"Can I ask you something?" Eight-year old Mikasa asked as Kuchel brushed the child's hair.
"I'm listening."
"What's your favorite color?"
"Well," Kuchel smiled and tried to think. "I have many favorites... but if I had to choose one... it would be red." Kuchel stops and continues to brush Mikasa's hair.
"Wow."
"What about you?" Kuchel asks, and Mikasa turns around to face the woman with a happy face.
"I like red too!" Mikasa beams, but suddenly frowns when something comes to mind. "So did mommy..."
With that Kuchel frowns. She didn't like to see Mikasa sad. She wanted the girl to be happy, and to never remember the pain of losing her mother. She realized that she will never be the same mother the child once had, but the least she could do was be a better figure in her life. So with that in mind, Kuchel had an idea. She stood up from the floor and took Mikasa's hand. "Come with me. I want to give you something."
The two walked up the stairs and into Kuchel's room. Mikasa watched as the woman went through her closet to find a cardboard box with a black ribbon tied to it. Curious, the girl hops on the bed as Kuchel unties it after sitting down. "This was a gift from an old friend," The woman says. She takes out what is inside. It was a neatly folded, red scarf.
"She gave it to me for my birthday years ago." Kuchel began. "However, she got really sick and passed away, so I never wore it. I didn't know what to do with it... I was in such a dark place that I couldn't get back out. But I know what to do with it now." Kuchel wraps the scarf around Mikasa's neck. The girl loved how soft it felt on her face, and it smelled brand new.
"I love it," Mikasa smiles again. "I'll keep it on forever!"
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It is a winter scarf, after all!" Kuchel laughs. Mikasa suddenly hugs her, grateful. "Thank you, Kuchel."
"You're welcome."
"What about Levi?" Mikasa then asked.
"What about him?"
"What's his favorite color?"
Kuchel laughs again "I'm not sure... but there's a possibility that he loves red too!"
"Wow," Erwin began while shaking his head. "Look at you, being a hero for your damsel in distress. Seriously. I'm smitten just thinking about it!"
"Cut the crap, Erwin. We had a deal." Levi replies.
"And who is this little emo sidekick of yours?" Erwin refers to Mikasa, who wants to curse at him. She remembered the plan- say nothing, and let Levi do all the talking. It was hard to listen, but she knew that Hanji's life was at stake, as well as theirs.
Levi managed to see Hanji in the distance, as did she. She must've suffered a whole lot, he thought to himself. He wanted her back already, safe and sound in his hands. "I said we had a deal. I give you what you want, and you do the same." He tells Erwin.
"That's correct."
"But you let her go, first."
"You really think I'm going to fall for that? I've waited long enough. She can wait." Said Erwin, who wanted to get things over with. Levi sighs and tells Mikasa to give the bag to Erwin, and she glances at Levi like he was crazy. But she listens and tosses the bag forward. It was a terrible plan, she thought. What will he do when he finds out that it's full of bricks? Levi seemed to have had something planned out, but she was clueless of what's to come. Levi watched cautiously as Erwin was about to look inside the bag.
However, in an instant, in a flash, everything flipped upside down. Mikasa pulled the trigger and the bullet bashed into Erwin's shoulder. Hanji flinched as the bullets sprang about from the four other members.
"What the fuck Mikasa?!" Levi yelled. "Ugh! I'll deal with you later! Go untie Hanji!"
"Whatever!" Mikasa said as she sprinted over to Hanji. The woman tried to tell her something, and Mikasa got the wrong idea. "I'm Mikasa! Levi's cousin!" The teens says, and she pulls out a knife and begins to cut the rope from behind. Frustrated, Hanji continued to say something with the tape over her mouth, and Mikasa soon realized when she was finished. She rips the tape off of Hanji's mouth.
"Oh shit! Sorry!"
"Ow! Jesus! Nice to meet you too!" Hanji cries. "There's a time bomb under me!"
"A bomb?!"
"Erwin set it off before you guys came! We have to leave!" Hanji soon becomes free from the rope, as Mikasa successfully cuts it. Soon, the teen tells Hanji to stay behind her as she runs off to help Levi.
Meanwhile, Levi had already shot two of the men down. He went after a few of them who helped Erwin go to a car, yet was grabbed upon. Levi tried to fight him off but the man was busy taking out a knife to stab Levi with. Before the man could do it, his face blew apart in bloody pieces when Mikasa shot him from behind and fell lifeless. The teen runs up to Levi, as well as Hanji who was concerned for his well-being. "Are you alright?" Mikasa asks. Before he could answer, they hear a car screech its tires across the parking garage to the exit.
"They're getting away!" Levi shouts.
"Let them! We have to leave! There is a bomb here!" Hanji demanded and they soon sprinted as far as they could from the time bomb. Then, a sudden explosion blows the three of them forward with its force just before they could reach the exit to the ground floor.
They are uninjured when they help each other up to leave out of there completely. Trying to catch their breath, Levi and Mikasa make their way in silence to the subway station. The plan wasn't exactly as planned. And Levi had his cousin to blame for that. He realized that Hanji wasn't beside him. He looks behind only to see her watching the huge fire.
"I could have been there," she thinks to herself. She blocked everything else out and all she saw was the fire. Although she was far from it, Hanji could feel a burning sensation harvesting her skin. And the smoke suffocated her until she could barely breathe anymore.
"Hanji," Levi called, touching her shoulder. The woman returns to earth and she faces him.
"You lied to me." Hanji said at once.
"What?"
"You lied to me... after all that you said... about being changed... about this being in the past... you lied to me." Hanji narrows her eyes and they become shiny with tears. Levi blinks and tries to tell her something, but she pushes him.
"Don't touch me." She said at once.
"Hanji... what I said wasn't a lie. You have it all wrong!" Levi tried to explain it to her, but she wouldn't believe a thing he was saying.
"You got me into this mess!" She yells.
"It was all a mistake. I did not want this to happen!"
"I never should have trusted you... let alone got close to you..."
"'You're fucking welcome, Hanji! I appreciate you thanking me for all of those times I saved you when you almost got raped or even murdered!'" Levi replies, becoming upset now.
"Thank you for being such a dick!" Hanji shouts again, clenching her fists. All of a sudden, Mikasa comes between them and separates them both.
"Hey," The teen screams and they fall silent. "What the hell is the matter with you two?! Have you been seeing what this shit is doing to you?! Start acting like adults for Christ's sake! I screwed up, I know I did- but Erwin is out there somewhere. And I'm not going to sit here listening to you two argue like immature kids while he takes more lives!"
Mikasa had a point. Although they all were angry about different things, here they stood, spitting names out to each other. Adults they were- but they sure didn't act like it. All Hanji wanted was someone who she could trust. Yet ever since she got kidnapped, she lost that sense of trust and healing. She formed a bond with Levi- a bond so strong that it sickens when broken. Wanting to forgive and forget is truly hard, especially if a certain someone wants to love you too.
Hanji didn't want to see his face. She faced the ground with both hurt and shame, saying nothing more. Levi just sighs, realizing that he may have gotten too far as well. "What do you want to do?" He calmly asks her.
"I want to go home."
"You... You shouldn't. It's not safe."
"I don't know then, Levi."
"You can spend the night in our place," he tells her. "At least until this whole thing cools down."
"Fine," Hanji sighs, and starts walking to the train station. "Just this once."
And they went along with her too.
The train wasn't as crowded this time, for it was late. An investigation was sure to start, for the explosion startled many residents around the area. Mikasa was heavily guilty about what she had done to start it. Levi refused to speak to her in any way possible. All she had to do was stay silent- but her vengeance possessed her to do something unthinkable. However, if it wasn't for her, the time bomb would have burned them alive.
Because of the automatic doors, cold air managed to get trapped inside and it gave Hanji shivers. She was beginning to catch a cold from being outside all day, only wearing a sleeveless dress. Levi noticed- as well as felt it- for she had sat beside him. Levi takes off his jacket and offers it to her. She just looks at it and refuses to take it, so he tosses it on her head. Hanji removes it from her head and reluctantly puts it on. The black jacket fit her perfectly, making her warm from the inside out.
She couldn't stay angry at him.