Summary: The meeting of Levi Ackerman and Professor Kagome Higurashi didn't seem like much. He was just a captain in the Scout Regiment, and she was just a clever professor of psychology at a college in Wall Sheena. But when the continued murders of elites and noblemen shake the inner wall, their meeting suddenly seems tied by a mysterious string of fate.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this specific storyline. All characters and locations are owned by either Hajime Isayama or Rumiko Takahashi.

I love the reviews. Though, no Inuyasha-fans have picked up on the hint I left. Perhaps, this chapter will help some of you.

Chapter 3: Values

"So, who was he?" Coral blurted out as she leaned over the mahogany bar top, brow cocked and lips pursed.

Kagome, who was seated across from Coral on one of the many bar stools, shifted her body as she met her gaze somewhat hesitantly, "He? What are you going on about?" Laced in her words was a smooth obliviousness that matched the perplexity she now wore on her face. Though, it was an act; the wide eyes and head tilted ever so slightly to the side was just a mere guise. Kagome could easily figure out who he was considering there was only one out-of-the-ordinary interaction she had with a man that day.

"I know you're playing dumb. I knew you before you could even pull it off this well." Coral maintained, narrowing her eyes even more as she lifted her chin, "That short guy at your lecture. Who was he? He's definitely not a student."

Kagome found her lips twitching upwards as she thought of the oh-so aloof man, "Oh, that guy? Hm. Well, that's just Captain Levi of the Scouts."

Now, the two women were relaxing in an empty bar, a rag in Coral's hand as she wiped down the counter from any spillages from earlier. It was late, the ceiling blocking their view of the velvety sky but the silence of the of sleepy town wasn't lost. The dim light from the few lanterns hung on the walls cast a warm glow over the room, especially as it glimmered on their skin. But even in this peaceful calm, those words as they dripped from Kagome's lips brought Coral to an abrupt standstill.

"A military man? That's unlike you." She paused, shock making it's way through her bones before it lulled and she continued to clean up, "What's gotten into that little head of yours? ... Or do I not want to know? Don't tell me this is some weird fetish."

"Fetish? Hm, can't say it is." Kagome laughed, the flames flickering, "Listen, it's not like that. He's no ordinary soldier, definitely not like those corrupt military police officers." Kagome leaned closer, resting her elbows on the bar top surface, "Do you remember our earlier years in the Underground, back when I got into all that trouble?"

"You mean when those bastard guys kidnapped you? Of course I remember. I went after so many of low-lives trying to find you for over a week." The other woman recalled, wrinkling her nose at the memory, "I made sure to teach you hand-to-hand combat after that. Even then, I always made sure I was around kick the ass of anyone who got close to you."

"Yeah, well... Do you remember what I told you about the man who killed them?" The inky-haired woman asked.

Coral cocked her brow, "You mean that thug? What about him?" She paused as she tried to connect the dots and figure out where her friend was going with this. But in truth, she had blocked off those memories as best she could, never wanting to remember the feeling of not knowing if her best friend was alive. But as the gears in her mind turned like the spinning of the Earth, she suddenly found herself on a track towards the answer.

And it came to her like a ton of bricks.

"Levi of the scouts... He's that legendary soldier they pulled out from the Underground, isn't he...?" But she didn't need her friend to confirm it; she already knew. "...And he killed those guys. Why didn't you ever tell me?" It was more of a demand than a question, the air almost too thick as she gulped it down her throat.

"Well, I don't really know. As soon as I heard about his legacy up here, I kind of knew it was him. I mean, let's be real, there aren't many notorious, short thugs out and about. But I never really thought I'd get the chance to find out. But I finally confirmed it when I saw him at Emery's cafe." Kagome recalled the way he sat there, those memorable eyes staring nonchalantly ahead, "So, I approached him, we talked a bit... and invited him to my lecture. It was really just a gratitude thing. He's heading outta town soon, anyways so it's not like we'll ever have to deal with him again."

"Well, if it made you feel better, then that's good. It's better a scout than an MP." Coral nodded her head in understanding, continuing to clean the countertop just as she had been, "And definitely better than some rich elite. At least the scouts actually do something."

Kagome agreed, thinking of the wings of freedom and how those soldiers wear it so proudly, because at least they know they stood for something. Freedom. Such an odd concept. They wanted the freedom to roam, freedom of movement. It was the freedom to access the rest of the world without danger; that was what they fought for. But that was only one kind of freedom. There were plenty of others. Some were denied the freedom to a healthy life, whether it is because they can't afford medicine or because they were locked up in the subterranean city and denied sunlight. Others didn't have the freedom to an education; some groups didn't have the freedom to navigate society safely. Children, women, the poor, the mentally ill, the disabled.

Freedom was a conversation most people weren't ready to have.

The two women casually picked up a conversation about the murders, specifically of the elite Emil Richter, the latest one to shake up Mitras. It wasn't very in depth, both of them just gliding over all of the details like it was just small talk. It was the death, the reaction of the people, the sob story painted and gobbled up. Richter had been a noble, afterall.

Coral finished wiping down the counter, placing the used rag over her shoulder and taking a breath, "You know, death has always been a sad part of life. But I can't get over how this world will cry over the death of one man just because of his status, but never bat an eyelash when others are dying too early everyday."

"We've just seen things other people up here haven't. The average person hasn't even realized that they've been taught to value some people over others." Kagome shrugged, "It's always easier for us. We've always had a strong knack for justice."

"I know. But those nobles aren't good people. The elite, especially those men, they're monsters... No, they're demons. They don't care about their people at all, and so many suffer everyday because of it." It was a hard truth that made them both feel powerless. Was it inevitable that the system would work against the majority? "And it doesn't help that all these lecherous men treat women like they're disposable unless we prove ourselves in some way."

Kagome shifts in her seat and sighs. The world has always been a scary place, no matter what era. The weak have had strong people to fight off outwards threats, but who fights for them when the threat is already inside? She looked at her friend, who was putting away all shot glasses with a strained look on her face. We fought our way to the surface and both got a respectable educations. But not everyone can do that. And no one should have to fight for these opportunities, even if Coral never did anything with her degree. She never really did care for professional world...

"Don't you have lectures to prepare for?" The brown-haired woman piped up, "It's getting late. Your students are gonna need you to be in tip-top shape, right?" She didn't give Kagome a chance to respond before she continued, "And I've got to rest before opening this bar up again, tomorrow. Who else is going to keep track of all the gossip?" At the end, she smirked a bit, brightening up the shadows their solemn conversation had brought.

"You're not wrong. Why is it that school always seems to get in the way of everything?" She chuckled, sliding off the stool and planting her feet on ground. "Hey, you know where to find me. It's gonna be getting busy now that the semester started. We both have a lot of work to do."

"You don't need to tell me."

Levi waited. And waited. All he needed was Erwin to come in after his meeting and say that it was time to leave. Then, he'd be out of this shit show of a town and back preparing for the next expedition. He may never get a break from this job, but at least when he was dealing with Titan strategies, he didn't have to deal with everyone and their politics. It was just a boring game for those pigs, anyways.

Tch. He's taking a long ass time in there, making me fucking wait while he canoodles with those damn low-lives. The captain thought, his arms crossed over his chest while his head was dipped low. The seconds were elongated; he had spent far too long in Mitras with all of the flashy, obnoxious citizens. Well, all except for that one woman.

Professor Kagome Higurashi.

Sure, that woman wasn't exactly nauseatingly gaudy, but I'll be damned if she wasn't annoying. He rolled his eyes as he remembered that smirk of hers playing out on her face almost mischievously, the way she just went on with him, dripping words from her lips like the drizzling rain. Talking with her had almost felt like a dance, but only she controlled the rhythm; only her syllables were the beat. Even though it had been a few days since he's seen her, it was still fresh in his mind.

He pushed it out of his head, lifting his head up and looking straight ahead at the wooden door in front of him. All he wanted was for it to fucking open. Were these conclusive meetings always this long, or was the commander purposely torturing him? It was honestly getting difficult for Levi not to go in there and drag Erwin out by his neatly brushed blonde hair.

And it wasn't like the captain was particularly impatient normally. He could remain composed and diligent when taking on long and tedious tasks. But damn did he hate just waiting around doing nothing. That's what would bite at him, and it didn't help that his entire time here had already been deadly irritating.

Levi almost missed those big ass Titans.

In the midst of his grumbling thoughts and bitter teeth-grinding that he hadn't even realized he had started doing, the door ahead slowly began to open with a creak. Even opening the door, Erwin is painfully slow.

"Ah, Levi. Hope I didn't take too long." The commander stepped out and closed the door behind him, hovering over the captain who's silvery gaze narrowed in.

"Fuck you." He grumbled, "Now, let's get the hell out of here."

But Erwin paused, something clearly bothering him, and he pressed his hand against his temple, "Actually, it appears I've got some bad news."

Raising a brow, the captain huffed angrily, "Well, spit it out. Or am I gonna have to wait another hour for you to tell me."

Though, Levi almost wished he hadn't demanded the blonde man tell him. He wished that, instead, he had savored those few seconds that he had thought he would be returning to HQ to finish prepping for the expedition. Fighting Titans sounded like a damn vacation at this point. But instead, he had to watch as Erwin sighed, dropped his hand to his side, and looked over with those icy blue eyes.

"It appears our stay in Mitras isn't quite finished, yet."

Gods, Levi hated this damn district.

Honestly, I rushed through this chapter because it has to be one of the least exciting chapters I've ever written. But it holds a lot of important information for those who read carefully.

Though, I'd say that this is one of those chapters that will be much funner to go back and read once certain things are revealed. Until then, though, I'm interested to see if anyone has picked up on the hints I've left behind here.

Also, review. I thrive off of reviews.