Hello! It's me again. I know I said that I might not have this chapter up for a while, but since we have a snow day tomorrow, I thought that it would be the perfect time to finish and type this chapter!

Anyway, I've been promising that some action is near, and it is here! Well, it goes at a faster pace than the last few chapters. Whatever you count this as action, I'm not sure…

I'm sorry if it felt kind of slow the last few chapters, but I needed to establish Levi and Petra's relationship before I added all the action and historical elements.

I don't own Attack on Titan.

It was shouts that woke him. The shouts and protests of the women that he knew were marching down Washington Street at this very moment. He sucked in a breath when he felt cold air brush his open hand. He sat up in the bed and began glancing around the house.

"Petra?" he called. His words were met with silence. He could feel his heart start to beat faster when he spotted a note lying on the table. We've gone back to strike. Hopefully, we'll be back. Love, Petra. He mouthed the words as his eyes scanned them. After scanning the note's contents several times, Levi slammed it back on the table and grabbed his coat. He yanked open the door, shivering as a blast of cold air hit him. He ran into the street, following the cries of the women.

"Petra!"

Levi yelled as he spotted a flash of auburn hair in the crowd. She was standing off to the side of the crowd, a sign in her hand. Hanji stood next to her, and he could tell the brunette would not have a voice the next day. He continued to call their names as he pushed through the crowd of girls. He noticed the look in the striker's eyes as they glanced at him. They were dead set and sharp, and Levi was reminded that these girls weren't going to stop until they had what they wanted.

Levi heard the first scream as he neared Petra. Everyone's head whirled around as a girl was thrown onto the pavement. The antagonist, a police officer, lifted his baton. As Levi blinked, the baton collided with the girl's body, sending a cry through the air. The cries rang again and again as blood splattered on the pavement. More screams began to rise as police officers and prostitutes made their way through the crowd, their expressions resembling that of a predator staking it's prey. Girls were thrown on the ground and beaten, others were being punched, kicked and scratched by the prostitutes. Levi glanced at Petra, who was now a few meters away.

"Petra!" he yelled. She ran to him, flinging herself into his body. He could feel the tremors running through her body.

"It's worse than before," she swallowed. The cries continued to echo of the buildings as the sound of bones cracking filled their ears. Levi's vision swirled.

"Petra, you need to get out of here," he murmured. She broke apart from him, shaking her head.

"No. I'm staying," she replied. Her voice shook as she spoke.

"Petra, please…" He grabbed her wrist. She stared for a moment at her wrist. The shock in her eyes dissipated into rage.

"No!" Petra wrenched herself away from him. Her glare sent knives through him. "If you're scared, you run. But this means something to me, and I'm sick and tired of being a slave to your uncle. I'm sick of working for fourteen hours a day and getting two dollars at most, if I don't mess up. When I do mess up, my pay gets docked. Never mind the fact that I have to pay for the electricity, cloth and thread that I use! I'm sick of locked doors and having no food on the table," she cried. She was breathing hard, her eyes watering.

"I'm sick and tired of living like this, and if this is the only way to change it… so be it."

With that, she turned and was gone, leaving Levi alone with his hands still outstretched, trying to reach her.

Levi felt his heart pound as he hesitantly pressed the doorbell. His stomach constricted. Bright blonde hair was the first thing he noticed as the door opened.. Then he noticed the black and blue swelling that decorated the servant's left eye.

"Armin?" he muttered. The boy whimpered as the door opened further, revealing a tall blonde man with eyes like daggers.

"Levi, so good of you to join us. I'm sure you had fun on your little escapade, didn't you?" he uncle drawled. Levi's palm suddenly felt moist.

"We need to talk," he stated. He pushed his shoulders back, and took in a deep, shuddering breath. His uncle smiled, sending shivers down Levi's body. It was the same smile he wore when he lifted his belt.

"I'm sure we do. Come inside. Armin, fetch us some tea. My nephew and I have some things to discuss," Kenny ordered. Armin dashed away, and Kenny strode inside the mansion. Levi followed him, the high ceilings and large staircases leaving a hollow feeling inside him. No matter how many years he'd spent here, this wasn't home to him.

Kenny led him to the dining hall, where he promptly sat down, his blue eyes staring at Levi as he sat at the opposite end of the table.

His sick smile disappeared, replaced with an equally terrifying scowl. "Where were you?"

Levi stared at the table. "You have no need to know that. I was somewhere safe," he replied.

Kenny growled and the sound resonated through the room. He stood up and began to pace the length of the table.

"I know you stole from me. That little runt was not so hard to break…" Kenny said softly.

"Armin?" Levi muttered. Kenny looked him straight in the eye, the sick smile spreading across his face. Levi let out a growl, the sound of a caged animal. "You bast-"

Kenny reached him, the back of his hand connected to Levi's face. Pain exploded from the side of his face and the force sent him out of the chair and onto the floor. His fingertips brushed his now throbbing cheek as Kenny's voice sent tremors through the ground.

"I know where you were! You think I'm an idiot, boy? I knew where you were hiding! I knew who you were with-"

Something inside Levi snapped, and he willed his shaking legs to stand. "You leave her alone!" he snapped. "You leave them all alone! They're out there, getting beaten, because of you and your greed! Give them what they want! Let them have a union! Call off the beatings!" he cried.

Kenny snarled. "You think I'm greedy? Who feeds the brats? I do! I put the money in their worthless hands! They're biting the hand of the one who feeds them, and I'm not going to tolerate it! They want a fight? I'll give them a fight!"

Levi glared as Kenny stalked towards him, his footsteps growing more daunting. "I came to this country with the American dream! I worked and worked to be where I am now, and those worthless brats are trying to take everything from me! Everything I worked for! And worst of all, they've turned my own flesh and blood against me," he continued. His face was now inches from Levi's. He grabbed Levi's wrist and pushed him against the wall. The stench of alcohol on his breath made Levi's stomach turn.

Levi stared into the face of his uncle, his chest heaving. He gritted his teeth. I'm sick of being a slave to your uncle…

"Go to hell," he spat.

The words left Levi's mouth without him thinking. He didn't regret it.

It took a second for the words to register with Kenny, and when they did, the rage traveled through his body like a flame. Levi almost cowered as his uncle reached to strike him again. Levi dodged the hit and grabbed the edge of the table when he lost his balance.

"Get out of my house. Never come back!" Kenny roared. But Levi was already gone, and the sound of a slamming door echoed through the empty house. Kenny collapsed into a chair, his face in his hands.

What did you think? Please drop a review, I love to hear your feedback! If you enjoyed my writing, please go check out my newest Rivetra one-shot, The Six Times She Called Him By His Name.

The next chapter will have more historical elements, so there's that. I will also be introducing some more Attack on Titan characters into the story as well.

Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Love,

Ivy