Levi

Silence seemed to fill every detail of the world around him. He squeezed his eyes shut, savoring the ubiquitous chill that penetrated his body deeply. He felt as if he was floating in the void. As if he was independent of anything and no one. Nothing mattered, nothing was important. There was only him and the silent darkness.

When Levi finally felt breathless, he surfaced and tossed his hair back. He glanced at the electronic clock on the wall and decided it was enough for today.

Ackerman swam to the railing and left the pool, draping a dry towel over his shoulders. He came here at least once a week to reset his mind. Swimming had a salutary effect not only on his body but also on his spirit. He loved the silence here, that's why he always came to the pool at the end of the day. He wanted to avoid crowds and noisy children. There were only a few people at the pool that evening that he didn't pay any attention to.

He took the shower first and then, tied with a towel, he returned to the changing room. He passed a tall, well-built blond man, slightly irritated that he wasn't alone. Levi was surprised when he heard behind him:

"Quite impressive, Ackerman. Are you training for the Olympics?".

Levi frowned and looked behind. The fair-haired man, dressed only in dark pants, was staring at him. There was a slight smirk on his face. The square jaw, narrow eyes, strong shoulders were too distinctive for Levi not to immediately recognize who he was dealing with.

He suppressed a low growl with all his strength.

"Braun. How did you get here?".

The man laughed softly, then sat on the bench to put on his socks.

"It's a public space, isn't it? I have the same right to be here as you. Well, pleasant as always".

"I haven't seen you here before" Levi muttered, then opened the locker and took out his clothes. Reiner Braun, one of the detectives Levi disliked the most. Ackerman was irritated by his jokes, approach he took in his work and duties… In fact, the man irritated him entirely.

"I usually come a little earlier" Reiner replied.

Ackerman made no reply. He turned away from his work acquaintance and began dressing as if nothing had happened. Unfortunately, his good mood passed already.

"How's your investigation going?" Reiner asked suddenly, just after he had put his white shirt on. "Any new leads?".

Levi gave him a grudging look.

"No".

The man laughed softly again. He started buttoning.

"So much for the conversation... Well, I'm not surprised at all. Such things can go on for years". Reiner suddenly sighed. "Im in the counter-smugling department lately. Boring shit and lots of paper work".

Levi didn't answer. He wanted this conversation to be over. To his relief, Reiner threw his sports bag over his shoulder and nodded at him.

"See you around, Ackerman".

After a moment Levi heard the door closed. He took a deep breath, immediately appreciating the silence and emptiness. Although he knew that all that void will be difficult to bear back at home.

Reiner

Braun stepped outside the building and looked up at the dark sky. There were no stars to be seen. The rainy aura had been lingering over the city for some time and it wouldn't go away.

Reiner took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He put one of them in his mouth and set it on fire. The thoughtful expression appeared on his face. After a while he started walking toward the parking lot, but before he could get there, a black car blocked his way.

"Get in" he heard a strict, familiar voice.

The man sighed, then reached for the car handle.

"Really? Throw it out first".

Reiner raised an eyebrow. However, he was not in a position to object. He dropped the cigarette on the pavement and after that he got into the car.

His ride left immediately. Braun glanced at the driver. It was a young, slender woman with blonde bangs covering one side of her face. She had bored, blue eyes a large, prominent nose. She was wearing a dark trousers and a denim jacket. She tied her hair in a high ponytail, and her exposed ears were pierced with numerous silver earrings. Annie Leonhardt.

"Good to see you, gorgeous" Reiner greeted, leaning his elbow against the open window. He could feel the wind in his hair. The man tried to enjoy the fast ride, not allowing himself to be worried. "Where are you taking me today?".

"Grisha wants to see you".

"I figured it out. Well, it's about time, it's been a while since we've seen each other. How are you?".

Reiner felt a sudden thrust forward, as Annie hit the breaks at a red light. Fortunately, he had his safety belt on, otherwise his nose would sure become a bloody pulp.

"Great as always" the girl said, still not looking at Reiner. "Cut the crap".

"Geez... Nobody wants to talk to me today" Reiner confessed, sighing heavily.

"Maybe nobody likes you?".

The light turned green. The car started moving and soon picked up the speed it had, just before it stopped.

"I like when a woman is cold as ice" Braun said after a moment. He saw an angry scowl on Annie's face which amused him. "That means she's passionate in bed".

"When do you make up those text? Before you sleep?" The girl glanced at him menacingly. "I told you to cut the crap. Tell me instead if you did know about Bert".

Reiner's face tightened slightly, though the man was still trying to smile.

"Are you kidding? If I had known, I would have told you immediately. Or Grisha."

There was only silence after his words. The car was already passing the suburbs of Trost, and Reiner guessed that they were headed for somewhere outside the city. With each moment he was starting to feel more and more nervous.

"Well, I hope Grisha will believe you" Annie muttered, taking a sudden turn. The car began to roll on the an uneven road. After a while, they stopped in front of some abandoned factory.

The girl looked at the passenger. Reiner unfastened his seat belt and got out of the car, leaving his bag inside.

He noticed a couple of other cars and a few men, guarding them. They all were wearing dark clothes and black glasses. They nodded at Braun, pointing to the path that led behind the building. Reiner walked in that direction and soon saw the people he was supposed to meet.

Grisha was standing there, on the path of green grass. The white golf balls were laying in front of him. The lamps placed at the top of the building casted a pale light on this whole unusual scenery.

Yaeger held a golf club in his hand and was in the position to make a shot. Reiner figured that Grisha was training his swings. Braun started to approach him, but first he was searched by one of Yaeger's man. Reiner had to admit that Grisha had a better security than Eldia's president himself. And most likely better paid.

Money could do anything in this country.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a tall figure leaning against a tree. He nodded to Zeke, who replied with the same gesture.

"How is it going?" Reiner asked as he stopped in front of Grisha. The man swung and hit the ball with the club. It went high and disappeared into the treetops. Braun noticed that the stars stretched across the sky, view he could only see so far away from the city.

Yaeger turned to look at the newcomer. Today he was wearing a gray suit with dark stripes and a white shirt beneath it. The buttons of the shirt was half open, revealing dark hair on a thin chest.

"They're falling too quickly. I need to hit a little harder".

"May I?".

Grisha handed him the stick. Reiner reached out for another ball. He focused, then took a strong swing. The ball raced towards the trees with great speed. Braun shrugged, then handed the golf club back to the man.

"Well, I don't have the skills".

"A bit of practice and you could master it" Grisha said, then placed another ball. "Do you have any news for me?".

Reiner shook his head, staring at the white ball.

"Not yet. I ran into one of the detectives a moment ago. He's not a very talkative type, so I didn't get anything out of him. I have no access to their files, which makes it difficult for me to gain any new information".

"Then we need to get you the access". Grisha's long face showed serious focus. "I know the right man for the job".

He took a swing and hit the ball again. Reiner couldn't help but close his eyes for a second, right at the moment of the impact. He associated this sound with something unpleasant. Or was it the aura of anxiety that emanated from Grisha, even when he was smiling?

"Fine. I'm waiting for orders" Reiner replied, hoping the conversation to end soon.

"Did you know about Hoover?".

Braun gasped as he saw large green eyes fixed on him. Grisha's gaze was quiescent and deadly serious. It felt as if it wanted to x-ray him, scan him, go through all his thoughts and memories.

"I had no idea what he was planning to do" Reined confessed, looking Grisha in the eyes. He knew he absolutely can't look aside.

"You too were close".

"We knew each other since we were children, that's all. I didn't know he had contacted the police. I have no idea with which detective he was talking to".

"He is called Zacharius" Grisha confessed, still staring at him. "Find out what exactly Hoover told him. And if necessary, get rid of it".

"Get rid of it? And how am I supposed to do that? I doubt that I will have the opportunity. I don't want to look suspicious..."

"I'm sure you come up with something".

Reiner wanted to say more, but bit his tongue. He nodded quickly. Suddenly he wanted to get away from here as far as possible.

But he knew he couldn't do it.

Grisha looked at the ball. He swung and hit it with all his might. The ball raced off into space with a loud swish. Reiner was wondering when he may leave this place.

"So, do you feel sorry for Hoover?" The man suddenly asked. "Are you angry with me for what I did to him?".

Reiner widened his eyes. He really didn't want to continue this conversation, he was afraid that his answer might disappoint his boss.

"Absolutely not! He deserved it, he shouldn't be messing around behind your back. He knew what he was putting himself into and what will be the consequences".

Grisha lifted the corner of his mouth. Was that what he wanted to hear?

"You had no choice" Reiner continued. "There was no other option. Everyone should remember about this...".

Reiner gasped suddenly. He widened his eyes, feeling the pain piercing him. He just realized that Grisha had leapt towards him and hit him with all his strength with the golf club he was holding.

Braun doubled over with a gruff groan. He hadn't had time to prepare when another blow came, this time to the back. The pain was excruciating, it paralyzed his entire body.

Is that what the end looks like?

Reiner fell hard on the grass, this time unable to contain the painful scream that escaped his lips. He cringed, expecting another blow, but it never came. Instead, he felt a strong hand grabbing his hair lightly and lifting his face up.

"You're right, Braun, there was no other option. Don't forget about this if some day in your head will born some stupid idea".

Grisha's voice was like a hiss, low, mean, overflowing with the venom. So different from his tone at the very beginning of their meeting. Reiner managed to lift his eyelids, only to saw the man's face contorted in anger. It wasn't all, he was also smiling slightly.

"The motherfucker thought he could trick me... ME! Can you believe it?" Grisha laughed ominously, and Reiner felt a shiver run through his body. "That jerk's screams, just before I fucked him up were just beautiful. I can hear them until now. Well, Braun, keep doing your job and you'll be fine. You'll get your share next week".

Grisha patted Reiner's cheek, then pulled away.

"Hang in there, kid. See you soon".

The man walked away, and his men followed. They also took golf club and the rest of the balls. Reiner rose on his elbows and tried to calm his breathing. It had been a long time since he felt so terrified.

He knew it was pure primal panic, but he couldn't help it. For a split second, he really thought Grisha was going to kill him.

"Get yourself together" he heard above himself.

He managed to sit down and look up. Zeke stood with his hands in his pockets and stared at him blankly. Reiner grunted softly and managed to stand on his own. He had trouble with the breathing, and felt excruciating pain in his chest. Certainly at least some of his ribs were broken.

"Why…?" Reiner asked in a weak, husky voice. He gritted his teeth in pain.

"What are you talking about?" Zeke raised an eyebrow. "This? Don't make me laugh, it was nothing. He was in a good mood today. He hit me harder when I tied the laces crookedly" .

Zeke patted Reiner on the shoulder and followed his father.

Braun looked briefly after the man, then slowly limped back toward the car he had driven in here. Annie was waiting for him, talking to someone on the phone. As Reiner got into the car, she ended the conversation and started the engine. She gave the man a brief look. He tried his best to look cool, but she had to see the pain on his face.

As they drove back to Trost, she did not move towards his apartment, but in the other direction. Reiner sighed.

"You do not have to do that. I can handle it".

"Shut your mouth" she growled, not looking at the passenger. After a while, she added in a slightly softer tone. "Let him look at you at least".

Braun looked at his reflection in the window and said nothing more. He did not know why, he was struck by the memory of one conversation. His last conversation with Bertold.

It was about a month ago.

He grabbed Bertold by the collar and pressed him against the wall.

"Are you fucking crazy? You know what will happen when Grisha will find out about this?!"

Hoover grabbed Reiner by the wrist and frowned.

"This man is a madman!" The taller guy called. "I'll do whatever it takes to get rid of him! Do you want to work for him all your life? How long do you think it will last?".

"I don't know, but definitely longer than yours!".

"Well, you can be surprised! At least I will know that I have tried".

Reiner shook his head. He let go of his friend and took a few steps back.

"You're the one who went crazy, Bert... Fuck, are you really going to do that?"

Bertolt walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Reiner wanted to break free, but the man held him tight.

"Let me try. If they will get him, we'd be free eventually, both of us. Not only us, Annie too..."

"I can't take that risk. Sorry".

"I understand. Leave it to me".

Reiner looked into the face of his friend, who was actually more like a brother to him. He wanted to believe him. He wanted to hope. But he couldn't help feeling that everything was going to start falling apart from now on.