Levi lowered his windshield and waved at the dark-haired girl sitting down on the front steps of Shiganshina Elementary School. The girl did not notice him. By the look on her face, she was engaged in what appeared to be a solemn conversation with her two companions. Levi wondered what sort of grim topic they were discussing. He honked his car twice and that was the only time when his niece became aware that her ride was already there. She waved back at him and beckoned her two friends to follow her. Levi knew who these boys were. The trio had been inseparable from the moment they could say each other's names.
"Good afternoon Mister Ackerman." Armin Arlert greeted him as he boarded the backseat. He was a very polite and well-behaved lad who oftentimes unknowingly spoke little nuggets of wisdom that was beyond his years. Sometimes Levi wondered if he was really an old man stuck in a boy's body. Armin demonstrated maturity at such a young age. His parents died when he was five due to a freak hot air balloon incident while on vacation. It was his grandfather who raised him alone and never did he once acted up. Indeed, Grandpa Arlert raised him well.
"Hello Uncle."
Levi cringed at the term used to address him. Aside from his niece, only one other kid calls him that. It was the strong-headed brat living next door, Eren Yeager, the little brother of his mortal enemy. Eren sat unusually quiet next to Armin in the backseat. He had a distraught look on his face. Levi guessed that he might have been involved in a brawl again. The kid had grown to be more hot-tempered than he was so school fights became a regular thing. He was no shrink but Eren might still be struggling with his mother's passing. Carla Yeagar succumbed to cancer two years ago. Not even her husband doctor could save her. Levi felt sorry for Dr. Grisha Yeagar because his first wife also died of the same disease. He could not extend the same sympathy to his older son though.
He watched his niece climbed onto the passenger seat while he tried to shake away every ill thought he had about that monkey. The girl noticed the bluish purple mark on his left cheek but said nothing.
"Mikasa, tell me why these two are riding with us?" Levi mumbled so the boys at the back wouldn't hear him.
"You don't want me to take the bus so I invited them to ride home with me." His niece replied as she fastened her seatbelt.
"Must this be a regular occurrence?" Levi grumbled. Taking care of one kid was hard enough, must he also take two more?
"Well, there's always the bus."
"Absolutely not."
There's no way he would allow her to be exposed. Their serial killer relative's still out there lurking and hiding. He would blast Kenny's head off if he ever made contact with her. Other than that, Mikasa's turning 13 in a few months' time. Given her Ackerman genes, she's going to blossom into a fine young woman and attract disgusting hormonal teenage boys. Levi and his handgun were always prepared to deal with them. He would shoot anyone who would dare touch her. For a fleeting second, Levi's mind went back to the incident earlier and somehow he understood that sense of overprotectiveness Bushy Brows had over Four Eyes. Perhaps, having two male friends as bodyguards wasn't a bad thing either. On second thought, Mikasa was no damsel in distress. She had a track record of beating her friends' bullies and he was often called to the principal's office because of this.
"How was your jiu jitsu practice?"
"We had a sparring session. I was paired with Annie Leonhart, do you remember her? She's a transferee from Liberio. She's the blond girl with a serious face."
Levi nodded even though he couldn't actually remember the girl. If she's not his niece's friend, then he wouldn't bother remembering her name.
"So who won?"
"It's... a secret."
Levi opened the door of their quaint home and scanned everything with his eyes to check if it was still in pristine condition just the way he had left it. When he was satisfied with what he saw, he went straight to the kitchen in order to prepare dinner.
"How was your first day in your new precinct?" Mikasa asked while she took out her sweaty jiu jitsu uniform from her duffel bag.
Levi took an apron and tied it around his waist. He contemplated for a few seconds if he would share with his niece how disastrous his day had been. He decided he did not want to worry her.
"Same. What's wrong with the Yeager boy? He looked upset."
"Well... Kruger died."
"You mean that menace is finally gone?"
Mikasa frowned at him. "He's not a menance. He just liked to play around."
"Have you already forgotten about your pet bird?" Levi asked while chopping a whole chicken into smaller parts.
"That was five years ago. Kruger just acted on his instincts. You can't blame a cat for doing something that is in his nature. Besides, Kruger is not just a pet. He was Eren's companion at home especially after his mom died. His father is always busy with work and his big brother, too. When Armin and I are not allowed to go out, Eren's just alone with Kruger."
He's not just a pet. He is my lab companion.
Levi shook the memory away. Why the hell was he suddenly thinking about Four Eyes and her dead spider?!?
"I'm sure your friend will get over it."
"Eren, Armin and I are planning to bury him in the yard later. I was hoping you could be there. We all thought we should bring some grownups."
Levi raised an eyebrow. "Why should I attend that pesky cat's funeral?"
"Well, Armin said grownups shouldn't let kids mourn alone."
The Ackermans walked into the yard of the Yeagers whose house was just next to theirs. Their lots were the only ones separated by a fence not because of some feud. The fence served as a boundary marker indicating that one side is part of Paradis and the other was part of Liberio. Levi was grateful to the city governments for installing that fence. It shielded his eyes from the ungodly sight of Zeke Yeager.
The blond man with a full beard stood next to his younger brother in front of a freshly dug grave.
"Midget."
"Monkey"
They quickly addressed one another before positioning themselves around the grave taking care to put a considerable amount of distance between them. Mikasa placed her hand on Eren's shoulder as she whispered words of comfort to him. Meanwhile, Levi and Zeke stared on opposite directions to avoid each other's line of sight. They had attended several funerals already but not even the dead could make them friends for once. Grandpa Arlert and Armin came just in time before the awkwardness started to set in.
The three children lay down flowers on the dirt and stood for a few minutes in silence. This solemn gesture made Levi realize how these kids were already accustomed to death and a part of him broke a little. They all lost someone dear to them and perhaps grief was the glue that bound their friendship together.
"Grandpa, I think grownups should say something." The blond boy turned to the old man behind him.
"I would love to, Armin. Kruger, you have been a colorful presence in our neighborhood for 13 years. You have been a good friend to Eren, Mikasa and my grandson and for that, I thank you. I'm sure you are happily sitting on Carla's lap in heaven right now... Perhaps... Levi can continue the eulogy?"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Grandpa. Shorty here is only capable of spewing out profanities from his mouth." Zeke sneered at the shorter man.
Levi ignored his remark and cleared his throat. "Dear Kruger, despite the fact that you always leave your markings and sometimes excrement on the roof of my car, your presence will be sorely miss. Now that you're gone, only one hairball remain in your family. Too bad he walks on two legs and isn't as good looking as you."
Zeke let out a loud sigh. "Dear Kruger, remember how you loved to jump on our neighbor's tree? Our dear neighbor needed to call animal rescue everytime... He simply just couldn't reach you even though you were on the lowest branch."
"Ahh Kruger, you outlived most of the cats in the neighborhood but it seemed as if you never aged at all even in your final years... Unlike your owner here who is actually younger than me but looks older than his father."
"Kruger, my boy, we are very lucky that you chose us to be your family for a long time... Unlike our neighbor here who couldn't stay put. He was always getting kicked out like some dirty street cat. It's not really surprising if he would grow old, alone and unloved."
"Farewell Kruger. I hope the next funeral I will attend is that of the monkey next to me. I will bring a bunch of bananas so he won't eat the lice hiding from that filthy beard of his in the after life."
"Oh Kruger, you must be lonely out here on your own. Don't worry I will reserve that small spot next to you. It's a perfect fit for this midget beside me."
Levi and Zeke glared at each other for some time before pulling the kids apart and shouting their names in unison.
"Let's go Mikasa!"
"Let's go Eren!"
"They weren't talking about Kruger earlier, were they?" Armin looked up at his grandfather.
"Let's go Armin..."