Chapter 50

Eren

"Hello, son. Did you miss me?"

The boy felt Grisha put his foot on his chest, pressing it to the ground. The hard leather shoe stuck painfully into his chest, preventing him from rising.

"You really thought I wasn't monitoring this area and that I would just let you drive away with my money? Eren, you're even dumber than I thought," Grisha drawled, still smiling eerily. His eyes twinkled in the twilight behind his round glasses as he stared at his son, while standing above him. "I knew you would need money at all costs. Even though you don't work for me anymore, you still do exactly what I want."

The boy suppressed the curse. He had to quickly devise an escape plan. Grisha continued.

"Someone must be helping you, I'm sure of it. My guess is that they're the same detectives who got the case taken... Ackerman and the rest, right?" Grisha asked, pressing Eren's body tighter to the hard ground. The boy twitched, both in pain and nervousness, as he heard Levi's name spoken by his father. "I thought so. Apparently, I'll have to… crush them, too."

To reinforce the meaning of these words, the elder Yaeger stepped on Eren's chest even harder, pressing out a cry full of pain from his son's throat. The boy had no idea if Grisha knew about his wound, but it seemed to be so. However, he wasn't provoked.

"Cut the crap... What do you want to do with me now? You want to kill me?" Eren asked, trying to play for time. Kruger was still standing a few paces away, saying nothing, watching him with a colorless expression on his face.

The boy was still clutching the lighter in his hand. Grisha must have thought that Eren was just clenching his fists in anger, because the man apparently hadn't noticed anything unusual. The closest source of light came from behind the gate, so the darkness at this time was in his favor.

"Oh, no. I couldn't take that risk. I'll leave you here unconscious, and in that state the police will find you," Grisha finally took his foot off Eren's chest and straightened the collar of his perfectly ironed shirt. "You can guess what will happen next."

"You're gonna pay someone to stab me to death in custody. It's very much your style," Eren muttered, rising to his elbows. "The more I'm surprised you murdered Zeke in cold blood. How could you do this…?"

Grisha bent to see Eren's face from up close. Suddenly he reached out and grabbed his chin. He tightened his fingers on the boy's face with all his strength and lifted it towards him.

"Zeke was weak. I thought you would be different, but clearly you are the same. You missed a great chance," The older Yaeger said, staring at his son in disappointment, as if he were looking at a defective item. Eren hissed softly and pushed his father's hand away. Grisha straightened, then continued: "Anyway, you're now wanted for killing Zeke, not me. Who am I to question the work of the police."

"You fucking bastard."

Eren suddenly rose to his feet, causing his father's body to tense up in preparation for the attack. The boy saw Kruger raise the pistol and aim it at him. He surprised both of them by not swinging at Grisha, but instead he ran towards the warehouse entrance. He heard his father laugh behind him.

"Do you really think you'll hide from me there?"

Young Yaeger ran quickly down the steps, hearing the two men's footsteps behind him. The light was still on inside. On the last step Eren lost his balance and fell flat on the floor. He wanted to jump up quickly and run, but suddenly he felt a strong hand grasp his neck. It was Kruger. The man picked him up, then threw it in front of himself, like a sack of potatoes. Eren let out a painful groan again as he landed hard on the concrete floor. He feared his stitches might not withstand another injury. His wound throbbed with pain like never before.

The boy rolled over on his back and stretched his hand in which he was clutching the lighter. In fact, he had no idea if this would even work...

Grisha stood next to Kruger and leaned over Eren with a wild smile.

"You will wait nicely for the officers here, won't you, son? You've always been a good boy, don't let me down..."

The man suddenly raised his eyebrows, seeing that one item Eren was holding in his hand. Elder Yaeger jerked his head up and only then did he see the wet trail that ran all the way to the piles of cash. He must have also smelled the characteristic gasoline smell as well.

"What are you do…"

The boy snapped a lighter and drew the flame towards the liquid spilled on the floor. The substance caught fire at once. The flame sped towards the pile of cash, nothing could stop it. The pile of banknotes, drenched in a flammable substance, immediately caught fire. Next was a loud explosion.

Eren only managed to get up and run a bit before the force of the blast pushed him forward. He collapsed on his stomach, feeling the wound on his shoulder tear his body apart again with an unbearable pain. The room was filled with thick smoke. Eren coughed right away, but bravely crawled forward, trying to see the exit.

He saw Grisha lying a bit away, coughing like he was about to spit his lungs out. The boy knew he should get away from here as soon as possible, but at that moment he just couldn't help himself.

He stopped by his father and leaned over him to hit him in that daze face, dirty from smoke. Eren hit him once, twice, third time... He stopped when he saw bloody snot dripping from the man's nose. Eren shuddered in disgust. There was an old, bitter man in front of him who didn't even deserve his hatred.

A bullet fired by Kruger suddenly whistled near his ear. He heard a man cough loudly behind him, so he gave up on this sudden attempt to take revenge. He released Grisha and started running forward.

He ran up the stairs feeling sick and weak from inhaling the chemical fumes. He had no idea how, but he managed to run to the car, get behind the wheel and start the engine.

He moved forward, hearing Kruger still firing at him, but quickly managed to leave the man behind.

About half an hour later, Eren drove into a familiar garage, stopped the car, and rested his forehead on the steering wheel. He took a deep breath and only then realized that it had all worked out. Well, sort of... It was possible that Grisha and Kruger would remember the car he used. This meant that they could use the information for their own purposes. He didn't want Hanji to get into trouble because of him.

He flinched as the door of the car he was still sitting in swung open. He saw the faces of his two friends staring at him. Armin and Mikasa looked torn between wanting to throw themselves in his arms and to murder him on the spot.

"Eren... What the hell did you do?!" Armin exclaimed, staring his blue eyes at Yaeger.

Eren got out of the car, throwing a bag full of cash at his friend.

"Call that guy. We're getting out of this country."

"What…?" Mikasa's eyes widened as well. Armin pulled by the zipper and he and Mikasa peered inside the bag. Their mouths opened in a mute expression of surprise.

Eren stepped past them and through the door that led from the garage straight into the living room. He froze in place as he spotted Jean and three well-known detectives. He hadn't expected them here, since it was well past midnight. Apparently his friends must have panicked a lot if they called for help.

Levi, Hanji, and Erwin gave him stares full of suspense and disappointment.

"Are you completely insane?" Levi hissed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hanji shook her head disapprovingly.

"You can't leave like that, Eren!"

"You're hurt, you should be resting, not wandering around in the middle of the night..." Erwin began regretfully, but stopped. Mikasa and Armin followed their friend into the living room. They dropped the open bag on the floor. Everyone present could now see that it was filled with cash. The detectives looked surprised, as did Jean.

"Where did you get this?" Levi wanted to know. He was the only one who still looked very concerned.

"I stole that from Grisha's hideout. Yes, I fell right into his trap like a child... but as you can see, I managed to escape and lose them."

"Eren..." Levi began reproachfully, but was interrupted by Hanji's loud shout.

"You crazy, crazy boy!" The woman with glasses smiled happily. "Does that mean you can leave now?"

"Armin told us about a man who can get you false IDs," Erwin interjected, his eyes flashing. "I have to admit... Well done, Eren."

"We must act quickly. Grisha and Kruger saw the car I had driven with. It's only a matter of time before they know that it belongs to Hanji," Eren said without looking at Ackerman. He did it on purpose because he was afraid that when he looked into his eyes, he might start to doubt what he was trying to arrange. "Armin, contact that man. Please, try to make an appointment as soon as possible. Tomorrow would be the best."

Arlert nodded and walked away to send a message.

"I took more money with me because we need it for something else, too," Eren continued. He reached into his bag and counted out a sum, then handed Hanji the cash. "I think Grisha is now hiding in one of the hotels in Trost, but probably not in his own facility. I'm sure he's changing his locations every now and then. I advise you to bribe the manager who works at the Langer Hotel. This is a former Grisha employee. His name is Graff. My father had some dirt on him, so I suspect he might want to use it now. If not him, try talking to the director of Sunny Cliffs. She is Grisha's lover, she has a soft spot for him. I think she would have helped him hide, too. My father wouldn't live in any poor shit-hole, he is used to comforts."

The detectives exchanged silent glances. Eren glanced briefly at Levi. Ackerman's eyesight was hard to interpret. The man looked thoughtful, that was for sure.

"I know you don't work on this case anymore... but you would probably check out an anonymous denunciation of Grisha from an ordinary civilian, wouldn't you?" Eren wanted to know.

"It's not that. It's just… we never tried to bribe anyone before," Hanji replied and bit her lower lip lightly. "It sounds wrong."

"You have no choice. That's a lot of money, I think both of those people I mentioned will be satisfied with this amount. Especially, since Grisha is starting to go down. The police are looking for him. You must hurry because I'm afraid he'll want to run away to Marley. He has business partners there, who could help him hide. I suspect he will leave as soon as he gets rid of his last problem, which is me."

"All right, we'll take care of it," Levi said suddenly, taking a step forward. He stared fixedly at Eren. "Can you please lie down and rest now?"

Eren sighed softly, then nodded.

"I'll come with you," Jean added immediately, taking Eren by the arm and helping him as they walked up the stairs. The doctor took him to his bedroom and helped him remove his shirt, then checked his wound. It wasn't as bad as Eren had expected, but it still needed to be taken care of. After Jean had finished changing the dressings, Mikasa peeked into the bedroom.

"Is everything okay?" The girl asked with concern in her voice.

"Fortunately, yes. I was thinking that I could remove the stitches while we are still here, in Trost, but that will have to wait a couple of days," Jean said, then stood to his feet. "I'll do it when we are already... You know..."

"On the other side," Eren finished, and lifted the corner of his mouth sadly.

Mikasa stood next to her partner and looked at Yaeger.

"Armin managed to get in touch with the man you were talking about. We are to see him tomorrow night. He wants to check the cash, and then he will need a few days to prepare the documents."

Eren nodded.

"It will take a while, but this is normal. Preparing new identities for four people isn't that easy."

"Do you think he can make it?" Jean asked.

"They say he's the best. That's what Armin said," Mikasa replied. She saw her friend's eyelids slowly droop, so she quickly added, "You should rest, Eren."

"Okay..." The boy sighed softly and suddenly felt a twinge of sadness. "Will you say goodbye to the detectives for me...?"

"No problem," Mikasa replied, and when Jean was already on his way to the door, the girl added, "Actually, Levi is staying. He wants to be with us, to protect us, just in case. You know, if something starts to happen."

"Oh," Eren was speechless, and hope suddenly burst into his heart. "That's nice of him."

"He'll probably check on you, to see how you feel," Mikasa added innocently, but a small smile gave her away. She looked at Eren one last time, then left the bedroom.

The boy took a deep breath and let his body relax. It had been a long day, and instead of resting, he provided himself with additional impressions. However, he had no choice but to get cash at any cost. There was nothing to wait for. With every passing day they risked more and more, and if they wanted to run, they had to do so immediately.

Eren dozed for a moment. He was awakened from his nap by the soft sound of the door opening and then closing. After a moment he heard careful, almost silent footsteps, and finally felt someone sit down next to him. He opened his eyes and looked at the sad, tired face of the detective with whom he was in love.

Levi was looking at him as well, and Eren could only guess what was going on in the man's head.

"I'm sorry, Levi," Yaeger said softly, taking the detective's hand. "I had to take a risk."

"I know," Ackerman replied, nodding briefly. "I understand. There's not much that we can do for you now. I can only promise you that we'll try to catch and arrest Grisha at any cost."

"Thanks," Eren whispered, then pulled Levi to him. The detective was slightly surprised, so the boy quickly pointed at the empty space next to him.

"Relax. I have no strength for anything more, but it would be nice if you lay down here, with me. For a moment."

"But I'm here to watch over you..."

"I know. Just for a moment."

Levi snorted softly, unable to fight the amused smile that crept on his lips.

"You and your 'just a moment', huh?"

Ackerman laid down on his side and put his arm around Eren. The boy returned the gesture, hugging the detective and closing his eyes. They were silent for a moment, just savoring each other, enjoying each other's closeness, especially since lately they hadn't had the opportunity to spend time, just the two of them. Levi started stroking Eren's bare shoulder and stared silently at his face. Eren's eyes narrowed slightly. The boy was still lying comfortably on his back.

"Levi... What will happen to Zeke's body?" Yaeger suddenly asked, because this issue was bothering him.

"I guess since none of his family contacted the police, he'll probably be cremated," Levi replied in a polite, composed tone, as if he understood Eren's need for this question. "Unfortunately, we no longer have access to such information."

Yaeger nodded briefly, immediately considering the detective's words in his head. Suddenly he felt unwanted tears under his eyelids, so he quickly squeezed his eyes shut. He also stifled a sob that wanted to come from his mouth. He was sure Levi could see it, but he didn't want to fall apart even more in front of him, so he tried to control himself.

He still couldn't accept the fact that Zeke was really dead, that Grisha had himself killed him... that he can't talk to him ever again. He had a lot of resentment towards him, that was for sure, but they were brothers after all. Ever since he found out about his death, he felt as if something heavy was sitting on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. Today's meeting with his father only opened up the wound.

Ackerman continued to stroke his shoulder quietly, saying nothing, allowing Eren for this moment of weakness. Yaeger appreciated it very much. They hugged, still lying close to each other and listening to each other's breaths, which was the only source of sounds in the room.

The detective only spoke when Eren's body relaxed a little.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Levi asked, looking at the bandage above the boy's chest.

Eren shook his head.

"I can survive this. It hurts me much more to think that we will have to say goodbye to each other so soon."

Levi's eyes opened wide, and his hand, stroking Eren's skin, froze. Yaeger looked at the detective and saw the sudden despair in his eyes. He quickly regretted his words and wanted to add something, but Ackerman rose on his elbows and kissed him on the lips. He did it very delicately, with great tenderness and warmth. He stroked Eren's cheek, then rested his forehead against Yaeger's forehead.

"If you could have any animal, what kind of animal would it be?" Levi asked suddenly.

This time it was Eren who looked surprised, but he quickly lifted the corners of his mouth. The detective was doing the same thing to cheer him up, which he did back then, when they were in that dimal hotel room and Levi asked him questions. Now he was also trying to occupy his mind with something else.

"Hmm... Maybe it's not original, but I would like to have a dog. Grisha never let us have pets. He considered it an unnecessary expense."

Levi returned Eren's smile. He reached to the boy's hair, scattered on the pillow, and tucked a strand of it behind Eren's ear. Meanwhile, Yaeger wondered what question he would like to ask the detective.

"Is there any flower that you would love to have?"

"Oh," Levi jerked his head up slightly in excitement, suddenly looking very engaged in the conversation. Eren suppressed a burst of laughter. "There are lots of them. I'm completing my collection very slowly."

"Are there any unusual specimens among them?" The boy asked, feeling that he was slowly falling asleep.

Ackerman thought for a moment, then looked closely at Eren.

"There's a flower called the queen of one night. Its official name is Epiphyllum."

"That's a funny name... I guess all your plants have strange names," Eren said with a slight smile. He felt Levi settle her head on the pillow next to him and hug him tighter.

"It's a cactus that grows in the jungle. His flowers are really beautiful. They can be of very different colors and smell amazing. As for the unusual thing that you asked about… This plant only blooms for one night, only to wither in the morning."

"What? Seriously?" Eren woke up a little. He met Ackerman's gaze. "That's lame. Then what's the point of having this plant?"

"Don't you think there's some beauty in it?" Levi asked, still holding him close. "Sometimes something that only lasts a moment is the most beautiful."

Eren inhaled softly, feeling a painful tightness in his heart that had nothing to do with the physical. He was right, this pain bothered him much more than the gunshot wound. He pulled the detective close to him, hugging him with all his might. Levi stroked his hair, holding the embrace until Eren's body began to relax. He fell asleep, feeling someone stroking his cheek as if he were wiping a tear away.

Armin

The following evening, it was the Smith who stayed to watch over them. The detectives agreed that the young folks needed protection until they left the country, and that was what they wanted to provide. Under the cover of night, Erwin drove them to their appointment. He parked the car at the rear of the small building that was their destination. He was supposed to wait for them in the car. Some time ago, his car was provided with professional equipment, which allowed him to drive the car with one hand.

Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Jean entered the photo shop, which should be closed at this time, at least the door plate announced that. However, they agreed to meet the owner at such a late hour, which is why the door turned out to be open.

The light in the interior of the workshop was dimmed. The young people looked around the room. On the walls were framed photos of customers, as well as various types of diplomas, confirmation of the owner's talent or at least of his passion. There was no one behind the high counter. Light streamed from the rear of the building, accessed by a half-open door.

"Mister Hannes…?" Armin's uncertain voice echoed in the cool twilight, causing a hollow noise in the back room. Someone must have dropped something on the floor.

"... goddamn tripod... Wait a second, I'm coming!" They heard those words and suddenly the door leading to the rear swung wide. A tall, thin, middle-aged man stood at the threshold. His blond hair was cut short, and the man had a little mustache under his nose. He was dressed in gray slacks and a brown shirt that was wrinkled in several places. He looked at each of their guests, and when he finished that he narrowed his eyes. "Oh. I can understand why this is a special order. I saw your faces on TV."

The man named Hannes pointed his finger at Eren. The boy tensed nervously, but Armin quickly stepped forward and raised his hands in a reassuring gesture.

"Mister Hannes, as we said, we'll pay you extra. We'll do whatever it takes…" Armin said in a humble, calm tone. The photographer looked at him distrustfully, but he focused his full attention on him, and that was what Arlert wanted. "Please help us. We got involved in this mess by accident."

Hannes regarded him closely for a moment longer, then waved his hand casually.

"Yeah, no shit... I don't care if you're guilty or not. I'm not interested in this. Just show me the money."

Armin looked at Jean, who had a sports bag on his shoulder. The doctor quickly handed it to the shorter blond. Arlert stepped closer to Hannes and set the package on the wide counter. The man opened the bag and slowly and meticulously began counting the cash. Armin stood still, as did his companions.

When Hannes finished, he nodded slowly.

"Okay. I'll do it," The photographer looked up at Armin. "I need five days."

"Three," Arlert said suddenly, feeling his heart racing. He could see Hannes's eyebrows go up. The boy couldn't bargain with Hannes by cash, because they didn't have anything more, and they had to leave some money for the detectives, just in case. He could only bargain using the time.

"Five days, boy," Hannes replied stiffly, his face suddenly darkened. "Be careful, or I'll change my mind."

"Four days," Armin continued, not being discouraged.

He heard Eren inhaling loudly behind him. Armin didn't take his eyes from Hannes, whose lips suddenly spread into a cheerful smile.

"Four days, so be it. I like you, kid, you'll go far. Okay, now quick. Come with me, all of you."

Hannes grabbed the bag and headed for the back room. Armin looked at his friends and lifted the corners of his mouth.

"Arlert, you bastard," Eren whispered to him, smiling as well. Mikasa and Jean followed closely behind them.

They walked down a short corridor filled with cardboard boxes to enter a small room that served as a studio. There were large ring lamps against one wall, as well as a white canvas stretched on a tall stand. A single wooden chair stood in front of the white background.

Hannes tossed the bag of cash on the small table. Then he quickly screwed the missing part onto a tall tripod and set the camera on it. Then he waved his hand at them.

"Come on, one by one."

Armin and the rest of the group looked at each other. Mikasa sat at the chair first, then the rest followed. After all four were photographed, Hannes straightened and looked at them thoughtfully.

"I will contact you within two days and confirm the date of our next meeting. I will also give you the location of the place where we will meet. The rules are: no personal items, no cells, no packages. Is it clear? Once you leave, there'll be no going back. No contact with old friends. You leave your current life behind you, I organize it for you anew. The moment we meet again, you won't be the same people anymore. Do you understand?"

The young people nodded. Armin saw a painful expression cross Eren's face. He guessed what was causing the anguish in his friend's heart, but knew that there was nothing they could do about it. He guessed that Eren and Levi had feelings for each other, but there was no choice but to break up and break all contact if they wanted to be safe in the end.

He knew it well, and yet as they began to leave, he couldn't help but ask Hannes one more question. He had expected what the man's answer would be, but he couldn't fight with this.

"Some time ago a certain person contacted you... A young blonde. She wanted to escape with her father. I was wondering, maybe you could give me some hints about their current location...?"

The photographer laughed out loud, then reached out and patted Armin on the shoulder.

"People pay me such money precisely so that I don't give such information to anyone. I have no idea who you're talking about, boy. Now get out of here."

Arlert nodded quickly and left the place with his friends. They returned to the car where Smith was faithfully waiting for them. Armin took a seat next to the detective and closed the door behind him.

"How was it? Did he agree?" Erwin wanted to know as he started the engine.

"Yes. In four days he will help us leave the city," Armin answered, leaning his neck against the headrest of the chair and sighing softly. "I thought it would be faster. Hopefully we won't cause you too much trouble by then..."

"Armin… come on," Erwin gave the boy a reproachful look. "If you were actually criminals, we wouldn't risk everything to help you."

"I know, I just…" Arlert trailed off as the memory from a few days ago flashed before his eyes. Eren, bleeding from the gunshot wound and sliding to the ground; a stranger pointing his gun at them and firing without warning; he, himself, shooting at the agent; the shot that killed a man. The boy looked at his hands, which were resting on his lap, and with his mind's eyes he saw blood on them. Was it supposed to be this way forever? Was this how Eren felt?

Armin suddenly felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked back and saw Yaeger's green eyes staring at him. Eren gave him a sad but caring smile. The blond reciprocated the smile, then looked straight ahead.

They were still all together. That should matter most.

Levi

One of the contacts they got from Eren didn't bring them the desired result. Margerette Leitz, the director of Sunny Cliffs, was indignant at their proposal and immediately called for security to lead them out of the hotel. Levi wondered if the woman's reaction was really indignation or... maybe it was fear. It might not be until now she realized that she had become involved in more serious intrigue than she first thought. Apparently she didn't think the police were actually on Grisha's heels.

After meeting Leitz, the three detectives went to meet Arnold Graff, the manager of the Langer Hotel. Graff spent a much longer time with them than Margarette, and let them into the room where he worked. He seemed more cooperative than the woman they had seen before. Listening to his statements, and especially to what was hidden between the lines, one had the impression that Arnold was afraid of Grisha and was able to help them.

"We are very grateful to you for the meeting," Levi said suddenly, reaching into his pocket and tossing the gray envelope towards the man. Graff gently opened his eyes, but quickly reached for the package. He must have felt a thick bundle of bills under his fingers. "This is for your trouble. Also, there's my phone number inside. If your ex-boss happens to show up at this hotel, we would be very grateful for your information. We just want to talk to him."

"And for that information, you will receive an envelope twice as thick the next time," Smith added, and rose from his seat. Levi and Hanji did the same. Graff looked at them in surprise, but swallowed quickly and nodded.

"Well… O-okay…" He stuttered, tucking the envelope in the desk drawer and then getting up as well. "Is that true? Is he really involved in all of this, with his sons...?"

"You don't have to worry about that. We'll clear things out. It's like detective Ackerman said… We want to talk to Yaeger to confirm some facts, nothing else," Hanji added, smiling sweetly at the manager. He nodded again, as if he wanted to believe it at all costs.

The detectives left the hotel and returned to the car they had left in the parking lot. Once in the car, they gave each other a high five. Levi started the car and steered the vehicle towards the department where they were working. All three returned to the office with slightly better moods.

Their moods didn't deteriorate until a couple of hours later, during the afternoon meeting with Shadis. In the conference room they met with their supervisor, Gelgar and Nanaba, as well as with Reiner, who had returned to work after a short sick leave.

Levi and his friends still hadn't turned Braun in. They figured that since Reiner had changed sides and finally helped them by risking his life, there was no point in informing Shadis of what he had done... at least not yet. They were still afraid that Grisha would want revenge on Braun, but the man was determined to return to work. He wanted to help them get Yaeger at any cost.

Either way, they greeted Reiner in a rather harsh manner, which didn't surprise anyone. Probably everyone in their department knew that Ackerman and Braun didn't like each other, and Levi never tried to correct his colleagues about this matter.

The meeting began with a brief summary, but Levi knew perfectly well that he would hear bad news in a moment.

He saw it on Keith's face, who shot him a concerned look just before he spoke.

"I'll get straight to the point, okay? The intelligence received some disturbing information that someone in our group had been working with the Yaegers for several months and receiving bribes from them."

Levi saw Braun tense nervously, his hands clenched into fists. The men exchanged brief glances.

Shadis sighed, then glanced at Ackerman.

"Levi, I'm sorry to say this, but you're suspended until the matter is cleared up. I tried to do something, but again I was faced with a fait accompli."

Shadis' subordinates looked as if they took a few seconds to realize the meaning of his superior's words. Gelgar and Nanaba seemed deeply surprised, while Erwin, Hanji and Reiner stared at Ackerman in the most sincere, total shock.

Levi parted his mouth, but no sound came out. Suddenly he felt like laughing. He managed to keep from that intention as it wouldn't sound good, especially at this moment.

"Keith... Did I get it right? The intelligence suspects me of working with Grisha?" Levi fixed an incredulous look at his superior. He had never called him by name before, but Shadis didn't seem offended. The man put his hands on the top of the wide table and looked back at him.

"Unfortunately, yes. I don't know exactly what they got on you, but you need to come in for questioning. You will be on compulsory leave by then. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding."

Levi nodded, feeling subcutaneously that it wasn't a misunderstanding.

Somehow, he was suspended the same day they visited two people, who were linked to Grisha... It couldn't be a coincidence. Yaeger still had high-ranking friends and apparently he enjoyed his privileges for as long as he could.

Ackerman twitched slightly as he saw Reiner sit upright and look at his supervisor with a strange twinkle in his eyes. Levi realized what Braun was trying to do and felt a twinge of panic. Not now!

"Commander... it's me who..." Reiner paused as Ackerman kicked him painfully in the calf under the table. Their eyes met. Levi almost imperceptibly shook his head. Braun was surprised to see this, but quickly reflected. He cleared his throat, then continued, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry to hear that, but I'll do my best to replace Ackerman since I'm back."

"Good to hear…" Keith replied wearily.

The meeting ended. Levi sat still for a moment, trying to organize all the information in his head. Only Hanji, Erwin and Reiner remained in the room apart from him.

"Why did you stop me?" Braun asked softly, suddenly coming closer. Even though they were alone, without Nanaba, Gelgar and Shadis, he kept his voice down. "I could confess. It was the perfect moment..."

"Then they'd suspend us both," Ackerman muttered, sighing to himself as he rose from his chair. "For some reason, Grisha wants me to be suspended. You have to be careful anyway. He may be trying to kill you again, and since you've come back to work and stopped hiding, it sure suits him. It will be easier for him to find you."

"Levi, I don't even know how to comment on that… these allegations," Erwin said, changing the subject and shaking his head in disbelief. "I hope you clear it up quickly and come back to us."

"If they had something specific for you, they would just arrest you right away. Grisha wants to gain time in this way…" Hanji said, folding her arms over her chest.

"It's like I said, Levi," Reiner interjected, staring at the shorter detective with determination. "Until you're back, I will try to do my best to..."

"You really think this stupid suspension is going to stop me?" Ackerman asked, raising an eyebrow. "When Graff tipped us off, I certainly won't be sitting idly by. I won't miss such an opportunity to catch Grisha for anything in the world."

Hanji grinned happily at her friend's confession, and Erwin smiled gratefully. Reiner opened his eyes slightly, but then lifted the corner of his mouth and nodded.

Levi walked with the detectives towards the office to collect his belongings.

He was still angry, there was no doubt about it, but for some reason he probably expected a similar move from Grisha. The man had to make a move at last. The only question is what he planned next.

Ackerman hoped that no matter what Yaeger's future plans were, his team would be able to thwart them. He knew that at least he himself would do whatever he could to make it happen.