Levi

Ackerman folded the newspaper he pretended to read and put it on the empty passenger seat. He leaned his elbows on the steering wheel to look at the slightly ajar window.

A tall man in a gray suit just approached his car.

Erwin leaned towards him and rested his elbow on the car door.

"He's still not here?" Levi asked.

Smith shook his head. The suit he was wearing bulged slightly in several places. It was because of the bulletproof vest Erwin was wearing underneath. Levi, in turn, was dressed in a black shirt and dark trousers. Today they were required to wear civilian clothes because of the action in the field. They didn't want to alarm Xavier.

"Eren said that Xavier visits his wife and son's graves every month. Only the time is different. We have to wait and hope he won't postpone his visit this month…"

"With our luck, that's quite possible" Levi muttered, then looked into the mirror. "Hanji is still watching the subway steps?"

"Yes. And Mike is on the platform. He'll let us know when Xavier arrives" Erwin looked around carefully.

"You feel better?" Ackerman asked, glancing at Erwin and being unable to hide the concern that was echoing in his voice as well as was visible in his eyes.

Shit, will he always feel a soft spot for this man?

Erwin looked back at him. For some reason, Levi saw a hint of guilt on Smith's face.

"Yeah, a way better... The meds got me on my feet. And also a pot of chicken soup".

Ackerman raised his eyebrows. He knew he should focus his thoughts on the operation, but for some reason this confession got him interested.

"What? You made chicken soup?"

"No, no... Mike brought me some".

"Mike made the chicken soup?" Levi asked even more incredulously. He lifted the corners of his mouth, trying to look amused. He was beginning to understand where this conversation was going. For some time he had this feeling that something was up between those two.

"Nah, his mother did. None of us have that sort of skills… Only you have" Erwin added and smiled. Then, however, his face turned serious. "Look, this is probably not the best moment, but I just want you to know that..."

"It's fine" Levi snorted and rolled his eyes. "Just be professional and behave while you are on your duty".

Erwin's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What... You do you know?".

Levi frowned. It was only at this point that he no longer liked the conversation. Or at least he wanted it to look like that.

"Really, Erwin? Thanks a lot! After all I became a detective for some reason, didn't I? Don't you think it might been suspicious to me when Mike suddenly started sniffling? Or that you two are late for work on the same days?".

Smith laughed, which made Levi smile a little. Then Ackerman looked in the side mirror again. But there was still no trace of the man they were waiting for.

"So, everything is okay with us?" Erwin wanted to know. Levi looked at the man.

He couldn't help but notice that the suit the man was wearing made him look incredibly handsome. A gentle breeze was blowing his fair hair, and his blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight. Levi felt a painful sting, somewhere deep inside himself, which he couldn't define. It wasn't jealousy. He wished best for Erwin and Mike. Both men were extremely important to him, each of them in a different way. Mike was his faithful friend, a brilliant detective, he always knew how to make Levi laugh. With Erwin they understood each other without words. If he had been more sentimental type, he might have called him his soul mate. But he knew that the chance which was given them had long since been gone. He had to accept it.

But even so, he couldn't get rid of that simple feeling of sadness, this regret, this gloomy awareness that he is not the one who can look into those blue eyes for hours. That he is not the one who can run his fingers through these hair in the morning.

Levi suddenly cursed in his mind. Why the hell am I getting so sentimental?

"Of course it's okay. Now you better get back to your position, because here comes our mad scientist".

Erwin widened his eyes, then moved away from the car. He pulled his cell out of his pocket, pretending to be on his phone and look around.

They both looked at the same moment at the squat man in a gray coat and black bowler hat who just got off the bus. He was marching briskly towards the subway. Erwin started walking towards him, exchanging a surprised look with Levi. Ackerman knew they thought of the same thing.

Xavier must have gone to the cemetery sooner than usual since he was already returning from there.

It complicated everything, because they wanted to catch him on his way to the cemetery or the moment when he would arrived at his destination, not in a public place like here…

Levi's fingers tightened on the car's steering wheel. Now he could only wait.

Hanji

Her phone rang, so she glanced quickly at the screen.

Xavier is coming your way!

She blinked in surprise, because it was a message from Levi, not from Mike... Did that mean Xavier was already coming back? Hanji quickly looked up the stairs and, indeed, she saw the man they were looking for. Grisha's main chemist was coming downstairs, wearing a long gray coat. The girl quickly turned around and also began to descend into the subway, passing by strangers and heading towards the platform. They had to act quickly and, above all, improvise. They had to choose the perfect moment to approach the man and arrest him. They wanted to avoid onlookers.

Hanji went to the toll machine which was on her way and slipped the paper ticket into the validator. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Xavier following right behind her. The man was followed by Erwin, almost unrecognizable in a gray suit. He looked like a model.

Xavier started looking for something in his pocket, so Hanji, in order not to look suspicious, moved towards the platform. She tried to find Mike in the crowd. His job was to watch the situation from here... Suddenly she widened her eyes, feeling as if she had been struck by the lightning.

Zeke Yaeger was walking slowly towards her.

He was wearing a black leather jacket, the hood of which cast quite a shadow over his face, which made him hard to recognize. Hanji, however, had no difficulty with this. A fair beard, round glasses, a gloomy look and a thin, tall figure were too characteristic. Zoe also saw a resemblance to Eren.

Zeke hadn't noticed her yet, so she quickly stood behind the pillar.

Was Zeke here to protect Xavier?

Hanji quickly reached for the phone and wrote a short message to Erwin, telling him to back off. She had no idea if Zeke would know how does detective Smith look like, but she preferred not to check it…

"Hi! I just knew it was you. Your name is Hanji, right?"

The girl widened her eyes and looked into the face of the man who rose in front of her like a snowdrop on the first day of spring. The tall, handsome bar worker grinned at her, his cheeks flushed pink under her gaze.

Goddamn it!

Hanji glanced behind. Zeke was almost here, walking towards Xavier, who still had some problems with validate his ticket. Zeke surely will recognize her, especially after that one time, when he tried to kill her... Hanji grabbed the brim of the cap she was wearing and pulled it down to cover her face. However, she was afraid that for Zeke, both the hat and her sport outfit would be an insufficient disguise...

"Or… Am I wrong? Your name isn't Hanji?" The man asked, blinking in surprise.

Great, say my name aloud a few more times.

"Look, I'm a little busy at the moment…"

Hanji looked to the side and widened her eyes. Zeke was just too close.

She quickly reached out and pulled the bartender towards her. She pressed her lips to the mouth of the surprised man, whose body was stiff with surprise. Hanji closed her eyes and kissed him passionately, hoping it would be enough. After a moment, without breaking the kiss, she gently lifted her eyelids. She saw Zeke, who passed by without even glancing at them. Well, in his place, she would have done the same. She hated showing affection in public.

She ended the kiss and looked into the eyes of the bartender whose name, if she remembered correctly, was Moblit. She smiled at his peony red face and his still surprised look.

Meanwhile, Zeke stopped suddenly, then turned around and started walking back toward the platform. Xavier managed to pass by the toll machine. Hanji saw Erwin, who was standing a little further. They still had a chance to grab the chemist and shove him into the car Levi was waiting in, but they had to deal with Zeke first... Hanji really didn't feel like having a shootout in a place full of civilians. Shadis would have strangled them for sure.

She put a hand on Moblit's shoulder and looked into his eyes.

"I'll explain it to you next time, okay? Now I have something to do" she whispered, standing close to the man. "You have to get out of here, something dangerous might happen. Use taxi or bus, okay? Do it for me".

Zeke walked past them and disappeared into the crowd.

Moblit still looked shocked.

"What?" He asked, not understanding.

"I'm serious. Get out of here".

Hanji stroked his cheek, then waved her hand. Moblit, still flushed, turned around and walked away towards the stairs. He passed Erwin, who was a little surprised to see him. But then Smith's face tightened with nervousness again.

Zoe knew they should abandon the operation… But they were so close! She saw Erwin shaking his head. At the same time, they heard an approaching subway train, which stopped at the platform. Bunch of people poured out of it, and the crowd waiting on the platform began to get in. Zeke and Xavier were somewhere in this crowd. And probably even more Grisha's men.

There was nothing else they could do. They would trigger a shootout in which civilians could be killed. Besides, they still had nothing on Zeke. Putting him in custody for two days wouldn't solve anything. In turn, the capture of Xavier to interrogate him had to be postponed. Both their safety and the safety of innocent people were more important.

As the train started moving, Hanji walked over to Erwin.

"It might be bad… What the hell was he doing here? Why didn't they use cars" She asked. She meant Yaeger.

"I have no idea. Maybe they wanted to blend in with the crowd… Next time we will make it, I know it" Erwin replied. After a moment Mike came over to them. His face was oddly pale.

"What's up?" Hanji asked, feeling a little anxious.

"I think Zeke noticed me" the man muttered, looking at his friends.

"What? Are you sure?" Erwin widened his eyes. He reached out and grabbed Mike's hand. The man returned his gesture, squeezed Smith's hand lightly.

"Yeah. Once he stepped into the train, he looked straight at me as I stood on the platform. He smiled, and… Before I could leave, he took a picture of me. He had to recognize me".

Hanji and Erwin exchanged concerned glances. This was not how this action was supposed to end.

Zeke

Tom Xavier entered the old little shed, and Zeke followed him. A tin, modern elevator appeared before their eyes. Tom pressed a button and the door swung open after a moment. The men went inside, and the elevator started moving down.

Annie, who had brought them to the lab, stayed in the car.

"You should give up on your little trips" Zeke said, pulling out his cell phone from his pocket. "Someone was following you today".

"What?" The eyes of the shorter, stocky man widened. "You know that was my only condition and Grisha agreed to it".

"I know. You're just too valuable to us. I'll see what I can do" Zeke narrowed his eyes as he stared at his phone screen. He was looking at the photo of the man he had noticed today, among the crowd on the platform. He had a strange feeling that he knew the face from somewhere. Now he was sure it was the same detective who shot him that last time. The man was wearing a plain green sweatshirt with a hood and a black cap over his head. His mustache, however, was too distinctive not to be recognized. He seemed concerned and his eyes were wide from tension. The man stared straight into the camera.

Zeke's lips twitched into a smile.

Eren

"Shit…" the boy swore, falling into an empty chair. "I can't believe this. You were so close".

"Why is your brother so careless lately?" Erwin asked from across the table. The man sipped slowly from the plastic mug with tea that Levi had prepared. Ackerman was sitting at the end of the table between Erwin and Eren. He stared straight ahead.

They were in a motel room with gray, scuffed walls and the plaster peeling off. However, none of the men weren't paying any attention to the surroundings.

"I'd like to know that" Eren replied, reaching for his tea. "Seems like he needs an adrenaline. It's like he is just looking for the confrontation".

"Your brother is crazy" Levi said, holding his cup in his characteristic way, with the fingers from above.

"You think I don't know that?" Eren sighed. "As for Mike, give me some time. I'll find out what Zeke is planning. He probably just wants to check him out".

"We will be grateful for that. Okay, I think that's it for today" Erwin confessed and put his empty cup on the table. "We won't get to anything today anyway. We have to come up with a new plan, but Zeke's vigilance needs to be lulled first".

Eren nodded. He also finished his tea.

"That's good, because I'm tired too... I didn't think the new responsibilities will be so exhausting. Tomorrow I'm going with Grisha to Stohess for a meeting".

"How often do you and Zeke visit the labs?" Levi wanted to know. He rested his head in his hand and looked at Eren.

"For every few days. We also collect cash from the dealers. They are leaving it the hidden caches or they giving it to us personally" Eren explained. "Hm, it would also hit Grisha hard if you would disturb us then…".

"All in due time. First, we need to arrest Xavier to have an official informant" Levi replied. "Zeke can't start to suspect you of anything".

"He doesn't suspect anything…"

"We can't take any chances" added Erwin, which was basically an adequate summary of their meeting. Eren silently agreed with him. They had to plan each step very carefully.

He said goodbye to the detectives and went outside, immediately throwing the hood over his head. The evening turned out to be cool and rainy, and Eren was without a car that day. He descended the stairs and stood under the motel roof, close to the reception, to wait out the worst downpour. He saw Levi and Erwin walking across the parking lot, separating after a moment. The boy was a little surprised because they usually came by one car. Meanwhile, he saw Smith get into a gray honda, while Ackerman got behind the wheel of a navy blue mercedes.

Eren stood motionless for a moment, hands in pockets, staring at the two cars on opposite sides of the parking lot. He wondered for a moment if he should do it, and if so, which car should he approach...

The rain felt as though it was raining harder and harder. Heavy drops made it difficult to have a clear view.

The boy was hesitating for a while, although he knew well from the beginning what his decision would be.

A moment later he pressed the handle and got into the car without further ado.

Levi's eyes widened. The man looked at Eren, and then at the seat the boy sat on. Well, his wet clothes will definitely leave a wet mark on the upholstery. Eren stated it was a problem for another time.

"I think you're in the wrong car" Ackerman said, returning his gaze to the boy's face and narrowing his eyes slightly.

Eren took the hood off his head and sighed.

"I came by bus today... Don't worry, I don't want a lift" the boy added, seeing Levi was just opening his mouth to say something. "I just have one more thing to discuss with you, and I didn't want to talk about it in front of Erwin".

Ackerman's forehead smoothed out. Eren guessed that his confession have piqued the detective's curiosity. Levi crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back comfortably against the headrest of his seat. He looked at Eren.

"Okay, then talk. I want to go to sleep tonight, so go straight to the point".

Eren nodded, then looked ahead, trying to collect his thoughts. The rain fell so hard, that it was almost impossible to see the details of the building in front of them. The boy could only see the outline of the motel.

He finally managed to put into words what he wanted to convey.

"Promise me that if anything happens to me, you'll try to help Mikasa and Armin".

There was silence in the car after his words. Eren wasn't moving for a moment, and only heard a steady sound of the rain. When he couldn't take the tension any more, he glanced at his interlocutor. The boy shuddered slightly, when his eyes met the watchful gray gaze.

"Wow, you really went straight to the point… What do you expect from me?" Ackerman finally spoke, raising an eyebrow. Though his voice was low and calm, it seemed to cut through the air like a blade. "A scout's promise? A pinky swear?"

"No, I just…"

"You know that everything depends on my superiors. My hands are tied, I can't do whatever I like".

"Levi, I said: try. I know I'm probably asking for too much... But I would like Armin and Mikasa to feel that there is someone in the world who remembers about them when I'm gone".

Ackerman frowned more and pressed his lips into a thin line. He looked like he was on the verge of an explosion. Eren was a little surprised to see this, and not sure what was the cause of this irritation. He waited patiently for the detective to let it out.

"You sound just like you were already gone!" The man drawled finally, giving Yaeger an angry look. "I suggest you to get your shit together and don't get so paranoid! If you give up now, it won't work!".

Eren didn't answer. He looked at the window on his side and nodded. Levi was right and was clearly worried about him. Even so, Eren really hoped that the derective would agree to help him… He really thought Levi understood him better than the rest of the group.

The silence in the car lasted for a while. Eren was about to grab the door handle, but finally the detective's voice broke the silence:

"Well, fine. I promise that when... No, IF something happens to you, I will try to help them".

Eren looked quickly at Levi. The man turned his face to the side, still crossing his arms over his chest. The boy smiled slightly.

Ackerman sighed and then looked at Eren.

"I don't even know them. I have no idea what they look like now…"

"Oh, Armin knows what you look like" Eren interrupted him, smiling wider. "He will find you when the time comes".

"That's just great…" Levi muttered, then shook his head. "Sounds like you've got a whole plan prepared, in case of your death".

"Maybe not the whole plan, but it's good to be prepared for every eventuality" the boy replied, closing his eyes for a moment. He could still feel Levi's gaze on him. "It makes me feel a little better".

"Well... I don't know how anyone can feel good while thinking about their own death, but whatever you like. Also, it's difficult to predict what effect your decision will make. I don't believe that a person can be prepared for everything".

Eren gently opened his eyes and looked straight ahead.

"What do you mean? What would you do in my place?".

Levi leaned over the steering wheel, resting his shoulders against it. Like Eren, he hung his eyes on the wall of rain in front of them.

"I don't know what I would have done in your place" the man replied after a moment. "I cannot advise you, and I doubt anyone could. No matter what kind of wisdom dictates you the option you should pick, no one will be able to tell if it's right or wrong till you arrive to some sort of outcome, resulting from your choice. The only thing we are allowed to do is believe that we won't regret the choice we made. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I suppose so" Eren replied quietly, thinking about the detective's words. He felt a little better. If he understood correctly, he shouldn't blame himself for wrong decisions, but to learn from them and keep moving forward.

Always keep moving forward...

Before he could said something, Levi added:

"I also want to ask you for something".

Eren's eyes widened and he quickly shifted his gaze to Ackerman. Levi rested his chin on his closed hand and looked back at him.

"Yes?"

"Please, remember that you are not alone with all that shit".

Yaeger opened his mouth, but was so surprised he didn't know what to say. He felt the anxiety that had been with him all the time lately had diminished a little.

Levi straightened, then reached for the key in the ignition.

"You keep whining about the fact that something might happen to you, but you're forgetting that there are people around you who won't allow it. I won't allow it…" Levi met Eren's still surprised look, so he added quickly: "We'll try to help your friends, including you".

The boy nodded after a moment.

"Yeah, well. We'll see".

"Okay, now get out. I'd give you a lift, but that's too risky".

"Sure" Eren quickly gripped the door handle. He didn't open the door though, but looked at the detective for the last time that evening. "Levi... thanks".

The boy threw the hood over his head and got out of the car. Thick raindrops immediately hit him with all their strength, and the omnipresent chill penetrated his body. Eren headed for the bus stop, and though the weather was not optimistic, a soft smile appeared on the boy's lips and refused to disappear.

Reiner

He picked up the call right away.

"Yes, I did. Yes, he will be in the field tomorrow. His name is Mike Zacharius. His partner is usually Hanji Zoe. Okay, I'll send it to you".

The man ended the call, then threw the phone to the ground and stepped on it with his shoe, crashing it. His face expressed emptiness.