"We got one."
Hange heaved the writhing figure into the cell. Levi glanced up from his tea and watched as she wrangled him into the interrogation chair, securing the arm and leg restraints. She wiped her glistening forehead with the back of her hand.
"An ugly one by the looks of it. How'd you manage that?" Levi said, clinking his cup on the saucer.
"Why don't we let Floch here tell you."
Floch scowled at her.
"Don't wanna talk? Too embarrassed?" Hange nudged his shin with her foot. "C'mon, nothing, really?"
Floch sharpened his scowl.
"Fine." Hange leaned her hip against the cool cement wall. "Since the Yeagerists are a proud bunch, it didn't take much to pick the rats out. They didn't know anything about Eren's whereabouts, but they pointed me to the ringleader. So, after some colorful threats, I got one to deliver Floch here a summons at his little recruitment event. Want to tell him what happened next?"
Floch closed his eyes and took an audibly deep breath.
"Way to take all the fun out of it. Anyway, the summons was from 'Eren'"—Hange enclosed the name with air quotes—"but it was really an ambush from yours truly. Honestly, the hardest part was just lugging his ass down the stairs."
"Not bad, four eyes."
"You're too kind." Hange waved her wrist and made for the door. She paused with her hand on the knob. "We'll have to double up in the holding cells, by the way. The rats are taking up a lot of space. Oh, and I just mopped in here, so please refrain from killing him."
The door slammed, echoing in the space between Captain Levi and Floch.
Levi stayed in his seat, studying Floch over the brim of his cup. "So, you're Eren's lap dog."
Floch held his eyes, but said nothing.
"Just tell me where he is and I'll only rip a couple fingernails."
No response.
"You really want to do this the hard way?"
Levi clinked his cup on the saucer again, drawing Floch's eye to the pliers beside it. Floch's fists clenched. A drop of sweat rolled down his temple.
Levi's chair grated the floor. He crossed the cell one slow step at a time, all the while swinging the pliers. Floch's gaze flitted between Levi and the pliers, equally fearful of both.
"Guess it's the hard way. But I'd be lying if I said I preferred any other way." Levi dug the bumpy ridge of the plier under Floch's pinkie nail. "Last chance, brat."
Floch's face was boiling red, but he maintained his silence. Levi clamped the plier and yanked; an awful fleshy tear and Floch's piercing scream followed.
The small nail pittered to the floor. On Floch's finger was a bloody red patch. Levi dipped the ridge under the next nail.
"Where's Eren?" He tightened the pliers and made to pull, but Floch cried out.
"Wait! Please." His breathing was rapid.
Levi lowered the pliers. "One lousy nail is all it took? Pathetic."
"Why do you care where Eren is? He can't be stopped. It's pointless to go after him, alright?" Sweat dewed Floch's hairline.
"I don't care about his plans. Eren took something from me and I'd like it back."
"What? What did he take? I can help."
"Karma."
Floch's face drained of color. His cowardly eyes fell to the pliers. "No. I can't help with that. I swear I don't know where she is."
"That's too bad." Levi secured the pliers back under the ring nail. Another fleshy tear and awful shriek. Then another. All the nails were plucked off one hand, leaving it raw and oozing blood.
"Please, Captain! Stop." Floch was clawing the armrests.
"Are you gonna tell me where Karma is, or are we gonna have more fun?" Levi readied the next nail. "Once you're out of nails, I'll let you choose between molars and canines. So think carefully before you answer."
"What do you want with Karma?"
"I want to rescue her." Levi hadn't expected the ghost of a smirk to cross Floch's lips. It made him want to tear them off.
"So you like her?"
Levi didn't like that tone. Floch seemed to think he'd gained the upper hand.
"Yeah. And she liked me too until Eren weaseled his way in," Levi said.
"You sure about that?"
"Positive."
"I bet you're wrong."
"The hell are you getting at?" Levi tightened his knuckles on the pliers. Floch shrunk and squirmed, his cockiness abandoned.
"My pocket. I have a note. She's always loved Eren—she wrote that herself."
"You're telling me you don't know where Karma is, but you have a handwritten letter from her? Somehow I'm not buying your story."
"Just read it."
Levi dug into Floch's coat pocket and snatched a folded sheet of paper. Karma's neat and curly script decorated the page. There was even a little heart at the bottom next to where she signed off Love, Your Gem. He didn't need to read the rest. That was enough to crack his heart.
"See? She doesn't want to be rescued."
Levi tucked the note away. Maybe it was just a fleeting attempt at hope, but something felt off. "Doesn't matter," he said. "My mind's made up."
"No, please. Please, forget about her!" Floch yanked his hands and feet in every direction, but the restraints didn't budge. The pliers clamped on another nail and Floch screeched, "Okay, okay! The Opal Fortress. That's where he's keeping her."
"Keeping her? The hell is that supposed to mean?"
Floch ignored his question to spout more nonsense: "If you don't let me go, Eren will come after you! I'm supposed to report to him tonight. He'll know something's wrong if I'm not—"
Levi shoved his palm against Floch's mouth, muffling the neverending pleas. "Shut up, dammit. Can't hear myself think."
The Opal Fortress. That's where he's keeping her.
The words twisted his gut like a wrung towel—maybe she loved Eren, maybe she didn't. Regardless, she was his prisoner.
The steak knife kept sliding through her grasp. Her knees were wobbling bags of pudding as she crouched behind the double doors.
He was coming—the girl with the brown ponytail had told her so.
The letter must've done the trick.
Aim, reel, swing, stab—she'd practiced the motion dozens of times.
But when the door creaked an inch, every thought and instinct was sucked through a funnel.
Another inch and she forgot to reel the blade.
Now the door was open. She slashed the steak knife, but Eren caught her wrist.
She shouldn't have closed her eyes—that was her first mistake. She peeked one open, shrinking in fear for his retaliation, but it wasn't Eren holding her.
"Captain?!"
The steak knife clattered to the floor.
"Next time you wanna stab someone, be quicker," he said, picking up the blade. "And toss that damn moral compass of yours—you're too hesitant."
Karma leeched onto Levi, terrified he might disappear any moment. Her fingers chewed into the fabric of his shirt. Her words spilled in a fumbling rush. "I thought you were Eren. How'd you find me?"
"Had to rip a couple fingernails." Levi pulled a folded note from his pocket. Karma recognized it immediately.
"Floch?" She grabbed the letter, her sweaty fingers smearing the pencil marks. "No wonder he never came back…" Her honey eyes flicked back to Levi. "You didn't read it did you? God, that'd be so embarrassing."
"I read enough. Floch used it to convince me you didn't need saving, but I didn't buy it."
"Thank God." She clung to him again. She could smell that familiar cologne. "Levi. Eren has to be stopped. That euthanasia plan is all bullshit—he wants to destroy the world."
"Tch, figures. And he's on his way here? Now?"
"Yeah, but…if he never got my letter, what's he coming for?"
"I don't know but we need to get you out. Fast."
Levi snatched Karma's hand and her feet stumbled after him into the corridor. She stopped when she saw a girl lying on the ground, brown ponytail splayed on the white tiles.
"Don't worry, she's just unconscious. Come on," Levi said, tugging her.
But Karma didn't move because the tip of a shadow was stretching on the far wall. The shadow bent across the corner, sliding closer and closer.
"Shit… Levi, stay hidden. He doesn't know you're here." Karma shoved him into a shallow alcove. He was camouflaged by the shadows, but still visible if one looked directly in.
"What? No. I'm not leaving you alone with him again."
"Shh, I won't be alone—you're right here."
"If he lays a hand on you I'm barging in."
"Don't barge in unless you have to. Please."
Levi gave her an intense glare, which either meant, "Alright, fine" or "Too bad." She prayed it was the former, but they were out of time to argue.
The shadow grew larger.
Karma suddenly remembered the girl on the floor and icy fear slushed through her veins because there wasn't time to hide her body.
The end of the shadow connected with a bare foot. Then Eren's full body emerged at the mouth of the hall. He was still wearing that open black jacket and slacks. His eyes were still narrowed in underwhelming, but they rounded when he saw Karma and the doors to her quarters wide open behind her.
His gaze dropped to the unconscious girl then back to Karma, who wasn't sure how to stand. Her limbs didn't feel like her own and her joints were creaky and uncomfortable no matter how she held herself.
"Karma?" Eren crossed another tile. "What's going on?"
"Eren!" Karma taped the ends of her mouth up into a smile. "You're back!" Her thudding heart was loud enough to give her away. She closed her fists around the thumping in her fingertips.
Eren cocked a smile. "Were you trying to break yourself free?" He pointed between the open doors and the unconscious girl.
"Yes. I needed to see you." Again, not a complete lie.
"Is that all?" Eren said, stepping closer. "You could've let me know."
"I tried." Karma held up the note. It was crumpled and splotchy with sweat. "But Floch didn't want to interfere with your plans."
"So that's why he never reported to me? Because you took matters into your own hands?"
"I had to get your attention somehow."
"It certainly worked." Eren was two steps away.
Karma telepathically shouted, "Stay where you are, Levi! Don't barge in!" But she knew the message wouldn't reach him. She battled the urge to backpedal as Eren took another step. If Eren touched her and Levi came in swinging, they'd be done for.
"But I told you I'd come soon. Didn't you trust me?" Eren raised a finger to tuck a loose strand of her hair. Karma held her breath as he traced the back of her ear and down her jaw.
"I'm sorry. I got impatient."
"My gem…" He bent to kiss her lips. Karma felt her heart calm.
He believed her. Once he saw her safely locked back in her drawer, he'd leave. Then Levi could sneak her out again.
She waited for his kiss, but his lips brushed her ear instead. "You're a terrible liar."