Petra sat on her towel by the bonfire that night, watching the flames send sparks into the air. It was rather pretty, she thought to herself. It had been a while since she'd been able to sit back and relax.

"Hey," a low voice behind her spoke up.

Well, it wasn't exactly relaxing, considering her target was a mere few feet away.

"Mind if I join you?" Levi asked, his hands in his pockets.

"Sure, go ahead!" Petra smiled, patting the beach towel. No one else was sitting by the fire at that time, so it would be just the two of them. A perfect time to find out more about him.

Levi sat down next to her, his legs criss-crossed. "Nice night."

"Isn't it?" Petra remarked. "Where are Isabel and Farlan?"

"Out playing volleyball with a few other friends." Levi replied.

Petra stared up at the stars for some time, letting the natural silence ease the mood between them. "So, Levi," she began. "You say you work as an automobile manufacturer. Has that always been the case? It wouldn't seem that way, since you travel quite a bit." She gave him a honeyed smile.

Levi shrugged. "I take up odd jobs, depending on where I'm staying. Mostly what's available. I was a garbage collector at one point." He chuckled. "I really hope I never have to go through that again."

Petra smirked. "That's what that smell was."

"Hey," Levi pretended to be offended. "I'll have you know that cleanliness is number one on my list."

They chatted about small things after that. Petra prodded him about his past a bit, but he didn't make a single slip. His words were seamless, his transitions flawless.

Hours wore on, and Petra began to get frustrated. She'd learned nothing about him other than what he'd told her. His life had seemed normal enough, nothing that the Scouting Wings would want him assassinated for.

Which meant this whole backstory was a lie. There was more to Levi than met the eye, and she was going to find out what it was.

"--want to come?"

"Huh?" Petra snapped to attention. "Sorry, I dozed off a bit there. It's getting pretty late."

"I asked you if you wanted to come with us on a boat ride next week on Tuesday," Levi repeated patiently. "Isabel, Farlan, and I are going, and there's an open spot. Would you like to go?"

"Sounds fun!" Petra chirped. "I'd love to! Oh, but how long will it be? Is it a day trip?"

"Two days, actually." Levi informed her. "There will be a lot of sightseeing along the way."

"I suppose I could go then," Petra said. "Is it just the four of us?"

"Nah, it's a tourist thing," Levi said. "There will be at least twenty other people."

Petra bit her lip. If Levi was really a threat to her, that could be dangerous. To the untrained mind, having more people on the boat would seem safer, since there would be more eyewitnesses if he were to try anything.

However, that also meant that if she were to mysteriously die, the police would probably overlook it as a natural accident if no one reported anything.

If it was just the four of them, then they would suspect that Levi had had something to do with her death.

Levi was clever, no doubt. But, Petra realized, she could also use this same thing to her advantage. Perhaps there would be a chance to get rid of Levi on the boat.

"Alright," Petra found herself saying, "See you in three days, on Tuesday."

***********************************

"Did you do it?" Farlan asked Levi as they went home that night.

"Yeah," Levi replied. "She's agreed to go. Do you remember the plan?"

"Yep!" Isabel raised her hand. "First, we set up cameras in Ral's room on the boat. You'll tell her that you're leaving to Chicago in a few days when you're on the boat together. Then, we wait until she contacts the boss and lets him know she'll be following you. Once she does that, we can arrange an 'accident' for her while she's still on the boat. Then we clear out, and her boss won't pick up on the fact that she's gone until weeks later."

"This'll work," Farlan said confidently. "I'm sure of it!"

***********************************

"Wha--Levi!" Petra exclaimed. "Funny how we keep meeting like this!"

"Huh? Elizabeth?" The black haired man turned around in surprise. "Hey!"

Petra had gone out to an ice cream parlor the next day to relieve the stress from her mission. But it turned out her reason for stress had decided to follow her no matter where she went. "You came for ice cream too?"

"For Isabel," Levi explained. "I don't really care for sweet things. But hey, since I'm here, I can buy yours."

"No no, don't worry about it!" Petra said. "I've got it." She reached into her wallet to extract the bills, but Levi grabbed her wrist.

"It's fine, I don't mind buying for you." He flashed her an easygoing grin.

For some reason, Petra felt herself blush. "Oh--well--I suppose if you really want..."

Levi laughed at her reaction. "I really do."

Petra turned even redder. "Th-thank you!"

Levi purchased her ice cream, then led her to a small booth. "Mind if I join you for a bit? Isabel won't mind waiting."

"Of course!" Petra nodded, sitting down. She started on her ice cream.

Levi watched. "You picked an odd flavor combo. Hot chile chocolate and banana? What's with that?"

"I'm a unique girl," Petra waved her spoon at him. "I like to stand out."

"Well, you certainly do," Levi said.

Petra grew warm. "Well...so do you, Ackerman! I've never seen anyone with a haircut like yours!" She felt satisfied when he turned a bit pink.

"I've always had it like this," he mumbled, running a hand through it. "Ever since I was a kid. Never bothered to change it."

Petra smirked. "I'm just kidding, it really suits you." She spooned more ice cream into her mouth. "So, Levi, have you ever liked anyone?"

"What?" Levi looked startled. For once, the easygoing mask dropped, and he seemed the slightest bit uncomfortable. "...no."

"Never?" Petra was surprised herself. "Why not? You're a pretty decent guy, can't imagine not a single girl falling for you."

Levi shrugged. "I guess my line of work never really allowed for that...you know, traveling and all."

"Well...is there anyone you might ever consider?"

Levi glanced anywhere but her face. "Maybe."

"Like who?" Petra asked.

Levi was quiet for a long time. When he finally looked up, he met her eyes. "I mean...maybe...you?"

For some odd reason, Petra felt her stomach jump a little. Why did she feel this way? Levi--no, Ackerman--was her target! Besides, he was obviously lying. It was all part of his plan to get her to trust him completely.

And yet, when Petra left the chilly ice cream parlor a few minutes later, she felt an unfamiliar warmth that made every fiber of her body tingle.

***********************************

Petra stood outside her flat, waiting with Levi, Isabel, and Farlan at the bus stop. They were on their way to the tourist boat, and Levi suggested they travel on the same bus.

When the bus arrived a few minutes later, Petra felt a nervous flutter in her stomach. This was it. In about an hour, they'd be on the boat, and Levi would lose his life at her hands.

Why, for some reason, did that upset her?

They arrived at the boat a bit late, and had to run to catch it before it left. The captain was a bearded friendly man, and he happily welcomed them aboard. The boat was rather large, more than enough room for the fifteen to twenty other people who were already on board.

Taking their tickets, the captain inspected them closely. "Alright folks, the young lady to my right and this young man--" he gestured to Petra and Levi "--have rooms 2b and 3b. The other two are one hall down, in rooms 5c and 6c."

"Thank you, sir." Levi told him. They each picked up their bags and walked to their rooms. Petra couldn't shake the feeling that her and Levi had been purposely placed next to each other.

"Let's all go out on the main deck after we put our things away," Farlan suggested. "There are going to be some pretty cool sites, and I don't want to miss them!"

"Sounds good," Petra said warmly, falling in step beside Levi. "I'd like to see them as well."

The deck was already quite busy when they arrived, but they found seats next to each other. Farlan was right. The scenery was beautiful, and they saw a few wild animals; bald eagles and dolphins, much to Isabel's delight.

The afternoon wore on, but Petra found herself enjoying the boat ride, her mind slipping away from her scheme to kill Levi. Coral reefs drifted in and out of view and colored fish darted about.

As night began to fall, many of the passengers retired to their rooms. Soon, all who were left were Levi, Petra, Isabel, and Farlan.

"Wow, what a day!" Isabel cried. "But man, I'm beat. I'm gonna hit the sack."

"Same," Farlan agreed. "I'm off to bed. We'll leave you two alone for a while." He winked.

Petra blushed. "Don't be an idiot, Farlan."

The sandy haired boy and red haired girl walked away to their rooms, leaving Petra and Levi sitting on the deck.

Levi rolled his eyes. "Don't mind Farlan. He really is an idiot."

Petra laughed. "That's mean!"

Levi smirked. "Yeah, I know." He rested his head on the boat rails, staring out at the ocean with his steel eyes. "Hey, Elizabeth?"

"Hm?"

"I'm going to be leaving again soon."

"What? Why?!" Petra was genuinely upset. Would his leaving affect her plans?

"I've got to head to Chicago. There's some people I need to visit and some things I have to do. I probably won't be coming back to Florida, at least not for a while." Levi sighed. "I'm sorry. I was just getting to know you, too."

Petra shook her head. "When do you have to go?"

"The day I get back from the boat ride. It's pretty short notice."

Ugh! No! This completely ruined her plan! Her plan would extend to after the boat as well, and if he would be gone, she couldn't carry it out.

Petra hung her head, not having to feign sadness. "I'm sorry too. I...really thought that we could...you know..."

Levi placed his hand over hers. "...I know."

Petra sat there for a while longer, unsure of what to say or do. Finally, Levi stood up. "Then...I'm going to turn in, Elizabeth. Good night." He shot her a sad smile.

Petra waved faintly. "Good night, Levi."

When she was sure he was gone, she raced back to her room and picked up the phone. "Hello, boss? Yeah, change of plans. I'll be flying to Chicago..."

***********************************

"Did she do it?" Levi asked as he entered his room. Isabel and Farlan were waiting for him.

"Yep," Farlan replied. "She made the call."

"Great," Levi said. "I'll call Erwin then to let him know about our change of plans." He picked up his cell and dialed a number.

"Hey Smith, this is Ackerman. Alright, so we'll be taking off to Chicago tomorrow after we dispose of our target, but we won't be there long. We'll stay for about a day, then get back to the base."

***********************************

The captain stared out at the ocean with a few other members of the crew. "Looks like a storm's brewing."

"What should we do, Captain?" A sailor asked. "We're in open water right now. It will take another two hours to arrive on land. Even if we turn back, we won't make it before the squall hits."

The captain stared ahead, stroking his beard. "Keep sailing for the next checkpoint. That's all there is to do."

***********************************

Levi awoke to the sound of wind and pounding rain. He sat up in bed, glancing about. Pulling off his sheets, he quietly opened the door to his room and stepped outside into the hall.

"Should I wake up Isabel and Farlan...? No, they should sleep. I just need to find out what's going on..." He slipped down the hallway only to see a shadowy figure approaching from the other end.

Levi froze, waiting for the person to come into view.

It was Petra. "Levi?"

"Did the storm wake you up too?" Levi asked. "It did for me."

Petra nodded. "Yeah, I was just going to check it out. Care to come?"

Levi nodded and silently followed her up onto the main deck. The rain assaulted them immediately, whipping across their faces like shards of ice. Petra shivered. "It's really bad." She slowly walked to the rail and leaned over. "Come see the waves."

This was his chance. Right now. Casually, he approached her, slowly, slowly...

Then he struck. As fast as a snake, Levi grabbed her arm and attempted to heave her over.

However, that didn't necessarily go as planned. Petra elbowed him in the gut, and twisting around, pulled out a gun. "Don't move."

"Too late," Levi snarled, lunging. He knocked the weapon from her hand milliseconds before she pressed the trigger, throwing her to the ground. "You die here, Ral!"

Petra's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

Levi's lip curled. "Because, Petra," he emphasized, "You're my target."

Petra stared at him for a second before letting out a small noise of disgust. "Tch. I knew there was something odd about you. I should've never let myself fall for you...you're from the Legion, aren't you?"

"And you're from Scouting Wings. You've been taking out too many of our agents, Ral. I can't believe you were stupid enough to think I actually cared about you." Levi sneered. "You need to die!" He hauled her to her feet, struggling to push her to the rail.

Petra gasped with exertion. His physical strength was beyond normal. She wouldn't hold out much longer...

"Hey!"

Both looked up in surprise to see a sailor running towards them. "What are you two doing out here and so close to the rail?! Can't you see there's a storm?!"

"I'm sorry sir," Levi said in a normal tone, as if he hadn't just been trying to kill Petra. "But this young lady decided to stay out for the storm, and I was attempting to prevent her from getting too close to the rails."

Petra's eyes narrowed. "No! That's not-"

Suddenly, a crackling noise echoed throughout the boat, and the loudspeaker burst to life. "Attention, passengers. Due to the storm and high winds, the boat has been blown off course. We've entered an area with a rocky coral reef, and the boat has been severely damaged. Please, evacuate immediately and get on the main deck."

Levi's face went white. "We're sinking?"

The sailor looked at him, stunned. "I've got to get everyone up here!" He dashed off towards the rooms.

Levi looked at Petra. She stared back at him. Although neither spoke, they came to a silent agreement; they would call a truce for the time being. The most important thing was that the evacuation went smoothly.

The passengers began crowding up onto the deck. Levi's eyes scanned the crowd, searching for Isabel and Farlan. Finally, he caught sight of Isabel's familiar flaming head, and rushed over to them. "We've got to get off this boat."

Isabel looked terrified. "What happened? Where's Ral?"

"She knows who I am now. I tried to commence the assassination, but it was interrupted by the loudspeaker. It's not important at the moment, we need to get to a lifeboat!"

Farlan nodded. "I understand."

"Stay here," Levi told them. "I'm going to look for the boats. Don't get lost in the crowd; I'll need to find you." He rushed off towards the captain, pushing through the panicking people.

Levi felt a presence to his left, and quickly glanced to the side.

"Funny how we keep meeting like this, huh?" Petra's cold voice rang out.

Levi glared. "Shut it, Ral." He continued towards the shouting sailors, Petra right behind him. The waves were getting bigger, and water splashed onto the deck. The boat was beginning to tilt to one side.

Levi cursed silently and shoved harder. He was running out of time.

Suddenly, a huge wave came crashing down on the boat behind him. Screams tore from the crowd as people were swept overboard. A few of the lucky ones grabbed on to something stable, hanging on for dear life.

Levi whipped around, quickly turning pale. "ISABEL! FARLAN!" He searched desperately for Isabel's red hair, Farlan's tall figure, but all he saw were sobbing people. "Where are they? Where are they--Isabel! Farlan!"

And then he saw it. Out there, bobbing in the tumultuous ocean, was a streak of red. Isabel.

And beside her, Farlan.

Levi reached out his hand, speechless. "No--"

The next wave crashed down over their heads, and they were gone.

"NO!"

He ran towards the rail, intent on pulling them back. They couldn't be gone, not dead, not Isabel, not Farlan--

"Stop, you idiot! You'll only die!" Petra grabbed his arm. "What are you trying to do? You can't save them!"

Levi turned to face her. "What's it to you, Ral?"

Petra opened her mouth, then paused. "...I don't want you to die. Not yet."

Levi turned away, slowly shaking his head. "I don't believe you...you stupid, naive woman..."

Petra grabbed his arm fiercely. "Not yet, alright? Please, let just some of it be real. Just a bit of that affection. Please..."

Levi bit his lip, struggling to make his decision. Could he trust her...?

"Fine."

And together, they ran for the lifeboats.

The End.

I'm not going to say how this ends, although I do know what was supposed to happen. I was going to add more, but it got wayyyy too long, like over 3000 words.

So, I'll leave it to you to decide the ending:)