Chapter 1 – Ms. Leonhardt
"Mr. Jaeger, this was addressed to you." A caramel skinned woman handed Eren a yellow folder as he walked by.
"Thanks Madelyn." Eren smiled as he took it from her, entering his private office.
"Not a problem, sir." She called after him.
He took a seat behind a brown antique desk settled himself into his custom black chair. As he did this, he couldn't help but wonder who had delivered the folder and what it contained. He thought about putting it off for later, but a red sticky note attached to it read: "Confidential Information," letting him know that it would be best if he read it immediately.
At first, it was the usual mumbo jumbo; trades, income, exports, business deals. Just when Eren was about to throw the folder into his desk's drawer, a word in the second paragraph of the 6th page caught his attention:Partner. This alarmed him. Unless they had slipped in some weird dating advertisement, this could only mean one thing.
Eren continued to read and with each word, his anger grew. When he was finished, he nearly threw the folder across the room. Bertholdt and Reiner's suspicious behavior towards him earlier in the day made sense now!
They were buttering him up! Attempting to get him in a good mood, in hopes that he would accept the news!
They've got another thing coming if they think I'm going to accept this shit.
Getting up from his seat, he stormed out of the office, the folder tucked tight under his right arm, "Madelyn!"
"Yes Mr. Jaeger?" She stood up, surprised at the tone of his voice.
"Who exactly delivered this to you?" Eren tapped his foot, impatiently waiting for a response.
"Um, that would be Christopher." Madelyn told him.
So they didn't have the balls to come and drop it off themselves? Eren took note of that and, taking a deep breath gave Madelyn direct orders, "If I get any calls while I'm out, take a message. Have the person give their name and number and tell them I will get back to them as soon as possible."
"Understood." Madelyn nodded, "Sorry to waste your time Mr. Jaeger but, what if it's your Mother?"
Eren put his hand in his pocket, "Tell her I'll call her back as soon as I can."
He walked down the white marble hall, red velvet carpeting covering the floor. Along the walls there were unsigned paintings, mainly of men and women in extravagant dresses.
One particular painting was of a man wearing a white suit and fedora holding a gun, a trail of blood behind him. This painting was signed with the initials G.J. The initials were oddly familiar to Eren, but he couldn't put his finger on who it might be.
The elevator dinged and out stepped two suited workers of Titania. They laughed and exchanged jokes, but as soon as one of them laid eyes on Eren, he bowed immediately. The other did the same and Eren waved, giving them permission to continue on with their activities.
Titania was like a Monarchy, you showed respect for those of higher rank and in-turn, you yourself would be regarded in a good light.
Coming to the end of the hall, Eren stopped and stood in front of two thick black wooden doors, both with silver skull doorknobs. He pressed his ear against the door, held his breath and listened.
"Yes, I'm still here." Bertholdt's distinct voice could be heard coming from inside the room, "What's taking you so long? You were supposed to be here half an hour ago."
Now sure that he was in the room, Eren swung the doors open, stomping into the room, "BERTHOLDT!" Bertholdt was by the window, looking out at the city.
Sighing, Bertholdt spoke into the phone, "Gotta go. We'll talk more when you get here." He hung up.
Eren slapped the yellow folder onto Bertholdt's desk. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Eren was angry. For what? Bertholdt glanced down at the folder. He could make a wild guess.
"Have a seat." Bertholdt calmly pointed to one of the black chairs on the other side of his desk.
"Have a seat, my ass!" Eren flipped through pages in the folder before opening it to the root of his anger, "Is this some kind of joke?"
Bertholdt looked at the page, following Eren's finger as he ran under a certain sentence.
Looking up at him, Bertholdt nodded his head, "It's not a joke. You're getting a partner."
"What do I need a partner for?" Eren jumped at the chance to argue, "I work alone."
Bertholdt took a seat, not wanting to stress himself out but Eren kept pacing back and forth.
"Listen Eren," Bertholdt interrupted his pacing pattern, "Our contact has given us some useful information. The Military Police and the Scouting Brotherhood have called a cease fire for the time being. You know why? To get rid of us."
"So?" Eren reluctantly slid into a seat as he cracked his fingers, "That makes our work easier. Kill two birds with one stone."
Reiner scoffed as he entered the room, "If it was that simple, do you really think we'd be assigning you a partner? Our worst enemies have called an alliance, that means they have twice the weaponry, twice as many strategists and a lot of man power."
"Not to mention the Scouting Brotherhood has those two assassins, Levi and Mikasa." Ymir's voice caused Eren to turn around.
"Ymir?" He questioned, "What are you doing here? Weren't you on a honeymoon with the Boss?"
"When your phone is bombarded with an array of text messages saying you're urgently needed..." She glared at Bertholdt, "You have to reconsider the whole honeymoon thing."
Bertholdt cleared his throat, "Yes, well...this is where you and your partner come in," He changed the subject, "Both of you will pose as recruits for the Scouts who have bad blood with Titania because a loved one was killed by us. Do enough acting and you'll get them to believe you."
"Why not the Military Police?" Eren questioned.
Ymir waved her hand, "Too much paperwork. They'd need a background check and for that we'd have to generate a whole new identity. The Scouts don't have that much access so joining them will be easier."
"Okay...but I still don't understand why I need a partner. I can infiltrate their ranks by myself." Eren pointed out.
"Yes, but can you defeat both Levi and Mikasa?" Historia posed the question.
She walked in wearing a black dress and wedges to match. Even at the height of 4'9", looking into her pale icy eyes would send murderous vibes down your spine. Her long blonde hair hanging over her shoulders added to her intensity, as with each step she took, it covered her eyes, giving off a mysterious vibe.
Ymir, Bertholdt, Reiner and Eren bowed. Historia Reiss, the Godmother of the Titan Mafia Family, a position that had been handed down to her by blood. No one dared to disrespect her.
"Try to understand Eren," She took a seat in Bertholdt's chair as he pulled it out, "This isn't about whether your abilities have gotten shabby or not. This is a precaution. We're at a disadvantage right now and we can't have the enemy snuffing out one of our best men."
The part about being one of the best men went to Eren's head, but he still wasn't happy about a partnership, "I won't go against your orders, Madam Reiss, but is my partner capable of keeping up with me?"
"That's an arrogant statement, don't you think?" A woman stepped into the room, "You don't even know me."
Eren turned around, "It's not arrogant if I have reason to believe it's true.
She smiled in a taunting manner, smoothing down her red dress, "Oh really? Mind testing that theory?"
With one look, he sized up the woman. She was a full seven inches shorter than him, probably around five feet. Her blonde hair was short, and would most likely drop to her neck, if it wasn't pulled into a bun at the moment.
Her blue eyes were less frightening than Historia's, as they seemed to resemble the color of the Caribbean sea. In fact, just staring at them made Eren envision himself on a private ship, surrounded by miles and miles of water.
He shook his head, now was not the time for day dreaming.
Usually Eren wouldn't accept challenges from a total stranger, much less a woman. But with Titania's highest ranks present, he felt the need to defend himself. That and, if he declined now, they would all believe he was scared of losing.
"May I?" Eren looked to Historia for permission.
Historia nodded her head in acknowledgment, "Go ahead."
Eren drew his gun in record time and aimed it at the woman's forehead, "Check."
The woman smirked for a second, but soon after he sly grin disappeared. She ducked down and ran up to Eren in a flash. His eyes weren't able to keep up with her movements and before he knew it, she slapped his gun out of his hand, caught it and held it to his forehead steadily.
"Checkmate." She smiled, handing his gun back to him.
"It was because I couldn't shoot." Eren muttered, "If you had been an enemy, I would have pulled the trigger without hesitation."
The woman raised an eyebrow, "Losers always have excuses."
Before Eren could respond, Ymir clapped her hands, "That's enough. We're all in this together. Family shouldn't create hostile feelings between each other."
"Pardon my rudeness Madam Reiss." The woman bowed, "I should have greeted you the minute I stepped in."
"Don't worry." Historia dismissed it, "Everyone needs time to get used to it."
How unfair, Eren reminisced. His first day here had been the exact opposite. Memories of his head being smashed into the wall by Historia resurfaced.
"Eren, what's with the look?" Historia noticed.
"Nothing Madam." Eren shook his head.
Historia looked him in the eyes and Eren was forced to look down. She couldn't be human. No one else on Earth had eyes like hers, eyes that seemed look into the depths of your soul.
"Eren." Bertholdt introduced the two of them, "This is your partner, Annie Leonhardt."
Annie held her hand out and Eren took it, placing a kiss on the middle of her knuckles. It was a match to test his theory and he had been proved wrong. There was no need to hold any grudges over such a trivial matter.
"Eren, Annie will be formally joining Titania. We'll hold the ceremony at ten." Historia informed him, "You know where to go."
"Yes Madam." Eren bowed, "I'll be leaving now."
"Oh, I will as well." Annie bowed, following behind Eren.
Once they were out of Bertholdt's office, Annie nudged him lightly, "Do you mind if I stick with you? I'm not familiar with this building and I'm not particularly into being alone in a new environment."
"Not a problem." Eren shrugged, "We can go to the lounge. You need to memorize its location because if you work here long enough, you'll find yourself there a lot."
"So, how did they bring you into the Family?" Annie asked Eren as they took a seat.
They were sitting at the bar section, waiting for Leslie to make and bring them their drinks. The lounge gave off a chill night club vibe, the lights dimmed to purple and blue. Various pool tables were in use, men and women sat together in other chairs, laughing the hours away.
Eren twirled his pistol around his finger, the veins in his forehead slightly tensing. Annie could tell this was a subject he wasn't comfortable talking about.
"Hey, if it's personal, you can forget I ever asked." Annie said quickly, not wanting to destroy relations between them before they even began.
"It's fine, it's fine." Eren assured her, shaking his head. "We're partners after all."
Leslie came back with two glasses of alcohol, "For Eren, we have a Whiskey Sour and for his pretty lady friend, we've got a Mint Julep."
"Thanks Leslie." Eren slipped him a fifty dollar bill.
Once Leslie left, Annie turned to Eren again, taking a sip from her drink, "You were saying?"
Eren sighed, taking a shot of the Whiskey, "My Dad was the Consigliere."
"Wow!" Annie looked at him in shock, "An adviser to the Boss! Did he work with Madam Reiss?"
"No way." Eren shook his head, "Madam Reiss was a kid then. He worked with her older sister."
"You said worked." Annie noted, "Where is he now?"
"6 feet under." Eren finished the rest of his drink in one sitting.
"I am so sorry." Annie put her hands to her mouth, "I didn't–! I would never have asked if–"
"I told you, didn't I?" Eren held a hand up, interrupting her, "It's fine."
Annie nodded and leaned her arm on the counter, using it to prop up her head.
He tilted his head to look at her, "Enough about me. Why don't you tell me how you got yourself caught up in this world? A pretty lady like you should be married."
"Married?" She socked him in the arm, "Really?"
"That was rude of me." He apologized, "I just meant, you're intelligent, you're witty, you're beautiful...You have a lot of things going for you. Why get involved with the Mob?"
"Well..." She thought for a moment, "I wasn't born into it like you but I have connections."
He raised an eyebrow as he lit a cigarette, "Connections? Like who?"
"Try Bertholdt and Reiner for example." She laughed, pushing her drink aside.
"You're kidding!" Eren took a hit, "How?"
"They're my foster brothers." Annie told him, her eyes drooping a little.
"Foster? Both of your parents are dead?" He realized he had phrased his question insensitively, "I mean, well-"
"I know what you meant." She said, "To answer your question, my Mom died when I was a kid and My Dad's somewhere. He's not dead, as far as I know."
"Well whoopty doo." He blew out a cloud of smoke, "My Dad's dead, your Mom's dead, my Mom's alive, your Dad's alive. We can supply each other the parents we're missing out on."
She yawned, "Don't count on my Dad to be there. All he's good for is abandoning people."
"You feeling a little sleepy?" He held out his cigarette, "This'll help you stay awake."
She put her hands up to decline, "Oh no, I don't—"
"Come on Leonhardt," He continued, inching closer, "Don't tell me you don't smoke."
She pursed her lips, "I was going to say I like to have my own cigarette."
"What's wrong?" He cocked his head to the left, smiling drunkenly, "Afraid of a little saliva?"
She took the cigarette from him and inhaled a large amount of nicotine, "Who's afraid?"
"Atta-girl!" He clapped, impressed at her assertiveness before checking his watch, "Look at that, it's only half-past eight."
She groaned, "And my head feels like shit now. How can you smoke right after you drink?"
"It takes years and years of practice." He patted her on the back.
Annie flinched at his touch, but tried not to look bothered, "I need a place to lie down. And this bar counter isn't exactly comfy."
"You could always lie with me." Eren flirted, "I'd show you a good time."
"No thanks." She straight up denied him, "I have a policy not to date my co-workers."
"We're not co-workers." He argued as he got up, "We're in the same family for God's sake."
"That's an even better reason." She nodded, "I don't do incest."
He laugh out loud, "Man! You are a smart one! I do happen to know a room or two. These are in my personal wing however, so don't expect to be able to use them whenever. Not unless you have a pass from me."
"We're family remember?" Annie used his own words against him, "I definitely get a pass."
Information We Can Share So Far:
The Consigliere is a member of the family second only to the boss. Meaning Counselor, he or she rarely ever makes goes into combat and is only there to advise the boss on tough calls.
A Consigliere MUST be loyal, as they are most often the right-hand man of the boss. Being the right-hand has its privileges. As you are so close to the boss, you are one of the few people who have a right to argue with him.
Level-headed, they tend to act as a mediator for those lower than themselves family tree. Beloved by all, once could argue that he or she is the linchpin of the family.
"Ugh..." Eren muttered as he sat up, "Where the hell..?"
He looked down and saw he was in bed and next to him lay Annie, snoring lightly in an ignorant bliss. Accessing the situation, Eren realized that Annie had fallen asleep next to him, although the events leading up to it were hazy.
As quietly as he could, Eren slid out of the bed and made his way to the bathroom. Each step brought feeling back to his dead legs. By the time he made it to the toilet, he was back in working condition.
After easing himself, he turned on the warm water and rubbed his hands together with soap. While washing his hands, he stared at himself in the mirror. He was starting to grow a beard, he thought, as he ran his hand over his chin, hairs prickling him. He'd have to shave after the ceremony...
The hangover left him completely as he remembered. The ceremony! What time was it? He looked at his wrist and learned that he had discarded his watch, probably on the bedside table. As he suspected, his white Rolex watch was laid out on the table.
Picking it up to snap back on his wrist, the time read 9:48.
"Annie!" He shook her in a rough manner, "Annie, wake up!"
"I didn't make a noise..." She mumbled as she got up, "I didn't make a noise."
Eren gave her a confused look, "What are you talking about?"
She blinked twice, registering Eren's figure. When her sight was clear, she let out a sigh of relief, "I thought...never mind. What is it?"
"The ceremony is going to start in twelve minutes. We overslept."
"We?" Annie looked appalled as he got up, "You mean we slept together?"
"There's only one bed." Eren pointed out to her, "Anyway, that's not important right now. We're going to have to run for it."
"Fine, but you still need to tell me what happened after this." Annie walked over to the door, opening it.
Eren grabbed her hand and again Annie tried to push any squeamish feelings deep down inside of her. He had no harmful intentions. He wasn't even aware of her past.
"Pick up the pace Leonhardt!" Eren's voice brought her focus back to their current task.
Eren would have to show her this route again, they were turning left and right every five seconds. Just when she though he had completely lost his bearings, he stopped in front of a metal door.
"We're here." He glanced at his watch, "Ten o'clock on the dot."
He pressed his thumb down on the fingerprint-reading lock and the door made a clang sound, before cracking open.
Eren pushed it in and stepped aside, "Ladies first."
"How generous of you." Annie rolled her eyes as she walked in.
The room was nothing like she had imagined. Perhaps it was the word ceremony that threw her off. She had been expecting a room dimly lit by candles here and there, hooded, robed members chanting ancient words and a demonic circle in the middle.
Instead, Historia, Ymir, Bertholdt and Reiner stood around a table, discussing possible trade partners in their respective outfits from earlier in the night.
"Look who decided to show up." Bertholdt grinned at Annie, "Lost track of the time?"
"Yeah, something like that." Annie rubbed the back of her neck, "Forgive me, Madam Reiss."
"No worries Annie." Historia held her shoulder, "It's your first day, you get a free pass."
Again, Eren wondered why Annie was being given special treatment. Was it a gender thing? Sister from another mister? The age-old rule that being a woman created an unbreakable bond? Whatever it was, Eren wasn't liking it, but he made sure his face did not display his emotions.
"Let's get on with it." Ymir interrupted his thoughts, "Reiner, you tell her the oath."
Reiner stepped forward, clearing his throat, "Listen carefully, then say it after me."
He recited the oath completely and when he was done, nodded to Annie, "You got all that?"
Annie took a deep breath, "I, Annie Leonhardt, do solemnly swear to uphold Titania's image and work for its sole rule and glory. This oath I hold close to my soul.'
Historia held out her right hand and Annie kissed the red ring on her middle finger. With this final act, she was officially a member of Titania.