(A/N: Before we begin, I wanna make something clear: there will be something that will probably not make any sense since I already established it in the bio.

If you need context, I recommend rereading the first paragraph of the bio because I actually feel stupid putting this idea in, but it's only for story purposes as I wanted to do it the first time I wrote an AOT book.

Anyway, back to it.)

~With Elias~

Soon after the trial, I was assigned to go with Eren, Levi Squad, and some more of the Scout Regiment's members to check out an old Scout's base, where it turns out to be in the woods, which I'm all for.

Not only that, although I'm now a part of the Scouts with Eren, since I've got relations to Hange and the others with my dad fighting alongside them, I've been promoted already to Vice Captain, which is kinda unexpected, but nobody's gonna hear me complaining. Hey, it may sound like it's favoritism and nepotism, but let me explain why I'm promoted to Vice Captain.

The reason why I've been promoted to VC is because of a group that I'll be in charge of that Hange created herself. It's not really an official organization, it's more so of an undercover organization to help take down Titans much more effectively.

We call it the "Titan Killer Corps", or TKC for short.

The reason why it's called "Titan Killer Corps" is because it's a group of elite soldiers that can kill Titans much more brutal than the scout regiment themselves. And the best part about it all is that I get to choose who will be a part of the group and the first person I'm choosing is Mikasa, okay?

Yes, I know, it's obvious because she's my girlfriend, but she's also very skilled at killing Titans to make up for my decision. I'm gonna be at the Scout Regiment commencement in a day or two because that's when I'm going to announce those who are going to be in the Titan Killer Corps.

Before I went with Eren and Team Levi to the HQ, I had to say goodbye to Mikasa and Armin as I was leaving in a bit.

I was also given a horse...

Oh, sorry. Not that one.

This is my horse...

...as I was given a crash course on how to ride and maintain it.

I also gave it a name. I call the motherfucker "Traveller" because of how ambitious I am to travel the land and see new things as we kill Titans and take back our home.

When I got to Mikasa, she was worried about what will happen, but I can assure her that nothing bad will happen. I can guarantee it.

Mikasa: You keep Eren safe, okay?

Elias: I plan on it. Don't worry.

Mikasa: But I'm worried about you. Don't you think that you'll get the same treatment from Levi?

Elias: Hey, my dad worked with him before, and he told me himself that he doesn't plan on beating me like he did with Eren in that courtroom. Just trust me, okay? And Armin?

Armin: Yeah?

Elias: You stick with her, alright? Make sure she doesn't go insane.

Armin: Yeah. That'll be tricky to do.

Elias: Well, I gotta get going.

Mikasa: Stay safe. I love you.

Elias: Love you too.

We kissed right in front of Armin as he was shocked, but no one else noticed, which is what I wanted.

Armin: Wait. Are you two?

Elias: Yeah, we've been together for some time now. Mind keeping it a secret until we feel like sharing with the others?

Armin: Of course. I support you guys

Elias: Thanks. I'll see you guys later.

Mikasa: See you in a few days. I love you.

Elias: Love you too, Mikasa.

She blushed as I chuckled from adorableness, kissed her cheek and as I walked away, I held Mikasa's hand with my own slowly slipped out of hers while looking at her with a comforting smile.

I went back to Hange and I got onto my horse, but I was given something from her.

Hange: I see that you got a girl waiting for you when you get back.

Elias: Let's just hold off on that, alright? I don't want anybody pointing out the obvious.

Hange: Alright, E.

Elias: "E"?

Hange: Just a little nickname I came up with for ya.

Elias: I'll take it.

Hange: Got a letter for you that's from a Carla Jaeger. You might wanna read it when we get there.

She gave it to me and I put it away in my jacket.

Elias: Alright. Want me to go ahead and meet up with Team Levi? It'll save some time.

Hange: Of course! They're gonna need you, anyway.

Elias: Alright. I'll see you then.

I gave her a bit of a hug and focused on my travel to the base, but before I could...

Elias: Let's go, Traveller. HYAH!

Traveller neighed as I rode off and started riding towards the base. It was gonna be a few hours before I get there, so to pass the time, I had some nuts as a snack in case I'm getting hungry and water in my canteen.

~4 Hours Later~

I finally made it to the base...

...and I saw someone in the distance as it turned out to be Petra, Eren, Oluo, Eld, Gunther, and of course, Little Man, I mean, Levi.

Instead of making Traveller run, I'm just having him walk as we go up to the entrance.

Eren seemed excited that I was here, but my butt was hurting after being on the horse for a few hours, so I decided to hop off as soon as I made off the bridge.

I walked up with the bridle in my hand and I saw that Petra seemed happy to see me.

My dad worked with her as well, so to know that I was gonna work with her is just the best feeling ever.

Petra: How's it going, Heinrich?

Elias: Well, I'm sure happy to see you, Petra.

We hugged as she looked the same when I first met her, just really kind and very friendly.

Petra: Let me take him to the stable. You go in and rest.

Elias: With all due respect, I need to walk anyway, Pet.

Petra: "Pet"?

Elias: Just a nickname for ya.

Petra: To be honest, I'd rather go with Petra.

Elias: Whatever you say.

Oluo: Oh. If it isn't Erich's little brat, finally joining the Scouts.

Elias: If it isn't the guy trying to be like the Captain and still fails.

Oluo: I don't like your attitude, kid. You should try to be a little more respectful, you know?

Elias: You know, Oluo, it's a sad day when an Elite like yourself tries to degrade my dad's memory as a Scout. There's a punishment for that, you know? Penalty's a beating.

Oluo: Are you threatening your superior, boy?

Elias: The last thing I would do if I was wanting to harm you was to warn you in advance, you dumb bastard.

Oluo: You better watch yourself, Heinrich.

Elias: I always do, and I bet you can't get your dick hard anymore, man since you love to imitate the Captain so much.

Oluo: So what? You gotta a better impression?

Elias: No but let me make one thing clear: I respect you as a soldier sacrificing everything you have and being elite in Levi Squad.

Oluo: Oh thank you. Thank you very much.

Elias: But.......... you ain't nothing like Levi! You ain't nothing like Levi at all! A five foot eight, hundred seventy-three pounds of nothing like Levi!

I reached into my jacket for the letter Carla sent me to break his balls before saying...

Elias: Oh, I got this today. It's a letter for you. Let's see who it is.

I opened it to say,

Elias: "Dear Oluo..."

I then lifted up the paper...

Elias: Oh, it's from Levi, he says he wants to meet up with you!

Everyone laughed and Petra was just dying laughing. I mean, I knew I had to end it with this:

Elias: To paraphrase nature, you ain't about that and you never will be.

I then walked off to read the letter Carla gave me, but I then saw a woman cleaning the tables. She had a Scout's uniform on and a cloak as well with the Scout Regiment logo on the back.

Not to mention that her hair was also red like Petra's, but darker if you can picture it.

I decided to come up to her and ask her who she was. I needed to know.

Elias: Excuse me? Who are you?

Woman: What's it to you?

Elias: I'd like to know who you are because I don't think you're one of ours, even with that uniform on.

Woman: I really am, young man...

As she turned to face me, I was shocked. She looked early to mid 40s, her eyes were blue, like mine, and almost having the same facial features as my own.

Is this who I think it would be?

Woman: ...so you need to-

When she looked at me, she dropped her bucket and brush in disbelief.

None of us made a move as we were too stunned to speak, but after a minute, I had to say something to ease the awkward silence.

Elias: Is that you...

I said the one word I've been wanting to say for a long time, and I thought she was dead after I was born.

Elias(voice cracking): ...mom?

Her breathing was hitching as she slowly walked towards me as I was so stunned to do anything.

When she came close to me, she put her hand on my face and after a while, she hugged me with such force that I slowly hugged her back as she cried.

I really couldn't believe that my mom was actually here, in front of me, hugging me while crying. I wanted to cry too, but on the inside I was furious.

I have a feeling that once I was born, she wanted me to be adopted by the Jaegers for the sake of me living because she couldn't bother to raise me.

I mean, I can forgive her if she's honest, but at the same time,

Mom(crying): I know what you must be thinking and I'm sorry. I didn't know how to explain all these years away from you. Let me tell you what happened, okay?

I then looked at her with a crooked smile beneath her tears. I didn't want to say "no", only because of what my mom might've done when I was born, but I had to know why she was still alive.

Elias: Then let's talk.

We both sat down as she started to tell me the story and why she gave me away.

Mom: When you were born, I was passed out for a while and people thought I was dead, but a day later, they told me that I was out for the rest of the time being after having you. However, when we discussed about Hange adopting you, I was against it because I knew that she'd want to experiment with you.

Elias: Did they have you move away so I don't see you?

Mom: No, I made the call to go away.

Elias: Why the hell would you do that!

Mom: It was for your own safety, Elias. I couldn't live without you knowing about my existence. Besides, if anyone else in the Scouts knew of your birth, I'd be shunned. I didn't want to risk you being around me.

Elias: Then what about dad? Did he have a say in all of this?

Mom: He did. He actually didn't want you to go with the Jaegers because he wanted to raise you and be the father he wanted to be, but because of his status as a Scout he couldn't, so he turned to me. The day before he died, he said to me, "Whatever you do, find him and care for him like I never got to." And it was hard for me to find you in Shinganshina. It really was. I wanted to find you but the Titans and being in Levi Squad, I just couldn't do it. However, I trusted the Jaegers and they took you in as their own.

I was really angry, but sad that my own parents had to do this to me. I wanted to spend time with them and at that point, they never bothered to write me or take a chance to ask them how I was doing.

Elias: You just never bothered to visit me and raise me as your son because of your own lives. Let me ask you a question, what kind of person are you to abandon me like that?

Mom: Elias, please. You have to forgive me. I wanted to protect you.

Elias: Protect, my ass. Did you know I got hurt while recovering Trost District? A piece of concrete was lodged into my shoulder and I had to rip it out so I could continue the mission. You really screwed up as a parent because until that trust is restored, I don't trust you.

Mom: I understand. And again, I'm sorry for abandoning you.

Elias: Yeah. I'm sorry, too.

I got up and walked out of the room so I can go to the room where I was gonna stay in.

Instead of going out to help Team Levi with the barracks, I just laid down and read Carla's letter.

"Dear Elias,

I appreciate you sending me a letter and letting me know what's been going on.

I have been worried about Eren and to hear that he is a Titan, it is a nightmare that only the old Carla would dream about.

However, I am really grateful for you and Mikasa to look after him. It is not easy, but it is something that I am very thankful for.

You, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin come to Ovurd whenever you can. Give them my wishes, and pull on Eren's ear if he acts up.

Love, Carla"

Hearing from Carla was the best and I can't explain how much of a mother figure she is to me, unlike the mom I just reunited with.

For the time being, I slept, but I gotta get with Team Levi for a meeting.

~7:30 PM~

When I walked in, I saw Eld, Gunther, Petra, Oluo, Eren, my mom, and Little Man, I mean Levi.

They were waiting for me, so I sat down near Eren.

Levi: You're late. We started two minutes ago.

Elias: Cut me some slack, will ya? I had a nap after four hours of riding on horseback.

Levi: Fine. I see you and your mom have already met.

Elias: Long story short, we rebuilding our trust as slow as we can get.

Eld: Sorry to break up the family reunion, but we got business at hand regarding Eren.

Elias: Right. What do you got?

Eld: It's safe to assume our standing orders will stretch into next week, but word through the grapevine is we're gearing up for a big mission a month from now. One where a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears graduates are slated to be our main backup.

Gunther: That can't be right. Why do something like that? The cadets have been through enough with the last Titan attack. Why subject them to that kind of danger again?

Oluo: You have to wonder how many of those snivel-drop runts pees themselves.

Petra: Surely this can't be the case.

Levi: Mission planning isn't my responsibility, but it is Erwin's. And you can bet the man's obsessed over every angle.

Mom: That's the truth. Especially given how unique the situation is.

Eld: Considering how many people died on the path to taking back Wall Maria, then hope comes in a form no one expected. One that we're not even entirely sure how to deal with.

Mom: Most of us still find it hard to believe. So how does it work, Eren?

Eren: Wish I could tell you, but the fact is my memory's not clear. Guess it's kinda like being in a trance. I do know the trigger seems to be hurting myself in some way, like biting my hand.

Levi: You're not going to get anything out of him, apart from what the scribblers have laid out in the reports. Not that you-know-who won't have a go at it. You'll be lucky to come out of it alive if that one lays into you. 'Course it's only a matter of time.

Elias: Who're you talking about?

Then, we heard some banging behind Levi and I recognized the voice...

Hange: OWW!!!

Elias: I'll get it.

I got up from my chair, picked up the board that was blocking the door, and let Hange in as she held onto her head for a bit.

I mean, Hange has to be the most adorable when she's sometimes around people.

Hange: I'm so sorry. Good evening, Team Levi! How is castle life treating everyone?

Levi: You're too early.

Hange: Am I? S'pose I couldn't help myself.

Elias: Come on, Captain. Just give 'er a break, will ya? If she wants to come here early, she will get here early.

Levi: So you're defending her?

Elias: Why not? She's like the aunt I never had.

Hange: Am I really?

Elias: Yeah, I always considered you as one.

Eren: Hold on, Section Commander Hange?

Hange: Hello, Eren. In the event you haven't pieced it together yet, it's my job to spearhead the Scout Regiment's research efforts. Essentially, I poke and prod our capture Titan specimens. I'd very much like your help.

Eren: My help? In what way? Like, what do I have to do?

Hange: Join me, of course! On a quest of scientific discovery!

Eren: Well, uh... I'm happy to help except I'm afraid it's not up to me. I'm under close restrictions by order of the higher ups, you see.

Hange: Levi! What's on the docket for him tomorrow?

Levi: Clearing out all the weeds.

Elias: I'll do the weeds. Eren can help Hange out with the research.

Hange: Excellent, then! It's cinched!

Then, she grabbed Eren's hand and looked at him with such a look that made me wanna laugh out loud.

I mean, this was what I put up with whenever I was going to be with Hange on some days when I was kid. I always helped her with the research even though I never knew stuff like this.

And now that Eren's gonna go through with it, I feel kinda bad for him.

Hange: Young man, tomorrow will be grand.

Eren: Uh. 'Kay... But, uh... Just so I'm clear, what exactly will I be doing?

Hange: Hm?

Eren: Are you running experiments or something?

Oluo: Idiot. Shut up.

Elias: You tell my brother to shut up again-

Petra: Elias. Don't. It's not worth it.

I then gave him a "I'm watching you" gesture and proceeded to keep watching Hange and Eren's interaction as Hange was just being an absolute cutie with this going on.

Sometimes whenever Hange gets excited about research on the Titans, I feel personally obligated to send a letter to the nearest psychiatric ward because she looks like she's about to foam at the mouth at any given moment.

Hange: Ah. I knew it. You possess a singularly curious mind, don't you?

We all decided to get out of our seats and walk out, but not before I could give Hange a hug from behind as she sat down, just really happy to see her.

After that, I went to bed and closed my eyes.

From what I know, Hange and the Scout Regiment captured two Titans, a 7 meter named Beane, and a 4 meter named Sawney.

The thing about Hange is that when she gives the Titans names, she starts to have an emotional bond with them as if they were her children as she does experiments on them. I've read that she had over 12 titans captured to run experiments on them to get information over the years, but I think half of that gave her the information she needed, give or take.

Many Scouts have said that what she does is reckless, but Hange has developed enough self-awareness that she knows what she's doing is reckless, she just doesn't care because that's just who she is as a person. She's willing to take risks and see that the research comes through be that dedicated to her job.

Seriously, that's dedication, and in what world is that not important? Oh I know, when you're working for the MPs.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

To me, I find that kind of dedication kinda unsettling because if I were invited to capture a Titan alongside Hange, I'm running until the cows come home. She's never hearing from me again. The last conversation I've had with her would've been the last one we would ever have in our lives.

For now, I think I've covered most of what I know about Hange's experiments because I just wanna get to bed.

~Morning~

When I got up, I went outside and started doing the weeds, just so it was out of the way. I didn't wanna be lazy so doing this job was the best option.

However, I saw that a Scout came by and started running towards me.

Moblit: Young man, where's the Section Commander?

Elias: In the mess hall, why?

Moblit: It's the Titans! They've been killed!

Elias: What?!

I immediately stopped what I was doing, ran with him to the mess hall and when we opened the doors, I saw that Eren had stayed up thanks to Hange's nonstop talking, but that's irrelevant right now.

Moblit: Section Commander Hange, come quickly! The test subjects! They're dead! Both of them killed!

We all ran out of the castle, got onto our horses, and we rode all the way to where the Titans were.

I saw steam coming out of the area, so something wasn't right.

When we finally got to where they were, the Titans' were really dead as Hange was becoming inconsolable! She was screaming her head off and just being absolutely hysterical!

Hange: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! SAWNEY! BEANE! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?! SOMEONE TELL ME THIS ISN'T REAL! SAWNEY! BEANE!

She was on her knees just bawling her eyes out as I didn't want her to be alone with this, so I came from behind and hugged her, helping her let it all out.

I didn't care about her screaming in my ear because I know that I'm pretty much gonna be deaf in one ear, but I don't care. She needed someone to hold onto and I was gonna be that person since I pretty much knew her thanks to dad working with her at one point.

However, what we will find out later on is gonna be the real enemy, and the suspect of this massacre was gonna come to light.