Levi sat quietly in the Mess Hall of the Survey Corps HQ. Earlier he was having a nice dinner with his squad, but after they excused themselves to get to bed – and Eren back to his cell, it was just him left. With his tea on the table, Levi reached into his jacket's pocket and got out a folded piece of paper. Unfolding the paper, Levi stared at the image of the woman, an accurate sketch of Maria.
How much were you hiding? What was so bad that you had to hide there? He thought.
Maria didn't belong in the Underground, that was what Levi believed. She was someone he always imagined to be at the Surface, someone who would run under the endless skies and sweet sun. Tracing the outline of her face, Levi couldn't help but remember how she felt.
Levi stayed still for a moment, he never got used to how she. Every time was like their first, ecstatic, pleasure, bliss... it was something he – both of them – wished to be at a state for as long as they can.
"Levi..." she moaned.
"Maria..." he said and leaned down at her and kissed her at the lips and then down to her chest. Once he finally moved, a moan escaped their lips. They both wanted it to last...
Levi sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He muttered. "Maybe I would have understood..."
No, he thought, I wouldn't... how would I?
"Captain?"
Turning, Levi saw Petra entering the Hall with a worried expression on her face.
"Petra," he said.
Levi watched as Petra made her way to the table and sat down. The woman had her eyes on the paper that Levi had in his hands.
"I don't think Commander Erwin would appreciate you tearing pages from the books." Petra joked.
Levi scoffed.
Petra chuckled.
"She's beautiful..." Petra said. "I guess that's where your daughter got her face, huh."
Levi's eyes widened.
"Don't be so surprised, Captain..." Petra chuckled. "I saw her – your daughter – she's one of the new recruits... Iris, right?"
"Iris Reed." Levi said.
"Did she always wanted to be a Scout?"
"No clue..." Levi said. "I... I never really knew her..."
Petra frowned slightly, but then smiled, but Levi saw her smile was more of pity.
"I'm sure you know something about her?" Petra said. "Like, what's her favorite thing is, or at least the boy she's interested in..."
Levi chuckled lightly, slightly surprising Petra. She never saw her Captain smile.
"When she was a kid, Iris never asked for anything, so I only got her the necessities... on her fifth birthday, a friend of mine gave her a hand-picked daisy, which she placed in a small cup as a vase... she gave it to Iris as a gift... it was the first time I saw that kid smile reach her ears... that was a sight." Levi smiled at the memory.
Isabel always knew what Iris wanted... they were like sisters... Levi thought. Isabel loved Iris, and Iris idolized Isabel.
"And for boys..." Levi sighed. "I'm not even sure if she's interested in boys... if she were – or if there was, he better gets his act right."
Petra chuckled. She never imagined Levi to tell her such things, and she never imagined Levi to be the protective father.
"And her mother?" Petra asked.
Levi nodded; he placed the paper on the table for Petra to see.
"Her name is Maria..." Levi said. "And you're right, she is beautiful... and every time I would see Iris, I could see Maria in her..."
"Sir... was it true?" Petra asked. "About your wife?"
About a few years ago, some rumor about Levi coming to the Scouts by force went around the Survey Corps, but what really got her and her other squad-mates curious was about their Captain leaving for a time to get his wife but only came back with a child – his daughter. Many rumors came about Levi's lover to be dead when he came back to the Underground, some even said that Iris was his daughter to a prostitute, who didn't want to keep the child. But Petra wanted to believe the first one.
"She was trying to live for our daughter..." Levi said. "But she was already on her last breath... she was just waiting for someone to save Iris..."
"I'm so sorry, Sir – "
"Is it wrong to let your child join something you know could be her death?" Levi asked.
"Captain..."
"It's just something that's been bugging me..."
"But you'll be there to protect her, right?" Petra said.
Levi turned to her, confused.
"If Iris really wants to join the Scouts, then, who are you to stop her... just promise to look after her – to protect her." Petra said. "That's what I would do if I had a child... but who am I to say things like that?" she chuckled nervously. "I'm not a parent."
Levi smiled, "I guess..."
~*~
Iris stood between Jean and Ymir, with her hands placed at a salute, and her face showing disinterest to the Scout before her, who she knew was Dieter Ness – or just Ness – and now was Section Commander Ness. She remembered the man to be one of the Scouts who helped her with her morning walks by taking her to the stables and feed the horses. She doubted that the man remembered her.
"I'm Section Commander Ness. And this girl is my horse Charette. A fair warning, Charette is rather partial to pulling hair, so I'd watch out if you don't want to get bald, we're glad to meet cha." Ness said.
How can I forget, you lost the top of your hair the last time we fed that horse. Iris thought.
And just as Iris remembered the time Ness was calling for help to get Charette off of his head, the horse bit on his bandana, and was pulling it.
"HEY, STOP THAT YA FREAK!" Ness said. "CAN I GET A HAND HERE?! Reed, don't be a stranger and help me out!"
Eyes were on Iris at the sudden call for her. Iris didn't move at first, but when Leon pushed her forward, she was forced to help the Scout from his horse. She placed two of her fingers in her mouth and made a loud whistle, immediately, Charette released Ness from its bite and went towards Iris, but before the horse could get to her, Iris shoved a carrot up its mouth.
"I see you still know the tricks." Ness said.
"Well, someone has to." Iris said.
"Good to see you again, kid." Ness said, smiling.
"You too." Iris said and hid her smile.
It confused the others to why Iris was comfortable with the Scouts, how she interacted with them was like she knew them before and were good friends. It had them thinking more about who their comrade was.
"Leon did say that his father was a Scout, and Iris did live in their home, maybe that's where they met the other Scouts." Armin said.
"Good point, I mean, even I see Leon be picked on by them." Connie said.
Training was more on remembering Erwin's long-range formation than combat training, which slightly confused and pissed Iris, knowing that they would be brought to an Expedition in a few weeks' time. Though they have spent days memorizing the formation, it was still unclear where Eren could be found.
"You rookies will be here, between the Wagon Defense Squad, and the Scout Support Squad... you will run horses and as well as relay signals." Ness explained.
~*~
Levi pulled his horse by its reigns and out of the stables, but just as he stepped out, he heard a familiar voice that had him stop on his tracks.
"You're looking the part." Iris said.
"Thanks." Eren said.
He found her standing with the other Cadets as they reunite with Eren. It wasn't hard to spot her considering she's the only short-statured-black-haired woman in their group.
"Whoah, you're all here!" Eren said. "Wait, if all of you are here, then that means you're joining the Scouts."
"No, we're here to clean up horse shit." Leon sarcastically said as he rolled his eyes.
Eren chuckled. "Of course... just a stupid question. So did Jean, Annie and Marco go to the Military Police then?"
Coming from behind him, Jean caught the eye of his other comrades which had Eren turn to face him.
"You joined too?!"
"Marco's dead." Jean said.
"What? What are you saying?" Eren said. "Marco's not dead, you're just kidding around!"
"I wish I could tell you that he died heroically, truth is, we didn't know how... there was no one there to see it..."
Levi turned away at the mention of their dead comrade, and just in time he came to see Ness holding the uniforms to be given to the cadets.
"Oluo." Levi called.
"Sir?!" Oluo jumped at the sudden call.
"Hold on to her." Levi gave his horse to his soldier and went to Ness' side.
"Levi, what brings you here?" Ness said.
~*~
"It's been a while."
Iris turned to the sound of the familiar voice. She smiled when she came face to face with Mike Zacharias. She made a salute, knowing that he was her superior. Behind her, the others followed her actions, saluting Mike. After Mike nodded, they stood at full attention, waiting for what the Squad Leader was to say, but the man's attention was on Iris.
"Captain Zacharias." Iris said.
"I'm glad seeing you here, kid." Mike placed his hand on Iris' head and messed with her hair.
Iris chuckled and tried swatting his hand away from her head. Her friends that stood behind her (except for Leon) were stunned when they saw the two's exchange. They never imagined Iris to know so many veteran Scouts, especially Mike Zacharias, a man who was second to Levi's skills.
"I'm glad to see you after three years... I just wished it were in different circumstances." Mike said.
"I think it's the perfect time." Iris shrugged. "With the Scouts having Eren as a secret weapon."
Mike let out a breathy chuckle.
"Promise me something." Mike said. "Fight to live."
"Captain –"
"Even if you find yourself in the shittiest position, fight to live, alright?"
Eren and the others were appalled to what they heard, they looked down at Iris, waiting for her response.
"Captain, as Scouts –"
"That's an order, Cadet."
Iris looked up. She made a salute. And for the longest time, Mike saw it again, the fire in her eyes when she was the child trying to walk again. Mike smiled.
"Yes, Sir!"
"Good..." Mike said.
Before Mike left, he poked Iris at the forehead teasingly. Iris smiled at his gesture and rubbed her forehead where he poked her. Behind Iris, Mike nodded at Leon's way, and Leon returned the gesture, and then he left.
"What was that?" Eren spoke.
"How do you even know these people, Iris?" Jean asked.
"GATHER UP ROOKIES!" Ness called. "YOUR UNIFORMS ARE HERE!"
Iris was unable to answer due to the call. Forming a line, the rookies were given, one by one, their capes. But when it was Iris' turn to be given, instead of the neatly folded ones that Ness' companion had, she was given an old one that was slightly worn out. She had a confused look when she got hers and looked up to Ness and tell him off about it. But the man had a sincere look on his face.
"For good luck." Ness said.
Taking the cape, Iris traced it's worn out fabric, imagining all the hell it went through.
"And that wasn't all." Ness said.
To Iris' surprise, Ness got out a knife and placed it on the cape she held.
That's –
A flash of that night came to her...
It's mine!
Well, you're not getting it back.
"And just so you forgot..." Ness chuckled. "Stick 'em at the pointy end."
Hiding the knife in her pocket, Iris unfolded her Scout cape and placed it over her shoulders. The warm feeling gave a sense of power and home. It reminded her the feeling of being under her mother's protective arms again, something she's been longing for years now.
"Thank you..." Iris said.