Here is the next chapter in honor of season 3! (which I believe is set to be released on crunchyroll tomorrow around 11:30am? I dunno, check your sources and let me know if otherwise!)

Thanks for all the PMs answering my question previously. Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!

Erwin looked across the table at Cassie. Her head was bent slightly over her journal as she scribbled furiously, her face intent. His arm was healed enough that he didn't require dressing changes and he really didn't require any other assistance, but she was easy on the eyes and he enjoyed her company. With her warm brown hair, soft eyes, button nose, and lush lips, Erwin found himself looking at her for too long too often.

While she was nice to look at, Erwin wouldn't dare make any advances. He was always the image of professionalism and would never cross a line. He'd given up the chances of having a wife and family long ago when he accepted his post. He could never serve both the corps and a woman. However, Levi and Sloan seemed to make it work, and he did long for the soft feeling of a woman wrapped around him…

He shook his head and saw Cassie was watching him.

"Are you alright, Commander?"

Her words slid all over him, her voice soft and bell-like. She had a tone of concern, but also one of curiosity. He often thought she was trying to read his mind or make sense of his emotions. He always tried so hard to keep his thoughts in check, especially around her.

"Yes, just thinking. How did you end up in the military?"

She placed her pen inside her journal before closing the cover and leaning back in her chair. "I was born in a small village. It was mostly agricultural. No one ever grew up and left or made anything of themselves. My father was the village doctor, essentially. I learned some things from him, but in my village women didn't work as doctors. It was considered bad luck to have a woman that wasn't a part of your family tend to you. My father wanted me to marry the son of the most prominent farmer, but I didn't want to. I was only 14 at the time. My only way out was to go into the military."

"That must have been a very difficult decision."

"You know, it really wasn't. I think my father was trying to take care of me, but the man he wanted me to marry was 28 years old at the time, and had some, let's say, excessive appetites. He'd made his rounds with many of the other women in the village, never fully settling down. It was rumored he had many bastard children running around. I didn't fully understand most of that at the time because I was just a kid, but looking back I've put two and two together. I think his father was pressuring him to settle because he was getting older. Our family, with my father being the physician with an eligible daughter, seemed like a good match."

The thought of her future being handed over like a business transaction made something in him tighten with disgust. He knew it was common practice for families to arrange matches for their children, but pairing a grown man 14 years older than a child was not acceptable.

"Have you been back recently?"

"No." Cassie shook her head. "My father passed away not long after I left. My mother went to live with her sister in Stohess. My betrothed's farm dried up after his father passed as well. Poor management, I believe. He ran off somewhere, and squandered a lot of money on alcohol. Last time I heard, the village was essentially a ghost town.

"I've never second guessed my choice, and I've had no interest in going back."

Erwin nodded. He watched her in silence. She watched him as well. It wasn't a challenge, a chance to see who would look away first, but he found himself enthralled at looking into her eyes unabashedly. He could have been imagining things, but he thought he saw a blush break out over her cheeks. The door to the study opened and she looked down quickly.

Dot Pixis crossed the room to sit beside Erwin.

"I have some information we need to get to Sloan and Levi immediately."

Xxxxxxxx

Jon looked around at the group and wondered how he fit in. As he looked at them, he had the distinct feeling they were all looking back at him. He was beginning to understand why. Captain had worked with him again the previous day, teaching him more about the equipment, but not explaining why. Captain was cold and disconnected, but there was something so familiar about him, the way he moved and spoke. It was like he'd met him somewhere before, but he couldn't place where and couldn't imagine them meeting. Jon wondered several times why he was receiving special teaching from a Captain. Surely the squad leaders were just as equipped to teach, right?

A few hours ago he'd been sleeping in the room he'd been assigned, one with windows that didn't open and a door that locked from the outside. He was a heavy sleeper, and didn't realize anyone had come into his room in the pitch black until he felt a cold hand on the back of his neck, jarring him awake, telling him to dress quickly. He pulled on his pants, shirt, and boots, and wrapped the green cloak with the wings of freedom around his shoulders. He was then herded outside quickly where the rest of the squad was waiting. Eren, the one who was the Titan shifter; his sister and personal protector, Mikasa; Armin, a kid that probably had brains but also looked like a liability; Krista – or Historia? – she seemed to be pretty important, and he didn't mind looking at her. The rest of the ragtag group were Sasha, Connie, and Jean. They were all members of the 104th squad, the latest group to be trained. The red headed woman joined them. She was to be called "Captain," also. He heard Captain Levi call her "Sloan" or "Sal," at times. She wore a wedding band as well, and Jon assumed the two Captains must have been married to each other with the way they moved and spoke.

They were on a ledge overlooking the headquarters they'd just left. The moon was high overhead, giving them enough moonlight to see below. Figures were moving outside of the building, as if searching the area. After a few minutes of searching, Jon saw one of the figures toss what looked to be a lantern inside the front door. From another corner of the structure, billows of smoke floated upwards before the flames began licking the darkness.

"I hope everyone has everything they wanted," Captain Levi said as he turned and began walking into the darkness.

"They have to be working from the interior," Captain Sloan said as she followed after him.

"All the way out here?" he turned back to her.

"Who else would it be? They are looking for Eren, or possibly Historia. I'm sure they'd love to snatch both if they have the opportunity."

Jon felt a shudder go through the group as those words left her mouth.

Captain Levi looked at her and then at the group, stopping last to look at Jon. "We were fortunate to receive the intel from Erwin to leave. He must have learned something. But all this talk does give me an idea of how we can be a little more proactive in our approach."

Xxxxxxxx

"Cover your face, Jon," Captain Levi said as they began to walk through the city street. He pulled his cloak over his head and tossed it over his shoulder, covering the lower part of his face. According to the Captain, the Garrison may be looking for him for his multiple petty crimes he'd committed around the Capital. It would be better for him to remain in disguise.

He was still confused by everything going on. Surely there was somewhere they could lock him up for the time being. But also, why didn't they simply hand him over to the authorities? It had to be an easier option than having to keep a constant eye on him. Of course, this was the perfect opportunity for him to escape. He looked from street side to street side. There were plenty of inconspicuous alley ways for him to duck into. He looked at the group, at Captain. He wanted so badly to run, but something inside his gut was urging him to stay.

They came upon a group of men gathered on the street corner.

"Well, if it isn't the scout's regiment right on our doorstep! We were just discussing the state of things in our town here. Is that Captain Levi, I see?"

"Hey, Captain, can you hear us out for a moment?"

Several men stepped into their path.

"We are actually on business on a very tight timeline," Captain Sloan said to the men.

"Just calm down, darlin'. As public servants, I expect you all would be interested in hearing the plights of your people. Since that forced evacuation a few weeks ago – the one pushed by the Survey Corps, might I add – we have lost out on a lot of work."

"No one wants to come here anymore because we're so close to the wall! What do you expect us to do?"

"The Garrison won't come here anymore because of the uncertainty, and thugs have overrun the streets."

"Taxes are still high as ever. Our money is going to feed your mouths!" a man began pointing his finger and shouting, becoming irate. Jon felt a red heat of anger rise up the back of his neck. The Captains stood calmly.

"It must be nice just sitting around, doing nothing, but still getting to eat because of our income! And now here you guys come through, even got some women with you." One of the men reached out to grab Captain Sloan's arm, and she snatched it away. She shot daggers with her eyes at the man but didn't respond.

A rattle was coming up from behind them.

"Watch out!" Levi said.

"Is that a threat?" one of the men said and grabbed Captain by the front of his cloak.

Before Jon could think, he pulled back his fist and punched the man square in the face, causing him to tumble backwards.

"There's a carriage coming!" Sloan said and pushed back on the crowd, clearing the roadway. The carriage came barreling through, snatching up two of the scouts as they passed by. A trail of dust was left in their wake.

Jon looked down at his shaking hands, clenching and unclenching his fists. Sure, he'd fought people for less, but the utter lack of control that overcame him when he punched that man worried him. There was no other reason other than he was concerned for the Captain, and that concern frightened him. Why should he care what happened to this man he just met, who was essentially holding him captive? Was this what Stockholm syndrome was all about?

"Eren! Krista!" One of the scouts shouted after the carriage as it ran off down the street.

He felt on the verge of a breakdown he couldn't describe. A range of emotions was playing through his mind. He felt like the two sides of his mind might split in two. But there was one emotion, the most base, fulfilling emotion that he could identify at that moment.

Flee.

Before the dust had cleared, he'd ducked into an alleyway and was running as light on his feet as he could, hoping the commotion would hide the sound of his footfalls. His heart was pounding, the two sides of him warring; his natural instincts to run and hide nearly tearing him in half with opposition from wanting to stay by the Captain's side. He ran across another street, nearly colliding with a carriage. The driver shouted at him and the horses neighed in irritation from the sudden stop as he dashed across the busy roadway.

Stones went flying as he dug in and turned sharply. The Underground. Was there a way to get there from here? He knew there must be, because that was where the whole city evacuated to. If he could find it, he would go there. He could live there, it wouldn't be easy, but he could make it work. Captain seemed to have done fine there. He turned another corner and saw it – a doorway in the wall. That was where the entrances usually were, right? He ran up to it and put his hand on the doorknob.

A hand grabbed his arm and spun him around. A punch, impossibly strong, sent him sprawling backwards. He hadn't experienced a hit quite like that before. He knew his eye would be black. He wouldn't have been surprised if little yellow birds were spiraling around his head. His vision was bright flashes of light, but he felt someone lift him up and slam him into a stone wall, clearing his mind and his vision but knocking all the air out of his lungs. When he opened his eyes he was looking into a window, and saw his reflection with that of the Captain's behind him, a look of rage on his face. The image was enough to stun him if the world wasn't already spinning.

His eye was already starting to blacken, but he could still see an uncanny resemblance between himself and the Captain, their black hair both messy in the same way, the way their eyes cut the same, the arch of their eyebrows.

They say that a person can't recognize when someone looks like them because we only know how we look from seeing our reflection, a mirror image. But seeing his reflection beside Captain's, there was no denying it. He understood why people at the compound looked at him strangely, why the other member's eyes strayed back and forth. Did Captain know? Were they related somehow?

Captain grabbed his arm and turned him around to face him. A swift kick to the chest, and Jon crumpled down to the ground. He heard the slink of metal on metal and felt something cool slice at his cheek.

"Look up," Captain said coldly, with no emotion in his voice.

Jon obeyed immediately and saw he was at the end of a blade pressed against his cheek. He felt something wet dripping down his face and he could only assume it was blood.

Can he tell when he looks at me? Jon searched Captain's face. The rage was nearly gone, just a slight tremor under his skin. His face was replaced again with the cool mask. Maybe he is just following orders.

"Rule number one," Captain reminded him.

"So that's it? I break it once and you kill me?"

"If you break the rules, you could die."

"I won't break the rules again, I swear."

"You're a liar."

"No, no I promise now. I wasn't serious before, but I am now. I found something out."

"I found something out, too." Captain swiftly pulled him up and pressed the flat edge of the blade to his throat. "Maybe you didn't think I was serious before. Maybe I can teach you how serious I can be." He turned the blade just slightly enough for Jon to feel the sharp edge.

This guy is fucking crazy, Jon thought. He was beginning to understand who Captain Levi was. Up until that point he had been distant, aloof, unfriendly, but nothing like the legendary Humanity's Strongest Soldier, Jon kept hearing about. Now, he was seeing it firsthand.

"Look, I'm sorry, OK, I freaked out and had to run, just to see what would happen," Jon said. Something flashed in Captain's eyes, an understanding, maybe? But he didn't lower his steel.

"I don't want to fight you," Jon said.

"Is that a challenge?"

Jon kicked his legs out, not hard enough to hurt, but it surprised Captain enough that he stumbled back and fell. His blade clattered to the ground. Jon quickly grabbed it, knowing he didn't have much time. Captain was back on his feet in one fluid moment, his second blade in his hand, drawn on Jon.

He swung and Jon met him, their blades clinking together. Captain spun quickly then, slicing Jon through his eyebrow and cross his shirt. The contact scared him so badly, he didn't have time to react as Captain spun low, kicking Jon's feet out from under him. He landed face first on the dirt. He felt a knee go into his back as Captain grabbed where he'd pulled his hair back from his face, securing it with a tie.

"I thought I could teach you, but I'm not so sure anymore," Captain said, his voice low. Jon felt a blade kiss his head. Was he about to be scalped?

"WHY DO I LOOK LIKE YOU?!" Jon yelled, louder than he expected. He was in pain, bleeding profusely from multiple blade cuts, scared for his life, but mostly, he had to know. Who was the Captain? And who was Jon?

He felt the pressure leave his back as Captain stood up. He slid both of his blades into his scabbards before grabbing Jon's arm and pulling him out of the dirt.

Captain Levi studied his face for a while without saying anything, possibly surveying the damage, possibly looking for a resemblance. Jon couldn't read his face at all.

"You are my son."

The words took several times to process.

"How?" Jon asked.

"Do you want a step by step explanation or…?"

"Why?"

"This isn't a good place to discuss this."

"Did you know?" Jon felt an anger rising up, now. An anger he'd had, though he tried to keep it under check. The deep hurt he'd always felt that he'd been abandoned, despite having another set of parents. Why wouldn't his biological parents want him? "Did you know I was alive?"

"Not until a few weeks ago," Captain said quietly.

The anger uncoiled a bit in Jon's stomach.

"Who is my mother?" Jon saw Captain look away, as if he didn't know how to answer. Jon thought of Captain Sloan, though he'd heard she and the Captain had just recently been married.

"It's not important. Don't worry about her."

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE?!" Jon yelled at him. "Do you know what it's like to feel unwanted? Like you don't really belong where you are, but you don't know where else you could go?"

Levi stared at him, but didn't answer.

"My whole life I knew I didn't belong, but I knew my real family – where I would fit in and know where I came from – didn't give two shits about me."

"What about your adoptive parents?" Levi asked softly.

"They don't understand me! All my life I've felt like I have this sickness inside of me, just waiting to break out and destroy everything in my path! They didn't understand when I started fighting and stealing. I can't live the perfect life they want me to!" He hung his head, his voice husky like he may start crying. "But you understand me, don't you? You can relate to me."

"You were fortunate not to have me as a father," Levi said and Jon looked at him. "I don't know anything except destruction and violence. You would not have been any better under my care.

"But this I can relate to – you have a power inside you, and it will awaken. Stay with me and I can help you. But you have to listen to me, and I can't be worried that you are going to run at a dangerous moment. There are people that would kill me if they found me. They may mistake you for me. I can't protect you if I don't know you will be with me. I thought we had an understanding, but I must have been wrong to trust you so quickly."

"I'm sorry," Jon said softly. Trust. The Captain had been growing to trust him, but now, it was probably shattered. Before he knew what he was doing, nearly out of instinct, he fell to his knees in front of Captain, his hands splayed on the ground. "From this day forward, I pledge my allegiance to you, Captain Levi."

Levi reached down and grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet.

"And I to you, Jonathan Ackerman."