The next day, there was still no sign of Mikasa, and at this point, Armin became fidgety and didn't talk to Eren. He wanted to. But he slapped his best friend. He felt too guilty.

Of course, Eren was worried too. The night before, Eren had tried to go to sleep, but guilt was tearing at his heart, and he needed to apologize. So, he left. To find her.

He had no luck. He only found her scarf in the Legion. She was probably in there, but he didn't bother. He wanted to find her, yet he wanted to give her some space. He realized what he did. And he regretted it.

They weren't supposed to be at work until three, which gave plenty of time for Mikasa to run away before Eren and Armin noticed, and Armin prayed that wasn't the case. Armin wanted his childhood friend back, and he wanted the three of them to be normal again.

Of course, Armin had another problem on his mind. Though it was ten in the morning, his heart was still pounding. He was going to do it today. And maybe she would accept a date too. Armin's heart fluttered and he smiled to himself.

When Armin finished getting dressed, he exited his room only to see Eren on the couch staring down a the plush red fabric in his hands. Armin sighed and he sat next to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder.

They sat there for a while, staring at Mikasa's forgotten scarf until Eren whispered, "What have I done, Armin?"

Armin gripped his shoulder tighter and sighed, "It's not your fault, Eren."

"Yes, it is." Eren shifted on the couch and leaned back ,"If only I had asked her to dance with me. She'd still be here, and I wouldn't be holding her scarf." He tossed the scarf aside, "But instead I said things that I shouldn't have said. I mean, what kind of idiot am I?"

"A pretty big one, I guess." Armin patted his friends back and stood, "Eren, she'll come back. You have to have faith in her. She still loves you. She can't run away that easily."

Eren sighed and shook his head, "What I said hurt her. I won't be surprised if she doesn't come back."

Armin exhaled loudly and shook his head, "Eren..."

He raised a hand, "Go check the mail." He looked up at his friend, his eyes quivering, "Just...go."

Armin gulped and nodded, grabbing his jacket and heading out. He never saw Eren like that. He rubbed his head and fingered the blonde hair strands underneath his fingertips.

She'd come back. Right?

X

Jean walked into the living room seeing Connie sprawled on the couch and Sasha clumsily sleeping at his side, hiding in the crevice.

It was about eleven, and he had the day off. He was attending their lounge tonight and was going to get his suit from the dry cleaners. Of course, he couldn't leave the two here.

"Oi, get up you two!" Jean said loudly, startling Connie, and Sasha waking so abruptly with fear, punching Connie in the nose.

"Ow, fuck!" Connie howled in pain and clasped his nose in between his hands.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry." She tried to examine his nose.

"Okay, okay, I'm going here pretty soon. You two need to wash up and get out of here." Jean pointed towards the door.

The two groaned and both sat up, Sasha stalking to the bathroom with Connie on her tail.

"Wait, woah, no." Jean said, grabbing onto Connie's collar, "Where do you think you're going."

Connie stared at him, "Uh, to go take a bath."

"While Sasha is in there?"

"Yeah." Connie looked at the bathroom, "I don't see the problem."

Jean stared at him, "You two aren't even married."

Connie blushed beet red and began to laugh, "Well, yeah! Of course we aren't married. Silly Jean."

Jean blinked and slowly said, "Connie, don't tell me you've never bathed alone before."

Connie stared back, "You can do that?"

Jean scowled, "Yes, you dimwit, that's what you're supposed to do."

"I've been bathing with my siblings all these years, and when I met Sasha we've bathed together. I don't see the big deal."

Jean's jaw dropped, "You're telling me that you two bathed...mutliple times together?"

Connie coughed, "Uh yeah...I didn't know people were supposed to bathe alone..." He coughed again, "Sasha, why haven't you told me you're supposed to bathe alone?"

Her head popped from behind the door and she laughed nervously, "Well, ya see, I thought it was cute how you thought you were supposed to bathe with another person, so I just went with it."

Jean smacked his head, "You two are insane..."

Connie wiggled his arms, "And I'm going to keep being insane!" He cackled as he fled into the bathroom.

Jean stared at the closed door and his eyes widened, "Connie Springer has better game than me."

He groaned and flopped onto the couch, losing his faith in all of humanity.

X

Hanji was up, bright and early, sipping the expensive coffee she had received from her mother a week ago. She grimaced at the coffee grounds and spit them out in an unladylike manner. She stayed up late the night before practicing the routine her, Krista and the other women were supposed to perform. She yawned and groaned when the door knocked.

Great, now she had to get up.

Hanji slowly made her way to the door and opened it, wishing she wasn't so lazy in the morning to not get dressed.

Levi, all cleansed and bright and clothed, stood at the door, holding his jacket, staring at her nightgown and slippers.

"Good morning." He said and Hanji groaned and pulled him into her apartment.

"What are you doing here?" Hanji asked, not bothering to close her robe.

"Erwin was wondering if we'd like to go to breakfast with him." He glanced at the clock, "Or perhaps lunch."

"Right now?" Hanji rubbed her eyes, "But that means I have to get ready."

"I'll wait." Levi said quickly. "Erwin insists we go."

Hanji sighed and ran upstairs into her room and slammed the door. As much as she didn't want to go, she couldn't leave the man hanging.

After twenty minutes, Hanji came downstairs, putting in an earring and pressing her glasses up on her nose.

"How did Erwin get the money, anyway. I mean, how can he pay for brunch? Aren't we broke?" Hanji asked as Levi put on her coat.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I thought of the same thing." They headed out and Hanji locked the door before she looped her arm in his. "He never does this. I'm hoping it's something important."

Hanji nodded, but inside she hoped it was just breakfast. She didn't need important things jammed in her brain when she was only thinking about the three routines she had to do that night.

After silence for five minutes, Levi looked up at her, "Are you ready for tonight?"

Hanji stared straight ahead, "Yes. I am, and I know Krista is too. I just hope the other girls are ready."

"So those girls you hired as flappers for the night?" Levi questioned.

"Yes. You never know. They might want to stay as dancers after." Hanji sighed. She rubbed her eye under her glasses, "I've been up for almost two days figuring out those damn routines."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Levi huffed, "I just hope that shitty brat knows her lines."

"Mikasa?" Hanji asked, and she laughed, "Don't worry. The one thing she hates is defeat. You should know that by now.

Levi snorted and they turned onto the main street which was bustling with people, not knowing who they would pass.

X

Armin was heading home, mail in hand and he turned off of the main street and onto a sub street. A shortcut to his apartment.

He was humming on of Levi's songs when he saw a familiar figure stand at the trolley stop.

His feet moved faster and the figure slowly made out to a woman's figure and he knew who it was immediately.

"Mikasa!" He yelled, and her head whipped towards his voice.

He saw her shoulders relax, "Armin." She said and she looked behind him for any sign of him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him as he grabbed one of her hands.

"I was getting the mail." Armin said, "What are you-" His eyes looked up at the trolley sign. This one would lead you to the other side of the city.

"What are you-" Armin stared at her, a stricken look closing on his face, "-doing? What are you doing? Mikasa!"

She smiled solemnly, "I've been thinking, Armin. Maybe Eren's right. Maybe it is...time for me to move on." She looked away from him, "Maybe I should go and find a career as a singer and find someone suitable for me."

Armin's jaw dropped. She wasn't doing this, "Mikasa, this is absurd." He tugged at her hand, "Come on let's go home."

She pulled away aggressively, "No, Armin, that isn't my home." She breathed out, a fog rising to the air, "It never was. I'm leaving. I'm taking Eren's word on it. Of course I can't be a...stalker to one man in my life. Especially if he doesn't have the same feelings as I do for him." Her face had a pained expression, "I can't do this, Armin.''

Armin stared at her, and the familiar beeping sounded behind him.

Mikasa reached into her shirt and pulled out a chain. Attached to it was a golden key. "Armin, give this to Eren. It's from his mother. There's a door in the Titan that goes with this key. I don't know which. Just give it to Eren."

Armin stared at her, "Mikasa, you don't-I mean, you aren't going to go with him. I mean he is reckless and he could get in a lot of trouble."

She looked at the trolley, hesitant, and then she looked Armin straight in the eye, "He's a grown man. He can take care of himself."

She walked past him, leaving Armin stricken. He turned when she stepped on to the red mobile, "Mikasa, what about the lounge? What about all of us?"

Mikasa shook her head. The trolley began to move backwards, "I'm sorry, Armin."

The trolley began to get farther away by each second. Armin grasped the key and he ran after it, "Mikasa, you can't do this! You can't! You can't just throw everything away! You can't throw Eren away! He loves you!"

He screamed the last part, and he watched as the wind blew Mikasa's black hair in her face, her mouth showing pain.

Armin stared, struck with pain. He swallowed the cotton lump in his throat, and sprinted back to his apartment.

X

Eren was surprised when Armin nearly broke down the door, breathing heavily, tears stinging his eyes.

Eren stood abruptly, "Armin, what's wrong?"

Armin couldn't speak. He instead held out his hand and dropped the chain with the golden key, into Eren's hand.

"What's this?" Eren asked, raising an eyebrow at Armin.

After Armin regained his lungs, he looked at Eren with pain, sadness and horror, "Eren, she's gone. She told me to give it to you. It's from your mother. There's a door in the Titan that you need to open. There's no specific one its just-"

"Wait, she? Meaning..." Armin nodded and he gritted his teeth, "Where?"

Armin threw his hand in the air, "Out. Out of the city, away from us. She said she agrees with what you said. She's going to be a singer, marry someone, and not be your stalker."

Eren stared at the key, "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know." He held his head in his hands, "I don't know what to do."

"Fuck." Eren said and he gripped the key in his hand, "How's tonight going to go?"

Armin shrugged, "We have to tell them before tonight."

"Yeah, but I don't know where everyone lives." Eren wrapped the chain around his neck and let the key fall onto his chest.

"Get your coat on." Armin said and opened the door, "We'll find someone."

X

Hanji sat across from Erwin, who smirked at her. She half-smiled in return and inside she groaned. Did she have to deal with him this early in the morning?

Levi nudged her thigh underneath the table. She glanced at him, and he nodded once.

"So, Mr. Smith, what's so important?" Hanji asked nervously.

"Well, I got some information on the Titan last night from Mr. Pixis." Erwin took a sip of his coffee.

Hanji suddenly became interested, "Titan? What kind of information?"

He looked at her and smiled. Levi groaned. Erwin leaned in close and lowered his voice. The other two did the same, "I heard that the boss from Titan had a big family, and when he was younger, they were poor." He smiled, "There was a group of thugs about twenty years ago. They controlled this town. And since the family was poor, they had to repay the city in any way possible. The thugs got mad at something the city did, so, when they started to kill people, the boss's family was the first to go. One person a day. It almost took them half a year to kill them all. But, when they got to the boss, he refused, and the thugs threatened to kill his three friends. The boy was outraged, and guess what? Killed the thugs with the help of his three friends. Sadly one friend died." Erwin drank from his coffee again.

"So?'' Hanji asked, crossing her arms, "Poor guy, lost his whole family."

Noticing her disappointment, Erwin waved his hands frantically, "No, wait. You see, he killed a whole gang of thugs, therefore making him a murderer." He leaned forward, "Can't you see? We can blackmail them."

Levi shrugged and nodded. Hanji stared at them both. "How did Pixis get all of this information?"

"The big church, the Three Saints. There's a man there that knows all about them. Pastor Nick?" Erwin informed.

"Yeah, I know of him." Levi said, "An asshole. Full of himself, really."

Hanji blinked at the table, "Pastor Nick, huh?"

X

Eren and Armin were out from twelve to two thirty, searching for anyone with information of their workmates. Most of them pushed them off. The others had no idea where they lived, let alone who they were.

With thirty minutes to spare, the two headed back home to get prepared for the long night ahead of them.

X

When they got to the park, only Krista, Hanji, Levi, and the band were there.

"We have to tell them." Armin said.

"I know." Eren said, "I'll tell them."

"I'll come with you. It's also my fault she ran off like that." Armin said.

Krista was the first to notice the two walking to the stage, "Eren, Armin! How are you guys? Are you two ready for tonight? Where's Mikasa?"

Armin tensed and Eren sighed and looked away, "This is my fault. Krista, Mikasa ran away last night after I said some things. She left this morning out of town before Armin could stop her."

Krista's eyes widened, and Hanji's jaw dropped, "What?" Krista asked, laughing nervously.

"She's gone. She left." Armin said, puffing out his chest, but he let the air out before he could look too defensive.

Krista turned away and looked at Levi and the band, "Well, what now?"

"I guess it's the regular routine." Levi said, glaring at Eren before returning to the band.

"But...she was a good singer." Krista whispered, "Did she say where she was going?"

Armin shook his head, "All she left was a key."

"A key to what?" Levi asked, returning back to the awestruck girls.

"A key to Titan, sir." Eren said, holding it up to show, "My mother left it for Mikasa to give to me. It leads to one door in the Titan, and we don't know which one."

"We'll have to tell Erwin about that." Levi said when Hanji interrupted the two loudly.

"Are we just going to keep on talking like Mikasa didn't run away?" Hanji threw a hand in the air, "She was not just someone we could replace. We just lost one of our own. A friend. And we're acting like she was never even born! Are you guys serious?" Hanji looked at the people around her, "We just lost a beautiful singer. She was one of our only chances in beating the Titan. Now look where we stand. 'Yeah, we have key.' Bullshit. Have you two even considered the fact we'd have to sneak into the Titan, and possibly get ourselves killed?" Hanji raised her voice louder, "Levi, I can see how you can accept her absence, but you, Eren?" Hanji pursed her lips together, "You and Armin were the closest to her."

"I know that." Eren sighed.

"We both do." Armin agreed.

Hanji stared at them, furious. She turned, keeping her eyes locked on the three of them and headed behind the stage.

Levi and Eren stared as she stalked away. Armin rubbed his eyes. That could have gone better.

X

That night, at six, there was a large crowd that entered. Erwin stood at the gate, welcoming them, smiling in victory.

"Band, you're on in two." Krista ordered as she tried to roll up he fish net. The band nodded, shining their instruments.

"Hanji you're on after them." Levi said as he stood behind her as she curled her hair.

"Yes, I know." Hanji said, checking her mascara.

"One act each hour." Levi huffed, "Not including the band. They play nonstop in between."

"Yes, I know, Levi." Hanji said trying t o get a strand of hair out of her face.

She stood and yanked on her heels and stood in front of Levi, hands on her hips. "I'm expecting an apology."

"For what?" Levi raised his eyebrows.

"For forgetting about Mikasa." Hanji glared at him.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry I forgot about Mikasa and started talking about Titan right away."

She stared at him, and then smiled, "That's better." She hugged him, and on impulse, kissed him on the cheek.

She stopped immediately. What did she do? She jumped away from him and blushed, "Wowie, nice night tonight, huh?"

Levi stared at her and then nodded slowly, "Yeah, it is a nice night."

She laughed nervously and slowly side-stepped out of the covered dressing room. When out of sight, she clapped her hand onto her mouth, and breathed out shakily. Dammit, Hanji, why did you do that?

She shook her head, feeling the light weight of her curls, and waited for her call.

X

During Hanji's dancing session, Eren watched as everyone stared in awe of the dancer, who could lift her legs very high above her head, making some women growl in jealousy, and men fawn over admiration.

Eren rolled his eyes and began to make drinks so there wouldn't be that much hassle when the men started to demand for alcohol. They were only a half hour in, and Eren already hated the night. It was more fun when someone was beside him creating drinks with him.

But he screwed that up.

An hour later, Levi was up on stage singing his original song, making every sing girl sigh and some men whistled.

Jean came over to sit at the bar with him, giving Eren some company, which he was grateful, though they didn't speak.

X

During Levi's song, Connie took this time to dance with Sasha. It was a fast song, which Connie liked more than a slow song. Here he wouldn't be able to feel if Sasha stepped on his foot or vice versa. It was all happening too fast.

They both knew how to dance. So here they were, behind everyone, dancing, moving in circles, flipping each other, turning around. Sasha couldn't stop laughing, giggling and snorting, which Connie loved.

After the song, which seemed to go by in seconds, they were both laughing, and sweating and breathing heavily.

Connie smiled and turned towards the kitchen when Sasha whipped him back and pressed her lips on his for a soft quick peck.

When she pulled away, she giggled and patted his head and skipped back into the kitchen, leaving Connie dumbstruck and smiling like an idiot.

X

Eren watched the whole fiasco with Connie and Sasha, groaning. He didn't mind it. It just reminded him of the promise he made that he broke.

Armin watched as his friend started to go down hill. Bags were forming under his eyes, and his eyes were furious. The guilt was literally eating him away.

X

In the dressing room, Krista was about to go on stage when she heard cloth moving.

The other girls were in with her, and so was Hanji. Levi was standing in the corner, so who was trying to get in?

The others stopped as well. Levi's eyes became alert and he stepped in front of the girls, herding them away from the attempted break in.

"Who's there?" Levi asked loudly.

The person didn't answer, and instead began to try to find an opening more desperately.

Hanji touched Levi's shoulder, "Why doesn't it just go under the tapers?"

The person was moving swiftly everywhere, and then, when it found an opening, a hand tore through the opening. It pulled the cloth away and revealed someone with a trench coat stepping in.

The person closed the tapers shut and sighed.

Krista stared. She lifted Levi's arm away and stepped towards the person.

"Hey, Krista!" Hanji seethed, "Get back here!"

Krista ignored her and whispered, "No way."

The person unbuttoned the cloak and let it drop, making everyone stare.

Krista smiled smugly, "I knew it."