Chapter 44

Mikasa

The girl opened her eyes and rose to sit in no time. She was ready to fight. Her heart was beating madly in her chest, mostly out of fear and uncertainty about her current location. She looked around the room, expecting to see Kruger's indifferent face or Zeke's lopsided smile. It took her a moment to remember that she was safe.

She still couldn't get used to it. What a strange word... safe.

Mikasa was sitting on the bed in a small, cozy bedroom, intended only for her own use. The room was bright, overlooking the garden, but the windows were covered with curtains for safety.

The house was always guarded by two policemen who mostly sat in the living room or in front of the house, on the porch. They didn't talk much to her, which didn't bother her. Hanji provided her with a stack of books so she could kill the boredom, as well as an mp3 player full of rock songs. Mikasa appreciated the gesture, although she still found it hard to concentrate on simple tasks such as reading or listening to music. She was worried about her friends and also about Jean.

The girl rose from her seat to freshen up and change. Armin was supposed to join her today, of course, if all went to plan, and Mikasa believed that it would be so.

After a while, she left her room and went into the kitchen to make herself breakfast. She briefly greeted the officer who was sitting in an armchair in the living room by the window, browsing the internet on his phone. The second man had to be outside monitoring the area. They were in a lonely single-story house a long way from the city, with no other mansions around them.

Mikasa ate a small meal, then took one of the books under her arm and went outside using the back door. The yard behind the cottage was fenced with a high hedge, so she was safe here, no one would notice her from a distance. The officers guarding her couldn't allow her for more than that, but at that moment that was all she needed.

When she was sitting on the bench, she closed her eyes. She listened to the singing of birds coming from somewhere close, to the rustling of leaves, to the omnipresent peace. No unpleasant surprises. No uncomfortable dresses she was told to wear. No forced smiles. She missed her loved ones, of course, but she knew it was only a matter of time before they joined her… Then they just had to wait to leave this place. Together.

All day long she tried to do something to make her time pass quickly, but she couldn't get rid of the feeling of unease. Every hour that passed made her worry about Armin more and more. The policemen guarding her had no information.

As it started to get dark, Mikasa was already seriously concerned. She was lying on the bed in her bedroom staring at the ceiling and feeling her stomach twist with nervousness. She had no idea what she would do if anything happened to Armin. She also knew that Eren would never forgive himself for that...

It was then that she heard the sound of an oncoming car, maybe even a few. She blinked, trying to determine if the sound was real or just a figment of her imagination. After a while, the sound of a car parked under the building reached her ears. The next sound was slamming the door.

The girl jumped up and fell out of the bedroom like a sprinter. She saw the door open and the two officers guarding her had apparently gone outside to greet the newcomers.

Mikasa also stepped over the threshold and looked straight ahead. She spotted two cars from which several figures had emerged. The girl recognized Levi and Hanji, and there were two officers with them who were apparently supposed to take over the night shift.

Suddenly she noticed Armin among the newcomers. Mikasa opened her eyes wider, feeling the tears beneath the eyelids. She immediately rushed towards her friend. She ran down the little steps and ran to Armin. She hugged him tightly and an enormous weight fell from her heart.

"I'm so happy you're here..." she whispered, closing her eyes. She felt Armin hugging her back and gently stroking her hair.

"There's someone else with me," she heard her friend's soft voice close to her ear. These words surprised her, so she quickly opened her eyes to ask Armin what he meant, but then she saw another person step out of the car. The words died on her lips. Armin released her and stepped back while Mikasa stared silently at Jean, who slowly approached her.

"Hey," said Kirschtein, smiling at her with a visible longing. Mikasa still couldn't move, apparently too surprised, so Jean smiled wider and walked over to her, then put his arms around her. Only then did Mikasa regain her ability to move. She snuggled into the man with all her strength, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sobbed softly, hiding her face in Jean's shoulder.

Kirschtein stroked her hair and whispered reassuringly to her, only after a while she calmed down. She looked at him closely and he wiped her wet cheeks. They smiled at each other and kissed each other tenderly.

"How is it even possible?" Mikasa wanted to know, looking at the man's face again.

"If you really want to escape, we'll do it together," the man replied, stroking her cheek, then stepping back and taking her hand. "I'm already in the game and I want to get out."

Mikasa smiled back and nodded her head. Then she looked at Levi and Hanji.

"So... Do you want to come in?"

"We should go back," Levi replied, looking back at her and tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants. "We were only supposed to drive our informants to safety."

"Maybe we'll have tea next time," Hanji said, standing next to Ackerman. She gave Mikasa a sweet smile.

"When will Eren join us?" Armin asked.

"We need some more time," Zoe replied, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at Arlert with her good eye. "But by my judgment, it will be quite soon."

Levi nodded. He looked as inconsolable as Mikasa and Armin.

"We would prefer it to happen right now, but unfortunately we still need his help. Either way, he knows you're together already. I informed him about it right away."

"I hope nothing will happen to him..." Armin whispered as he frowned slightly. Levi fixed Arlert with a worried look. Mikasa reached out and placed her hand on her friend's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. After a while, they said goodbye to the detectives and went back inside, along with the two officers who were to take over the night shift.

Mikasa felt Jean's warm hand, still squeezing her hand, and a thought popped into her mind that maybe everything would be okay soon.

Eren

He jumped up from his chair just as the door to the office opened. He was surprised to see the lonely silhouette of Zeke, which meant Grisha must have been somewhere outside the property. Eren watched as his brother shot him a sullen look, then walked over to the bar and began making himself a drink without saying a word. The boy took a few steps towards his brother.

"Hey, why have you been ignoring me since yesterday?" Eren growled, grabbing Zeke's arm and pulling the man towards him, forcing his brother to look at him. "What's happening? Where is everybody?"

"Get your hands off me!" Older Yaeger pushed his brother's hand away, then took a healthy sip from the glass. "If you want to know so badly, it turns out that your beloved Armin is also a fucking mole. They picked him up today. But it's not everything. Marcel is dead and Porco is in custody. And apparently both Pieck and Annie left our little nest... and Yelena and Magath went back to fucking Marley."

Eren's eyes widened.

He never thought about an actor's career, but... He had a perfect motivation: in this case it was a strong will to survive, so he tried his best to look natural. He stood still, hoping he looked shocked.

Hours ago, he had received information from Levi that Armin was now safe, along with Mikasa and Jean, who had apparently decided to join them, before Eren could contact him. The boy was relieved to hear that. He wanted his friends to be safe and he was getting closer to achieving this goal.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Eren asked, watching his brother's face as if trying to see some sign of falsehood in it. "One at a time... Marcel is dead? How did this happen?!"

"Grisha ordered the Gaillards to pick up Arlert to question him, and apparently there was some shooting going on right there. Someone must have spilled the beans, and I think we even know who it was."

"What? Why did father want to question Armin...?" Eren was surprised.

"Because he suspected that this fagot helped the police find Mikasa!" Zeke shouted, waving his drink in the air and spilling some of the liquid to the sides. "Fuck."

"Why did no one inform me about it?" The boy asked. He frowned, not hiding his anger.

"How the fuck do you think? Grisha is furious with you and may not trust you. Your buddies are with the cops right now and they'll probably be thinking about how to take us down" Zeke put his glass down on the bar and stared at his brother carefully. "They will definitely try to contact you. What will you do then? Will you also want to save your own ass and betray us?"

Eren narrowed his eyes dangerously, then lifted his hands and shoved Zeke backwards.

"Stop with this fucking nonsense! Of course I won't, I'm on your side! Are you fucking nuts?" The boy took a few steps towards his brother, trying to look indignant. "I thought I finally proved something to you in the last few months!"

Zeke suddenly laughed softly, then nodded.

"Relax, I'm just teasing you. Well, I hope you're telling the truth and that you still want to implement our plan that we talked about a few months ago."

Older Yaeger studied the boy's face for a moment. Then he wanted to reach for whiskey to pour himself another shot of alcohol, but Eren was faster. He grabbed the bottle and drank directly from it. His Adam's apple jumped rhythmically as the alcohol trickled down his throat. After a moment, he handed the bottle back to Zeke and wiped his mouth. He saw silent amusement and approval in his brother's eyes.

"As for Armin and Mikasa…" Eren began, squinting slightly. "I don't know if you noticed, but we've grown apart recently. Only now I can see what they did in my absence. They must have been working with the police for some time. I don't understand it at all."

Zeke sighed and then drank from the gwent too.

"We'll see if they make contact with you. We've got a lot to do, so let's get down to work," said the older Yaeger, placing the bottle on the table. He looked at his brother through glittering glasses.

Eren lifted the corner of his mouth, though to be honest he didn't like the look in Zeke's eyes at all.

"Sure. Where do you want to start?"

"I don't know, maybe... Let's start with a visit to a certain retirement home," Zeke replied in a low voice. "Grisha sent Kruger into town today to take care of two cases. I think it's settled down by now... I think you should know about it."

"W-what? To know what?"

The younger boy frowned slightly, having no idea what was going on. As Zeke explained to him everything, Eren's face turned completely pale.

Reiner

He turned the key in the lock and pressed the handle. He entered an empty apartment, which soon filled with a pale light. Reiner took off his boots and jacket and walked slowly towards the bathroom. He passed the table with the lobelia pot on it.

He wasn't hungry. All he wanted was a shower, rest, and peace, which was getting harder and harder to get lately. He made every effort to ensure that Grisha's fall could begin as quickly as possible, but now he feared that he might have made a mistake along the way. It was very risky for him to inform the detectives that the Yaegers were planning an ambush on Armin, but he had no other choice. If he hadn't done it, the kid would definitely be dead by now. He had to finally show Ackerman and the rest that he really was their ally.

Braun was aware that he was treading on very thin ice, but he clung to the thought that he had to hold on just a little longer, and all this would soon be just a bad memory.

Before he moved to the next room, the living room, plunged in darkness, he put his gun on the cupboard. He took his phone out of his pocket and raised an eyebrow seeing Eren's message. He immediately opened it to read its contents. His eyes rounded very slowly.

It was then that he felt a movement behind him, a very slight swirl of air.

He dived at the last moment. A second later he heard a muffled gunshot and felt something scratch his shoulder. Reiner turned, still bent over, to see Kruger, in his dark jacket and trousers, almost blending in with the dimness of the living room. The man must have somehow gotten into his apartment and waited for him here.

Braun knew he had a limited number of moves in this face-off, so he did what gave him the best chance of winning. He lunged at Kruger, knocking him to the ground. He pressed the man to the floor with one hand. With the other he grabbed the man by the wrist of the hand, in which the gun was held.

The Owl gasped softly, both in anger and in pain. However, he quickly reflected as he tried to break out of Reiner's grip. He squeezed the trigger. The men heard a muffled shot very close to their ears, but the bullet missed. Braun made an angry grunt and his fingers tightened around the intruder's wrist, then slammed Kruger's hand against the floor. He did so until the man released the pistol from his hand. The weapon sprang to the side, disappearing into the darkness.

Kruger punched Reiner in the face. Next was a kick to the stomach. Braun groaned softly in pain and flew backward. The Owl hoicked up, looking for the gun. He saw it and lunged towards the weapon.

Reiner stood up as well and immediately headed for the cupboard where he had left his weapon. He was afraid that he would not make it, but he had to take the risk. He had no silencer, so a shot of his gun would have alerted the neighbors... But it's better than dying on the spot.

Braun grabbed his gun and was already turning to face Kruger, but saw that his opponent was faster. The Owl aimed his pistol at him. Reiner realized it was too late.

It was a strange feeling because he felt no fear. For some reason, the thought flashed through his mind that he would finally experience a little peace, whatever awaited him on the other side...

Just then there was a loud crack. Kruger's eyes widened as the flower pot with blue lobelia shattered on the man's head. The Owl fell to the floor, unconscious. Behind him, Annie quickly picked up the gun, then looked at Reiner in horror.

"You're hurt," she whispered, pointing to his shoulder and stepping closer. Braun glanced quickly in that direction and, indeed, he saw blood pouring from the wound on his arm. Adrenaline made him feel virtually no pain.

"I'll be fine. I have to call in reinforcements and somehow immobilize him..."

Reiner looked around, trying to remember where he had kept his handcuffs. Then he saw a sudden movement. Kruger stood up and, unarmed, headed for the door. Annie looked at the man and shot in his direction. She managed to hit him in the shoulder. The Owl gasped softly in surprise, but didn't stop and quickly ran out of the apartment.

Braun heard raised voices in the corridor. Apparently, the shots must have attracted the attention of the neighbors, the muffler wasn't enough.

Reiner tried to run after Kruger, but Annie grabbed his arm.

"Leave him, you have to patch it up, otherwise you'll bleed out... The wound is more serious than you think."

The girl grabbed the kitchen rag and quickly tied it around her friend's arm. Reiner cursed mentally, but had to admit Annie was right. He knew he couldn't stay here. Grisha could always have sent someone else instead of Kruger. He quickly equipped himself with weapons and car keys. Then he grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her out of the apartment. They ran down the stairs, jumping a few steps at a time, ignoring the curious or frightened glances of the other inhabitants.

"Kruger will surely tell Grisha that you were here and that you helped me..." Reiner muttered, passing one of his neighbors who was watching him in shock. He ignored the woman and ran out of the building with Annie.

"It doesn't matter," Leonhardt replied, trying to keep up with her friend. "I came to say goodbye to you, because I'm leaving."

Reiner stopped suddenly, Annie almost ran into him. He stared at her in astonishment.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Since Grisha obviously wants to kill you, you should get away, too. I got a number to a guy…" Annie looked around, then looked back at her friend and narrowed her eyes slightly. "He can help you disappear. Change your identity."

Braun regarded the blonde silently. He felt like he was at the crossroads. It was a moment when he had to decide about the rest of his life in a very short time. He suddenly found that even if he had had more time to reflect, his decision would be the same.

"I can't. I have to take it to the end."

Annie was slightly surprised. She raised her eyebrows as if she hadn't expected such an answer. In the end, however, she nodded briefly.

"It's your call. Good luck then."

"You too, Annie."

They stared at each other for a brief moment, though they both knew they should hurry. Braun moved first. He pulled the girl to him and hugged her gently. Annie returned the gesture, put her arms around the taller man and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Reiner suddenly felt a terrible emptiness in his heart.

One more person should be here with them, he thought.

That's why he knew he was making the right choice. He couldn't get away without retaliating on Grisha for Berthold's death.

He and Annie looked at each other one more time, saying goodbye to each other without unnecessary words. The girl quickly turned on her heel and disappeared into the darkness. Braun also walked away towards his car. He looked around anxiously, his gun ready. He tried to keep his fear under control at all costs, but with each step it became more and more difficult.

He started the engine and drove out of the parking lot, entering the traffic. It was then that he heard the sound of his cell phone. He looked at the display and felt his heart leap into his throat. He picked up the call quickly.

"Mr. Braun, we are very sorry to inform you that your mother has died. The doctor confirmed it was a heart attack. There was nothing we could do. Will you come to say goodbye to her and take her personal belongings? Of course, we will help you arrange the burial. Mr. Braun? Mr. Braun… Hello?"

Reiner kept holding the phone to his ear, but for a few seconds he completely froze.

He tossed his cell phone somewhere aside without even looking in that direction. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, tears streaming down his face. Heart attack... He knew perfectly well that something else had to be the cause of death. Someone else.

Levi

He abruptly stopped the motorcycle a few meters in front of the entrance gate. He took his helmet off his head and looked straight ahead with concern. There was a car parked right in front of his yard. Dammit.

Levi unconsciously reached for the wristband on his hand, wanting to call for help. He couldn't risk it. He never wanted to be in a situation like that at the Yaeger mansion, when he was completely defenseless and had to rely on others.

He hesitated, as he suddenly recognized the car.

He knew who it must belong to, but still he thought it might be a trap. He still didn't trust the owner of this car...

Before he could call for reinforcements, the door of the stationary car swung open. Reiner got out. He turned to Levi, clutching his bloody shoulder. Ackerman's eyes widened. Braun's face was pale, he must have lost a lot of blood. Levi left the motorcycle and walked briskly towards the man.

"Forgive me for coming here... I had nowhere to go..." Reiner muttered softly, his voice strangely hoarse. Only then did Levi see dried tears on his cheeks. Whatever happened, it wasn't good. "Kruger showed up at my place and..."

Braun's face suddenly turned even paler and his eyelids drooped. Levi caught him before Reiner could fall, but it wasn't exactly a good idea. The man was heavy and much taller than Ackerman.

"Fuck," Levi whispered, trying to grab Braun to help him get inside. "Braun, wake up!"

Reiner regained consciousness enough to be led towards the entrance. Levi deactivated the alarm. He helped the man across the gravel path and then over the threshold. As Reiner sank heavily into a chair, Levi quickly called for help. He also let Erwin and Hanji know.

"Just don't die, okay?" Ackerman put the phone in his pocket. He looked at Braun, who looked like he was going to pass out again. He patted his cheek quickly, not very gently. "It's nothing personal, it would just drastically reduce the value of my house."

Reiner woke up enough to laugh softly.

About two hours later Levi was leaning against the wall with his shoulder and sighed under his breath.

"Can we go now? We're useless here," He muttered, looking at his two friends. Hanji was sitting in a chair by the bed next to the sleeping Reiner, while Erwin took the seat on the opposite side. They both looked at Ackerman, their faces showing tiredness after a long day.

"Let's wait a moment longer," Hanji said, then looked at the unconscious man. Reiner's arm was wrapped in a bandage. His face seemed unnaturally pale. The man was attached to a blood reservoir to replenish its shortages. "I'm curious what he'll tell us."

"Levi is right," Erwin said suddenly, but he didn't move. "We did as much as we could. We should go back to ourselves and rest..."

Hanji studied Reiner's still face intently.

"Anyone got a marker? We could draw something on his face..."

Erwin and Levi smiled slightly. A quiet voice broke the silence:

"I heard that."

Reiner raised his eyelids and stared at the detectives gathered in the room. His gaze was calm and grateful, as if he sincerely appreciated that they had chosen to stay with him.

"So Grisha guessed you were helping us?" Levi wanted to know. He moved closer to the bed where Braun was lying and took his place on the chair next to Hanji.

"It looks like it," Reiner sighed heavily, looking at Ackerman. "Apparently, he figured I was the one who warned you that he wanted to question Armin. He had to stop trusting me. Recently, he has used my help less and less."

The man winced slightly, apparently the painkillers he was given weren't enough. Levi felt no sympathy, however. Reiner spoke again after a moment:

"What did you tell Shadis?"

"He thinks Grisha wanted to attack you for the very fact of working in our team. Not for personal revenge," Erwin replied, also staring at Reiner without a hint of sympathy, but his tone was polite. "Like we said before, putting you in jail would get us nothing. We need you."

"So get well soon," Hanji added, lifting the corner of her mouth.

Levi suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. The phone he used to contact Eren. He reached for the device and looked at the display while his friends continued talking to Reiner.

"Is he okay?"

Ackerman wrote back slowly and sent the message straight away.

"Yes. He'll live. And how are you?"

"I'm fine. Or at least I will be soon. Next meeting unchanged?"

"That's right".

"Eren wanted to know if you survived," Levi muttered, putting the phone back into his pocket and glancing briefly at Braun. Then he looked at Erwin. "I also confirmed the date of our next meeting. There shouldn't be any delay."

"Will it be right before... the final operation?" Reiner looked at Ackerman, then at Smith. "I will try to recover by then..."

"I doubt it. We can do this on our own", Levi replied, reluctantly looking back at Braun. "Anyway, you should lay low for a while. Grisha might keep looking for you."

"It's getting late. We should go" Erwin announced. Levi and Hanji nodded.

They got up and said goodbye to Reiner, wishing him a speedy recovery. They went outside and passed the two officers who were guarding the injured detective's safety.

They walked slowly down the hospital corridor, side by side.

"Look... I know we all resent him, but I think we did the right thing... right?" Hanji asked, marching in the middle. She was looking at two of her friends. "It seems to me that now every ally is worth its weight in gold."

"It's true. We stopped acting by the book a long time ago" Erwin replied. "We must approach each situation individually."

"I think you're right..." Levi added, then he felt the phone vibrate again. He reached in his pocket to read the message, feeling a little uneasy. He'd been worried about Eren more than ever lately, and he couldn't wait for the boy to be safe at last.

His eyes quickly scanned the content sent by Yaeger, then widened. Suddenly he felt his cheeks begin to burn.

"I miss you so much, you know? I can't stop thinking about you. You can't even imagine how much I want you right now."

Hanji, walking alongside, suddenly leaned towards him.

"What's up? Eren wrote again?"

Ackerman took the phone out of her range and put the device in his pocket, hoping his face looked ordinary. He couldn't help but feel his own heart beat faster, against his will.

"Y-yeah... Just told us to be careful," he grunted, then quickly reached his hand toward the doorknob, opening the door that led outside.

He let Hanji and Erwin in ahead, and he followed them, cursing silently. He stated that on the occasion of his next meeting with Eren, he would have to explain to him the idea of having office phones once again. The fact that his mouth corners involuntarily lifted in a gentle smile was absolutely unimportant.