v. HIGH ENOUGH

CHAPTER FIVE

HIGH ENOUGH

•••

"There's no way in hell I'm doing this."

A reluctant remark passed through her mouth with the conception of susceptibility spiraling in her mind. The afternoons passably reared to a much tepid temperature. Correlated to the frigidness of waking mornings, she reveled in the blazing heat, delighted from the kiss of the sun, contacting skin, the top of her head, and engulfing her in comfort and warmth. A cycle of sharp chill to humid weather. But today, regardless of how warm it turned out to be, a shiver dragging on her spine had her bear on the tip of her soles. Diffident wouldn't be the world to delineate her ambivalent feelings of the situation.

"Do you want to die in the field or not?"

Oluo swept the curls from his hair to the side, arm dragging over his face as sheen sweat coated his temple, cheeks, jaw. Muscles ached down from the very bone. Heavy lifting was not his forte. But it couldn't be helped as it was him and Petra. It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of him if he dragged the red head along to do work. Freya was an option he considered in querying for assistance. But his pride and stubbornness led him to setting alone. Thus, the bitter and foul mood he found himself in accumulated, along with tempestuous utters that he aimed towards Freya.

Freya shot him an incredulous stare, a look that told she wasn't happy with the arrangements either. Minutes prior, she was called to meet the Special-Ops squad at the back of the castle. Less eyes, fewer stares, and not a whole lot of whispers going behind her back. Arriving, her view was met with Oluo assembling a large contraption and Petra observing with a few encouraging and nagging words here and there. Apparently, today's week was to witness her ability with the omnidirectional mobility gear and start from there which brought her here, scrutinizing the nearly completed handiwork. Sarcasm dripped off her tongue. "How inspiring."

A month of practice. That was all she was given. It wasn't a lot of time for her to do much before crossing out the remaining days til her first expedition out the walls. Seeing them head out from this morning clicked the puzzle as they returned with such heavy equipment. In front of her, out in the open grounds behind the castle, was a large triangular wooden stand with wires bunched up to the side and enclosed in the middle for her to test out. It was meant to asses her stasis. Except, for the look Freya was sending it, it was evident that she was hesitant about utilizing it. She crossed her arms over her chest, lips pouting as she eyed the contraption in skepticism.

Oluo chuckled. But it then turned into a booming laugh. Condescending and cavalier that Freya was half tempted to smack him on the back of his head. The sound filled with anything but humor as he stood on his feet, dusting the palm of his hands on his lap. He admired his handiwork for a moment, reveling in pride and joy at his accomplishment. "Wait till you get to the real thing."

Heedful of what he was pertaining to, Freya knew that she didn't need to be reminded. For something so inanimate, it's presence brought irritation and unneeded pressure to the table. Hidden and locked in compartment. Frozen and still, untouched and left alone. For a short second, a fraction of eye movement, Freya glanced at the large rectangular case that lay beside Petra's feet from a few inches away. Encased in leather bound material, her odm gear waited to be unsealed and brought out.

"Where is everyone?" A question that she wouldn't usually ask, but did so anyway. It was an unusual feeling to find head quarters so quiet, making her think that they were the last remaining people to be left alone. An unideal thought. But something the couldn't help but think. Her usual job of guarding paused, the day simply changing to something other than her trailing behind youngsters who deemed it requisite to join the war in a unwarranted protection.

"Inside." Petra nudged her head towards the building. Newly joined scouts who arrived the day before now spent hours on what you would say studying. Deducing a final position for the expedition, leaving out the squad from analyzing their place. A seminar filled with descant talk and contentiousness from teaching superiors.

"Why aren't I with them? Not that I'm complaining."

"Cause you're stuck with us. Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?" She quirked an eyebrow as she repeated the last statement. Freya was used to hostile behaviors from those around her. She considered it to be a talent, or maybe, a skill that she didn't constitute it to be abysmal. Any adversarial wording or conduct wasn't going to coerce her into mulling. "I couldn't agree more." She faced the mobility training contraption again.

There was nothing threatening about the large item except for its almost towering height. Wooden beams supported it to stand. Metal wires were hooked to the sides. And a clip to attach on the belt of her scouts uniform with an extra harness to wrap around her waist. Oluo sighed loudly, exhibiting his distaste of restlessness. "I'm running out of patience here."

"I've got plenty." Immediately, Freya quipped. She clicked her tongue, ignoring the two's stare directed behind her back. "I'm not getting on that thing."

"Look, if you stand here all day, we're going to be in trouble."

Trouble from who? Freya had an idea of the answer. They were all but associates now, whether they wanted it or not. An equal state that leveled them to be the same. She was aware of how soldiers like them overlooked miscreants within the walls, nothing but slums of the city and troublemakers that dwelled beneath them. It brought out a slight satisfaction from Freya knowing that they couldn't exactly do anything about, abdicating most sanctioned calls towards who controlled this squad. Squad Levi. Just by the name itself, everyone knew who called all the commands around here. Granted, a part of herself hated it.

She smiled lightly at the thought of him. "Where is... he?"

Oluo and Petra shared a look. Petra tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "We don't know."

Leaving it at that, Freya's shoulders met her ears as she shrugged absentmindedly. "I guess we're all going to be in trouble."

Oluo scoffed and balled his fists by his sides. "You're on your own." Stomping his way out of the grounds, he entered through the back door of the castle, Petra trailing behind and leaving the leather case left alone in the middle of the floor with Freya who gave a small wave of her hand.

Pleased, Freya clasped her hands together in wonder. It wasn't difficult to drive Oluo the way he is at the moment. The man may be considered as one of the most skilled cadets to be recruited and handpicked by Levi, but it was an effortless task to deduce that he lacked composure and passivity, playing his behavior down in a brooding manner that re-enacted their Captain's behavior which went noticed by everyone who bothered to care. Rather than eyeing the contraption again in skepticism, Freya hung her head low and stared at her hands. She twisted the silvers rings adorning her fingers from her left hand.

"Scared?"

Hot breath tickled her right ear, tone hinting, and warmth suddenly radiating behind her body. Judging from the source of his voice, he was unexpectedly close. Her features scrunched up in gratification. She was glad that he stood behind her from witnessing the look she unintentionally made before it relaxed into a passive face. But her mouth curved into a smirk. "What makes you say that," She raised her head and dropped her hands by her sides, fingers tingling. "Captain?" It went silent for a second. Quiet breathing drifted together with the blowing breeze. She dared sneak behind her shoulder, head moving that she was delighted even further to meet his piercing gaze. Her stomach churned. "Is this really necessary?"

Breaking contact. Blue eyes losing grey. His irises went past her head, direct at the contraption. Lips set in a straight line. "It's bare fundamentals to determine a persons knack for omnidirectional mobility." It didn't surprise Freya on how formal he could be. So focus. "That thing will determine your aptitude."

"I know." She blew out softly.

Not a moment wasted. "Then get going."

Swiveling on her heel, facing him directly as he snapped his attention back to her. "You're not what I expected."

Levi's eyebrows rose. "What?"

A look of clear confusion. It was a sudden statement. Words flying out of the blue that she had inadvertently spewed her immediate thought with complacency that bemused her. The distance between them was the last thing on her mind. But the scent of pages of books filled her senses. Tea. Lemon. Tranquil smell wafting in her nostrils that unfortunately was set high in her thoughts that it lingered in her head. It reminded her of his white handkerchief, tucked somewhere off in her room. She cleared her throat. "You don't look... like Humanity's Strongest Soldier, if I'm being honest."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He questioned.

"I mean, I'm just surprised. That's all." The truth. Freya had never cared for image. The reputation was what caught her interest. But with Levi, well, it was obvious to Freya that he had both, she wasn't going to ignore that.

He squinted his grey eyes. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Making talk." She responded in a light tone that to anyone, it sounded disputable. "Ever heard of it?"

He angled his head up and glanced at the sky. Clouds loomed above them, sun beating down. Analyzing the time of the day, and how much remained. With his head tilted up, it gave Freya a clear view of his jaw line that she had to admit was impressive. Sharp that her hand was lifted from her side, wanting to see if the tip of her finger would bleed with a touch, but she forced it back down and brushed it off with her flimsy thoughts overtaking her. Granted, Freya was never going to admit that.

"You're not needed elsewhere, are you?" The end of her question had her voice an octave higher with an aspiring aim.

"I'm right where I'm needed to be." He answered as he blinked at her. He was looking directly at a puzzle. Her blue eyes that swirled like water, image distorted and unclear.

Knowing that he meant for training her, still, her chest tightened in the slightest, lips pulling off a smirk. "I don't know whether or not to be flattered."

There was a crease between Levi's eyebrows that showed his small confusion of her response. Freya took note of the reaction. Before silence could engulf them, Freya impelled her luck. "Not that I'm hating or anything, but I didn't expect you to be so short—"

"You're stalling."

Her mouth went slack before she shut them close. They both mirrored each other's face. Lips set in a straight line. Frozen gazes locked to one another that tension could be broken with a knife. Hell, even a spoon. Freya broke out in small laugh, shoulders shaking that she took a step back from him as she shook her head. Levi's features were blank, eyes narrowed into slits as it eventually took him awhile to realize her futile attempt of hindering the inevitable. Her laughter ceased as she casually leaned back on the heels of her shoes and hooked her thumbs in the loop of her belt. "Who do you think are?"

Levi crossed his arms over his chest, jaw clenching. "Someone who determines whether you go to jail or not."

"Well, jail is starting to sound pretty good right now."

"I'd be careful if I were you, because that can be arranged."

In the end, she very much lost the dispute.

"Too tight." With crossed arms and head turned away, Freya muttered small demurs at Levi as he fumbled with the harness strapped around her waist. The leather belt was impenetrably restraining her skin from underneath all the clothing and so he detached the buckle a space or two. "Too loose. I might fall."

"You're not going to fall." He said, hands working between them that Freya could feel them often brushing on her thigh here and there as he worked on strapping her to the wires. It was a task she could have easily done by herself, but her stubborn nature led him to being the one to do it. And, she enjoyed the tingling sensation buzzing through her skin when his hands streamed her waist.

She smiled teasingly. "Are you going to catch me?"

Sighing, he took a step back. The space between them increased as he folded his hands behind his back. "Are you ready?"

Freya's face dropped in a deadpanned expression. "No." Levi's face continued to stay the same at the response. Nonchalant. The palms of her hand began to sweat. She gritted her for another attempt, confessing. "I'll admit, balance isn't my strong suite."

He raised an eyebrow, moving to the side of the contraption where there was a connected handle. "And?"

"Wait–"

He pulled on the lever with no hesitation, turning the handle as metals wires weighed her up. Her eyes widened as her feet were no longer in contact with the ground. She could feel her heart plummet deep, chest tightening and mouth drying as her voice died in the back of her throat. Sweat formed on the palms of her hand, squeezing them tightly. Anxiety coursed through her veins, seeping into her bones. Rigid like her breathing, her hands shot out by her side. There was nothing to hold onto. That frightened her. Nothing to clutch. Empty as her hand gripped nothing but air.

A lie.

The shock of her current state was clear in her blue eyes. Clear as the sky above. Skin turned pale white. She was still as a statue, inches away from solid ground. But perfectly upright and stable. Her balance was on point. Anyone who stared intently in her eyes could tell how she was faltering inside. Pupils dilated into a state of small fear. She was terrified. Deep down, she knew why. And that why always crumpled down that wall of untruths. She hated the why.

"You're quiet."

This was the first time that he showed amusement to her. She didn't dare look up from having their eyes meet. She was too focused on controlling her body, her breathing, and her thoughts. They were running a mile a minute, flashes of images and voices distorting her thinking. But she could hear his voice. Levi's tone. Light and airy which was a stark contrast from his usual brooding tone. It broke through the voices whispering in her ear, clearing a path for her to be brought back to reality. A distraction that she didn't realize worked.

Her eyebrows turned down and lips pursed. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't lift her head up and meet his gaze. Something in her chest stirred, confusion morphed on her face, somewhat tense. "Are you complaining?"

He stayed quiet for awhile, pondering, but he knew his answer as he was used to the silence, even finding it relaxing more than anything. "No." His curiosity rose, however.

"Then stop talking." A sudden snap as she was now being overdriven with incoherent mutters. The small murmur of voices grew into shouts. Her eyes switched left and right as her gaze was directed to the ground, distant. Head hung low before she clenched her eyelids shut. "It's not as easy as you think."

"Oh?"

She wanted to glare at him. She didn't know whether that phrase was mocking her or if it was actually genuine curiosity. "I haven't used one in a long time."

"You used unauthorized mobility gear?" He asked.

She chuckled lowly, giving a short shrug. "What'd you expect from me?" Slightly shaking her head, she licked her lips wet. "How much longer do I have to be like this?" Her legs dangled freely, hips squeezed, and upper body rigorous. She could literally feel his stare boring a hole on her face. But no matter what, she wouldn't budge and meet his grey eyes.

He blinked at her and tilted his head to the side, arms crossing, and back straightening as he observed her closely. She heard his footsteps grow loud. The tip of his boots were in her field of vision when she fluttered her eyes open. She didn't look up yet. "I heard what happened."

A second ticked before she asked. "What happened?"

"I'm sure you made quite an impression." He was staring at her shirt, the top two buttons undone, and exposing her collar bone. Trailing his eyes up, her neck was turning a shade of red. The news of her little accident with running into Sasha went spreading like it was the most interesting part of their day, other than the arrival of their belongings. Freya had a feeling on what he was referring to but didn't mention anything.

"You're avoiding the question." Even with rattling nerves, Freya could easily quip a response.

"So are you." He took a step forward. She now saw his arms folded in front of his chest and the rest of his body clad in uniform.

"I asked first." She countered stubbornly. Her voice came clear and firm, not a hint of uneasiness that anyone could detect from a few second ago.

"You're going to be testing our odm gear in a few minutes."

"What?"

The wires holding onto the strap around her waist and hips jumbled as her body jolted in surprise. Her heart stopped for a moment as she lost control, balance collapsing and came crashing on her nerves. She yelped as she swayed back and forth for a second. She was either tilting forward or back. If she fell, the result would have her head knocked on the ground hard with blood of with her unconscious. Her hand shot forward, searching for something to grip tightly and her hands immediately held onto a pair of strong shoulders.

The fall of her body ceased. Slowly, dragging her gaze up, grey met blue. Her eyes widened even double, if it was possible. While his was annoyingly blank. Not entirely empty and nonchalant. But impressively masked that the longer she gazed into his eyes, the more she grew agitated. Here she was, fallen and holding onto him for support due to her small fright. Although it wasn't small, even concerning, she wouldn't admit it. She was leaned in close to his face. Her hands dug into his shoulder blades, fingers feeling the material of his jacket. Still, no reaction.

Her eyebrows creased as his hands went in between them and the small space. Curious as to what he was doing, she looked down and saw him fumbling with the collar of her shirt. One side of it was sticking up improperly. He went in and folded the material, smoothening the fold and tugging on it softly. Even on attire, Freya noticed his tendency to tidy things up.

She met his eyes again. She forced it on. Despite that small yet agonizing moment of being lifted and dangling frozen that had her heart plummeting, she forced on a front to screen herself from that lamentable emprise. She let a sly smirk grow on her lips, leaning in even further in that teasing manner. Levi didn't look away, staying as he attempted to decipher her running thoughts. But it was nearly impossible. With a faux facade she put up, her curving lips was just a distraction to sway him from her true convictions. Levi squinted his eyes at her. Her heart pounded.

"Captain."

•••

There was an exhilarating rush running in her veins and anxiety seeping into her bones as her body was lifted in the air, soaring through leaves, and heart dropping to her stomach that she was very much feeling weightless. But almost as if an anchor was tied down to her heart, pulling and dragging her to fall. Nothing but gravity and metal weighed her down. The sound of whirling wires and puffs of air from her gear resonated in her eardrums. The howling wind boomed. Despite that, her voice yelled out curses under her breath. A series of profanities as she hauled herself left and right, body turning into angles, flipping upside down and upright as her mind became blank.

Out in the open forest, she was lent a borrowed omni-directional mobility gear for her to utilize. Minutes of strapping it on her body, she was out in the trees. It was a blur of green and brown. A blanket of blue with puffs of white from the sky. Leaves. Wood. Oak. She inhaled the deep aroma of nature. Eyes closed, heart beating, she steadily inhaled for a long moment, a moment where she was gliding in the air, before a click from the hand grip, fingers pushing and wires shooting out for wood, embedding in grapple hooks and propelling her figure forward.

Her movements were no doubt graceful. From point A to B in the forest. That was it before she had to return to the group. It was a series of pulls and turning. The aggressive task and adrenaline was daunting her as she moved. Her hair whipped wildly around her face, the air nipping her skin. A little more further, she was finished. Being in the air was an overall exciting experience, but she wanted nothing more than for it to be over. She couldn't deny the fact that she had somewhat control and skill with the maneuvering gear. Like she stated before, she was a woman who was curious and a little bit creative with her fingers when it came to stealing.

So it was no surprise to her that she was able to efficiently glide here and there. Although, it has been awhile since she ever touched the equipment. Her aim was precise. Similar to any gun she held, the grappling hooks were no different when firing as she reeled herself to the open clearing. A few meters forward, she was out past trees. A bright light surged, the shade from trees and leaves decreasing as she readied herself. While her skill to navigate and direct her body to wherever angle she wanted to was more than adequate, her landing, however, was not as pleasant as she expected it to be.

The soles of her boots came in contact with green grass. Her right foot was firmly set on the ground. But her left side staggered as she lost her footing. She was able to dock her whole weight down, but not so firmly where she was set still. Her balance irked her for this reason. If it weren't for her immediately hunching over and resting her hands on her knees, she would've been tumbling forward. Along with that, her breathing went quick and rigid. The air was knocked out of her lungs and droplets of sweat rolled down her temple.

She was tired. Exhausted. Her first attempt after so long, she wouldn't say it was successful, but she was just glad that all her limbs were intact. Her precision and stance gathered an audience from the Special-Ops squad.

"It takes three years to at least be this good." Eld noted, his eyebrows pinched together as he couldn't believe it. Their faces mirrored each other's. Petra held tightly onto Oluo's arm, nails digging into the material of his jacket as the man himself had a trail of blood leaking from the side of his mouth. Gunther crossed his arms, giving her a nod of his head before looking past Freya's head. Freya shot them a conspicuous look before dropping her head down, tired, blonde strands falling in front of her face.

She straightened her back, dragging her arm over her face and wiping the sheen of sweat off. The heat was dragging on. Even with her jacket removed and the sleeves of her black shirt folded to her elbows, the blazing temperature was too much to handle. "What can I say, guess I'm a natural." Saying it aloud, she was awry. This was an opportunity for her to be filled with pride and confidence. But she was feeling the exact opposite. It may have been her tiresome fatigue talking, but despair was dragging her even further down into a void mind.

Annoyance surged in her as her hands trembled by her sides. Looking down, they were shaking. She held on tight on the hand grips to at least stop it.

"Why are we even teaching her?" Oluo swiveled on his heel, taking a few strides forward and away from the group. He was disturbed that someone like Freya could be just about skillful at anything. It was obvious that he wasn't satisfied with being out here with her. That, and he couldn't move past her irritating behavior from a few moments ago with the contraption back at the headquarters.

No one commented even further. It was silent, with the exception of Freya taking in heavy puffs. The group stared at her, noticing the lack of oxygen she was taking. They were skillful at their job, hence why they were a part of the squad, but a small passage of understanding went through each member as they gave a look to one another. They realized how it was odd for the woman to be so rundown and drained.

Stoic, Levi announced. "Five minutes. Then we're on to the next step." There was an unimpressed look on his face. Freya took notice of that, though, she forced herself to not be affected by.

"Got it." Everyone nodded.

Spine taught like wire and brows furrowing as she registered his words. "Next step?" She turned to everyone. "What's the next step?"

"Titans." Gunther spoke as Freya tensed.

"You've got nothing to worry about." Eld continued. "They're not the real. The rest of us are going to be directing them to you for you to finish off."

Having no idea, she went with it and clicked her tongue. "Right."

"And Corporal's going to be with you every step of the way." Petra added lightheartedly.

Freya faced her, tone going sour. "Why?"

"To keep an eye on you and monitor how good you are."

"Why him?"

"Problem?" Levi questioned, walking up to Freya.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't want anyone distracting me."

"I didn't know I was such a distraction." He said, bemused.

She held back a scoff. "Don't be so flattered." Her frivolous attitude from before had disappeared. This was now her true feelings towards everything. A small fragment of her emotions that conveyed suppressed rage. Her flirtatious front diminished the longer she soared in the air with her gear. She fought to keep it up. But training went longer than she expected.

"I repeat, do we have a problem?" The intensity of his stare had her gnawing the inside of her cheek.

Her fingers twitched by her sides. "No."

It was left at that. By the time their small break was over, Freya was back to maneuvering through trees, Levi trailing far behind her. She knew he was there, but couldn't exactly see him as it was all a blur. She even tried to quicken her speed, but this feeling in her stomach told that she wouldn't be able to shake him off her tail soon.

"Focus." Inhaling deeply, training resumed faster than expected as she was met with her first objective. Meters tall and wide as a human being, the wooden cutout of the Titan had inanimate arms raise set high as she zipped by. Her opening was wide enough. The next thing she knew, the double blades in her hands sliced the leather nape in success.

"Ignoring him is the best way to go." She muttered. A second Titan. She flipped her body over the wooden cutout, all the while dragging the tip of the blades on the nape pouch.

"It'll be all over soon." Two minutes sped by. A third cutout gone. No matter how crazy it seemed, whispers of reassurance calmed her. Incoherent ramblings that only she herself could understand. Her nerves seemed to settled. "It has to b–"

Freya..

That voice. She froze. It didn't belong to him. Tone and pitch. She knew that it didn't belong to Levi. This was a sound filled with despair and dread. Pain. It was a rasp echoing in the back of her head. It was faint, but there.

"No..." Her eyes widened as her hands began to sweat. Another wooden carved Titan snapped forward in her field of view. It was quick, coming out of hiding from the bushes and surprising her. But her surprise soon subsided as quick as it came. She squeezed her hold on the double blades, slashing through the leather nape and earning her fourth slay.

Wake up.

It continued. Her eyebrows furrowed at what it was trying to say. She couldn't understand. She was shaking her head, turning from a tree trunk and catching sight of her fifth slay. But it echoed very feebly. After all the time she had today, it just had to be now. Her skin went cold. That voice no longer existed. Her composure was crumbling by the second, but she was successful in slicing up another leather nape. Quick breaths escaped her. "I'm up."

Stop.

"What?" A question that came out as a gentle whisper from her lips. Her question went unanswered. Her senses went disoriented, missing her sixth slay, clear as day. She was moving more diligently, cutting through leaves and destination unknown. She was going nowhere, distracted by running thoughts and now lost.

The grappling hook embedded itself in one of a thick branch, the other straight to the tree bark itself. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, only to see the tint of red seeping into cloth, wide eyes, the light losing from grey irises in her mind. Blood. She saw them again. Dirty blonde strands astray. A wave of overwhelming terror crashed against her. It was night. A bang knock rammed on the wooden door. Heavy pellets of rain poured. Dark crimson filled her vision.

She opened her eyes. Then next, a loud snap broke out.

It wasn't often a wire would break like a twig when in utilization of the mobility gear. Understandable if it were out in combat against Titans. They strength were unmeasurable. But with nothing, except for the wind and the person using it, accidents were eventually prone to happen. Most times, the only malfunction that came with the equipment was that it tended to be jammed from having wires shoot out. However, for it to be breaking, it didn't mean that it was impossible. There was a possibility. But rare.

Her words to cuss got stuck in her throat. A simple yelp escaped, lips parting. Time seemed to slow down as gravity took its job. Her blades fell from her grasps, silver steel glinting by her sides, as her hands reached for the sky. Her fingers clawed at the air, strands of her hair whipped around her face. She watched the sky, waiting while her blue irises shone. The distance between her and the ground was crucial. Someone was yelling. She didn't know if it was her or somebody else. She couldn't hear anything. Nothing clear. Head dunked in water, filling her ears in an empty wail. While she hasn't dropped on the surface yet, it was as if she could feel her heart plummet deep like an asteroid, smashing her insides with unknown terror the second she started to fall. It was a waiting game between her and the earth.

She clenched her eyes shut. A pair of arms slipped beneath the back of her knees and back. A thud of her body against a strong chest. Her heart returned from the plunge, now racing unevenly in her rib cage. She shuddered before inhaling deeply with a big gasp first. Torn pages of books. Tea. Slowly, she fluttered her eyelids open. The voice was gone.

A sharp jawline. Teeth gritted. And raven hair moving in with the wind. Intense grey eyes were focused to the front. Stirring up to find a sightly moving picture set out in front of her. Except that this was a moment she captured in her head. Levi's hands tightened on her leg from underneath, the other grasping her ribs. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. Freya wanted nothing more than to get off.

A second ticked by before Levi softly landed. However, before he could fully disengage, Freya pushed herself from his hold and stood on her own, feet digging in the soil in relief. They were still deep in the forest. She looked up, cheeks reddening from the image of her wires breaking and body falling playing in her head. Blue met Grey. She turned around and walked away, unsure of where to go.

Confused but at the same time irked, Levi followed her, angrily asking, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Training." Freya unclasped the broken gear from her waist and it dropped on the ground with a heavy thud. "Leaving."

"That's not what I told you to do." He told her from behind, stepping over the gear while looking at it in thought. He returned his attention to Freya's back, glaring heatedly.

"I heard you the first time."

"Then do as I say. We're doing this again."

"Are you sure?" Shoulders tensed. Her mouth went uncharacteristically dry at that. Whirling wires zipped above her head. She guessed that the Special-Ops squad arrived and observed from the trees. She rolled her eyes.

"You're goal is to finish off every last–"

"I did that." She ducked her head low with the answer, aware of the obvious lie.

"No, you didn't." She ignored him, continuing her pace.

"I'm new. Cut me some slack."

"You passed... every single objective and didn't do anything about it." Narrowing his eyes, his hand shot out and his fingers wrapped around her bicep

She snapped, immediately turning around, strands of her hair whipping as she faced him. "And, so what? It's not my fault I was near to breaking my skull from that close fall."

"You were trying to escape." He declared boldly and fast, tone knowing and mouth turning into an angry frown. She pulled her arm back.

"Escape! So, that's what you think?" She repeated with a laugh, masking her surprise. Was she trying to escape? Not the kind of escape he was thinking. That laugh was anything but humorous that brought the both of them on edge. "You don't understand. Why would I escape?" She swallowed, trying not to blink knowing that some sort of image would force itself to resurface. "You have no idea–"

Immediately, his hands reached out for her collar, gripping the material tightly with his fists clenched. But his other hand was somewhat holding onto her neck, fingers enclosed around her skin that her heart started to pound loudly in her chest as he pulled her slightly down to his level and close. Their noses were near to touching, breaths mixing as Freya's lips parted in surprise at the abrupt action. While he released staggered and shaky breaths that Freya's stomach churned. His anger was evident as his eyes darkened. Those grey eyes, dull and nonchalant, turned into steel and cold, furiously glaring at her, all the while controlling his breathing, controlling himself.

"I have been very patient. Listen to me and listen very closely. You belong to the Scouts. More specifically, you belong to me." Her stomach dropped as he rasped the last sentence before continuing in a controlling and demanding tone. "You're under my jurisdiction, my word, and my squad. One say and you're out, got it?" He paused for a moment, searching her eyes if she understood. But she was quiet, without a choice but to listen. Each word he spewed, his voice went lower and lower. Deep and fervent. Her eyes left his for a fraction as he turned his head to the side. She watched as his mouth went slightly agape. His tongue darted out and grazed his bottom lip. A slight shine coated his lips. He turned his head back to her, the distance between their faces close again and Freya could feel his hold on her neck and collar going tense. "This deal... that you've got going with Erwin, I don't understand it. But do something stupid like that again, I won't be there to catch you next time."

A shiver dragged on through her spine. This was the most she heard him talk at most. Granted it was out of anger and frustration. She was still surprised. She couldn't stop her heart from beating so unevenly. Her chest tightened as she held her breath. She was now angry. But her temper didn't vent out in full blown rage. She saw the man in front of her to be always so composed and calm. Now that she was able to gain a different reaction from him, she chuckled in his face, ignoring how his features hardened but morph into slight confusion before he masked it. Sinister and teasing, she smirked, ignoring how painful her insides seethed.

"So there's a next time?"

He stared at her for a long moment in disbelief. Searching her blue eyes, he couldn't decipher her thoughts. It wasn't as easy as he claimed it to be. Her mouth seemed to sputter words that riled his emotions. But her eyes seemed empty. Dead. Although, a small light of complexity shone that he wanted to figure out. He released her with a shove, but she showed no sign of vexation. Before turning his back towards her and stalking away, his eyes caught her hands rattling by her sides, trembling in unknown trepidation. Freya noticed his stare and immediately, she clenched her fists, her smirk faltering into a devastated look. Levi released a short breath, voice firm.

"We're done for today."

•••

Freya.

I didn't plan on giving another letter so soon. But I thought that you should at least know with what's been going on.

You wouldn't believe it. I couldn't, either. They're fools, you know. I stole some military gear. Careless that they didn't notice. Not for awhile, at least. It's been helping with the money. Better than nothing. You would've loved it. It's thrilling. Up in the air, you'll see everything. Sometimes hear everything. Feel the rush. I haven't felt this excited in a long time. It makes me happy. She's expecting for me to break a bone or snap my neck when I use it. She's exaggerating. I'm still in one piece, writing this to you. No worries. No need for you to be.

Maybe you could be as good as me someday. Try not to break a skull when you use one.

•••

— AUTHOR NOTE —

this took me sooooo much time to write. with school and everything, i didn't have the week or motivation to type anything but heyyyyy here we are. i wanted this to be a chapter where everything wasn't so boring as the previous one cuzzzzz finally we're getting somewhere. i got a little lazy on the end where she was slaying all the cutout titans. my brain couldn't think of anymore words there. hope you like it!