Eren

He entered a dimly lit place that he knew well. The living room looked just as he remembered it; a wide couch, a tall bookcase, and (first and foremost) an infinite number of pots with various plants of different kinds, both those with colorful flowers and those with large, green leaves.

Eren looked around for the man, who was living here, and finally saw him.

Levi stood in front of the wide window, peering into the darkness. When he heard footsteps, he looked in that direction; their eyes met.

Eren didn't wait any longer, he didn't have much time. He walked over to the surprised detective and clasped the man in his arms without saying a word. He hugged Levi tightly, breathing in his smell, feeling the rough fabric of the man's shirt under his fingers. Levi hugged him too; their lips met and pressed against each other, their breaths mingled.

The boy felt that Levi is pulling him to the side; they fell onto the soft couch, still exchanging kisses. Eren's impatient fingers went to the buttons of the detective's shirt, but he wasted no time undoing them. He tore the dark fabric, didn't even think about consequences. Levi, however, didn't seem to care at all. The man sighed loudly as Eren leaned over and kissed his neck, touched his chest and shoulders.

After a while they looked into each other's eyes.

Though Eren hadn't spoken a word since he entered the room, he suddenly felt compelled to answer, to gather his thoughts and express them.

He owed it to Levi after all... After what he did... But... What if Levi would hate him for what he did in Marley? The boy opened his mouth, but was unable to utter a word...

...and just then Eren lifted his eyes, suddenly waking up.

He was lying in his bedroom, breathing fast. He stared at the ceiling, slowly realizing that he was being deceived by his own mind. Levi wasn't here, the detective was far away. He was here alone, still in his father's mansion, not in the detective's house.

Eren closed his eyes and sighed softly, trying to remember the details of his dream: Levi's smell, the touch of his skin, the look of his eyes... Yaeger thought that he was over it; that this crush, this fascination or whatever it was, ended some time ago. His dream seemed deny it.

The boy looked at the watch on the bedside table. It was six in the morning.

Eren rose from the bed knowing he won't be able to fall asleep again. He was wearing only boxer shorts, so the morning chill immediately embraced his body. Goose bumps showed on his shoulders. He walked over to the tall window and looked at the view outside: a piece of the garden and a small pool.

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he wondered about the feeling that overwhelmed him in the dream. It was a concern about how Levi would react if he found out about everything that had happened in Marley. Eren hadn't thought about it before, and he shouldn't be worried about it, especially now that they didn't have any contact. Everything he did was necessary. He had to prove his fidelity to his father, he had to show Zeke that he was strong and grown-up. He had no other choice.

There was no point questioning the morality of his actions. He did what he had to do. If not him, someone else would have taken his place. It was the only way for him to make Grisha respect his opinion, to consider him as an equal partner. Only by doing this Mikasa could still work with Carla, Armin was able to reconcile work and studies, and the police were - at least for now - untouchable. He had to do everything to keep it that way.

Eren suddenly thought about something else: the fact that he had gotten used to the present situation so quickly. He kept telling himself that he was doing it for his friends, but was it really so? After all, there were moments when he felt something akin to… an addiction.

Giving orders, making big decisions, successful negotiations, it was all a dangerous mix that made him want more. He was surprised to see Zeke, Porco, Marcel and the others obey his orders without a word. It amazed him that he really had such power in his hands. It was the same with people he managed to persuade to cooperation. In this way, he proved that he had the qualities of a true leader. As for the violence… at some point, even that stopped bothering him. After all, he only hurt his enemies, people who deserved it. Why would he regret it?

Unfortunately, there were still times when he had doubts. During moments like that he felt a certain uneasiness that he couldn't get rid of. He remembered the past conversations, the old memories that didn't want to leave him alone.

Eren closed his eyes.

He is walking right next to Zeke. Yelena shows them around the lab located on the outskirts of Liberio. They watch the working men in hazmat suits.

Another memory: he and Zeke push their way through the crowd in a clubhouse full of dancing silhouettes. At one of the tables they find the people they were supposed to meet. After a while, they raise a toast to new acquaintances.

He is sitting on a comfortable sun lounger in the summer estate of one of the drug bosses they've established cooperation with. Zeke suddenly leans forward, handing him a tiny tray with two lines of white powder on it. Eren hesitates for a moment, but then does what Zeke expects of him; he snorts cocaine. The world explodes, and he feels like he's moved to another dimension.

Eren rested his forehead against the cool glass. Another memory hit the surface of his mind.

He hides behind a car, hearing loud gunshots filling the air. Their partner was attacked by a hostile cartel, so due to their alliance, they are obliged to help him. The shots stop for a moment, this must mean reloading the magazines. Eren sees Zeke crouching beside him. Then his brother suddenly stands up and starts shooting, a grin spread across his face. Eren quickly follows in his footsteps, tightening his fingers on the cool weapon, and tries to locate the attackers. Finally, he sees one of them: a bald man who emerges from behind a black truck. Eren pulls the trigger and the human's chest is pierced by a bullet. Another man appears from behind the car, Eren also shots him without any hesitation; the lessons at the shooting range didn't go to waste. They boy feels a rush of adrenaline, a strange excitement; he has to admit there's something damn addictive about all of this. But the worst happens at the end. Eren, Zeke, and their associates stand up cautiously, thinking all the enemies are dead, but then a slim figure runs out from behind one of the trucks and aims straight at Zeke. Without thinking, Eren raises the gun and squeezes the trigger. The unknown silhouette falls to the ground, only then the understands what he did. The kid may have been about thirteen years old. Eren sees kid's wide, surprised eyes slowly turn pale, his face relaxes, his body freezes. Eren stands still, hearing loud cheers around him, feeling the numerous hands patting his shoulders. However, he cannot see anything else except the slowly fading child's face, he sees the lifeless blue eyes and has the impression that he will see them forever...

Eren hit the cold window with his fist.

"No!…" It blurted out of his mouth as he remembered that evening once again. He was breathing fast, his chest felt heavy with despair.

He couldn't forget it, though he tried. He couldn't take back time, nor could he absolve himself. What he did was understandable in a way, he was defending his own brother, but it was also unforgivable. He killed an innocent child who was involved in gang warfare, probably against his will.

Eren took a deep breath and then moved away from the clear glass. He saw his reflection in the window. It was his face, but for some reason it seemed strange to him. The big green eyes must have been someone else's. One could see life in them, and yet he felt completely dead inside.

Whatever happened, happened. He had to accept what he had done. There was no turning back now. If Mikasa and Armin found out about all of this, they surely wouldn't want to be friends with him any longer, so he could keep them at bay without remorse. Anyway, what did it matter now, after what happened recently? He suspected Armin would be avoiding him anyway.

It was the same with the detectives. By ending this relationship, he made the best possible decision.

Suddenly he twitched gently as he heard the soft ringing of his phone. He walked over to the nightstand and was slightly surprised to see the call from Reiner. He picked up the phone.

"I just wanted to let you know that I have an interrogation today... Ackerman will be my companion" Said the voice in the receiver. "I hope it won't cause us any trouble".

Eren blinked, trying to focus on all the words Reiner just spoke, not just that one name he heard. The boy quickly shook himself out of his thoughts.

"If anything happens, let me know immediately".

"Sure" Braun muttered. He should have hanged up by now, but the connection continued. "Have you already thought about what we've talked lately?".

Eren pursed his lips. Well, he could've expected it.

"No, and don't ask me again. You've got something to do, Braun, so focus on that" Eren gasped, then hung up. He tossed the phone on the bed and sighed.

Some time ago, he was sure that as soon as he would find out about the mole's identity, he would pass this information on to Levi and the rest. But now he couldn't do it. He needed Reiner to spy and to monitor detectives' plans. Besides, by controlling his movements, he had a real influence on what happened with the agents.

After a moment, Eren turned towards the wardrobe. He pulled out a black shirt and dark pants from there, dressed quickly, then tied his hair up.

A new day has come. He had duties to fulfill.

Levi

Levi flinched slightly and opened his eyes. He winced, immediately feeling a slight pain in his neck. Well, he shouldn't be surprised, since he fell asleep at the desk. Levi stretched, trying to remember what he had dreamed of, but the dream vision quickly faded in the cool morning rays. He was never good at remembering night visions.

Levi looked to the side. He gently lifted the corner of his mouth as he saw Erwin's sleeping face next to him. Smith was seated at the desk in the other chair. They were in Ackerman's office, in his house. The whole night they were dealing with the case Levi was delegated to. Erwin agreed to help him. They did as much as they could.

Ackerman reached for his phone, saw the time on the display. It was six in the morning. They still had time to eat breakfast before work. Levi looked back at Erwin who was still napping. The man was leaning on the desk with his left hand, the right one was lying on his lap. Levi stared at his friend for a moment longer, but at one point he reached out and gently tapped his shoulder.

"Erwin" Levi whispered, trying not to scare the man. Smith muttered softly in his sleep, then opened his eyes. He was slightly surprised to see Levi next to him, finally an understanding appeared in his gaze. Erwin stretched, then yawned, covering his mouth with his left hand.

"Gosh, did I fall asleep? What time is it?".

"After six... It doesn't matter, we wouldn't find anything new anyway. We have to use what we have".

"I suppose so..." Erwin nodded. "Maybe fate will finally smile at us".

"I doubt it. Well, never mind, I'll make breakfast" Levi said, then got up. Suddenly he stopped paralyzed, for he felt Erwin grabbed his hand. He looked down and met the blond's blue eyes.

"I'm sure you can handle it" Erwin said softly, smiling and staring at his friend through narrowed eyes. Levi felt his heart speed up. "You're the best, Levi".

Ackerman stood still, having no idea what to respond to such a compliment. He finally stammered out something incomprehensible, then left the office, feeling the heat on his cheeks. He cursed silently. Erwin was just being nice to him, and he panicked like a teenage girl...

Levi went into the kitchen and started making toasts and morning tea. His movements were quick and agile. The man slept for about three hours, but that was enough for him. He should be tired, but his mind rebelled against his body as usual. Ackerman felt a little rush of euphoria at the thought of the upcoming hearing that he was supposed to be attending today.

He could only hope his hard work would pay off.

After the morning briefing with Shadis, everyone focused on catching up with the paperwork. It wasn't until around noon that Reiner approached Levi and nodded at him.

"Ready?" Braun asked, tucking his hands into the pockets of his gray pants.

"Yes" Levi replied with indifferent tone.

"Great. I'll go get the car" Reiner announced, then left the common office.

Levi looked after him for a moment. Then he gathered the necessary documents into a briefcase. Before leaving, he looked at his friends. Hanji gave him a warm smile and lifted a thumbs up. Erwin, in turn, got up from his seat and walked over to Levi.

The man looked sleepy, which was hardly surprising considering they had spent the night working. But Ackerman could see the gleam of excitement in his blue eyes, and Erwin, like him, was looking forward to what would happen today.

"Whatever happens, I'm with you" Smith said, staring at Levi intently and lifting the corner of his mouth.

"Thanks. See you later" Levi replied, tucking the briefcase under his arm. "Keep your fingers crossed".

Ackerman left his office and headed outside where Braun was waiting for him in his car. They spent their trip in silence. Levi made no effort to start a conversation, and Reiner seemed to be fine with it. After roughly twenty minutes of driving, they crossed the threshold of the building where the detainees were being held. The man they were about to talk to was waiting for them in one of the interrogation rooms, his hands handcuffed. His brown hair was disheveled, and his face was marred by several scars and tattoos. As they entered, the man looked at them with an emotionless countenance.

Reiner started the interrogation by informing the detainee of his rights and then asked him the same questions he must have asked the previous dealers. He offered him a deal in exchange for information, but the dealer stubbornly insisted that he knew nothing and was innocent.

The man gave them evasive answers until Levi got up from the table, went to the door and asked the guard for something. Reiner frowned slightly as the security guard brought a laptop to them and set the device on the table.

Levi reached into his briefcase and took out a flash drive. He connected it to a computer and turned on some video. It showed a man very similar to the one sitting at the table in front of them, although he hadn't yet had some of the tattoos on his face then. The video showed him falling into the grocery store, taking out a gun and terrorizing an elderly saleswoman with it. The woman gave him all the cash and the man finally hit her on the head with a gun, she fell and passed out. The video ended. Reiner and the dealer stared at the dark screen, eyes wide.

"I think we all know what we've just watched. You, doing an act of robbery, Waltz" Levi said suddenly, looking at the detainee with a blank stare. "Fine, you may indeed be innocent when it comes to drug dealing, after all, we don't have you caught red-handed. You claim that the drugs were dropped off there by someone else, and you were there by accident… Okay, but you can't deny that we can clearly see your face in this video. The place would be right too, you were living in Stohess a year ago when the robbery took place".

Levi unplugged the flash drive, then closed the laptop and to Reiner's surprise, rose from his seat.

"If you don't want to cooperate, that's fine. We'll find someone else, and you can get ready for a long jail time". Levi suddenly thought of something else, then looked at the detainee. "By the way, this woman almost died from that hit. So you can be sure that we will include attempted murder as well. It was nice talking to you".

Levi headed for the door, feeling the man's gaze on him. He didn't even have time to reach the door handle when the detainee exclaimed:

"Wait!".

Ackerman lifted the corner of his mouth.

Reiner

As he and Ackerman returned to their base half an hour later, neither of them spoke. Levi stared out the window while Reiner focused on driving. Only after a while Braun was able to speak:

"Good job with Waltz. I didn't expect you to have anything specific on him".

Ackerman, as befits him, didn't reply. Reiner knew, not from today, that the man didn't like him, and he made no effort to change that. He felt it wouldn't bring him any good, and he didn't want to arouse any suspicions.

"I have only one objection" Reiner added after a moment, looking at his companion. Levi glanced at him coldly.

"You don't say...?".

"Next time I would appreciate if you would inform me about your plans. I talked with him for nothing. Where did you get this video from? And how did you know it was the same man? His face is a little blurry if you ask me... How did you know it would work?".

Levi shrugged.

"Got a hunch" He replied after a moment, looking away. "Yesterday, me and Erwin were looking through the descriptions of unidentified criminals from the places where Waltz lived".

"A hunch? Really, that's it?" Reiner asked as he pulled into the parking lot outside their department.

"It never failed me before" Levi confessed frostily. Reiner swallowed, then stopped the car.

They returned to the common office, where Levi stood in front of the team and showed them an innocent looking document.

"We have the coordinates of one of Grisha's labs. Any of you want to go for a ride?" He asked, looking at his friends and colleagues.

Erwin, Hanji, and Nanaba exchanged surprised glances, then stood up, applauding and cheering loudly. Hanji hung on Levi's neck, and after a while Erwin leaned towards him and hugged him, too, using his good arm. Nanaba patted Levi on the shoulder. Reiner just stood there, trying to smile.

"I suggest we go there as soon as possible" Ackerman said after the group calmed down a bit. "I'm going to Shadis sort out the details. Will you all be ready in... fifteen minutes?".

Everyone agreed to this proposal, immediately leaving the paperwork and focusing on the new assignment. Detectives went to the locker room to put on bulletproof vests, and then each of them had to equip themselves with weapons.

Reiner slipped out yet to use the toilet. When he entered the place, he made sure he was alone, then entered one of the cabins. He pulled the phone from his pocket, the device he was using to contact the Yaegers. He hesitated, staring at the dark display.

If he won't inform Grisha, it could end badly for him. No, not for him... He wasn't important. He didn't care about his own fate as much as he cared for his mother... If he made one small mistake, the consequences could be enormous.

On the other hand, if he wouldn't make this call, there's a chance the Yaegers could be arrested. But what happens if they somehow get free?

Braun stated he had no choice.

With trembling hands he dialed the same number he had called in the morning. Eren's number.

He waited impatiently for the boy to answer the phone, praying to all existing deities that no one would enter the toilet. Finally Eren picked up the call. Reiner spoke:

"Ackerman got the coordinates of the lab in Krolva. You don't have much time".

He hung up just as the toilet door opened.

Braun immediately hit the flush and left the cabin, putting his everyday indifferent mask on his face. He exchanged a glance with Oulo Bozad, who merely nodded at him. Reiner washed his hands and left the room.

Levi

Ackerman saw something from a distance that he didn't like. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, as he frowned. Erwin, sitting next to him, noticed his reaction and immediately looked in the same direction.

"Shit...".

Hanji, who took the seat in the back, sucked in a breath.

They drove into a small parking lot in front of a low, wide, unadorned white-walled building that looked like a warehouse. Flames blazed up from the shattered windows, and dark smoke rose above the fire. Levi and the other detectives jumped out of the car, their nostrils immediately hit by the smell of fire. Suddenly they heard an explosion in the back of the building. It could be some gas cylinder, it could also be explosives. There was no living soul around.

"I'm calling the fire department!" Hanji exclaimed, taking out the phone and putting it to her ear. Levi saw a real shock in her one-eyed gaze. He felt the same way.

It couldn't be a coincidence. Grisha's men somehow managed to get to the place just before them. Did the dealer who told them this location contact with the boss?

The rest of the cars pulled into the parking lot, people dressed in full uniform of the special unit spilled out of them. They looked at the high flames with shock or surprise. Nanaba and Reiner approached the three detectives, their faces also seemed inconsolable.

"Did you call for help?" Braun asked worriedly.

"They're on their way" Hanji replied, then sighed and looked at the burning building. "They will send the chemical fire department. We have to wait, we shouldn't go inside until they put out the fire".

Levi clenched fists.

After a while he looked at Erwin. The man's face also looked incredibly tense. His blue eyes reflected the dancing flames, it seemed as if fire was puffing from his gaze. They looked at each other thinking the same thing. They had no idea if the fire wouldn't digest all the evidence.

Several hours later Levi set foot on the wreckage of the building. The firefighters finished extinguishing the fire, secured the entire area and only allowed the technicians to come closer.

Though the place should be safe by now, Ackerman and the other detectives stepped carefully. The building consisted of two floors, the ground floor probably looked like a normal warehouse and was used for regular purposes. But there had to be a secret level, located lower, where the lab was situated. Little was left of the place that Grisha's employees used as their workplace. The warehouse collapsed, though the chemical brigade, which put out the fire with snow extinguishers, did everything they could. Some things just can't be saved, and apart from that, it would take forever to look for a fingerprints in this mess.

Levi heard someone stop next to him. He looked up and saw Erwin's pale face. The man reached out his left hand and placed it on Levi's shoulder. Ackerman guessed what the detective was thinking about. They had to leave the rest to the technicians who were the only ones able to shed new light on this tragic situation.

He wanted to go back, but suddenly he spotted something among the debris. Levi reached down and saw a small, steel safe. Erwin looked that way and crouched down next to Levi.

"Well, that's better than nothing. Isn't it?".

It took them several days to clear all the debris and explore the new location. On the third evening after the fire, Levi returned to his apartment tired and aching all over his body. Ironically, the day's toil didn't make him sleepy at all, and as usual he just laid all night long, lost in his thoughts.

He fell asleep in the morning, but after a while he was awakened by the sound of the phone. Someone called him.

"Yes?" He asked sleepily. Suddenly, he realized he had picked up the commander's call, so he quickly rose to his feet and cleared his throat, adding in a more sensible voice: "Eeehm, yes, sir?".

"We've unlocked that safe you found" Shadis's voice pealed out in the receiver. Commander spoke with a calm and collected tone as always, but Levi sensed something else there, something new. He widened his eyes, waiting for the rest of the speech. "There was some cash and some drugs, also a building expansion plans. And, above that, a little bonus. Fingerprints, which I sent to the lab and just got the results. They belong to Zeke Yaeger, Marcel and Porco Gaillards and Tom Xavier".

Levi closed his eyes as his heart beat rapidly. He had almost forgotten the taste of victory.