Mikasa
A man in a shiny, gold suit went on the platform and picked up the microphone. He put on his best smile, that was certainly reserved for such events. His even, white teeth gleamed from the distance.
Mikasa had a feeling that she knew this man from somewhere. He had to work on television before, maybe as an actor.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen" the man's loud voice echoed through the speakers. "Eat, drink, have fun, because all of this is for you. I want to thank the sponsors of our event. Mister Robert Wagner, as usual, took care of every detail of the meeting and for that we are really thankful. Trost will always owe you for your latest investments, especially for all your help for the city hospitals. And we cannot forget about mister Grisha Yaeger, who, despite being unwell lately, is here with us today. Thanks to his assistance we could restore the building we are here tonight".
As applause rang out, Grisha raised his hand and smiled broadly, as he looked around.
Mikasa glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She could tell that he was incredibly happy at that moment. He loved being in the spotlight. He enjoyed the attention, he always had to prove his worth. Even when all of the adoring looks fixed on him were only a pose.
Mikasa realized that the vast majority of people gathered in this room must at least had to assume what Yaeger's main source of income was. The hotel was just a cover. Maybe because of that almost everyone here wanted to be close to him, not to make a new acquaintance, but to get a sponsor, to get Grisha as an investor. To get as much cash as they can.
Grisha's gaze suddenly flashed towards her.
"Smile, for the fucks sake" he said through gritted teeth.
Mikasa quickly lifted the corners of her mouth. How could she forget about it? It was one of the things Grisha had to remind her every day.
"Remember to smile".
"You are much more beautiful when you smile".
"Smile. Such a young birdie should smile more often".
Hearing that words, Mikasa always wanted to grab the item that was closest to her and smash it against the wall with anger.
Though it would probably be better to smash it against Grisha's hideously smiling face.
The day that she hears the word "Birdie" for the last time will be the best day of her life.
This however had to remain in the realm of her dreams for now.
Meanwhile, she had come back to the reality. She was still sitting next to the man she hated with all her heart. And she had to smile, again.
She hoped that this smile was wide enough.
Grisha nodded almost imperceptibly. He seemed pleased. The man was wearing a white suit with a red tie. His brown hair was slicked back. The stubble on his face was neatly shaved. It made the perfect shape, starting under the nose, running down the man's cheeks and ending at his chin.
Even looking like a million dollars, even with an aura of elegance around him, and even while all the other women found him attractive, to her he looked like a monster.
No expensive suit, no gold watch or even the best haircut could ever make her stop seeing this man as a tyrant. In point of fact, she had been incapacitated by him for several months now. She couldn't go anywhere without being escorted by his men. He was in charge of her day, he was the one who was telling her what to wear.
And when to smile.
It all started since the day Eren openly stood up to his father. He didn't want her and Armin to get involved in Grisha's business. The boy had no idea that his behavior would backfire.
Grisha took her to this thanksgiving banquet. Just before the party, he made her wear a short, white tight-fitting dress. When Mikasa saw the dress, she said she would never wear it. Then happened something she didn't expect at all. Kruger, one of Grisha's men, entered her bedroom and tried to put the clothes on her with force. He only left the room after she shouted that she would do it herself.
The shoes she was wearing were also an absolute nightmare. The thin heels were more than five centimeters. She suffered with every step, hoping to not lose her balance.
Finally they got up from their seats. The party was starting to hit up. All the guests wanted to taste the delicacies which was set on the tables. The waiters were circling in the crowd, handing out starters and glasses of champagne.
Grisha ordered her to follow him. Mikasa tried not to lose him in the crowd. She frowned as she felt other people's eyes on her. The women were giving her scandalized glances, while the men looked at her with pleasure. Once again, she wanted to grab something and smash it against the wall, just to see all those beautiful, artificial faces stretching in a grimace of shock.
The waiter stopped next to them and offered the starters on the tray. Grisha shook his head. On occasions like this one, the only thing he wouldn't refuse was alcohol. Mikasa, however, reached for a veggie cupcake. As usual, she ate hardly nothing that day and felt that if she didn't replenish the energy, she would pass out soon. The waiter gave her a pleasant smile, then disappeared into the crowd.
Grisha was greeting his friends. He exchanged a few words with couple of people, then kept walking. Mikasa followed him without saying anything, wondering how long this farce would continue.
"Senator Becker, I'm happy to see you here" Grisha greeted another person. It was a short, middle-aged man. He was wearing a black suit, stretched around his large stomach. His thinning hair was slowly turning gray. A crooked grimace, which must have been a smile, formed beneath the lush mustache.
"Grisha, I haven't seen you lately! How are you?".
"Better now, thank you, senator. I should be back in business soon".
"That's great to hear. And who is your beautiful companion?" The man asked, looking at Mikasa.
"This is Mikasa Yaeger, my protege. And also, my new manager, I hope. Mikasa, this is senator Becker, an old friend of mine".
The man took her hand and placed a wet kiss on it.
The girl with all her might refrained from tearing her arm away, but she could not contain a shudder of disgust. She smiled at the senator, but the smile did not extend to her eyes.
"Nice to meet you, sweetheart. You know, Grisha is the best mentor you could ever imagine. Learning business from such a man is a great opportunity".
Mikasa lifted the corners of her mouth and frowned slightly. Grisha looked at hear suddenly. Meeting his gaze got her covered in a cold sweat. The man's eyes were furious, as if he was saying: "Smile more, otherwise you'll regret it."
The girl quickly laughed out loud.
"I couldn't agree more, sir! Yes, I am learning a lot. I would like to manage my own business that successfully one day".
"I think it will be possible since Grisha considered you worthy. Not everyone gets a chance like that".
Grisha nodded to the waiter who was just passing them. He asked for three glasses of wine. Mikasa opened her mouth to object, but the man was faster. He handed her one of the glasses and looked at his interlocutor.
"Cheers!". Grisha clinked their glasses. Then he looked at Mikasa.
The girl joined the toast. She tried to look cheerful. Though her cheeks ached, she kept smiling. Mikasa took a couple of sips of champagne, immediately feeling her head spin. She tried to drink slowly, but Grisha started talking to another politician. The story repeated itself, she was introduced to some stranger again, who told her a dirty joke, while embracing her waist. She tightened her hand on the drink, fearing that the glass would break at her touch.
An hour later she got into the car, feeling that everything was spinning.
Grisha sat down next to her, talking to someone on the phone. As the car started moving, she closed her eyes as she tried to sleep.
Or, maybe… to disappear?
They returned to Yaeger's residence well after midnight. She had trouble with walking on her own own, but Grisha did not pay any attention to her. He was talking to his people about something, leaving her a few steps behind him. It suited her, actually. Only Pieck, a young member of the Titan group with a sleepy expression on her face, asked if she needed any help. Mikasa shook her head, but smiled with gratitude. Though Pieck worked for Grisha, she was nice to her.
Once Mikasa was inside, she removed the uncomfortable high heels from her feet and returned to the bedroom on her own. There was no point in waiting for Eren, he accompanied Zeke again that night. Recently, the boy had become more and more involved in Grisha's business. Mikasa didn't like that at all. The girl could only guessed what his true purpose was.
She locked the door and then fell onto the bed.
She tried to sleep, but then something happened. Something, she tried to fight with all evening. The tears started to stream down her face.
Mikasa wanted so much to leave this place, to run away, to abandon this life forever. She hated that house, she hated Grisha. When he adopted her many years ago, right after her parents had died tragically, she thought something good awaited her. Well, she wasn't completely wrong, because she met Eren. The boy was the brightest point of her everyday life now, he and Armin were her whole world.
If she could choose her own path, she would move in with her two friends, without worrying about tomorrow. Nobody would tell her to wear something that makes me uncomfortable. Nobody would force her to meet people she doesn't trust. Nobody would tell her to smile when she doesn't feel like it.
Several hours later, she fell asleep, lulled by tears.
Levi
"I don't think he will come" Ackerman said, putting his notebook in the bag and getting up from the table. "It's been half an hour, Erwin. Let's not waste any more time".
Smith looked out the window. After a moment he looked at Levi and sighed softly.
"You're right. Let's go back".
They collected their things and left the room. The detectives left the key at the reception. The employee disappeared somewhere, and they didn't want to wait for him. Besides, judging by the reputation of the place, they probably wouldn't get their money back.
Two men got back in the car. Levi started the engine.
"Do you think something happened to him?" Erwin asked, glancing at his partner as the car started moving. The man's blue eyes were worried.
"We can't rule it out" Levi admitted, staring at the road. His fingers clutched on the steering wheel. "Maybe he's just busy. Or maybe he's not alone, but with Grisha and Zeke. That would explained why he didn't contact us. Besides, I advised him to be careful about the phone ant do destroy it if necessary".
"So, we have to wait..." Erwin sighed again. "I hate waiting".
"I know. I'll drive you home".
An hour later, Levi throw himself on the couch in the living room and turned the TV on. He wanted to check the local news, however nothing special happened today in Trost. Ackerman switched to another channel and came across a movie he had watched many times before. He tried to focus on the plot, but his thoughts kept wandering in other direction.
He suddenly looked at the phone, that was laying on the table. He checked the display, but there were still no notifications. Levi stared at the dark screen of the cell phone, plunging into equally dark thoughts.
Could it be that Grisha found out about their collaboration? If so, would he really be able to hurt his own son?
Levi clenched his fists, remembering all the victims of this hopeless case, including children. The ones working for Grisha, the ones he handed the guns. The ones that were orphaned by his intrigues.
And then, there also was Eren. The boy who was in the middle of this whole mess. At this age, he supposed to meet his friends, to play at the parties, to be grounded only for being too late at home. The boy whose mother should hug him when he's sad, and whose father should be teaching him how to fix a car. The boy whose only concern should now be whether he would get into good college or how to find money to take the girl to the movies.
He was practically an adult, but it didn't matter, because his childhood had ended too soon. Levi knew that feeling too well.
Levi sighed and closed his eyes. The injustice he dealt with every day seemed to overwhelm him more and more. He began to wonder if he had chosen a good profession. Maybe eight years ago he should have refused Erwin's offer and decided to work in a flower shop instead.
He looked at his potted plants. Maybe it wasn't too late? He almost laughed at his own thoughts.
Knowing that he would not fall asleep anyway, he got up from the couch only to drop to his knees immediately. He began to do push-ups, counting every one of them. When he reached the hundred, he paused for a moment.
As always, physical exertion was the best method for him not to think.
Half an hour later he headed for the kitchen to drink some water. He was breathing quickly, tired of training, but filled with euphoria after exercising. He entered the kitchen, wiped his sweaty forehead with his hand, and...
Just then he heard footsteps in front of him. Someone entered the house through the kitchen door. Levi jumped in place, preparing his body for the attack, but when he saw the familiar, tall figure, he froze motionless.
"Damn it, Eren! I told you not to sneak into my house again!".
Eren raised his hands in a defensive gesture. He smiled when he saw Levi, but his face was oddly pale. His hair was tied up in a strange, chaotic bun.
"Sorry I didn't show up today. I was with Zeke. Am I bothering you? You look like you ran a marathon. Are you okay?".
Levi shook his head, not caring about Eren's comment about his look. He stared at the visitor attentively.
Eren looked like he was having a very hard day. His usually bright and shiny gaze seemed very dim. His green eyes showed real weariness, his lids were heavy and drooping.
But… He was here, safe and sound. It was the most important thing.
Levi felt all the earlier tension drain from his body.
"I'm fine, but how about you?" He asked at last, realizing his voice exudes worry. He couldn't help it. "Erwin and I thought something was wrong".
"I'm fine too, thanks. But I have some news. Can I have a glass of water, please?".
Levi nodded and headed for the kitchen counter.
"Sit down" he said, pointing to a chair.
Eren took the seat and after a while Levi placed a glass of water in front of him. The boy drank all of it.
"Thanks".
"Now, tell me what's up".
"Zeke will be in the center of Trost tomorrow. He want to meet with a lawyer who isn't meeting his promises. It was someone else's job, but my brother wants to do it by himself. It can get ugly".
Levi widened his eyes, realizing what that meant.
"You do realize that this is an opportunity for us, right?" Eren asked, with eyes gleaming despite his exhaustion. "If Zeke won't change his mind, we can arrange something. You'll ran into Zeke, and then I'll be there to help him. The only problem can be your superiors, who will surely want to arrest him right away".
"Leave that to me" Levi muttered, then reached for the phone. "Erwin? Are you sleeping? I found this DVD that I had lost at the attic. Yes, that one. Do you want to come over and watch it? Take Han and Mike with you".