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After the harsh cleaning duties their captain had forced upon them over embarrassing him in front of the General. Along with the long, snappy lecture and spine shivering glare he gave them all as well. None of them were going to get caught doing something they shouldn't ever again. 

Of course, fighting and bad mood wasn't going to be wiped clean completely but they'd at least step up their games to get away with it while the captain back is turned. 

And as they'd finally been dismissed after all their punishment, everyone was slowly and painfully crawling back towards their tents. Their first day had been rough and they haven't even gotten to training yet. 

"Excuse me" Armin called out shyly as he hurried after her once she had parted from the rest of the men. 

And Mikasa had a feeling that her day was going to become much worse now. 

"Yes?" Mikasa asked as she turned to her shorter friend, hoping her disguise would keep her hidden. 

"Why are you here?" Armin asked, getting straight to the point as he stared up towards her. A knowing look and a shine to his eyes. 

"To fight the Huns?" Mikasa answered as if it was a question and a little unsure if he understood why he was here as well.  

"We've all been forced to do that but I mean, why are you here?" Armin huffed back as he placed his hands on his hips, rolling his eyes at her response. 

"To protect my home and those I love" Mikasa honestly answered as she wasn't going to lose anymore family ever again. No matter the cost, she'd was going to protect them. 

"And you think we'd be happy to find out that you cut your hair and snuck away to pretend to be a male soldier? It's a death sentence if you're caught, Mikasa" Armin asked with pure concern written across his facial expression. He whispered her name so quietly like it was a curse itself that could doom them all. 

"I'm not leaving you and Eren to fight this war alone. I'm just as strong, even stronger than most men joining up with us. I can do my part. Why should my gender force me to stay at home and do nothing more than pray for yours and Eren's safety? I can do something. I can fight. I just need the chance" Mikasa argues back as she holds a hand to her heart, knowing she could do it as long as she was given the chance to prove herself. Other's shouldn't be forced to fight and those willing to fight shouldn't be forced to sit down. 

"But what if other's find out" Armin asked, turning pale with fear and worrying over her more than himself. He was expected to fight but she never would have been asked, in truth her life was at risk since she's arrived in the camp. 

"Than I'll die by my own comrades hands instead of dying by the Huns. But at least I die knowing I've done what I could have done instead of wasting away at home. I failed my marrige test but men still wish to marry me due to my rare beauty. I'm nothing more than a trophy waiting to be given to the highest bidder if I stay home. At least I can stand as an honourable warrior in war while I'm here and prove I'm worth more than baring a man's children" Mikasa admits without any hesitation and desperate to gain her own chance, to be able to protect her own home and family. To prove that she was worth more than a pretty face to carry another man's children. She could be relied on for much more than that. 

"You're really doing this? I can't stop you, not at all?" Armin sighed as he ran a hand through his hair and already knowing he won't be able to stop his friend from taking such a path. 

"You can't. Not unless you wish to tell our captain the truth over my identity and give me a death sentence. We both know you won't live with such guilt if you did" Mikasa replied with a pointed look and knowing he wouldn't betray her like that. 

"Than I'll just have to help you from getting caught. We're not only a family, Mikasa. We're friends and one of the greatest Trio ever to be known. We can do this together and look out for each other" Armin smiled back, giving a determined nod as he patted her arm and knew he'd help as much as he could. 

"Trio?" Sasha asked as she popped out from Mikasa shirt and startling Armin a little. 

"He means Eren" Mikasa answers without much thought and already use to Sasha randomly speaking out like this. 

"The angry boy?" Sasha asked unsure as she's heard more over the other males than actually seen them due to hiding under Mikasa clothing. 

"Ah, so you've met him" Armin grinned back as he finally gathered that the little .. bug(?) was safe and a friend. 

"Heard him more like" Sasha smirked back before giving an Eren expression and silently yell out like she's heard him do. 

"Armin meet Sasha, she's our guardian from our ancestors. Sasha meet my brother and closest friend Armin" Mikasa introduced the pair, letting Sasha slither onto her palm as she held her out towards Armin to greet better. 

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. Thank you for looking over us all this time" Armin replied with a friendly smile and holding out a finger towards Sasha to shake. 

"Sup, got any left over food?" Sasha grinned back and high fiving his finger instead. 

"Sasha is more of a pig than .. dragon" Mikasa deadpan as she pulled her guardian away from her friend since she's eaten enough for today. 

"She's a dragon?" Armin askes in surprise and staring wide eye towards Sasha. 

"It's a long story" Mikasa sighs in defeat as she wasn't even sure how to explain it all without seeming crazy. 

"One that can wait until tomorrow. We both need some sleep. I'll see you at breakfast, night Mika" Armin mumbled back as a yawn broke past his lips and he knew they both needed a good night sleep before tomorrow comes along. 

"Goodnight Armin" Mikasa replies with a tiny smile, patting her friend shoulder before they went their separate ways. 

The Next Morning..

Mikasa woke up early and did her morning work out as normal. She stretched, ran and practiced a few moves before getting dressed better. She took care over Hannes and make sure he was all set before she scooped Sasha up. Her guardian was still dead asleep and wrapped her small, thin body around a stolen boiled potato. 

Heading back towards camp before slowing down as she took notice over a half awake Armin with bad bed hair awkwardly hovering outside a tent. She headed over, ignoring the line for breakfast as she knew it'd still be waiting for her later on. 

Meanwhile.. 

"Order. People, order" Erwin calls out as he walks up and down the line of men who were rather chipper in the morning even after yesterday punishment. All lining up for breakfast and ready to fill their stomach while Erwin was ready to get them lined up, if they've eaten or not. 

"I'd like a pan-fried noddle" Reiner happily yells out from where he stood with Jean and Marco in the line, waiting for their scoop of porridge like everyone else. 

"Sweet and pungent shrimp" Jean replied back hopeful, waving his hands in the air in hopes to gain Erwin attention. His body still slightly sore and bruising from having Reiner thrown on him yesterday. 

"Moo goo gai pan" Marco gave his own order, joining in the fun for once and being daring enough to even send Erwin an innocent smile when he turned towards the three unimpressed.  

"That's not funny" Erwin frowns in annoyance before storming off once more as all the soldiers burst out laughing, finding Erwin as their main point of entertainment during the next three weeks.

Jean leaning on Reiner as he dies from laughter, Reiner and Curtis chuckling and sharing an amused look before turning as they noticed the trio slip into the opposite end of the line, acting as if they're been there the whole time.

"Act natural" Mikasa whispers to a very nervous looking Armin, glancing around to the group of men slowly calming down from their laughter. Eren was still half asleep in front of them, only out of bed since Mikasa helped drag him out and Armin got him dressed before the Trio headed over for breakfast themselves. 

"And if anyone gives you a funny look just tell me and I'll send kaltenecker on them" Sasha promises from inside Mikasa top making her give a weak smile as her advice already gotten her into enough trouble as it is.

"Looks like our new friends slept in this morning" Jean grinned as he patted Marco stomach and nodding towards the three. 

"Hey guys, sorry about yesterday" Armin guilty smiled as he walked over, Mikasa silently following along behind him while Eren stayed in line, still not awake enough for any form of conversation just yet. 

"Don't seem so tense, we're not mad over yesterday. Jean was in the wrong as much as Eren was. We all should have seen punishment heading out way over fighting among each other" Marco smiled sweetly as he noticed how uneasy Armin still seemed and was happy to help clear the air between them all. 

"Sorry for throwing you like that. It wasn't very .. nice of me" Mikasa awkwardly muttered out as she looked towards Reiner. Feeling bad for slinging him like she did but it did help to break up the fight. 

"It's impressive. I'm normally able to carry other's around or throw them in a fight but I've never been the one to be thrown before. You've got some real strength. Hope we can be partners during hand to hand training later" Reiner grinned back, still rather horrified but excited over her strength and looking forward to training with her. 

"I look forward to it" Mikasa admits with a small nod. Never being able to train with someone like this before or go all out for the fun of it. She was rather excited herself. 

"Soldiers!" Levi yelled out as he came walking towards them and earning them all to fall into one straight line and stand at attention.

Mikasa leaned forward as she was tucked between her two brothers with strangers on the other side of them. Jean, Reiner and Marco filling in at the end. She noticed Levi turned his back in her direction, standing by the bag full of the marital arts sticks that'd be training with this morning.

She was rather intrigue by the captain.

He was rather short but very toned, he knew how to fight. One look told her that much but his expressions, they were so unreadable and cold.

Yet, she saw a hidden kindness buried deep within his silver eyes, past the pain that flashed in them.  

"You will assemble swiftly and silently every morning. Anyone who acts otherwise will answer to me" Levi carried on with his speech, turning around and showing himself shirtless with a pack of arrows on his back and a bow in his hand.

Mikasa gaped at her shirtless captain who held some rather toned muscles to his body. A really firm chest and a set of growing abs to boot.

She silently thanked Armin who subtlety lifted her open mouth closed again, wiping the formed drool of her chin and stood at attention before Levi noticed what she just did. Giving a knowing wink towards his sister in secret as her cheeks were stained rosy.

"Ooh. Tough guy" Eren teased under his breath once Levi finished walking past him, Mikasa and Armin glancing to him like he was the biggest idiot on earth right now.

But than again Mikasa was silently thanking her adopted brother for being an idiot as Levi now came to a sudden stop before her and she got to have a very close up of his shirtless self.

Armin having to keep a straight knowing he couldn't just snicker in front of their captain. He's never seen Mikasa act so .. fallen and crush-y before. She's always been unbothered or never gave someone a second glance. Seeing her willingly check out someone of the opposite sex and enjoy it .. it was rather fun to see. It was also rather nice to see her gain her first crush/eye candy after having her deal with his or Eren first love rants as they hit their teen years. Of course, he wasn't sure how he was going to help her with this crush but he'd at least support her and lend a ear for her to go all giggly later on. 

"Yeager" Levi called out, pulling an arrow out from the bag and placing it on the bow not noticing how Mikasa watched him do so very intensely as her lips started to part over his flexing body.

Armin grabbing her arm and yanking her back in line with the rest as they all knew to move out the way and leave the soldier called for out in the open. Levi aiming the arrow to Eren who gulped a little before Levi quickly aimed upwards and shot the arrow to a thick and tall bit of wood that sat at the centre of the camp and just a few feet from them.

The arrow landing on the tip of the long pole of wood and Levi  was soon smirking at Eren face while taking off the bag of arrows and holding up the bow. Mikasa watching the flexing all over again and praying to each and every god to give her mercy over such a sight. Armin slowing raising his hand and covering his sister eyes the best he could to save her from dying on the spot. Being forced on his tiptoes to reach her and thanking any god that was helping them from being spotted by their captain right now. He wasn't sure how he'd explain any of this without dying of embarrassment or having Mikasa kill him from her own embarrassment. 

"Thank you for volunteering. Retrieve the arrow" Levi smirked back, his eyes mocking the taller male before him. His head nodded towards the post, hinting for Eren to get moving. 

Eren holding his hands together before bowing towards the shorter male. Standing up once done and turned towards the wooden pole, crackling his knuckles as he was feeling confident. He was the best tree climber from his town after all.

"Stop staring at the captain" Armin scolded under his breath as he pinched his friend arm as he knew she was gonna get them caught at this rate. 

"Men stare at fellow men all the time" Mikasa argued back in her defence and keeping her voice in a volume where only the pair of them could hear.  

"But we do it more subtly. You're seeming in heat right now" Armin admitted without any shame as most men check each other to see whose the better between them and if one was a threat to their life. 

"How do I stare subtly?" Mikasa asked a little confused over the whole thing. 

"Stare at him like he's one of my old bullies passing in the market" Armin easily answers as she's always subtly staring at other's back home to check no harm will come to any of them while they're out. 

Their attention is brought back to Eren and their captain time the pair reach the wooden post. Levi placing his arrows and bow down, tucking them out of the way over other's breaking them. 

"I'll get that arrow, grumpy boy, and I'll do it with my shirt on" Eren spat back as he walked towards the post, rubbing his hands together and getting ready to climb. He was ready to wipe that smug look of the captain. 

"One moment. You seem to be missing something" Levi causally spoke up as he walked toward Eren who froze for a moment before turning around and facing his captain.

The rest all silently watching as Erwin came strolling towards the captain, struggling to carry a small chest that Levi soon opened up and showed to golden weights tied by leather straps.

"This represents discipline and this represents strength" Levi calmly explained as he tired one of the weight to Eren left wrist before doing the same to his right.

Everyone else just watching as Eren arms fell to the ground within seconds by the weight before his whole body dropped to the ground once Levi wasn't holding his arm up anymore. All flinching at the thud that came from Eren going face first into the ground.

"You need both to reach the arrow" Levi added on lastly, completely serious as he looked to the men, finding a few chuckling over Eren.

Of course, Eren finally pulled himself back to stand, struggling with the added weight and looking up to the very tall wooden pole before gulping as his confidence fell. But his determinate to shove the arrow into Levi smug face make him take a leap from the ground and try climbing.

Only to fail and slide down the wooden pole until his bum hit the ground. He tried a couple more times before Levi stopped him with a tired look and took the weights away and nodding to the next one. 

Marco gave a nervous look while his friends gave bright smiles and huge thumbs up to cheer him on. Marco just weakly nodding over his friends confidence in him before pushing walking over to Levi. His friends smile fading as they watch Levi tie the weights onto his wrists and watching his arms fall to his side from the new added weight.

Marco didn't get much further than Eren, even as he wrapped his legs tightly around and tried a different approach to climbing. But as he landed back on the ground with one of the golden weights smacking him in the knee, Levi let him off with the single try.

Everyone else watching as Marco limped back over to the group, his knee throbbing in pain and even Mikasa seemed to flinch at the clicking sound it made for the first minute before fading. Mikasa slowly and carefully lifting Marco trouser leg to check the knee and poked it a bit earning Marco to squeeze tighter on Armin hand as the blonde boy was giving him a hand to hold while Mikasa checked if it was broken. Mikasa soon mentioning that his knee wasn't broken but bruising. Marco giving a weak smile in thanks before being left to sit down and rest up. 

Reiner try was next, the weight's bothered him a little but he moved to climbing a little faster than the rest but got even less further than Eren did before falling down. His landing earned a slight bump to the ground and the wooden pole actually lifted into the air before landing back in it's stand. Leaving Reiner to give an embarrassed look and laughed over it all before passing the weights back to Levi. Levi just watched as Reiner hurried back to his friends after the one try, not even bothering to risk embarrassing himself anymore and already knowing he wasn't very good at climbing.  

Mikasa was after, she gave a slight nod as the weights were tied onto her slender wrist and didn't struggle as much at all. She felt the weights out, lifting her arm and getting a better feel over the weights themselves. Impressing Levi by her reaction before he nodded towards her to give the post a go. 

Mikasa took a deep, calming breath and closed her eyes for a moment. She pictured this as a normal chore needing to be complete. The weights were the sack of seeds to feed the animals with and the laundry that needed being placed out. She's carried them everyday of her life with the mixed family, today was nothing special. Picturing that the post was the same as the post outside the kitchen door, picturing a sock being blown onto the roof that she needed to climb up and grab before their parents returned. 

She got climbing, faster than anyone else before her and making rather good work. She passed where Eren had reached and Armin started to cheer on her male name. She could hear Reiner, Jean and Marco start to cheer her on as well while Levi watched with his lips parted. He even started to panic, thinking he'd have to find a new way to discipline and spook his men if one was going to reach the arrow on the first day.  But than it happened, Mikasa gripped at a bit of the wood and it pealed away, the wind blowing the dust towards her face and she sneezed.

Everyone watched as she lost her concentration and grip, falling down without much warning and forcing them all to gasp and yell out in fright. Levi moving quickly, awkwardly catching her and landing on his behind from her weight. 

Mikasa gave a second kitten sneeze before tapping at her nose to try and be rid of the wood dust. Giving a bashful look towards her captain before quickly jumping to her feet. Struggling to untie the weights as she hoped to quickly escape while feeling incredibly embarrassed. 

Levi just blinked before shaking his head and standing up. Grimacing at his clothing becoming stained and dirty before turning his attention back on her. She was interesting for the very least, he was curious over such a strange soldier. 

Stepping over and undoing his knots before nodding for her to return to the other's. She got further than anyone else so far and while he was only planning to let everyone have three tries each for toady. He could let her go with one go after such a close call. 

"Arlert" Levi called out next, wanting to carry this along and give everyone a chance. 

Armin stared dumbly at him before pointing a finger at himself to make sure he meant him. Keith simply nodded and wiggled his finger at him to head over too. Armin turned back to Mikasa to check he wasn't trapped in a nightmare and gained a pity pat to his head. Leaving Armin to just gulped before glancing at his own thin and stick like arms knowing he might lose them in a few seconds.

Armin shaking a little as Levi added the weights to each wrist. His arms completely dropping down at the heavy weight and Levi wasn't sure if he'd even be able to stand with them. But Mikasa sent him a supportive look  and he knew he had to at least give it a go. He had to pass his training like Mikasa needed to. He had her back and she had his, he needed to at least give this a try. He dragged his arms to the wooden post, glancing up at where the arrow was and gave a small determined nod.

Everyone watched as Armin wrapped his arms around the post, or as much of it he could since his arms didn't reach all the way around.

Levi wasn't going to lie, he was feeling pity for the short soldier who leaped from the ground and tried wrapping their legs around the post only to fall down straight away.

And "oof" leaving Armin lips as he landed straight on his back and earned the wind to be kicked out of him. Levi just nodding in surrender, feeling cruel to make such a shorty suffer like this and took the weights of his wrists as he crawled back towards his friend. 

Levi watched as Mikasa looked him over, got him to do some breathing exercise before telling him that nothing was broken either. Eren trying to cheer his buddy up over the fail while Jean, completely discourage, walked towards the post next. 

Jean determination did magic for him and he only got a single mm above where Eren had reached before falling back down and happily quitting.