Reiner
He was smoking a cigarette, without any rush. One of his hand was resting on the steering wheel. A moment ago he stopped the car in an empty parking lot. He stared at the view outside the window and let his thoughts drift away. The evening had already fallen. It was a tough day at work today, he was tired and if it was his choice, he would have gone straight home... But he had to participate in this one meeting. It was related to his second, secret job.
Actually, he should have been looking forward to this meeting. After all, it was about getting the cash he earned. However, it was more like an unpleasant duty.
When did he begin to see it that way? Until recently, he was sure that this job was the fulfillment of all his dreams.
In fact, he knew exactly when the change had come. It was when Grisha started sending flowers to his mother's hospital. That moment Reiner knew he had made a mistake.
Finally the door of his car opened and a tall brunette sat on the passenger seat. She was wearing a tight leather jacket with a deep neckline and dark pants. Ymir dispensed with the pleasantries, she just handed Reiner a paper bag.
"A package from Grisha" She muttered with an indifferent voice.
Reiner took the bag, then leaned gently toward Ymir. He opened the glovebox and stuffed the package there.
Ymir raised one eyebrow.
"You don't want to check if everything is correct?".
"There's no need" Reiner replied, sighing heavily. He closed the glove compartment back and then looked at Ymir. "Is there something else?".
"Why so annoyed? Are you on your period?" Ymir smirked. Reiner narrowed his eyes, and because of that the woman must have guessed that he wasn't in the mood for jokes. She continued in a normal tone. "Grisha gave you something extra. He says he is very pleased with your cooperation".
"Great" Reiner mumbled, trying to make it sound natural. He brushed the ashes off his cigarette out the window. "Then I am waiting for the further instructions".
The man looked at Ymir pointedly. As usual, he expected the woman to get out without saying a word and go back to her car. The brunette, however, sat motionless, staring at Reiner. Finally she moved and reached for the cigarette that the man still held in his hand. Braun was surprised to see Ymir place the cigarette between her lips and take a deep drag.
"Are you okay with all of this?" She asked after a moment, blowing the smoke out of her mouth.
"All of what?" Reiner frowned. "You mean, stealing my cigarette?".
"Grisha is killing your friends one by one. Bertolt was first… Well, we have to admit that he fucked things up and was messing around behind Grisha's back. But still, he didn't even get a second chance. Annie said you two were friends. Now, it's your work buddy. It must be hard for you".
"We weren't friends" Reiner muttered, looking at Ymir irritably. "Should I remind you that I'm a corrupt cop? I'm the one to blame, Yaeger used my help to capture Zacharius".
"Did Grisha tell you what were his plans? That he wanted to kill that cop?" Ymir asked, then took another deep drag. She looked at Reiner curiously.
"Well... He just said he wanted to threaten him a bit. I didn't think he would go that far. But like I said, I'm just as guilty as him" This time Reiner looked closely at the woman's face. "And what about you? You don't have a problem with this?".
"Me?" Ymir raised an eyebrow.
"Bertolt was a member of the Titans group. Are you really okay with the fact, that Grisha killed one of you?" He asked without taking his eyes off Fritz. "He also kept repeating ad nauseam about not hurting the cops, and suddenly he changed his mind himself. Are you not afraid that this is the beginning of his fall? And that he will drag you all down with himself? The media are slowly digging things up. It's only a matter of time before they'll find something on him".
Ymir frowned. Reiner tried to guess her thoughts right now, but that was difficult. He knew that he caused her anxiety. Did his observations make her think? Or did he just confirm her fears, that she didn't want to admit?
"Well, if that's the case, then you will go down with us" Ymir said, handing the cigarette back to Rainer. The man threw it out of the window.
"But I'm the one who is aware of this" He said in a quiet tone, then rested his hands on the steering wheel.
Ymir was staring at him for a moment longer. Then she smiled charmingly and patted his cheek.
"No, it won't be that bad. Chin up, Braun. Annie sends her regards" Fritz said, then got out of the car.
Reiner heard her footsteps receding. He sighed and started the engine. He needed a bath, a rest, and a pint of cold beer. Anything that would make him forget about his current situation.
But he knew that no matter what he did, he would think about it all anyway. It was inevitable.
Eren
The boy crossed the threshold of the living room, entering the circle of light. He nodded at the detectives in greeting. He was dressed in a brown jacket, dark pants, and a gray long-sleeved shirt.
Erwin, Hanji and Levi looked in his direction. Yaeger felt a painful sting, somewhere in his heart, seeing an empty seat at the table where Mike would normally sit.
"Good to see you, Eren" Erwin said softly. His gaze was gentle, which reassured the boy. He was a little afraid that Erwin would be angry with him, or even disappointed. But he didn't see any regret in his eyes. There was only sadness.
In turn, Hanji got up from her seat, walked over to Eren and hugged him. The boy blinked in shock, surprised by this sudden kindness.
"I'm so sorry you had to experience something like this on your own birthday. Levi told us everything" The woman looked up at him after a moment. "I know it's been a while, but… Happy birthday, Eren. I can see you like the gift".
"Yes, it's perfect" The boy confessed, unable to contain a gentle smile. "Thank you. Good to see you too".
Nobody said anything for a moment.
Eren wanted to mention how sorry he was for what had happened, but no words seemed right. He suspected the detectives would read it all from his face. Words were unnecessary.
"Is he with you?" Levi asked suddenly, looking at Eren from across the table. The boy glanced at the detective. At the sight of Levi, he felt a strange, albeit pleasant, tickle in his stomach, though Ackerman's gaze didn't inspire with the optimism. The man's eyebrows narrowed into a menacing line, when he added: "Eren?".
"Yes" The boy finally replied, then nodded at the figure standing behind him in the shadows.
Armin walked to the circle of light and smiled faintly. He raised his hand and waved it.
"Hi everyone. My name is Armin. You don't need to introduce yourself. As you can guess, I know a little about you. Some time ago, Grisha asked me to gather basic information about all the agents from the Trost police department. So nice to meet you officially... Hanji, Erwin, Levi" Armin suddenly looked around the living room. "Wow, Eren, you were right. It really is a nice house. And there are so many flowers here…".
"Armin agreed to help us" Eren said quickly, wanting to change the subject before Armin could say anything more about what Eren had told him about the house. Or about the man who lived in it. "Of course, for everything to work out, we will have to use your system, as we talked about".
"That's great. Our supervisor is lovely, but Shadis would never agree to settle things up like this..." Hanji confessed, returning back to the chair.
"The old man doesn't need to know everything. The most important thing for us is to succeed. Xavier has to be in the right place at the right time.
"Are you able to do this?" Erwin asked, looking at Armin curiously.
The boy nodded.
"I think so. I don't want to brag, but it shouldn't be a problem".
"Great" Levi said, then looked at one of his friend. "Hanji, introduce Armin to the secrets of our computer system. I prepared everything in my office. If you will need anything, let me know. Meanwhile, me and Erwin will talk to Eren".
Hanji led Arlert to Levi's office, where they sat down together at the desk with the desktop computer. Both Hanji and Armin's glasses gleamed in the light of the screen.
Meanwhile, Eren had collapsed into one of the chairs, his hands resting on the table.
"Did Zeke cancel his plans for tomorrow?" Erwin wanted to know. He raised his cup of tea to his lips.
"As far as I know, no. Quite the contrary, he is looking forward to it. This club is his favorite place. He's not afraid of Tybur's people or the police, he feels completely unpunished" Eren replied, looking at Smith. Then his gaze fell on Levi, who glanced to the side, as he was sipping d his tea. "Are you sure you want to do this in a place like this? Apart from our people, there will be more shady-looking individuals there. I don't know how much I can help you if I have to accompany Zeke".
"Sounds like the right place to me" Levi muttered, setting his cup down. "If we can arrest him, that's enough. Just make sure Zeke gets there".
"But then what?" Eren asked, drawing Ackerman's gaze to him.
"We'll keep him as long as we can. Our supervisor is hoping that Zeke will confess. But I doubt it. He'll probably be fooling around, until forty-eight hours will pass and we will have to let him go".
"Unless we can find something on him" Erwin added. His eyes, dimmed a moment ago, now were shining with excitement. Eren smiled at that.
"What about Xavier?".
"We have a signed search warrant for his apartment" Levi explained, slightly lifting the corner of his mouth. "He was a little careless. It's not much, but it should be enough".
They talked for a long time, arranging the details of the action. Eren wanted to know every part of it, though his role was really small this time. All he had to do was to make sure Zeke would come to the spot. The only problem was the way of communicating with detectives, he couldn't use his phone, he didn't want to alarm Zeke. They intended to solve it using new equipment.
At one point, Eren changed the subject a bit. He told Levi and Erwin about the situation with Tyburs family, and also about Mikasa's little success. Grisha no longer took her with him to meetings, but made her his deputy. She had to make decisions while he was gone. Eren briefly introduced the detectives to the Tybur family case.
"What happened to them?" Erwin asked, looking at Eren with concern.
"Two of his sons ran away. Grisha shot the one who was captured. In turn, Tybur's people are working in the laboratory now, not entirely voluntarily. Anyway, I think my father is impressed with the way Mikasa took care of thing. But… Zeke is not satisfied with this turn of events. Grisha only uses him for his dirty work, he entrusts him with no authority. My brother is now even more impulsive and angry than usual".
Levi and Erwin exchanged glances.
Meanwhile, Armin worked furiously. It turned out that he needed a little more time than expected at the beginning. When it struck midnight, Erwin said goodbye to everyone and returned home, but Hanji stayed. She was sitting next to Armin, watching him and helping once in a while. Eren was sitting on the other side, near his friend.
"I wish I could type that fast" Zoe confessed, looking at Arlert. "All reports would be written in seconds, not in half a day".
The blond smiled slightly.
"It's a matter of training. You could do it".
"How much longer?" Eren asked, leaning his shoulder against the headrest of the chair Armin was sitting on. Yeager's eyelids kept drooping as if he were on the verge of falling asleep. "We should go back, it's late".
"Unfortunately, it will all take a while longer. We're about to do a test, see how it turns out. Can I borrow your phone? I need Zeke's number".
Eren handed Armin his cell phone.
Meanwhile, Levi has laid out three mattresses in the living room for them to rest if they finish work in the middle of the night. He also prepared more tea, for which Armin thanked the man with a broad smile. Arlert was the only one who seemed conscious at this time. Working late was normal for him, while Eren and Hanji were almost sleeping on the desk. Levi didn't look tired either. Nevertheless, he wished them good luck and went to his bedroom, knowing that he had helped them with everything he could.
Eren watched Armin's fingers dancing on the computer keyboard. His eyelids began to droop more and more…
The boy opened his eyes and looked around.
He was in an abandoned warehouse with Grisha's men. His father was here as well, and so was Zeke.
Grisha pointed at something, that was in front of them. Eren looked that way and saw a kneeling man, tied to a pole. A sack was thrown over his head. Wait. He was more than sure that he has seen it somewhere before…
"Get rid of him" Grisha muttered, then nodded to his older son.
Zeke pulled out his gun and unlocked it.
"With pleasure" He hissed, then walked over to his victim.
He tore the sack off the man's head and aimed with the gun at him. Eren saw Levi's battered face, marked with deep, bloody scars. The longest wound started at his forehead and ended at the chin. The man looked around, blinking fast, because of the sudden light.
"Die, fucker" Zeke drawled, then pulled the trigger.
Eren screamed. He held his hand out in front of him, as if he could do something, as if he could turn back time, stop Zeke, stop the bullet he fired. He saw Levi's body fell to the ground, dead and motionless.
"No...".
Eren blinked. He realized that he was lying on a mattress on the floor, his hand stretched upwards. He could feel the tears streaming down his cheeks.
He sat straight and tried to calm his breathing. He couldn't believe that his own mind deceived him so easily. The dream was incredibly real and detailed... But it was just a dream. Eren was here, not in a smelly warehouse. Levi was here too, safe and apparently asleep in his bedroom. It was the middle of the night.
The boy looked at the motionless silhouettes of Armin and Hanja, sleeping on both sides of him. Then his gaze went to the closed bedroom door. He hesitated for a moment, but finally rose from his seat and started toward it.
Levi
Something woke him from his sleep. He was floating on the surface of his consciousness, refusing to wake up. He wanted to remain in this state of weightlessness as long as possible, where nothing mattered, nothing disturbed his peace... Until now.
He felt a warmth on his cheek that he associated with a sensation from the past. It ensured safety and peace. But it differed from this experience in some fundamental way.
Levi could identify this feeling by now. A warm hand was stroking his cheek tenderly. It had to be a hand of someone he knew well, because he felt no danger.
"Erwin...?" He whispered, opening his eyes.
The darkness in the bedroom was scattered by the moonlight streaming in through the window. The night must have been cloudless. Levi saw the outline of a figure lying next to him. He saw big, sparkling eyes, staring at him. Only after a while he realized, what was going on.
Eren was lying next to him, caressing his cheek with his hand.
The boy had to take off his long-sleeved blouse, because he was wearing a dark t-shirt and pants. He was looking gently at Levi, his gaze showing no trace of embarrassment or hesitation. Perhaps there was only an echo of the surprise he must have felt when he heard the name escaping from Levi's mouth.
Ackerman's eyes widened slowly. He froze, unable to move. There was no way it was a dream, the details were too specific and clear. But if it was reality, not a dream, then what the hell was that goddamn boy doing here?!
Before Levi could make any conclusions or react in any way, Eren spoke in a whisper.
"You said that there is nothing going on between you two".
Ackerman knew what the boy meant. Eren recently asked him about his relationship with Erwin. Shit, it wasn't his business!
They were both silent for a moment. Levi didn't move, still unable to believe the situation he was in. Eren, on the other hand, seemed to be fully aware of the current situation. As he gently moved his fingers, stroking Levi's cheek again, Ackerman twitched slightly. The movement brought him back to reality.
"Eren, can you tell me what are you doing here?" Levi asked. He didn't even move a muscle.
Eren's sight was as motionless as Levi's body. Ackerman suddenly saw a strange melancholy in the boy's eyes, an echo of some sadness the detective didn't know about.
"I just wanted to make sure you're okay" The boy confessed. Levi frowned. What the hell was he talking about? Before he could ask him, Eren added: "And then, seeing you so close, I couldn't help myself".
Levi narrowed his eyes.
"Take that hand... And go back to yourself".
"In a moment" Eren replied in a whisper. He stared into Levi's eyes for a while longer. Then he moved, but instead of getting out of bed and walking away, he touched the man's cheek even tighter, then leaned toward him.
He brought his face close to the detective's, reducing the distance between them. Levi almost felt the soft lips on his mouth, he felt a warm breath on his face. Before the sensation became more physical, Ackerman quickly moved away.
"You got to be kidding..." He muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. He rose to a seat and fixed Eren with a stern gaze. "Are you high on something? Are you testing your father's merchandise?".
"You really don't understand?" Eren lifted and sat straight as well, looking at Levi carefully. Long, dark hair was falling over his shoulders. "I thought you feel that too".
"Feel what?" Levi asked, frowning.
"Well... Whatever's between us. I like you. I like being close to you. And I'm pretty sure you're into guys".
"I can't believe it. Listen, kid…" Levi sighed and brushed his hair back from his forehead. "Should I remind you that I am older than you?".
Eren smiled in amusement. He reached out and touched Levi's hand, which was on the sheets.
"And what age difference is that? Ten years? It's almost nothing".
"It's not just that!" Levi took his hand away from Eren's reach. "I'm an investigative agent, and you're our informant. Don't you think that wouldn't be right? You already know me a bit. Do you really think I could be so unprofessional and put our investigation at risk?".
"So it's just about that?" Eren wanted to know, looking at the detective. He reached for the small pillow and began flipping it over in his hands. "When this will be over, can I ask you out?".
"You're not listening to me!" Levi took the pillow from Eren's hands, then slapped the boy's head with it. "Find someone your age, someone more suitable for you".
"Oh, of course. Now you'll give me the talk about what a complicated man you are" Eren smiled and grabbed Levi's wrists. The pillow fell from the detective's hand. "Look, I really don't care about this. All I know is that I feel happy when you are close to me. I don't care about anything else".
Levi frowned again and wanted to say something, but Eren pushed him onto his back and straddled him, leaning over and still holding his wrists.
"If things go wrong tomorrow, we both might end dead. We should make a nice use of our last moments" Yaeger whispered, lifting the corner of his mouth. His face was dangerously close to Levi's face again.
"If you don't let me go, you'll be dead much faster" Levi hissed, tearing his wrists out and lifting himself up on his elbows. He didn't mind that Eren's face was so close. He wanted to look the boy straight in the eye, so that he would understand his words more clearly. "Don't you remember what I told you? I won't let anything happen to you. And I don't plan on dying myself. That's why I must disappoint you, but we'll be fine".
Eren stared into Levi's eyes for a moment longer. He shifted his gaze to his mouth, then returned to the detective's eyes again. Levi was pissed off, but suddenly, he hesitated a bit. Something in Eren's eyes had changed, he couldn't quite tell what it was. The man felt as if time had stood still.
Eventually, however, Eren moved back and smiled slightly.
"If you say so, that's okay. I really thought you felt that, too. Apparently I was wrong, forget about it".
The boy got up and after a while he left the bedroom. Levi watched Eren go. His panic slowly faded away. He knew it will take him some time before he will figure it out in his head. He hoped this situation won't affect their investigation in any way. He hoped it won't affect his relationship with Eren either. He liked this young man, he cared about him, and most of all he trusted him and he didn't want to spoil it.
Levi stated that whatever Eren imagined in his head, he would surely get over it quickly.
The detective's gaze went to the photo on the wall.
The man sighed, then buried himself in the quilt again.
Mikasa
She jumped up from her chair as she heard the office door open. Grisha, Kruger, and several of Yaeger's other men left the room, dispersing in different directions. The Owl followed Grisha, dialing someone's number and putting the phone to his ear. Grisha walked lost in thought, his face a little tired. Mikasa decided to seize the moment. Eren and Zeke were at some club that night, apparently Zeke was trying to turn his younger brother into the same partygoer as he was. Mikasa thought his efforts would be rather wasted.
"Grisha… Do you have a moment? I wanted to ask you something" The girl said, stopping in front of a taller man. Yaeger gave her a short glance.
" We'll talk tomorrow" He muttered, and was about to leave, but Mikasa blocked his way. She didn't know who looked more puzzled, him or The Owl.
"No. I want to have it arranged by tomorrow. We'll talk now" The girl announced, remembering to stand up straight, look confident and, most importantly, not tremble with fear. It worked out, because Grisha looked at her in amazement.
"Hmm, okay, then... Let's talk in my office".
He let her in first. Mikasa stepped inside and took her seat by the table. Grisha sat opposite. Kruger stood against the wall, glaring at Mikasa grimly. Yaeger folded his hands on the wooden table and fixed the girl with a piercing gaze. His sight slowly moved over her body, and that made her feel insecure, so she clenched her fists on her lap and cut to the chase.
"I want to get my own car. I want to drive it by myself. I want to be able to leave this place, whenever I want" She said, returning the man's gaze. "A year ago, when I turned eighteen, you got me a driving license, but I never had a chance to use it. It's about time".
Grisha raised his eyebrows. He looked like he didn't expect such a request from her.
He opened his mouth to speak, and in his eyes she saw what he was going to say. Therefore, she didn't allow him to do so. She quickly rose from her seat. Kruger's reaction was immediate. He reached out for the holster.
"I know what you are thinking" Mikasa continued, walking around the table. "You think if I'm given more freedom, I can do something stupid. You think that if you let me decide about yourself, I'll bring some damage to your business. But, speaking of the damage... Your own son is making more fuss around himself than I will ever be able to. Today he's in the center of town, although he knows well that the Tybur family still wants to take revenge on us".
Mikasa stopped and crossed her arms over her chest. Grisha frowned. A warning appeared in his eyes, like he wanted to imply that Mikasa has just touched the dangerous issue. She had to be really careful with her words.
"You made me your accomplice, everyone in our circle knows that. If we fail, I'll go down with you. I have no interest in harming your business, quite the contrary. Recently I handled the Tybur's sons without any casualties. If you really want me to become one of your men, you have to trust me eventually".
Grisha was silent. He just stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face. She tried not to show any fear, but from second to second she felt more and more insecure. Has she gone too far? Did she anger Grisha with her audacious attitude? Was she asking him for too much?
The man finally stood from his seat. Kruger watched as his boss stepped closer to Mikasa. Grisha raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder, stroking the smooth skin gently. The girl's body tensed, although she tried not to show the anger she felt that moment.
How was it?
Press on your opponent's elbow with one hand to immobilize him and to prevent him from reaching you. Grab him by the throat with the other hand, and at the same time "cut" his leg with your own heel, so that the opponent will lose his balance and fall to the ground. Sit on his back and twist his arm backwards with all your might, ignoring his screams...
Mikasa lifted her chin up before Grisha could do it. She also looked the man straight in the eye when he finally spoke.
"Okay. You can get your own car and use it from tomorrow. But don't go too far out of town. Don't disappoint me, partner".
The girl nodded. Grisha's smile widened.
"Eren will be glad that we get along so well recently".
"I agree" Mikasa replied, looking back at the taller man. Grisha nodded briefly at her, then started toward the door. He left the room, and The Owl followed him.
Mikasa leaned against the table and took a deep breath. She hoped that this trouble would be worth it. She looked around the office, suddenly remembering the brief moment she had spent here with Jean. She felt her heart beat faster at the mere thought.
She hoped to see the man in the coming days. Everything indicated that it would happen soon.