III

There was something truly wonderful if one worked at the CCG, for it never stopped. Cases on new ghouls rained down on them. Red dots kept on flashing, appearing and disappearing on an enormous map of Tokyo cut out in Wards. Files piled up on their desks until they reached so high they couldn't see the person sitting ahead. Still, half of their work involved fieldwork, chasing down muddy streets and fighting. They never had a break. Breaks were taken outside, with a Quinque raised and ready to be brought down on a ghoul's head to shatter its skull. Lunches consisted of eating while watching a target, and soon their food would be forgotten and turn cold. Evenings were spent browsing through documents and pinpointing a ghoul's hunting ground. Besides, who could have a day off when they were cleansing humanity from the curse of ghouls?

Most of the staff at CCG knew what they signed up for when they stepped a foot into the Academy. They knew they were going to protect humans, though they might die, lose a limb or worse, be eaten. Still, they were humans themselves, and there were days when humans needed a break too or else they'd collapse in the middle of action. Erwin mostly took his breaks taking a quick nap in his office or eating very, very slowly in his lounge. Hange considered her experiments as breaks since they weren't exactly required. Petra had put a block on her schedule at least once each month to make sure she went out with friends. Oluo, Gunther and Eld always left for some bar on Friday nights, and they never failed to politely invite their superior who always declined. Indeed, Levi had no such time for this.

He was just finishing filling up that new ghoul "Titan"'s file when he felt a shadow hovering behind him, most likely frozen on the threshold. A few dared to enter in what they called his office. It was more like a den, really. It was poorly lit, the sole window blocked with black curtains. The desk was now free of any paper, completely spotless from any fingerprints or speckles of dust. Folders were neatly classified on shelves, and a neat desk with a dry potted plant was centred in the small room. He guessed the plan could've been pleasant to look at if not from the lack of water, sun and care. The earth was as hard as bricks and the leaves, brown shrivelled vestiges.

"A pathetic excuse of a gift from Four-Eyes," Levi whispered as he swivelled on his chair to face Petra. "As if taking care of a plant could anchor me here."

The investigator smiled uneasily. "It's true you're rarely at your desk."

"My duty is to be on the field and not secluded in an office. Anyway, why are you here?"

"Eren's leaving tonight, but Erwin wants you to be close to him for the first day."

Levi bit his tongue so not to let out a string of curses in front of his partner, she who was staring at her with her wide amber orbs. "Eren?" He repeated, the word leaving an acrimonious taste in his mouth. "So that's how that ghoul is called..."

"I've drawn up everything about him from our databanks."

She tiptoed into the office and handed him a document. The ghoul was called Eren Jaeger, 17, student at Shiganshina Academy. Both of his parents were deceased. He lived with his adoptive sister, a certain Mikasa Ackerman. He didn't bother himself with reading everything and rather threw it in the garbage basket. Petra's eyebrows scrunched a little.

"I'm sure this research will benefit you greatly, Petra."

He rose and grabbed his coat thrown over his chair, sliding his arms in the sleeves. He followed Petra as she swiftly spun on her heels and disappeared in the corridor. He knew, just from looking at her back's stiffness which made all the wrinkles of her blouse disappear, that she was piqued. No doubt he had offended her by carelessly glazing over the document and then deciding it would go straight to the garbage. Part of his mind nudged at him to edge closer to her and apologise, but Special Class Investigator Levi never established first contact and never apologised to anyone. So he held his ground, something akin to guilt creeping within him but it was cut short when he noticed Petra had stopped walking. The click of her heels echoed in the empty hallway. Then the clicking started again, yet this time it was against the windows. Levi scowled at the fat droplets hit the glass.

"Levi, sir, I know half of him is a ghoul, but he's also half-human. Don't forget that."

A loud boom startled the two of them, and for starters they thought it was thunder. However, it was Hange running towards them, a familiar lanky form in tow.

"There you are, the two of you! I've looked for you everywhere!"

"You must be Eren," Petra smiled warmly. Levi noted with a pang it was the same she normally reserved for him. "I'm First Class Investigator Petra Ral, but just Petra will do."

The ghoul was watching her with a jaded look. Levi nearly bristled when he didn't offer any kind of response, the ghoul's eyes merely roaming over her petite form. Finally, he murmured, "Nice to meet you."

"Petra's real nice, but you're going home with Levi tonight," Hange piped from behind. Both Levi and the ghoul grimaced. "I'm sure he's enchanted and will take care of you."

She beamed at the two, still exuding her usual positivism. He could sense Petra glancing between the two, as if a mother watching over her cubs. She knew if they were left alone they would most likely try to kill each other at the first opportunity – try, because Levi was convinced she was never going to let it happen. Leave it to Petra to separate two males who hated each other's guts and then scold them like they were children.

"So the plan is simple," the scientist kept going. "Eren met Levi in the 104th Squad and they discovered they had so many affinities it needed development. So Eren decided to invite him over for dinner. Since it's raining tonight, Eren, being the kind guy he is, accepted that Levi slept on the couch for the night. Isn't it neat?"

"This got to be the worst plan I've ever heard of," Levi snorted.

"Mikasa's not going to buy it," the ghoul mumbled, nodding thoughtfully.

"Then make her buy it," Petra softly intervened. "Eren, this is the only time Levi will show his face to you. It's the only time you two will have to work together. Just this once."

The ghoul visibly snarled as he craned his neck. If he wanted to intimidate the investigator using his height, then he was doomed to fail. Levi didn't need to be tall to make his presence known and his orders executed.

"Fine," Eren mumbled. "I'll do it."

All heads turned to Levi and the latter felt himself cringing; the only thing keeping him from refusing this mad plan was Petra's imploring eyes. "Don't expect me to be nice."

"As if you could be," the ghoul snapped back.

Levi could feel eyes burning in his back and he clamped his lips shut to prevent himself from answering back. How could they be friends when they only wanted to wring out each other's neck? It felt like a suicidal mission, but he reminded himself what Petra had said. Just this once. He set his sight on the ghoul.

"I'll be waiting outside."

Levi didn't even wait for an answer and strode away, feeling himself sticky as if the ghoul had laid something on him. Was it simply a shadow, as if his eyes were following him wherever he went? He groaned, shrugging in annoyance, and pushed the door open. Fortunately it was raining. Fortunately, for the rain always soothed him when he was on edge. Fortunately, for he could already feel his body relaxing a little. He looked up to the clouds pouring showers on Tokyo, his hair sweeping from the rising wind. Water sprinkled on him and he blinked, chasing away the droplets falling in his eyes. He tensed, noting a low rumble growing in intensity. He knew it wasn't the thunder. The door noiselessly opened and the ghoul approached him.

Levi scrutinised him, his eyes narrowing. The ghoul had been cleaned and had received a new set of clothes to replace its filthy ones. His nose wrinkled at the undeniable fact that Eren was taller than him. Yet he didn't seem as tall when his shoulders were hunched down, hands tucked in his pockets and his eyes trailing on the ground. His head was a messy mop of brown hair and his eyes, quite particular. Although they shone fierily with disgust when they landed on him, Levi couldn't ignore their colour. It was a combination of green and blue, the endless sky colliding with meadows of infinite emerald.

Without muttering any word, both moved simultaneously as if they had telepathically formed a common agreement. The ghoul only had his drawn hood to shelter himself from the rain while Levi's umbrella was shielding him like a crow spreading its wings above him. They were a peculiar pair, yet they were moving with the same grace and determination. Walking on their own path, they barely acknowledged the other's presence. The investigator was walking slightly behind him, ready to slash the ghoul's throat if he ever thought of making a dash. Eren's shoulders were slumped, droplets nestled in the wrinkles of his shirt, and his trainers were muddy with water. To others he looked like a miserable teenager with a crushed spirit, but to Levi he was nothing but a threat trying to look inoffensive. They walked for a few minutes, completely silent.

"Are we anywhere near your home?" He drawled. Or are you leading me astray in a dark alley so you can slice my head? Honestly, he didn't trust the ghoul – at all.

He could hear the ghoul grumbling above the thundering of the rain, "Almost there."

A sort of vapour was surrounding the ghoul, almost dissimulating him in his personal cloud. Levi tilted his head higher, noticing the rain was sizzling as soon it hit him. He had never seen this before, not even on ghouls who were SS-Rated. This one, if ever the ranking dropped, could be joined in the S-Rated category, but Levi had taken it down so quickly that he didn't deem it worthy. However, the sizzling intrigued him. He wondered if the ghoul's temperature was irregular, or perhaps regular ghouls had colder blood and this one had the 37 °C belonging to humans... What was he even thinking? He wasn't Hange. Hell, he wasn't Petra either. It wasn't his job to babysit a ghoul who, surely, faked to be human around his adoptive sister. His job was to slay ghouls, faking or not. So he stopped on his tracks. Strangely, the ghoul immediately froze, as if sensing his movement.

"You're going to kill me," he whispered, stating it as a fact.

"Is there a reason why I shouldn't? You're a ghoul. That's enough for me."

He unsheathed his sword, wondering if he should be merciful and simply behead him swiftly. Ahead of him, the ghoul had turned around, hands in his pockets, with a bent posture. His eyes were gleaming in the darkness of the hood, but instead of being crimson they were... He felt himself faltering – no, not faltering, merely pondering – as the viridian bore in his charcoal. It was like watching the ocean unfurling waves on him. I know half of him is a ghoul, but he's also half-human. Don't forget that. No, he wasn't going to let Petra change his mind. He's seen the horrors of ghouls. She might be high-ranked and full of potential, but she was young and still new to the intense cases he worked on. She didn't know.

Levi took his stance; the ghoul didn't move. He raised his sword; the ghoul remained as still as before. As fast as a snake, he darted in his direction and brought the sword in a deadly arch up to his bobbing Adam's apple, the tip of his blade drawing a pearl of scarlet; the ghoul didn't even flinch. Levi internally scowled yet let no emotion bleed through his mask; the viridian, unblinking eyes stared back at him. A flash of lightning tore the sky in half, thunder roaring back, and the rain kept on pouring. Below, nothing moved.