - ehhhh??"
In the midst of chaos and heat, Hange was greeted with the scene of Levi laying on his back on Erwin's desk, one hand clutching tightly at Erwin's brown uniform while Erwin got one hand wrapped around his waist and another hand palm-flat onto the table to support himself from falling forward. To make it worse, the current situation had Levi panting out of breath, with hair stick onto his sweaty forehead and a young female crouching on the floor, nose bleeding.
Hange stood in froze. She analyzed the situation like a mad scientist she is and came to a disturbing conclusion judging from the curling lips of hers that defy, again, every law of human's anatomy.
"Ohh Erwin, Levi. I didn't know you both swing it that way~" Hange purred in a soft voice.
"Ha...??! What did you say shitty glasses? You da--"
"Erwin, where is the new recruit to be under my wing?" Mike suddenly walked in into the office, only to stand in silence as his gaze travelled to the two males leaning towards and against the table, then to the red-haired female that still crouching with bleeding nose (that now has her eyes gaping at the romantic act of the two superiors) and then to the ponytail-brunette that let out eery giggles with flushed face, before back to the two men that were caught on act.
He connected the dots together as he nodded.
"I understand. I'm sorry for disturbing your moment. I'll take my leave", he said as he made a motion calling out to Hange and Ireen to leave the two alone.
"What the fuck Mike, this is not like what you think!" Levi grumbled pushing Erwin away immediately.
"Levi was right. This is misunderstanding." Erwin was too immediately back off, and fixed his slightly crumpled uniform. Ireen continue bleeding through her nose.
Hange let out a hysterical laugh watching the two men flustered for the first time. Then her attention changed to the red-haired.
"You okay, cadet? I'm sorry you have to see such scene," Hange kindly offered her hand to help her up, which she accepted immediately.
"Oi shitty glasses, hold her still so she won't run away again," Levi instructed the immediate moment he saw Ireen back on her feet.
Before Hange could ask anything, and Ireen could protest, Mike has already had his grips on Ireen's shoulder, causing the female to jolt at the harsh hold.
Damnit, I can't run. Well whatever, Erwin-san is here, he will listen.
"Ahhh your nose still running. You need to stop the blood," Hange whined as she peered over at Ireen's face. Ireen felt a gentle brush against her breast when the brunette pulled out a white cloth from her chest pocket that poking out like a sore thumb, that she didn't know she has it.
"Here, your handkerchief. Wipe it off here," Hange gently pressed the cloth to Ireen's nose.
"T-thanks". Weird, I don't remember has white handkerchief with me today? And it was poking out from my pocket too....
The room went silent as Ireen focus on dabbing her bleeding nose while four pair of eyes were on her. The situation has getting calmer and Ireen was thanked for that. No more running.
But then realization suddenly hit Levi as he spoke.
"Oi, what did you wipe your nose with?" Levi pointed his index finger to the fabric, as Ireen looked at him with questioning look.
"I don't know too. I don't remember this handkerchief at all," she answered honestly as she pulled away the fabric from her nose. She opened the crumpled fabric, presented it in front of everyone's eyes and questioned in silence at the weird looking long-white handkerchief.
"This... Isn't mine..." She muttered lowly.
"Of course it isn't. That's not a handkerchief. It is my cravat." Levi spoke lowly as if he was whispering to the air.
"Ehhh?" Ireen blinked in confusion, at the same time the other three superiors tensed up at the information. Ireen could feel the room suddenly getting colder, as if something danger is approaching, and she didn't dare to ask what it was. Because she generally has the idea of what it could be.
Ohh Wall Maria... Can't this day be any worse?
[Clashing Blades.] © Devilish_red
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