Notes: This one will be in Levi's point of view of the same day of the last chapter. Also if you want to see the cover art I made for the story the link will be on my profile. Comment anything you want. If you like it, if you hate it, or you'd like me to change anything feel free to do so. Enjoy!
I walked down the hallway leading towards the kitchen of the apartment building. No one was up yet, well who would be its 6 in the morning. My mornings always started off like this. I was the first to wake up because I never really slept in the first place. In total I have about two to three hours of sleep a day. Making my way into the kitchen I noticed the newspaper on the counter. Of course one of my employees would have it ready for me. I made a quick cup of Jasmine tea, my favorite, and sat down at my usual spot. The small round table in the corner with two chairs opposite each other.
The headline of the paper was about some benefit dinner a company was having. The picture that accompanied the article was about a family I've seen a lot of lately. The picture portrayed a man and wife with their son. Apparently they've become very popular with the other social elites. They have been on almost every paper I've gotten for the past month. The Jaegers, a doctor, a business owner, and their only son. Giving the picture another glance I simply huffed and turned the page. I skimmed over every other article trying to find something that actually mattered to me. In the end today's paper turned out to be useless.
In the half hour it took me to read, mainly skim, over the paper the apartment was beginning to show signs of life. It wasn't actually considered an apartment building, but it came close. All together it had five floors. The first floor was where we kept the cars and the crates to load up our bootleg liquor. It's also where we produce the liquor. The whole place almost looked like a storage house, but there were a few offices on that floor for the people who were in charge of either our car exchange or the location of our next liquor drop off. All the cars were left to Erd Jinn and his newbie right hand, Marco Bodt. The load up and drop offs were operated by Gunther Schultz, and his sorry excuse of an assistant Jean Kirstein. Then we have the guy who knows what he's doing, using his nose to make our liquor the best, Mike Zacharius.
The second floor was where the rest of the offices are, including my own. I know you're probably wondering why a gang needs so many offices, or any at all. Well I like to have my shit organized, and if that means looking like god damn lawyers than so be it. The second floor was meant for our financial business. Like keeping track of our liquor purchases and buyers. My best friend, Erwin Smith, is in charge of everything that goes on here. Under him there are three others. Armin Arlert, even though he's young, is the head of the information groups. He gets the goods on other gangs in the area and insight on their schemes. Petra Ral works out our budget, she monitors all the finances our business comes up with. Auruo Bossard keeps our records in check, that's really all he's good for.
We also have a special operations team, Special OP's if you will, that deals with buyers who come up short. You bet your ass they can make people pay up every penny they owe, and end up with some cash for the road. The team is consisted of only the best fighters we have. The leader is someone who vaguely resembles me, her name is Mikasa Ackerman, and she has every skill known to man. Also on the team we have Annie Leonhart and Ymir as the agility and speed. The last two, Reiner Braun and Bertolt Hoover make up the muscle. They don't have a specific floor for their work. They usually go around helping the others with anything until they're needed.
The third floor is the busiest floor. That's where we have the kitchen which is connected to the dinning room. In charge of the kitchen is the oddest pair you will ever meet. Sasha Blouse is the head chef, she usually ends up eating half of what she cooks. Her second hand is Connie Springer, he likes to make awful jokes any chance he gets. On the opposite side of the third floor is the hospital wing, as the brats like to call it. It's really just four rooms we use to tend after any injuries my men take. We have a doctor named Hanji Zoe, who actually worked alongside the famous Dr. Jaeger. Her nursing assistant is a small girl named Krista Lenz. Separating the kitchen and the 'hospital wing' is a lounge area, or more likely the living room.
The top two floors are the living quarters. Both floors have about 30 rooms each. The higher ups have their own rooms, while the younger recruits are placed two to a room. There are bathrooms on every floor, but the fourth and fifth floors have them separated into women and men. In these bathrooms are three stalls and five showers. I had to make sure these brats had a place to wash up, or else the whole place would end up smelling like a barn.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but I own the building and everything in it. My name is Levi Ackerman, I'm the boss of this little organization. The name of our gang came from the fact that our alcohol label was also the tattoos my men and I had. A pair of wings overlapping each other, one white and the other a dark blue. We are the Survey Corps and our liquor is known as The Wings of Freedom.
I sat in my office from 7 am to noon, just waiting for news on anything really. The entire wait was agonizingly boring. Our rival gang known as the Titans has been targeting us more than usual. So why was I not getting an update on any of that? I was literally dying of boredom that I wouldn't have even cared if a report came in about one of the Titans taking a shit. Yet, no one showed up with any news all morning. That is until I was about to get up and head to the kitchen for some lunch.
I heard a series of knocking at my door and I let them in with a monotone 'yes'. Arlert walked in looking rather excited to share a piece of information he must have found. "Um... Sir, do you have a minute?" He said before shutting the door behind him and walking in.
"I do now, but make it quick. I'm starving." I wasn't really, I just wanted him to get a move on and tell me whatever it was. Knowing Armin it had to be something important if he came to my office by himself. Armin normally gives his reports to Erwin, who would then come and pass the message on to me.
"Yes, of course sir. I've been looking into some of the Titans recent activity." Finally something to change this boring morning around. I just lifted an eyebrow encouraging him to keep going. "Well the guy we sent undercover has found some information on their next target. He's going to hand me the file at my coffee shop later today."
"Alright that's good, but why did you have to tell me about it?" Of course I liked knowing what was going on at all times. Yet, being told that we were receiving the information didn't really interest me. I want the information not details about getting said information.
"You see, our guy said that it should go directly to you without delay." Now this was news to me. Was the information really that important?
"Ah, I see. What time does your coffee shop close?"
"At ten sir."
"I'll be there at around nine. You'll then pass on the file at the same time as my order. I'll give you a lift back after you've closed and we can discuss the details of the information then. Got it?"
"Sounds like a plan sir." With that settled we both headed towards the kitchen for some lunch.
I always knew Armin was a smart kid, but using his coffee shop as a place to get our information was the best idea I've ever heard. He's been doing this for two years now. It was also one of best cafe I've ever been to. There was a certain way the kid made the tea. Every once in a while he would bring me a cup after work.
I arrived at nine, like I promised, and quickly ordered my usual Jasmine tea. Then I took a seat in the back corner booth. I have a thing for corner seats, it gives me a better view of my surroundings. Just like we planned, Armin came over and handed me my tea with two napkins. Between the napkins was a small envelop. I took out the book I brought with me and opened the envelop within the pages of the book.
The contents inside the envelop were two pieces of paper. One was a clipping from today's newspaper. I recognized it as the headline I scanned over this morning. The other was a scrap piece of notebook paper covered with scribbled notes. As I was looking at the two pieces of paper the bell to the shop rang signaling another costumer. I looked up out of curiosity and felt a slight shock of surprise. Wasn't that the boy from the newspaper article?
My question was easily answered when Armin greeted him. His name was Eren, which instantly identified his as the Jaeger boy. I studied him closely while he was ordering. The newspaper was just black and white, so I never expected him to be tan. The other thing that caught me off guard was his eye color. His eyes were green, not just plain old green, but the brightest green I've ever seen. He had a mess of brown hair that perfectly complimented his tan and eyes. I'd never admit this out loud, let alone to another man, but he was gorgeous.
When Armin left him to get his order I quickly returned my attention to the papers in between my book. The paper with the notes scribbled all over it was the first to be inspected. At the top it had a date, September 10th, and a place, Ball Room Rose. Then there was a list of names, passing a glance over the names I stopped when I saw the name Jaeger. The slight pause from reading down the list made me notice a strong beam of light. I jerked my head up towards the window behind Eren. I caught him staring in my direction, but he quickly turned away when I looked up.
Just like I thought, they were car headlights. Shit, that means the shop is being watched. The car was driving by slowly and a little too suspicious for my taste. I drifted my focus back to the contents currently in my book while keeping an eye out for the car.
I turned back to the list of names. This was weird, it almost looked like a guest list. Weirder was the fact that Jaeger was the only name underlined. Next to the name was (1 son). This obviously has something to do with Eren. What are the Titans planning to do with him? I lifted my head up to see that Armin and Eren were deep in a conversation. I guess it's about time I read this article.
It's about a company celebrating 10 years of business so they're hosting a benefit dinner. The Jaegers are to be the guests of honor. It says that the company also wants to congratulate them for another successful year in their new business. The dinner is scheduled for September 10th at the Ball Room Rose. Crap, that's the date and place on the other paper. So the list of names is a guest list.
I moved back to the other paper, there was more written on the back of it. At the top of the page it said 10 pm and table 27-seat 3. Under this was another list, but this one was of materials and instructions; 3 cars out back, 15 men inside (10 servers, 5 lookouts), lead boy away from ball room, tie him up, head back to hide out. That small and simple list gave the answers to my all of my questions. They were planning to kidnap him, no doubt to get ransom money. Smart move, but I'd never risk anyone's life just for money.
Just as I was analyzing their plan over in my head I saw the kid paying and getting ready to leave. I stood from my spot and headed towards Armin so I could pay my drink, but mainly to watch Eren leave. I made the right choice to get up when I did. Just when the door closed behind him I saw the car from earlier turn a corner. It was speeding towards the kid and he was just standing there watching it race towards him. I felt myself literally jump into action when I saw the back window being rolled down. I know all to well what happens when the window completely disappears.
The second the bullets started raining down I was out the door. He was still standing in the same spot. I had no other choice but to tackle him down and get him out of the way. I protected him with my body as the bullets passed over us. One managed to graze my arm, but the adrenaline pumping through me masked the pain. Once the bullets couldn't reach us anymore I took out the small pistol I always kept tucked in my waist. I immediately took aim at the retreating car and shot out as many bullets as I could. I managed to break the rear window and see the two who were sitting in the back go down with shots to the head.
When I saw the car take a sharp turn trying to get away I knew they wouldn't be coming back. I looked down at the kid under me to see that he was looking back up at me with glossy eyes. I heard Armin rush towards us and he started asking if we were alright or if we got shot. I looked back down at the kid and saw him scrunch his face in pain before his eyes slowly closed. He must have hit his head while I tackled him out of the way.
Armin bent down and placed a hand behind Eren's head. When his hand came back into view it was covered in blood. Armin instantly started panicking, I tried to calm him down and made him go back inside to get napkins for the bleeding. We needed to get him out of here in case the guys in the car decided to come back with friends. Armin reappeared a minute later and placed the napkins under Eren's head.
I picked him up bridal style while Armin ran ahead to open the car door. "Sir, where are you planning to take him?" he hesitantly asked.
"To the hideout. They saw his face, obviously they recognized him." I quickly replied back. I have no doubt that the people who just shot at him were Titans.
After we got the kid in the back of my car Armin went to close up shop. Everyone who was there had cleared out when the shooting stopped. He then sat in the back with Eren's head in his lap. He was holding bundles of blood soaked napkins in between his hands and Eren's head. There was an eerie silence in the car as I drove us back to the hideout.
I was the first to break the silence. "I want you to look over the contents in the envelop when we get back." I looked at Armin in the rear view mirror as I talked.
"Uh... sure. What was it about?" He was still distracted by the blood that must have stopped by now.
"It's actually about the brat on your lap." I stated in an almost bored manner.
"Eren? What do they want with him?" He asked the same question I had asked earlier.
"I think they're planning on kidnap him for ransom money, but I want you to double check in case I'm wrong." That's all we got to talk about the situation before we came up to the building. Immediately the garage doors opened to let us in. Once the engine was off I jumped out of my seat and rushed to the other side of the car. I looked around and saw Jean standing near by.
"Kirstein, run ahead and tell Hanji to get ready!" I screamed before I lifted Eren's unconscious body off of Armin. Jean saw Eren in my arms and nodded before running up the stairs.
When I got to the third floor Hanji showed up and led me to an empty nursing room. Once I laid him on the bed she got to work. I just stood by watching her open his vacant eyes and shined a light into them. Then she checked his heart rate and temperature. When she was done with her check up she cleaned the wound on his head and started wrapping a cloth around it. Now that she was done she turned to me, "How did this happen?" she asked.
"There was a drive by and he was in the way." That was the only answer she was going to get out of me. Taking in my simple reply she only shrugged and looked back at Eren.
"Well he should be alright. There's no damage, the bleeding was only a cut." She said to my relief. "What about you? Are you hurt?"
I raised my eyebrow and was going to say I was perfectly fine. Until a sharp pain raked up my left arm. Hanji clearly saw me wince because she quickly got up and took off my jacket. There was blood staining the sleeve of my gray shirt. The bullet graze from before turned out to be deeper than I initially thought.
