Deep in Death

30 years old, and Levi is the most promising homicide detective in New York. Yet nothing that comes across his desk is enough to spark the passion he used to feel when he first started at the 12th precinct 6 years ago under Captain Erwin Smith. That is until the most gruesome case he has ever seen falls into his lap one cold January morning. With his new partner, a young detective who is so green you can still smell spring on him, Levi attempts to unravel the most complicated case he;s ever taken on. A case with government cover ups and implications of things even Levi can't stomach. And the key to understanding everything might lie with his new partner, and the mysterious circumstances around his mother's death.

...

Chapter One: Another Day in Misery

Levi leaned against the brick wall of the 12th precinct, his left foot propped up against the wall, a Starbucks latte in one hand and a freshly lit cigarette in the other. His face was turned up to the overcast sky, his warm breath fogging up the air in front of him. Bringing the smoldering cigarette to his lips, he took a deep long drag, letting the warm smoke fill his lungs. Almost instantly he felt the effects of the nicotine on his system. Holding the smoke in his lungs for a moment, he savored the warmth it brought, then slowly exhaled towards the sky. The addition of cigarette smoke not really changing the smoggy quality of the air in front of him. With one last push from his lungs, he exhaled the last of the smoke, letting his hand fall limp by his side, where the cigarette glowed gently between his yellowing first and second fingers. He then brought the white paper cup up to his lips and sipped at the still hot liquid inside. It's bitter tasted washed over his tongue, burning it slightly. After a few more sips, he lowered his hand to ninety degrees from his body, and leaned his head back against the brick wall and closed his eyes.

It was an indication of how awful of a day. Week. Month it had been, that he was double fisting his vices, braving the cold air of a January in New York. Everything that had fallen on his desk was boring. Stale. He wanted something interesting. Instead, all he got was divorces gone very wrong and prostitutes stabbed for denying some drunkard sex. Instead, all he got was open and close cases and a mountain of paper work.

With a sigh, he brought his coffee cup back up to his lips, trying to not think about the mountain of paperwork sitting on his desk back upstairs. He was just about to take a sip when something collided with him, sending his coffee cup flying from his hand. The latte sprawled across the pock marked side walk while the cup rolled away from him. For a moment, he just glared at the cup on the ground, some what in disbelief. His already shitty day was getting worse by the minute.

"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!" came a voice. Levi looked up from the cup to see a young boy, no more than 21, bending at the waist to chase after the cup.

"Just leave it," Levi growled, bringing the cigarette back up to his lips to take a long drag. The boy looked up at him, his bright green eyes locking with Levi's.

"I-I... I'm really sorry," the kid repeated.

"Don't fucking do it again, or I'll kick your ass," Levi answered after slowly letting the smoke escape his lips, trying his best to stay calm. Every ounce of him wanted to grab this kid by his fancy ass jacket and give that porcelain face of his a good black eye at the vey least. He knew if he did, Erwin would put him on suspension for sure.

The kid nodded, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard at the look of pure malice obviously reflecting in Levi's eyes.

"Now, get the fuck out of my sight," Levi snapped, and closed his eyes, his cigarette already at his lips.

When he opened his eyes, the kid was gone. If he was lucky, Levi would never see him again.

...

Twenty minutes later, no more relaxed than he was when he left for his break, Levi threw the cigarette filter on the side walk, crushing it under the toe of his boot and kicking it aside. He side stepped the puddle of what was once his coffee, and pushed open the door of the precinct.

As he took the elevator up to the 3rd floor, the homicide floor, Levi wished he had gone across the street to buy himself another latte. But before he had made his decision to go back downstairs, the doors opened and displayed fifteen desks in three neat rows, each ladened in computers, and never silent phones behind a wall of wire. He knew if he travelled right, he would be in front of the two interrogation rooms on this floor, and if he went left, he would be in the break room with an old fridge no one bothered to clean out, and a coffee machine that only made weak coffee which tasted like dirt. Directly across from the elevator, behind the rows of desks, there was a glass wall with the blinds shuddered closed, but the dim glow of the overcast sky was still visible through them. Half way down, there was a door, and in gold letters was the name Cpt. Erwin Smith.

It wasn't unusual for Erwin to have his blinds closed. In fact, that was the way he liked it. That was the way things usually were. To many, it was a mystery what happened beyond that door when it was closed, but not to Levi. It had never been a mystery. And that was part of the reason he had received his job at this particular precinct. a

Levi threw his leather jacket over the back of his chair, and sat down behind the pile of paperwork, glaring at it in hopes that it would just do itself.

"You know," came a voice, that paper work isn't going to get done any faster if you just glare at it."

Levi looked up to Oluo, a fellow homicide detective leaning on his desk.

"I bet it would get done faster if you did it," Levi replied, pulling a file towards him and casually flicking it open.

Paper work was his least favourite part of his job. He loved the trill he got from solving murders, bringing down the bad guy. Nothing gave him more of a rush. If all he had to do was find murders, he would be happy. Unfortunately, that wasn't all this job entailed. There was another side. A side he despised.

Paper work.

"That would defeat the purpose, Sir," Oluo answered with a laugh and moved back to his desk. Levi had just picked up his pen and started filling in the paperwork when his phone started to buzz on the desk.

Zoe Hanji.

With a sigh he picked it up.

"This had better be good," he growled into the mouth piece.

"Well good morning to you too," she said sarcastically.

"What is it, Hanji?"

"I've got a good one for you," she said, her voice a little too cheerful for announcing the discovery of a body.

"It better be fucking good, Hanji. I'm up to my eyeballs in paperwork..."

"Aw come on, Levi, you know I wouldn't call if it wasn't good."

"Last time you called me, it was for a dead hooker who had been mugged."

"Yes, but she was found strung up, upside down, on a stripper pole!"

"What is it, Hanji?" he repeated.

"That would ruin the surprise. Trust me, you're going to like this one." Her excitement was so overwhelming, he could almost feel himself getting excited. "Besides. Do you want to do paper work all day, or do you want to solve a murder?"

She knew. She knew only too well what he wanted.

"Fuck you," he growled.

"See you soon?"

"Yeah, I'm just leaving now," he replied.

"Okay, we are at 23rd and Lex,"

Levi hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket off his chair. he was just sliding his arm into the jacket when Erwin poked his head out from the office door.

"Levi, just the man I was looking for,"

"Sorry, Sir, not now. I'm just leaving for a crime scene."

Erwin glance at the stack of papers on Levi's desk and raised his eye brow skeptically. "Apparently it's a good one," Levi replied with a shrug.

"It'll only take five minutes." When was the last time it had only taken five minutes, Levi thought to himself skeptically. "Get your ass in here, that's an order."

"Yes, Sir." Levi put down his jacket and stalked towards Erwin's office. Levi closed the door behind him and stared at the Captain with puzzlement in his eyes. His hand up at the collar of his white button down shirt. Erwin shook his head.

"Levi, I'd like you to meet your new partner." he said, gesturing towards the corner. Levi hadn't realized there was a third person in the room. He turned to see a kid, no more than 21 standing there. He was tall. At least a head taller than Levi. He had wide shoulders and narrow hips. A wiry build, yet he was still muscular. His loose shirt clung to and accentuated every muscle in his arms and chest.

Then Levi's eyes settled on the kid's face. Shaggy dark brown hair framed his pale, boyish face, where two bright green eyes bloomed spectacularly.

Levi turned back to Erwin, feeling the frown on his face deepening.

"I don't take partners," Levi growled.

"You do now," Erwin answered. "His name is Eren Jaeger. He's a recent graduate. Top of his class. Very promising young man. I want him to learn from the best."

He'd gotten along just fine over the last four years without a partner; his last partner hadn't worked out so well.

"Sir, I said I don't take on partners"

"And I said you do," Erwin growled, his words indicating that the consequences for disobeying him would be far graver than Levi would have ever anticipated. Levi clenched his jaw and shot the kid a look, nodding his head towards the door, indicating it was time to leave. Levi turned on his heels and left the room without even a backwards glance. The kid followed him out the door.

"Get your shit, newbie. We've got a case."

"Yes, Sir," Eren responded, pulling his expensive jacket on over the shirt he was wearing.

Levi marched down the hall and hit the button for the elevator. He stood with his arms crossed as he waited for it to reach their floor.

"It's a real pleasure to work with you," Eren said, enthusiastically, thrusting a hand towards Levi. Levi just glared at it.

"First rule, Erika, keep your mouth." Levi growled and stepped onto the elevator.

"Um, sir... my name..." Eren replied, following Levi onto the elevator. The doors closed, and Levi pinned the kid to the wall. He may have been shorter than Eren, but he still had the upper hand.

"I don't give a fuck what your name is. You will keep your trap shut unless I ask for your opinion," he whispered menacingly. He was up on his tip toes so he could lean in to Eren's ear. He could smell the gentle odor of his soap, like Dove or something. He released Eren, feeling his heart rate rising. He took a step back and brushed himself off. "I don't take on partners. They are more trouble than they are worth. You will watch your own back. I neither want, nor expect your help. You're in the big leagues now, newbie. Better toughen the fuck up." With that, the elevator doors opened, and Levi stepped off, wiping his hands off on his slacks as he marched towards his car.