Infuriating Man (Part 1) (Levi x Reader)

He was watching your training session and you knew it. You wanted to make an impression on the man. Of course, you did. There were none among your peers who didn’t want Captain Levi Ackerman’s approval. Never mind the fact that most cadets accepted not being berated as trophy enough. You wanted more than that. You wanted the flat, emotionless leader of the Special Ops Squad to be forced to say something nice for a change.

As you flicked your (e/c) eyes to make certain the captain was paying attention, you spurred your horse forward to the practice field. The trainers followed to gauge your skill. You felt exhilarated, prepared, and more than confident that, this time, the target Titans would be no match for all of your hard training. You had practiced the next move dozens of times, until standing on your speeding stallion had become like second nature. Your magnificent bay neared close enough to the tree line for you to release your 3D Maneuvering Gear and off you shot into the forest, with (h/c) locks breezing behind you.

The first giant wooden target shot up from the ground and you obliterated it without even pausing, kicking off the flying debris towards your next obstacle. This mark sprang from right beside you, causing you to miss the next branch with your 3DM. You growled at the mistake but quickly corrected by pushing off the target and swinging around to take out its nape.

‘Two more,’ you thought to yourself.

You knew the next two would be bigger and made of iron. Only a small destroyable area would be on the back of the neck. You zipped rapidly through the forest, eyes scanning for any sign of movement. There. You spotted it before it rose, and it easily went down.

You could hear the trainers following behind you in the trees. ‘Have to be impressive.’ Jumping down to the ground, you ran at a full sprint. This was going to be a new record for you, if you could keep up this pace. You caught site of your comrade Connie standing by a rope, barely in your sight. “Tch,” you couldn’t help but shake your head. “Too easy,” you said aloud. Running up the length of the iron target as it sprang from your left, you effortlessly hit its bullseye. Your blades sliced into it with such force that the iron head had nearly been guillotined.

You had done it! You were pretty impressed with your run. Had the trainers seen it all? Had he seen? Turning mid-air, wires flying, still waiting to grasp a branch, you searched for those harsh gray eyes. Instead, you saw a foot flying, and well before you had time to react, it connected to your chest. Gasping, (e/c) eyes wide, you fell, Captain Levi’s scowl following you all the way to the earth below. Struggling to land 3DM wires to anything, you only managed to slow yourself enough to roll across the ground, instead of crashing flat against it. As a further insult to your pride, the line of fellow cadets stood not far off, faces shocked or smirking.

When you managed to halt yourself to a kneeling position, there Levi was again, swords drawn. Caught off guard, he kicked you fiercely, knocking you flat on your back, knelt above your form, metal blades to either side of your head. As he stared at you with his infuriating detached expression, you touched your tongue to your lower lip and tasted the blood seeping through your cut skin.

Anger shot through your whole body, and you launched yourself from your elbows, kicking the captain with such force that his smirk flew from his arrogant face.

“What the hell is your problem?!” You lunged at him blindly, but not before a big, balding trainer called Voss and your friend Jean Kirstein restrained you from further insult. “I had it! I nailed that course! Why would you-?”

“Cadet (l/n)!” He barked firmly.

You stood at attention out of habit, but with a scowl on your face and fists clenched so tightly at your sides that you were sure nails had drawn more blood. “Sir?” you barked back.

“You took down all of the targets with certainty and ease, there’s no question about that. Every one of you soldiers from the 104th have run this course a half dozen times, and its layout is unable to change dramatically, but out there…beyond the wall-? You have to expect the unexpected. You have to feel the danger in the air before you see it. The members of this corps must anticipate every outcome or you won’t return alive. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” you snarled.

“Cadets?! Are you all clear?!” he shouted at the surrounding trainees.

“Sir! Yes, sir!” they all saluted.

“At ease! Cadet Arlert? You’re up. Reset the course!” He called to his men.

Moving to follow the young blonde boy to the start of the course, Levi halted beside you. Without either of you looking up, he growled, “Maybe on the actual field you’ll be more concerned with staying alive, instead of being caught off guard trying to show off for your commanding officers, you brat,” and stalked off.

You heard the others’ gasps and snickers and spun around, unloading your anger into the nearest tree trunk. “SHIT!” you shouted. You blew it. You had embarrassed yourself in front of the entire squad, and it was all because of that bastard using you to make some stupid point. Why did he have to choose you as the “lucky” recipient of that lesson? None of the others soldiers were subjected to a surprise boot to the chest!

Glaring after Captain Levi, your (h/c) hair blowing in the breeze, you caught him looking back at you before he sneered and quickly snapped his head forward again. “Shit,” you muttered once more. So much for impressing your Captain.