Levi grumbled as he stood in front of the pantry table holding a mug of steaming hot water in one hand. He read the label of each glass jar containing sugar, creamer, powdered milk, and black coffee. Unfortunately, he did not find what he was looking for. He checked the vending machine next to it and his disappointment was further increased when he discovered that it only served instant brewed coffee. He then focused his gaze on the storage cabinet above the table, quietly assessing if he would be able to reach the handles in order to check if there's some tea hidden in there. He probably could if he stood on tiptoes but he decided not to attempt it because two sets of eyes were watching him from behind. He wasn't alone in the pantry that morning. Mike's junior detective partner and another girl with short auburn hair whom he recalled to be an analyst at Cybercrime were also there seated on a table. They were having an animated conversation probably taking advantage of the free time while their bosses attended a meeting with the captain. That included Mike and Erwin. Bushy Brows had left a number of files on his desk with a note asking him to review the reports until he had familiarized himself with the format and structure. Levi felt it would take all day long to read everything so he needed a dose of energy through a reinvigorating cup of hot black tea. However, there's no f*cking tea at 139! He hated his previous precinct but at least they were cultured enough to provide free tea there. It really sucked because he was already having a bad day after being licked on the face by a dog earlier.

"Oi, Ackerman!" Nanaba called out to him. "Are you looking for something?"

Levi turned around to speak with his co-workers but did not dare approach their table. He preferred to have a short interaction with them as much as possible.

"Black tea." He said curtly.

"Hmm... You can't find any in the pantry. Do you know if there are tea drinkers here, Nifa?" Nanaba asked her companion.

"Hange drinks tea sometimes. I usually asked her for one when I feel bloated."

"Yeah, I remember Mike telling me that Erwin had requested Hange to hide his premium black tea in her lab. So, there's your answer, Ackerman. Ask Hange to get some from Erwin's stash for you." Nanaba grinned at him.

Levi uttered his thanks and quickly left the pantry.

"He's a bit reserved, isn't he?" Nifa voiced out her observation as soon as he was gone. "I was expecting that he was more... chaotic based on the rumors."

Nanaba shrugged her shoulders. "He's still adjusting."

"You know... I found some unsettling information about him." Nifa held on to her mug tightly. "When the new HR system was rolled out yesterday, we were tasked to hack it to check for any vulnerabilities."

Nanaba sipped her coffee and waited for her friend to continue.

"He was my test data. He's a new guy so looking through his records won't make me feel guilty... Then I found out that..." Nifa lowered her voice even though they were the only ones in the pantry. "...he's related to the Ripper."

"Hmm... I don't know any other Ackermans in Paradis so I don't think that's surprising at all. Don't worry, I have a hunch that he's a good guy even though he seems anti-social."

"How could you tell?"

"Well, Dieter Ness from K9 dropped by this morning with Charrette. The dog jumped on him and licked the new guy's face and we all know that Charrette isn't exactly Mr. Congeniality. Ackerman rushed to the toilet afterwards... perhaps to wash his face. I heard he was a clean freak. Anyway, if a dog likes him, then he's a good person. Mike likes him, too. So that makes it two dogs."

Levi found himself in front of the crime lab for the third time. It's not like he enjoyed going down there. If the scientist was his only way for him to get a hold of some tea, he would gladly endure her. He rapped on the familiar door taking care not to spill the mug of hot water on his hand. Then he opened it right away without waiting for anyone to respond. He sensed that the person inside wouldn't even bother greeting him because she's probably too preoccupied with her tasks. True enough, he found the scientist fully concentrated on her work as she peered through a microscope.

"Four Eyes." He called out to let her know of his presence.

"Oh is it lunch already?" Hange checked her wristwatch. "You're too early, Levi."

"You don't have any sense of time, do you?" He scowled at her but he was answered with silence. The scientist was busily adjusting the lens of her microscope and jotting down notes.

Levi patiently waited for her to finish examining whatever goddamn specimen it was. "Do you have black tea?" He asked her straight away the moment she lifted her head.

"Sorry Levi! I forgot you are there. Black tea, yes. I have it here in Erwin's stash." She stood up and opened one of the cabinets above the sink. She pulled a small bag of leaves from a tin can and handed it over to Levi who reluctantly took it. It was packed so beautifully and looked expensive, too so he felt a bit guilty stealing it from Bushy Brows.

"Don't worry." Hange reassured him as if she had read his mind. "I'll tell Erwin that it's me who drank it. I was given permission to get some from his supply from time to time."

"Thanks..." He uttered before dunking the bag into his mug and letting it steep for a few minutes. Hange beckoned him to sit on a stool across her which he obliged. This was the least he could do to repay her for the favor. Ahhh but there was something else. He was planning to give it to her later at lunch but since he's already there, he might as well do it now. He took an object from his pocket and slid it towards the scientist.

"What's this?" Hange picked the matchbox up and instinctively opened it. It was empty.

"It's a matchbox obviously."

"I know, silly. What is it for?"

"For your dead spider. So you can bury him."

"Ohh... Thank you..." Hange smiled but did not budge from her seat. She looked at him with such great interest that it felt like he was a specimen being examined under the microscope.

Levi took a long sip of his tea to avoid her curious eyes. His cheeks grew a bit warm and he hoped it was just the heat of the tea that's making them turn pink and not the intense gaze of the woman in front of him.

"So... why are you not putting the dead thing in there?" He asked to break the awkward silence. The woman could last for a few minutes not talking after all but her observant eyes were way more off-putting than her blabbing mouth.

"Well, somebody left a couple of pizza slices here on the table yesterday. It attracted ants and a few of those critters decided to carry off Sawney. That's my hypothesis anyway. I didn't find his body on the petri dish where I placed him. It's probably Erwin who left it. He brings me food from time to time."

"Ah yes, it was probably Bushy Brows... definitely him."

"I appreciate the gesture though. Thank you Levi! So... if you have nothing else to do upstairs... Do you want to hear my speech about Forensic Science?"

The junior detective stared at her in disbelief. "Yesterday's session wasn't enough?!"

"Actually... yes... but this one is different. I was invited to do a career talk about Forensic Science at the Paradis Police Academy's Open House this weekend. Erwin said that he would help me practice but I guess he's busy with the precinct's monthly review and planning with Captain Shadis. It could take a whole day, you know..."

Do I look like a public speaker to you? He wanted to scream at her but decided to keep that thought to himself. The only time he had spoken in front of a crowd was for a dead cat's eulogy. He wasn't qualified to offer any advice but then maybe Four Eyes just wanted an audience so it would not appear like she was talking to her invisible friends in the lab.

"Fine."

Three hours later...

Levi wasn't sure which one hurt more: his head or his belly. He was famished after listening to Four Eyes repeat her speech for the Nth time so when lunch time came, he immediately dragged her to the cafeteria. They settled on a table for four people in case Mike and Erwin would arrive although they expected that the chance of them joining would be almost nil.

"So how was it?" Hange asked as she held a fried chicken leg over her mouth.

"Good in general. I think you could explain the last concept in much simpler terms so people who are not familiar with Forensic jargon could understand."

"Oh, I will take note of that." She grabbed the pen from her lab gown pocket and scribbled down on the palm of her left hand. As she did so, some strands of hair fell on her face which she quickly inserted between her ears.

"Hey, you have a grain of rice sticking on your hair" Levi pointed with his fork.

"Oh? Where?" Hange slowly stroke her hair.

"A bit higher. More, more. No, that's too high! Move a bit to the left. That's too much left!"

Hange ruffled her hair to get rid of it but no matter how many times she raked her head with her fingers, she just couldn't brush it off. Levi was getting annoyed.

"Here." He stood up, leaned over the table and reached out to pick the sticky grain off her head not realizing how dangerously close his face was to hers.

Then they heard someone clear his throat nearby. It was Erwin. His bushy brows slightly meeting in the middle. Mike stood behind him shaking his head and raising three fingers at Levi to remind him once again of the third unspoken rule in 139. The two senior detectives had stopped by the cafeteria to grab some lunch after which they needed to come back to the monthly review session with the captain.

"Hey, you two! I thought you guys couldn't make it." Hange scooted over to make room for Erwin while Mike took his place next to Levi.

"Jeez, we've been stuck in that meeting the entire day and we don't get any free food at all?" Mike stole a couple of carrot sticks from Levi's plate.

Erwin took a bill from his wallet and handed it over to the blond man across him. "Help yourself. It's my treat."

"Wow, thanks Erwin! What do you want me to get you?"

"Just the usual."

"Okidokie" Mike left the table to fall in line at the counter.

"Sorry, Hange..." The blond man gently placed his hand over hers. "I know I promised to coach you on your career talk. It's just that... the captain had a lot to discuss with us today. I could drop by your house later if you want."

"It's okay, Erwin. No need. I haven't cleaned my house for a month so I'm not prepared to have guests come over." Hange scratched her head in embarrassment. "Besides, I have grad school tonight and Levi has been helping me practice all morning."

"Really? I reckon that you're already half-way done with the task I gave you?" Erwin directed his question at the person across the table.

"No." Levi replied. There's no use lying to him. He's a detective. He would eventually find out.

"Can you work overtime tomorrow?" Erwin asked. His deadpan expression made it difficult for Levi to assess whether his senior partner was angry or not.

"Tomorrow is Saturday."

"Yes, I know."

Levi pursed his lips. He didn't exactly have anything planned this weekend so it might not hurt to render work on his day off not to mention the additional pay he would be earning. Mikasa didn't have any extra-curricular activities to attend either. He might just drop her off at Grandpa Arlert's place so she won't be alone at home. On the other hand, there's a side of him who just wanted to bluntly say "F*ck off" to Bushy Brow's face but then he remembered the premium black tea he stole earlier and the amount of tea he would be stealing from him in the future...

"Sure."

"Good. Meet me in front of the precinct at 08:00 AM sharp."