END GAME

Chapter 5: Chit Chat

"Jean, I swear to God, I am going to murder you one day." Eren dropped the books down onto the counter of the desk with a heavy thump, his voice a snarl of irritation and his face a mask of semi-murderous rage.

Jean smirked as he leaned over the desk, his fingers twined with Marco's as he scribbled idly on a piece of paper. "Jäeger, Jäeger, calm it down you idiot." Eren felt his eye twitched in scarcely repressed fury as he turned away with a huff.

"Jean, stop antagonizing my employees," Marco chided in his usual kind and gentle manner, the complete opposite of Jean's abrasive personality. It was almost like someone had taken two similar ends of a magnet and forced them together, yet they somehow stayed together when the hands had been taken away, defying all logic and reason. How those two ever managed to work out their relationship, I will never understand. There's gotta be someone working a miracle for Jean.

Eren glared at the ash-blonde man, who was still clad in his dark blue police uniform, "Eren, just be a good little boy and put your toys away." The words were accompanied with a gesture to the stack of books that Eren was in the midst of shelving. Eren felt his eye start to twitch around the corner, a loathing scowl creeping onto his face.

"Jean… we are the same exact age so do not call me 'little boy.'" Jean shot him a snarky smirk before turning back to Marco, a moony look on his face. Stupid, useless bastard, Eren thought, snatching some of the books up and turning with barely suppressed rage. One of these days I am going to murder him. I seem to be thinking that a lot lately. Not just about Jean though, surprisingly enough. He moved throughout the bookstore, shelving books and doing his best to ignore Jean and his obnoxious comments.

They often antagonized each other, but there were times when either one of them went too far or Eren simply couldn't stand the horse-faced bastard. It could have been the way that Jean took his police work so carelessly that infuriated Eren or it could have just been that their personalities were too abrasive for them to get along. The way that Jean just didn't seem to care about anything with the police force truly irked Eren, which stirred up more fights between the two of them than any other person that Eren knew.

That was including Mikasa and their little fights about how Mikasa really should stop trying to baby him every step of the way. Either way, it didn't really matter. What mattered was getting paid, and if he had to deal with Jean's crap a little more than usual, he could manage it, even if it killed him. Eren wandered back over to the counter, which was bare of books to be shelved and vacant of customers. Hannah sat behind the desk, chewing gum and playing some Jewel Star-esque game. Marco and Jean talked in hushed tones, small smiles passing between them.

There was nothing to do; he was all out of things to do in the bookstore and since the Marion case had dropped a week prior, Eren had managed no contact with Levi. He couldn't help but wonder what the irritable man was doing that would prevent the contact of another case. Maybe he's found a partner who can actually help him with a case. God knows Petra, Oluo, Gunther, or Erd would jump on the first chance to work another case with him. It was odd how bored and lonely he felt without the presence of Levi, which he had quickly come to familiarize himself with. Everything just seemed a little more boring without the fierce and angry man there to liven up the monotonous days.

Eren shook his head and moved to the front door of the bookshop, eyes fixed on something not actually there, dragging his thoughts away from the previous track they had been occupying. The sunset was somewhat visible through the skyscrapers and buildings that filled the city, with streaks of orange, red, and gold visible up through the sky before the soft yellow shifted to a soft blue which gradually turned into the midnight hue of night. Stars weren't visible in the city often; there was too much smoke and pollution for that most of the time.

How long has it been since I left the city…? The thought was idle, a wandering question that came and went at a moment's notice. It's too suffocating here... There's no freedom… no escape… Sometimes, I really do hate it here. It's like we're living in a cage engineered by the leaders, and we're expected to live, nice and content, within the city limits. It's like we're never supposed to leave the invisible walls that are the city limits. Eren sighed and pressed his forehead up against the cool glass. He'd have to clean that later, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. Sometimes, it felt like there wasn't much to care about anymore, whether it was work or simply getting out of bed in the morning. Everything was just not as easy as it had once been in the innocent childhood he had left behind so many years ago.

Eren sighed and pulled his head away from the window and let it hit the pane again. His eyes were fixated on the darkening sky, with the scratch of a moon dangling overhead in the darkness that was quickly descending upon the city.

Eren pulled a long sleeved shirt on, a green one with a cross-like intersection of black lines over his heart, over his head, tugging it down, his movements hurried. Damn it, I'm late! He could hear the chastising he would get from Mikasa already, comments of "why were you late, Eren," and "did someone try to hurt you on your way here?" She's too over protective sometimes.

He yanked on a pair of jeans and smashed his feet into a pair of white tennis shoes. He took a second to pull the backs of the shoes from beneath his heels as he wedged his phone into his pocket next to his wallet. I really should stop procrastinating. He grabbed his keys and pulled his green jacket off the hook, tugging it on as he shut and locked the door behind him.

Too impatient to bother with the elevator, he crashed down the stairwell, narrowly avoiding breaking his neck at least twice. It was a good thing that not many of his neighbors took the stairs, otherwise Eren would definitely have run into at least one person. He took a flying leap from halfway up the last flight of stairs, landing in a crouch on the white-and-black speckled tiles. He managed to make it out of the building before his phone began to vibrate, accompanied with a short burst of "Not Gonna Die" by Skillet. He extracted his phone as he weaved his way through the semi-crowded streets, filled with the final rush of people making their way home before darkness descended upon Eden. "Hey Mikasa, what is it?"

"So I can assume that you aren't lying in the back of some alley, stabbed to death and mugged. That's good. We were wondering where you were. Connie and Sasha are getting impatient."

"Well tell them that they can wait five more minutes," Eren said with a grin. "It's not going to kill Connie to wait five more minutes. Sasha… well, you'll just have to hope she doesn't either throw a rebellion or start considering cannibalism. Seriously though, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Alright, Eren, I'll make sure they wait. We've only just gotten the drinks out. I'm sure we can hold Sasha off the food for a few more minutes at least. You'd better hurry though."

The call dropped and Eren picked up the pace, practically sprinting through the streets, dodging past people. More than one yelled at him after several near collisions.

He halted at the edge of the sidewalk, impatient for the pedestrian light to change. He would have leapt out across the clear street except for a close incident involving him nearly getting flattened by a Hummer. That had been and experience and had earned him a long discussion with Mikasa about street smarts and various other ways to be safe. It had been a solid three-hour talk. Each and every time she managed to find out about the close calls. It was nothing if not a process he didn't wish to repeat again; especially considering how the last one had went, and that time he had only accidentally cut his finger.

The light changed and he barely spared a glance both ways before he darted across the street and continued onwards. He passed shops closing for the night, lights turning on to combat the seven o'clock nightfall, and people locking their doors for the night. Colored blocks of light appeared on the walls, lights hidden by multicolored curtains. Eren glanced up at the sky; light blue fading to midnight blue, with a small smattering of only the brightest stars visible in the sky. Wisps of gray clouds scudded across the sky, passing across the moon and visible stars with speed. A sharp gust blew through the city, biting its way through Eren's jacket and sending him shivering. And to think that I was complaining it was too hot just last week!

He turned the corner and glanced at the numbers of the doorsteps. He ascended the steps of apartment 22C and knocked on the door. He could hear the thud of music from outside of the building, pulsing through the door. They might be able to hear him through overtop the music, but one could never know. The door jerked open, revealing a small tan-skinned boy with a buzz cut close to his head. "Eren, you made it!" "Hey Connie,"

Eren said, a grin spreading across his face. "Did you guys start without me?" Connie shook his head and moved back, letting Eren step in out of the cold wind and into the cocoon of warmth inside.

"Not at all Eren," he said, "We just broke out the booze." Eren rolled his eyes and shed his coat, tossing it onto the overloaded coatrack, which swayed with the new addition, wobbling precariously before regaining its balance. Connie's apartment was crammed full of people, most of them being members of the police force. Mina, Sasha, Nanaba, Nac, Marlo, Zoe, and Francis were able to be picked out instantly amongst the crowd. He spotted Armin's blonde hair after a moment, standing next to a taller blonde woman, who stared down at him, her face void of expressions. Eren moved into the group, sliding his way to Armin and the girl.

"Hey Eren, I'm glad you got here. We were thinking you weren't going to show." It was hard to believe that Armin's smile could get any bigger but he managed it. He looked genuinely happy tonight, something that Eren was pleased about. "You remember Annie right? It's been what, two years?" Annie nodded at Eren, her face as blank as it had always been since the first day they had met.

"I'm glad to see you again Annie," Eren said with a grin, clapping his hand onto her shoulder. She stared at his hand as he spoke to her, the look on her face saying she was somewhat miffed as to why his hand was still there and if he could please get it off. "How's it been going since you left?"

Annie shrugged, looking uncomfortable at the increased attention. "Fine… Reiner, Bertholdt, and I managed to get promoted so they relocated us back to Eden a few weeks ago."

"Speaking of Reiner and Bert, where are they?" Jean chose then to butt his head into the conversation, Marco on his heels. Reiner had been someone that everyone could befriend once you got past the tough exterior and down to the friendly interior. Bertholdt, while quieter, was equally intimidating on first glance, was even more soft-hearted than Reiner, but he was more socially awkward. Less so that Annie, but Reiner was the only one of the group that could come close to qualifying as the 'social butterfly' of the group.

"They're showing up a little late… They had something to take care of." Jean and Marco disappeared after a few moments more of conversation with Armin and Annie, Mikasa appearing in their place, bearing a red plastic cup, which she thrust into Eren's hand. "Here, I got you some punch."

Eren took a tentative sip and grimaced at the taste; grape punch with just a dash of vodka. It was just like Connie to spike the punch whenever they were having a party, no matter how many people bothered to show up. "Mikasa, you know I don't drink."

Mikasa shrugged, "Connie assured me there wasn't too much in it so don't worry. Sides, it's not like anyone is driving." Eren stuck his tongue out at Mikasa but drank a little more all the same, more for show than for a want to get drunk.

Sasha catapulted by, a baseball cap pulled backwards on her head, a crazed look in her eyes, and a roll sticking out of her mouth, "Weff goft ood!" Armin grabbed Sasha's shoulder, jerking her to a halt. "Sasha, translate please." Sasha held up a finger and somehow worked the rest of the roll into her mouth, chewing for a moment before she swallowed and focused her eyes back on Armin with a grin.

"We've got food!" She darted off again, most likely in search of more food to fulfill her ever-present appetite. That girl alone could pack away an unbelievable amount of food for someone her size, which lead to Connie constantly joking about how when her metabolism slowed down, she was going to find it hard to stay the size she was now.

Mikasa rolled her eyes at the back of the brown-haired woman's head. "Sometimes, I wonder how she ever managed to get through the police force academy." "She never gave up," Eren said simply, watching her go. He could still remember the time that she had been ordered to run for five hours straight for something that he couldn't even remember anymore. Sasha had run every minute of it, practically keeling over with exhaustion by the end of it, but proud that she had accomplished it. Needless to say, even old Keith Shadis, their trainer, had been impressed.

Eren raised the cup to his mouth again, a smile flickering onto his face once more as he returned to the conversation that Armin, Annie, and Mikasa had continued on without him. Maybe it was a good thing to get out tonight. The door opened again and cries of "Reiner," began to flow throughout the room. Eren waited for Reiner to make his way over to their little group before he bothered to speak over the thrum of the speakers.

"Hey Reiner, it's good to see you again!" Reiner looked at all of them, one of his customary small but elated smiles bright on his face. "I thought Bert was gonna be coming with you?"

Reiner shook his head, "No… Bert had some business to attend to. Something came up at work so he stayed late to finish it." The muscular blonde accepted a blue plastic cup from Connie, who disappeared again after passing the cup along.

"What do you guys do for work?" The question came from Armin, who looked back and forth between Annie and Reiner, eager and expectant to find out how their friends had been doing since leaving Eden two years ago.

"Bert and I code stuff for programs for our company, Rose Software. We're supposed to be writing a program to help the databases run smoother, but glitches keep coming up in Annie's beta group."

"That sucks," Armin said, practically having to shout to be heard. "You know, I could probably look at it for you if you want. I might be able to help." Reiner's smile grew bigger, "That'd be cool of you Armin. It'd be a real life saver, but I think Bert might get it figured out by tonight. If not, I'll let you know." Armin nodded and grinned around at Eren, Mikasa, Annie, and Reiner. "Mikasa, are you still into law?"

Mikasa nodded, tugging her scarf over her mouth. "Yes, I am. I just completed another case yesterday – the men received a verdict of ten years." Reiner clapped his hand to Mikasa's shoulder, his grin broadening.

"I'm glad to see you're still into that. Some people can't take law school, and I can certainly understand why." Mikasa simply nodded at his comment, her head sinking further into her scarf out of reflex. Eren turned his head when he heard someone shout. Connie was standing on top of one of his tables, his cheeks a little flush and his eyes wide. "Who's ready for some beer pong?!"

Bite down now, there's nothing to be afraid of. It won't hurt, it never does. That blood he can taste, it's not real. There's no taste of copper and iron in his mouth. There's no pain in his hand, right below his thumb. Why would he bite his own hand? Besides, he knows that there's a reflex that prevents a person from biting through their own skin most of the time; a person could bite through their own pinky yet their brain won't let them. Maybe the same thing applies here. Maybe he's just imagining it. But is he imagining the dark pit, the endless, fathomless abyss just in front of his unsteady feet?

Is he imagining the screams that float up from the void below, breaking down his barriers and revealing the truths long-since hidden. Destroyer, they cry, monster, murderer, heathen, their, devil, beast, creature. They've been screaming for years now; he can't remember exactly when they started. It was just one voice, one taunt at first. Then they began to multiply till there were too many to count, too many to distinguish.

They begged for him to give himself over to them, for once and for all.

To take that final step into the oblivion, the step he was oddly reluctant to take.

The step that would take him towards the end of everything he had ever known.

Eren opened his eyes to his dark room. His head was pounding and the sound of a fist slamming into his door did not help his hangover in the slightest. For someone who didn't drink, Eren had certainly gotten hammered the night before. It had become a blur at around eleven. He couldn't even remember getting home, much less getting to his own bed. Maybe Mikasa had helped him back. She usually did at times like those, when he let the alcohol get the best of him, something he truly despised doing.

The pounding on the door increased in volume and tempo. "I'm coming," Eren called, gripping his head as he slowly pulled himself from bed. His feet caught in his covers and he smashed into the floor, only his hands preventing him from slamming his head into the wood floorboards and sending him into a whole new world of pain. He rose slowly and stumbled out in the living room. The knocking continued, impatient and furious. It was familiar, but in his hangover-blurry mind, Eren couldn't place who the knocking might belong to.

"You can stop now, I'm coming," he called through the door as he fumbled with the lock and chain. He opened the door and blinked at the man standing in the doorframe.

Levi stood, one hand on his hip, clutching a folder, the other dangling by his side, still clenched in a fist. He was wearing a steel gray shirt that matched his eyes and black slacks, with dressy black shoes on his feet. Levi looked oddly dressed up for what could easily have been simply visiting a coworker at the most inopportune of times. Levi seemed to have a knack for doing that to Eren. Or waking him up when he was either sleep-deprived or had a pounding head. It was almost like the other man just knew what times would be most inconvenient for him to show up. Aside from that, it was amazing that Levi had managed not to wake one of Eren's neighbors yet with his explosive knocking, which could easily have been mistaken for cannon fire to an inattentive person, the category under which half of Eren's neighbors could fall.

"About bloody time," Levi snapped, tapping his foot impatiently on the hardwood floor of the hallway, "I've got another case."

Chapter 5: End

Hi guys, here's another chapter. Sorry that it's a little shorter than the others; originally, I was going to add some more, but then I realized that I had already reached a point at which I could cut it off so I said "screw it" and cut it as seen above. Plus, I've still got math to do (hooray - not). I've already begun to write chapter 6, but tomorrow I have to go to Florence, SC, where I will be playing in a softball tournament, so I'll upload when I can.

Thank you all so much for reading this story and thanks to all of my reviewers, especially Aohmin's Dim Dick and Aozumi, both of whom made me smile idiotically at my computer screen for a few minutes.