The lone figure in the room rested his head against the headboard of his bed, closing his eyes for a brief moment. He did not hear anything, save for the commotion outside. As far as he knew, he was alone in his room.

Until the unwanted visitor cleared their throat.

He opened his eyes, letting out a sharp gasp as he looked in the direction the dark figure was. Leaning up against the wall, he could make out the tall figure of his grandson, the wide brimmed hat he wore easy to spot.

He frowned, staring at his grandson in the shadows. "So, you found your sister."

He did not need a light to know that Kenny Ackerman was scowling. "I told you I did."

He drew in a deep breath, unfazed by the sharp tone. "Have you...have you taken the time to dwell on what I said?" At the silence that stretched between them, he pressed on. "The Ackerman bond is an incredible occurrence with mystical-"

"Bull," Kenny snapped, irritated. He pushed himself up against the wall, his arms folded. "This bunch of nonsense about blood bonds and mystic connections is nothing but an old farts wild deathbed stories."

"It's the truth," he started, but then he stopped. Arguing with Kenny would get him nowhere. So, he merely sighed. Hopelessness clung to him, and he could only wonder if their legacy would truly be lost. "I cannot convince you of what it is. I can only tell you what it is. And it is the truth."

"If we Ackerman's are so powerful, why do we feel the need to serve anyone?" Kenny growled, irritated. "They should serve us, not the other way around! You won't find me serving anyone through some blood contract."

"Blood bond," he interjected softly.

"Do I look like I care?" Kenny snapped.

He sighed. "No, you do not. Which is such a shame that the potential for a bond will be wasted on you and your sister." A mere, ghost of a smile passed his lips. "There is always a unique someone who will take ahold of the Ackermans. A bond that is shared by blood, binding each other for eternity. It is not to be wasted, a rare occurrence." It was a deep bitterness that he had never found someone like that. No one had aroused him to form a bond, to faithfully serve.

But here, his grandson stood. So young and full of promise, and he scoffed at the potential the blood bond could give him.

Kenny let out a chuckle. "Boy, I should have come to visit you sooner. You have the wildest stories ever. Thanks for telling me what I will not do."

"Combine your blood with another's or not," his grandfather said softly. "You will still reach out to that one person you long to serve." He glanced at him. "The blood bond makes it permanent."

Kenny smirked. "I've spilled many blood. Maybe I spilled my so called 'master's' a long time ago."

"It will be their blood you cannot stand to see spilled," his grandfather growled, his eyes lighting up. "It is sacred, a special occurrence-"

"So I go around spilling their blood and combining their precious droplets with my own, but can't bare the thought of harming them?" Kenny questioned. It pained him to hear the doubt in his grandsons voice, the leering as if he thought it was a joke.

"I think I heard some stories about creatures feeding off of blood," Kenny continued. "Something about vampires." He grinned, showing his white teeth. "You telling me we're vampires, gramps?"

He let out a shuddering breath, wincing at the jab. "You are a sinful man," he said. He opened his eyes. "But failing your bonded is a terrible condemnation."

Kenny snorted, unfolding his arms as he strode for the door. "Then I just might forge a contract right now, just to add that sin to the list." He paused, glancing at his grandfather. "Did I tell you I found the king? Well, someone did. Turns out he's a hidden king, and the one in the spotlight is nothing more than a figure head. Anyway, I'm going to be the one to kill him." He chuckled as he left the room, plunging his grandfather once more into darkness and leaving him to wallow in despair.

Kenny Ackerman never really thought he would be finding out more 'mystics' about his Ackerman family legacy. But life was just full of surprises. Besides, his grandfather was dying, and that seemed to make the man eager to share what he knew. Death had a funny way of making people more agreeable.

Although, Kenny never thought he would get information this way.

Kenny had waited, and he had listened. He had scoffed, he doubted, but he took it all in. And when he left, he left with the further knowledge of the Ackerman blessing.

Or curse.

The way that old man went on, he had made it seem as if it was some sort of noble act to bind oneself to another. Like slavery. Not only slavery, but apparently the Ackerman Power was tied to the Ackerman Bond. An Ackerman Bond was strengthened when the Ackerman combined their blood with others. It was not necessarily servitude, but a fellowship.

But it was another fancy form of bondage.

Kenny'll just stick with the Ackerman Power and forget the Ackerman Bond.

In the streets, he scowled. "Bond indeed. Bind yourself for all eternity to someone? Ain't happening to me." In that moment, his eyes drifted up to see someone in the far distance. A Military Police officer, from the looks of it. He smirked, fingering his daggers as he began to tail the unassuming victim. "No siree," he hummed, vanishing into the dark.

No one was going to tame him, no one would bind him down. There was no one, he thought, who was even capable of keeping up with him.

Until he met Uri.

The Titan, that beast, was bowing to him! Why would it even bother? Someone as powerful as this Titan shifter was bowing to him. Him! A human.

An Ackerman.

His hatred burned within him with such an intensity that he did not even realize this new feeling inside of him.

A new awareness.

He hissed, glancing down to see tiny bits of blood dripping down his hand from a small wound. Dang it, when had he cut himself?

He glanced up to see the large Titan dripping blood from where Kenny had attacked him, his knife still embedded in his arm.

He smirked. Good, so he got the Titan as well.

But why did he feel so light headed all of the sudden?

The Titan, or demon, whatever Kenny assumed he was, finally turned his gaze back to the Ackerman. But there was no malice, not even anger, but fear, as he bowed to Kenny.

A king, a Titan, a being with incredible power even as he bled before Kenny, was bowing to him.

Yes, things got really interesting when he met Uri Reiss.

Kenny strode forward, not bothering to stay silent. He glanced down at the human resting in the grass. His pale, gaunt face almost looked peaceful, yet pained. His hair wafted in the wind, yet his eyes flickered open as Kenny approached him.

"'Sup?" Kenny asked, casually leaning against a tree and folding his arms.

Uri's mouth twitched in faint amusement. "Just dwelling on a few things," he said simply.

Kenny grunted in response, already feeling the boredom seeping in. But he stayed where he was, not truly in the mood to talk much. He glanced once more at Uri, the king of humanity.

Yes, he never thought that he would befriend the very man he sought to kill, nor did he think he would become a trusted companion to the Titan shifter. But there were many things that took Kenny by surprise, such as his Ackerman Power, a power he was eager to use and explore.

"Tell me about the Ackerman Bond," Uri said finally, breaking the silence.

Kenny gave a start, blinking, before laughing harshly. "Oh man, not you too!" he chuckled. "It's nothing but an old wives tale." He chuckled, leaning back against the tree. "Some sacred nonsense that bonds an Ackerman to someone else that they yearn to protect." He shrugged. "A sign and bond of respect. It's useless junk."

Uri hummed. "I figured as much. But still, I couldn't help but wonder. It is a unique thought; for a being so powerful to be eternally bonded to another." He clenched his fists. "Even someone as strong as I is limited in my abilities."

"Apparently, the Ackerman Bond has something to do with the combination of blood," Kenny scoffed.

Uri nodded absentmindedly. "It does sound far-fetched, but then again, so is the idea of Titan shifters. I only wondered…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "There are many things that I do not understand." He glanced at Kenny. "Especially when it comes to you."

Kenny looked at Uri thoughtfully before smirking. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he displayed a knife. "Hey, why not give it a try?" Without elaborating, he slid the knife across his palm, red droplets of his blood dripping onto the grass. "Just for fun?" Kenny continued.

Uri blinked, eyeing the knife. A flicker of shock and wariness came across his face. "You would really tamper with such unknown knowledge?"

Kenny shrugged. "Hey, life is short. Especially for you. Why not?" His smirk grew. "Let's see how much this old wives tale rings true." With that, he handed the knife to Uri, still dripping faintly with his own blood.

Uri glanced at the knife before letting out a sigh, sliding the knife over his own palm.

But even as his blood dripped onto the ground, even as Uri calmly took the knife and sliced open his own palm, Kenny could feel his every being thrum. Every part of him was aware, aware of his surroundings. He faltered for a moment, even as Uri gripped his hand, his open wound covering Kenny's, their blood mixing. In that moment, nothing mattered. All he became aware of was Uri.

Kenny couldn't help but wonder what kind of a decision he had made.

Everything around him faded as he felt something intangible establish between them, and for the first time, Kenny was uncertain.

Uri looked at him, his gaze indifferent. "Are you aware of what you have done?"

Kenny locked eyes with him, suddenly reserved. "I am."

No, he was not.

He knew what he had done. But if he had been aware of what the consequences would have been, he would have taken a different route.

He would never admit that out loud though, at least, not to the living.

"I've made a mistake," Kenny said in the silent, dark room.

But no one answered, no one was around, save for the regretful ghosts that lingered. Even his grandfather remained forever silent, his corpse staring back up at him.

Kenny chuckled. "Funny, because I never admit to something like that. But that Ackerman Bond you were talking about? Well, I did what you said not to do." He let out a sight, sitting back down in the one chair left in the room. "I formed a blood bond with someone, binding myself forever to them. You'll probably be rolling in your grave at the moment, but I had to try it out."

He leaned his head back, frowning. "Despite all that I said, I am now in a contract that binds me to this person. I can't get out." He chuckled. "The annoying thing is that, I'm not sure I want to get out. I want to protect that person now. He's cursed me."

He frowned, staring and seeing nothing. "Even now, I am uncertain." He shook his head. "Dang it, when did I become so sentimental?" He stood up rapidly, placing his hat back on his head. "This blood bond between me and him is warping with my brain. I haven't killed anyone in weeks!"

With a grunt, he turned his back on the body on the bed, stalking out of the room. "I can't make sense of anything, and it's driving me crazy." He halted for a minute, glancing once more in the dark room.

"The Ackerman Bond," he started bitterly. "Is really nothing more than a curse." With that, he slammed the door shut, sealing his fate, and his words.

A/N: Yeah, I'm not too sure about this one. It was something that's been playing around in my head, and I never got down to publishing it till now. If I didn't publish it, I would never work on it. *shrugs* Am I the only one that thinks it interesting that both Kenny, Levi and Mikasa are so fiercely loyal to different individuals, such as Uri, Erwin and Eren? No? Okay...