A/N: Hi guys! Sorry I haven't updated this fic in awhile. Blame my busy summer. But I will try to get back on the ball with this one. In this chapter, Captain Levi and Petra finally meet! Hope you enjoy :)

Chapter 5: Cleaning Duty

Petra had never ridden a horse before. She had seen many, and often got sidetracked petting their noses until one of her brothers guided her away. But she had never dreamed of riding one of the great beasts. She was so small and they were... not small in the least. It wasn't that she thought they would intentionally hurt her, but with hooves like that, accidents could happen.

Of course, in the survey corps, horses would become her life line. A good, trusty steed could mean the difference between survival and a titan's jaws. These horses were trained to keep running no matter what and they didn't spook easily. Petra's horse was a black beauty named Onyx. And though she was nervous to ride him at first, once Deidrick helped her onto his back, she felt instantly calmer. He was quite a gentle animal. A little ornery when he was hungry, but other than that, a model creature.

"Treat your horse well," the instructor said. "You are responsible for taking care of them in the stables. We don't tolerate poorly groomed animals around here. You want a healthy horse out in the field."

Petra smiled, petting Onyx's mane. She would be sure to do just that.

"Great, something else Petra will beat us at," Gendry commented. "She's always been a natural with animals."

Petra smiled back at him. "Oh please. They don't like you because you stomp all over the place and don't pay attention to where you're going." She nodded at Al. "See, Al is getting the hang of it. Animals have always liked him too."

Al laughed, rubbing a hand behind his head. "Its okay, Petra. You don't need to make me feel better." He pet his own horse, a Palomino mare. "Though this is the easiest skill we've had to learn yet."

In those first days, they drilled often with the horses and with various instructors, making sure they had the skills to make it in the field. They learned about different colored signals which Commander Erwin Smith used to direct their group through the open field and away from titans. And, soon, they were placed into squads based on their skill.

Squads were created with the hope of creating a balance. Those who excelled at omnidirectional maneuver gear were placed with those good at blade work and those who excelled more on the horses. All were necessary in the field for fighting and communications.

It just happened, of course, that the Ral family was a perfect balance in many respects. Al was great with the horses and could ride very quickly. He was optimal for passing along messages between groups. Gendry excelled with blade work. Deidrick was incredible with the maneuver gear itself. And of course, Petra, was an all-around good student in all of the disciplines. They were placed with a soldier who had survived a few years in the field, coming in just after the mission to reclaim the wall had decimated most of the soldier population. His name was Donovan, and though he was no experienced veteran, he had survived several scouting missions.

"We decided to keep your family together for the first mission especially," Donovan said. "It's not because we're sentimental. Strong bonds mean you may work well together naturally without having to speak much. But remember to think smart too. Breaking formation can lead to massive casualties. Don't be a hero."

Telling Gendry not to be a hero was pointless. All he'd ever wanted was to be a hero in the survey corps. All of them had joined in order to protect the ones they loved. It was a romantic idea, even if it was overly optimistic.

And some of the survey corps...well, they were far from heroic.

In some ways, Petra understood them. These soldiers had been through hell. Many of them drank in their free time to clear the images of the past. And they looked down on new recruits because they saw them as weak.

But while she understood them, she would not tolerate them belittling her brother.

It started when two of the older soldiers casually pointed Al out and called him titan fodder. Al had brushed off the comment with a laugh.

"It's because of the glasses," he said. "They don't think I can be strong with them. But who knows. Maybe my glasses will warn titans away. It's a choking hazard."

But Petra saw his shoulders hitch. She knew how scared he was going into the field and he didn't need the soldiers to fuel that fear.

The comments continued until one day, Petra and Al stumbled across a sort of betting pool. Some of the veterans had grouped around and started betting on which of the rookies would get the first kill and which would be the first to die. At the very top of the first list was Olou, no surprise there. At the top of the second list was Al.

"What the hell is this?" Petra asked before Al could stop her.

"Ah, one of the rookies," a soldier with a goatee looked up. He was the one who had first called Al titan fodder. "And the titan food too. That's great. See we're just starting a little betting pool going into this mission." He tapped on the paper pinned up to the wall. "Who's gonna get the first kill and who's gonna be the first to die. As you can see, Glasses there is pretty close to the top of the latter list."

Petra glanced back at Al. He was trying to brush it off, but she knew him. She knew his expressions like the back of her hand. Her eyes narrowed and she looked back.

"Why would you bet on a sick thing like that? First kill I understand but first to die?"

"Hey, someone always dies," another soldier said. "It's a fact of life. We might as well make a game out of it."

"No, you shouldn't," Petra said. "Death is never a damn game."

"Yeah, we know that, sweetheart," the goateed man said. "We know it's not pretty. We've all seen our friends end up in a titan's mouth. We've seen people bitten clean in half and had to keep riding in order to survive. But we can't get caught up in how horrifying it is. We've got to find a way to let off steam."

"Then leave my brother out of it," Petra snapped.

"Oh, he's your brother, huh?" the goateed man stood. "What about you, sweetheart? Which list do you think we're gonna put you on. You're small, so you're pretty bite sized for the titans."

"You can put me on whatever list you like," Petra said. "You can bet on me and I'll make sure to prove you wrong. But leave my brother's name out of your mouth."

"She was second in her regiment," a man commented. "Petra Ral. I'd put her on the first list somewhere."

Petra gritted her teeth together. These veterans weren't listening to her and she was getting increasingly angry. Al seemed to notice. He tried to grab her arm.

"Come on, Petra. We need to go," Al said. "For all we know, one of them will be the first to die."

It was that comment that told Petra how much their words had gotten to Al. Normally he would never say something so morbid. But he did and the soldiers took notice, standing all at once.

"You want to say that again, titan fodder?" the goateed man asked, reaching for Al's collar, murder in his eyes.

Petra's eyes flashed. She gripped his wrist, twisted it to the side, and punched the soldier right in the face. He went down, blinking in surprise.

"Hey," his friends stepped forward.

Al cursed under his breath. "Petra, we need to run."

But these soldiers were ramping up for a fight. Shit. Petra knew the punch was too far but she saw red when they tried to touch Al. She clenched her fists together, ready to swing again.

"What the hell is going on?"

The effect of the voice was immediate. All of the soldiers backed up in an instant, stiffening to attention. Petra was dazed by how quickly they had moved.

"Nothing Captain Levi. We apologize if we disturbed you."

Petra's eyes widened. Captain Levi. She looked to the side and saw the man himself standing a few yards away, arms crossed. He had dark hair and just as dark eyes that peered coldly at the soldiers. His expression could probably frighten most children and adults and he was...

Short, Petra thought, her eyebrow twitching. Kayla was right. He really isn't much taller than me.

But when Levi's gaze turned on her, she still felt her heart stutter. "And what about you, soldier?"

Oh crap. Right. I punched a higher ranked soldier. I'm so screwed.

"She punched me, sir. She's crazy," the goateed man said in explanation.

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Is that true."

Petra's jaw stiffened and she fell into a salute. "Yes, sir. That is correct."

"And why would you do something like that?"

"Because sir," Petra said. "They were gambling on my brother's life. I admit it was a rash action, but I am not sorry."

Silence filled the street. Even soldiers who weren't involved had turned to watch the commotion. Al swallowed hard, saluting.

"I apologize for her, sir. And for me. I should have stopped her."

"Tch." Levi's eyes narrowed and he approached the sheet of paper, ripping it down. "If you're going to gamble on human lives, keep it to yourself. Not on the street where every damn person can hear you. You want the new recruits to be pissing themselves before they even see a titan?" He tossed the paper to the ground. Then he looked back at Petra. "You. Come with me."

Petra swallowed hard. Reprehensible as the betting game had been, she was the one who punched a man. Therefore, she would be the one to get punished. She knew better than to protest though. "Yes, sir."

She followed after the infamous Captain Levi, hoping she would survive the night. Some of the soldiers snickered behind her and she ignored them. Let them laugh. She would take her punishment with her head held high.

For a long while, he didn't say anything. He didn't give any hint to how angry he was at her actions, or if he even was. Honestly, his expression looked permanently pissed off. He was scary, she had to admit. But she supposed a person had to be scary when they killed so many titans.

"Soldier. What's your name?" Levi asked.

Petra jumped. "Ah, Petra Ral, sir. I'm a new recruit."

"I know," Levi said. "Only new recruits react like that to Reinhart's betting pool."

"Why?" Petra asked. "It's barbaric." Levi glanced back at her over his shoulder and she added a quick "Sir".

Levi exhaled. "This line of work is barbaric. You'll see much worse than that, Ral. When you've seen a person eaten for the first time, you won't really have the energy to get angry about something so small."

Petra frowned. "So. Do you bet as well?"

"Don't be stupid. I have better things to do with my time," Levi replied flatly.

They reached the door to an empty barracks. Petra coughed as dust filled her lungs. This place hadn't been used in a while.

"I want this place spotless before you get dinner tonight," Levi said. "That's your punishment."

Petra stared at him. "Ah, really? That's all?" A cleaning sentence didn't seem that harsh.

"Yes," Levi said. "Do you have a problem, soldier?"

"Ah, no." Petra saluted. "I will clean until there isn't a speck of dust left sir."

"Good," Levi said. "Then maybe next time you punch Reinhart, I'll let it slide." She stared at him. "Reinhart is an insufferable asshole. Sometimes he needs a punch."

Before she could think of how to reply, he closed the door, leaving her alone.

Petra stared at the door, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened.

So that's the infamous Captain Levi, she looked around the room and sighed. Cleaning duty...how strange.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the first meeting. Look forward to more interactions with them in the future! Review and let me know what you think!