"The loneliest moment in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly."
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
11•11 - Day 1
x
"Breakfast is ready." Mikasa muttered, nudging the top of the couch.
"Okay." Eren set his comic book down, sliding off the couch and following Mikasa back to the kitchen. There were two plates of scrambled eggs and toast set out on the table. Eren's mom was talking on the phone quietly in the corner. Noticing Eren and Mikasa, she stepped out of the room, giving them a small smile. The two sat and began eating.
Eren gave Mikasa a cursory glance. She had been different since the day her parents died, almost like something in her eyes had dimmed. Eren frowned and stabbed his fried egg, watching the yellow goop ooze onto the plate. I wish her parents were still alive, he thought. Maybe then she wouldn't be like this.
There was the footsteps from the living room and Hannes appeared in his police uniform, heading straight for the coffee maker. Eren forked a spoonful of eggs into his mouth as he watched Hannes pour coffee into his favorite mug.
He looked around. "Hey, you kids happen to see my-"
"Your boots are by the backdoor." Mikasa answered before he could finish, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
Hannes smiled at her graciously, walking to the back door and grabbing his boots with one hand. He set his sheriff's hat on the table and put his boots on on as he took another sip of coffee and adjusted his holster. Eren turned in his chair, watching Hannes shuffle around.
"Isn't it a little early to be going in?" Eren frowned.
Hannes came back into the kitchen and set his empty mug in the sink, leaning against the counter for a moment. "The force has been a little...taxed recently. But it's nothing you should worry about." He shook his head, giving Eren a thin smile.
"Why did we have to come stay here with you while my Dad went out of town then? What's going on?" Eren set his fork down, giving Hannes a stare. He hated when adults tried to keep information away from him because of his age. "Whatever it is, we have a right to know."
Hannes just shook his head, walking over to Eren and clapping him on the shoulder. "Are you gonna finish that?"
"Wh- no?" Eren's eyes widened as Hannes snatched up his cold slice of toast and took a huge bite.
Hannes turned away and shoved the rest into his mouth, quickly sliding his arms into his brown leather jacket and waving towards Mikasa and Eren. "See ya!" He called putting on his hat and shutting the front door behind him.
Eren and Mikasa's eyes met. "What the hell…" Eren grumbled, looking down at his empty plate. Mikasa just shrugged.
Eren stood and took their plates to the sink, quickly chugging the rest of his milk. "Let's go see Armin. Since school was canceled."
"Maybe you should put some clothes on first." Mikasa rose her eyebrows lightly.
Eren glanced down at his teenage mutant ninja turtle boxers and frowned. "Right… yeah."
Karla slid open the door on the far side of the kitchen again, setting the house phone back into its charger. She smiled when she saw Mikasa and Eren. "How was the food?" She asked, although she seemed too preoccupied to listen to the reply.
"It was good." Eren said, giving his mom an irritated glace. "We're gonna go over to Armin's. Is that okay?"
Karla hesitated. "Why don't you have Armin come over here? Then I can watch you three and we can give Armin's grandfather a break."
"Good idea." Eren pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Armin. He received a reply almost immediately.
Eren:
Yo u wanna come over to Hannes and hang with me n Mikasa?
Armin:
Grandpa says yes, but someone has to walk me to your house.
Eren:
Ok. We'll come get u. See you in 5
Armin:
How's Mikasa by the way? I can't believe any of that happened. It's so horrible.
Eren paused and looked at his friend. Mikasa already had her boots and coat on. He noticed the slip of red fabric peeking out from her sleeve. She'd taken to wrapping her mother's ribbon around her wrist. She had her arms crossed and her eyes transfixed on the overcast sky.
Eren:
She's different
Quieter...
I guess
Armin:
Maybe we can manage to get it off her mind.
Eren:
Ya. Good idea
See you soon
Armin:
K
"He can come over, but his grandpa said we have to go pick him up." Eren informed his mother, putting his phone back in his pocket.
"Would you like a ride?" Karla asked with a small frown, taking an elastic from her wrist and wrapping her hair up into a messy bun.
"Nah. I want to walk." Eren looked back at Mikasa again, but she made no comment. Really, Eren just wanted an opportunity to talk to Mikasa about what his parents were hiding from them.
Eren started towards the guest room, where he and his mom were temporarily sleeping. "I'll go get changed." Eren called to Mikasa as she nodded, sitting back on the arm of the couch.
"You two be careful, okay?" Eren's mother called after him.
"Yeah mom! Got it."
x
Eren couldn't resist balancing along the curb as they walked. Mikasa walked beside him on the street, shivering slightly as a cool wind blew. The sky was still the same overcast, dreary sight.
Hannes lived in one of the neighborhoods closer to the edge of town, only a few blocks over from Armin and his grandfather. Many of the lots in the area were newly constructed or empty. It was a little out of the way, but Armin always said he liked the rural feeling of the area. His parents were currently out of the country doing missionary work, like they always were, so it was just Armin and his grandfather.
"I swear my parents are hiding something…" Eren muttered, breaking the silence as he stepped off the curb and turned towards Mikasa. Eren half-expected a snarky remark or an eyeroll, but Mikasa just nodded slightly.
"I think," She began, keeping up her pace as her eyes fell to the pavement. "I think it has to do with what happened to my parents."
"...What do you mean?" Eren asked warily, moving to catch up and falling in step beside her.
"You saw my mom." Mikasa's eyes closed momentarily and Eren's chest tightened. He regretted bringing the memories up. "She wasn't herself. She was rabid, like an animal."
"Yeah... It was like something out of a horror movie." Eren pulled his sleeves down a little and they walked in silence until they reached the intersection to Armin's street. "Armin will be happy to see us. Unless he's still studying for that dumb history quiz. For all we know, school could be canceled all week. Remember that time the new kid got swine flu and everyone freaked out and we had the next few days off?"
Mikasa nodded and they moved to cross the street. "I think… this is different."
Eren gave her a skeptical look. "My mom says the media always blows these things out of proportion."
Mikasa shrugged and shivered again, adjusting her sweater. "It feels like it's getting colder."
"Yeah. Another cold front. I saw it on the weather channel last night."
"You watch the weather channel?" Mikasa asked, her nose crinkling.
Eren looked away, embarrassed. "Shut up."
Armin's house was just up ahead. It was a smaller house, but he and his grandfather were always working on the garden during the weekends, planting radiant local flowers and produce. Seeing the garden as they walked up to the front porch had Mikasa thinking back to earlier summers.
She had fond memories of Eren picking ripened tomatoes and violently biting into them, pretending the dripping, red juice was blood. His eccentric expressions had always made Armin and Mikasa laugh uncontrollably. Now, she couldn't even bring herself to smile at the memory.
Eren walked up to the front porch and banged on the door a few times, Mikasa right behind him. He waited, rocking back on his feet impatiently, hands shoved in his pockets. A few moments later, Armin opened the door and stepped out. His eyes immediately met Mikasa's before quickly looking away. He smiled awkwardly and ran a hand through his blonde hair.
"Hey guys."
"Armin, let's go! I'm hungry." Eren exclaimed, patting his shorter blonde friend on the head.
"We just ate." Mikasa muttered, scowling slightly.
"Yeah, but Hannes ate my toast." Eren smiled innocently at her.
"We can get some food from inside real quick." Armin suggested, turning back towards the door. "Here, I'll grab some snacks while you guys wait inside. It's kind of cold."
Armin unlocked the front door and slipped his sneakers off onto the mat, peering into the living room. "Grandpa?" He called, cupping his mouth with one hand. "We're grabbing some food real quick!"
There was no response. Armin waited another few seconds before shrugging. "He must be upstairs. Here, y'all can go watch T.V. or something. I'll make some sandwiches and we can eat them at the park." Armin eagerly ushered his friends forward before scampering to the kitchen.
As soon as he was out of sight, Eren whispered, "Isn't it a little cold for the park?" Mikasa only shrugged at him, taking off her shoes and setting them next to Armin's. "Either way, he's awfully chatty." Eren said, sneakers thudding on the hardwood floor as he moved past Mikasa.
"I think he feels awkward." Mikasa said, her grey eyes rising to meet Eren's.
Eren paused and then nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right."
Together, they shuffled towards the living room, where faint voices could be heard. The T.V. was already on, set to the news. There was a young man standing outside of a large, corporate-looking building. "...Only three weeks ago the board of directors had been speaking of expanding outside of the United States, which makes the sudden liquidation of the company's stocks even more surprising…"
Eren rolled his eyes and grabbed the remote from the coffee table. "So lame. Why do people watch this boring stuff anyway?" Eren quickly amended himself. "Well, I guess Armin's sort of into it-"
"Wait." Mikasa interjected. He glanced up, eyebrows raised and noticed she had her eyes on the screen. "Turn it up."
Eren jabbed the volume button a few times and the young reporter's voice was suddenly completely audible.
"...Both Darius Zackly, the founder of the corporation, and Erwin Smith, the CEO, refuse to comment…"
Armin came scampering in from the kitchen, holding a butter knife in one hand and a slice of bread in the other. His socks slid slightly on the polished wood floors. His eyes flickered eagerly to the images of the two men standing side by side. Personally, Eren thought they just looked boring and old, with their business suits and scowls, but Armin was completely enraptured.
"...There is speculation abroad about the recent explosion at the facilities in southern Texas, and how these financially catastrophic events will effect such an influential company..." The reporter continued.
"You wrote a paper on him, right?" Mikasa asked, her voice making Armin jump slightly.
"Uh, it was more of an informal rant…" Armin blushed and looked down awkwardly at the items in his hands.
"Did you just run in here as soon as you heard Erwain's name?" Eren's face twisted a little.
"It's Erwin." Armin corrected, his eyebrows pulling together.
"Oh, excuse me." Eren snorted. Mikasa narrowed her eyes and Eren sighed, turning to Armin. "Sorry."
"It's fine," Armin assured his friend, looking away from the television. "The story is over anyway. I'll finish these up really quick and then we can go." Armin half-smiled and quickly retreated to the kitchen.
x
"Told you." Eren muttered, plopping down on the tire swing and wincing. "Too damn cold. I hate this weather." Mikasa kicked the tire, making Eren almost lose his balance, before going and grabbing onto the monkey bars. Eren stuck out his tongue in response.
"If Armin wants to go to the park, we can bear the cold for a few minutes." She said as she hopped from bar to bar easily, hoisting herself up to the top, then perching and dangling her legs. Mikasa had been a gymnast up until she started high school. Eren would never admit it aloud, but he was a little envious of her athletic ability.
Mikasa's eyes followed something behind Eren and he turned to see Armin walking up from across the park.
"Still hungry?" Armin asked, sitting beside Eren on the tire swing, making the rubber seat sway.
"Yeah. Thanks man." Eren grunted as Armin quickly retrieved a wrapped sandwich from his pull-string bag and placed it in Eren's outstretched hand.
Armin smiled warmly and Eren grinned in response, wrapping his arm around his friend's shoulders. Armin leaned into Eren and found his eyes wandering up towards Mikasa. This was the first time he had seen her since her parent's death. She looks so numb, Armin thought sadly. She hasn't bopped my nose, or tried to tie my sleeves together, or faked punching me… Eren was right. She's different.
"Mikasa," Armin blurted, gaining both his friend's attention. He was unsure of how to continue, but he felt his resolve harden. "Sometime soon, you should go see a counselor, or a therapist or something. You don't have to act like everything is okay, at least, not around us."
Armin saw Eren's eyes spark and he passionately added on. "Yeah! And if anyone even thinks about mentioning it at school I'll punch their freaking face in, okay?"
"We'll support you however we can." Armin quickly added.
Mikasa rubbed her rosy nose with the back of her hand and gave the boys the faintest smile, her eyes glossy with emotion. She took a deep breath and watched as Eren unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite, while Armin rocked the tire swing a little. Thank you. She thought, feeling too drained to speak the words aloud. And thank you for treating me normally. I don't know what I'd do without you two.
Armin met her eyes and smiled, almost like he could feel her gratitude. Eren was too busy making love to his sandwich.
"Wait," Mikasa began, suddenly thinking back to breakfast. "Eren. Did you tell your mom we went to the park?"
Eren shook his head, mouth still full. She felt for her phone, which was tucked safely in her pocket, and pulled it out. No messages. Mikasa took a deep breath and let her shoulders relax. Everything is fine. Mrs. Jaeger will call if she gets worried. Everything is fine.
There was a loud rumbling from above and the three looked up curiously. A fleet of military helicopters flew right above them in tight formation, headed towards downtown. There were a few seconds of deafening noise and then the helicopters were out of sight. Mikasa grabbed the monkey bars and swung to the ground, tucking back her wind-blown hair. Eren's mouth was open slightly and Armin looked perplexed.
Armin looked between Eren and Mikasa. "That was-"
"Fuckin' awesome!" Eren exclaimed, taking another huge bite of his sandwich and standing, causing Armin to almost lose his balance.
"Weird." Mikasa finished, ignoring Eren's outburst. Armin nodded and then shrugged.
Eren swallowed the lump of food in his mouth. "Maybe there's a parade or something."
Armin rolled his eyes. "The military at a parade? ...Right. No, they're probably coming to put us in quarantine." Mikasa gave Armin an alarmed look.
"Like in the Simpson's movie?" Eren asked, a small smile crossing his face at the image.
"Yeah. Just like that."
There was a scream of noise from Eren's pocket, which began vibrating wildly. Armin and Mikasa gave him bemused looks as he fumbled, trying to get his phone free.
Undead! Undead! / Undead! Undead!
"Really?" Mikasa rolled her eyes. Eren's face flushed slightly and he scowled.
Undead! You better get up out the way / Tomorrow we'll rise so let's fight today / You know, I don't give a fuck-
The song ended abruptly as Eren picked up. "It's Hannes." Eren said as he brought it to his ear."Hello?"
"Eren! There you are! Listen, I need you to stay calm. You, Mikasa and your mom need to get out of town as soon as possible. Just take forty-four west and follow the route until you reach the evacuation center. Can you remember that? Eren?" Hannes' voice was strained and there was the faint crackle of the police radio in the background.
"Wait, what are you talking about? And we're not with mom."
"Something… something is happening to people, Eren. I don't know exactly what. We were all hit by surprise and- wait, where are you? Didn't your mother tell you to stay home?" Hannes voice took on a sudden panicked edge and Eren felt his heart start to pound uncomfortably.
"What is it?" Armin asked, eyebrows pulling together. "What's wrong?"
"Shit, uh kinda. We went to the park with Armin."
"Damn it! Karla hasn't been answering her phone. That's why I called you." There was a pause. Eren could almost hear Hannes gripping his temples in frustration. "Okay, listen. Stay there at the park. I'm coming to pick you three up and whatever you do, stay away from strangers and anyone acting suspiciously. You hear? Eren!"
"No way!" Eren tensed up and his voice became shrill. "We're going to go find her!" He hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket.
"Eren?" Mikasa asked, taking a few steps forward.
His eyes were wild.. "We- we have to go home. Mom might be in trouble! Hannes said people are attacking each other… and… and the whole town is evacuating."
Mikasa's eyes widened. "What?"
"Wait, Eren, what are we supposed to do?" Armin asked, trying to stop his hands from trembling. Eren's panic was infectious.
Eren turned away, his fists clenching at his sides. "You guys can stay here and wait for Hannes. I have to make sure my mom is okay…!" Without another word, he spun around and began sprinting back towards his house.
"Eren!" Mikasa shouted. He didn't respond. She ground her teeth, turning to Armin. "Go home. Make sure your grandfather is okay." Armin nodded shakily, but Mikasa had already turned and began chasing after Eren.
Armin watched his friends leave as a series of sudden gunshots cracked in the distance. Armin jumped, swallowing hard as chills ran through him. The shots sounded far away, but Armin still felt nauseous. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his bag and turned, shoes pounding on the pavement as he ran home.
x
Eren barely paused when he finally reached Hannes' house, charging forward as soon as he saw that the door had been left ajar. "Mom!" Eren yelled, racing across the front lawn and into the entryway. "Mom!"
From down the hallway, he could hear choked sobs, as well as a grotesque ripping noise. Shit. He quickly stooped to reach the panel beside the coat rack and carefully jiggled it open. Inside was a box of bullets and Hannes' automatic revolver. Fuck. I hope I can remember those shooting lessons. Eren thought, as images of Mikasa's rabid mother flashed through his head. Moments later, Mikasa came running in behind him. She stopped short when she saw Eren loading the the gun in his hands, but made no comment.
There was a loud cry of pain and Eren stopped halfway through, closing the cylinder of the gun and racing into the living room. Mikasa followed close behind. Panic shot through him when he noticed the smears of blood on the back of the couch. "Mom!" he yelled, moving towards the kitchen.
Eren stopped suddenly and Mikasa bumped into him with a small gasp. "What-" Mikasa began, stopping short when she peeked over Eren's shoulder
Karla Jaeger was pinned to the ground by a woman who was practically spitting drool. She was holding the woman back with shaky arms as another man was hunched over her lower half, tearing at the flesh of her feebly kicking left leg with his teeth. Another body was strewn on its side a few feet away, sharpening steel jutting from their skull. Tears were streaming down Eren's mother's face.
"Eren! Mikasa!" She screamed when she noticed them. Spittle was dripping down her face from the woman trying to grab her throat. "S-stay back!"
"No!" Eren shouted in disbelief, raising the revolver. "No!"
Mikasa quickly snatched it away, hissing, "You might hit her!"
Eren growled in anger and grabbed the nearest object from the counter, which happened to be a cutting board. He swung forward, feeling it connect with the woman's face. There was a sickening crunch, and the momentum carried the wooden board to the ground with a clatter. "Fucking bitch!" Eren screamed.
Eren's mother cried out in pain as the man tore off another strip of flesh. Eren grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and yanked desperately, angry tears streaming down his face. The man slid back easily on the blood soaked tile. He thrashed a little and then reached back for Eren. Eren jumped away and reached for something to defend himself with.
He grabbed one of the plates from the drying rack and smashed it down on top of the man's head. The man gurgled and bloody saliva spilled down his chin, but he seemed unaffected by the glass shards and cuts on his scalp. "What… the… fuck." Eren panted, reaching for another plate.
"Move!" Mikasa shouted. Eren barely had time to dodge as the woman lunged towards him, blood dripping from the gash on the side of her face.
"Just leave me! Get out of here, quick!" Karla screamed, tears streaming down her face. "Damn it, Eren, listen!"
Eren backed into the corner by the kitchen table as quickly as he could and shouted for Mikasa. "Shoot it! Fucking shootthem!"
Mikasa brought the gun up, taking aim at the woman who was up and stumbling towards Eren. She pulled the trigger and there was a deafening crack, followed by the gun jerking back painfully. The bullet lodged into the plaster of the far wall, a few inches away from the target.
"Fuck! Mikasa! Again!" Eren yelled, grabbing one of the kitchen table chairs and swinging it at the woman. It hit her chest bluntly and she fell onto her rear. Eren quickly backed away and Mikasa fired again. Her ears ached, but her hands were steady. There was a splatter of red across the linoleum tile, and the woman fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
Eren and Mikasa's eyes met briefly, then Mikasa was crossing the room to where the man was slowly crawling towards them. She pinned the man down with her shoe and pressed the barrel of the revolver to the man's head. She pulled the trigger, looking away from the instantaneous mess.
There was silence except for Karla's quiet, broken sobs. "No, no, no," She gasped, her eyes wide over the scene before her. Mikasa averted her eyes and hid the gun beneath her sweater.
"Mom." Eren's voice cracked as he ran to her side and dropped to his knees, ignoring the blood and spittle. "Mom..."
Blood was pumping from a deep bite on Karla's shoulder and Eren numbly fumbled his hands over the wound, pushing down like in the movies. His mother winced and he let out a shaky sob. "What do I do? Mom? ...What do I do?"
Tears soaked her cheeks as she raised a shaky hand, stroking Eren's face. "You have to get out of here. Find- find Hannes. You'll be safe with him. He'll know what to do." She sniffled, "I love you. I love you both."
Mikasa nodded, still hovering behind Eren, tears falling and soaking into the front of her shirt.
"No! We can… I…" Eren's face contorted and he grabbed onto his mom's torn clothing. "Mom... I'm sorry I got into all those fights. I'm sorry I always complained about the dishes and…" Eren's voice broke and he started to wail. "I'm sorry I was such an ass!"
"Shh…" Eren's mother whispered, letting her head rest on the tile again. "Both of you, promise you'll take care of eachother." They both nodded and she took a shaky breath. "...Good… that's good…" She paused and Eren froze.
He nudged her slightly, panic surging through him. "Mom? Mom!" He shoved her harder. There was no response.
Mikasa waited a few seconds and then stepped forward, gently touching Eren's shoulder. "We have to go."
"Fuck you! I'm not leaving her!" He yelled, slapping her arm away and reaching for his mother's hand. Tears and snot were streaking down his face as he sobbed against his mother's limp body.
Mikasa's bottom lip trembled and she grabbed Eren, jerking him up. "We have to go!"
He struggled, but eventually Mikasa managed to drag him into the living room. Looking over the bloody scene before him, he fell silent, a whimper escaping him.
"...I'm so sorry, mom." He whispered, eyes shut, fists clenched.
"Eren…" Mikasa said, looking anxiously towards the front door. He nodded, letting Mikasa lead him towards the door, which was still open. Mikasa peeked out and frowned.
There was another person moving towards the house. They had the strange gait that the others seemed to have - like something didn't quite make it from their brain to their legs.
"Backdoor." Mikasa muttered, spinning quickly, still leading Eren by the sleeve. Mikasa pushed aside the blinds on the large glass double doors and looked out. The backyard was clear, but through the chain-link fence she could see three more people shuffling in the empty lot behind the house. A car was haphazardly parked across the street with its alarms blaring. The three seemed to be making their way towards it.
Before she could unlock the doors, there was a loud gunshot from the front yard. Hannes? Mikasa wondered as she spun back around.
Eren was looking at his mother again. Mikasa gripped his shoulder tightly, keeping her eyes off the floor, instead focusing on where the bullet still lodged in the plaster. "Say your goodbyes now. You won't see her again." She tried to say the words kindly, but they came out cold.
The front door slammed shut and Hannes appeared at the end of the front hall, blood splattered down the front of his police uniform and an empty duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Immediately, he spotted them and rushed to their side. "Thank God! Are you two alright? Where's your mother?" He said.
Noticing their expressions, he turned towards the kitchen. "Oh," he exhaled, taking a heavy step back and fumbling for the back of the couch. He managed to steady himself and quickly averted his eyes.
"Eren…" Hannes said, eyes beginning to water, "Eren, God, this is all my fault. It's all my fault..."
Eren turned, his expression pained. "Shut up. Let's just leave."
Hannes' eyes widened in surprise and he looked to Mikasa in desperation. She was still staring just above Eren's mother at the kitchen wall. These are not my kids. he thought bitterly. They're too young for eyes like that.
Hannes swallowed hard and straightened up, shoving down his shock and fear. "Run upstairs and pack a bag with essentials," He instructed, authority returning to his voice. "Quickly."
They nodded and hurried past him.
Once they were upstairs and out of sight, he stepped forward, crouching beside Karla. Hannes tried not to sob as he brushed back the hair in her face. Her brown eyes stared up emptily, their usual fire completely extinguished. "Karla…" He whispered as warm tears dripped from his chin and beaded on her paling skin. "It wasn't supposed to end like this… I thought we'd have more time… God, I'm so sorry."
He sniffled and reached down to close her eyelids, letting his hand rest there as he dried his face on his shoulder. He stooped lower and pressed a hesitant kiss to her forehead, pulling back with regretful eyes. "I'll keep them safe, I promise."
Wiping his face once again, he stood shakily and forced himself to look away. He maneuvered past the scattered corpses, taking quick note of the bodies and bullet holes. Hannes opened the top cabinet by the fridge, quickly shoveling the canned goods and non-perishables into the duffle bag around his shoulder.
He slammed the cabinet shut and hurried back around to the hall, opening the closet and moving the old winter coats aside. Entering the combination to the gun safe, he emptied what he could into the duffle bag, taking both the shotgun and rifle and wrapping the gun's straps around his shoulder. Instinctively, he checked his holster and, satisfied, shut the safe, just as Eren and Mikasa came running back down the stairs.
They'd thrown on heavier jackets and shoes and had their school bags slung over their shoulders. Eren was staring ahead blankly and Mikasa's eyebrows were pulled together anxiously.
"You kids packed?" Hannes asked, forcing himself to sound as confident as possible. They nodded, and Hannes held out his hand. "...I'll need my gun back."
Mikasa frowned, but she pulled the gun from her jacket's pocket and placed it in his hand without complaint. Hannes nodded and silently led the way to the front door, flicking the safety on the revolver and putting in the duffel.
Hannes peeked out the front door, his gun at the ready, then motioned them forward. "Hurry."
They sprinted across the lawn, passing the body of the man Hannes had taken out upon entering. Hannes' police car was right at the curb, with Armin and his grandfather visible within. Armin's eyes widened as he saw Eren and Mikasa and he quickly scooted to the far seat. Mikasa and Eren piled in as Hannes tossed the bag in the trunk. He hurried around to the drivers' side and within moments, they were screeching away from the house.
"Eren! Mikasa!" Armin cried, wrapping his arms around his friends and hugging them tightly, tears threatening to spill. "I'm so glad you're safe." There was a tense moment where no one said a word. Armin looked around the vehicle and felt his breath catch as he noticed the absence of Eren's mother. He immediately fell silent, lowering his head and trying not to cry.
Mikasa turned her head, watching as figures stumbled aimlessly on the streets. There was an occasional fit of shouting or gunshots in the distance, but besides that and the thick traffic on the freeway, the world outside seemed oddly calm.
"We're not taking forty-four?" Eren asked over the constant barrage of the police scanner.
"It's practically stalled," Hannes said, glancing in the rearview mirror and turning down the scanner a bit. "We're taking back roads to the evacuation center."
None of this feels real, Mikasa clenched her fists. How can it be real?
Nobody seemed to have the energy to respond.
Eren shifted in his seat, looking out the back window of the car. They drove past the streets they'd grown up on, Mikasa's preschool, the church Armin's parents belonged to, the arcade Eren loved. Armin turned to watch with him.
We're really leaving... Mikasa thought. She gave her best friends a quick, sad glance, but she couldn't bring herself to look back as well.