WARNING: The start of this chapter contains sexually explicit material. Reader discretion is advised.

CHAPTER 4

Sleep did not come easily for her that night. She tossed and turned for hours, too riled up from the events of the evening to switch off. Emerald irises haunted her every time she closed her eyes and she could not stop replaying the sound of his voice.

"Say it…"

She breathed softly, letting her fingers roam across her stomach, tracing the path that his strong fingers had taken on the dance floor. Memories flooded her senses of a time long past.

Fingers grazing flesh and lips pressing unhurried, lingering kisses along skin.

She moaned gently as her fingers dipped into the elastic of her underwear.

Memories of intense green eyes locked with hers and a body slicked with sweat rising above her.

She found her entrance wet and waiting and inserted two fingers, using the heel of her hand to grind against her swollen clit. She let out a soft mewling sound.

Memories of him entering her slowly, his breath hot in her ear and her legs slung loosely around his hips, grinding into him as he rocked against her.

She felt her pleasure increase, her fingers coated in her slippery juices and she accelerated her ministrations, her chest heaving.

Memories of his body flush with hers, his lips on her neck and her pleasure spiralling up and up and he thrust into her harder and harder.

She was on the edge now, her hips moving involuntarily against her fingers, which flew across her flesh in a frenzied dance.

Memories of emerald eyes holding her own and a forehead pressed against her own.

"My name is Eren. Say it."

"Eren…" his name fell from her lips like a prayer.

And then she was coming, her body jerking and spasming around her fingers as she reached her climax, a long drawn out moan falling from her lips as she reached completion.

Mikasa sat atop her bike, surveying the cityscape before her in the morning sun, which streamed between buildings at this height, like bright shards of glass. Her scarf was pulled high across her face to ward off the frigid winds that whipped her hair about her face in soft tendrils.

She'd not set foot in the office for 48 hours after the events at Mayonaka, instead messaging Jaeger's holo-comm directly with her intentions for her shifts.

Coward...

She sighed.

To be fair to Jaeger he'd left her to it, not bothering to come out and accompany her and she was strangely grateful for the distance he was giving her. He'd checked in on her, video messaging her throughout the day with details of the case he was writing up. He had apparently managed to find a Japanese translator who would be able to come out later that day. She'd let the messages go to voicemail, rather than pick them up live, still not keen to face him directly.

Her holo-comm pinged and swiping the visor down she noted an incoming call from Levi. With a grunt she answered and is face appeared before her.

"What?" She asked, frustrated.

He scowled at her.

"Watch your tone, Ackerman."

She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him, instead raising her eyebrows and waiting for him to get the hell on with it.

"I need you back here. We're holding an unscheduled briefing at 12:15."

She felt her spine tingle. It was rare that the Captain ordered an unscheduled briefing and pulled people in.

"I'll be there." She muttered and he nodded before clicking off.

She wondered what had happened. She knew that this Hanzuko case was really stressing Levi out, but she wondered what new information they must have encountered for him to pull everyone in. Twisting her bike, she hit it into gear, joining the nearest sky lane and zipping through traffic back to HQ.

Jaeger was sat at their desk, a mountain of files scattered in front of him. His sleeves were rolled up and his hands had obviously been running backwards and forwards through his hair, which was standing up in every direction. She avoided him however, instead sidling over to Sasha's desk, which she shared with Reiner.

The girl was eating, as usual, and Mikasa smirked.

"It's only 10am and you're already eating your lunch?"

"Mmneungry!" came the muffled response as Sasha talked around the bread roll that she was currently stuffing into her face. Mikasa rolled her eyes.

"Do you know anything about this briefing?" Her eyes flickered to Levi's office. The glass was frosted indicating that he didn't want to be disturbed.

Sasha swallowed and shrugged.

"Not a clue… But I heard it's something to do with Jaeger and the Hanzuko case…"

Mikasa felt her eyes slide back to Jaeger who was poring over some video footage, his hand fisted in his hair.

"Mmhmmm…"

"Hey, so just what happened Friday night?" Sasha asked quietly and Mikasa saw Reiner look up curiously.

Nope, not going there.

"I'm going to train in the gym…" Mikasa muttered and slunk off quickly, Sasha's voice calling after her.

"You can't avoid us forever!"

I can try.

In the gym she stripped down to her gym shorts and T-shirt. I had been too long. She strapped the pads to her hand and wandered across the large deserted room to the punch bag at one side.

Using the controls at the side of the room she cued up her music. Something with a heavy bassline and aggressive lyrics. She smiled to herself and cracked her neck raising her hands into a fighting stance.

She started easily enough, a few jabs, some dodging, moving light on her feet.

She needed this release. This last month had proved…challenging.

"My name is Eren… Say it…."

She growled, increasing the intensity of her punches, this time adding some kicks, twisting her body and revelling the heavy thud of the punch bag as he weight pummelled into it.

For a while she lost herself to the feel of it. Punch, kick, punch, punch. She felt her breath coming in rapid pants and sweat trickling down her spine.

"Mikasa…"

With a groan she battered the punch bag with a barrage of assaults. Her movements became wilder and wilder until finally her arms gave out and she wrapped them around the bag, hanging off it loosely, her breath heaving. She squeezed her eyes shut. What the fuck was wrong with her?

"Feeling frustrated?"

She tensed, her eyes popping open at the sound of the voice behind her. She hadn't even heard anyone come into the room. Without looking at him she straightened, cutting the music. The silence was deafening.

"What do you want?" She asked, still with her back to him.

"I just came down to let off some steam…I didn't mean to interrupt you." He sounded genuinely contrite and she sighed. Turning to face him she kept her eyes locked to his face. He was dressed, as she'd expected, only in a pair of loose gym shorts and her eyes itched to wander across the bronze expanse of torso and muscled stomach that was on show. She felt her face flush and she wished she had her scarf.

"Go ahead…" she muttered. "I'm done here."

She made to push past him.

"Do you maybe want to spar a little?" He asked catching her by surprise and she paused.

Sparring? They'd spent a lot of time in here sparring during their first years together as partners. What had started as a way to tighten their skills and let off some steam, had become a kind of ritual at the end of a week. Mikasa hated to admit it to herself but she'd missed it.

"I… don't know…" she murmured, biting her lip.

"What? You afraid I'll beat you?"

She scowled at him, her eyes narrowed.

"How many times did that ever happen?"

It was his turn to scowl at her, but there was a gentle warmth in his eyes.

"I might surprise you."

She considered for a moment.

"Fine."

His answering grin brought a blush to her cheeks and she mentally slapped herself, moving to tighten her gloves as he strapped on his own.

The gym was equipped with a large matted floor, perfect for sparring and she wandered over to the centre of the room, as he trailed along behind her. Turning to face him she held her gloves over, watching as his eyes widened at the familiar routine. With a quirk to his lips he touched his gloves to hers before they raised their hands into a fighting stance.

She struck first; a swing towards his face. He blocked with his forearm and anticipated the knee that she brought up towards his ribs, knocking it back and striking her lightly in the stomach, knocking her back. She frowned at him.

"Don't hold back on me Jaeger."

His eyes narrowed as he circled her.

This time he struck first with a jab to the face, which she dodged lightly, feeling the wind whip past her at the force. She got an elbow to his stomach hearing a satisfying grunt, but he grabbed her, catching her by surprise with an arm around her middle as he landed a solid punch in her side. She retaliated by taking out his leg, dropping him down to one knee and she twisted a leg over him and got her arm around his throat from behind.

With a grunt he levered his body and threw her over his shoulder, she landed flat on her back but she scrambled to her feet before he could pin her and again they circled each other.

His eyes were dark and hooded, betraying nothing.

"You have… improved…." She told him grudgingly, her voice made heavy by her rapid breathing.

He was panting, his strong chest, moving quickly with each breath.

"Don't patronize me." He growled and dived for her. They continued in this vain for some time, each landing a number of blows on the other. As promised Jaeger did not hold back, landing a bruising punch across her face, splitting her lip. For a moment his eyes widened, as he took in the blood trickling from her mouth before she spat and punched him square in the face, splitting his eyebrow.

He quirked a savage smirk at her and they were back into it, circling and raining blows down upon each other.

Finally Mikasa went in for the offensive taking out Jaeger's knees and dropping him to the ground. She felt for sure she had him, but a buck of his hips and he rolled, reversing their positions until she felt her back him the mat with a thump and he sat atop her, her wrists captured in his vice-like grip.

His breathing was laboured and sweat dripped down his well-defined chest.

"Got you!" He crowed.

Mikasa didn't have the energy to argue, her chest heaving. She met his eyes, saying nothing and saw his pupils dilate and his expression darken as he took in the sight of her, dripping with sweat, her torso heaving.

She was suddenly and painfully aware of his slim legs astride her hips and his weight pressing down on her pelvis and she felt a coil of desire run through her. He was so close, his body hovering but a few inches above hers. Her lips parted and she saw his darkened eyes tracking the movement of her tongue as it swept over her lips, nervously.

Her body thrummed with energy and if she wasn't mistaken his hands were shaking lightly where they held her wrists. Agonizingly slowly he lowered his face towards hers and Mikasa forgot how to breathe.

"Hey, Ackerman!"

Sasha's voice had Mikasa shoving Jaeger off her and rolling to her feet instantly. She heard Jaeger groan next to her, his head hitting the floor with a thump.

"What's up?"

"Captain sent me down to remind you about the briefing." Sasha said, leaning her head around the door to take in the sight of the two of them, flushed and sweating. "You two look like you've had a good workout." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively and Mikasa glared at her.

"Let me shower and I'll be right there."

"30 minutes in the conference room."

She nodded as Sasha departed and suddenly they were alone.

"I'm going to shower. I'll see you up there." She turned and stalked away without looking at Jaeger.

"Mikas-"

"Don't!" She said loudly, her voice echoing off the walls of the gym.

Levi surveyed the Overwatcher's in front of him with narrowed eyes.

Mikasa noticed that it was only the senior agents that had been invited to the briefing and she glanced around at the faces she could see. Sasha, Reiner, Jean, Connie, Hitch, Annie, Hanji and Jaeger.

"I've called this meeting because I have some troubling news to give you." Levi glanced at them all in turn.

"Five weeks ago when Jaeger returned to us he provided us with some detailed information about Hanzuko's movements." Mikasa couldn't help but flick her gaze to where Jaeger was sat. He was looking directly at her and she felt a thrum of … something run through her. She slid her eyes away quickly.

"Jaeger…"

The Captain inclined his head towards Jaeger who sat back in his chair and surveryed the other agents around the table with a grim expression.

"As many of you know, I was infiltrated deeply within Hanzuko. It took me a long time to build up their trust, but even after years of working amongst them I still was not trusted enough to meet the man at the top of the organisation. A man they call Lero. We think that is Japanese language reference to the Golden Mask that he wears that sets him apart from the rest of the organisation." Eren paused and looks at them all. His eyes linger on Mikasa's and she drops her gaze, instead focusing on the smooth metal of the desk in front of her.

"But what I did discover, whether they meant for me to or not, was that Hanzuko had detailed information about what goes on in this office."

Mikasa felt a ripple of surprise run around the table.

"Jaeger has probable cause to suspect that someone was - and possibly still is - providing assistance to Hanzuko agents, from within the Overwatchers organization."

Beside her Sasha gasped, with confusion. Jean's fists were clenched against the steel table and a muscle worked furiously in his temple. Annie simply stared impassively at Levi, her jaw clenched. No-one spoke for a moment.

Could it really be true?

"Jaeger's suspicions have now been confirmed." Levis said wearily, nd Mikasa briefly felt a sense of concern for her brother. "As of 0800 today we found two suspected Hanzuko conspirators murdered in their cells as they awaited a translator."

Fuck!

"My suspects?!" Mikasa yelled, her fists clenching against the table.

Levi just nodded.

"Fuck!" Said Jaeger, sitting back in his chair, deflated.

"Indeed." Said Levi, wearily.

"But…how the fuck did someone manage to off two suspects in the middle of HQ without anyone noticing?" Sasha muttered, her eyes wide and frightened.

"It was must have been someone who was familiar with the security system." Jean said quietly.

"How were they killed?" Mikasa asked.

"Both of their throats were slit and they bled out." Levi said dispassionately. Someone whistled. Mikasa just felt numb. How could this happen? She looked up and caught Jaeger's eyes, they were angry and cold.

"So what are we going to do about this?"

"Well, starting right now we need to interview everyone about their whereabouts during today. That includes senior, junior and associate staff." Levi's expression hardened.

They all nodded, expecting as much.

"And I am locking all partnerships up tightly. Wherever you go, your partner goes. There is not going to be so much as a sneeze without your partner's say so."

Mikasa sighed.

"If anyone has any suspicions then they are to report those to me immediately so that I can investigate more fully."

"Well…" Jean piped up, quietly after a moment. "Let's be honest here. There's someone sat here at this table who should be treated as a suspect before anyone else."

"Jean!" Sasha gasped.

"What?!" The taller man spat. "I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking. Jaeger betrayed us once before. Who's to say that he ever really came back and joined our side? How do we know that he's not playing us?!"

Jaeger sat impassively, his face betraying nothing as he gazed at the brushed steel of the desk in front of him. Everyone was looking at him and Mikasa could see a few of the faces around the desk considering Jean's words.

"He's not." Mikasa surprised herself by saying. Jaeger's head shot up, his eyes searching her face in surprise, but she turned her eyes to Jean, coolly.

"Jaeger has been through this all already. He followed orders. If you have problems with the orders that he was given then you need to take them up with the Captain. But stop throwing accusations around. Jaeger has done nothing to suggest that he is still working for Hanzuko. Anyone that wants to suggest otherwise can answer to me."

There was a deathly silence and Jean blinked back at Mikasa, his face pale and a twisted expression marring his sharp features.

"Are we done here Captain?" Mikasa asked, coldly.

Levi looked at her for a moment, his eyes narrowed, before nodding.

"Anything that you are planning from this point forward needs to go though me." He said, warningly, looking at them all and Mikasa pushed away from the desk, motioning to Jaeger with her eyes. He stood fluidly and followed her from the room, his hands in his pockets.

"Thanks." He muttered, pulling alongside her as they wandered back to their desk.

"Whatever." She replied. "I didn't do it for you, Jean's just pissed but he shouldn't be shooting his mouth off."

Jaeger leant against her desk, his arms folded across his chest, as Mikasa sat down.

"You two were together?" He asked. She glanced up at him in surprise; his face was a carefully arranged mask of neutrality.

"No. Yes." She exhaled. "No. I- It's complicated."

He snorted humourlessly and looked away. "Give me something about you, Ackerman that isn't complicated."

She didn't know what to say to that so she busied herself with opening the case report from the original burglary and drawing up all of the information that they'd gathered on the two suspects that had until that morning been kept in custody a few floors below.

Twelve years old. Throats slit.

Mikasa felt her hands begin to shake and her face paled.

Who could do that to a kid?

"You ok?"

She looked up to find Jaeger staring at her in concern.

"He was just a kid." She blurted out, her face betraying her confusion and dismay.

Jaeger's face softened and he smiled sadly at her.

"The world's a cruel place." He breathed and she recognized the same words that she had said to him after his mother's death all those years ago. Her eyes snapped to his. She felt herself torn. On one hand this was the boy that she'd grown up with, who'd been so desperate to enter the academy that she's followed him, determined to keep him safe. This was the boy that she'd grown to care for above all others. But he'd betrayed her trust. He'd lied to her and left her bleeding and broken for five years and as much as she had accepted that he'd followed his orders, she couldn't get past what he'd done.

"Come on. I need to get out of here and I think we could go back over the workshop."

They swung past Levi's office and she poked her head around his door.

"Jaeger and I are going to check out the workshop again."

"Take Springer and Kirstein with you." He called in a bored tone, not looking up from the tablet in his lap and Mikasa scowled. She opened her mouth to retort, but he cut her off. "Not negotiable."

With a snarl she turned on her heel and with Jaeger in tow she stalked to Connie's desk. Annie was stood talking to Jean quietly.

"Hey," Mikasa interrupted and Annie glared at her. "Boss man says you need to come with us to check out the workshop in lower city."

Connie groaned and she felt Jean stiffen beside her. They hadn't spoken directly since that night in Mayonaka.

"Seriously?"

"Yes." She growled. "Do you really think I need you lot holding my hand, now get your shit, we're leaving." She turned away from them and wandered over to where Jaeger was leaning against the wall by the elevator, his face expressionless.

The ride out was uncomfortable. Connie desperately tried to engage someone in conversation but their hearts weren't in it and after a while he gave up. Mikasa sat in the passenger seat, her eyes fixed on the city around them as they descended through the levels, into the dark city of the lower levels. Jaeger was tense in the driver's seat; his posture taught and rigid and Mikasa wondered what had got him so riled up.

Probably the fact that Jean is sat directly behind him, glaring at the back of his head?

Mikasa repressed a sigh and rubbed a hand across her temple, wincing as she brushed the still healing wound that she'd obtained on her last visit to this workshop.

"You ok?" Jaeger muttered, looking at her in concern.

"I'm fine."

Jean was tense in the backseat and Mikasa just wished that Jaeger would hurry the fuck up and get them there so she could get out of this stifling cruiser.

When they finally pulled up at the cruiser park, Jean had barely waited for Jaeger to turn off the engine before he was out of the car and Mikasa exhaled. Jaeger glanced at her again, but wisely held his tongue as they exited the vehicle, wandering along the dark walkway towards the workshop entrance. Around them run down apartments and businesses lined the walkway, rising high above them, gloomy and foreboding and Mikasa felt her shoulder blades itch. She turned, glancing up at the towering buildings around them, a nagging sensation pulling at her consciousness.

"What is it?" Jaeger breathed coming to stand beside her, following her gaze. His body heat radiated to her own and she shivered.

She wasn't sure what it is but she had the strangest feeling that something really was not right.

"Something-"

A blast of gunfire sent them diving in opposite directions in search of the nearest cover as the sidewalk exploded into pieces beneath them. Mikasa heard voices shouting and her weapons were already in her hands as she ducked behind a dumpster. Orange blasts were littering the walkway and Mikasa swore under her breath.

A pulse rifle.

Whoever this was well equipped.

She glanced around, noting that Jaeger was crouched in a doorway across the walkway, his weapons in hand. She couldn't see Jean or Connie and she swore again. Jaeger's eyes met hers and he lifted his right hand, indicating to her with short sharp gestures what he wanted to say.

One gunman.

Pulse rifle.

3 stories above.

On your six.

500m.

She nodded before signing back.

The others?

He looked away from her, further down the walkway, beyond what she could see from her vantage point before turning back to her.

In cover.

She nodded in relief. She needed to move across to his position; she had no sight line from this side of the walkway.

Coming to you.

Cover me?

He nodded, swinging out from behind the archway, his gun raised and firing a round of heavy fire down the walkway as she darted out from behind the dumpster, keeping her body low to the ground.

She dove into the archway and Jaeger swung back into cover, reloading his weapon as she sat across from him, her breathing heavy. The archway was small and cramped and their feet touched in the space between them.

"Shit." She said.

He shrugged.

"We've had worse Ackerman."

She grinned at that. He was right.

"We need to get to the others."

"Right. Can you see where the bastard is hiding?"

Carefully, Mikasa leaned out of the archway slowly, her eyes scouring the buildings opposite. A round of orange fire striking the wall next to her head had her scrambling back into cover.

"No."

"Fuck."

"I think that about sums it up." Mikasa blew her hair out of her eyes. Her holo-comm vibrated indicating an incoming message.

"Jean." She swiped to access the transmission, opening it up and forwarding it to Jaeger's holo-comm as well.

"We're about 400m ahead of you. Left hand side. Connie's been hit. It's pretty bad. I don't think I can move him."

"Shit!" She cursed again feeling dread knot in her stomach. Opposite, Jaeger looked pale.

"Here's what we're going to do." She said.

"You're going to call for a medi-vac. You are then going to lay down a suppressing fire. Jaeger will come to you and await evac. You will both provide cover and attempt to isolate the position of the suspect. I will then advance in an attempt to get him to show himself."

"I don't like that plan." Jaeger said firmly, his jaw set.

"I don't really care what you like, Jaeger. I'm in command here and you do what I say."

He growled low in his throat.

"Roger that." Jean's voice was tense. "Jaeger, you better hurry."

She cut the transmission and Mikasa could tell that Jaeger wanted to say more, but she silenced him with a look, checking her weapons and pushing her holo-comm visor into tracking mode. If the bastard so much as moved she'd pinpoint him.

She could hear sirens in the background and she knew that Jean had called for evac.

"Time to go," she said to him but he grabbed her wrist in his vice-like grip.

"Don't you dare fucking die!" He whispered harshly, his face close to hers, and there was more that he wanted to say. She could see it in the curve of his mouth and in the look in his eyes. But then Jean was laying down a suppressing fire and Jaeger rolled and disappeared from sight.

Show time.

Mikasa dived out from the archway, keeping her body low and made off up stealthily up the walkway, her weapons trained and her eyes fixed above. There was no movement and no gunfire and she felt her heart sink. Had the bastard already left?

And then the fluttering of a curtain through an open window drew the attention of her holo-comm and she knew where she was headed. In a burst of speed Mikasa dived up a fire escape. The suppressing fire behind her stopped momentarily and Mikasa wondered what the fuck was going on back there. And then a weapon appeared out of the open window and Mikasa climbed for all she was worth, kicking the weapon and slinging herself in through the window as the suspect fell backwards in surprise. She took aim at the suspect.

"Freeze you fucker."

The Hanzuko agent was dressed just like the others in all black with a silver mask covering his face. His figure looked male and he was relatively tall with a large, muscular build.

She took a cautious step closer to him, drawing the cuffs from her belt.

At that moment the attacker withdrew a knife from his clothing and with reflexes quicker than Mikasa could see he threw the weapon and it embedded itself in the centre of Mikasa's chest. The force of it sent her stumbling backwards towards the half-open window and the glass shattered as she hit it at pace and then she was falling towards the ground.