Chapter 48

Eren

He waited for the detectives at the appointed place, sitting on a small, stone wall. He left his own car a long way from here. He knew he wouldn't need it anymore. The boy's leg was jiggling nervously, and his eyes were fixed on an undefined point in the dark space. He completely ignored the pain of the back of his head as well as the ache of muscles where Zeke had bruised him. He suspected he had a black eye, and he could feel the taste of clotted blood on his mouth. But he didn't care about his own condition, something completely different mattered to him. He hoped the detectives were okay.

As he caught sight of the car's light in the distance, Eren's eyes widened and he quickly jumped off the wall. His heart skipped a beat with anxiety and excitement. He saw the vehicle stop nearby with three familiar figures inside. So they were okay… His face became pale however, as he saw the inconsolable expressions of the three detectives.

Levi, Hanji, and Erwin got out of the car and walked over to him. They all looked as if they had just experienced the greatest disappointment in life. Their gazes were sluggish, somewhat ashamed, filled with bitterness and guilt. The boy immediately guessed what was the reason for the consternation visible on the faces of the detectives. His tense arms relaxed, his hands slumped along his sides as he realized what had happened.

"He ran away? How is it possible?" Eren asked tiredly. He suddenly wanted to put his head on the pillow and fall asleep… This day was definitely too long.

"Through the tunnel under the building. Hanji found a hidden passage in the basement," Levi immediately explained, leaving no doubt that Grisha's escape was in some way also Eren's fault, even if unintentionally, or so the boy took it that way. This time it was Yaeger's eyes that showed panic mixed with remorse. He didn't foresee this. He had no idea of any secret exit.

"What...? I don't understand."

"Apparently he must have been hiding it from you" Erwin tried to comfort the young man, but Eren still looked equally devastated.

"Hey! What happened?" Levi suddenly asked with a slight, barely perceptible tremble in his voice. He started toward Eren, watching the boy's injuries anxiously.

Hanji also stepped closer and covered her mouth with her hand as she saw that the back of Eren's jacket was stained with blood.

"Eren! You have an awful head wound! Who did it to you?" Zoe looked terrified, her voice a little squeaky. "We need to patch you up quickly..."

"I've met with Zeke," The boy replied wearily.

"There's a first aid kit in the car," Erwin said on the exhaust, then quickly circled the car and opened the trunk.

Hanji followed suit, as did Levi and Eren who started walking side by side. Ackerman put a hand on the boy's shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up. Eren looked at him and smiled gently. He was relieved that Levi was alive and well.

Yaeger sat in the backseat with the door open and put his legs out of the car. He leaned in to make the detectives' work easier. Smith cleaned the wound and Hanji applied a makeshift bandage to Eren.

"Please, tell me that you found something on the spot..." The boy muttered, while he stood up and looked at the three policemen. "There should be a lot of weapons and cash in Grisha's office. My father also kept some documents there."

"We didn't find anything, but we searched very briefly. The technicians will search through the whole building thoroughly," Zoe explained. "We've detained a dozen people. They put up no resistance, but stubbornly say they are working for your brother."

Eren frowned at that, and anxiety crept into his heart at once.

"Did you know that the basement rooms have been converted into wine cells, among other things?" Levi hid his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket and fixed his eyes on Eren. "There's no sign that anyone was held in them."

The young man opened his eyelids wider again and shook his head.

"What…? I had no idea... I don't even know, when..."

He stood motionless for a moment, his face covered with the same shadow of disappointment and desperation as the faces of the detectives. Since Grisha had managed to escape, the situation was bad. Very bad.

The boy tried to collect his thoughts and quickly briefed the detectives on the details of his meeting with Zeke tonight. When he reached the point where they were almost crushed by the train, Hanji let out a short cry of amazement, Erwin raised his eyebrows high, while Ackerman's face paled visibly.

"I tried to convince him to give up, but he wouldn't even hear about it." Eren lowered his head sadly, his eyelids drooping. "The thought that we failed drives me crazy."

"Not all is lost. Grisha will have to lay low from now," Erwin replied, hiding the first aid kit back into the trunk and then slamming the door. "We'll see what his next move will be."

"Enough for today. You should rest" Levi said, looking at Eren with concern.

"Exactly. Let's get out of here" Hanji agreed. She opened the door and looked at the boy expectantly.

Eren nodded. He got into the detectives' car, Zoe sat down next to him, and Erwin took the front passenger side. Levi was the driver. Ackerman started the engine and drove out onto the street. As he started down the straight road, he looked in the rearview mirror and exchanged a long look with Eren. The boy saw the detective gently narrow his eyes in a tender expression, as if he wanted to show him that he was there for him, and everything would be fine.

When they stopped in front of an inconspicuous one-story house, the door leading inside opened at once. First, two officers Eren didn't know emerged from there, apparently they had to make sure that the oncoming car posed no threat. Only then did two well-known figures cross the threshold.

Mikasa and Armin went down the steps, walking side by side, staring anxiously at the arriving car. Eren got out of the car and his mouth instantly spread into a broad smile. They ran to each other and hugged each other, all three of them. Eren was holding Mikasa and Armin very tight, glad that they were here and that they were safe… at least in theory. After a while he released them and looked at those beloved, laughing faces. However, those faces turned slightly pale at the sight of his battered face.

"Who did this to you? Was it Grisha?" Mikasa asked, widening her eyes.

"No. I met with Zeke, but he got his share. I will tell you everything..."

The friends nodded and headed back towards the entrance. The detectives followed suit. The two officers greeted Erwin, Hanji, and Levi, then took their positions outside, letting the others talk in peace.

Eren strode into the modest yet cozy interior, looking from side to side. Suddenly he saw Jean who had just got up from the couch. The man was a little confused at the sight of him. After all, when they talked for the last time, Yaeger was quite hostile towards him. Then they only saw each other briefly.

"Good thing you're okay," Jean grunted, walking over to Eren and reaching out to him. "I'm glad you finally stood up to your father."

Without hesitating, Yaeger took Kirschtein's outstretched hand and shook it.

"Thank you for helping us. Forgive me for that time, back then in the kitchen, when I almost punched you in the face."

Jean laughed and shook his head quickly.

"That's fine, really. Actually, I was glad that Mikasa had someone who would always stand up for her, so there's nothing to talk about." Kirschtein looked at him suddenly more closely. "Someone beat you up a little, huh? Should I handle this?".

"Sure, but there's no rush, it can wait."

"We've got some tea, would you like a cup or two?" Armin asked, looking at the detectives with a smile. Eren lifted the corner of his mouth as he noticed that Ackerman's eyes sparkled at the mere mention of tea.

"I think we can agree to this, what do you think?" Levi asked, looking at his companions. "We can talk about the next steps."

Hanji and Erwin agreed to this proposal, so after a while they all sat down at a rectangular, wooden table, on which the temporary household members had already placed cups and a plate of cookies. Erwin, Hanji, and Levi sat on one side, Armin, Mikasa and Jean on the other. Eren took a seat on the short side of the table, between Levi and Armin.

Zoe grabbed the cookie right away, as did Eren, who was terribly hungry. The boy bit a piece, then glanced sideways to see Levi smirking at him softly.

At the very beginning, the newcomers introduced Mikasa, Armin and Jean to all the most important events of the day, those related to the work of detectives and about everything that happened to Eren. At the news of Grisha's escape, they reacted with an exchange of worried glances. Though they were safe, the mere realization that the oldest Yaeger was still at large gave them shivers of terror.

"Do you think that he somehow knew you were coming for him?" It was Armin who asked the first question. He adjusted the glasses on his nose. Eren noticed they were new and immediately guessed that something must have happened to the previous ones. He felt indescribable relief at the thought that at least their owner was intact.

"We can't rule it out. We don't know if he had other spies besides Braun" Levi replied gruffly. He sipped his tea slowly, ignoring the clay ear completely as usual and cupping his fingers around the cup from above.

"He must have known we were coming. The basement is newly renovated," Hanji added, rocking her chair back and forth. "There's no sign of anyone being interrogated or held there, but maybe the technicians will find something."

"One by one, we will secure all the locations indicated by Eren," Erwin crossed his legs and stared at the younger company in peace. "You shouldn't worry about it anymore. We have received confirmation that your new IDs will be ready in a week's time. Once we have your testimony, all three of you can leave the country immediately."

Armin and Mikasa exchanged happy smiles, and quickly looked at their friend. But Eren didn't return their smiles, his body tense slightly. It felt as if a chunk of ice had fallen to the very bottom of his stomach in response to Smith's words, and a sudden chill had enveloped his body. Eren's gaze went to the dark-haired detective who sat next to him. Levi, however, looked away to the side, but his face also seemed suddenly oddly melancholic.

So fast? Eren thought. He was sure that the preparations for their departure would take at least a few more weeks. He couldn't even imagine ending his relationship with the detectives, especially one of them, in seven days. It sounded like a bad joke.

"Are you sure you won't need my help anymore?" Eren blurted out before he could stop himself. Mikasa and Armin were slightly surprised, but looked at the detectives with polite curiosity.

Erwin raised his eyebrows, Hanji gently narrowed her eye in thought. Levi blinked quickly, then spoke, wanting to take control of the situation:

"We have to fend for ourselves from now on, Eren. You've done enough already," Ackerman stared hard at the boy, apparently wanting to convey to him telepathically that they should end the subject there. "You can't put yourself at risk anymore. Your testimony is more than enough."

"It's not a problem for me," Yaeger replied, returning his gaze with all the strength of his inner stubbornness. He saw the detective's eyes twinkle dangerously. He knew Levi wanted him to shut up, but he couldn't just let it go. He sounded like a hero, but felt like an egoist. "Think carefully, because when I leave, you may regret it very much."

The boy saw Levi bite his lip, and something painful flashed in his eyes. Eren felt a sudden remorse. Why did he pursue this topic so stubbornly? He came to his senses in a second. After all, Levi was doing all this to help them leave as soon as possible and he, instead of being grateful, wanted to selfishly delay their departure...

"Levi is right, you did your job, Eren," Hanji replied, joining the conversation. "Enjoy being with your friends now and think about what you will want to do in your new life."

Yaeger glanced at the woman with glasses and nodded, trying to smile, but it was very difficult for him. He knew Hanji was right, but the prospect of leaving so soon terrified him.

At one point in the meeting, when everyone was absorbed in conversation, Eren discreetly reached for the man sitting next to him. Levi was just resting his hand on the edge of the chair he was sitting on. He flinched slightly as Eren took him by the hand. They exchanged short, affectionate glances. Levi didn't take his hand away. He returned Eren's gesture, clenching his fingers around the boy's hand. They held hands for a good moment, unnoticed by anyone.

They all chatted until the tea was over and the cookies were gone. The detectives finally rose from their seats, heading for the exit. Eren, Armin and Mikasa escorted them to the door, wanting to say goodbye and thank them for their help so far.

"Will we see you guys before we leave?" Armin asked, leaning his shoulder against the bright wallpaper stuck to the wall. Eren felt his heart twitch painfully again. His green eyes went back to Levi. Ackerman looked at him sadly as well, but quickly looked away.

"We'll definitely come by to finish writing your testimony," Hanji replied, looking at Eren. "We will also want to say goodbye to you... especially to our beloved informant, without whom we wouldn't accomplish anything!"

Hanji ruffled Eren's hair. The boy returned the woman's gaze and weakly lifted the corners of his mouth.

"We have to go," Levi said suddenly, turning to face the door. Before he left, his blue-gray eyes lingered on Eren. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

The boy nodded, having only one wish at that moment, so that he could pull Ackerman to him and hug him goodbye, but it was impossible. Levi and the other two detectives left the building, then walked across a small yard and entered their car. After a while the vehicle disappeared into the distance.

Eren was staring in that direction for a moment, when suddenly one of the two officers guarding them approached him and nodded at him.

"We need to get your fingerprints," He confessed, then headed for the table where he had already set up the equipment he needed. Eren was slightly surprised, but he followed the man.

"Okay... Is it necessary?" He asked because, for some reason, he felt a sudden unease.

"Just in case. For example, if something happened to you and we couldn't identify your body. These are only precautions," The officer confessed without further ado. "We once had such a case with one crown witness, so it's better to be safe than sorry."

Eren swallowed as he watched the man hand him the ink, in which he then had to soak his fingertips in. He put his prints on a small card in the right places.

As the policeman was packing his gear back into his suitcase, Eren slipped outside. He looked away, feeling sadness overwhelming him. Suddenly he felt a slight weight on his shoulder. Armin stood beside him and rested his head on his shoulder. Mikasa, who had stopped on the other side, took Eren's arm. They had to sense their friend's grief, and also guessed what was causing it.

"They'll be fine, Eren." The boy heard Armin's soft voice close to his ear. "I know that you're worried and you would like to help them, but you have to finally let them act. To be honest, we shouldn't be involved in any of this at all. In fact, our life is only about to begin from now. You should rest. Come on, we have a common room, let me show you!"

Eren nodded and let Armin pull himself inside the house. He also allowed him, at least on the surface, to believe that he agreed with him. There was, however, a terrifying thought inside his mind. He was afraid that if he left now and parted ways with Levi, he would feel as if his life had ended.

Levi

He opened his eyes long before the alarm clock. Still tucking his cheek against the pillow, he stretched out his right hand in front of him, but encountered a void. He blinked several times, and only then did he realize that no one was lying on the other pillow, that he was alone here. After all, Eren was far away, in a hideout provided by the police.

Ackerman mentally rebuked himself, then quickly got off the bed.

He still had some time before work, so he managed to do his morning training, water the flowers and eat a light breakfast. It was after seven that he had received an unexpected message from Erwin.

Levi was surprised, since Smith rarely sent him messages this early. He studied the content quickly. As he read, Ackerman's eyes slowly rounded.

"Check today's news and get to our department quickly."

He stared at the display for a few seconds, then set the unfinished tea on the coffee table. He reached for his tablet and launched a page with the latest local news. After a short while he found what he was looking for. He felt his pulse quicken much faster than it had in the morning exercises. His mouth opened when he saw a picture of Zeke Yaeger.

"You're got to be fucking kidding me..." A sharp whisper escaped his lips, and his bright eyes seemed to shoot thunder as he studied the text.

"Body found near railroad tracks... Son of a local businessman... Police already have a suspect...".

Levi tossed the tablet onto the table top not very gently, then reached for his keys and jacket. He ran out of the house, slamming the door behind him. For the first time in his life, he had left behind his tea unfinished, but he didn't care.

As he pulled up to the police department, he took his helmet off his head and hurried towards the glass door. He was surprised to see two unknown, brand new cars standing in front of the entrance to the building. The trunks of both cars were open, some man in black glasses was guarding them.

Levi moved on, wanting to cross the threshold. He almost ran into a man who was just coming out of the building, a cardboard box in his hands. Ackerman's jaw clenched as he spotted binders sticking out of the cardboard, carefully marked with his handwriting.

"Hey, where are you taking this?!" Levi exclaimed, blocking the man's path. The man frowned and gave Ackerman an unpleasant look.

"Ask your supervisor. I'm just here to get the files."

"What? To where?" The detective wanted to know, but the man didn't answer. He stepped around him and headed for the open trunk.

Levi clenched his fists and moved forward, no longer even trying to hide the frank rage that had appeared on his face. Other officers hurried out of his way, sensing that something was up. Ackerman finally burst into the office that was his workplace. He saw Erwin, Hanji, and Nanaba watching people in black suits pack their case files and folders into cartons.

"Levi... you're here," Erwin's voice was full of concern, but at the sight of his friend he regained some confidence. Hanji stood beside him, shaking her head in disbelief.

"What's going on here? I just arrived and I feel like I haven't woken up yet and it's some kind of bad dream."

"Who are these people and where is Shadis?" Levi wanted to know.

"He's about to be in here any minute," Nanaba replied, whose face was as pale as the other detectives.

When Gelgar joined them moments later, the all four headed to the conference room. Shadis arrived a few minutes later, the man looking even more tired than usual. The shadows under his eyes seemed clearer than ever, and his forehead, marked by the furrows of time, wrinkled in a dark expression.

"I suppose you know what happened in the last dozen or so hours." Shadis' boomy voice echoed in the room. "To clarify... Zeke Yaeger's body was found. He was shot several times in the chest. The fingerprints found on the gun were sent for analysis, and fresh shoe marks were found on the spot, which we will also examine. Yaeger was a bit battered, he had to fight with someone. Your latest report shows that the last person to see Zeke Yaeger and fight him was our informant."

Shadis looked at his team. His subordinates were silent, staring at their superior expectantly. Levi could feel his exasperation take to the next level, but for now he held back from exploding.

"Oh, please... You don't think this is the work of our informant, do you?" Erwin asked in an icy tone.

"I don't, but I was ordered from above. From now on the investigation will be taken over by the intelligence agency. Some new evidence has emerged, allegedly pointing to the deep ties of the Yaegers to the terrorists in Marley, and the special agents are taking care of this. At this point, my hands are tied."

"So what, now the Yaeger case will be taken over by intelligence?" Hanji sat up straight. "And what do you mean by the new evidence...?"

Levi felt his body paralyze with fear, and he saw dark spots in front of his eyes. He suddenly remembered one of his last conversations with Eren, when they confided in each other about their fears. The boy raised the issue of his trip to Marley. He remembered the question he had asked Eren then.

"Does Grisha have any evidence of what you did in Marley?"

Instinctively, Ackerman raised a hand to his face and touched his forehead with his fingertips. His ears were buzzing and his head felt uncomfortably heavy. He felt the worried gaze of Erwin sitting next to him.

"What will happen to our witnesses?" Levi finally choked out the question, trying to make his voice sound firm, strong. He looked up and fixed his gaze on Shadis. "This week we were supposed to interview them and take their last testimony."

The old man spread his hands helplessly.

"I'm sorry, but really I don't know. If any of them withheld something from us and their share in the whole matter is much greater, we cannot help them anymore. Their testimonies also depreciate.

Unfortunately, ensuring that they leave the country is no longer possible. The intelligence agency will decide for itself what will happen to them next."

Ackerman clenched his fists and shook his head in disbelief.

"This is some fucking sick joke..." He muttered with barely contained anger. Even if Keith saw his behavior as insubordinate, he said nothing. He had to understand that his people took new information very emotionally, after all, they had been working on the Yaeger case for some time.

"There's nothing we can do. If the agents need our help, they will contact us."

The detectives left the conference room and walked sluggishly towards the common office. The men delegated to take over the documents were already finishing their work, they were just taking the last boxes. Levi tensed nervously to see that even his blackboard with photos and notes was empty. Apparently, the entire investigation was to be classified.

Nanaba and Gelgar sat at their desks with disconsolate expressions. Erwin, Hanji, and Levi looked at each other desperately.

"What happens now?" Hanji asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"If they arrest them..." Smith began softly, frowning in concern. He fixed his eyes on Ackerman. "If by some accident they will be arrested, do you think that then Grisha...?"

Erwin didn't finish and Levi didn't answer. He pursed his lips with all his might, wanting so much to turn his desk upside down.

Eren

Mikasa was reading a book, Jean was washing the dishes after lunch, and Eren and Armin were bending over a game of chess when they heard the distinctive sound of cars being parked and the engine shutting down. The soft slam of the door followed. They looked at the two officers who were sitting with them in the living room because they were on duty for the day.

The men exchanged surprised looks. Apparently, they had no information that anyone was going to visit them. The policemen who were supposed to take over the night shift shouldn't be here for a few more hours. The two officers moved from their seats and went outside the building to make sure what was going on.

The four young folks stared through the ajar door as they saw policemen greet men in dark glasses and suits. Then the same two officers who had been taking care of them a moment ago nodded and headed towards their car, then drove away. Eren, Armin, Mikasa, and Jean looked at each other with concern.

"What is going on? Who are these new people?" Armin asked in a whisper, but no one answered him. They stepped back a little as unfamiliar men entered the corridor.

Their eyes were hidden behind black lenses, so it was hard to read their intentions. The expressions of each individual's face were colorless to the point of exaggeration.

"Pack your things quickly. We're taking you to another location."

"Why…? Did something happen?" Jean asked, then stepped forward. The men looked briefly at him.

"It's an order from above. We're transporting you to another place to interview all of you. There you will learn more" One of the arrivals replied evasively.

"Hurry up, we don't have time," Added the second, lower one with receding hairline.

Eren couldn't help but notice that each of the men's jackets bulged over their chests, where they probably had their weapons hidden. If they would stand up to them, they could quickly be arrested or overpowered.

"All right," Yaeger said, trying to keep his tone relaxed so as not to let the men feel that he was up to something. "We'll make it quick."

He grabbed Armin's arm and pulled him towards the rooms that had recently served as bedrooms. They were in a single-story house with a long corridor leading to the rooms. Mikasa and Jean followed them. They split up to pack up their belongings. Before they parted, however, Eren exchanged a short, knowing glance with Mikasa. In the girl's eyes he saw the same fear he felt. They both knew something was very wrong.

Eren and Armin shared a bedroom, so they entered together into a room that contained two separate beds.

"There are six of them," Eren whispered, casting furtive glances at the door. "What do you think? What do they want?"

"I don't know..." Armin replied, also in a theatrical whisper. "They look like some secret agents. They have to work for a completely different institution."

Eren nodded. They didn't know if the investigation was taken over by someone else. Levi and the rest should show up here to finish interviewing them, not some strangers. He wished they had any way of contacting the detectives. Mobile phones were too risky, they could be easily traced and were forbidden to them at this point.

Armin thought about something for a moment. Then he quickly walked over to the small television and turned it on, immediately turning off the sound so as not to alert the men who were in the living room.

"What are you doing…?" Eren whispered, looking at his friend in surprise.

Arlert skipped the channels until he stopped at the local news.

Both Eren and Armin tensed nervously, staring at the picture of Zeke on the screen. The presenter was saying something to the camera, and right below her was the inscription: "Bloody crime on the outskirts of Trost - son of a local businessman murdered."

Armin hastily turned off the TV, then looked at his friend. His face was still completely shocked, his lips parted.

Meanwhile, Eren was standing next to the blond boy, feeling a strange emptiness in his heart. Zeke was... murdered?

He'd already accepted the fact that he'd probably lost his brother forever, but… he didn't expect to lose him in the full sense of this meaning. Yes, he expected Zeke to end up behind bars, but that would be it. He didn't wish him dead.

Eren pursed his lips and sniffled, trying to calm himself. He felt tears under his eyelids. He couldn't fall apart now, he had to focus on the current situation, because a difficult decision had to be made. He quickly wiped his wet eyes and glanced at Armin.

"Why would Grisha kill him? It doesn't make any sense" Eren whispered. He knew they should be packing, or at least pretend they were packing. The men were about to show up in their bedroom to check on them. First, however, he needed to know what Arlert was thinking in order to decide on the next step. Another very difficult step.

The blond shook his head, his face visibly pale.

"I don't know... Levi suspected something before. He said that Grisha would want to frame Zeke for all the crimes, but... Nooo, he couldn't get away with such a murder. Unless…" Armin's blue eyes widened even more. "Unless he wants to blame it on you."

The two young men stared at each other without blinking an eye. Eren wanted to say something to that, but his voice was stuck in his throat. He couldn't express a word. He suddenly found that Armin might be right. So was that what these men had come for? To get them arrested? To interrogate each one of them individually?

Armin reached out and grabbed Eren's arm.

"Eren, if they arrest us and put us even in a regular pre-trial detention, there'll be nothing that could stop Grisha anymore. All he would have to do is to bribe some guards, and then… They'll finish us on the spot. He wants that to happen," The boy blurted out the words in a dramatic whisper. "We can't go with them."

Suddenly, there were footsteps in the corridor. The door swung open and one of the men, the youngest of the group, stepped in. He had light hair and small stubble. His eyes were also hidden behind black glasses. He didn't seem afraid of them, he must have known they had no weapons.

"Are you done?" He asked in an unpleasant tone. Eren and Armin looked at each other for a split second.

"I have a problem with this zipper... Something is stuck" Armin said, pointing to his backpack. All he had with himself was the clothes he had received from the police department, nothing else. All his stuff got lost in the fire.

The man with the glasses sighed.

"Do it yourself, it's not my problem. We must go."

"But we tried already. If you would help, it would be faster..."

The man sighed again in exasperation, then walked over to Armin and picked up his backpack. He was surprised to see that the zip was not jammed at all. Just then Eren grabbed him from behind, clapped his hand over his mouth, and began to choke him with the other hand. Armin quickly reached for the weapon hidden behind the man's jacket. He struck him on the temple with the gun, causing the agent's eyes to roll towards the skull, and then he passed out. Eren gently placed the man's body on the floor and quickly tied his hands with the TV cable, in case he woke up.

Arlert handed the gun back to his friend, breathing quickly. He looked intimidated.

"Take it... Sorry, but you know how to use this better than I do."

"Do you think we can make it?" Eren asked, also panting loudly. He felt a rush of adrenaline and a terrible fear for his friends. "He will wake up soon."

"We have to try. Just… no killing, okay? Because then we would all be over."

Eren and Armin carefully looked out into the corridor, and just then they saw the two men approaching. Yaeger reacted immediately, giving the agents no chance to reach for their weapons. He grabbed one of them by the shoulders and gave him a strong kick. Then he grabbed the back of the man's shirt collar and pushed him against the wall. The man hit his head on a hard surface and immediately passed out.

Armin was less fortunate, he swung his fist at the tall man, but this one agent was faster. He punched the blond in the face, then cut his foot off. Arlert landed on the floor. The tall man reached for a gun and aimed it at Armin. He was already opening his mouth to alert the rest of his people, but that's when Mikasa appeared behind him. She punched him on the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious. The man fell to the floor and Armin quickly got to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Eren asked, taking Mikasa's hand and studying her face. The girl shook her head, and Jean was standing right behind her, his face transparent with terror.

"What's going on…?" Kirtschtein asked, frowning. He watched Mikasa and Eren hurriedly arrange the unconscious bodies in one of the bedrooms and then lock it with the key.

"Zeke is dead. Grisha must have killed him and probably wants to throw suspicion on Eren," Armin explained quickly, then moved on. "There are three men left. We have to deal with them before they realize that something is wrong... Remember, no killing."

Eren, Mikasa, and Jean followed him. In the living room, they encountered two of the other agents. The men, seeing that the witnesses appeared alone, without their companions, immediately realized the situation. One of them cursed loudly, the other immediately reached for his weapon. Mikasa and Eren rushed toward them fearlessly, like trained soldiers. Armin and Jean watched in amazement as the agents were disarmed. Mikasa dealt with one man without problems, neutralizing him, while Eren shuffled with the other man a little longer. At one point, the gun held by the agent fired, fortunately straight into the wall. Eventually, Eren also managed to eliminate his opponent and knock the unconscious man to the ground.

The gunshot, however, alerted the last man, the one with the receiver in his ear, who must have been smoking a cigarette outside. He ran inside and his mouth dropped open in amazement. Instantly, he reached for his pistol. However, this time it was Jean who took care of the opponent. He approached the man's neck with the needle of the syringe and gave him an injection, which caused him to lose consciousness almost immediately. Like the others, he fell to the floor.

Mikasa, Armin, and Eren stared at Jean in astonishment.

"What? It's the last dose I've had" The doctor replied, scratching his head. "At least that's how I can help."

"We have to get out of here right now. We'll take their car," Armin changed the subject, devising an escape plan in his head. He bent down and picked up one of the weapons dropped by the men. "Of course, we'll ditch the car eventually and then we'll have to hide and somehow contact Levi and the rest. But only if they would still want to help us..."

"They'll definitely want to…" Eren began, but suddenly stopped as one of the men they had neutralized a moment ago jumped up and grabbed his gun. Apparently, he had to only pretend to be unconscious. The man gritted his teeth and aimed at Armin, who was standing closest to him. He squeezed the trigger immediately, without any warning.

Before the man could shoot, several things happened simultaneously. Mikasa screamed; Jean quickly reached down to grab the last of the weapons which was on the floor; Eren, on the other hand, only felt his body move by itself, as if without his participation. He shielded Armin with himself at the last moment, immediately feeling a terrible, piercing pain in the clavicle area.

He looked at his body over his chest and saw the gunshot wound from which blood began to roll immediately. The pain was terrible. His legs buckled under him, and he dropped to his knees.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jean aim the gun at the man. For some reason, however, Kirschtein hesitated, his eyes rounding with terror. He was unable to pull the trigger.

Just then, another shot rang out in the room, and then another, as if the attacker preferred not to take any chances. The stranger who had shot Eren stumbled in place, then fell instantaneously to the floor. Around him, on the wooden floor, a stain of blood began to bloom at once.

Eren looked to the side and saw Armin lower the pistol he was holding. Arlert was breathing quickly. His wide eyes stared at the motionless body of the man he had just murdered. After a while, he dropped the gun somewhere aside and jumped to his friend, helping him to get up.

"Eren!" Arlert cried, tears welling up in his eyes. "Eren, hold on... Everything will be fine!"

"I'll take care of it!" Jean announced, and also quickly approached Yaeger. "I need something to stop the bleeding."

Kirschtein no longer looked as if panic had taken over his body. The man was not fit to take life, but he could focus fully on saving it. Mikasa handed him a piece of cloth, and Jean immediately pressed it against Eren's wound. He grabbed the boy on the second side and looked at his face.

"Eren, are you with us? Try to breathe slowly and deeply, okay? Armin, I'm holding him!"

Eren nodded, feeling a little dreamlike. Though everyone else was moving very fast, his own movements seemed strangely slow. As if he was wading in the water... no, as if he was wading in the cement.

Jean helped him to walk over the threshold and then led him up the steps. He opened the door to one of the cars and helped Eren take his seat. He was pressing the soft material against the boy's wound all the time. Mikasa and Armin joined them after a while, along with the most needed things. They handed Jean his first aid kit so that he could take care of Eren's wound immediately, and they also took all the weapons from the agents. Before they drove away, they fired on the tires of the remaining cars to keep the men from catching up to them.

Mikasa took the wheel, Armin took his seat to her right. Jean and Eren sat in the back, Kirschtein's hand still clenched over Yaeger's bloody wound throbbing with pain.

"We have to hide somewhere so I can sew him up. Before he loses too much blood," The doctor muttered, exchanging a brief glance with Mikasa. The girl nodded.

"The car certainly has GPS, so we must quickly abandon it..." Armin added, staring at the windshield.

Eren closed his eyes and rested his neck against the headrest of the chair. Besides the excruciating pain, he suddenly felt a weird weakness in his body. He could still hear Jean's voice close to his ear, but it suddenly became strangely muffled as if Kirchstein moved away from him.

He felt that he was falling asleep, and he took this fact with real relief.